Pei Jingchuan, seated in the rest area, heard the commotion and with a faint frown, stood up and walked over.
Upon understanding the cause of their argument, he spoke in a soft voice.
"Please accept the elder's good intentions."
Mrs. Pei also quickly added, "Xiaozhu, don't underestimate me because I am an elderly lady. I have my own retirement pension and can afford to pay this small amount!"
Jiang Yuzhu, having said her piece, nodded in agreement.
Initially, the plan was to buy clothes for Grandma, but in the end, most of the clothes were for herself.
After going through the clothing store, Mrs. Pei still pulled Jiang Yuzhu to buy several new bags, and finally, dumped all the stuff onto Pei Jingchuan.
"If you're not going to shop, then you can at least carry the purchases." Mrs. Pei spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal.
Pei Jingchuan didn't say a word, silently carrying all the bags and following behind the two women.
This was the first time he had experienced the hassle of shopping with women.
"Grandma, you must be hungry after shopping for so long, right? Let's go to the second floor and get something to eat."
Worried that Mrs. Pei would continue lavishing her with gifts, Jiang Yuzhu hurriedly said.
Mainly because the brands Mrs. Pei bought were all high-end and quite expensive.
"Sure," said Mrs. Pei, nodding with a smile.
Soon, the three of them found a newly opened barbecue restaurant.
Jiang Yuzhu booked a private room, and the service was very efficient. No sooner had they sat down than a waiter brought in a plate of barbecue.
Pei Jingchuan was occupied turning over the meat on the grill and hardly ate anything.
"Jingchuan, you should eat first, let me handle this."
Jiang Yuzhu spoke softly, after she had already eaten quite a bit.
Having spent these few days with Pei Jingchuan, Jiang Yuzhu could see that the man was of warm heart despite his cold exterior, always doing various things silently.
Pei Jingchuan gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
By the time they had finished eating, it was already the afternoon. As soon as they got in the car, the man's indifferent voice sounded.
"Grandma, I'll take you back to the nursing home."
Mrs. Pei usually lived in the nursing home. Although she would also stay in the old house from time to time, she would almost always demand to return to the nursing home after two days.
She felt that the nursing home had more people to chat with than staying in a room in the old house all day long, without a single person to talk to.
"Alright." Seeing that the two of them got along so well, Mrs. Pei felt relieved.
After seeing Grandma safely home, Jiang Yuzhu transferred the total amount spent by Grandma that day to Pei Jingchuan.
"What's this?" Pei Jingchuan, one hand on the steering wheel and the other one opening his phone, read Jiang Yuzhu's transfer message and asked, his brows furrowed.
"This is the money that Grandma spent today on clothes and bags for me. I couldn't really refuse the old lady's kindness outright. Moreover, you are in a start-up phase now, and money is necessary."
"Grandma is old, and I truly don't feel good about using her money."
Jiang Yuzhu never liked to owe anyone anything and Grandma really did spend a lot of money today.
Pei Jingchuan's gaze fell, his fingertips moving on the screen, refunding the transfer.
"This is from Grandma."
Although his tone was cold, it was much warmer than before.
Pei Jingchuan could see that Jiang Yuzhu was not after money.
"But..."
Jiang Yuzhu pursed her lips, torn.
After all, her and Pei Jingchuan's marriage was a contractual agreement; if Grandma found out, she would surely be heartbroken.
However, for some unknown reason, Jiang Yuzhu never voiced her concerns.
Just as Jiang Yuzhu was about to freshen up, her phone, placed on the living room table, began to vibrate.
It was a call from Chen Ting.
"What's up?" Jiang Yuzhu pressed the answer button and then nestled on the sofa.
The background noise made it evident Chen Ting was in a bar.
"Our family just opened a new bar in Yongle, and we're having a soft opening tonight, do you want to come on over and check it out?"
Jiang Yuzhu brought her hand to her forehead, pinched her temple and spoke in a tired voice, "Text me the address, I will be there in half an hour."
After hanging up, Jiang Yuzhu relayed the news to Pei Jingchuan.
At the word "bar," Pei Jingchuan's eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.
He stood up, following behind Jiang Yuzhu, spoke in a low voice.
"I will go with you."
"Bars tend to be quite noisy." Concerned that Pei Jingchuan might not like the bustling environment, Jiang Yuzhu reminded him.
The man's gaze darkened, "I'll wait for you outside, you shouldn't drive if you've been drinking."
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yuzhu didn't refuse.
Upon reaching the bar, just as Jiang Yuzhu was opening the car door, the man's cool voice echoed in the car.
"Call me if there is any problem."
"Okay."
As soon as she got out of the car, Jiang Yuzhu sent a message to Chen Ting.
Upon entering the bar, a waiter approached and asked politely, "Excuse me, are you Miss Jiang?"
Jiang Yuzhu nodded, "Yes, I am."
"Our Miss asked me to bring you to the private room."
"Okay." Jiang Yuzhu followed behind the waiter.
Upon reaching the private room in the bar, Chen Ting was drinking with a few male models. When she saw Jiang Yuzhu, she waved her hand, indicating them to leave.
"Did you come alone?" Chen Ting poured a glass of wine for Jiang Yuzhu and handed it to her.
Jiang Yuzhu took a sip of her drink, then nestled into the sofa, deafening DJ music playing in her ears.
"No, Pei Jingchuan brought me here."
"Your husband came too?" Chen Ting was somewhat surprised, "Why didn't you bring him in? As your best friend, I haven't met your husband yet! Aren't you planning to introduce him to me? I didn't take you as someone so cautious!"
Jiang Yuzhu replied, "Don't be joking around, you know that we're just playing along for our families."
Saying that, she took another sip of her drink, her eyes clear, "And I was worried that he might not like this type of environment."
"Alright, but I'm rather curious as to what your whirlwind husband looks like, after all, you were the belle of H University back in the day! Your taste must be very particular."
"We will arrange a time for both of you to meet in the future." Jiang Yuzhu stated seriously.
Chen Ting nodded, and both of them had quite a bit to drink. Although Jiang Yuzhu's alcohol tolerance was average, once several bottles of alcohol were down the hatch, she started to feel dizzy, her face turning slightly red.
Chen Ting, whose family owned a bar, was quite clear-headed even though she had also consumed quite a bit.
"I'll help you out." Chen Ting called a female waiter, and the two of them together helped Jiang Yuzhu out of the bar.
In his car, Pei Jingchuan's gloomy eyes were watching the bar's entrance continuously; he held a cigarette in his well-defined hand but didn't smoke it, his appearance obscured in the hazy smoke.
Seeing the drunken Jiang Yuzhu being helped out by two people, he promptly extinguished his cigarette, got out the car and walked towards the woman in large strides.
"I'll take her from here," stated Pei Jingchuan in his deep voice. He stood in front of Jiang Yuzhu, his large hand holding her small one, and addressed the woman next to her.
Chen Ting looked up subconsciously, meeting the man's dark, deep eyes.
She frowned slightly, feeling that Pei Jingchuan looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen him.
Moreover, with her extensive knowledge of people, she could sense that Pei Jingchuan gave off a different aura compared to ordinary people.
"Alright, drive carefully," Chen Ting advised.