After hearing her comfort, Pei Jiangmu hung his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the teacup.
The light shone on his high nose bridge, adding a touch of vulnerability to his already delicate face.
"Actually..." His voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the rainy night. "I've been looking for a part - time job recently, but it hasn't been going well."
Meng Ruozhao's hand, which was pouring tea, paused slightly.
She looked up at this young man who had suddenly barged into her life.
His wet hair was in a mess, and the ill - fitting white T - shirt was stretched across his shoulders. He looked like a large dog soaked through by the rain.
He should have looked disheveled, but somehow he was incredibly captivating.
"Does sister need any help in the store?"
Pei Jiangmu raised his head. His eyes were as clean as the first snow, but for a split second, there flashed an emotion that Meng Ruozhao didn't have time to catch.
"I can draw, and I'm also good at physical work," he paused. "I don't need a salary. I just hope sister can let me stay here."
Suddenly, the sound of the rain grew louder.
Meng Ruozhao opened her mouth, but before she could answer, her phone rang.
The name "Yan Qiubai" flashing on the screen made Pei Jiangmu's eyes darken instantly.
But he quickly lowered his head and pretended to focus on drinking the ginger tea.
"Hello?"
Meng Ruozhao accidentally pressed the speaker button.
From the other end of the phone came Yan Qiubai's voice, filled with obvious tiredness.
"Zhaozhao, your sister is still waiting for the result. Are you home?"
Pei Jiangmu's fingertips tightened on the teacup for a moment, then he forced himself to relax.
He stood up, mouthed "I'll go to the bathroom" to Meng Ruozhao, and then really turned around and left, leaving the space for her.
Just as he stood up, Meng Ruozhao heard a growl from his stomach.
She was stunned for a moment, then realized that he hadn't had dinner yet and had been caught in the rain.
"Are you still at the hospital?" Meng Ruozhao frowned, but her tone softened unconsciously. "I got here early. You just got back from a business trip. Go home and rest early."
It wasn't that she didn't care about Du Xixi. It was just that in this situation, if there were still any Du family members alive, they should have rushed to the hospital by now.
"Aren't you angry at all?"
Yan Qiubai suddenly interrupted her. There was a childish grievance in his voice that Meng Ruozhao was familiar with.
"I accompanied Du Xixi to the hospital and stood you up, but you don't even react?"
Was he shifting the blame?
So, he had deliberately taken Du Xixi to the hospital alone and deliberately left her alone in the restaurant?
Meng Ruozhao was a bit unhappy, but she quickly sighed in her heart.
She remembered her father's repeated warnings - "The engagement with the Yan family is very important to us."
So she replied perfunctorily, "I trust you. I also know that you care so much because she's my sister."
From the other end of the phone came the sound of a door closing. It seemed that Yan Qiubai had moved to a quiet place.
"When did you learn to use such an official phrase like 'I trust you'?"
His voice suddenly dropped.
"I remember when you just woke up, when I just talked to Du Xixi a bit more, you would ask me who my real girlfriend was."
Meng Ruozhao lowered her head and unconsciously looked at the cup. The water marks reflected her frowning.
Of course, she remembered that.
At that time, she had just been brought back to the Du family and had just learned that Yan Qiubai was her fiancé.
When Yan Qiubai came to see her, Du Xixi was also there.
He didn't talk much. Most of the time, he just quietly looked at her, or rather, observed her.
But most of his few words were spoken to Du Xixi.
After Du Feng found an excuse to call Du Xixi away, she couldn't help but ask Yan Qiubai who his real girlfriend was.
She swore that at that time, she asked this question more out of confusion.
But Yan Qiubai seemed to have misunderstood that she was jealous and seemed very happy.
After so much time had passed, when this old matter was brought up again, she could only say softly, "I was too naive back then."
"I don't want your obedience!"
Yan Qiubai suddenly raised his voice, then immediately lowered it.
"Besides, I haven't seen how obedient you are. At least, Du Xixi was still worried about you before she fainted from the pain."
"And you haven't even asked about her once."
He deliberately paused.
"Have you changed so much after losing your memory that you don't even care about your family?"
Meng Ruozhao looked at the osmanthus floating on the tea.
She remembered the jar of osmanthus honey that Du Xixi had "accidentally" spilled on her when she first met everyone as the "eldest daughter of the Du family" after returning to the country.
The sticky syrup had ruined her dress and successfully made the guests at the banquet whisper behind her back.
What had Yan Qiubai said at that time?
"She just wants to get close to you."
It would seem quite boring if she brought up this old matter now.
So she deliberately said in a matter - of - fact tone, "What did the doctor say?"
From the other end of the phone came the sound of a lighter being lit.
Yan Qiubai rarely smoked. He would only light one when he was extremely annoyed and impatient.
"Zhaozhao," each of his words seemed to be ground between his teeth, yet there was a strange tenderness. "Would you be willing to undergo hypnosis?"
He no longer dwelled on the matter of Du Xixi.
Or rather, Du Xixi was just an excuse for him to pick on her.
He didn't really care about Du Xixi. He only cared about her coldness towards him.
Hypnosis?
Hearing these two words, Meng Ruozhao's temples throbbed twice, and her heart skipped a beat.
"What do you mean?"
She asked warily and nervously.
Yan Qiubai took a puff of his cigarette before speaking. His voice was deliberately slowed down.
"I admit that I can't stand your distant attitude towards me, so I've consulted a psychologist."
"The doctor said that maybe through hypnosis, we can retrieve some of your memories."
He was really running out of patience.
For half a year, a whole half - year, he had tried every means.
From being gentle to making her jealous, he had tried everything.
But she still resisted even holding hands with him, let alone anything else.
He had wanted to take things slowly, but her guard was too high, and she didn't give him any chance.
So he had found a reliable person and learned that through hypnosis, they could create some "sweet past" for the two of them.
"No, thanks."
Meng Ruozhao interrupted him. She suddenly heard her heart pounding like thunder.
"I'm a bit tired. You just got back from a business trip. Go home and rest early."
There was a voice in her subconscious telling her that she must not be hypnotized, absolutely not!
Yan Qiubai didn't expect her to reject him so straightforwardly. He wanted to say something else, but she had already hung up the phone decisively.
Just as the phone call ended, Pei Jiangmu came out of the bathroom at just the right moment.
His face was a bit pale, but he still forced a smile at her. His voice was cautious.
"Sister, would you consider my proposal? I really don't need any money. I just want to stay here temporarily."
It seemed that he hadn't heard the content of her phone call.
Looking at his shaky figure, Meng Ruozhao immediately threw this annoying phone call out of her mind.
"Haven't had dinner yet, right? Sit down first," she walked quickly towards the storage cabinet. "I have bread and milk here."
Pei Jiangmu sat obediently on the sofa, watching Meng Ruozhao rummage through the cabinet from behind.
When she handed him the bread with pistachio jam, he took it almost without hesitation - even though he knew he was severely allergic to pistachios.