No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Just as he was about to go deeper, Jiang Hua pushed him away, saying, "Just once is enough. You've ruined my lipstick."

"The legal department has revised the studio contract according to your requirements. I will send it to your phone in a bit. Take a look and see if there are any clauses that need to be added."

"Well, yes."

Pei Zhan: "Do you have someone else in mind? Two people might not be enough."

"I've got it." Jiang Hua's phone vibrated as she replied to Professor Guo's message, her eyes focused on the message. She then told him, "Fang Liang. He's a graduate student in jewelry restoration, but he hasn't been able to graduate smoothly because of his thesis. I also learned from Professor Guo that Xue Ruyao previously managed the studio in place of Song Qingran and even recruited Fang Liang, but he didn't agree."

"I'm thinking of talking to him in person."

Pei Zhan raised a red flag in his mind, "Do you think he's a good candidate?"

Jiang Hua hadn't yet noticed the change in the man's tone. She said, "I went to his place before to look for materials. From what I heard, he said he knew jewelry restoration in high school. He seemed to have some skill."

"However, it's not important."

Based on his ability to reject Xue Ruyao, he should be Jiang Hua's first choice.

"Shall I go with you?"

"If we can't reach an agreement, I can stand by and use both threats and inducements on Mrs. Pei's behalf. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Jiang Hua chuckled and raised her voice to say "Mmm," a sound full of meaning, "This is a method you're good at, but it's a waste of your talents to have President Pei handle such a small matter."

If he were to appear at Imperial University, he could easily cause a riot, and she didn't want to attract that much attention.

Today is Xiaozhu's birthday. Her father told her to take Pei Zhan to her maternal grandfather's house to celebrate Xiaozhu's birthday. Her maternal grandfather is a traditional person and didn't make a big fuss. Instead, the whole family gathered for a meal to celebrate her birthday together. Pei Zhan also left work early and handed over the company's affairs to his assistant.

Jiang Hua also plans to focus on her studio after celebrating Xiao Zhu's birthday today. She has been putting off the studio's affairs for almost a year.

According to what happened in her previous life, there wasn't much time left before she had her second heart transplant. She didn't know if she could make it through that time. Now, everything was just right for her, and everything had changed for everyone.

The Shen family escaped the Wang family's crisis and did not form a marriage alliance with the Mu family.

The Wang family also failed.

Bao'er did not end up with Duan Qingfeng, thus escaping the unhappiness of her previous marriage.

Even Song Qingran got engaged to Lu Yuanzhou, and Pei Zhan's feelings for Song Qingran changed.

And... what about herself?

Will she... be able to live a good life this time?

Even if everything isn't perfect, it's enough for Jiang Hua, and it's the best path for her.

Humans are greedy; once they get everything they want, all they want is more.

She didn't want to leave this world so early, like in her previous life. She... wanted to live well, to live longer. She couldn't bear to leave...

Upon arriving at the Jiang family's old residence, Pei Zhan took out the birthday gift he had prepared. The packaging was simple, a black gift box. Jiang Hua tentatively lifted it and found it to be quite heavy. "It's a bit heavy. What did you prepare?"

"You'll know in a minute."

Jiang Zhu, dressed in a pretty dress, stood at the door to greet them. "Sister, brother-in-law...where's my birthday present?" she asked, spreading her hands.

The gift Jiang Hua brought was in delicate pink packaging, containing a pair of earrings—the latest limited edition. While Jiang Hua's gifts might not be the absolute best, the ones she chose certainly suited a young girl's taste.

Upon seeing these earrings, Jiang Zhu was speechless with amazement. "These must be very expensive."

Jiang Hua: "It's alright, not too expensive."

She's still young, so Jiang Hua didn't dare buy her anything too expensive. This pair of earrings only cost a little over two million. The pair she had chosen before, which was a matching set with jewelry, cost over thirty million. It wasn't that she was reluctant to spend the money, but at her age, wearing such expensive jewelry could easily cause trouble. She's currently attending a prestigious private school, so in the future, she can wear these earrings as accessories to classmate reunions without feeling too embarrassed.

"Let me see my brother-in-law's."

Jiang Hua was also very curious.

Pei Zhan had just taken off his suit jacket when his father called him over, "I'll go check on things." He handed the jacket to a maid nearby.

Jiang Hua: "Mm."

Jiang Zhu opened Pei Zhan's gift box, and the moment she opened it, she froze on the spot.

Jiang Hua couldn't help but laugh when she saw it, her eyes filled with sympathy. The room was full of a complete set of workbooks and test papers.

"I'm starting to hate your husband a little now."

Jiang Hua wasn't exactly academically inclined, and seeing these test papers gave her a headache. "...I think what he meant was that you're still young, and your focus should be on your studies. Once you get into Beijing University, I'll have him give you a new set of papers."

