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

The nights are cool after the beginning of autumn.

Xu Nanyin had just come out of bed and felt even colder. Just as she was about to turn around and put on a coat, she heard the man's choked and hoarse voice.

She froze in her tracks and remained silent for a while before she said calmly, "My grandmother passed away. The day she was buried was exactly the day before you and Shen Wei got engaged."

Pei Jingmo's breathing suddenly tightened in the receiver.

After a long moment, he was emotionally confused and collapsed: "I had no idea at all. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..."

Xu Nanyin continued calmly, "What I want to say is that you don't have to take all the blame on yourself. And it's also my fault for being too fragile at the time. Maybe I just lacked love since I was a child."

So after enjoying his overly extreme and passionate preference, she was suddenly abandoned. The huge gap crushed her.

"Now I have learned to love myself and no longer demand love from others."

"But the love I give you never requires even the slightest bit of coercion."

His voice suddenly became very low and soft, as if he was trying hard to suppress the undercurrent of emotion: "Xu Nanyin, do you know that there is a fool who has loved you for ten years?"

"Into his originally barren and desolate heart, you suddenly broke in, like a seed, slowly sprouting, taking root, and growing vigorously. For ten years, you have long been rooted in his heart."

Xu Nanyin clutched her phone in a daze, caught off guard and so shocked that she was speechless.

Ten years? He meant that he had liked her for ten years?

"Even in the four years we were apart, he never stopped loving you."

"Because you have become a part of his life. In fact, he can eat onions now because you like them. He also donated six schools to mountainous areas in the past few years because you said your father had a wish before he died, which was that children in mountainous areas could also enjoy good educational resources..."

"As long as he has time, he goes to the supermarket every week to participate in discount promotions. He has also learned how to redeem points. He is very happy to save a few dollars, because you like..."

"In these four years, he never seemed to feel truly separated from you, because you changed these parts of him and have always been with him in your place."

Her eye sockets suddenly felt hot and swollen, and tears welled up in her vision. The corners of Xu Nanyin's lips moved, and she wanted to say something, but she seemed unable to make a sound.

"So, he never thought that he would almost cause you to...commit suicide."

"Xu Nanyin, if you never see me again, will you be able to forget the hurt?"

Wiping away the moisture from the corners of her eyes, Xu Nanyin hid her tears and said, "Maybe."

"Then I..."

On the other side, there was a long silence.

Xu Nanyin couldn't help but clench her phone, holding her breath, waiting for his next words.

Pei Jingmo's voice was choked with sobs and came out with difficulty: "I'm sorry, I may still be too selfish. I can't tell you what you want to hear."

"Come in quickly. It's cold at night. Don't catch a cold."

Xu Nanyin was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously glanced downstairs.

She stood on the balcony on the fifth floor and vaguely saw a tall, blurry figure standing next to the low pomelo tree in the flower bed at the bottom of the building.

Sparks flickered as he started smoking again.

"Yinyin, you need to eat well and sleep well. The bastard who hurt you eats well, drinks well and sleeps well. Why should you treat yourself badly?"

Xu Nanyin sniffed, not knowing how to respond, and just said "hmm".

"Well. Come in quickly." Pei Jingmo said.

Xu Nanyin's fingertips slowly slid to the hang-up button and she turned around and went back to the bedroom.

In the dim light, I tiptoed onto the bed, only to hear Lin Sitian mutter, "Bao'er, what's wrong?"

Xu Nanyin blurted out unconsciously: "He said he has liked me for ten years."

"Who was sentenced to ten years?" Lin Sitian asked in a daze.

"..."

Xu Nanyin gently lifted the quilt to her shoulders and neck, covering herself tightly.

how could be?

Ten years passed, and then high school began. She was so dull and dusty in high school, and there was no bright spot on her body.

How could Pei Jingmo, a man so dazzling and in the spotlight, like her? Or even...have a crush on her?

On second thought, she wasn't much better in college, so she just changed her hairstyle, tied it into a high ponytail, revealing her entire face.

She seemed to have never asked him how he fell in love with her...

***

The next day.

The whole morning was spent calculating the turnover of Jinyifang last month. During lunch break, Xu Nanyin looked out the window. The windowsill opposite was empty today, with nothing on it.

Suddenly, a tall figure came into view.

The man wore a black mask to cover his face, but she could recognize him at a glance from his crisp, high-quality suit and that indescribable familiar aura.

The moment he saw her, Pei Jingmo dodged as if he had seen a ghost and disappeared from her sight.

Xu Nanyin could even imagine the "fuck" he cursed under the black mask.

"..."

What tricks are you playing again?

"Ding! Your dining companion is here!"

Xiaoyu rushed in with two bags of takeout, her voice choked with anger, and then she changed back to her rough voice, "Eat, eat!"

Xu Nanyin was amused and burst out laughing. She sat on the sofa with her and opened the takeaway together.

Xiaoyu picked up her receipt and took a look at it. "Sister Yinyin, why do you keep ordering takeout from this place? Don't you get tired of it?"

"Not yet."

Although the food at Jiangxiang Pavilion is not particularly delicious, it is one of the few restaurants she can find that serves Jiangyang cuisine.

"Okay."

Xiaoyu held a bowl of spicy and sour pig's trotters and stood by the window, looking out, "Where's the handsome man? Why isn't he here today?"

She spoke as if Pei Jingmo had become her side dish.

Xu Nanyin paused as she picked up the food. "Xiaoyu, do you think he's the type of guy who...has a crush on someone for three or four years and doesn't let the girl find out?"

"Having a crush for three or four years without letting the other person know, what kind of high-end secrecy is this?" Xiaoyu shook her head as she passionately chewed a pig's trotter. "It's not possible for ordinary people, let alone someone like Pei. If he likes a girl, it's just a matter of flirting. Why would he play the game of secret love?"

"Oh."

Xu Nanyin unconsciously poked the lunch box with her chopsticks. She didn't want to do it, but she was still nervous because of what he said last night.

After dinner, Xu Nanyin was responsible for cleaning up the mess and Xiaoyu was responsible for taking away the trash.

downstairs.

Xiaoyu threw the garbage bag into the trash can in the back street. After walking a short distance, she looked back inadvertently and saw a round figure lying in front of the trash can, rummaging through the bag of garbage she had just thrown away.

"What are you doing?"

Huang Liu shuddered all over, slowly stood up, and looked back at Xiaoyu who looked suspicious.

"Life is not easy, so I have to pick up some trash." He looked helpless as he took out a few beverage bottles from the trash can, flattened them, and held them in his arms.

"Oh……"

Looking at his neat and seemingly expensive suit, Xiaoyu shook her head and turned away.

Damn, is the employment situation so severe now?

*

In the office, Huang Liu handed over the takeaway receipt he found in the trash can.

"Boss Pei, I found it. Madam ordered Jiangxiang Pavilion."