“How have you been eating? Are your dorm relationships harmonious? And what are your plans for your studies and the future?”
Such questions flowed endlessly, with Shen Zhishu caring for him like a true older sister.
Pei Xingyan felt rather overwhelmed by this attention, prompting a harsh self-reflection on the inappropriate, disrespectful thoughts he had harbored, as well as his vulgar habit of constantly staring at her feet.
It was only after a lengthy period of casual conversation, when a business call finally summoned her away, that he at last found his escape.
As she departed, she casually remarked, “I’ll find a way to handle that girl’s situation,” leaving Pei Xingyan utterly clueless as to her intended approach.
Furthermore, he had been unable to subtly ascertain if they had met before; she consistently skirted the topic, offering neither affirmation nor denial.
Nevertheless, he now felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to her, a warmth born of being looked after.
The sensation was so peculiar that he even started to ponder if his parents might have an elder, illegitimate daughter who had looked after him in his earliest, unremembered years.
He could only relegate this perplexing question to the depths of his mind, intending to inquire about it the next time he visited his mother.
****
Later that afternoon, he found himself in the garden, staring blankly into the distance beneath the dappled shade of a tree.
Beside him, Tang Xin sat with a visibly downcast expression, her spirits dampened by her failure to secure additional clients.
“What are we going to do, Xingyan? Our grand endeavor seems to have stalled,” she lamented. “It feels like no one truly trusts our project.”
“Yes, that’s precisely how it should be,” Pei Xingyan conceded, nodding absently. “How could any sane person endorse something like this from you? Be thankful that two… *unconventional* clients were even willing to put down a deposit.”
Though they possessed a paltry two clients, both were undeniably major players.
Not only had these individuals casually signed substantial contracts, completely neglecting to draft any specific requirements or details, but they were also prepared to pay hefty deposits.
Weren’t such clients akin to angels?
And angels, after all, weren’t an everyday occurrence.
“Why are you being like this?” Tang Xin gently nudged him with a fist. “If we don’t get clients, how will we make any money?”
“Hold on a moment, don’t worry about future clients just yet,” Pei Xingyan interjected, bringing up an issue he had uncovered in the last two days. “First, tell me: under what conditions will we receive the final payments from these two girls we’ve already secured?”
Tang Xin paused, momentarily stunned, realizing she had indeed overlooked such a critical question.
“We… we never said anything about that…” she murmured in a startled whisper, her eyes darting frantically before a mischievous glint appeared. “Well, then, you just have to heal them, right? Once they fully trust you, they’ll pay us willingly, won’t they?”
Pei Xingyan let out a cold laugh.
He had, in fact, been considering the very same approach, yet hearing it articulated aloud made him feel uncomfortably as though he were selling himself.
“Next time, try to be a bit more shrewd,” he advised, “otherwise, if you run into someone with ill intentions, you might just lose everything, down to your underwear.”
With a pat on Tang Xin’s shoulder, he rose and departed.
Having been lectured in such a way, Tang Xin bristled with indignation.
While she acknowledged that she wasn’t the technical expert, she certainly didn’t deserve such blatant dismissal.
Rising to her feet, she too departed, determined to resume her quest for investment and prove Pei Xingyan wrong, vowing to make him look at her with newfound respect.
****
Lin Xiaoyu’s status finally updated.
A message popped up on his phone from her:
[Pei Xingyan, could I treat you to another bubble tea?]
[I have something I need your help with…]
Pei Xingyan’s eyelid gave an involuntary twitch.
He immediately typed out a reply:
[No need for bubble tea or anything like that. Just tell me directly what’s on your mind.]
Lin Xiaoyu’s typing paused for a few moments before another message appeared:
[Could you come find me at Teaching Building Four? It’s a bit hard to explain over the phone…]
Without another word, Pei Xingyan rose and set off immediately.
Lin Xiaoyu waited at the entrance of the teaching building, clad in a dress—a different one from their last meeting.
She leaned against a stone pillar by the hall, allowing the breeze to gently play with her hair.
She gazed quietly into the distance, her entire demeanor devoid of vitality, a subtle melancholy clouding her features.
As classmates passed and greeted her, she offered only faint, perfunctory responses.
It was only when her eyes landed on Pei Xingyan’s approaching figure that a spark of life returned to her.
She hurried down the steps, even stumbling slightly in her eagerness as she failed to watch her footing, yet she continued to jog forward to meet her friend.
“Slow down,” Pei Xingyan said, his voice laced with concern. “What’s so urgent? You nearly tripped.”
Lin Xiaoyu offered a shy smile, then retrieved a bottle of water from her bag on the right, thoughtfully twisting open the cap before placing it into his hand.
“Thank you…”
“Didn’t you say friends don’t need to be so polite?” she teased, her smile widening.
She clutched the fabric of her dress with both hands, her body swaying ever so slightly.
“Indeed,” Pei Xingyan conceded with a nod. “So, what is this urgent matter you needed me for? Is it something I can help with?”
“It’s… not exactly urgent,” her voice softened, and her head dipped slightly. “But it’s very difficult, and I truly wouldn’t trouble you if I had any other option…”
“Just tell me,” Pei Xingyan declared, patting her shoulder with an air of gallant confidence and offering a reassuring thumbs-up. “If it’s something I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Lin Xiaoyu lowered her gaze, murmuring a soft, almost dazed, “Mm.”
A faint flush crept up the nape of her neck and behind her ears, standing out distinctly against her cool, pale skin.
Subtly, she edged a little closer to Pei Xingyan, then whispered in a voice barely audible to anyone but them:
“You… could you accompany me to a banquet?”
A banquet?
Pei Xingyan blinked slowly, twice, in a daze.
While he was certainly no stranger to such gatherings, he found himself baffled as to why Lin Xiaoyu would seek his company.
Moreover, if this was the kind of high-society affair he suspected, it was entirely possible that some individuals he knew might also be in attendance…
“It’s… it’s my mother,” she stammered. “She says I’m too timid and wants to hone my abilities, so she’s making me play a few pieces at a banquet the day after tomorrow.
But… but I’m really terrified, I feel like I’ll die of nervousness, so… could you please just come with me?”
She pleaded timidly, quickly adding, “Of course, you don’t have to do anything at all, just stand in front of me… if I can just see you, maybe I’ll feel a little calmer…”
The young woman pleaded like a supplicant, her demeanor humble, her head bowed so low she dared not meet the gaze of the young man beside her for even a second.
Perhaps it was the fear of rejection that made her body tremble, her tiptoes fidgeting restlessly.
Her toes wiggled back and forth within her white shoes, causing the fabric to bulge intermittently.
The young man beside her gave her back a firm pat, making her flinch in startled apprehension.
But then, a voice, imbued with a calming reassurance, reached her ears.
The voice flowed into her heart like a sweet spring, utterly dispelling all her trepidation and unease.
He said, “That’s no problem at all. If you truly need me there, I’ll even stand on top of the piano to help you.”
Lin Xiaoyu’s lips curved into a smile, sweet and shy, as if from a playful joke, or perhaps from the reassuring affirmation of the person beside her.
She then subtly edged yet another fraction closer to the young man beside her.