Abstinence Pei, don't be too sweet when chasing your wife

On the eve of the banquet, Long Weiwei sat in the back seat of a stretched Lincoln, applying her lipstick. She pursed her lips in the mirror, the bright red lipstick smudged into a perfect arc across her lips—this was the "prime queen" color she had chosen, signifying that from tonight on, she was the legitimate future daughter-in-law of the Pei family in Huacheng.

"Ms. Long, the Pei family is here." The driver's voice came with a hint of imperceptible respect.

Long Weiwei's fingertips stroked the golden lock around her neck. The cool touch made her feel inexplicably at ease, as if this birthday gift from twenty years ago could really lock up the wealth and glory she had always dreamed of.

"Tell Assistant Wang to focus the live broadcast platform's camera on the car door."

Long Weiwei straightened her hair in the rearview mirror, her tone filled with uncontrollable joy, "I want everyone in Huacheng to see how I walked into the Pei family's gate."

The moment the car door opened, a wave of heat mixed with flashes of light rushed towards her. Long Weiwei lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped onto the red carpet step by step.

At the end of the red carpet, the light from the crystal chandelier flowed out, weaving a dazzling river of light at her feet.

"Ms. Long! Is that a love lock on your neck?"

"Will the dinner really be used to officially announce your marriage to Mr. Pei?"

"I heard you prepared a special gift?"

The reporters' questions came like a tide, but Long Weiwei just smiled and nodded, her eyes passing over the crowd and landing precisely on the figure at the top of the stairs.

Pei Luonan just stood there, his black suit making his shoulders broad and waist narrow. The light of the setting sun outlined his tall figure, and even his jawline revealed his cold handsomeness.

He was looking at her. This realization made Long Weiwei's heart skip a beat.

When she was three steps away from him, she stopped and deliberately let the curve of her skirt unfold in the most perfect shape in front of the camera. Then she raised her head and spoke in the softest tone: "Brother Luo Nan."

Pei Luonan's gaze stayed on her for two seconds, without warmth, but not distant either. He leaned slightly to the side and made a "please" gesture: "Come in, the guests are almost all here."

She lifted her skirt and followed his steps, her fingertips almost touching his sleeves, her mind racing: when they sat down to the table, she would sit next to him; when they toasted, he would personally block the wine for her; when they announced the good news, he would hold her hand...

The banquet hall was already filled with elegantly dressed people.

Long Weiwei spotted several "old acquaintances" in the crowd at a glance - Miss Zhang who had ridiculed her at a socialite party last month, Mr. Li who had rejected Long's cooperation, and Mrs. Wang who always said that she was "not worthy of the Pei family."

At this moment, the eyes of these people all fell on her, with surprise, inquiry, and a hint of what she wanted to see most - fear.

"Isn't that the girl from the Long family? Is she really standing with President Pei?"

"Looking at President Pei's attitude, I'm afraid it's really going to happen..."

"The Long family has completely turned things around this time."

When she passed by Mrs. Zhang, she nodded slightly and smiled dignifiedly: "Mrs. Zhang, long time no see."

Mrs. Zhang's surprise flashed across her face, and then she forced a smile: "Miss Long is becoming more and more outstanding. Standing next to Mr. Pei, they are a perfect match."

"Thank you." Long Weiwei's voice was gentle, but a hint of pride lingered in her eyes. She knew that from this moment on, those who had once looked down on her would no longer dare to underestimate the Long family. When she became the Young Madam of the Pei family, the Long family's funding chain would be connected, those partners who had withdrawn would beg to come back, and her father would also look upon her with new eyes...

"What are you thinking about?" Pei Luonan's voice suddenly sounded in his ears.

Long Weiwei pretended to be shy: "Nothing, I just think... this place is really beautiful."

When they sat down, Long Weiwei was indeed seated next to Pei Luonan. As she sat down, her fingertips "accidentally" touched the back of his hand.

