Chapter 30: A Welcome Gift

...so I didn't see the message you sent.

Pei Jiayin: "Hmm."

Yu Youchu stood there, frozen. Is that it? Is he not going to say anything else?

After a long moment, she resigned herself to the situation and said, "I saw your message just now."

Only then did Pei Jiayin look up. "And what are your thoughts...?"

Countless ideas flashed through Yu Youchu's mind. Going on a trip would certainly be nice, but for two people—especially of the opposite sex—to go on a trip together... wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?

But what if she was just overthinking it?

Yu Youchu glanced at Pei Jiayin, dazed. His expression was exactly as it always was, as if he were merely a friend bringing up a topic about where to go for the weekend.

Yu Youchu shook her head. Besides, there was no way Pei Jiayin would be interested in her. It wasn't that she was downplaying herself; she simply knew she was just an ordinary person.

Yu Youchu sighed. "Pei Jiayin, this is too special for an onboarding gift."

Pei Jiayin's expression remained unchanged. He knew that while Yu Youchu liked to take advantage of small perks, she wasn't greedy. Despite her carefree appearance, she actually had strong internal boundaries. For someone like her, the best approach was to act first and apologize later.

Pei Jiayin’s gaze flickered. "I didn't consider it carefully enough."

Yu Youchu felt relieved. "Exactly. I really think just going out for a meal to celebrate is enough; why go to such great lengths..."

"In that case, I'll just go ahead and cancel the flight and hotel."

What? Flight and hotel? What was Pei Jiayin talking about? This was the third time she had been startled today, and Yu Youchu felt her little heart fluttering, struggling to keep up.

"Wait, what flight and hotel? When did you book them?"

Pei Jiayin replied with a flat tone, "Yesterday, when you didn't reply to my message, I assumed you would agree, so I had someone go ahead and book them." He paused, then added in a persuasive tone, "We’re going to the coastal city. You wanted to see the sunset, didn't you? It’s better to see it from the southernmost point, isn't it? I’ve even finished the itinerary."

Yu Youchu pulled her dropped jaw back up and tried to organize her thoughts. Booking the tickets was one thing, but...

"Where did you get my identification information?"

Pei Jiayin replied calmly, "I am, after all, half your landlord."

Three black lines appeared on Yu Youchu's forehead. In truth, she felt shamefully tempted. Wouldn't it just mean she wouldn't have to bring anything and just show up? Plus, there were so many duty-free shops in the coastal city; just thinking about it made Yu Youchu drool. Someone to pay, someone to plan the itinerary, someone to lead the way... this was a dream trip!

Yu Youchu felt her mouth watering against her better judgment. If she had been eighty percent hesitant just a moment ago, now only thirty percent remained.

Seeing her waver, Pei Jiayin played his final trump card. "By the way, the date is next Friday evening." He glanced at his watch. "It’s already within the seven-day window before takeoff."

His words sounded like a devil's whisper to Yu Youchu. Within seven days—wasn't that just a roundabout way of telling her that canceling would incur a service fee?

Yu Youchu calculated on her fingers. The tickets were for the weekend, and since it was such short notice... wouldn't the ticket price cost her a third of her intern salary?! She might as well go and have a good time. With the saved service fees and her own budget, couldn't she treat this big shot to an even better meal?

Pei Jiayin watched her furrowed brow, assuming she still had reservations. Little did he know, Yu Youchu had already mostly convinced herself.

"You don't need to worry about spending too much money. This was meant to be a gift for you from the start."

Yu Youchu finally snapped out of it. Right, for her, this trip was definitely making the big shot bleed money... Her brows knit even tighter.

Pei Jiayin, seeing that he was on the verge of success, certainly wouldn't let her slip away now. Even though he felt like he was chasing someone down just to force a gift on them, he continued.

"If you're still concerned, I have a gala next week and I'm short a date. If you don't mind, you could accompany me as my partner; consider it doing me a favor." Pei Jiayin straightened his tone. "Is that alright?"

His voice was naturally pleasant, with a light, magnetic quality. Now that he lowered it, it was as soft and mellow as fine red wine, making it impossible for Yu Youchu to refuse. "If you aren't willing, I'll have to hire a partner, which actually costs money—potentially even more than what this trip will cost."

Yu Youchu was completely wrapped around his finger.

If she thought about it carefully, whether it was the flight, the hotel, or hiring a date, it was all pocket change to Pei Jiayin. But at this moment, Yu Youchu clearly couldn't grasp such a simple logic; her mind was completely occupied by the idea that this trip was well worth it.

"I'll do it." She had never been to a coastal city before! Her hometown was inland, and the only ocean she had ever seen was the one near Beijing. She wanted to experience the tropical climate and feel the summer that had arrived as early as March.

Once Yu Youchu made up her mind, she was not the type to go back on her word.

Pei Jiayin lowered his eyes, masking the faint, smug smile of a successful scheme. "After work next Friday, we’ll drive straight to the airport. Remember to pack your luggage in advance and put it in the car."

Yu Youchu still hadn't fully processed the reality of going away next week; her mind was still a muddle. She nodded excitedly, her eyes sparkling like stars.

"Where will you park your car?"

"I'll have my secretary come by to pick it up and drive it away."

Yu Youchu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, a sight that softened Pei Jiayin's heart. He reached out and patted her head.

Although she wasn't as surprised as she had been when Mu Chuan patted her head, she still froze for a second, frantically trying to figure out why. What was going on? Why did everyone like to touch her head? Was her hair that nice to touch? And the way Pei Jiayin did it, it was just like petting a child.

"Alright, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

Hearing her answer, Pei Jiayin felt even better. Yu Youchu hadn't even noticed that her interactions with him were becoming increasingly natural.

Pei Jiayin casually rattled off a list of dishes. While making dinner, Yu Youchu specifically prepared an extra portion of breakfast for the next morning and placed it in the refrigerator.

"I’ll probably sleep in tomorrow morning. Breakfast is in the fridge; remember to heat it up in the microwave before you eat."

Pei Jiayin gave a casual nod. He had always been an early riser with a set biological clock. Even if he worked late the night before, he would naturally wake up at the same time, so he usually went for a morning run on the weekends if he had nothing else to do. This stood in stark contrast to Yu Youchu, who could only barely manage to wake up early on weekends.