When they met again, the boss' eyes turned red, kissed her and said sweet words to her

Pei Jingmo's face was full of composure. He half-knelt in front of the safe and put his fingers on the combination dial again. "You tell me the first five digits, and I'll take care of the rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pillow next to Pei Muchuan flew over. "The password is only 6 digits. Why don't you let me come over and help you open it!"

Pei Jingmo dodged it with a flick of his body and twitched his lips: "Then come and help me open it? I don't mind."

"You little bastard!"

Pei Muchuan was so angry that he grabbed the slippers on the ground and was about to throw them at him!

"What's wrong?" A gentle and graceful voice sounded.

Ye Qingrou was standing at the door in an apricot silk nightgown, with her long hair draped over her body. She seemed to be shrouded in a halo of beauty and elegance, her eyes fixed on the slippers in Pei Muchuan's hand.

Pei Muchuan lowered his raised hand and threw his slippers back to the ground. "Ask your son, he's become a thief."

"Mr. Pei, please don't say anything careless. What did I steal?"

"I was also wondering if there was anything in here worth stealing."

Pei Muchuan thought for a moment, his eyes sharpening, "You want to steal the household registration book?"

“…” Are the words engraved on his face so obviously?

Pei Jingmo snorted, "What do I need that crap for?"

"Weiwei said you've been dating a former high school classmate lately. What's going on? Are you planning to marry her without my permission?"

Pei Jingmo sneered, "Did Shen Wei tell you that she's a hermaphrodite earthworm, capable of self-fertilization?"

What nonsense are you talking about!

Pei Muchuan wasn't one to be fooled so easily. "Don't change the subject! Just tell me if this is true!"

"No."

Pei Jingmo denied it without blushing or beating his heart.

"Then why are you sneaking around? If you want to steal the household registration book, forget it!" Pei Muchuan said.

Ye Qingrou, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke calmly: "Just because you stole the household registration book before, you don't have to think that Jing Mo will do the same thing as you."

Pei Muchuan's handsome old face suddenly looked a little embarrassed.

When he was young, he stole the household registration book and arranged his marriage to Ye Qingrou at home. At that time, he was determined to marry the woman he loved most.

"I see……"

Pei Jingmo thought to himself that it was no wonder that people said that mice's sons loved to dig holes, but he spoke in a long tone and sarcastically, "I am just like you, and everyone else looks like you." Then he walked away leisurely.

"You...can't you give me some face in front of my son?" Pei Muchuan was furious, but his tone was still gentle.

Ye Qingrou was about to say something when Pei Jingmo's figure, who had disappeared outside the door, slowly floated back. "What's that? I know you picked up a toad when you were a kid, slept with it every night, and cried and shouted that you wanted to marry it when you grew up and have a litter of little toads."

"By the way, it's still a male."

"Nonsense!"

"This is what my grandma told me. If you're not convinced, why don't you go down and ask her yourself?"

Pei Jingmo smiled, raised the corner of his eye, and walked away.

"Rebel!"

Pei Muchuan's face turned as black as charcoal. He looked at Ye Qingrou, who was looking at him with a look that looked like a lunatic.

"I'm a toad... No, I'm not a toad. I want to marry a toad..."

"If you want to marry me, I can move."

Ye Qingrou turned and walked towards the bedroom opposite and closed the door.

What nonsense did he say! Looking at the closed door, Pei Muchuan felt uncomfortable holding his breath, and at the same time, there was an inexplicable sour taste.

He had been sleeping in this study for more than half a month, and she had never come to see him. As soon as her rebellious son came back, she came looking for him...

A dark bedroom.

Lying on the bed, Xu Nanyin tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. She simply sat up, hugged her knees and curled up in the corner, staring blankly at the thick night outside the window.

The screen flickered in the darkness, and a text message came in.

[Xu Nanyin, we have to take photos for our marriage certificate tomorrow. Even though you look stunning even without makeup, you should still dress up.]

[At 3: pm, bring your household registration booklet and ID card to the Civil Affairs Bureau]

[Are you asleep? I can’t sleep. I’m so excited.]

She gently stroked every word he sent on the screen with her fingertips, and then deleted them one by one.

Just pretend you haven't seen it, and you won't have any unrealistic fantasies.

The next day.

In the huge dining room of the villa, Pei Jingmo and Ye Qingrou were having breakfast face to face in silence.

"Aunt Zhang, where is Mr. Pei?" Pei Jingmo asked.

"upstairs."

Aunt Zhang looked suspicious. "Master said all three meals will be delivered to the study today, and he will stay there all day."

Pei Jingmo put the white porcelain spoon he was using to drink porridge on the table and sneered, "Are you watching out for me?" Then he got up and walked upstairs.

Ye Qingrou also put down the chopsticks in her hand that were holding the side dish and looked at his back thoughtfully.

In the study, Pei Muchuan sat at the desk, reading a financial magazine while having breakfast.

