When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 143: Not Touched, But Heartbroken
Jiang Shuyao hesitated slightly.
She pursed her lips and said softly, "I believe."
No mother in the world does not love her child, and godmother is no exception.
Why else would she endure such hardships on her return from abroad?
Pei Yan could not help but snort at the girl’s sureness.
Look, Lin Zhen really had some kind of magic, making it seem like the whole world would believe whatever she said.
Except for him.
No one knew that woman better than him, with her gentle appearance that always hid selfishness and indifference at its core.
She was as regal as a quiet orchid, yet more deadly than a poppy.
Otherwise, his infatuated and deluded father wouldn’t have arranged the best hotel suite for Lin Zhen when he found out she was coming back to the country to visit graves.
Chairman Pei, once it involved his ex-wife, could even pause all his current affairs.
Just to personally call the hotel, carefully instructing the reception not to disturb her as she would need to adjust to the jet lag.
The TV was still showing a variety show, where the affections between the male and female guests heated quickly. Pei Yan glanced at the LCD screen twice before turning his head and lying back on the sofa.
"That guy did nothing, and the girl is already so touched. Isn’t that fake?"
Jiang Shuyao rested her chin and said, "What do you mean he did nothing? He brings her flowers every day, watches movies with her, makes her breakfast; it’s all very touching."
This guy, unhappy himself, found everything disagreeable.
She did not bother with him and just continued watching TV.
But she realized that he had no intention of letting her be at peace.
Pei Yan’s large hand reached around to the back of her neck, fumbling with something.
Then, a cool sensation touched her collarbone. Jiang Shuyao looked down and saw a necklace had appeared around her neck.
The pendant, bright and white, shaped like two initials.
She looked closely and realized it was an abbreviation of their names.
This was the first time Pei Yan had given her something as a boyfriend, and Jiang Shuyao felt a particularly unusual sensation in her heart.
Unlike the previous times, this seemed to be the calmest she had ever reacted.
After putting the necklace on her, Pei Yan returned to the earlier subject, "Do you mean that none of those things I did before moved you?"
The variety show went to commercials.
Jiang Shuyao blinked, feigning ignorance and silence.
The painting "Xici" he gave her took a risk, helping her register for the Yangjin self-taught exam resulting in bloodied fists, the penalties of running laps on the field, arranging the secret studio for her meticulously, buying her a dress for her birthday...
All these events didn’t require deliberate recall; they could clearly come to mind.
He had done so much for her, but she felt more pain than touched.
On such days, Jiang Shuyao couldn’t talk to him about her feelings.
Holding the pendant in the palm of her hand, she gently turned her head and said to him, "Great kindness needs no thanks; I will never forget it in my life."
Pei Yan was driven to laughter by his anger.
"Damn."
"Great kindness needs no thanks."
She actually treated his kindness as a favor.
Later on, he thought it was acceptable too.
That sentence had another version, "Great kindness cannot be repaid; only the body can be offered."
Pei Yan figured, as long as she didn’t reject him, being seen as a favor was fine, whatever the circumstances.
After the variety show ended, it was almost noon.
She asked Pei Yan what he planned to do for lunch, and that guy straightforwardly said to order takeout.
The godmother across would definitely stay for lunch, and without needing verbal agreement, she didn’t persuade him.
Before leaving, she asked him what he wanted to eat; a new Sichuan restaurant had opened nearby at Yasong Residence, which wasn’t bad and was more on the bland side.
Pei Yan was never picky with food, closing his eyes indifferently, "You decide, just don’t order too much, I’m not much of an appetite."
Jiang Shuyao’s motion of taking out her phone paused slightly as she looked at the person on the sofa.
She furrowed her eyebrows and was silent for a moment before saying softly, "I’ll order two servings, and I’ll stay here to eat with you at noon."
The girl’s soft, glutinous voice swept through his heart, softer than a feather.
Pei Yan rose from the sofa and lazily headed toward the bathroom.
"I’ll take a shower first. After you order, you can go back to eat."
The girl frowned, "I said I’m eating here."
Pei Yan hadn’t entered the bathroom yet and began undressing, doing so efficiently without any shyness.
She moved her eyes away in embarrassment and picked up her phone before storming out.
Outside the bathroom, hearing the bang of the door closing, Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh and slowly pulled on the T-shirt he was holding.
The cell phone on the coffee table kept ringing.
He glanced at the caller ID; it was an out-of-area number.
Pei Yan had no interest in answering any telemarketing calls and swiped to hang up.
Two minutes later, the phone rang again.
He stared at the flashing number for a while and impatiently pressed answer.
It was a young man’s voice on the line, and whatever he said, Pei Yan’s breathing gradually deepened.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shuyao had thought she’d see a heartwarming scene of her godmother and mother deep in conversation after entering.
But when she got home, she found it empty.
Feeling strange, she quickly pulled out her phone to call Old Jiang.
After a very long ring, she was about to hang up when the call was finally answered.
Before Jiang Shuyao could speak, her father’s voice, weighted with seriousness, came through the receiver.
"Yaoyao, your mom and I are at the hospital, listen to me..."
In just two minutes, she stood motionless in front of the couch, holding her breath and listening intently to Old Jiang.
Her fingertips gripping the phone were ice cold. It took a while before she could barely muster her voice.
"Dad, will godmother be okay?"
Jiang Tingsong paused for two seconds.
Then, reassuringly, "Don’t be afraid, Director Zhu is there."
Yes, Director Zhu is there.
Jiang Shuyao suppressed her worries and slowly turned off the phone.
She exhaled and turned to leave.
Standing across the street, she tried several times to reach out and knock on the door but to no avail.
Hesitating with her head down, as if sensing something, the door suddenly opened.
Pei Yan looked unwell, silent, his tall, imposing figure filling the doorway, his presence overwhelming.
She didn’t know what had happened.
At that moment, her mind was focused on just one thought; she grabbed Pei Yan’s hand and said urgently, "Godmother fainted; she’s in the hospital now. Come with me to see her, please."
Her tone of inquiry was more a plea.
She hadn’t uttered the words "in critical condition." All she could do was hold back her tears, looking up and urging, "Let’s go, to the hospital."
The person opposite lingered, his face expressionless.
He remembered the call he had received earlier, from the estate firm.
The client was Lin Zhen.
At that moment, Pei Yan inexplicably found it laughable; his mother, who for three whole years had paid him no heed, had suddenly decided to transfer all her assets to him overnight.
Did she think that having a son was something money could buy?
His dark gaze shifted to the girl’s face, and he asked in a low voice, "What illness does she have?"
Jiang Shuyao gently shook her head, "Don’t know, the diagnosis hasn’t come yet, but don’t worry, godmother will be fine."
She quickly booked a car on her phone, and on the journey from Yasong Residence to the hospital, Pei Yan’an sat quietly beside her, looking out the window, without saying a word.
