After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 52

Pei Xiubai, did you hear me clearly?

A splitting headache.

Pei Xiubai stayed the entire night on the sofa in Jiang Xinxin’s room.

As soon as she made a move to stand up, Jiang Xinxin, on the adjacent hospital bed, would immediately grab her hand, her voice trembling, saying, “President Pei, don’t go… I’m scared to be alone.”

Looking at the pale face and the heavily bandaged calf, Pei Xiubai’s heart was a mix of irritation and guilt.

She could only patiently sit back down and keep her company.

But her heart had already flown out of the room.

How was Wen Zhu?

Was she taking care of Li Zhiyun?

Would they… tonight?

The thought of Wen Zhu possibly staying in the same room with Li Zhiyun, tending to her with concern, filled Pei Xiubai with an inexplicable sense of annoyance.

She didn’t believe Li Zhiyun was as aloof and proper as she appeared.

If she were truly proper, she wouldn’t be trying to steal her woman!

The sky began to lighten. Pei Xiubai checked the time; it was already almost nine o’clock.

Jiang Xinxin was still sleeping, likely deeply due to the blood loss last night.

Finally finding an opportunity, Pei Xiubai got up and walked to the corridor, dialing Xin Tiantian’s number.

Another half hour passed before Xin Tiantian appeared at the doorway of the hospital room, yawning and carrying a large bag of breakfast.

“Sis, why did you call me so early? I haven’t even fully woken up yet.”

Pei Xiubai looked at her lazy, bone-less appearance, suppressing her anger: “Have you investigated what happened last night?”

She couldn’t leave last night, so she had asked Xin Tiantian to follow up on the accident investigation.

Xin Tiantian’s head hurt just hearing about it.

She had spent a night of pleasure with the beauty she had just hooked up with; how could she have time for any investigation?

However, seeing Pei Xiubai’s expression, she dared not tell the truth.

“I checked, it was just an accident,” Xin Tiantian said without any guilt. After all, the police investigation result was the same.

“The roof had been in disrepair for years, and the snow and wind were particularly heavy last night. The melting snow softened the foundation, and the wooden posts loosened. To put it plainly, Sister Qingqing and the others were unlucky.”

Hearing it was an accident, Pei Xiubai’s expression remained unchanged.

She hadn’t been overly suspicious, only wanting to confirm it again.

She didn’t say anything more, her eyes falling on the breakfast bag in Xin Tiantian’s hand.

It was from a five-star hotel next to the hospital, with the logo printed on it.

As Xin Tiantian set it down, a familiar sweet scent suddenly wafted up.

Almost instantly, Pei Xiubai recognized it.

It was rock sugar pear.

Although rock sugar pear always had that general taste, the aroma could be slightly sweeter or slightly sourer.

And this one on the table was the flavor she had smelled since childhood, the unique, clear, and non-cloying taste of Wen Zhu’s craftsmanship.

Pei Xiubai paused her movement, looking up at Xin Tiantian, “Where did you get this?”

Xin Tiantian knew what Pei Xiubai meant, and her eyes flickered.

“Oh… I just bumped into Sister Qingqing on the way.”

Xin Tiantian spoke with a serious pretense, “Sister Qingqing specifically told me to bring it to you. Sis, did you two have a fight? Seeing her like this, is she trying to make up with you?”

Upon hearing that this rock sugar pear was personally stewed by Wen Zhu, the surge of frustration that had been clogging Pei Xiubai’s chest all night was washed away by a wave of warm sweetness.

Her heart softened, completely unguarded.

She still cared about her.

Suddenly, Pei Xiubai felt an urge to see Wen Zhu.

No, she wanted to see Wen Zhu immediately.

Xin Tiantian continued to chatter beside her, “Sis, Sister Qingqing told me she has resigned and left the Pei family and Yu pei. You can’t actually let her go…”

This statement concealed her own agenda.

She still couldn’t forget Li Zhiyun’s aloof and ethereal face.

She had shown favor to Li Zhiyun repeatedly, but Li Zhiyun always responded with a cold face. It must be because of Wen Zhu!

