After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 41

“Don’t tell me you and Li Zhiyun are innocent!”

Those memories, sealed by time, unexpectedly flooded her mind like a tide.

Wen Zhu remembered.

She parted her lips, her throat dry, wanting to ask something.

Just as she was about to speak, a childish voice broke the silence on the balcony.

“Aunt Wen, do you also think my aunt is very beautiful?”

Jiaojiao bit into a piece of honeydew melon and asked curiously, “You were staring at her, you look completely lost.”

“Ah?”

Wen Zhu flinched as if pricked by a needle, and snapped back to reality.

She was about to say something, but suddenly forgot.

To prove she wasn’t looking at Li Zhiyun, she began fumbling to fish the chess piece that had fallen into the cup.

But the glass cup was deep and its opening was narrow. Her fingertip couldn’t reach it.

The more anxious Wen Zhu became, the more her hands trembled.

Just as she was at a loss, a warm hand covered the back of hers, gently taking hold.

Just like every time in the past.

Li Zhiyun’s voice was very soft, “It’s okay.”

Wen Zhu’s heart instantly calmed down.

Li Zhiyun seemed to have this ability to make people who approached her trust and rely on her.

Wen Zhu nodded lightly.

The atmosphere settled into silence.

The wind on the balcony carried the coolness of the night, fluttering their hair.

Their hands were still tightly clasped.

Li Zhiyun didn’t let go.

Wen Zhu didn’t pull away either.

A deeply complex emotion spread silently in the silence, enveloping the small balcony.

Except for Jiaojiao.

The little girl’s eyes widened, staring at the two clasped hands, and her mouth turned down.

Tears slowly spilled from her eyes, and finally, she burst into a loud “Waaah!” cry.

She was sobbing breathlessly, her voice filled with grievance.

“Why is Aunt only holding Aunt Wen’s hand and not mine!”

“You’re not holding me, you’re mean!”

The two clasped hands instantly stiffened.

Wen Zhu pulled her hand out as if she had received an electric shock, and immediately went to comfort the heartbroken Jiaojiao.

“Jiaojiao darling, you’re the best, don’t cry, okay?”

Li Zhiyun looked at her empty palm, then glanced at her niece, who was crying with tears and snot bubbles.

She sighed soundlessly, then slowly reached out.

And ate all the uneaten honeydew melon in Jiaojiao’s bowl, piece by piece.

When Jiaojiao saw that Li Zhiyun didn’t comfort her but instead ate all her melon, she immediately cried even louder.

“Waaah waah waah waah!!”

After finishing the melon, Li Zhiyun finally got up and carried the little girl into the adjacent room to soothe her.

Knowing that Li Zhiyun was not the type to physically punish a child, Wen Zhu sat outside feeling reassured.

The night wind blew, clearing her head considerably.

Wen Zhu picked up the cup of water, poured the black chess piece into her palm, wiped it dry, and put it back in the box.

She needed to calm down.

That momentary lapse had given her a very unfamiliar feeling.

Not long after, Li Zhiyun came out of the room.

Jiaojiao quietly followed behind her, her eyes still holding a stubborn tear that she was trying not to let fall.

Cute yet pitiful.

Wen Zhu’s heart ached. She stroked Jiaojiao’s head, then looked at Li Zhiyun, “It’s getting late, I won’t bother you any longer, I’ll head back now.”

“Wait a minute.” Li Zhiyun stopped her.

She called the nanny and asked her to take Jiaojiao to wash up first.

Then she turned to Wen Zhu and said, “I’ll walk you back.”

Wen Zhu didn’t refuse.

The two walked side by side on the way back to the B&B. The evening breeze was pleasant and cool.

Wen Zhu took a deep breath, still unable to resist asking, “Jiaojiao… is okay, right?”

Li Zhiyun’s reply was brief: “Kids cry a lot, no need to worry about a few tears.”

After speaking, the two fell silent again.

After walking quite a distance, Wen Zhu suddenly stopped and called out to the person walking ahead.

“Miss Li.”

Li Zhiyun turned around.

The gentle moonlight shone upon her, coating her in a halo of light, making her look somewhat unrealistically beautiful.

Wen Zhu suddenly realized that lately, her gaze always seemed to be involuntarily drawn to her.

Thinking of the cool figure who always wore a mask in high school, Wen Zhu couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.

“If you had taken off your mask in high school, the number of people watching you outside the Go club every day would surely have been several times higher.”

Perhaps realizing that they knew each other from before, there was a familiarity in her tone that she didn’t even detect.

“Even I played chess with you for two months and didn’t know what you looked like.”

Li Zhiyun also curved her lips.

The fact that Wen Zhu remembered made her happy.

This at least meant that Wen Zhu hadn’t completely forgotten her.

“I was indeed a bit unaccustomed to the climate back then,” she explained.

After arriving here, the food always contained chili, and she wasn’t used to the weather, so her face was always a bit red.

