Chapter 37: Membership

No matter how she tried to change the subject, Pei Jiayin was acting strange tonight!

She kept her head lowered, not daring to look him in the eye. The wine she had consumed seemed to be burning in her stomach, making her whole body feel flushed.

"By the way, are you still in touch with your ex?"

Pei Jiayin brought it up with an air of casual indifference, yet he was closely observing every flicker of expression on Yu Youchu’s face.

Bringing up an ex at a time like this—it was even more suspicious.

Yu Youchu cast a wary glance at Pei Jiayin, her mind in a whirl. Pei Jiayin’s expression remained entirely unreadable. Remembering the previous calls from an unknown number, she felt a strong urge to probe him, but she held back. Her intuition told her that making Pei Jiayin suspicious would not lead to a good outcome. Following that gut feeling, she answered honestly, "He did come to look for me earlier, but I’ve blocked him."

Pei Jiayin stood up and led her toward the exit.

Yu Youchu followed obediently. As they drew close, she caught the scent of woodsy notes on him, mingled with the floral and fruity aroma from the hand towel.

The bluestone path was narrow, making it difficult to walk side-by-side. Yu Youchu followed closely behind him. Pei Jiayin carried an ornamental lantern, and as they strolled along to the sound of melodic zither music, it truly felt like a moonlit excursion by candlelight.

"What did he come to you for?"

"He wanted to get back together... but why are you asking about this?"

Pei Jiayin raised an eyebrow, a faint sense of exhilaration bubbling up within him—Yu Youchu hadn't agreed to it?

He bypassed her question. "You don't like him?"

Yu Youchu found the question absurd. She nodded subconsciously. "I stopped liking him a long time ago. I don't know why he's acting so crazy lately; maybe his 'white moonlight' rejected him." She wore a mocking expression. "I was young and naive back then, and my taste was poor."

Pei Jiayin smiled. "Your taste was poor back then, and your judgment is still a bit off now."

"You still haven't answered why you're asking about him."

Yu Youchu disagreed with him. "Also, you’re the one wearing glasses, not me. My eyesight is perfectly fine."

Pei Jiayin said nonchalantly, "Remember that matter with the lawyers I mentioned earlier? He’s likely in some trouble, and I thought he might come to you to beg for mercy."

Yu Youchu let out a sigh of relief, followed by a slight tinge of disappointment. "So that’s it."

"Then, do you want me to let him off?"

Pei Jiayin suddenly turned to look at her.

Caught off guard, Yu Youchu bumped into his chest. She rubbed her aching nose while considering the matter. "This incident didn't cause me any real damage; I didn't lose anything. If he’s willing to apologize, we might as well wipe the slate clean."

The warning had been enough. If pushed too hard, even a rabbit would bite back, and it might lead to more trouble later. It was better to settle things here and owe each other nothing.

Pei Jiayin understood her intent. However, with him around, he could ensure that Shen Wang would never be able to touch a hair on her head, so there was no need for her to be so cautious.

His gaze darkened. "He will certainly be willing to apologize. I’ll bring his written apology to you later."

A personal meeting was out of the question. Pei Jiayin curled his lips in a sneer. He wasn't worthy.

The two soon arrived at the lobby. Seeing the staggering bill, Yu Youchu tremblingly reached for her phone to pay. But Pei Jiayin reached out and presented a card before she could. Yu Youchu’s heart leaped into her throat; she couldn't let him foot the bill.

"This guest, you are a member of our establishment, so you are entitled to a thirty percent discount and loyalty points," the waitress said with a professional smile.

Yu Youchu let out a sigh of relief. So it was a membership card. She paid the bill readily and looked at Pei Jiayin with gratitude. Pei Jiayin maintained his usual detached expression.

"Thank you. I ended up taking advantage of you again."

Pei Jiayin shook his head and gestured to the card the waitress had returned. "I earned points too. Based on the Jinyang Hotel’s point system, I think I’m the one who came out ahead."

Yu Youchu touched her nose. "That’s good then."

Just as they were about to leave, a voice rang out from behind them.

"Guests, please wait a moment."

The manager who had sent the wine earlier hurried over to stop them, while casting a glare at the waitress who had served them; he hadn't been notified of such distinguished guests. It was lucky he had walked by, or he would have missed them.

Pei Jiayin recognized him, but Yu Youchu assumed he was just an ordinary employee. He wore the same work uniform as the others and held a delicate paper lotus lantern. Its bamboo frame was elegantly curved, and the golden paper emitted a warm, soft glow. At a single glance, Yu Youchu couldn't take her eyes off it.

"I trust you enjoyed the cuisine at Yanyue Pavilion today? This is our latest membership gift; please, do accept it."

Pei Jiayin stood still. The manager, a shrewd man, caught his meaning instantly.

"Is the young lady satisfied with the service at Yanyue Pavilion? Would you like to register for a membership card so you can visit more often? We reserve spots for members for all our events and new dishes."

Yu Youchu instinctively wanted to refuse.

But Pei Jiayin spoke up, "Let's get one."

"Certainly. I will register it for the young lady right away. May I use the phone number you have on file?" The manager had clearly realized that the relationship between the young master of the Pei family and this young lady was far from simple.

Yu Youchu’s eyes widened, and she nodded, her body reacting before her mind. The manager entered the information with practiced efficiency.

By the time she snapped out of it, she began to decline repeatedly, "No, really, there’s no need."

She had heard of the Jinyang Hotel’s membership system; it supposedly required a large one-time expenditure or a significant cumulative total to qualify, and she didn't have that kind of money. Besides, given her current finances, she was unlikely to have many opportunities to dine here again.

"Please keep this, Miss. This is your membership card. Your points from today’s bill have been recorded on another card, and the points on this one are a special bonus from us."

Yu Youchu took the card, stunned. She looked subconsciously at Pei Jiayin. Was this card free? Did it not cost anything?

"This is a newly launched membership gift. Would you like to accept it?"

Yu Youchu nodded, then asked, "Does this card not require a minimum cumulative balance?"

The manager smiled even more brightly, clearly having waited for this question. "This card is a gift for you as well. We look forward to seeing you both again."

Only then did Yu Youchu realize that this was all for the sake of Pei Jiayin’s influence.

After stepping out of Jinyang, the lingering effects of the wine had mostly dissipated. She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, the mother-of-pearl shimmering with a subtle, elegant light.