Chapter 42: Can’t You Even Catch Your Breath?
Mark opened the umbrella, holding it over Pei Yuzhou’s head.
One in front, one behind, long legs striding forward.
Raindrops “pattered” against the umbrella surface.
The wrought iron gate automatically slid open.
Meng Shuyou watched him approach, her lips moving, throat making a sound, “Mister Pei…”
Her face was covered in raindrops, hair messily clinging together, top soaked dark.
Pei Yuzhou’s gaze was cold, tone calm, “What act is this now? A sob story?”
“I didn’t.” Meng Shuyou’s voice trembled lightly, “I just wanted to explain to you, that day I lost my head in a panic and went to Ellen, I’ve already made it clear to him, I have no relationship with him…”
Pei Yuzhou interrupted her, “Who you go to has nothing to do with me.”
Meng Shuyou’s eyelashes were wet, view blurred by rainwater, “I know I was wrong, I thought you really disliked me, so I didn’t dare go to you again.”
“Since you know I dislike you, you shouldn’t appear here.”
She shook her head in denial, “It’s not like that, if you disliked me you wouldn’t have helped me so many times before.”
Pei Yuzhou’s expression showed no ripple, “Helping you was just convenient, if it were someone else and I was in a good mood, I’d help too.”
Meng Shuyou didn’t believe it, “What do I have to do for you not to be angry?”
Pei Yuzhou looked at her drenched face, “This trick doesn’t work on me, if you want to get rained on, be my guest.”
Seeing him about to leave, Meng Shuyou instinctively reached out to grab his sleeve, “Mister Pei, don’t go.”
The man frowned, voice gloomy, “Let go.”
An intangible sense of oppression pressed in.
Meng Shuyou’s fingertips trembled.
She remembered before when she was drunk, grabbing his hand to add contact info, back then he was really indulging her, but now it was disgust.
“Sorry…”
She let go, arm dropping.
Pei Yuzhou passed by her side, not lingering a second more.
Meng Shuyou watched him get in the car, his back disappearing from view.
Mark came back, handing her the umbrella, “Miss Meng, you should go back.”
Meng Shuyou’s eyelids slowly fluttered, taking the umbrella handle, voice low and hoarse, “Thank you.”
Mark turned and returned to the car.
The car door closed, engine started, taillights flashing in the rain curtain, blending into the night.
The rain grew heavier, pounding wildly.
The umbrella was large and heavy, with a gust of wind Meng Shuyou couldn’t hold it, umbrella flipping to the ground.
She hadn’t eaten much all day, probably low blood sugar, dizzy and lightheaded, legs weak, falling messily to the ground, completely soaked, lips pale.
Under the streetlight, raindrops splashed ripples, her slender figure fragile, like rain-battered reeds, snapping with a gentle bend.
“Boom—” Lightning tore open the night sky, deafening.
Meng Shuyou’s body reflexively trembled.
Eyes stinging, tears mixing with rainwater streaming down her cheeks, a salty taste in her mouth.
The car hadn’t gone far when Mark saw this from the right rearview mirror, speaking up as a reminder, “Mister, Miss Meng fell to the ground.”
Pei Yuzhou said nothing.
Can’t she get up from falling on the ground herself?
One second, two seconds…
He spoke, “Stop the car.”
The driver immediately hit the brakes.
Torrential rain poured, as if to devour everything.
Meng Shuyou wanted to cover her ears, thunder relentlessly pounding her eardrums and nerves, fear wrapping her airtight.
At this moment, a pair of black polished handmade leather shoes came into view, the straight suit trousers likewise splashed wet by rain.
She slowly lifted her head in a daze, murmuring, “Mister Pei…”
Pei Yuzhou looked down at her from above.
Eye corners red, no blood color, aggrieved and broken.
Whether she was acting or not, he ultimately couldn’t just leave her be.
Pei Yuzhou picked up the nearby umbrella, squatting in front of her, gaze scrutinizing her face, “What exactly do you want?”
Meng Shuyou met his eyes, heart clenching, voice low and weak, “Want to stay by your side…”
Pei Yuzhou’s gaze fixed, “Why not find someone else?”
Meng Shuyou curled her palms, voice thick with congestion, “I don’t want anyone else, I only want you.”
“Stay by my side until I’m tired of you, is that it?”
“Yes.”
Pei Yuzhou pinched her chin to lift it, “Then tell me, is it non-negotiably me?”
Enveloped by his sharp deep gaze, Meng Shuyou’s eyelashes quivered, “…Yes.”
Pei Yuzhou’s fingertip rubbed her skin with force, “Say it again.”
The obsession in his eyes felt somewhat unfamiliar to Meng Shuyou.
Silent for a few seconds, she obediently repeated, “I can’t do without you, Mister Pei.”
Pei Yuzhou finally let go, giving her the umbrella, “Hold it.”
Meng Shuyou dazedly gripped the umbrella handle.
The next moment, her body lifted into the air, scooped up horizontally by him.
Long-missed embrace, cold woody scent filling her nose, the sense of security unique to him.
Meng Shuyou relaxed, hands working to hold the umbrella.
The man’s steps steady, voice coming from above, “Come with me to New York.”
She said softly, “I lost my documents.”
“No need for your documents.”
“But I didn’t pack my things.”
“Buy new ones.”
Pei Yuzhou unceremoniously stuffed her into the car, throwing the umbrella on the ground.
Meng Shuyou was soaked enough to wring water out, luckily not wearing light clothes, or it’d be even more embarrassing.
Mark took a blanket from the storage compartment and handed it over, “Miss Meng, dry off a bit.”
Meng Shuyou gratefully, “Thank you.”
The car door closed.
Pei Yuzhou pulled her waist over, onto his lap, opened the blanket to wrap her, wiping the water stains.
Meng Shuyou’s body stiffened, not daring to move.
Beneath her buttocks, she vaguely felt his firm thigh muscles.
With an extra person in the car, the driver uncertain if plans changed, “Mister, still going to the airport?”
“Go.”
The Cullinan started again.
Mark’s mobile phone rang, he glanced at caller ID, asking Pei Yuzhou, “Mister, Ellen is calling me, probably about the contract.”
Hearing that name, Meng Shuyou’s scalp tingled, spare glance carefully toward the man beside her.
Pei Yuzhou coldly spoke, “Speakerphone.”
Mark did so.
Phone connected, the other side asked: “Special Assistant Mark, a few days ago Mister Kerwin and I scheduled to sign the contract, when is he free?”
Meng Shuyou lowered her gaze, fingers clutching the blanket.
Pei Yuzhou ignored it.
“Look up.”
He said it in English, but clearly not speaking to Ellen.
Meng Shuyou paused, lifting her head to look at him.
Pei Yuzhou’s palm clasped her nape, lowering his head to kiss, tongue tip pushing in.
Breath dominant, scorching.
Meng Shuyou’s pupils slightly dilated, lips forced open.
She didn’t know how to kiss at all, completely passive in receiving.
Pei Yuzhou’s hand veins bulged, distinct, bursting with wild tension.
His kiss came fiercely.
Meng Shuyou couldn’t withstand it, waist and back tensing.
Especially with someone in front, phone still connected.
Reason returning, she tried to push away the man before her.
Pei Yuzhou bit her punitively.
Meng Shuyou winced in pain, a soft moan spilling from her lips.
Pei Yuzhou pulled back, lifting her face, fingertip brushing her water-glossed red lips, deep sexy Americano accent, “Can’t even breathe, Elara?”
