Chapter Twenty-Nine: Anger

By the time she finished handling her work, it was already past the usual off-duty hour.

She was alone in the entire spacious elevator.

As usual, she pressed the button for the first floor, planning to ride her bike home.

While waiting for the elevator, her thoughts drifted away.

She wondered when Pei Jiayin would return tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday, and today was Friday. If she didn’t make breakfast, she could enjoy a lazy morning.

Just as she was thinking this, the elevator doors slowly opened. Yu Youchu saw a familiar face appear before her.

Thick eyebrows and deep eyes, the black pupils reflected only her silhouette. His expressionless face was sharp and refined, his neat chin slightly raised, exuding a noble aura that overwhelmed Yu Youchu’s senses. The familiar woody cologne emitted a cool, slightly bitter scent, with faint hints of lavender and incense lingering on her palate, making the man in front of her feel distant and cold.

Yu Youchu was stunned on the spot, forgetting to step into the elevator, staring fixedly at him.

Was she hallucinating?

How could she see Pei Jiayin here? Wasn’t he still on a business trip in Guangdong?

Pei Jiayin’s expression remained unchanged. He raised his hand and pressed the open door button to stop the elevator from closing.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

Only then did Yu Youchu come to her senses and stepped into the elevator.

Pei Jiayin reached out again and closed the elevator doors.

“Pei... Pei... Pei Jiayin. Weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip, coming back tomorrow? Why are you back so soon?”

Yu Youchu didn’t know why she suddenly felt nervous, her words stumbling over themselves.

Pei Jiayin didn’t answer her but silently pressed the button for the basement floor.

Only then did Yu Youchu realize he had come by car, specifically to pick her up after work.

“You don’t really want to see me?”

Pei Jiayin turned his head and stared intently at Yu Youchu.

“No! I’m actually quite happy!” Yu Youchu smiled in reply. She really was happy—no need to ride her bike to work anymore. Recently, the sandstorms in Jing City had grown worse, and the wind felt like knives against her face.

Pei Jiayin’s expression softened slightly.

“Work finished early, so I came back.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me? If I hadn’t been there, you’d have wasted a trip.” Yu Youchu rubbed her nose awkwardly.

Pei Jiayin’s fleeting slight smile darkened again.

“I just stopped by the company on the way to see if you were still here.”

“I see.” Yu Youchu nodded but recalled that the airport and their office weren’t exactly on the way home.

Perhaps noticing her doubt, Pei Jiayin’s voice sounded again:

“I had some things to take care of near the company.”

Yu Youchu finally relaxed. Well, no one would go too far out of their way after a business trip to pick someone up, especially if the other wasn’t keen on it.

However, she felt Pei Jiayin seemed a bit upset.

Hadn’t their cold war ended already?

Men were truly hard to understand.

Yu Youchu wiped a bead of cold sweat, wondering where she had offended him this time.

Between talking about dinner or work, Yu Youchu chose the latter: “So, how did your project negotiations go? Coming back early—was it a success or a failure?”

Pei Jiayin turned his head again, his deep gaze like a vortex about to swallow her whole.

Yu Youchu felt uneasy under his stare. The once spacious elevator suddenly felt cramped, the pressure around her so intense that she struggled to breathe as if on a snowy mountain.

Pei Jiayin withdrew his gaze.

Had she really missed his messages or was she just pretending not to see? If her phone was just decoration, did he need to buy her a smartwatch?

Yet Pei Jiayin didn’t voice these thoughts and was the first to exit the elevator.

Watching his departing figure, Yu Youchu frustratedly ruffled her hair, convinced that Pei Jiayin’s mood was sour because he had failed in his work.

Why did she pick that topic? Of all things, she had to poke at his soft spot, of course he was upset.

Yu Youchu hurried after him: “Pei Jiayin, it’s okay. Who hasn’t failed a few times? Failure is the mother of success...”

With a loud bang, Pei Jiayin slammed the car door and rolled down the window, his tone gritted with teeth:

“We’ll talk when we get home.”

Yu Youchu showed a helpless smile and obediently got in.

She knew that someone like Pei Jiayin, who had sailed smoothly through the first half of his life, had a certain pride. With some gentle guidance and comfort, there was no hurdle they couldn’t overcome.

Yu Youchu’s thoughts veered off course, and she had been preparing comforting words for Pei Jiayin the whole way.

On the car ride, she tried to start a conversation several times, but all attempts failed.

“Pei Jiayin, are you feeling upset?”

“If you are, you can let it out. Don’t worry, I won’t laugh... no, I’m not laughing at you.”

“Pei Jiayin, holding it in like this isn’t good for your health, especially your liver.”

“Pei Jiayin...”

Only endless silence answered Yu Youchu.

Fine. She was being ignored.

Since he wouldn’t speak, Yu Youchu stopped trying, and they fell into a stalemate.

Out of boredom, Yu Youchu turned on her phone, only to find it had just booted up after being left on her desk all morning.

As soon as the signal connected, WeChat messages popped up.

Yu Youchu immediately opened them to find messages from Pei Jiayin—one sent yesterday afternoon, another today.

“If you don’t mind, I can accompany you. How about it?”

The message carried a hint of negotiation.

The other said, “Finished work yet?”

Yu Youchu’s heart suddenly raced.

Aside from these two messages, there was nothing else. Yet Yu Youchu lowered her head, too shy to look at Pei Jiayin. She opened her mouth but found no words.

Could it be that he was angry earlier because she hadn’t replied all day? Then maybe his work hadn’t failed at all?

Heavens, Yu Youchu held her forehead. What had she said just now? How embarrassing.

She felt restless, burning up inside.

Though Pei Jiayin appeared focused on driving, he had been watching Yu Youchu closely, catching every little gesture.

When he saw her phone finally turn on, he realized she hadn’t seen his messages at all.

His tension instantly shot up, and he almost forgot to use the turn signal when turning.

Again, they sank into a strange silence.

They didn’t mention the WeChat messages until they entered the villa.

Yu Youchu was anxious and restless; she wasn’t the type to hold things in. This awkwardness was so unlike her, and she was nearly miserable.

“Sorry, Pei Jiayin. My phone died last night, and I didn’t use it all day today...”