Bai Jin Cheng's mask

  Pei Jin Cheng was dragged by his sister like this, extremely entangled. If it went on like this, he felt humiliated.

  If I don't go...

  It's hard to put into words what I felt, but I just thought it was ridiculous. He's a grown man, how could he be chasing after a woman like that? What does he look like?

  Shen Kai's eyes flickered slightly behind his sunglasses as he dodged and weaved around Shen Xuan. Suddenly, Jin Yue clenched her fists and shouted, "Where is he? Where is he?"

  "You look at you, really, good good, people just disappeared."

  "Hurry up, you're so slow!"

  "How annoying."

  Pei Jin Cheng was dizzy from being scolded by Jin Yue.

  Later, Jin Yue was taken to the amusement park by Pei Jin Cheng. After playing through a series of thrilling projects, Jin Yue's legs were weak and he wanted to vomit. He pointed at Pei Jin Cheng and vowed that from now on, he would never play tag again and would never complain about his brother again.

  The Pei family informed each house early because of Shen Kai's arrival and had dinner in the main mansion's dining hall at night.

  This news naturally also informed Shen Xuan at the first time.

  So Shen Kai's plan to "treat his ex-fiancée's brother to a meal" went bankrupt under Shen Xuan's pleading!

  The dining table and chairs in the main house are all made of precious solid wood, and have been specially rearranged. The fragrance is overflowing, both luxurious and warm.

  Two tables of people sat down, to the left of Shen Xuan was Shen Kai, to the right was Pei Jin Cheng, next to Pei Jin Cheng was Qiao Ran, followed by Qiao Ye, Jin Yue, Ji Rong, Pei Xian Wen. At the head of the table sat the master of the house Pei Li, to the right of Pei Li were the second son Pei Xian Ye, Wang Feng Ming, the third son Pei Xian He and his wife Nian Ru Yi.

  Originally, there were guests today and they should have been seated strictly according to their seniority. Jin Yue was unmarried, so she shouldn't be sitting at the table for family elders, but she liked Qiao Yu, so she insisted on sitting next to him. No one could do anything about it, and Pei Li secretly indulged her, so that's how they ended up sitting down.

  Shen Kai is a guest, but everyone thinks he's the host who invited Shen Kai.

  Ke Pai Li arranged for Qiao Ran to sit at the same table as the parents, apparently also allocating seats according to the status of honored guests.

  Everyone in their hearts guessed that Qiao Ran's position was actually as important as Sheng Kai's, who came to the family only once every three years?

  It's clear that Shen Kai doesn't consider himself an important person, as he came to the Pei residence without even preparing a modest gift. Some people privately discussed this, saying that the Shen family was being arrogant and didn't care about saving face. It seemed like they deliberately wanted to tear their relationship apart.

  Some people say that the Shens are stingy.

  Some people say that Sheng Jia Ren is not showing off his wealth, but rather, he's just getting started.

  But there was an atmosphere that everyone felt, Shen Kai didn't like the people of Pei's family, and his humble attitude more than three years ago in Pei's house was different.

  Some people say that three years ago, when begging the Pei family not to send his sister to prison, he was humble in posture. Now that the young master has woken up, he wants to turn his face and deny recognition.

  It is said that people's hearts are hard to fathom, and everyone thinks others owe them something.

  But all these rumors and gossip have entered whose ears, knowing in their hearts but no one says.

  This meal was a subtle and cunning move, Shen Kai's expression was light and arrogant, but inside he was a deeply thoughtful person. Pei Li's hints were full of hidden meaning, how could he not understand?

  After dinner, Pei Li let Pei Jin Cheng see Qiao Ran back to the Chrysanthemum Garden, and let Jin Yue go send Shen Xuan back to the Wutong Hall. He invited Shen Kai to drink tea with him instead.

  Xian Xuan didn't need to be sent off with luxurious gifts, but the old master's intention was something that no one could fathom, so it was better not to think about it.

  The wind on the river's surface blows up, rustling the willow branches along the shore. The branches sway and dip into the water, creating ripples.

  Jin Yue gently held onto Shen Xuan's arm, walking along the asphalt road towards Wutongyuan, "Sister-in-law, are you thinking of going back to Haicheng?"

  "Uh-huh, I was thinking of doing that." Shen Xuan said.

