Chapter 33
Both of them stared at each other silently for a few seconds, and the world stilled along with them.
Li Yuchen was the one that broke the silence, "You know each other?"
Pei Yueran answered, "Yes." Then to Li Chuanmo, she said indifferently, "Chairman Li."
Li Chuanmo did not respond, and Pei Yueran ignored him as well, going to hug Zhang Heying. She praised her appearance and gave her sincere birthday wishes. She also presented her gift, the pearl jewelry set and a hand-knitted scarf.
Zhang Heying said, "I told you not to bother. Thank you so much", hugging her tightly. Even if she had not brought anything, just her presence was enough.
Zhang Heying liked her at first because she thought she would be a good fit for her son. But the more she got to know her, the more she liked her as a person.
They had spoken at length in the past weeks, and Zhang Heying had gotten to know more about her. She admired her loyalty, resilience and disposition. Pei Yueran was a treasure through and through.
Zhang Heying told Pei Yueran and Li Chuanmo to get going to the garden, while she and Li Qianye went upstairs to drop the gifts in their bedroom.
Pei Yueran nodded and held Li Yuchen's hand as she left. Li Yuchen was telling her about the difficult game level he beat the day before, while she smiled and nodded, asking questions. Both were obviously having a good time, ignoring Li Chuanmo, who followed behind them.
"Didn't you notice? They look exactly like a family of three in their matching outfits." Li Qianye said to Zhang Heying in their bedroom.
"Exactly. They look so good together. And Li Yuchen was so happy to see her." Zhang Heying said.
Zhang Heying and Li Qianye had already seen firsthand the tension between both of them, but seeing it again today made them feel bad. They really hoped something would change today.
Zhang Heying in particular, strengthened her resolve to follow through with her plan.
They had to talk, and it had to be today.
*****
Li Chuanmo could not explain how he felt when he saw Pei Yueran.
She looked so beautiful just standing there in her dinner gown, that it took him a few moments to realize that Li Yuchen knew Pei Yueran. 'What did he just call her? Goddess?' he wondered absentmindedly.
He then painfully reminded himself that he had no business thinking about how beautiful she was.
Anger for women and the desire to get closer to her warred so powerfully within him that he felt he was going crazy for a moment.
As she handed his mother the gift she brought, he looked at her again. She looked so elegant yet unapproachable, to him at least. They had not spoken normally in weeks, and he had missed their easy friendship.
Yet he kept fighting the thoughts away. He concentrated on the way he felt when Xie Weiwan dropped the divorce letter despite being the one that was unfaithful. Immediately, his anger returned.
By the time he returned to earth, she had already walked away with his son, both of them smiling as they talked. He followed after them.
*****
"Mengyao, I'm so envious of you. Madam Li treats you so well, like a daughter." Liu Fangya said.
"Daughter? More like daughter-in-law!", Fen Chunmei chimed in. Both of them laughed as they flattered Fu Mengyao. They were Fu Mengyao's childhood friends, and the three families were business associates.
"Stop saying that. Auntie is not nice to me alone, she's nice to everyone.", Fu Mengyao replied, trying to show a humble expression.
"See? You call her Auntie. Soon, you will call her Mum." Fen Chunmei said.
"Nothing has been set in stone yet, don't say that to outsiders."
"It's just a matter of time, it doesn't matter if we say it earlier. Just don't forget our friendship when you become the Lady of the Li family." Liu Fangya said.
Fu Mengyao tries to look magnanimous while saying, "You'll always be my friends no matter what...."
She was interrupted by the sudden quieting of the crowd. It was like everyone kept quiet at the same time, staring at one direction—the entrance.
She turned to look, wondering what was happening.
She saw a woman and a boy walk in. The boy looked cute in an all-black suit with a silver bowtie, while the woman looked exquisite in a black gown with silver trimmings.
The first emotion she felt was surprise. Then jealousy immediately sprouted. Not only was her figure more attractive, her facial features were also more beautiful. Who was this woman?
And the boy was most likely her son. But why did he look so much like....
"See Young Master Li. But why is he walking in with this lady? And why are they dressed alike? They look like fam...." Liu Fangya was saying, but Fen Chunmei quickly nudged her to shut her up.
The guests resumed their small talks, but the content had changed to who Pei Yueran was and how she looked so compatible with Young Master Li. She was obviously not from their circle, but to be able to attend this party, she must either be a distant relative or have connections to the Li family.
Fu Mengyao was seething. Although both of them were not talking to each other, it was undeniable that just by standing close to each other, they had chemistry.
She assumed the air of an hostess and walked up to them. "Chuanmo ge, when did you arrive? I have been waiting for you."
Li Chuanmo just grunted, not replying. His aura was so unapproachable that Fu Mengyao almost took a step back, but she composed herself quickly.
She then turned her attention to Pei Yueran. Seeing her up close, she looked even more stunning. Fu Mengyao clenched her hands. She forced a smile and greeted her.
"How are you? I don't think we have met before, are you from Auntie's family?"
"Hi. I'm Pei Yueran, special assistant to the Chairman of the Li Conglomerate", Pei Yueran said, keeping it short. She wasn't in the mood to make friends and chitchat.
Fu Mengyao frowned. Special Assistant? wasn't that the woman she saw that day, talking excitedly with Li Chuanmo in front of the house?
And why was she so snobbish? Who did she think she was? As she wanted to whine to Li Chuanmo, Zhang Heying and Li Qianye entered.