After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 21

The intimate gesture was an eyesore!

The feeling of being under someone else’s roof was very unpleasant, and Wen Zhu had known this since childhood.

In such an environment, one couldn’t help but subconsciously watch others’ expressions, like a startled bird.

Especially in a large family like the Pei family, where rules were everywhere.

Compared to the Pei family, the Li family was even stricter, and the rules would only be more numerous.

Had her sudden arrival upset Li Zhiyun?

Wen Zhu’s fingers tightened on her lap, her throat felt dry, and the words to excuse herself were already on the tip of her tongue.

Before she could speak, Li Zhiyun had already set down Jiaojiao and walked toward the study on the first floor.

Li Zhishu, who was nearby, noticed Wen Zhu’s posture, which seemed ready to spring up, and the unconcealed awkwardness on her face.

“Don’t be afraid,” she patted Wen Zhu’s shoulder and walked toward the study. “Eat well. We’ll be out shortly.”

The door softly closed, cutting off the sounds from inside.

The dining room instantly fell silent. Wen Zhu looked at the tightly shut door, but the unease in her heart did not dissipate because of Li Zhishu’s words instead, it intensified.

Jiaojiao climbed back onto her chair, her short legs dangling.

Wen Zhu looked at Jiaojiao and couldn’t help but ask softly, “Your mother… and your little aunt, will they argue inside?”

“No, they won’t!” The little girl’s tone carried a sense of childish certainty. “My mother is the gentlest; she never argues with anyone!”

Wen Zhu had no choice but to pick up her knife and fork, distractedly cutting the lamb chop on her plate.

After only a few minutes, the study door reopened.

She didn’t know what the two had discussed inside, but Li Zhishu glanced at Wen Zhu as she came out, looking somewhat guilty.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Zhu,” Li Zhishu said. “My grandma just had surgery at the hospital, and her condition is a bit unstable. I have to go deliver dinner to her now. I’m afraid I can’t keep you company tonight. You just eat with Zhiyun.”

With that, she quickly walked to the side and picked up the thermal soup container the auntie had already prepared.

Then, she bent down and, without question, reached out to hug Jiaojiao, who was still sitting in the chair.

Jiaojiao clearly hadn’t expected to have to leave as well; her tiny body instinctively wanted to struggle and flail.

“Mommy”

She had just let out a protesting whine.

Li Zhishu shot her a look.

Jiaojiao immediately fell silent, her small mouth pursed into a thin line, and she stretched out her small arms, quietly letting herself be picked up.

Wen Zhu: “…”

By no means did Sister Zhishu look gentle.

Li Zhishu held Jiaojiao, carried the soup container, smiled at Wen Zhu again, and then hurriedly left the living room.

The sound of footsteps soon disappeared at the entrance.

In the spacious dining room, only Wen Zhu and Li Zhiyun remained, along with a dog.

Didi had completely forgotten that it had tried to get attention from Wen Zhu that morning, and was pressing its large, furry head even tighter against her ankle.

The warm, soft fur against her ankle was comforting and dry.

“I apologize.” Li Zhiyun pulled out a chair and sat down.

They were separated by one empty seat, a distance that was neither too far nor too close, avoiding the awkwardness of being face to face.

The crystal chandelier above the dining table emitted a soft light, illuminating her well-defined profile.

“I didn’t know my sister called you over. Just now… I wasn’t being unwelcoming to you.”

Li Zhiyun paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully.

“I was just… a bit surprised.”

She was indeed surprised that her sister would bring Wen Zhu directly home for dinner without telling her.

She was also worried that her sister, being tactless, might have scared the person away.

Hearing this explanation, Wen Zhu’s tightly clenched heart felt as if an invisible hand had gently smoothed out the wrinkles.

The sense of suffocation caused by being scrutinized and excluded quietly dissipated quite a bit.

Wen Zhu’s strained lips finally relaxed, revealing a faint smile.

“It’s okay,” she replied softly.

Li Zhiyun nodded and did not continue the topic.

She picked up her cutlery and began to eat quietly, her movements graceful and nearly silent.

Wen Zhu was not a very outgoing or lively person to begin with, and with Li Zhishu and Jiaojiao gone, she was even more unsure what to say.

So, the two finished the entire meal without a single word.

When they were almost done, there was a sudden “Boom!” outside.

It sounded like the sky was being split open.

Li Zhiyun got up and pulled open the curtains. Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy, with clouds so thick they seemed to press down on their heads.

Soon, large raindrops began to relentlessly pound against the glass window, forming a continuous curtain of rain. In the blink of an eye, the scenery outside the window could no longer be seen clearly.

