After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 22

“Haven’t you been revolving around me for the past few years?”

The cold air instantly rushed into her nostrils, carrying the unique damp, gasoline mixed smell of an underground parking garage.

When Wen Zhu saw the person in front of her clearly, her heart skipped a beat.

Even in the dim light, that face was still exquisitely aggressive, but at this moment, it was covered in frost.

Pei Xiubai.

How could she be here?

Wen Zhu opened her mouth, the question she wanted to ask stuck in her throat.

Before she could even make a sound, Pei Xiubai had already strode closer, her gaze like an ice-tempered knife, fixed directly on the light-colored cashmere scarf around Wen Zhu’s neck.

“Who was that woman just now?!”

The demanding voice was cold and hard, squeezed out from between her teeth.

Pei Xiubai was furious!

Those hands just now were obviously a woman’s hands!

She hadn’t expected Wen Zhu to not answer her call, only to be here in an intimate moment with another woman!

Did she even consider her important anymore!

A wave of uncontrollable anger instantly rushed to Pei Xiubai’s head.

If this was Wen Zhu’s new way of infuriating her, then she had to admit, Wen Zhu had succeeded!

She gritted her teeth, her tone so dark it could drip water: “You haven’t seen me for a few days, and your tactics have become quite sophisticated. Did you know I was here, and specifically find a woman to put on a show for me, just to provoke me?”

Pei Xiubai sneered, “Save it. Don’t think you can anger me by randomly finding some trashy person!”

These words were like a basin of ice water poured over Wen Zhu’s heart.

Listening to her blunt, cruel remarks, a long-suppressed bitterness surged up.

Even a clay figure has some temper.

Her voice was cold: “President Pei, have you misunderstood something? I didn’t know you were here. The person just now was merely my friend.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, another slightly hurried voice cut in.

“Sister Wen Zhu!”

Jiang Xinxin jogged around the other side of Pei Xiubai’s car, her face etched with obvious anxiety.

She quickly walked up to Pei Xiubai, then turned to Wen Zhu to try and placate her: “I apologize, Sister Wen Zhu, please don’t blame President Pei. President Pei was just worried about you.

“We just finished eating, and President Pei was driving me back to the hospital. On the way, she thought of you and called you, but couldn’t get through”

“No need to explain to her!”

Pei Xiubai’s voice was frigid, her gaze still locked on the scarf around Wen Zhu’s neck.

The soft warmth on Wen Zhu’s neck stood out starkly in the cold toned parking garage.

“Friend?”

Pei Xiubai countered coldly, the sarcasm practically overflowing from her tone: “What kind of friend personally puts a scarf on you?”

Her eyes swept over Wen Zhu, carrying a haughty scrutiny: “Besides, what friends do you have that I don’t know about? How come I’ve never heard of you having friends in Tongcheng? You never contacted them when you were in Yancheng, but as soon as you come to Tongcheng, you connect with them?”

Pei Xiubai pressed on, her words stabbing like knives.

“Wen Zhu, haven’t you been revolving around me for the past few years? Do you even believe that kind of lie yourself?”

That last sentence was like a giant hand, crushing Wen Zhu’s heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She even felt a little amused.

A hint of bitter laughter faintly spread across her lips.

“President Pei.” Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor, yet exceptionally clear.

“So you also know that for all these years… I have been revolving around you.”

These words were like an invisible needle, unexpectedly piercing Pei Xiubai.

She suddenly froze.

Wen Zhu raised her hand and gently touched the soft scarf around her chest.

For all these years, she had indeed made Pei Xiubai the center of her life.

But what did she get in return?

Her fingertips seemed to still feel the lingering warmth, a peaceful and comforting warmth that belonged to Li Zhiyun.

Even someone she had only recently met was worried she might be cold.

This just showed that people don’t necessarily return the same amount of love for the amount you give.

She raised her head again, her eyes calm like a deep pool.

“All these years, President Pei. Do you truly understand me? Perhaps…”

Wen Zhu paused slightly, and the bitter smile on her lips deepened slightly, “I really do have some friends in Tongcheng that you don’t know about?”

Pei Xiubai simply didn’t believe Wen Zhu’s excuse, her eyes sharp: “Who exactly is that woman?”

The chill in her voice made the already cold air in the underground parking lot drop a few more degrees.

Wen Zhu was all too familiar with this expression of Pei Xiubai.

When someone offended Pei Xiubai in the past, she would look like this expressionless, yet with a chilling ruthlessness surging in her eyes.

Then, she would instruct Wen Zhu to investigate the person’s background.

Soon, the other party’s company would lose all its financial support overnight, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

That was Pei Xiubai’s usual, undeniable, and destructive way of asserting control.

Wen Zhu lowered her gaze, avoiding the look that was practically pinning her down. “It’s none of your business. It’s after work hours now, so I won’t disturb President Pei’s time with her girlfriend.”

