As everyone left, they gathered at the entrance of the restaurant to say their goodbyes. Pei Chen took Liang Zhiyi’s hand, and someone teased:
“Class monitor, you two better take good care of each other. We expect to drink your wedding wine in the future!”
Pei Chen looked down into Liang Zhiyi’s starry eyes and smiled, his ears turning slightly red.
After saying their goodbyes, the two of them walked away together. Liang Zhiyi smiled and teased:
“Pei Chen, did you hear what they said just now? Aren’t you going to say something?”
Pei Chen pulled her into his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness as he said seriously:
“Yes, I will do my best.”
He was determined to give her a good future, one where they could spend their entire lives together.
For students with outstanding college entrance exam results, many places award scholarships. Since Pei Chen achieved the top score in the province, the city government, First High School, and a local company all awarded him a scholarship as a reward.
Originally, he had been worried about covering his university tuition, but with this scholarship, he no longer needed to worry about tuition or daily expenses for himself and his father, Pei Yongxia.
Moreover, his current phone was too slow, and now he could finally afford a new one. He also bought a slightly better phone for his father so that he wouldn’t be bored at home without internet access.
In addition, Zhong Xinrou had made arrangements at the hospital for Pei Chen to bring his father in for a checkup.
The morning after the teacher appreciation banquet, Pei Chen helped his father, Pei Yongxia, get dressed after they finished breakfast. He then carefully organized the medical documents they needed to bring to the hospital.
A short while later, Liang Zhiyi arrived at their home. She had planned to accompany Pei Chen to the hospital to help with his father’s appointment.
Once everything was ready, Pei Chen first helped his father to the sofa, then carried the wheelchair downstairs. He went back up to carry his father down, with Liang Zhiyi helping by carrying their belongings.
After placing his father in the wheelchair, Pei Chen pushed him toward the entrance of their residential complex.
The sky was clear, and the sun was shining brightly.
Walking alongside them, Liang Zhiyi was asked by Pei Yongxia, “Zhi, did you have breakfast?”
“I already ate,” she replied.
Pei Yongxia smiled, the wrinkles on his weathered face deepening. “Zhi, thank you so much for helping out today. With your mother’s assistance in arranging my checkup, I’m really grateful…”
Liang Zhiyi quickly shook her head, smiling sweetly, “Uncle, there’s no need to be so polite. Now that I’m Pei Chen’s girlfriend, it’s only natural that I want to take care of you. This is all within my abilities. The most important thing is that you stay healthy.”
Pei Yongxia’s smile warmed at her words. He genuinely liked Liang Zhiyi—she was kind and caring, making her more lovable with each passing moment.
Pei Chen glanced at Liang Zhiyi’s gentle and cheerful expression, then reached over to affectionately ruffle her hair. “How are you so adorable?”
Liang Zhiyi’s dimples appeared as she replied in a light, playful tone, “Because I’m yours.”
Pei Chen’s smile grew wider as he looked at her.
When they reached the entrance of the complex, Pei Chen’s pre-arranged car was waiting. With the help of the driver and Liang Zhiyi, Pei Chen carefully lifted his father into the car. Once all three were seated, the car headed to the hospital.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hospital, where Zhong Xinrou, who had been informed of their arrival, came out to greet them.
Pei Chen and Pei Yongxia both greeted and thanked her. Zhong Xinrou smiled and reassured Pei Yongxia, “It’s no trouble at all. We’re happy to help Xiao Pei. I recently learned about your health condition, and it’s a good idea to have a thorough checkup. Medical science has advanced a lot, and there might be a chance for effective treatment.”
Pei Yongxia nodded, “If I could stand again, it would make things much easier for Pei Chen. He wouldn’t have to work so hard to take care of me.”
With that, Zhong Xinrou began by thoroughly understanding the details of Pei Yongxia’s injury and the previous treatments he had undergone. She then arranged for a series of tests, though the results would take a few days.
As Pei Yongxia was wheeled away by the nurse for his tests, Liang Zhiyi accompanied Pei Chen to pay the fees. Meanwhile, as Pei Yongxia waited at the entrance for his name to be called, his phone suddenly rang from his pocket.
He took it out and saw that it was a call from Gong Qinxin.
He hesitated for a moment before answering, and a gentle woman’s voice came through the line, “Hello, Yongxia—”
He responded, and just as Gong Qinxin was about to say something, a nurse approached Pei Yongxia and said, “Sir, you’ll need to have a blood test shortly. Please hold on to this form.”
Gong Qinxin, hearing this, paused in surprise and asked with concern, “Are you at the hospital? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing much…”
Pei Yongxia initially didn’t want to say much, but after Gong Qinxin’s repeated inquiries, he finally revealed the truth: “It’s just that Zhi’s mother, who’s a renowned orthopedic doctor, offered to help. So Pei Chen brought me to the hospital today to see if there’s any chance of recovery.”
