Yan Sisi's original intention was to console Yan Qiubai, telling him that compared with that "ex-boyfriend", he wasn't without advantages.
However, the two words "abortion" were like two cold awls, stabbing deeply into Yan Qiubai's heart.
It was true that he had never done such a thing.
But hadn't the harm he brought to Meng Ruozhao been less?
Using the Du family to apply pressure, monitoring her whereabouts, and trying to control her life...
Weren't the things he did also a kind of "scumbag" behavior in another sense?
Moreover, just thinking about the fact that Meng Ruozhao had once been hurt like that by another man and had gone through such pain.
A violent emotion mixed with jealousy, heartache, and a sense of powerlessness almost swallowed him up.
That man, the man he guessed was Pei Jingdu, what on earth gave him the right?
The carriage fell into silence again.
But this time, what brewed in the silence was no longer simple dejection.
It was a more complex and turbulent undercurrent.
Yan Qiubai leaned against the seat back, looking out of the window at the dark night sky, his eyes obscure.
Recovering his memory... facing that "ex-boyfriend" head-on... was this really the right path?
But it seemed that he no longer had a better choice.
The suffocating silence and the turbulent undercurrent in the carriage were isolated in another world.
Meng Ruozhao knew nothing about it.
She had just taken a shower, and her whole body exuded the fresh and warm fragrance after bathing. She was wearing a soft cotton pajamas and was nestled in Pei Jiangmu's arms.
The two of them were just lying lazily on the sofa.
A slow-paced art film was playing on the TV. The sound was turned down low, serving as a warm background sound.
Pei Jiangmu's chin gently rested on the top of her head, and his arm encircled her waist.
A serene and contented atmosphere flowed between the two of them, as if the troubles of the outside world had nothing to do with them.
Just then, the screen of Meng Ruozhao's phone on the coffee table lit up, indicating a new WeChat message.
"Maybe Momo has posted something fun in the group again."
Meng Ruozhao murmured and lazily reached out to pick up the phone, unlocking it with her fingerprint.
However, when she opened WeChat, the contact avatar and the remark name that came into view made her freeze instantly.
After reacting, she immediately sat up straight from Pei Jiangmu's warm and comfortable embrace as if she had been scalded.
The sender - Qin Mu.
That name seemed to come with its own starlight and exclamation marks.
Meng Ruozhao blinked her eyes, somewhat incredulous.
It was so late. Why would this big star with a tight schedule and tens of millions of fans suddenly send her a message?
She opened the chat box.
The first message was very short, sent just a few seconds ago. It was only two polite words: "Hello."
Just as she was in a daze looking at these two words, the second message came in immediately.
"Miss Meng, sorry to bother you. I'd like to ask if the clothes I ordered from you before are ready?"
Meng Ruozhao suddenly remembered this matter.
Qin Mu had indeed ordered two clothes from her before, and she had personally received him at that time.
But recently... recently she had been immersed in her relationship with Pei Jiangmu, so she had inevitably been a bit slack about the affairs of the studio.
Moreover, since this order was not directly followed up by her, she had actually forgotten about it.
A sense of guilt welled up in her heart.
She quickly typed a reply, with a sincere tone.
"Hello, Mr. Qin!"
"I'm very sorry. I'll confirm the progress with my colleagues as soon as I get to the store tomorrow morning. We will definitely finish the order before the agreed delivery date. Please rest assured."
After the message was sent, the status bar of the other side showed "The other side is typing..." for quite a while.
In the end, he only replied with one word: "Okay."
It was concise and to the point, in line with his cold image shown to the outside world.
Meng Ruozhao heaved a sigh of relief.
To ease the serious atmosphere of the apology just now, she casually replied with a cartoon puppy emoji she designed herself, holding a piece of cloth. It was cute and appropriate.
The conversation ended here.
She put down the phone and looked up, only to meet Pei Jiangmu's deep and unfathomable eyes.
Since Meng Ruozhao suddenly sat up straight, Pei Jiangmu's radar had been beeping.
Although he was too embarrassed to stare directly at her screen, his peripheral vision had never left.
He saw the remark name "Qin Mu".
He saw Meng Ruozhao's momentary surprise and her subsequent serious reply.
Even... he seemed to have seen the cute thing she sent at the end?
A familiar, sour emotion began to bubble out of control.
He casually pulled her back into his arms again.
He rubbed his chin against the top of her head. His voice sounded lazy, but there was an imperceptible hint of probing.
"Sister, who was that just now? You looked so serious."
"It was Qin Mu."
Meng Ruozhao didn't think much and answered directly.
There was still a bit of solemnity in her tone that hadn't completely faded away when dealing with important customers.
"It's that big star Qin Mu. He came to our store to order clothes and was asking about the progress."
"Oops, I almost forgot about it. It's really inappropriate..."
Listening to the annoyance in her tone and the natural mention of the "big star", Pei Jiangmu's vinegar jar shook even more violently.
He deliberately asked in a tone that was a bit curious but also a bit dismissive.
"Oh, a big star... What do you think of him, sister?"
"Do you think this kind of big star is especially glamorous and handsome?"
At first, Meng Ruozhao didn't notice the sourness in his words. Following his words, she objectively evaluated from the perspective of a store owner.
"What do I think? I think he's very professional and has no airs."
"It's really an honor for our small store that a star of this level can come to order clothes. It can bring a lot of exposure..."
She even began to calculate the potential benefits after this order was successfully completed.
The more Pei Jiangmu listened, the more uncomfortable he felt. Especially the words "has no airs" sounded so harsh.
He couldn't help but interrupt her and asked with a bit of pettiness.
"I'm asking what you think of the person. Do you think he's the most handsome in the world?"
The sourness in his words was almost overflowing.
Finally, Meng Ruozhao realized it belatedly.
She stopped thinking about the store operation, turned her head, and looked at Pei Jiangmu.
She saw that he was pursing his lips and his eyes were drifting elsewhere, looking like a stubborn child who was saying "I don't really care but I just want to ask".
She was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
She instantly relaxed and slumped back into his arms. She tilted her head up, reached out and stroked his deliberately stern and handsome face, with love and playfulness on her fingertips.
"Silly..."
Her voice was full of laughter, like melted honey.
"He is very handsome, that's true. But -"
She deliberately elongated the tone. Looking at Pei Jiangmu's appearance of pretending to be calm but with his ear tips quietly perking up, her heart softened.
" - now in my heart, you are the most handsome one in the world. No one can compare."