In the end, Shen Zhishu didn’t continue pressing the issue any further.
Pei Xingyan could tell she was afraid of angering him again, so for the rest of the time, she kept the conversation light and casual.
Yet, even just chatting about everyday things made her happy—she seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
“How’s your diet usually? Are the dorm relationships smooth or not? What about your studies and future plans?”
…
Questions like these came one after another, with Shen Zhishu caring for him like a true older sister would, constantly checking in.
Pei Xingyan felt somewhat overwhelmed by the attention, and more than that, he severely reprimanded himself for the disrespectful thoughts he had entertained, as well as for the crude habit of staring at her feet.
After a long while of idle chatter, just as a call pulled her away on business, he finally escaped the conversation.
Before leaving, she dropped a line: “I’ll figure something out about that girl.”
Pei Xingyan didn’t know what kind of “something” she had in mind…
He also never managed to find out, by hint or question, whether they had known each other before.
She always skirted the topic vaguely—neither confirming nor denying.
But for some inexplicable reason, he felt an odd sense of warmth toward her, like the feeling of being cared for.
That feeling puzzled him.
He even wondered if maybe his father and mother had a secret elder daughter who looked after him before he could remember.
He buried the question in his heart, planning to ask his mother next time he saw her.
…
That afternoon, he sat in the garden, dazed under the shade of a tree.
Next to him sat Tang Xin, her face drawn and worried.
The girl hadn’t managed to land more projects and was feeling down.
“What should we do, Xingyan? Our big venture seems stuck,” she complained. “It seems no one really trusts our project.”
“Yes, it should be that way,” Pei Xingyan nodded absently. “How could any normal person accept something like what you’re selling? You should be satisfied with having two abnormal patients willing to pay deposits.”
They only had two clients, but both were heavyweights.
Not only had they casually signed large contracts, but they hadn’t even bothered to draft detailed requirements or specifications, and they were willing to pay hefty deposits upfront.
Clients like that were like angels, weren’t they?
Angels don’t come around every day.
“Why are you like this?” Tang Xin lightly punched him. “If we don’t have clients, how will the money come in?”
“Don’t worry about future clients for now,” Pei Xingyan said, sharing what he’d realized these past couple of days. “Tell me first—under what circumstances will we get the final payments from these two girls?”
Tang Xin paused, as if she’d really overlooked this problem.
“Never thought about it…” she muttered nervously, eyes darting around. Then suddenly, a mischievous idea struck her. “Then you just have to heal them properly, earn their full trust, and get them to willingly pay, right?”
Pei Xingyan sneered.
He was thinking the same thing, but hearing it said aloud made him feel like he was selling himself.
“You should be more careful next time. Otherwise, if you run into some malicious person, you might end up losing even your underwear,” he said, patting Tang Xin on the shoulder before standing up to leave.
Tang Xin was displeased at the scolding.
She knew she wasn’t a technical core member, but did that mean she should be looked down on like this?
She also got up and went off to continue recruiting investments, determined to make Pei Xingyan see her in a new light.
…
Lin Xiaoyu finally sent an update on her status through her phone:
【Pei Xingyan, can I treat you to milk tea again?】
【There’s something I want to bother you with…】
Pei Xingyan’s eyelid twitched.
He immediately replied:
【Milk tea is off the table, just say what you want straight up.】
Lin Xiaoyu’s message stalled for a few moments before she replied again:
【Can you come find me near Teaching Building Four? It’s hard to explain over the phone…】
Without wasting time, Pei Xingyan got up and headed over.
Lin Xiaoyu was waiting at the entrance of the teaching building.
She was still wearing a skirt, but not the same one as last time.
She leaned against a stone pillar in front of the hall, letting the wind tousle her hair.
She stared quietly into the distance, her whole demeanor lifeless and marked by a trace of sorrow.
Passing classmates greeted her, but she only responded lightly, her replies perfunctory.
Only when she saw Pei Xingyan’s figure did she regain some energy.
She hurried down the steps, nearly stumbling because she wasn’t watching her footing carefully, but still trotted over to meet her friend.
“Slow down, what’s so urgent? You almost fell,” Pei Xingyan said with concern.
Lin Xiaoyu shyly smiled, took a bottle of water from her right-side bag, thoughtfully unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him.
“Thank you…”
“Aren’t you the one who said friends don’t talk about stuff like this?” she smiled a little more brightly, gripping her skirt with both hands and swaying slightly.
“That’s true,” Pei Xingyan nodded and asked, “So, what’s the urgent matter? Can I help?”
“It’s not urgent…” her voice dropped and she lowered her head. “But it’s difficult. I really have no other choice but to trouble you…”
“Just say it,” Pei Xingyan said generously, patting her shoulder and giving a thumbs-up. “If it’s within my power, just ask.”
Lin Xiaoyu lowered her head, quietly responding with a soft “Mm.”
Her ears and neck flushed red, stark against her pale skin.
Without drawing attention, she leaned a little closer and whispered in a voice only they could hear:
“Can you… can you accompany me to a banquet?”
A banquet?
Pei Xingyan blinked, momentarily stunned.
He wasn’t unfamiliar with all those occasions called banquets, but he didn’t know why Lin Xiaoyu would ask him.
And if it was the kind of high-society banquet he imagined, maybe some people he knew would also attend…
“It’s… my mom,” she stammered. “She says I’m too timid and wants to train me… so she wants me to play a few pieces at the banquet the day after tomorrow. But… but I’m really scared, so nervous I feel like dying. So can you come with me?”
She spoke hesitantly and quickly added, “Of course, you don’t have to do anything, just stand in front of me… maybe if I can see you, I’ll be calmer…”
The girl pleaded almost like a beggar, her posture humble, head hanging very low, never daring to meet the boy’s face.
Perhaps afraid of rejection, she trembled and fidgeted nervously, her toes shifting inside her white shoes, pushing the shoe’s surface to bulge.
The boy beside her gave a firm pat on her back, making her shudder with fright.
But immediately after, she heard a voice that put her at ease.
That voice was like a spring flowing into her heart, driving away all fear and unease.
He said, “No problem at all. If you want, I’ll even stand on the piano bench.”
Lin Xiaoyu’s lips curved into a smile—sweet and shy.
Whether from hearing the playful joke or receiving the reassuring answer, no one could tell.
She quietly moved a little closer to him again.
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