Upon hearing this, Gong Qinxin expressed her support, “That’s good. It’s worth checking. If you can recover, that would be wonderful. By the way, the college entrance exam results should be out by now, right? How did Pei Chen do?”
After Pei Yongxia told her, Gong Qinxin was thrilled to hear that Pei Chen had achieved the top score in the province. “That’s amazing! Which university is he planning to apply to?”
“I haven’t had a formal conversation with him about it yet, but I know he’s always wanted to go to C University.”
“With his results, getting into C University shouldn’t be a problem.”
Gong Qinxin paused briefly before bringing up another topic, “Do you have some free time in the next couple of days? I’d like to come by and talk to you about our son’s future, particularly his university plans.”
When Pei Yongxia didn’t respond immediately, she quickly added, “Don’t worry, it’s not about custody or anything like that. I just want to discuss his future.”
Given that Gong Qinxin was Pei Chen’s biological mother, Pei Yongxia couldn’t bear to refuse her. He agreed, “Are you planning to travel back from out of province?”
“No,” she hesitated before continuing, “Actually, I’ve already returned to Lincheng.”
“Back to Lincheng?”
“Yes, I just returned this week. I’ve already bought a house here, and I’ll be staying in the city from now on.”
Pei Yongxia was taken aback, but Gong Qinxin simply gave a light smile, saying they could discuss the details later. Since Pei Yongxia would finish his checkup by early afternoon, they agreed that Gong Qinxin would visit him at home later that day.
After hanging up, Pei Yongxia put down his phone just as Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi finished paying the fees and came over to find him.
Pei Chen noticed that his father had just been on the phone and casually asked, “Dad, who were you talking to?”
Pei Yongxia hesitated for a moment before smiling, “Oh, it was just a wrong number.”
Pei Chen nodded and didn’t press further.
As Pei Yongxia looked at his son, memories of the argument with Gong Qinxin on Pei Chen’s birthday last year came flooding back, and he sighed quietly.
He had always known that Pei Chen was aware of what happened between him and Gong Qinxin, even though he never said it out loud. Pei Yongxia understood why Gong Qinxin decided to leave—they were struggling, and he was more of a burden than a partner who could support the family.
Over the years, the bitterness and resentment had faded. He neither hated nor loved Gong Qinxin anymore; the only connection left between them was Pei Chen.
For now, he didn’t dare tell Pei Chen about the upcoming meeting with Gong Qinxin, mainly out of concern that it would upset him. He decided to wait until after the meeting to see how things unfolded.
After a while, Pei Yongxia’s turn for the checkup came up, and he put the matter aside to focus on the examination.
Throughout the morning, Pei Yongxia completed all the necessary tests. They now just had to go home and wait for the results.
Before leaving, Pei Chen visited Zhong Xinrou’s office to thank her once again. She smiled and patted him on the shoulder:
“It’s nothing, really. Don’t be so formal. I know you’ve worked hard taking care of your father all these years. If he can recover and enjoy a better life in his later years, you’ll be able to live with more peace of mind as well.”
Pei Chen nodded in response.
Zhong Xinrou smiled and said, “How are things going with Zhi recently? If she ever gets a bit spoiled or shows her ‘princess’ temper, make sure to let me know.”
Pei Chen smiled and shook his head, “Auntie, Zhi is wonderful in every way. I really like her, and I’m very happy to be with her.”
Zhong Xinrou chuckled, “Hearing you say that will surely make her very happy.”
After chatting with Zhong Xinrou for a bit, Pei Chen said his goodbyes and left to reunite with Pei Yongxia and Liang Zhiyi.
As they left the hospital, it was already midday. Liang Zhiyi had already arranged for a car to take them home. She suggested they order takeout to be delivered to the house, so Pei Chen wouldn’t have to cook lunch.
Pei Chen, taking her hand, asked, “How about having lunch at my place?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled, “Sure.”
Lately, the two of them had been inseparable.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back at their apartment complex. Pei Chen carried his father back home, and Liang Zhiyi, concerned about Pei Chen’s knee, asked, “Is it okay?”
“A little sore, but it’s nothing,” he replied.
After all, carrying his father in and out of the car, up and down stairs, was physically demanding, even though Pei Yongxia wasn’t too heavy.
Liang Zhiyi suggested he apply some medicine later, and he agreed. He handed his phone to Liang Zhiyi, asking her to order the takeout while he helped his father to the restroom.
When he came out of the restroom, Pei Chen carefully placed Pei Yongxia in bed, letting him rest in a semi-reclined position. He then returned to the living room, sat down next to Liang Zhiyi, and pulled her into his arms, asking, “Did you finish ordering?”
“Yep, I made sure to order plenty for the three of us.”
Liang Zhiyi tilted her head, resting her chin on his shoulder, and said with a playful smile, “I remember someone once said they didn’t have the habit of looking at people’s photos every day.”
