Chapter 931: The Past Memories Are like Passing Clouds
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Thus, Li Lei smiled happily.
After he smiled, he audaciously asked her, “Have you moved all of your things over? Once you do, sell your house and don’t ever go back. Our family of three and Xiao Rui won’t be able to stay in such a small villa anyway.”
Suddenly, Xia Ling realized his true intentions. “Are you… jealous?” From her angle, through the bright glass window, a corner of Pei Ziheng’s villa could be seen.
Li Lei honestly admitted it. “I don’t like you living so close to him. I’ve already locked Su Tang in the hospital, so you should stay as far away from Pei Ziheng as possible, ok?”
Thinking about it, Xia Ling felt that he made sense.
They were already married. There was no need to let her beloved man feel uncomfortable over such minor issues. Besides, she was pregnant now and, considering the experience she had with Shaohui’s birth, she was also really worried that Pei Ziheng would do something again.
As such, the next day, the two of them packed up and moved out.
There were not many things that needed to be moved. The important things were her clothes, Shaohui’s toys, and Hairball the cat. They finished packing up very quickly, and just as they were about to move, Xia Ling found something in the cupboard. It was a beautifully carved box. When she opened it, she realized that it was filled with various bracelets, necklaces, earrings, hair accessories, dresses, handbags, scarves, and bank cards.
They were all items that Pei Ziheng gave her.
A very long time ago, she sealed all the items that man gave her. The value of these things was enough for a few rich families to live comfortably. She gently stroked the valuable items with her long and white fingers. Unknowingly, she sighed emotionally. In a flash, so many turbulent times had passed…
Behind her, there were footsteps. “Xiao Ling?”
Xia Ling turned around and saw Li Lei. She continued to stand beside the box without moving. Narrowing her eyes, she sighed. “These things are not suited to be moved to our new house.”
Li Lei walked over and looked at them.
He easily understood their origin.
“Return them to him?” He gritted his teeth and suggested.
However, Xia Ling shook her head. She did not want to see that man ever again. She touched the items again and finally made a decision. “Bury them in the backyard.” Let their history be buried with them in the dirt and remain forever uncovered.
Li Lei nodded. This was already a compromise.
He helped her move the items downstairs, dug a hole in the middle of the rose bushes in the backyard, and placed the box inside.
It was covered with layers of soil.
Her face was stained with mud. After she placed the last layer of soil on the box, there was a slight sorrow in her eyes. In the bottom of her heart, something was empty. She said to herself silently, “Goodbye, Pei Ziheng.”
A gust of wind blew.
The rose petals were scattered.
Behind a courtyard wall, a man was watching them from his study window on the second floor. He wore a finely crafted gray plaid shirt with a vest of the safe color. His tall figure resembled a god’s and his cold facial features were like a knife in the dim light.
He looked at the couple in the rose bushes and grabbed the window frame unknowingly.
Xiao Ling…
Are you going to move? To be with him? Are you going to move somewhere I can never see you again?
His heart shattered. Pei Ziheng only felt his heart throbbing and he almost could not bear it. His face turned pale and even his breathing stagnated. His eyes gradually became gloomy.
“Mister…” At the door, Nanny Zhou called him worriedly.
She already heard from the servant next door that Miss Ling would be moving out today and she was already pregnant. Very soon, her second child with Mr. Li would be born. Nanny Zhou looked at Mister with a distressed look. He really should not be wasting time on that woman!
As if he did not notice that Nanny Zhou was there, Pei Ziheng continued to look at them in silence.
He saw how that man gently put her hair behind her ear when the wind messed it up. She smiled, said something, and placed her hand gently on his lower abdomen.
Thus, that man also smiled and gently held her.
“She’s pregnant,” Pei Ziheng said with certainty.
Nanny Zhou’s heart skipped a beat. Who was the one with the sharp tongue? Mister must feel awful after hearing this news. She could not help but ask him, “Who told you that? It’s not…”
However, Pei Ziheng said, “I know.”
His voice was very dark but his tone was firm. He was familiar with her appearance and expression. He knew how happy she looked when she was pregnant—that look was irreplaceable.
She buried all of the things he gave her and was pregnant with another man’s child.
Pei Ziheng’s heart hurt even more and he slightly bent down.
Nanny Zhou said, “Mister, don’t look at them anymore. You have not hung up the overseas phone call yet and there are some people waiting for you to return to the conference call.” He was in a meeting when he heard the sound of a vehicle in the neighboring villa and immediately ditched the important directors to look silently at the scene.