  "Shall I go with you?"

  "Who?" Shen Xuan was stunned for a moment.

  Her eyes sparkled with excitement, "Really? I've always wanted to go! I've never been before, it must be so much fun! When my sister comes back, I'll come back with you."

  Xun Bi looked at Jin Yue with a sideways glance, thinking it was an illusion. How could those bright eyes be slightly red? But the girl's voice was cheerful and lively, looking very happy. She grasped the delicate hand on her arm in her own palm, stopped and said, "Jin Yue, I'm afraid you're not used to the local water and soil. The food over there is very different from here."

  The girl's face was a bit awkward. She was still young, but she already understood what it meant to decline politely. "Sister-in-law, are you thinking of going back and never coming again?"

  Jin Yue is so sensitive, to say that in these three years, she and Shen Xuan have interacted a lot, the beginning and end of things, she is also very clear, at the age of 17, she still doesn't understand how difficult it is to measure people's hearts, doesn't understand strategy and calculation and protecting herself, she only knows that if sister-in-law is good to brother, then sister-in-law is a good woman, brother married a good woman, so she should be good to sister-in-law.

  In such a simple and clear thought, she saw Shen Kai's dislike for their family. Although she was naive, she was also clever and had some reservations. Without waiting for others to speak clearly, she could sense it, for example, when Shen Kai said "change another one", those four words were remembered in her heart, as if carved.

  She was already a slender and elegant girl, only about 5cm shorter than Shen Xuan. She covered her mouth to stifle the noise of the day, with an empty hand, she rubbed the tip of her nose, looking at her beautiful sister-in-law, "Can you bear to part with me? Even if you don't have feelings for brother, even if it's just a matter of fulfilling your obligations, even if it's redemption and responsibility taking care of him, can you bear to part with him? Can you bear to part with me?"

  Xuan was taken aback, but Jin Yue's eyes had already turned redder. "Anyway, I don't want you to go back, if you must go back, take me with you, and then we can come back together, okay?"

  Xuan let out a soft sigh and smiled, reaching out to gently touch Jinyue's face. The little girl's skin felt like the tender flesh of a just-peeled lychee, soft and slightly springy to the touch. She called out her name in a low voice, "Jinyue."

  "Sister-in-law." Jin Yue sniffled, her emotions somewhat agitated. No wonder she was agitated - today's breakfast, a stalking incident, and a dinner party had already left her feeling stifled. Everyone seemed to be acting strangely.

  Grandpa's words she had always been unable to understand, but even if she didn't understand explicitly, implicitly she could still sense some things, that was the same as Sheng Kai's loud voice.

  Shen Kai's words were also twisted and turned, she couldn't understand them, but she could sense that Shen Kai was dissatisfied with the Pei family and wanted to end her brother and sister-in-law's relationship.

  The dining environment of Hai City and G City is very different. It seems that Xiao Wu still can't adapt, this body looks like it's not absorbing well.

  The city is covered in snow in the winter, with a layer of white frost. Since he was young, Xiao Wu has enjoyed playing in the snowy days. This city might be waiting for another Snowy Day, and it will have to wait until the next doomsday arrives.

  The concept of Haicheng and G city people is quite different. Xiaowu's personality is more suitable for living in Haicheng.

  The pace of life in the city is too fast, people live a lifetime and get so tired, what's the point? Women should be more leisurely.

  Almost everyone was holding their breath, she, seventeen years old, raised her eyes to look at the expression of each person on the table, some people's mouth corners were hanging with a faint smile, some people's lip lines were thin as a knife, some people were silent, and some people were quietly watching the play.

  But she noticed that her sister-in-law had been eating with her head down, neither refuting nor stopping her. In the morning, her sister-in-law still had a mediating intention, but at dinner time, she chose to be silent.

  At night, Sheng Kai had said a lot of things to his sister-in-law, and those words had shaken her consciousness.

  But...

  Jin Yue grasped the hand on her face, and in her bright eyes there was a mix of sadness, bitterness, and reproach. "People aren't like that! We've lived together for over three years, I can understand your homesickness, but if you abandon us, the people who love you, just because of it, then you're wrong!"

