He Zheng pulled out a cigarette case from his trouser pocket, offering one to Pei Liyan and placing another between his own lips. "This warm room is quite interesting, huh."
Pei Liyan snapped open a lighter, hesitated for a mont, and gave He Zheng a deep look before shaking the lighter.
He Zheng imdiately leaned in, lighting his cigarette.
They exchanged glances.
Pei Liyan said, "It is very interesting."
"Xiangxiang takes good care of you, knowing you don’t like crowds, so she didn’t even invite her girlfriends, and apart from Qiao Liu, there isn’t a single girl here." He Zheng said with a playful smile, "That’s truly touching."
Pei Liyan raised his eyebrows. "What are you touched by?"
"I’m touched on your behalf." He Zheng’s smile grew more profound.
Pei Liyan’s lips curled into a smile. "Then I thank you."
"Don’t curse." He Zheng said, "Speak nicely."
Pei Liyan took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a plu of white smoke, the crimson glow of embers highlighting his particularly cold and resolute features. "Qiao Rui is getting a divorce!"
"I heard about it. She said she wanted a divorce from you in front of all our brothers. When did you beco so worthless, to be dumped by a woman?" He Zheng was surprised.
Pei Liyan, so desirable.
The Diamond King fifth son of Qingcheng.
And yet, to be scorned by a country girl like Qiao Rui.
He Zheng felt a bit of sympathy for Pei Liyan.
Pei Liyan squinted his eyes and asked, "Do you think Qiao Rui and Ruirui look sowhat alike?"
He Zheng shook his head. "No, I just think Ruirui and Rui Qing resemble each other. Their singing voices are similar, very pleasant to listen to."
Saying this imdiately sparked a fla in Pei Liyan’s eyes.
Whenever Rui Qing was ntioned, Pei Liyan beca irritated.
That woman had left him such a note, which he still kept to this day.
"Has Rui Qing’s car been salvaged?" Pei Liyan looked at He Zheng.
He Zheng replied, "It’s been pulled up a long ti ago."
"The events that happened while I was on my business trip?" Pei Liyan asked.
"Yes," He Zheng nodded. "Actually, there weren’t any particular clues. Her cell phone was in the car, but other than that, there were no traces, and she just disappeared."
Pei Liyan frowned upon hearing this.
He Zheng was also puzzled. "A person vanishes into thin air, neither seen in life nor found in death. It’s quite strange."
"Did her company continue the investigation?"
"Yes," He Zheng said. "They’ve continued to enlist the police for the investigation, but from what I’ve heard from friends in the police force, there really aren’t any effective leads.
It is said that near the cross-sea bridge, they encountered a car chase, and both cars exploded; not a soul was found dead or alive in that car."
"What about the owner of that car? Did they find out anything?"
"The car was a scrapped vehicle, taken directly from a repair shop without records," He Zheng said as he looked at Pei Liyan. "It seems like a well-planned perfect murder case."
Pei Liyan also found it strange, which is why he kept asking about it.
"A perfect pursuit, you would expect to see the victim, but here, there’s none."
"Do you think Rui Qing is still alive?" He Zheng countered.
Pei Liyan nodded. "Indeed, I have this intuition that woman wouldn’t die easily."
"If it’s an intuition, it can sotis be inexplicable," He Zheng said. "But I do hope your intuition is right."
Pei Liyan seed a bit surprised, giving his friend another look.
He Zheng shrugged. "What are you looking at for? It’s just that, you’re not one to make a noise, but when you do, it’s earth-shattering."
Pei Liyan raised his eyebrows again. "Are you referring to the matter of won?"
"Yes, first Rui Qing, then Ruirui, and now this sister-in-law, Qiao Liu, is also quite interesting," He Zheng found it amusing. "Qiao Liu has secrets, quite obviously."
As longti friends, Pei Liyan naturally understood what He Zheng ant, and he felt the sa way.
Qiao Rui, having returned to the Qiao Family, was never the favorite. She didn’t gain any advantages from them.
She hadn’t as a child, and perhaps she didn’t need them as an adult.
If there was sothing she needed, it was only one thing.
"She ca back, aiming to find her brother," Pei Liyan said. "Registering our marriage was probably a result of weighing pros and cons. She wanted to act independently of the Qiao Family and yet oppose them. That’s probably why she refused outright that day but eventually agreed to the marriage of convenience."
"You analyze things very well, very logically."
"She’s a woman with a lot of sches," Pei Liyan remarked about Qiao Rui but then thought of Ruirui, whose sarcastic tone when talking back to him was quite similar.
"Shall we test her?" A sharp glint appeared in He Zheng’s eyes.
"What do you an?" Pei Liyan also raised his brows. "Alcohol?"
He Zheng nodded. "Whether you drink too much, or she does, either way."
Pei Liyan humd lightly. "She probably won’t drink. She prefers to eat."
"Is that so? It seems you know your little wife quite well."
As they spoke, Qiao Xiang already walked out with a tray, carrying two glasses of red wine.
He Zheng imdiately warned Pei Liyan.
They stopped discussing other matters, smiled at Qiao Xiang, each took up a glass, and sipped.
Qiao Xiang also said with a smile, "What are you two doing out here? You could smoke inside, we have air purifiers."
"That’s out of respect for our host," He Zheng replied with a light smile.
Qiao Xiang laughed. "You’re being too formal. We grew up together after all. If we can’t even share a cigarette after all these years of friendship, what kind of relationship do we have?"
"Xiangxiang is still as adorable as ever," He Zheng teased with a smile.
Qiao Xiang looked at Pei Liyan who, unfortunately, remained silent—a man of few words.
She felt increasingly irritated in her heart.
anwhile, inside, without Pei Liyan and He Zheng present, Fu Yichen and Gu Chengxu were far less courteous towards Qiao Rui.
Fu Yichen even directly taunted her. "When are you getting a divorce from Pei?"
Qiao Rui, seeing Fu Yichen’s accusatory manner, had refrained from lashing out earlier because of Pei Liyan’s presence. Now that Pei Liyan was not there, she began showing her true colors.
Qiao Rui spoke indifferently. "Whenever Mr. Pei agrees."
"If you want, you can initiate it," Fu Yichen said sternly. "How about this, if you agree to divorce him, I’ll write you a check for ten million. How does that sound?"
Qiao Rui paused, then laughed. "So Mr. Pei’s friendship with you is only worth ten million, huh?"
Fu Yichen was at a loss for words, clearly discontent. "Hmm, I underestimated you. You’re clever, but sadly too greedy."
"I am greedy," Qiao Rui admitted. "Isn’t Mr. Fu greedy too?"
"How am I greedy?" Fu Yichen retorted.
Reviews
All reviews (0)