Chapter 29: Stay Away From Me
There were few passing vehicles nearby, so Meng Shuyou could only call a car on the app, but after waiting roadside for more than ten minutes, no driver accepted the ride.
Soon, dense raindrops began to fall, with a trend of getting heavier.
She hurriedly found some eaves to shelter from the rain.
The weather changed in an instant; it had been clear skies in the afternoon, but now it was pouring rain.
The rain curtain obscured the view, leaving only the pattering sound of rain in her ears.
Meng Shuyou was trapped there and couldn’t leave.
It rained solidly for a full hour with no sign of stopping, and she couldn’t get a car at all.
Her clothes were soaked by the downpour, and her mood sank to the lowest point.
Her mobile phone was also almost out of battery power.
It wasn’t safe to stay outside alone any later.
She sent her location to Winnie, wanting to ask if she could help call a car to pick her up.
After sending it, she realized she had sent it to the wrong person—it was to Mister Pei.
Winnie’s avatar from a few days ago was very similar to Pei Yuzhou’s, both pitch black; she hadn’t noticed the notes in her haste and quickly withdrew the message.
In just a few seconds, Pei Yuzhou sent over a question mark.
Meng Shuyou explained: “Sorry, I sent it to the wrong person.”
Pei Yuzhou: “Outside?”
Meng Shuyou: “Yeah, it’s raining really hard. I went out without an umbrella and can’t get a car.”
Attached was an unlucky emoji.
Pei Yuzhou: “Send me the location.”
Meng Shuyou: “Are you in Chicago?”
Pei Yuzhou: “Yeah.”
Meng Shuyou immediately resent it.
Her mobile phone battery power was already in the red, so she didn’t dare to use it anymore.
After waiting forty minutes, that familiar Cullinan appeared at the intersection.
The car lights pierced through the rain and fell on her.
Mark got out of the car holding an umbrella and walked over, “Miss Meng, let’s go.”
Meng Shuyou walked under the umbrella, “Thank you.”
In the car, there was no sign of that noble figure.
“Isn’t Mister Pei here?”
Mark said: “He has a dinner party that hasn’t ended yet.”
“Okay.”
She had thought she could see him.
After getting in the car, Meng Shuyou sneezed twice in a row.
The temperature was low at night, and she was dressed thinly; now she was starting to feel a bit stuffy-nosed.
Mark handed her a clean towel and asked: “Miss Meng, shall I take you to the hotel first to change clothes? Going back to school like this might give you a cold.”
Meng Shuyou was about to refuse, but then heard him say, “The mister is there too.”
She nodded, “Okay, then sorry to trouble you.”
They arrived at the hotel at eight o’clock.
Mark booked another room and asked the front desk staff to go to the nearby mall to buy a set of spare clothes.
Meng Shuyou was almost completely wet; she went into the room to take a shower and first put on the hotel’s disposable bathrobe.
She blow-dried her hair, and before long, the doorbell rang.
She went to open the door, and the staff handed her the shopping bag.
The clothes were bought according to her size, casual style, with very comfortable fabric.
Later, a restaurant server also delivered dinner to the room.
Meng Shuyou changed clothes, filled her stomach, and messaged Pei Yuzhou: “Mister Pei, are you done with your work?”
The reply was still a cold single word: “Yeah.”
Meng Shuyou: “Can I come find you then?”
Pei Yuzhou: “What do you want from me.”
Meng Shuyou: “Can’t I just want to see you?”
After a long while, he replied: “Next door to you.”
Meng Shuyou immediately put away her mobile phone and went to find him.
Mark had just come out of the room and hadn’t closed the door.
Meng Shuyou walked straight in and saw Pei Yuzhou leaning on the sofa resting.
The collar of his white shirt was unbuttoned two times, casually open, with smooth neckline extending fluidly, ascetic yet alluring.
Probably only he could wear a shirt with such a relaxed and noble sense.
Meng Shuyou lightened her footsteps and called out, “Mister Pei.”
The man lazily lifted his eyes, a hazy drunken intent in their depths.
She walked closer and smelled alcohol on him, “Did you drink a lot?”
Pei Yuzhou crossed his long legs, leaning there, left hand against his forehead, and instead of answering, asked: “What were you doing running so far out alone?”
Meng Shuyou sat on the sofa beside him, “I went to the art gallery for an interview, but it didn’t go well.”
Who knew it was that kind of shady place, wasting her entire afternoon for nothing.
She thought Pei Yuzhou wouldn’t be interested, but he surprisingly followed up: “How didn’t it go well?”
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Meng Shuyou’s face, “It was… not what I expected, no substantial things to learn.”
Pei Yuzhou didn’t speak again, tilting his head to rest on the back of the sofa, closing his eyes for a nap.
Meng Shuyou asked softly: “Do you want some honey water?”
He didn’t open his eyes, his lips moving slightly, “I’m not drunk.”
His voice after drinking was slightly hoarse, carrying a grainy texture.
“Then do you want to go to bed to rest?”
He didn’t respond.
Meng Shuyou stared at his sleeping face for a while; he seemed to have fallen asleep.
His breathing gradually evened out.
She couldn’t help but move closer, leaning in to examine this face.
Up close, his eyelashes were thick and long, brow bones prominent, eye sockets deep, with wide eyelids and a high nose bridge, his outline hard and defined.
His eyes were the most beautiful, the pupil color like imperial green jade, aloof and sharp when looking at people, indifferent to everything.
This appearance could be called an artwork created by Nüwa.
Meng Shuyou bent down, silently reaching out; just as her fingertip touched the scattered hair on his forehead, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met.
At this moment, his eyes infused with alcohol intent were deep and dangerous.
Compared to usual, the sharpness had already been restrained.
Meng Shuyou’s heart suddenly trembled, “I…”
Pei Yuzhou narrowed his eyes, gripping her wrist, “Doing something bad?”
Meng Shuyou didn’t stand steady and was pulled forward by his strength, directly falling into his arms, her cheek brushing his thin lips.
His lips were cool.
In that instant of contact, it was as if a faint current passed through, tingling and numbing.
Pei Yuzhou’s breathing hitched, his nostrils filled with the scent from the girl.
The faint citrus-scented shower gel, and her own body fragrance.
Her knee pressed against his leg, separated by the thin layer of trousers, his body temperature rising.
Out of bodily instinct reaction, his lower abdomen tightened.
Meng Shuyou froze all over, her hand on his shoulder, not yet recovered, when his low voice suddenly sounded in her ear, “Stay away from me.”
She hurriedly stood up and stepped back, “I didn’t mean to, don’t be angry.”
Pei Yuzhou rolled his adam’s apple, his expression indifferent, “Go back to your own room.”
“Mister Pei, I…”
Before she could finish, he had already gotten up and walked toward the bathroom.
Meng Shuyou stood there at a loss, not knowing what she had done to upset him.
Was it because she accidentally kissed him?
He was so repulsed?
Repeatedly refusing, what else could it be but dislike.
Was he annoyed by her clinging to him like this?
Meng Shuyou lowered her eyes and turned to leave the room.
That night, she lay in bed with insomnia for half the night, swept by frustration and disappointment.
If she couldn’t stay by Pei Yuzhou’s side, she would have to obediently go back and accept the marriage alliance.
That would be a nightmare for her lifetime.
She only slept dazedly for three hours, woken by the alarm clock at six in the morning.
She had an eight a.m. class today and needed to rush back to school.
Before leaving the hotel, she sent Pei Yuzhou a message: “I’m heading back to school, sorry for troubling you yesterday.”