  "My parents were not good to you, I know. But I was good to you, wasn't I? I treated you like my own sister, and when you suffered injustice, I felt heartbroken too. For your sake, I quarreled with them, and to prevent mom from scolding you, I even went on a hunger strike to spite her. Wasn't I good to you? I was afraid that mom would be unfair to you, so every morning and evening, I'd go to the Wutong Garden to check on things, worried that someone might take advantage of you. As long as you were back from work, I'd bring my homework to the Wutong Garden to do it there. You thought I was going to see my brother? No, I was afraid that mom would come looking for trouble with you, and if she did, I'd be there to help you out, and she wouldn't dare do anything. Some people may not have been good to you, but some people were genuinely trying to treat you well. Wasn't Xiaoying good to you? Wasn't Zhong Ma good to you? And what about Rui Gege, wasn't he good to you too? Although he might scold you sometimes, that's just the way he is, but deep down, he's a kind person. Grandpa was also good to you, wasn't he? We were all trying to be good to you. How could you think of leaving us?"

  Tears rolled out of Jin Yue's eyes. She emphasized the goodness of these people because she knew that many people were not good to Shen Xuan. She was still young and couldn't face the pain of loss directly, knowing it would be hard for her to let go when the time came.

  When Jin Yue's tears rolled out, Shen Xuan let out a breath, and the crystal-like beads also rolled out of her eyes. She stretched out her hand to hug Jin Yue, those sour and surging things crashing against her five organs. Her little sister-in-law had always treated her very well. "Jin Yue, I know, I know you're good to me, I've always known..."

  "Sister-in-law, take me with you to Haicheng, I'll just ask for leave from school, I'll accompany you back home, but when you've had enough fun, come back with me, okay?"

  Chrysanthemum Garden is a newly built courtyard, and a large outdoor slide, a small castle, a sandbox... Qiao Yu plays here every day and doesn't want to sleep.

  Qiao Ran is a woman with strong self-discipline, her daily routine is fixed, waking up at a certain time, sleeping at a certain time, and must have a unified schedule. Qiao Yu has always been obedient and considerate, usually going to bed on time, but after moving into the Chrysanthemum Garden, playing became the most important thing.

  Qiao Ran seemed like a woman who couldn't get angry, she followed behind Qiao Yu, "Xiao Bao, go to sleep with Mommy."

  "No, I want to play for a while longer."

  "Can we play tomorrow? Let's sleep well today and have energy for tomorrow, okay?" Qiao Ran coaxed gently, but the little baby climbed up the colorful and tall slide again, crawled into the hole, "whooshed" down to the bottom, and came out from inside.

  Pei Jincheng came out of the chrysanthemum garden and made a phone call, then returned. He stood at the exit of the slide and caught Qiao Yu as she slid down from above, picking her up and kissing her delicate little face, "Xiao Bao, want to go to sleep?"

  "No, no!"

  Pei Jin Cheng held Qiao Yu's small hand with his empty hand, shook it a few times, and then pinched the small hand to his mouth for a kiss. "We can play again tomorrow, Mommy needs to sleep early every day, otherwise Mommy won't have energy to take care of Little Treasure tomorrow, Mommy will be very tired and get sick."

  Qiao Yu looked at Mami standing behind Shuai Uncle and said, "Let Mami sleep, Uncle accompany me to play, okay?"

  Pei Jin Cheng glanced at Qiao Ran, "You go sleep, I'll accompany Xiao Bao."

  "It's alright, you can go back quickly, I'll take care of Xiaobao. He's just being playful, but he can't get too tired, or else how would I be able to control him?" A flash of pain streaked across Qiao Ran's eyes, bright and clear.

  Pei Jin Cheng stroked Qiao Yu's face, but his eyes were on Qiao Ran, softly comforting him, "Don't worry, the surgery will be done soon."

  At this time, a servant came into the chrysanthemum garden, took a large box, and shouted at Qiao Yu, "Xiaobao, come down quickly, we're going to play with the train!"

  The box's exterior was painted with bright red, green and yellow colors, depicting large toy trains and tracks. Qiao Yu became excited at the sight and broke free from Pei Jin Cheng's grasp, following the servant as he ran into the main building.

  Qiao Ran didn't say anything else, just lowered his head and sighed, "I... I want to perform surgery on him, but I'm afraid... it's too dangerous."