Pei Ziheng lowered his voice. “Help me end the call.”
After that, there was a gust of wind. He looked as if he could not even withstand the small breeze. He suddenly held the wall and coughed. After coughing for a long time, he looked very out of breath. Nanny Zhou quickly rushed over to pat his back. He only slowly recovered after some time.
“Mister, how about you visit the hospital?” Nanny Zhou was heartbroken. “Recently, you’ve been coughing a lot and you look worn out. You can’t go on like this…”
However, he ignored Nanny Zhou and walked down the stairs step by step.
“Mister! Mister, where are you going?!” Nanny Zhou anxiously called and quickly chased after him.
In front of the villa.
Xia Ling was in Li Lei’s arms as she watched the chauffeur and servants move the boxes away. She was happy and lazy. However, inadvertently, she noticed a man walking out from his villa next door. He was wearing a gray plaid shirt that she gave him a long time ago. It was already very old and there were unwashable stains in the corners. However, he still cherished it and ironed it properly.
He walked towards them step by step.
Unknowingly, she escaped Li Lei’s arms and stood up straight.
Li Lei frowned but did not stop her. He only looked at Pei Ziheng with hostility. “What are you doing?”
Pei Ziheng ignored him and focused his gaze on Xia Ling. Sure enough, she looked like she was going to be a mother. There was a beautiful tranquility in her eyes. She was so beautiful. She lifted her head in the sunlight to look at him like the way she did when they first met many years ago. It was distant but moving.
He heart violently hurt again.
Chapter 932: Farewell and Take Care
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling was a little nervous.
She remembered the last time she saw him. In the dark study of his villa, he pressed her against his desk and forcefully ripped off her clothes… This man was a dangerous person. No matter where he was, she could never let her guard down. She looked at him with caution.
His voice was dry. “You’re leaving?”
She said, “I’m already married to Li Lei, so of course I have to move out. I also hope you find your other half soon.”
I hope you find your other half soon…
Her words were more painful to him than anyone else’s. The words were like a sharp knife that sliced his heart. Pei Ziheng lowered his head to look at her. “You are the only one I love.”
Li Lei looked uncomfortable. This man was seriously too arrogant. Did he think that her husband was dead?!
Xia Ling said, “The past is in the past. Farewell and take care.”
“Farewell and take care?” There was faint light in Pei Ziheng’s eyes. In the corner of his eye, he saw the servant hang the signboard which said “For Sale” on the flower vine.
“Sell your house to me.” He said.
This time, Xia Ling was not very happy. “Pei Ziheng, why are you still clinging on to the past? We were done a long time ago. You are handsome and have a successful career. There are many girls waiting to be picked by you. Forgetting me is good for you and for me.”
Pei Ziheng smiled lightly. “We are done? We will never be done.”
Xia Ling coldly said, “Please make way. Li Lei and I are about to enter the car.”
Pei Ziheng refused to give way. “What you owe me and what I owe you will never be paid in this lifetime.”
Xia Ling did not want to be entangled with him any longer. However, when he mentioned that she “owed” him, something flashed through her mind. These two days, when she was packing her items, she finally remembered what Pei Ziheng owed her! “Where’s my horse, Valiant Song?” She lifted her head and asked Pei Ziheng. “If you give Valiant Song back to me, I will sell this villa to you.”
This time, Pei Ziheng was slightly startled.
Xia Ling was a little anxious. “I give you my word.” Since he wanted the villa, he could have it. Even if she refused to sell it, he had countless ways to obtain the villa from her hands. It was better to use the villa to exchange for her loyal horse, Valiant Song…
Was it very old now? However, it was fine. She would take care of it well.
Pei Ziheng’s voice was dark. “Valiant Song? It’s dead.”
What?! Dead?!
“No, I don’t believe…” Xia Ling mumbled. “It’s a purebred horse and is from a noble bloodline. It was always healthy and logically speaking, it shouldn’t die so easily. Did you abuse it?!”
“Xiao Ling, in your heart, am I that sort of person?” Pei Ziheng sounded hurt.
Xia Ling stopped talking, but her eyes clearly said “yes.” Seeing the stalemate between the two, Li Lei stepped forward, took Xia Ling’s hand, and skillfully separated her from Pei Ziheng. “Let’s go, