Passing by a small supermarket, Song Weiyi indulged in a rare act of whimsy and took twenty yuan from her pocket to buy a bag of chocolate.
"You should try this, the chocolate of this brand is really delicious," she said, holding it up to Pei Yibai's mouth, her eyes full of anticipation.
Pei Yibai couldn't help but size up the girl in front of him. Her porcelain white skin didn't show even a hint of a pore, and she wasn't wearing any makeup at all, which showed how naturally beautiful she was.
Those watery eyes gazed at him as if they were filled with a warm spring, shimmering with a blue glow.
Being hastily married to a girl whose name he only knew after seeing the marriage certificate wasn't an interesting experience, but at this moment he found himself not minding it at all.
His hand came to rest on Song Weiyi's hair, which hung naturally on her shoulders without any dyeing or perming, making her appear even more fresh and charming.
"I don't eat sweets, you have it," he said with an unintentional touch of tenderness in his voice.
The soft touch on her head was like the caress she received from her father when she was a child, gentle like water, and his tone carried a hint of pampering.
Song Weiyi suddenly froze, besotted, unable to move at the sight of the handsome face so close to her.
The heart in her left chest, which hadn't skipped a beat in twenty-two years, all of a sudden fluttered in an unusual way, and she could clearly hear her own heartbeat, for the man in front of her.
It wasn't until the chocolate was pushed into her mouth by his hand that she was enveloped in a boundless sweetness.
His phone "dinged" and Song Weiyi came back to her senses.
Pei Yibai answered the call, "Yeah, I'm at the Civil Affairs Bureau, come over here."
It seemed he had business to attend to.
It was already four-thirty in the afternoon, and there were only two and a half hours left until the agreed time of seven o'clock. Song Weiyi couldn't help but worry if Pei Yibai would be able to make it.
Pei Yibai hailed a taxi for her at the street corner.
"I still have some things to deal with, you go back first."
Song Weiyi, dazed and adorably disoriented, got into the car and as it was about to leave, she rolled down the window. "Then, will you be able to come tonight?"
His answer was a nod, and then he motioned his phone to his ear.
Song Weiyi understood the gesture's meaning. Was he asking her to contact him by phone later?
Wang Meng drove a low-key black Mercedes. When he parked, it just so happened that he saw Pei Yibai talking to Song Weiyi.
He got out of the car himself and respectfully opened the car door for Pei Yibai.
"Mr. Pei, what brought you to the Civil Affairs Bureau? Was that Miss He just now?" Aside from being superior and subordinate, they were also friends, so such a topic wasn't overstepping boundaries.
Miss He? The Miss He whose face he still couldn't remember after meeting her three times?
"No," Pei Yibai curved his lips slightly, finding the girl much more interesting than Miss He.
"Who is she then?" Wang Meng asked curiously. In the Civil Affairs Bureau, it invited speculation.
"You'll know soon enough," Pei Yibai unexpectedly played coy.
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At six o'clock in the afternoon, Song Weiyi received another call from Fu Zining.
"Weiyi, we're going to a rather formal place for dinner tonight, so you must dress appropriately, understand?"
Dressing formally naturally meant wearing suitable makeup, something both understood without saying.
"Auntie, I know," Song Weiyi responded cheerfully.
She would definitely meet Fu Zining's expectations, dressing up splendidly and making a grand entrance.
If the other party had concocted such a suitable pretext without her knowledge, she would have naively fallen into Fu Zining's trap.
But now, she had a marriage certificate and a man standing behind her. Song Weiyi felt a sudden increase in her sense of security.
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She picked up her phone again, and this time it was to send Pei Yibai a message with the address and private room number.
"Don't buy any gifts for our meeting, my parents don't like that sort of thing, and there's no need for you to waste money." Song Weiyi specifically reminded him at the end of her message.
"Mm." Pei Yibai replied to her quickly.
There was only one word on the screen, but it inexplicably boosted Song Weiyi's confidence, and then she set off.
The Fu Family had arranged to have their dinner at Tiangong, a famous Chinese restaurant in A City imbued with a classical ambiance, so it wasn't strange to see people dressed in traditional garb or styles there.
Song Weiyi was still wearing a dress this evening, with an added short coat to cover her shoulders completely.
The private room was also in an excellent location. By the time she arrived, she was somewhat late, and the Fu family members had all arrived.
No—
After careful observation, Song Weiyi realized that although Fu Xiuyan was there, she did not see Fu Qishan.
And that legendary Old Man Shen hadn't arrived yet.
Song Weiyi understood; that important people always made a grand entrance, appearing at the end.
Her mind was as clear as a mirror, instantly grasping their intentions, yet she still pretended as if she knew nothing.
"Dad, Auntie, why haven't I seen my sister? Isn't this supposed to be a family dinner?"
Fu Zining had already thought up this excuse before coming.
Interrupting Rong Jing'an's speech, Fu Zining's lips curled into a gentle smile, resembling a loving mother watching over her child.
"Your sister suddenly felt unwell, so I told her to rest at home, no need to travel back and forth for just a meal."
Song Weiyi nodded, her expression one of concern, "Is my sister alright? I didn't ask her before coming, and I didn't know she was feeling unwell. Has she gone to see a doctor?"
Fu Zining found it amusing internally, but her spoken answer was seamless.
"Don't worry, a bit of rest will be enough."
With one sentence, she glossed over Fu Qishan's absence.
As she sat down, she noticed that lemon water had already been poured into her cup. Song Weiyi, who worried about what might have been added to the lemon water, naturally didn't dare to touch it at all.
"Dad..."
"Weiyi..." Father and daughter spoke up at the same time, and as the junior, Song Weiyi dutifully let Rong Jing'an speak first.
"Dad, you go ahead, I'm listening."
Rong Jing'an smiled, "There will be another guest arriving shortly. When he comes, be good and don't embarrass yourself, alright?"
The guest he referred to was undoubtedly the highly-anticipated Mr. Rong Jing'an.
She nodded her head, her expression innocent, like an obedient cat. "I know, Dad."
Internally, she pondered whether introducing her to Mr. Rong Jing'an was Fu Zining's idea or her father's?
If it were the former, Song Weiyi could completely understand since Fu Zining would be surprised to look favorably upon her, the daughter born from a lover.
If it were the latter, to cajole her on one hand while selling her out on the other, such a father would be terrifying.
Fu Zining, watching all this, was very satisfied, her smile growing brighter.
"By the way, Weiyi, what did you want to say just now?" Rong Jing'an seemed in good spirits and took the initiative to ask.
Song Weiyi scratched her hair, which immediately earned a look of dissatisfaction from Rong Jing'an; a lady doesn't scratch her hair in public.
She quickly lowered her hand, but then chuckled foolishly, "Let's wait until he arrives before I speak."
Just then, the door to the private room creaked open, and a gray-haired old man came into Song Weiyi's view.
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