With that, she turned and started walking toward the elevator lobby.

“Stop!”

Pei Xiubai’s voice suddenly rose, carrying the anger of being defied: “Who said it’s after work hours? The contract explicitly states that you must be available whenever I require it!”

Wen Zhu stopped and had no choice but to turn around.

She looked at the enraged Pei Xiubai before her, took a deep breath, and, just like countless times before when she was called in to handle various tasks, offered a standard smile.

“What does President Pei require?”

Pei Xiubai practically ground out her words, “Xinxin likes the signature soufflé from that place in the West City. Go buy it.”

Wen Zhu nodded: “Is that all?”

Seeing her impervious demeanor, the anger in Pei Xiubai’s heart flared even more. She listed several more shop names, nearly all of which Jiang Xinxin had mentioned during their meal.

These shops were scattered in various corners, requiring almost a run across the entire city to collect everything.

However, Wen Zhu listened quietly from start to finish.

“Okay.” She lightly responded, “Does President Pei have any other instructions?”

Pei Xiubai looked at the damnable, calm, almost indifferent smile on Wen Zhu’s face, and her jaw instantly clenched tight.

She didn’t like this smile from Wen Zhu.

Not at all.

She preferred the way Wen Zhu used to look at her, with a bright smile, her eyes curved into crescents.

How could Wen Zhu change so drastically!

How dare she!

With anger almost bursting forth, Pei Xiubai’s voice was as cold as ice shards.

“I want all those items within one hour.”

Wen Zhu remained unperturbed, “You can rest assured.”

Pei Xiubai stared intently at her.

If Wen Zhu had refused, it might have indicated she didn’t care that much about that woman.

But she was completely compliant!

How could she not see it?

Wen Zhu’s cold and distant demeanor was clearly an intentional effort to provoke her!

It was all to protect the woman who had just put the scarf on her!

This realization was like a poisoned dagger, viciously plunged into Pei Xiubai’s heart, making her already surging rage burn even hotter, almost consuming her reason.

Who was that woman?!

A wicked flame suddenly shot up, making her speak recklessly.

“Forget buying them!” Pei Xiubai suddenly roared out, her eyes slightly red from extreme anger, “Wen Zhu, I’m giving you one last chance. My mother hasn’t been feeling well recently and wants to drink the snow pear soup you make. You either come back to the Pei family with me now to make the soup…”

Her eyes were sharp as blades, “Or you can stay in Tongcheng forever! Don’t even think about returning to Yancheng!”

Return to Yancheng?

Wen Zhu’s right hand, hanging by her side, twitched almost imperceptibly.

People often say that if thinking about a place only makes you feel stressed and unhappy, then that place is not your home.

For the past few years, Yancheng had been a beautiful cage to her.

In contrast, in the two days she had been in Tongcheng, she had experienced a long-lost, unprecedented sense of relaxation and peace.

Wen Zhu raised her eyes, meeting Pei Xiubai’s gaze which was burning with fury.

She thought for a moment, then clearly, word by word, she said:

“I’ve made my decision.”

Wen Zhu barely had to think, she lightly inhaled, “Rock sugar snow pear soup, anyone can make it.”

Pei Xiubai snapped her head up, her warning gaze like a fierce beast.

But Wen Zhu was unafraid, “I will stay in Tongcheng for this entire month.”

Pei Xiubai seemed deeply wounded by those words, her brow twitching violently with anger.

She stared fiercely at Wen Zhu, her expression as if she wanted to devour her alive.

“Wen Zhu!” She practically screamed.

“Don’t you dare regret this!”

Ungrateful!

Wen Zhu had completely exhausted all her patience. If she cared about Wen Zhu one more time, she wouldn’t be named Pei!

Having said that, Pei Xiubai spun around abruptly, walked to her car, pulled open the door, and slammed it shut with a loud bang.

Even the air seemed to violently tremble.

Jiang Xinxin stood still, looking at Wen Zhu, then at Pei Xiubai in the car, her face full of dilemma and anxiety.

“Sister Wen Zhu…”

She quickly walked up to Wen Zhu, her tone laced with worry and confusion: “Why are you doing this? President Pei is just being stubborn, she actually cares about you deep down, you…”

“You don’t need to comfort me. I know what I’m doing.” Wen Zhu interrupted her flatly.

Jiang Xinxin’s eyes flickered, seeming to want to say more.

But Wen Zhu was already tired of listening.

She turned around and walked straight toward the elevator lobby.

Her back was straight, her pace unhurried, yet unusually firm.

She had already made her decision on the day she came to Tongcheng.

She had always been stubborn at heart, from childhood.

Once she was set on Pei Xiubai, she plunged headfirst, dedicating twelve years without complaint or regret.

Now that she was determined to leave, she wouldn’t easily change her mind.