Pei Xingyan lingered on the look in Su Shanshan’s mother’s eyes; he couldn’t quite grasp what it meant.
It was as if she was entrusting her daughter at the wedding to a man who seemed utterly unreliable—her conflict and helplessness were plainly visible.
But Pei Xingyan was just as helpless. He looked down at the girl whose eyes showed no anger, uncertain whether he should go downstairs now.
She looked so unfamiliar, standing straight by the window, quietly gazing out at the garden. The garden had a few flowers and trees, but due to years of neglect, it appeared withered and lifeless.
Inside and outside the window, whether flowers or people, all lacked vitality.
After much deliberation, Pei Xingyan decided to go down and take a look.
At this moment, Su Shanshan seemed like she was sitting frozen in place, motionless. Even as Pei Xingyan descended the stairs with a fair amount of noise, she still didn’t turn her head.
Only when Pei Xingyan was within three steps of her did the girl, who hadn’t moved a muscle, suddenly turn her gaze as if she had detected an intruding security machine.
Pei Xingyan had never seen such a look in Su Shanshan’s eyes before. He stopped, holding out the effervescent tablet in his hand.
Su Shanshan stared at his hand, stunned for a long moment, then as if suddenly realizing what she was supposed to do, she took a small step forward and accepted what Pei Xingyan offered.
Pei Xingyan kept his gaze on her, unwilling to miss a single detail.
He could tell the girl before him was a bit nervous—her neck stiff and tense, her footsteps light and uncertain, shifting back and forth.
And after their hands made unavoidable contact passing the tablet, Su Shanshan flinched as if shocked, her breath halting for a moment.
But it was just a light touch of fingers, nothing close to the usual clingy way she’d lean on him like a sloth. This couldn’t be considered intimate.
“Why do you look so nervous?” Pei Xingyan asked softly, a polite, forced smile curling on his lips.
“N-no, I’m not,” Su Shanshan forced a smile too, though it was strained. She seemed flustered and kept explaining, “I just stood for too long and my legs feel weak~”
Pei Xingyan’s heart sank. Whatever this Su Shanshan was, whatever she was thinking, he was certain this was not the girl he dealt with every day.
Normally, if she really just felt weak in the legs, she’d have flown over and hung on him by now.
But this girl not only didn’t do that, she even shrank back sharply after their brief contact—clear evidence of resistance.
This girl resisted contact with him.
“Was that your mother just now?” Pei Xingyan continued.
“Mm.” Su Shanshan nodded with a hum, unwilling to say more.
Pei Xingyan nodded as well, then unexpectedly asked, “Are you worried about something? You seem like a different person.”
He saw Su Shanshan struggling to keep her movements minimal, but the shock on her face was still obvious.
Her first reaction was to deny it. “N-no, I’ve always been like this.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’m just a little tired. Babe, why don’t you sit down for a bit? I’ll go make you some water.”
She forced out a smile and called him “Babe,” a word she rarely used. But in Pei Xingyan’s eyes, she looked exhausted, her mask slipping in so many ways without realizing it.
That word “Babe” was harder for her to say than swallowing a knife—it took all her strength to get it out.
What surprised Pei Xingyan was that she seemed merely shy to say it, not disgusted. Like a bride in ancient times meeting her husband for the first time on their wedding night—embarrassed but never denying the relationship.
This made Pei Xingyan even more confused. He couldn’t understand what this “Su Shanshan” was thinking.
“If you’re tired, just rest for a while. I’ll handle it.” Pei Xingyan took the Vitamin C effervescent tablet back from her hand and turned toward the water bar.
“O-okay…”
Su Shanshan quietly agreed and nestled back into the sofa. She looked very insecure, casually grabbing a pillow nearby and holding it in front of herself in a classic defensive posture.
Pei Xingyan only glanced at her sideways, taking in every move.
This girl was highly guarded toward him, and that barrier came from unfamiliarity. What Pei Xingyan sensed now was the strange distance of someone meeting him for the first time.
Yet she kept scanning him, her eyes moving back and forth, her face full of curiosity.
That was a good sign—at least she didn’t hate him…
Pei Xingyan thought quietly, deciding to treat her as he always did the Su Shanshan he knew.
From her current behavior, she was trying hard to hide her abnormal state, not wanting him to notice anything.
Though her act was clumsy and full of cracks, Pei Xingyan felt that breaking through her illusion now wouldn’t be good. Letting her pretend meant she didn’t want trouble.
To keep her emotions stable and avoid accidents, as long as she was willing to keep acting, he would play along.
After a while at the water bar, Pei Xingyan prepared the sour drink Su Shanshan usually liked.
Remembering the tastes of a girl who clung to him all day wasn’t difficult, especially when she often mentioned what she liked.
Under Su Shanshan’s watchful gaze, Pei Xingyan approached and handed the glass to her.
She didn’t move, her timid eyes hiding behind the pillow, quietly watching him.
“If you don’t want to drink it now, I’ll just leave it here.”
Pei Xingyan remained unfazed, his voice as gentle as possible as he carefully placed the crystal cup on the coffee table in front of her.
“Thank you,” Su Shanshan whispered, reaching out from behind the pillow to quickly grab the cup, then shrinking back again.
She brought the cup to her lips and took a light sip. Then, pleasantly refreshed, she closed her eyes and made a soft cooing sound.
Pei Xingyan smiled inwardly. Though her spirit was off, her body remained honest—her tastes hadn’t changed.
“So good~” she said with her eyes squinting, finally showing some real smile.
Unlike the mocking smirk she’d worn when taunting his mother earlier, this was genuine—a smile Pei Xingyan saw for the first time since noticing her odd behavior.
The beautiful girl’s smile cleared away the strange atmosphere hanging over the house. But the lingering doubts in Pei Xingyan’s heart remained relentless.
He quietly watched the girl before him, hoping to uncover more information.