Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Today is the anniversary of my mother’s death.
Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Today is the anniversary of my mother’s death.
Because the sleep was particularly deep due to the drunkenness, when Zhiyi woke up the sky was still dimly lit. Lying with her eyes slightly open, she saw Pei Yu’s silhouette encased in the weak sunlight.
Bending down to pick up the tissue box he had accidentally knocked over, Pei Yu noticed she was awake and paused for a mont, “Did I wake you up?”
She was indeed woken up by the noise, but Zhiyi wasn’t grumpy about it—awake was awake. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the ti, “It’s only five o’clock, do you have work this early?”
Her voice, still hoarse from sleep, sounded soft and fluffy, which made Pei Yu’s usually indifferent expression soften a lot as he let out a light “Mmm.”
“A little sothing to do.”
He wasn’t wearing a shirt, allowing his tight, beautiful muscles to be fully appreciated, radiating vigorous warmth. While speaking, he reached out and touched Zhiyi’s face.
“There’s nothing planned for today, you go back to sleep.”
“I’m not going to sleep anymore.”
Zhiyi got out of bed, washed up and followed him to the cloakroom. She still wasn’t fully alert, a bit sleepy, and spoke in a slow drawl, “Which one do you want to wear?”
Several tis the butler had asked for her help while sorting clothes, and after a few back and forths, she beca quite familiar with Pei Yu’s wardrobe, knowing where each piece was stored, even the ties were reorganized by her according to color sches.
Pei Yu said offhand, “Choose a black one, sothing more somber.”
His gaze fell on her and his brow furrowed, “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Just as Zhiyi took down a shirt, Pei Yu scooped her up onto the side cabinet where the wristwatches were kept, “I forgot.”
She didn’t mind and handed over the shirt. After Pei Yu put it on, he leaned slightly towards her, and she understood, reaching up to fasten his buttons.
The buttons were obsidian, ice-cold to the touch. As Zhiyi watched him dress ticulously, she felt there was no need for her to stay, “I’ll go change clothes.”
Her wrist was caught, and Pei Yu wouldn’t let her go, “Change in the inner room.”
Both bedrooms now had her clothes, the only difference being the quantity. Zhiyi grabbed a skirt and changed in the inner room, her vague shadow reflected on the screen.
Pei Yu finished changing but didn’t leave. He stood there pondering sothing, showing an uncertain expression for the first ti.
“Zhizhi,”
“Hmm?”
Standing a few steps away, his voice was deep, “Today is my mother’s morial day.”
With a “bang,” the screen was jolted askew. Zhiyi peeked out from behind it, almost losing her balance in shock, “Today?”
“Mhm,” Pei Yu straightened the screen and brushed aside the hair on her shoulder, deliberately pulling up the zipper on the back of her dress, “I’m going to sweep the tomb.”
Looking down at her, he sought her opinion, “Do you want to go?”
He hadn’t intended to bring her along—she had gone to bed late yesterday, and it was rare for her to rest, so there was no need to waste ti on this. Besides, she might not even be willing to go.
Zhiyi was a bit stunned. Accompany Pei Yu to sweep his mother’s tomb? Was her status appropriate for that…
“It’s okay if you don’t want to go,” Pei Yu said, “then wait for at ho, I’ll be back soon.”
He concealed the emotions in his eyes, put on a watch, and spoke in a low voice, “Order whatever you want to eat from the butler, I should be able to co back to have lunch with you—”
“I’ll go.”
Pei Yu stopped what he was doing, pursed his lips, and glanced over, his emotions shifting in his eyes, hard to discern.
Zhiyi looked at the skirt she had just put on, “Is this one not quite suitable?”
She was troubled and sought Pei Yu’s help, “I haven’t been to this kind of occasion before.”
The family ritual allowed only boys to participate, and she had never attended such events since she was little. After her father passed away… She didn’t shed a tear at the funeral, let alone sweep his grave.
“It’s quite suitable.”
The wristwatch that hadn’t been fastened was taken off and casually thrown back in its place. Pei Yu lifted her face, saw that she was indeed nervous about this matter, smiled with a lift of his lips, and then kissed her eyes, “This one is very good.”
They went downstairs together; the butler was montarily surprised but understood imdiately and asked Pei Yu in a low voice, “Miss Shen is going too?”
“Yes,” Pei Yu said, “prepare another breakfast.”
It was still early, and they had plenty of ti to leave from Huating. Shen Zhiyi got in the car ahead of ti, Secretary Qin took the passenger seat, and Pei Yu went to the garden to personally prepare the flowers he would present to his mother.
She whispered her query, “Will there be many people coming?”
Secretary Qin, “Not too many; the Fu Family and the Qin Family will send people, and there will be soone from madam’s maternal family as well.”
The Fu and Qin families would send people because of their connection with Pei Yu; ever since Pei Yu had officially taken charge, the younger mbers of these families always showed up.
After chatting for a while, Pei Yu ca over, holding a bunch of ticulously wrapped jasmine flowers, each one handpicked by him. These were his mother’s favorite flowers, also originally planted by Father Pei.
The bouquet was placed with the seat along with a pile of ritual supplies. Shen Zhiyi inhaled the faint jasmine scent filling the car and felt her casually tied up hair being fiddled with.
She reached up to touch and felt the cool petals at the spot where the hair tie was.
Pei Yu had already retracted his hand, “I saw it while picking the jasmine.”
Shen Zhiyi, unable to see for herself, was curious about the type of flower, “What kind of flower is it?”
“Callia.”
When Pei Yu’s mother deceased, she and Father Pei had not yet dissolved their marriage. Ultimately, she was buried in the Pei family’s cetery, which was her request in her will.
The wind was strong in the mountains, and Shen Zhiyi’s long hair fluttered in the breeze. Subconsciously, she reached for the callia flower tucked into her hair tie and knocked off two petals.
The path, underdeveloped due to the mountain terrain, was hard to navigate. Pei Yu reached out to take her hand just in ti to see the two fallen petals in her palm, “What happened?”
Shen Zhiyi tossed the petals away, feeling it was a pity, “Nothing.”
The Pei family cetery had been established decades ago and had been enlarged and renovated continuously, the grounds expansive enough to rival a golf course.
In contrast, the number of people buried here was much less.
From a distance, Shen Zhiyi saw Fu Songzhi and Qin Fang standing in front of a tombstone; Qin Xiaoran was there as well, each having paid their respects already.
“It’s Sister Zhiyi,” Qin Xiaoran said, not expecting her to co, “Is this the first ti Brother Pei Yu has brought soone here?”
Bringing her here to honor his mother was an entirely different concept from taking her to a banquet.
The mountain wind blew from the north, lifting Shen Zhiyi’s skirt. Her eyes were clouded by dust, and as she looked down, the callia flower tucked into her hair tie was blown away by the wind, dropping to the ground, following the swaying arc of her skirt.
Pei Yu stopped, disregarded the flower on the ground but used his fingertip to rub the wet corner of her eye, “Got dust in your eye?”
“Yes, it’ll be fine with a rub.”
They proceeded more carefully from there, Pei Yu holding a handkerchief over her eyes until they reached the tomb. He glanced at the three people who were staring straight at him and felt puzzled.
“What are you looking at?”
The three shifted their gaze in unison.
What are you looking at?
To see just how much you dote on her, indulge her, and spoil her.
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