Seeing Pei Jingmo come in, he glanced at the safe in the corner and said, "Don't even think about it. It's hopeless."

Pulling his lips nonchalantly, Pei Jingmo sat down on the sofa, "Why are you so nervous? If someone didn't know, they would think you were hiding one of my stepmothers."

Pei Muchuan slammed the magazine in his hand onto the table, looked at the face that looked very similar to Ye Qingrou, and suddenly felt breathless.

"Let's talk."

Pei Jingmo put away his carefree demeanor and placed a stack of documents in front of him. "This is the company's annual financial report for the past four years since I joined Pei's."

"It's not like I haven't seen it before."

"Then look again."

Pei Muchuan couldn't figure out what he was up to. He picked up the document and flipped through it, his expression gradually becoming strange.

The annual financial reports alone might not be obvious, but a comparison reveals that over the past four years, the Pei Group's net profit has expanded at an astonishing rate. Overseas markets have seen particularly strong growth, and Pei Jingmo has overcome these challenges.

This unfilial son of his family is indeed capable. He once heard his friends brag about him being a business genius, but Pei Muchuan just thought they were trying to save face.

Now that I think about it, it might be the other way around. After all, he has been in semi-retirement for the past two years.

"The old guys on the group's board of directors couldn't be more pleased with me. If I quit, they'd be the first to get angry with you."

Throwing the financial report on the table, Pei Muchuan frowned: "What do you want to say?"

"I'm telling you a fact. Now it's not that I can't leave the consortium, it's that the consortium can't leave me."

Pei Jingmo lazily leaned back on the sofa, his eyes gleaming with undisguised confidence. "That means you don't have any leverage to constrain me now. I can do whatever I want, for example, marry whoever I want."

Pei Muchuan's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. "You still don't admit that you wanted to steal the household registration book..."

Suddenly, the housekeeper appeared at the door, "There's a fire in the room on the top floor!"

"What? Why is there a fire?!"

Pei Muchuan stood up suddenly and rushed out with big strides.

The room on the top floor has always been a forbidden area. Even Pei Jingmo has never been there. How could there be a fire?

Pei Jingmo was puzzled when he saw Pei Muchuan return. He ordered the housekeeper, "Watch him! Don't let him touch anything in the house!"

As soon as Pei Muchuan left, Ye Qingrou arrived and said to the housekeeper, "The fire is very big. Go and arrange for more people to put out the fire."

"The master ordered me to stay here to guard the young master..."

"I'll just keep watch."

The housekeeper looked embarrassed, and Ye Qingrou said, "You know how important that room is to you, sir? If it burns down, you won't be held responsible."

That’s true. The butler immediately turned around and left.

This fire happened at the right time for Pei Jingmo, it was like a pie in the sky.

Pei Jingmo put one hand in his pocket and pursed his lips: "Mrs. Pei, are you interested in knowing what is in your husband's most confidential safe..."

Ten minutes later, four lock-picking experts went upstairs stealthily.

Pei Jingmo narrowed his eyes slightly, sat upright on the sofa, and watched them operate.

Unlocking is an extremely precise and time-consuming job, especially since Pei Muchuan's safe is classified as very confidential. After ten minutes, there was no progress at all.

Several people were sweating visibly on their faces, "I'm afraid this will be difficult to open."

Pei Jingmo said calmly: "As long as it can be opened, 10 million per person."

Once you open it, it lasts a lifetime! Several people's eyes lit up and they continued to go ahead.

However, another ten minutes passed and there was still no progress!

Ye Qingrou, who was guarding the door, looked downstairs and said, "Your father will be coming up soon."

Pei Jingmo's temples throbbed violently. He pressed his brows and walked decisively towards the safe. "Get out of the way. I might be able to open it faster than you guys can."

He half squatted down and entered his birthday as the password.

As expected, the incorrect password prompt sounded.

"Tsk, scumbag dad." He looked at Ye Qingrou, "Your wedding anniversary... forget it." It was impossible even if you thought about it with your toes.

Ye Qingrou suddenly said, "Try entering it, it shouldn't be wrong." After all, this was the birthday of the woman he loved most.

Pei Jingmo entered the password as instructed, and the error message about incorrect password sounded again.

He frowned and quickly entered another password.

With a beep, the safe opened.

Pei Jingmo quickly found the household registration book inside, put it in his pocket, and walked towards the door.

When he passed by Ye Qingrou, he looked strange: "You and Director Pei, have you been dating behind my back lately?"

Ye Qingrou shook her head.

"So he used your birthday as the combination to such a secret safe?"

Ye Qingrou was stunned, looking a little surprised, "It's my birthday?"

Pei Jingmo nodded and asked thoughtfully, "Thank you, Madam Pei. That fire...wasn't it you who set it?"

"No."

Pulling his lips, Pei Jingmo snorted coldly. What was he expecting? Then he quickly left.

Ye Qingrou half-crouched in front of the safe and peered inside. On top were two red books: their marriage certificate, which she had thought Pei Muchuan had thrown away. Below that was a pile of property certificates and financial documents.

Maybe her birthday was easier to remember, she convinced herself, and then put the forged household registration booklet in.

Pei Muchuan came upstairs soon and went straight to the safe. He opened it and took a look. The household registration book was still there...

The room at the end of the corridor on the top floor of the villa.

The walls were covered with photos of a young girl. The girl looked gentle and bright, smiling sweetly, but there were traces of burns all over her body.

Ye Qingrou stood at the door and took a look, then said softly, "I'm sorry, for the sake of my son's happiness, I disturbed you."

Aunt Zhang's eyebrows were furrowed in knots. "What are you saying?! I should have burned this room down long ago! You're the mistress of this house. She has no right to occupy this space."

"Don't say that. There's no need to be hostile to her." Ye Qingrou said gently, "The dead are the greatest. Besides, the harm I have suffered over the years has never come from her."

***

Xu Nanyin fell asleep at 5 a.m. and woke up at 5: a.m.

She stood in front of the mirror, tried on all the clothes in her wardrobe, and finally changed into the light peach cheongsam that she had worn in the cheongsam show before, and sat in front of the makeup mirror.

She hadn't slept well these past few days, and the dark circles under her eyes looked a little deep in the mirror. She carefully covered them with foundation, applied her eyebrows over and over again, and even tried five or six different colors of lipstick.

Today should be the last time they meet, and she harbored a bit of greed, wanting to leave the best version of herself in his heart.

At 3: p.m., Xu Nanyin appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau on time.

Then I waited until 5 o'clock, but instead of waiting for Pei Jingmo, a rainstorm came.

[Baoer, what's going on?]

Lin Sitian sent her a WeChat message every ten minutes.

He didn't come, nor did he contact me.

Xu Nanyin stood at the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau, looking at the gloomy sky in front of her. Huge, impatient raindrops fell from the sky and shattered on the ground.

She felt like a heavy rain was falling on her chest, and her heart was aching.

However, she had been mentally prepared for this, and this was the result she had expected. She won the bet, and from now on he would never disturb her peaceful life again.

I slowly loosened my clenched hands, and the thought of this made me feel relieved.

Suddenly, I saw a black Porsche parked on the side of the road, and for a moment, my heart skipped a beat.

The car door slowly opened, and a man in a suit got out and walked towards her holding an umbrella.

Through the blurry and heavy rain curtain, Xu Nanyin stared at him without blinking, and gradually saw the face clearly.

Gu Qiao was also looking at her, a look of amazement in his eyes. The woman was wearing a light peach cheongsam, her long black hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and her already soft face was delicately made up, making her beauty flutter.

But her face was a little pale.

Gu Qiao walked up to her, his voice and smile were very gentle, "I saw someone who looked like you from a distance, so I came here, why are you here?"

"Just passing by, taking shelter from the rain." Xu Nanyin tried her best to keep her expression natural.

Gu Qiao held the umbrella handle, tilted most of the brim towards her, and said softly, "I'll take you home."

It's time to go back. Maybe there's no need to come here at all.

They walked into the rain together and walked to the car. Xu Nanyin opened the door and saw a large bouquet of red roses on the seat.

She was stunned for a moment, turned her eyes away and pretended not to see anything.

Gu Qiao looked at her reaction, but suddenly said: "Actually, I'm not just passing by."

"Last night, Lin Sitian sent me a WeChat message saying that you were coming to the Civil Affairs Bureau with that scumbag today. She said that if I liked you, she would come back immediately to catch you. So I booked a flight overnight and rushed back from abroad today. I should have made it in time, right?"

"Boom!"

A motorcycle suddenly stopped beside them and honked its horn.

The sound was harsh, and Xu Nanyin caught a glimpse of the yellow delivery box behind the rider.

Gu Qiao confessed in a gentle voice: "We have known each other for four years, and I have liked you for three whole years."

But he never expressed it, or rather hinted at it many times, but failed every time.

He could feel that Xu Nanyin's heart was completely closed, as if it was occupied by someone and there was no extra space for others.

"Nanyin, I'm actually afraid to tell you that we can't even be friends anymore, but I've realized that I'm even more afraid that I won't have the chance in the future."

Gu Qiao took out the red roses from the car and said sincerely, "Would you like to consider me?"

She didn't expect him to bring it up so suddenly. Xu Nanyin's mind was in a mess and she didn't know how to refuse.

"Xu Nanyin, do you dare to consider it?" The man's unruly voice sounded.

Her body stiffened, and Xu Nanyin unconsciously held her breath and slowly turned around.

The "delivery rider" on the motorcycle took off his helmet, revealing a face covered in mud. He threw the helmet at Gu Qiao's feet, splashing mud all over his trouser legs.