And…

Li Zhiyun paused, “And my Mandarin was still being practiced at the time, so I spoke a little strangely.”

That’s why she rarely spoke.

Wen Zhu finally understood, her eyes curving in a smile.

So, the reason Li Zhiyun was so taciturn and slow-spoken back then wasn’t because she was aloof, but because she wasn’t good at Mandarin yet.

She suddenly turned around, facing Li Zhiyun, and started walking backward.

Her eyes were bright and sparkling in the moonlight.

“You left so suddenly back then, I thought I would never see you again.”

“I never expected to see you again now. We really have quite a fate.”

Suddenly?

Li Zhiyun thought, it was indeed a bit sudden.

Six years ago, she was powerless in the face of immense favor.

But now, they have met again, haven’t they?

Speaking of which, she should thank Pei Xiubai.

It was only because Pei Xiubai shamelessly squandered that favor that she had the opportunity to stand before Wen Zhu again.

Li Zhiyun stared at her for a long time.

She suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness: “It is indeed a great fate.”

Wen Zhu’s heart started racing again.

What was wrong with her lately?

Was it because she had been staying up late, causing her heart rate to be irregular?

Wen Zhu mused wildly, deciding she absolutely had to find time for a physical check-up later.

As she was distracted, her foot tripped over something, and she lost her balance, letting out a gasp as she fell backward.

The expected pain didn’t come.

A strong pair of arms promptly encircled her waist, bringing her steadily into a warm embrace.

They were incredibly close.

Wen Zhu could even smell the faint scent of honeydew melon on Li Zhiyun.

Fragrant and sweet.

Her gaze involuntarily fell on Li Zhiyun’s lips.

The scene of Li Zhiyun eating the honeydew melon earlier involuntarily surfaced in her mind

The sweet juice overflowed from the plump flesh, dyeing her rosy lips clear and moist, as if coated in honey…

As soon as this image came to mind, Wen Zhu’s body instantly froze.

Oh my God!

What was she thinking?

She, she, she was actually fantasizing about… Li Zhiyun!

This thought exploded in Wen Zhu’s mind like a bolt of thunder.

Terrified, she suddenly broke free from Li Zhiyun’s embrace, as if she had been burned.

She even forgot to say thank you.

“I suddenly remembered I still have work to finish!” She stammered and blurted out, “Sorry, I’m heading back first!”

With that, Wen Zhu turned around and practically fled.

Leaving Li Zhiyun alone, standing there, looking at her hasty retreat.

After a long while, she began to reflect with some confusion.

Did she scare her just now?

Li Zhiyun recalled her actions just now; it seemed… there was nothing wrong.

What was wrong with Wen Zhu?

“Bang!”

Wen Zhu rushed into the room, slammed the door shut, and even locked it from the inside.

She leaned her back against the cold door panel, panting heavily, as if a monster was chasing her.

It seemed that by locking the door tightly, she could isolate her own erratic heartbeat.

Wen Zhu went to sleep, feeling unsettled.

The next day, she still took time off work.

Only this time, Wen Zhu no longer felt the guilt she used to.

Fearing she would delay Pei Xiubai’s work, she had never taken a day off during her years at Yu pei, even toughing it out when sick.

Now that she thought about it, why did she have to be such a dedicated workhorse?

Pei Xiubai even wanted to withhold her year end bonus.

The more Wen Zhu thought about it, the angrier she got, and she simply took the rest of the working week off.

She made a list of her tasks and assigned them all to the intern, Bingbing.

Wen Zhu lazed around the B&B with nothing to do.

Throughout the day, she would occasionally think of the Daring Group information Li Zhishu gave her, and at other times, Li Zhiyun’s face would involuntarily pop into her head.

Her mind was practically occupied by the two Li sisters.

Wen Zhu opened her phone, wanting to browse the news to distract herself.

Unexpectedly, the news was dominated by Jiang Xinxin again.

In two days, the online public opinion had escalated even more ridiculously.

There were all sorts of speculations, even one that Jiang Xinxin was the leader of some cult organization.

Wen Zhu found it very strange.

Logically, Pei Xiubai would definitely step up for Jiang Xinxin.

Why hadn’t the news been suppressed? Instead, it was getting bigger. Pei Xiubai wasn’t the type to drag things out.

Wen Zhu shook her head, why should she care about this?

It didn’t matter if Pei Xiubai didn’t agree to her resignation. She didn’t have many days left anyway. She could just take a leave of absence until her resignation date.

To clear her head, she turned to studying Go chess manuals.

The book title was straightforward The World of Go from Zero!

She ordered takeout again during the day. Over these two days, Wen Zhu finally got to truly experience the good life of lying in bed and doing nothing.

In the evening, her whole body felt soft from lying around, so she wanted to go out for a walk. She also planned to buy some new Go manuals from the bookstore.

As soon as she reached the B&B entrance, a figure darted out from the dark, unlit area and grabbed her in a tight hug.

A pungent, strong smell of alcohol instantly enveloped her.