  Pei Jin Cheng turned his head to glance in the direction of the main building, then turned back and patted Qiao Ran's shoulder. "Don't worry, Doctor, I'm an expert in this field, specially invited from America. We have to take a chance, if we drag it out for too long, it won't be good, right?"

  "Thank you..."

  "Don't mention thanks, now you're my grandfather's nutritionist, shouldn't I thank you just the same?"

  Qiao Ran's heart was uneasy, and after taking a look at the chrysanthemum garden, he felt that he didn't deserve it. "However, my treatment is also too high."

  "Hmm, because the treatment of our family's old master is the highest, you are his nutritionist, so you should naturally enjoy high-standard treatment." Pei Jin Cheng's lips curled up, a comforting smile that made the other party feel at ease and accept.

  "Qiao Yu's surgery fee, I will pay as soon as possible..." It wasn't that she didn't have the money, but rather she knew that just hiring an American expert would cost more than her savings could afford, despite her not being low-income.

  "Haha." Pei Jin Cheng's smile was perfectly measured, neither too much nor too little, not giving people pressure, but also not making them feel arrogant. This Pei Jin Cheng was not the one in real life, he was at work, and only when dealing with work would he be so hypocritical and proper, no one could find any flaws in him. "Miss Qiao, why bother, let alone that this amount is a small number for our Pei family, even if it's a large sum, with your skills, if you work at our Pei family for three to five years, I'm afraid we'll still have to pay you more."

  "In our Pei family clinic, you see only three doctors and six nurses. The salary of the three doctors is probably the highest in G city. The nurses are also the highest-paid in G city. And you, I specially hired as a nutritionist for Grandfather. Your treatment is naturally different. You originally had excellent performance and a solid nutritionist license from abroad, completely on a different level from those so-called nutritionists domestically. Grandfather's nutritionist must be the best, and it's only natural to receive generous compensation. Calculate it yourself, isn't our Pei family getting a great bargain?"

  Pei Jin Cheng had a gentle smile, with an elegant demeanor that was not arrogant at all. He was very humble and easy-going, unlike the usual sons of wealthy families who were often haughty and disdainful. He spoke to Qiao Ran in a very comfortable tone, his eyes and smile filled with respect for women.

  In the conversation, he unknowingly praised the other party to a high level, and also unknowingly showed off the strength of the Pei family. Although it seemed like just idle chatter, he was actually showing off four words: "Who else but me?"

  Qiao Ran took a deep breath, three to five years? At that time, she was only invited to help with the physical conditioning of the old master of the Pei family, thinking it would be at most half a year. Before she started, she had already told Pei Jin Cheng that her son had congenital heart disease, so she must bring him along and take care of him. If this condition could not be met, she would not accept this job.

  Pei Jin Cheng almost just nodded slightly, and agreed to her request. However, in such a short period of time, she found the most authoritative doctor abroad. She knew that this was not something that could be achieved with just money, and that he had even made a special trip from China for her son's sake. This was something that even if she were abroad, she wouldn't dare to think about.

  Three to five years?

  This is a number that Pei Jin Cheng seems to mention casually, but it is actually a rigid condition.

  It's better to say five years directly than saying three to five years.

  But it's only five years, and in just five years, she can exchange her son's health. She feels like she's dreaming, yet it also feels like a trap - a pit filled with fresh flowers, fine wine, and bread and ham. Although she knows it might be a trap, she has no choice but to jump in without hesitation.

  Qiao Ran took a deep breath again, his fist clenched at his side relaxed, and he looked up at the handsome and elegant man in front of him. "I'll sign a contract with the Pei family."

  "Ah?" Pei Jin Cheng's voice was like a question, the lights in the children's area of the Chrysanthemum Garden were bright, and the man's originally majestic appearance had his eyebrows slightly raised, with a confident yet calm expression between them, as if he was just handling an already settled matter. "Contract?"

  "Right, contract, I signed a five-year contract with the Pei family, what do you think?"

  "It's fortunate for the Pei family to have Miss Qiao work for them for five years, but has Miss Qiao really thought it through?" Pei Jin Cheng's tone was seemingly advisory yet decisive.

  "I've thought it through."

  "The contract, I think it's not necessary anymore. Is Miss Qiao going to take care of my grandfather for a few more years and then run away with Xiao Bao after the surgery? I don't believe Miss Qiao would do such a thing." Pei Jin Cheng's words conveyed one meaning, but his tone was low and hesitant, and his eyes flickered, turning the rhetorical question into a half-believing, half-doubting, and half-affirming statement.