Pei Luonan didn't dodge, but just picked up the menu and looked through it, which made Long Weiwei feel a little more at ease.

“Brother Luonan, look at this caviar, it’s your favorite brand.”

"Yeah." Pei Luonan replied calmly and called the waiter, "According to her choice."

Not far away, several socialites were whispering to each other, glancing over here from time to time.

Long Weiwei raised her chin slightly and deliberately raised her voice: "Brother Luonan, how about we go to the charity dinner next week? I heard that this year's theme is retro style, so I prepared a cheongsam from the 1930s..."

She just wanted everyone to hear that she and Pei Luonan were close enough to plan their itinerary together.

Pei Luonan put down the menu and looked at her sideways, "Let's talk about it later. I'm very busy recently."

The smile on Long Weiwei's face froze for a moment, then she smiled nonchalantly: "Yes, it must have taken a lot of effort to prepare for tonight's dinner. After we are done with this, how about we go to Europe to relax? I heard that the lavender in Provence is blooming..." She was planning the future by herself, from travel destinations to wedding room decoration, from honeymoon itinerary to the name of the child.

Pei Luonan only occasionally said "hmm" or picked up the wine glass to take a sip. His attitude was not enthusiastic, but he did not refute.

That's enough, Long Weiwei thought. With Pei Luonan's personality, being able to tolerate her saying these things in his ear was the greatest recognition.

At this time, Special Assistant Wang walked over to her and reported in a low voice: "Ms. Long, the number of people online on the live broadcast platform has exceeded one million."

The corners of Long Weiwei's mouth rose even higher: "I know."

She looked at Pei Luonan with anticipation in her eyes, "Brother Luonan, when will the announcement begin? I...I'm a little nervous."

Pei Luonan raised his wrist to look at his watch, and the hour hand pointed to eight o'clock.

He stood up and straightened his suit jacket: "Almost done."

Long Weiwei's heartbeat instantly rose to her throat.

It’s coming! It’s finally coming! She stood up and subconsciously adjusted the hem of her skirt, ready to welcome her highlight moment.

Under the spotlight, Pei Luonan's hand was already gripping the microphone. His fingertips were distinctly knuckled, and his grip on the microphone was steady and powerful.

Long Weiwei held her breath and could even hear her heartbeat clearly.

The comments in the live broadcast room were already going crazy - "It's coming! It's going to be officially announced!"; "Long Weiwei is finally going to become Mrs. Pei!";

"Look at how nervous she is, it's so sweet!"

A blush appeared on Long Weiwei's face, not because of shyness, but because of excitement.

She seemed to have seen her name on tomorrow's headlines and Long's stock price soaring...

Pei Luonan cleared his throat, and a slight electric sound came from the microphone.

He looked up at the entire audience, his gaze calm and still, and finally, it fell on Long Weiwei.

Now! Long Weiwei's heart began to beat wildly, and she even raised her feet, ready to walk towards the stage that belonged to her.

Her eyes seemed to be filled with flowers and applause, and her ears seemed to be filled with the blessings of the crowd. The future glory, wealth and attention of the public were all open to her at this moment.

What she didn't know was that when Pei Luonan looked at her, there was no affection in his eyes, only a bottomless coldness.

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying through the microphone throughout the banquet hall, every word clear enough to be heard: "Thank you all for coming to the Pei family's dinner tonight."

He paused, his gaze shifting from Long Weiwei's face to sweep across the room, finally landing on the large screen. "I do have something important to announce tonight, but before that, I'd like everyone to watch a video."

The smile on Long Weiwei's face froze instantly.

Video? What video? A sudden uneasiness flashed through her heart, but it was quickly suppressed.

It must be a surprise Pei Luonan prepared for her, such as a collection of photos of them "from childhood to adulthood", or a video of the blessings from the two elders... Yes, it must be like this.

She smiled again and looked at the big screen expectantly, completely unaware that the beautiful dream she had carefully woven was actually an abyss that would bury her.