Chapter 181: Threw herself into his arms
He sought her for only one reason: news of his mother.
Lian Li’s fingertips paused, the strings vibrating and transmitting a tingling sensation to her palm, which spread to her heart.
She swiped to answer. On the other end of the line, Pei Qingji looked at the man sitting casually on the sofa, his expression unchanged. “Junior Sister, I’ve obtained the information on the Red Jade documents. When are you free? I’ll give it to you in person.”
“I’m free anytime, it depends on when you’re convenient,” Lian Li unconsciously tightened her grip on the strings, the thin strings pressing a white mark on her fingertip, which then turned slightly red and swollen.
The God of Wealth, lying at her feet, tugged at her dangling skirt, and only then did she release her hand.
“Tomorrow afternoon. I’ll send you the location later,” Pei Qingji said.
Lian Li blinked and agreed.
After hanging up, she was still somewhat dazed.
Every time there was a clue, she was like this, worrying that it was almost found, and at the same time worrying about what she would do if it was found.
The conflicting emotions of wanting to find it yet fearing to find it. The obsession with finding her mother was like white pear blossoms blown down from the treetops by the wind, silently covering the entire hillside of her heart.
Lian Li tried to gather her thoughts and play the cello. As her fingertip touched the strings, she was once again cut by them.
Blood beaded from the wound, a vibrant red, just like those two pieces of Red Jade, stinging her eyes.
The God of Wealth nudged her skirt. Seeing her unresponsive, as if her soul had left her body, it increased its effort.
Lian Li finally looked down at it. “What is it?”
The God of Wealth continued to bite her skirt, as if wanting to lead her somewhere. Lian Li blinked very slowly, not moving. “Stop messing around.”
Unable to pull her, the God of Wealth looked dejected, then released her skirt and ran away with a clatter. A moment later, it returned, this time with a medicine box in its mouth.
Seeing this, Lian Li put down the cello and used her other hand to stroke its large head, murmuring to herself, “I wonder if I can find it this time.”
Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a hand, giving rise to joy, nervousness, unease, and fear. Facing an important unknown, it seemed that dread always outweighed happiness.
In the siheyuan, the garden was filled with the laughter of children. Little Princess Pei Xixi was playing with her friends.
Opposite the pavilion was the red sandalwood door and windows of the study room.
The locust trees on both sides of the courtyard had not yet finished blooming. Their fresh branches met the wind, and countless white petals fluttered down, as if a fragrant snow-rain had fallen.
Jin Shi Yue leaned back lazily in his chair, idly twirling a pen in his long, distinct fingers—this pen was custom-made for him with Lian Li’s money.
Pei Qingji picked up the stitched kraft paper document bag on the coffee table in front of him, opened it, took out the documents, and scanned them briefly.
He looked up at the noble and languid Second Young Master Jin. “Using 2.1% of your shares to help her find someone, you’re quite generous.”
Jin Shi Yue’s eyes were indifferent. When a certain person was mentioned, his thin lips curved slightly. “One can’t take favors without giving something in return.”
“What did you take from her?” Pei Qingji, rarely, felt curious.
He expected a serious answer.
To his surprise, Jin Shi Yue’s voice was casual as he slowly uttered a single word: “Heart.”
“…”
It was June, yet Pei Qingji got goosebumps. He had no regrets over the years, except for regretting his own nosiness now.
Pei Qingji placed the documents on the coffee table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of tea.
“Doing good deeds without seeking recognition doesn’t fit your style.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Jin Shi Yue said, signing the document with a flourish of his pen without even looking up. “An old man who’s never had a girlfriend.”
Pei Qingji smiled gently. “Wouldn’t your Junior Sister be grateful to you?”
“She can be grateful to you today, and grateful to someone else tomorrow,” Jin Shi Yue said calmly.
Love born from gratitude might be considered a feeling, but it wouldn’t last.
After listening, Pei Qingji was silent for a few moments, then asked, “What did the Zhong and Lu families say?”
“What else could they say? The same as always,” Jin Shi Yue said after signing, pushing the document forward.
The marriage alliance between the Zhong family and the Duan family back then was to counter the Jin family’s influence. Now, the Jin family was digging into the Zhong family’s information, yet no one dared to say anything.
However, digging into the internal information of powerful aristocratic families without anyone noticing was not an easy task.
Those individuals had sensitive identities, and their information was strictly encrypted, making it impossible for anyone to pry.
After chatting for a while, Jin Shi Yue elegantly stood up, hooked his fingers around the jacket on the back of the sofa, and casually draped it over his arm. He said to Pei Qingji, “Don’t let her be sad.”
Pei Qingji nodded. “I know my limits.”
Meanwhile, Lian Li bandaged her finger with a Band-Aid and lay on the sofa, looking at the program for Lu Dieyi’s solo cello concert on her iPad.
She had agreed to be a guest performer and needed to be familiar with the flow and the pieces.
As she was almost done browsing, Jin Shi Yue returned from outside. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, with the hem of his shirt slightly tucked into his pants, accentuating his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tall, well-proportioned physique.
Lian Li looked up, her gaze meeting the man’s about ten steps away in mid-air.
He stood there, and seeing her look over, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Come over and welcome your boyfriend home.”
To need welcoming home, why didn’t he set off fireworks to celebrate?
Lian Li grumbled inwardly but still got up and walked over.
Jin Shi Yue watched her approach step by step and, at the right moment, opened his arms. Lian Li threw herself into his chest, and they held each other tightly.
The unease she felt seemed to diminish significantly with the warm and solid embrace.
Jin Shi Yue rested his chin on Lian Li’s head, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair, and tightened his arms around her waist.
“I’m flying to Shanghai tonight,” his voice came from above her head.
Lian Li wrapped her arms around Jin Shi Yue, her cheek pressed against his chest through the luxurious and comfortable fabric. She responded with a “Mm.”
Her reaction was too nonchalant.
Jin Shi Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. He tightened his long arms around her waist, lifted her up, and placed her on the table.
The tabletop held an expensive antique vase. Lian Li was afraid it would break and dared not move. Fresh Floyd roses were arranged in the vase, their petals brushing her hair like feathers, as if caressing her.
“What’s wrong?” Lian Li looked at Jin Shi Yue, puzzled. Sitting on the table, her line of sight was slightly higher than his.
Jin Shi Yue placed his long legs between hers, one hand resting on the cool, thick tabletop, the other around her slender waist. He slightly raised his eyelids and questioned:
“Your boyfriend is leaving, and this is your reaction?”
“Then what reaction do you want?” Lian Li said. “Should I cry like Meng Jiangnu crying at the Great Wall?”
In the myth, Meng Jiangnu was loyal to her love. Filled with longing and concern for her husband, she resolutely decided to embark on a journey to find him.
Jin Shi Yue was living perfectly fine, and Lian Li wouldn’t go to Shanghai to find him.
Jin Shi Yue stood before her, gazing into her clear, bright eyes.
Cry?
He couldn’t bear to see her cry.
Jin Shi Yue placed a hand on her waist, his dark eyes holding a hint of a smile. “Say you don’t want me to go.”