As long as her cousin coaxed Wen Zhu back, wouldn’t Li Zhiyun be hers?

Besides, she didn’t like Jiang Xinxin in the hospital room either.

A nobody actress who had her cousin completely infatuated.

In her opinion, Jiang Xinxin was no match for Wen Zhu. At least Wen Zhu grew up in the Pei family, was a known quantity, and never asked anything of her cousin.

In any case, Xin Tiantian just wanted the two of them to reconcile quickly.

“She’s just throwing a tantrum.”

Pei Xiubai interrupted her, her long-stern face softening.

She unscrewed the thermos flask, and the sweet scent became more intense.

“I won’t let her leave.”

Xin Tiantian had already expected this result. She nodded towards the hospital room, “What about the one in there? Sister Qingqing is mad at you because of the one inside, right?”

Mentioning Jiang Xinxin, Pei Xiubai was somewhat troubled.

This was indeed a problem.

Her original plan was to give Xinxin some resources, help her establish herself in the entertainment industry, and then break things off.

But now, Xinxin was injured while saving her.

If she were to propose a breakup now, given Jiang Xinxin’s temperament, she couldn’t imagine how much she would cry.

She also couldn’t bear to see the delicate flower she had nurtured with her own hands shed tears.

Pei Xiubai rubbed her aching forehead, her voice muffled, “I’ll talk clearly with Xinxin later. I’ll explain things to Qingqing.”

She looked down at the thermos in her hand, the warmth of the cup comforting her palm.

Qingqing was even willing to stew rock sugar pear for her.

This showed that she still had feelings for her.

On the other side, Wen Zhu returned to the kitchen of the five star hotel next to the hospital.

She had asked the head chef last night to borrow the kitchen to stew a pot of rock sugar pear for Li Zhiyun.

That was the only thing she was good at.

“Hello, I’m here to pick up what I stewed,” Wen Zhu said to the busy head chef.

The head chef turned around when he heard her and showed a slight surprise, “Miss Wen, didn’t you just send someone to take it?”

Wen Zhu was also stunned, “No, I just went out to buy some things and haven’t been back yet.”

“That’s strange,” the head chef scratched his head. “Maybe another customer got it wrong. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty left in the pot you stewed. I’ll portion out another serving for you.”

The head chef quickly packed another serving.

Wen Zhu was concerned about Li Zhiyun in the hospital room, so she didn’t think much of it. She thanked him and hurried toward the hospital with the container.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator on the eighth floor and walked down the quiet corridor, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and fiercely pulled her into the stairwell.

With a “bang,” the heavy fire door isolated the outside world.

There was only one window in the stairwell, and the air was somewhat stuffy.

Wen Zhu saw clearly that it was Pei Xiubai, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed. She turned to leave.

Pei Xiubai, however, was a step faster, blocking her way, her tall figure completely sealing the exit.

“Let’s talk.” Her voice was slightly hoarse.

Considering that Pei Xiubai did help call for rescue last night, Wen Zhu took a deep breath, “What do you want to say?”

Pei Xiubai’s gaze dropped, landing on the thermos container Wen Zhu was holding.

The last trace of gentleness on her face instantly froze and disappeared completely.

“You prepared a portion for her too?”

What did she mean by “too”?

Wen Zhu was perplexed, “What are you talking about?”

“You stewed it for me, so you are not allowed to stew it for other women again.” Her tone carried an unreasonable possessiveness.

Wen Zhu was practically amused, “What nonsense are you saying now? When did I stew pear soup for you?”

Pei Xiubai froze.

The sweetness of the rock sugar pear she had just drunk seemed to still linger in her mouth.

At that moment, her entire heart had been warm and soft.

But now, Wen Zhu was telling her she was talking nonsense?

She grabbed Wen Zhu’s wrist, with a mixture of amusement and exasperated helplessness, “Alright, Qingqing, stop joking. Tiantian told me that rock sugar pear was specially stewed for me.”