“Huh?”
She held up his phone, showing him the screen, and let out a soft hum, “You set my picture as your phone’s wallpaper. Isn’t that the same as looking at my photo every day?”
Pei Chen’s wallpaper was a picture of her that she had sent him during the New Year. After they started dating, he changed it to her photo.
“When I can’t see you, looking at your photo is the next best thing,” he replied.
She laughed, “It’s boring to just have a picture of me. If you’re going to have a wallpaper, it should be of both of us.”
She took out her phone and snapped a few selfies of them together. Once they were done, she watched as he changed his wallpaper to the new photo. She grinned with satisfaction, “Wow, whose girlfriend is this? She’s way too beautiful.”
Pei Chen kissed her lightly, his gaze intense, “She’s mine.”
A while later, the takeout arrived, and the three of them sat down to enjoy their meal together.
After lunch, Pei Yongxia watched TV in the living room while Liang Zhiyi went to Pei Chen’s room, sitting on the bed and scrolling through her phone.
Pei Chen put away his father’s medical records and then returned to his bedroom. He closed the door, sat down next to Liang Zhiyi, and noticed her eating watermelon while looking at her phone, her eyes curved into crescent moons.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“Checking out handsome guys,” she replied casually.
His brows furrowed slightly. “Handsome guys?”
She nodded, “Yeah, there are so many good-looking guys, all kinds of styles, and each one is particularly handsome.”
Hearing this, Pei Chen recalled how Liang Zhiyi initially liked him for his looks. Jealousy welled up inside him, and his expression darkened. He asked in a husky voice, “And when you see these handsome guys, do you start liking them?”
Liang Zhiyi’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She pouted and said, “Not necessarily, unless they’re really, really handsome. Then maybe I’d feel something, hehe. For example, look at this one, I really like domineering men—”
Before she could finish her sentence, her lips were abruptly sealed with a fierce kiss.
Pei Chen’s hot breath cut her off, leaving her words stuck in her throat.
Liang Zhiyi trembled at his sudden kiss, unable to support herself as she fell back onto the bed.
The overwhelming kiss engulfed her, and her wrists were tightly held down by him. He didn’t stop, forcing her to endure his intense kiss. Her heart raced uncontrollably, and her cheeks flushed red.
After a while, he finally pulled back, biting her lip gently. She winced in pain, letting out a soft whimper, “Ouch, you bit me…”
He kept one hand on her waist, his face hovering just above hers, his dark eyes intense as he asked in a husky voice, “Didn’t you say you liked domineering men?”
Her face turned even redder, and just as Pei Chen was about to kiss her again, the door suddenly opened, “Pei Chen…”
Pei Yongxia had heard some muffled voices from inside and thought they were just chatting, so he pushed the door open without thinking much. To his shock, he found his usually reserved son pinning Liang Zhiyi down on the bed. He froze in place.
???
Both of them were startled and quickly sat up.
Liang Zhiyi’s mind went blank, and her face turned bright red.
This is bad, so bad… qwq
Pei Chen cleared his throat a few times, the heat spreading from his ears to his face. “Dad… did you need something?”
Pei Yongxia rubbed his head, trying to remain calm as he spoke, “Uh, no, I just wanted you to help me with my phone. There’s something I’m not sure how to do, but you two, um, you go ahead and finish what you were doing.”
“Dad, just wait a moment, I’ll come out and help you.”
“Alright…”
Pei Yongxia noticed the slight redness in Liang Zhiyi’s eyes and glanced at them both before quickly wheeling himself back to the living room.
After Pei Chen left, Liang Zhiyi playfully hit him and tried to bury her face, “Wuwuwu, it’s all your fault, that was so embarrassing…”
Seeing her embarrassed and flustered expression, Pei Chen couldn’t help but ruffle her hair, feeling both guilty and amused. “It’s okay, I’ll go out for a bit.”
Then he stood up and went to the living room to find Pei Yongxia.
Trying to shake off the earlier awkwardness, Pei Chen asked, “Dad, what’s the problem with your phone?”
“It’s this… I wanted to ask how to save this video…”
Pei Chen showed him how to do it, and once Pei Yongxia understood, Pei Chen said, “Dad, if that’s all, I’ll head back to my room.”
Pei Yongxia nodded but hesitated as he watched his son walk away. After a moment, he called out, “Son—”
“Hmm?”
Pei Yongxia looked at Pei Chen, opened his mouth to speak, and after a few awkward coughs, he finally said:
“Uh… I just noticed, it looked like Zhi was crying earlier.”
Pei Chen: ?
Despite his embarrassment, Pei Yongxia couldn’t help but offer some advice, “Son, I know you really like her, but when it comes to dating… don’t rush things. You need to respect the girl’s wishes and not force anything, okay?”
Pei Chen: …???