"Then it's settled."

"Yeah, I promise."

When the maid brought out the last chicken soup, Dad and Grandpa finished their game of chess.

Today, the dishes filled the round table for eight people. Pei Zhan sat next to Jiang Hua and was about to start the meal when a black sedan pulled up outside. Xie Huai got out of the car, carrying a gift. "This is a birthday gift from the mayor to Miss Jiang Zhu."

Jiang Huai went to take it, "He didn't come today?"

Xie Huai: "The mayor is very busy, but I will definitely host a banquet for him when I have time next time."

Jiang Huai: "Secretary Xie, you can come in and have a cup of tea before you leave."

Xie Huai declined, saying, "No, I have to rush back."

"Sister, who was that person just now?" Jiang Zhu asked, leaning closer to Jiang Hua.

Jiang Hua then remembered that Jiang Zhu and Shen Yebai were not very familiar with each other. The reason why Jiang Zhu sent gifts this time was mainly because the two families were on good terms. It was only right and proper.

"I have a friend... I'll introduce you to him next time."

The gifts from Shen Yebai weren't particularly valuable; they were just a set of school supplies that matched the test papers Pei Zhan had given her. Seeing these, Jiang Zhu felt a little depressed, but could only be slightly happier.

At the dinner table, Pei Zhan chatted with his grandfather and father about economics and politics from time to time. Jiang Hua wasn't interested, but Jiang Zhu leaned over and whispered to Jiang Hua, "Sister, do you know what Grandpa gave me?"

Jiang Hua: "What is it?"

Jiang Zhu: "Grandpa made this box by hand to store my school supplies. You have no idea how heavy it is for me to carry to and from school every day. Now I suspect that the three of them are in cahoots."

"The worst one is my brother-in-law. Every teacher says that there isn't much homework, only two test papers per subject, but all the subjects together have more than a dozen papers."

"Sister, were your grades good in school before?"

"Now that I've changed schools, it's getting harder and harder; there are so many things I don't know how to do."

score?

Jiang Hua: "..."

She... back then, she only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun, and her mind wasn't on studying. Because of her health, she was basically not at school. The professors she was with were all outstanding professors in various fields. But even with such good mathematicians, it didn't stop Jiang Hua from never passing her math exams. She even got into Imperial University with the lowest score. Her father didn't expect her to be outstanding; he just wanted her to be alive and well.

Jiang Hua only gave a vague answer, and in the end she ate longevity noodles, which her grandfather cooked himself. She ate two bowls, and he even specially fried an egg for her. Jiang Zhu was allergic to eggs, so she ate it all by herself.

Having eaten too much, Jiang Hua went for a walk in the courtyard to digest her food. The long corridor of the Jiang family's old house led to a study, and koi carp were kept under the corridor. Recently, due to the cold weather, the fish seemed to be still in the water and didn't swim much...

She hadn't walked far when she felt tired, so she sat down on the viewing platform and looked at the scenery in the distance. Her grandfather took great care of the plants here every day. Not long after she sat down, a man walked over and sat down on the pear wood chair next to her. The servants, worried that Jiang Hua would get cold, brought over a tea stove. Hot tea was brewing on the stove, and a sweet tea fragrance wafted into her nose, giving her a sense of peace and tranquility.

"What are you thinking about?"

The man beside her suddenly asked, his deep eyes looking at her. Pei Zhan had long ago noticed that she had something on her mind, unrelated to anyone else, otherwise she wouldn't be like this.

Jiang Hua was just wondering how long this kind of life could last.

However, Jiang Hua did not tell him, "I wasn't thinking about anything."

"They said it would rain today," she changed the subject.

The moment the words were spoken, a snowflake slowly drifted down from the sky.

"Some things, until the very end, no one can predict what will happen."

"Weather forecasts aren't always accurate." Pei Zhan crossed his long legs, his hand supporting his forehead, his lazy gaze fixed on her without ever leaving her.

When he went back to find her that year, he was too late and watched helplessly as she left with Ji Liangchuan.

From the day she left, he thought... they would never see each other again.

Unexpectedly, they met again.

Not only did we meet, but we also came here...

He remembered everything she had said to Pei Zhan when he was young in Wuchuan.

She once said that her favorite thing was the peach blossoms blooming in her home, which was also the peach grove in front of her. Her least favorite thing was the study in her home, because she said her grandfather would always punish her by making her copy characters...

"The peach blossoms at my maternal grandfather's house are the most beautiful, but those older brothers always bully me and won't let me get close. You're so good at fighting, so you can stay by my side from now on and chase them away. That way, I can look at them for as long as I want."

"Why do you always fight with them? Don't you feel pain?"

“When others insult me, I will beat them up when I don’t have a mother. My hands hurt so much when I hit them.”

Even though it took eighteen years to get here, it's still not too late...