“I know I was wrong. You take a step back, and I’ll take a step back. Let’s let bygones be bygones, okay?”

Wen Zhu understood.

It turned out that the missing rock sugar pear was taken by Xin Tiantian.

She looked at the smiling look in Pei Xiubai’s eyes and forcefully pulled her hand away.

“I didn’t stew it for you. Xin Tiantian saw me when I borrowed the hotel kitchen, and she took it herself to give to you.”

This sentence was like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the fire that had been burning in Pei Xiubai’s heart all morning.

All the joy and anticipation from moments ago instantly vanished.

It wasn’t Qingqing who stewed it for her?

The affection she had secretly delighted in all morning was actually just wishful thinking on her part?

The smile on Pei Xiubai’s face faded.

But she still didn’t want to give up.

“Even if that’s the case,” Pei Xiubai took a step forward, her tone indulgent, “I drank it all, and it tasted exactly the same as before. Qingqing, I really miss your rock sugar pear, and I really miss you.”

Wen Zhu was momentarily stunned.

Since Jiang Xinxin appeared, Pei Xiubai hadn’t said such words to her in a long time.

Seeing Wen Zhu lost in thought, Pei Xiubai pressed her advantage, her voice carrying a hint of plea, “I know I was wrong, Qingqing. We’ve had so many years of history; we can’t just throw it away. My life has been completely chaotic since you left. I can’t live without you. Your secretary position, I’ve still kept it for you…”

She had thought a lot these days.

No matter how good Jiang Xinxin was, something always felt missing.

Only Wen Zhu was a habit ingrained in her bones, an inseparable part of her life.

“When I saw you in danger yesterday, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.”

Pei Xiubai stepped closer, her eyes surging with lingering fear, “In that moment, I was truly afraid, afraid of losing you forever.”

“Qingqing, as long as you come back, I can give you anything you want. I’ll make Xinxin leave immediately. I just want us to go back to how things were…”

By the end, Pei Xiubai’s usually steady voice began to tremble, and her eyes uncontrollably turned red.

Looking at this person, who was usually so arrogant and domineering, lowering her head so clearly in front of her, Wen Zhu suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

If it were in the past, when their relationship wasn’t so strained, hearing these words would have likely made her eyes instantly well up, and she would have rushed into Pei Xiubai’s arms without hesitation.

All the grievances and heartache would have vanished at that moment.

But now, she merely listened quietly.

Her heart was calm, without a ripple, even feeling a bit absurd.

The stairwell was eerily quiet.

This dead silence continued until Pei Xiubai began to feel uneasy, and then Wen Zhu finally opened her lips.

“Pei Xiubai, do you really think I left you just because of Jiang Xinxin?”

Pei Xiubai’s expression went blank for a moment.

Wasn’t it?

“It’s not.”

Wen Zhu laughed self-deprecatingly, “Even when you repeatedly ignored my feelings and treated me like a dependent whom you could manipulate at will, I was already planning to leave.”

If not for Jiang Xinxin, there would have been Li Xinxin, Zhao Xinxin…

Pei Xiubai’s head buzzed, and she quickly retorted, “I didn’t!”

“I didn’t ignore your feelings. I just, I just thought you wouldn’t care”

“You certainly didn’t ignore them,” Wen Zhu cut her off, “You just found it bothersome.”

“Watching me get scolded and not caring, watching me comfort myself and then desperately coming back to you. Did you also secretly feel that I was so worry-free that you didn’t need to consider my feelings at all?”

Wen Zhu looked at her, her eyes as calm as the sea under the moonlight.

“You keep saying you can’t live without me, but actually, you’ve just become accustomed to my devotion, accustomed to having someone revolve around you, taking care of everything like a nanny. Accustomed to me shamelessly clinging back to you again after I’ve had enough of your indifference.”

“You take for granted everything I do for you, without needing to reciprocate even the slightest bit.”

Wen Zhu looked at Pei Xiubai’s suddenly changing face, every word heavy as lead.

“Pei Xiubai, it’s not me you like.”

“You just like the feeling of being indulged without limits.”