As Meng Ruozhao picked up her glass, the halo of the crystal lamp gently swayed within it.
The sweet fragrance of "Lychee Honey" mingled with the bluish - purple bubbles of the specially - mixed "Starry Sky" cocktail, making the atmosphere in the booth even more relaxed.
Yi Mo was animatedly recounting the embarrassing incident from high school when she secretly brought water to the neighbor boy next door, only to be mistaken by him as bringing supplies for the basketball team.
Xu Lin and Ai Gao were laughing so hard that they were almost in tears.
Even Meng Ruozhao curved her lips slightly, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the cold glass wall.
Just then, Pei Jiangmu's phone, which was placed on the corner of the table, suddenly vibrated. The jumping letter "D" on the screen made his originally gentle expression freeze instantly.
It was a call from Pei Jiangdu.
To prevent Meng Ruozhao from noticing, he had changed the contact names of everyone on his phone.
Once, when Meng Ruozhao accidentally saw Qi Yu's call with the letter "Y" on the screen, she playfully teased him, asking if he could tell who was who with just letters.
He had laughed at that time but didn't say that there were actually only a few people who would call him, so of course he could tell.
"I'll take this call."
He whispered to Meng Ruozhao, then got up and walked outside the lounge bar before answering.
"Hello."
His voice was very soft, but he could still faintly hear Pei Jiangdu's anxious tone on the other end of the phone.
"Jiangmu, come to the hospital right away. Mom suddenly had a heart attack and fainted just now. She's still being observed in the emergency room."
"A heart attack?"
Pei Jiangmu's pupils suddenly constricted.
The scene of his mother's heart bypass surgery a few years ago suddenly flashed through his mind, and his hand holding the phone unconsciously tightened.
"How's the situation? What did the doctor say?"
"I'm not sure yet. She was just wheeled in. Hurry up and come."
There was a rare trace of barely perceptible panic in Pei Jiangdu's usually calm voice. Before hanging up, he added another sentence.
"Don't delay. If Mom wakes up and doesn't see you, she'll start to worry again."
The busy tone after the call ended rang in his ear. Pei Jiangmu stood outside, and the chill from his fingertips spread along his veins to his heart.
A few years ago, his mother's heart surgery was also caused by his actions.
At that time, he almost became a sinner in the family again.
He took a deep breath and rubbed his temples.
When he turned around and walked back to the booth, he had tried his best to suppress the panic on his face, but the solemn look in his eyes couldn't be hidden.
Meng Ruozhao was the first to notice something was wrong with him.
The person who had been smiling just now was now slightly frowning, and his steps were heavier than before.
There was also a layer of anxiety in his originally gentle eyes that she couldn't understand.
She put down her glass, got up, and took two steps to greet him, speaking in a very soft voice.
"What's wrong? Is something going on?"
Yi Mo and Xu Lin also stopped joking and looked at Pei Jiangmu in unison.
Ai Gao even craned his neck to look at his phone and murmured softly.
"Who is it? A phone call has changed your complexion."
Pei Jiangmu's gaze passed over Meng Ruozhao's worried eyes, and his heart seemed to be tugged by something.
Actually, Mother Pei had liked Meng Ruozhao very much back then and had even once thought about adopting her.
But later, because of him, the girl he liked was also disliked.
He composed himself, reached out, and gently patted Meng Ruozhao's shoulder, trying to sound as relaxed as possible.
"It's nothing serious. There's a problem at school. My tutor just called and urged me to go and deal with it. It's a bit urgent."
"School matters?"
Meng Ruozhao was a bit stunned. Remembering that the caller ID was the letter "D", she thought it meant the tutor.
But she was still a bit worried.
"Is it very urgent? It's so late. Do you want me to go with you? Or..."
"No need."
Pei Jiangmu interrupted her, with a soothing smile in his eyes.
"It's just a small matter about a competition. I'll go and handle it and then come back. You don't need to go through all that trouble."
"As for you four girls, you have to be careful when drinking here. Don't drink too much. Call a proper taxi when you go back later."
Yi Mo immediately leaned over, deliberately raising her eyebrows and joking.
"Oh, little brother Pei, are you treating us like primary school students?"
"Still 'four girls'. At our age, we can even have our own little girls. Don't worry. Our safety awareness is much stronger than yours!"
Xu Lin also nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, you should go and take care of your business quickly. We'll go back after we finish drinking. We won't wander around."
Seeing the urgency in Pei Jiangmu's eyes, Meng Ruozhao knew that he must really have something to do, so she didn't ask any more questions. She just told him.
"Then be careful on the way. Call me if there's anything."
Pei Jiangmu felt a warm current in his heart and nodded in response.
He turned around and walked out of the lounge bar. In an empty corner, he whispered a few instructions to Qi Yu, who had just followed him.
Qi Yu had been sitting not far away pretending to be a customer since they entered the lounge bar.
Seeing Pei Jiangmu leave, he knew there must be something to be entrusted to him, so he followed him out.
"I'm leaving their safety to you. Don't let anyone get close to them."
"After they finish drinking, send them home safely. Contact me immediately if there's anything."
Qi Yu nodded. "Don't worry, boss."
After giving the instructions, Pei Jiangmu looked back at the lounge bar again before quickly getting into the car and leaving.
Outside the ward in the city - center hospital, the lights were bright. Pei Jiangdu was leaning against the wall in the corridor, accompanied by the hospital dean and several chief physicians.
When he saw Pei Jiangmu, he looked over with a solemn expression.
"She just woke up. The doctor said it was acute heart failure this time. Fortunately, she was sent in time. But she needs to take good care of herself in the future and can't be stimulated anymore."
Pei Jiangmu nodded and pushed open the door of the ward.
Mother Pei in the hospital bed looked pale. When she saw him come in, her eyes immediately turned red. She reached out and grabbed his hand, her voice choking.
"A Mu, Mom... Mom thought she would never see you guys again just now."
"Mom, don't think like that. The doctor said it's okay. You just need to recover well."
Pei Jiangmu sat down beside the bed and gently patted his mother's hand, his tone a bit unnatural.
In the past few years, he hadn't been very close to his family.
When his parents were mean to him, he actually felt more at ease.
But in this situation, he seemed a bit at a loss as to how to face it.
Mother Pei shook her head, and her tears fell more and more violently.
"Mom knows her own body. After the surgery a few years ago, it's getting worse and worse. Who knows when... when I'll be gone."
"A Mu, Jiangdu, Mom has no other wishes. She just wants to see you two get married and have children before she leaves. Only then can Mom rest assured."
At this time, Pei Jiangdu also walked in. Hearing his mother's words, he frowned slightly but still went along with her.
"Mom, don't worry. I have my own plans for my marriage."
"But my engagement can't be decided casually. Although Pei Corporation seems to be doing well now, things in the business world are unpredictable. My engagement has to be used to maximum effect."
"When I find a cooperation partner who can bring the greatest benefits to Pei Corporation, I'll naturally get married."
He paused for a moment, then suddenly shifted the topic to Pei Jiangmu, his tone a bit subtle.
"As for A Mu, you already have a fiancée, and it was announced to the public back then."
"Now that Mom is in this condition, I think we should move up your wedding date and hold the wedding as soon as possible to make Mom happy."