He also knew that the library was at the end of the long corridor.

Xiao Zhu took her homework to Pei Zhan. Jiang Hua looked at the snow scene, and Pei Zhan beside her looked like a father, patiently teaching her.

Jiang Hua didn't know why she suddenly thought of such a description. Children... were probably the most sensitive topic between them. Every time she thought of it, it would touch Jiang Hua deeply. Perhaps they had no fate with these children.

What she wanted to keep, she never managed to keep.

Jiang Hua had long since given up on having children. A fortune teller had predicted that she would never have any chance with them in this lifetime. She thought it was just a joke and didn't take it to heart, but unexpectedly... it came true.

The future seemed too distant for her…

After Jiang Zhu left.

Jiang Hua spoke up.

“Pei Zhan…”

Pei Zhan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Hmm?"

Jiang Hua looked at him: "Have you thought about our future?"

When Pei Zhan put down his teacup, his gaze turned to Jiang Hua with a more serious expression. "What I envision for the future is for Mrs. Pei to have no worries. We'll take it slow and steady, and when the time comes, I won't let you leave before me."

...

With only two months left until graduation, Jiang Hua discovered that her graduation thesis was still unfinished. During this time, she was busy with her graduation thesis, as well as her studio and association affairs, keeping her extremely busy. She was also returning home late at night. Sometimes, when Pei Zhan came to the school to arrest her, Jiang Hua had no choice but to go back with him. Sometimes, he was so persistent that she had to find a classroom to hide in from him.

The jewelry restoration was finalized to its latest and final version. Seeing that it was almost dinner time, Jiang Hua decided to grab something quick at the cafeteria. On her way there, she overheard several girls passing by, laughing excitedly and talking about something. One or two girls wouldn't be a big deal, but if all the girls who had passed by were doing this, Jiang Hua became curious.

“So handsome!”

"Yeah yeah!"

"I'm so envious of her."

Then, a series of gazes fell upon her, leaving Jiang Hua puzzled.

However, not far away, Pei Zhan was surrounded by school leaders. The man's eyes immediately fell on that familiar, slender figure. He and the others followed Pei Zhan's change of direction and walked towards her.

"Thank you so much, Jiang Group, for your support of Imperial Capital University and for donating a research lab to the school. On behalf of all the outstanding students of Imperial Capital University, I would like to express my gratitude to President Pei." One of the books he was holding accidentally fell to the ground.

Before Jiang Hua could even see the person in front of her clearly, the book she was holding slipped from her hands. She bent down to pick it up, and reached out with her other hand as well. Their fingertips touched, and Jiang Hua frowned and withdrew her hand, thinking it was a stranger. But when she straightened up and saw that it was him, the frown on her face slowly relaxed, and she asked with some surprise, "Why are you at school?"

Pei Zhan: "If I don't come to the school to arrest Mrs. Pei, what time are you planning to go home today?"

Jiang Hua turned to leave, but the man grabbed her wrist, causing the books in her hands to fall to the ground. "Pei Zhan! My books!"

Zuo Xiangnan reached out to stop everyone, preventing others from getting close. At first, some people were puzzled, but when they saw that it was Jiang Hua, everyone smiled and did not disturb them.

Several school leaders knew Jiang Hua's identity. Because of Jiang Hua's wishes, the school did not take the initiative to clarify the rumors circulating in the school, but they also controlled the spread of the rumors and prevented them from escalating.

Pei Zhan called out, "Xiang Nan."

Zuo Xiangnan immediately stepped forward and picked up the fallen books.

"I had Aunt Xu come over today, and she cooked all your favorite dishes."

"I'm not done yet, I still have to go to the jewelry exhibition later."

Pei Zhan didn't give Jiang Hua a chance to speak. He picked her up in his arms and left in front of all the school leaders.

"Put me down quickly."

“You haven’t slept eight hours in the last three days, and Mrs. Pei has developed dark circles under her eyes. If this continues, she won’t look beautiful.” Pei Zhan was mainly worried about her health. The Huo family spent billions to develop a special medicine specifically for Jiang Hua’s heart. No matter how effective the medicine is, it can’t withstand her continuous lack of rest.

"No way. Didn't I cover it up with makeup when I left this morning?" Jiang Hua touched her eyelids with a flustered expression. "I was already wearing makeup, was it really that obvious?"

Pei Zhan: "Mm."

While Jiang Hua was still worrying about her beauty, a fierce voice suddenly came from a corner, "Song Qingran, don't think that you're safe just because you left the studio early. Why should we bear the burden of the money we owe you when you're fine?"

"You were involved in this too, and now you think you can get away with it? I'm telling you, that's impossible."

"Exactly! At first, I really thought you were some rich heiress who managed to snag the CEO of the Jiang Group, but it turns out you're just someone else who's been played with and discarded..."

"She really thinks she's the president's wife."