Wen Zhu instinctively wanted to give the person a judo throw.

But the person spoke, their voice slurred: “Qingqing…”

Pei Xiubai?

Wen Zhu’s tense body relaxed, and she pushed the person away forcefully.

Pei Xiubai seemed very drunk, her eyes glazed over, and she kept mumbling Wen Zhu’s name.

She raised her hand, and her cold fingertips cupped Wen Zhu’s face.

“Qingqing, can you please stay away from Li Zhiyun?” Pei Xiubai looked at her, her eyes terrifyingly red, “She has bad intentions towards you. She wants to steal you away from me…”

Wen Zhu didn’t want to deal with Pei Xiubai at all, and especially not a drunk Pei Xiubai.

She shook off Pei Xiubai’s hand and turned to walk back into the B&B.

But Pei Xiubai pursued her again, hugging her tightly from behind, gripping her so tightly as if trying to merge her into her own flesh and blood.

Pei Xiubai buried her face in Wen Zhu’s neck, her cold cheek making Wen Zhu draw back her neck.

She struggled again.

But Pei Xiubai stubbornly refused to let go, her voice hoarse and insistent: “Qingqing, let me finish talking!”

“Li Zhiyun knew you six years ago, and she coveted you six years ago! She always secretly spoke ill of me in front of you back then, and now she’s appeared in front of you again. Hasn’t she said a lot of bad things about me again?”

“I knew it, you wouldn’t be mad at me for no reason. Qingqing, don’t believe her, you can’t hate me because of her…”

In the silent night, Wen Zhu sighed.

“Stop being crazy, CEO Pei.”

The calmer her voice was, the more suddenly Pei Xiubai’s emotions intensified, “I’m not crazy! I’ve never been more sober!”

She had thought about many things from yesterday until today.

From their carefree childhood, to middle school and high school, and now to the present where neither would yield.

Initially, she truly thought Wen Zhu was just throwing a tantrum.

But later, Pei Xiubai felt something was wrong.

Her Qingqing was genuinely angry.

Coupled with the appearance of Li Zhiyun and Yan Tingyu, an unprecedented sense of panic suddenly seized Pei Xiubai’s heart.

One after another, they all wanted to snatch Qingqing away.

She was afraid Wen Zhu would truly leave her.

Just thinking about that scene made her chest feel tight, almost suffocating.

“Qingqing,” Pei Xiubai’s voice softened, carrying a hint of pleading, “It was my fault before. I didn’t explain things clearly…”

“Jiang Xinxin… she absolutely can’t replace your position. If you really don’t like her, I won’t interact with her anymore in the future.”

“I won’t manage her assistant’s affairs either. Don’t leave me, don’t leave Yu pei, okay?”

Pei Xiubai was pressing very close to Wen Zhu, as if trying to prove her promise with her fervent heartbeat.

“As long as you’re willing to come back, I can overlook everything about you and Li Zhiyun…”

Wen Zhu looked at the reflection of the face in the B&B’s glass.

When she was a young girl first experiencing love, she genuinely thought Pei Xiubai was the most beautiful and most amazing person in the world.

She was so blinded by that intense affection that she failed to realize for so long that Pei Xiubai could also be so despicable.

The apology she had desperately longed for was finally received now.

Yet, there was no joy in her heart.

She didn’t even want to say much to Pei Xiubai.

“CEO Pei is overthinking it.”

Pei Xiubai looked at her with some confusion.

Wen Zhu, being strong, pushed Pei Xiubai away again, her tone flat and devoid of emotion, “Miss Li never spoke ill of you in front of me.”

Li Zhiyun never even brought up Pei Xiubai’s name on her own.

“I’m not angry with you anymore,” Wen Zhu looked at her, “I just want to resign quickly. If CEO Pei isn’t here to approve my resignation, then please don’t appear in front of me again.”

After saying that, Wen Zhu turned and walked back into the B&B.

Leaving Pei Xiubai standing alone, unable to recover for a long time.

What?

What did Qingqing say?

She wasn’t angry anymore… How could she not be angry?

Isn’t it often said that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference?

How could Qingqing not be angry with her anymore?!

A tremendous panic enveloped Pei Xiubai, sobering her up significantly.

She bit her lip and shouted towards Wen Zhu’s retreating back: “Why? Why can’t you give me one more chance?!”

Pei Xiubai’s eyes were red.

“Yes, yes, I was infatuated with Jiang Xinxin for a while, but I would eventually come back to you!”

“Everyone makes mistakes. Why can’t you forgive me even once? Why can’t you give me one chance? Even though I generously forgave you and Li Zhiyun!”

“Don’t tell me that you and Li Zhiyun are innocent. If you were truly innocent, she wouldn’t have given you her”

Mid-sentence, Pei Xiubai suddenly stopped talking.

Wen Zhu, who was about to go upstairs, abruptly turned her head.

“What?”

She frowned, her gaze locked onto Pei Xiubai.

“What did Li Zhiyun give me?”