March was the rainy season in Tongcheng, with persistent wind and rain.

Li Zhiyun frowned, turned, and said to Wen Zhu, “I need to go to the hospital to pick up my sister and Jiaojiao.”

The wind and rain howled, making her voice sound very soft. “The rain is heavy. I’ll have the maid send you back after the rain stops.”

Wen Zhu also stood up. Her right hand had been throbbing with sharp, stabbing pain since the afternoon.

It was always like this on rainy days.

She said, “I’ll go with you. The rain is so heavy; you won’t be able to take care of two people alone.”

Li Zhiyun thought for a moment, nodded, and took out an extra umbrella from the cabinet, handing it to Wen Zhu. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

After saying that, she sent a message to Li Zhishu, asking them to wait at the hospital, and then took Wen Zhu to the car.

Because of the heavy rain, the usual ten-minute drive took half an hour this time.

After parking the car on the basement floor, the two had just gotten out when Li Zhishu messaged, saying she was going to get Grandma’s medicine and asked Li Zhiyun to pick up Jiaojiao.

“You go,” Wen Zhu said. “I’ll wait here for Sister Zhishu, so she doesn’t struggle to find anyone later.”

“The number you have dialed is currently unreachable”

Jiang Xinxin watched Pei Xiubai dial the phone for the sixth time, still unable to connect, and couldn’t help but say, “CEO Pei, maybe Sister Wen Zhu is busy right now, that’s why she’s not answering your call.”

Pei Xiubai hung up the phone, the atmosphere around her tight with low pressure. “How busy can she be that she can’t even answer my call!”

In her memory, this was the first time Wen Zhu hadn’t answered her call.

She called the branch company, but the branch company said Wen Zhu hadn’t even gone to work!

Did Wen Zhu have the audacity to ignore her orders?!

Jiang Xinxin bit her lip. “Please don’t be angry, CEO Pei. My injury wasn’t Sister Wen Zhu’s fault in the first place, so it’s only right that she doesn’t come to take care of me…”

Pei Xiubai wasn’t angry about that.

She was angry that Wen Zhu hadn’t taken her words about taking good care of Xinxin seriously, Wen Zhu dared to openly defy her command!

“CEO Pei, please calm down. I don’t want to see you argue with Sister Wen Zhu because of me”

As Jiang Xinxin spoke, her gaze was suddenly attracted by a sight not far away, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

Noticing her abnormality, Pei Xiubai asked, “What’s wrong?”

“CEO Pei,” Jiang Xinxin’s beautiful face was filled with shock, and she pointed in a certain direction.

“Is that person… Sister Wen Zhu?”

Pei Xiubai looked sharply in the direction she was pointing.

Under the dim light not far ahead, stood a familiar figure it was Wen Zhu.

And opposite Wen Zhu, there seemed to be another person.

That person was largely blocked by a parking lot column, making their appearance and figure unclear.

But Pei Xiubai clearly saw the person opposite stretch out a pair of hands, gently wrapping a scarf around Wen Zhu.

The intimate gesture was an eyesore!

Although the underground parking lot was sheltered from the rain, the wind constantly blowing in through the vents carried a damp chill.

Li Zhiyun had originally turned to leave.

But she looked at Wen Zhu’s thin clothes and then at her slightly curled fingers.

She didn’t say anything; she just took off the white cashmere scarf around her own neck.

Before Wen Zhu could react, Li Zhiyun leaned in slightly and naturally draped the scarf gently around Wen Zhu’s neck, carefully tucking it in.

The soft cashmere touched the cool skin, bringing a sudden warmth that instantly dispelled some of the coldness.

Wen Zhu was stunned, subconsciously raising her hand to touch the scarf around her neck.

“It’s cold here.” Li Zhiyun’s voice was very close, her breath seemingly brushing past Wen Zhu’s ear.

After saying this, she straightened up, didn’t look at Wen Zhu again, and turned to walk toward the elevator.

Wen Zhu stood still, her fingertips still retaining the delicate feel of the cashmere.

Her heart felt as if something had gently knocked against it, stirring an ineffable ripple.

Just as Wen Zhu was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a rapid, angry sound of footsteps behind her.

Immediately following, a cold, familiar voice rang out, carrying immense fury.

“Wen Zhu!”

For a moment, Wen Zhu thought she was having auditory hallucinations.

Why would Pei Xiubai’s voice appear here?

She turned around.

She saw Pei Xiubai standing not far behind her, her face ashen, walking toward her step by step.