  Qiao Ran heard the implication in Pei Jin Cheng's words, but also nodded and said, "No, no, no, Director Pei, although it's my honor that you trust me, there should be a contract. Five years is only because I got a good deal, these five years, I will definitely take good care of Grandfather at the Pei family."

  Pei Litian said that when he called him "grandfather", Qiao Ran also got used to it in a very short time.

  "Hmm..." Pei Jin Cheng furrowed his brow slightly, half-clenching his fist to rub the tip of his nose. "However, Miss Qiao, since you've decided to take care of my grandfather at the Pei residence, I'll be straightforward with you. You know that Grandfather is advanced in age, and elderly people tend to rely on those who care for them. Our family's butler, Sheng Shu, has been taking care of him for decades. Almost his entire family works for the Peis; even his son was arranged by Grandfather to attend G City University, and after graduating, he also works at Pei Corporation. This way, Sheng Shu doesn't have to constantly take leave to return home for visits. Can you understand my meaning?"

  Qiao Ran nodded after understanding that she couldn't leave the Pei family after signing the contract. "I don't have any relatives, only my son, so I won't be leaving the Pei family for these five years."

  "Alright, so we'll sign a five-year contract. We'll also take good care of Xiaobao Pei's family. After the surgery and recovery, we'll find him the best kindergarten. The surgical expenses won't be counted, and I'll pay you an additional 8,000 yuan in salary each month. All the insurance types required by the state will be purchased for you."

  Qiao Ran's eyes widened, the cost of surgery plus the fee for inviting an authoritative doctor was already a huge amount. Although her monthly income had been over 10,000 yuan before, now after deducting the surgical expenses, she still had to pay 8,000 yuan and insurance every month? Her mood could only be described as empty. Although it was very difficult for her to raise her child on her own, she had her own pride. "No, no, no, I'll use my work to offset this five-year salary."

  Pei Jin Cheng stood under the bright light, simply shaking his head lightly. It was a simple action, but it was a gesture of magnanimity. The words he spoke did not have any condescending meaning: "I've said before that people with important jobs in the Pei family all have high incomes. Miss Qiao doesn't need to mind this; this is what you deserve. We haven't paid you more, but I... only have one request."

  Qiao Ran's heart skipped a beat, but Pei Jin Cheng said seriously, "You must take good care of my grandfather. His diet and nutrition have always been my concern. Actually, we all understand some principles, such as eating more vegetarian food and less meat. However, you also know that when different people say the same thing, it has a different effect. When we younger generation say it, it's just meddling in other people's business. But when you, a nutritionist, say it, it's authoritative. An outsider can chant scriptures better, right?"

  Qiao Ran suddenly felt a huge relief in her heart, this one condition almost made her feel like she had been pulled back from the edge of a cliff. A soft and gentle smile appeared on her lips, exceptionally quiet and beautiful. She was nearly amused by Pei Jin Cheng's way of speaking. Was he an outsider monk? "Mr. Pei, please be at ease, I will definitely use my knowledge to take good care of Grandfather."

  "Alright then," Pei Jin said with a smile, "I've drafted that contract. I'll send it over tomorrow for Miss Qiao to sign?"

  "That's troubling Director Bae."

  Pei Jin Cheng stretched out his hand, and Qiao Ran also stretched out her hand to shake hands with him. Pei Jin Cheng smiled warmly and said, "Then Miss Qiao will have to work hard from now on."

  Pei Jin Cheng's faint smile remained on his lips as he got on the bus and waved goodbye to Qiao Ran in a friendly manner.

  After the car started and left a distance, Pei Jin Cheng's mask on his face collapsed instantly. He wanted to pull up his collar, only to find that he wasn't wearing a dress shirt today. He let out a breath, his eyes deep and somber, coldly saying, "Go to Qin Garden."

  The driver heard this and nodded in agreement, driving the car towards Pei Li's location at Qin Garden.

  Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish everyone a happy holiday in advance. Tomorrow, everyone will go to celebrate the festival, so don't bother coming to read articles, because 99 may also want to celebrate and not write more articles. Additionally: Thank you for the big red envelopes and small red envelopes, muah muah!