Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Pei Chuzhi almost thought she had misheard.

But the kiss just now was real, Xing Ye’s embrace was real, and the fluttering joy in her chest right now was also real.

Everything clearly pointed to one single possibility — Xing Ye belonged to her.

The thought swirled and rose in Pei Chuzhi’s mind, sending waves of tremors through her body. It felt as if she had just survived a tsunami; even standing on solid ground, she couldn’t feel steady.

“Is it too cold outside?”

Xing Ye noticed how thin her gown was and lowered his voice. “Say hello to everyone first. Then I’ll take you away.”

Several dark red velvet sofas were arranged against the wall. The people attending the celebration banquet were either sitting or standing. In the latter half of the evening, during the social hour, they were all discussing Pei Chuzhi, who had stolen the spotlight that night.

“Guess who proposed the breakup between her and Xing Ye?”

“It has to be Xing Ye. Pei Chuzhi would have to be crazy to dump him.”

“Xing Ye worked so hard to make her famous. Just as she’s about to rise to the top, he wants to break up? What’s he after?”

“Haven’t you heard about Xing Ye’s personality? If he gets tired of her, he’ll just tell her to get lost. Otherwise, how could Pei Chuzhi guarantee she would never pester him again?”

Opinions flew back and forth, but no one could reach a definite conclusion.

Finally, a female actress shook her head and sighed, “Breaking up with her boyfriend on the very night she won the award — that’s some serious hype. No matter what, Pei Chuzhi has definitely cashed in on this wave of popularity.”

Someone teased her: “If you’re so envious, go for it. Xing Ye is single now anyway.”

“Forget it. Look around — how many people in the industry can safely ride on Xing Ye’s popularity?”

The actress swirled her wine glass, sour grapes evident in her tone. “Besides, Xing Ye has such a bad temper. If we fought, he definitely wouldn’t soften up and coax me. Why ask for trouble?”

The moment her words fell, the entire room fell silent.

Pei Chuzhi, the center of all the attention, pushed the door open and walked in. She was still wearing that eye-catching, sexy crimson gown, but now it was covered by a black suit jacket that properly concealed a large portion of her skin.

The man following behind her had long since lost the neatly tied tie from the award ceremony. Only the slightly open collar of his shirt remained, revealing a slender, alluring neckline that made hearts race. He looked casual and unrestrained.

When everyone’s gaze shifted higher, there was no one else it could be — it was Xing Ye.

It was as if an entire melon field had been overturned in the banquet hall.

The two of them walked in with a slight distance between them, one in front and one behind. They didn’t make any particularly intimate gestures, yet anyone could tell at a glance that they were a pair who moved together like shadows.

Where was there even the slightest sign of a breakup?

The crowd parted like the Red Sea. The schadenfreude in their eyes was swiftly replaced by shock and envy. They watched helplessly as Pei Chuzhi and Xing Ye walked over to the head producer. After exchanging a few quiet words, Pei Chuzhi smiled apologetically, then turned and left the venue with Xing Ye once again.

Ruan Li didn’t join in the excitement at a time like this. She leaned against the window with a smile, playfully winking at Pei Chuzhi when their eyes met, then sent a message to her assistant: [Don’t spread gossip. They’re doing just fine.]

The black Bentley was still waiting outside the club.

The night was dark and the wind was cold. The moment Pei Chuzhi was hit by the deep winter chill of Yan City, the turbulent thoughts that had been churning inside her finally calmed down.

She grabbed Xing Ye’s arm. “Why are you still here?”

Xing Ye licked his lips. “…Then where do you think I should be?”

“The airport! Don’t you have a shoot tomorrow morning?”

Pei Chuzhi grew anxious. She didn’t want Xing Ye to be accused of being unprofessional. “Is there still time if you leave now?”

Xing Ye took the opportunity to hold her hand and led her to the car.

With one hand on the car door, he lowered his eyes and smiled. “Then I’ll have to trouble my girlfriend to send me to the airport.”

·

Xiao Zhou quickly moved to the front passenger seat.

He was a little dazed. He couldn’t figure out whether the world had changed too fast or if he was dreaming. How was it that the breakup discussions were still trending hot online, yet the two people in the back seat had just gotten into the car holding hands?

No one cared about the lowly assistant’s tumultuous inner turmoil.

Once inside the car, Pei Chuzhi remembered that Xu Lei was still waiting for her at a nearby café. She first sent a message telling her assistant to head home, then sent another message to Tang Dong, informing him that this time the fake relationship had truly turned real.

Tang Dong’s reaction was exactly as she expected. He called her immediately: “Zhi Zhi, my little ancestor, please spare me! I have parents above and children below — I can’t handle this kind of intense rollercoaster. What exactly is going on between you two? How should we handle the contract?”

Considering there were other people in the car, Pei Chuzhi could only reply tactfully: “Sorry, we didn’t break up.”

“So you’re saying you’re not terminating the contract?”

“No, no, we still want to terminate it.”

“Huh?”

Tang Dong was completely lost. He couldn’t help scolding her, “You usually seem so reliable. How could you stir up such a hornet’s nest at such a critical moment? All the award-winning press releases are still sitting in my hands, and I didn’t dare release them…”

While listening to her agent’s grumbling, Pei Chuzhi felt Xing Ye pull her hand over and place it on his knee, gently stroking it absentmindedly.

The man’s fingers were not as soft as hers. With a bit more force, he pressed lightly on the skin of her wrist, as if expressing his dissatisfaction.

The drive from the club to the airport wasn’t too long — just over twenty minutes.

Xing Ye waited patiently for a few minutes. Seeing that Tang Dong had no intention of ending the call, he finally frowned.

He suddenly took the phone away and spoke in a low voice on her behalf: “Hello, Brother Tang. For the PR matters, please coordinate with Song Shiqing. This time it was my fault for not handling it well. But Zhi Zhi is sending me to the airport right now. Once I finish filming and come back, I’ll treat you to a meal as an apology.”

Tang Dong instantly fell silent.

He could criticize his own artists, but having Xing Ye personally offer to treat him to a meal as compensation… Wasn’t that basically inviting him to a Hongmen Banquet?

He stammered a few words and finally replied politely, “Then I won’t disturb you two anymore. I’ll contact Mr. Song.”

The car finally fell quiet.

The flickering lights outside streamed through the windows, flowing over the two of them in the night.

Pei Chuzhi turned her head and watched intently as the moving lights and shadows kissed the corners of Xing Ye’s eyes and brows.

After a chaotic and turbulent night, the outside world was still noisy and clamorous, yet her heart had finally found a quiet, settled peace.

She remembered how Xing Ye had just called her “girlfriend.”

“So back at the hotel, I misunderstood what you meant.”

She knew Xing Ye was not the type to go back on his word. For him to rush back to find her in such a short time, it must have been his intention from the beginning. It was just that she had been too unsettled and didn’t want to become a laughingstock, which had led to this ridiculous misunderstanding.

Xing Ye leaned against the seatback. The sharp, smooth lines from his side profile to his jaw were clearly defined. He gazed at her quietly for a long time, then suddenly let out a low chuckle: “I was almost angered to death by you.”

“I…” Pei Chuzhi felt guilty. She pressed her lips together, a trace of embarrassment hidden in the gesture.

Xing Ye reached out and gently pressed the back of her head. His movement was light, and so was his voice: “It’s my fault for not knowing how to handle this kind of situation.”

In the years he grew up, because of those malicious gazes from the outside world, he had learned to fight others earlier than his peers.

Fans liked to praise his arrogant personality and treated his sharp retorts as glorious achievements, unaware that it was all armor he had gradually put on as “Xing Ye.”

He could not show weakness, nor could he appear easily bullied, or else more verbal attacks would come like invisible swords, trying to pierce him and then push him into the abyss.

He was good at fighting with others, but he was not good at making peace.

But it was fine now.

He was willing to turn back for her, and she was willing to turn around for him.

The car drove onto the highway, and the driver stepped on the accelerator.

Pei Chuzhi glanced at the time and asked worriedly, “Will we make it?” She was still concerned that Xing Ye might miss his flight and be late for tomorrow’s shoot.

“We will. I was already prepared to be scolded by the director tomorrow morning, but I didn’t expect…”

Xing Ye paused for a few seconds. A lazy smile tugged at his lips as he leaned closer and lowered his voice teasingly, “I didn’t expect you to be so obedient.”

His tone mixed half exclamation and half flirtation. Pei Chuzhi couldn’t help but blush.

She turned her head away from him, but their gazes met again through the car window.

Neither spoke anymore. Only their eyes continued to convey the faint, spreading ambiguity between them.

A few raindrops landed on the car window, gradually increasing in number.

Pei Chuzhi was momentarily stunned. Then she heard Xiao Zhou shout from the front seat: “It’s snowing!”

The first snow of the winter night began like fine rain, light and faint. As time passed, it grew heavier, dancing gracefully through the hazy yellow glow.

The first snow of this winter fell gently.

Yet at this moment, Xing Ye recalled a summer many years ago.

The sunlight was blinding, and faint heat waves shimmered above the ground. He had hidden inside the rockery, his heart cold and dark.

Back then, though he was still young, he had already grown a full set of sharp thorns. He didn’t want to get close to anyone, and he hated when others tried to get close to him.

After all, those people didn’t truly like him. They talked to him and spent time with him only because of his parents.

Only Pei Chuzhi was different.

She treated him like a lost child in the garden. Even when he shouted at her rudely, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she stayed with him in the scorching outdoor heat for so long that the sun turned her cheeks bright red, yet she still refused to leave.

If she hadn’t stubbornly coaxed him out back then…

Xing Ye turned his face and shared a knowing smile with Pei Chuzhi.

Then he wouldn’t be here on this chilly winter night, holding her warm, soft hand.

·

The brightly lit airport appeared ahead.

There wasn’t much time left before departure. They didn’t have time to go slowly to the underground parking. The driver neatly stopped the car by the roadside. Xiao Zhou quickly got out with the driver to retrieve the luggage from the trunk.

Xing Ye opened the car door. The howling cold wind rushed into the cabin.

He braced one long leg on the ground and turned to instruct her: “The driver will take you back later. When I return next month, I’ll take you on a proper date.”

With only the two of them left in the car, Pei Chuzhi finally wasn’t afraid of being overheard. She understood and replied, “So from now on, we’re officially dating?”

“Mhm.” Xing Ye smiled. “The contract ends, and the romance begins.”

Snowflakes swirled in through the gaps, along with some prying eyes from outside. The signal that they shouldn’t linger here made Pei Chuzhi feel it was slightly ruining the atmosphere of a couple’s farewell.

She smiled and waved. After Xing Ye closed the car door, she moved forward a little, wanting to press against the window to watch him enter the airport.

There weren’t many people outside the airport late at night, but some still recognized Xing Ye and quietly raised their phones in his direction.

Xing Ye walked forward a couple of steps, but it still didn’t feel satisfying enough — as if something was missing.

Then he understood.

A moment this important should end with a passionate kiss.

So he turned around. In front of everyone’s shocked gasps and the continuous flashing of phone cameras, he reopened the car door.

Amid the flurry of surprised inhales and flickering flashes, he bent down and kissed Pei Chuzhi on the lips.

Behind them was the pitch-black night. Fluttering white snow swirled around the two of them.

Pei Chuzhi, wearing his suit jacket, tasted a trace of cool snow on his burning lips.

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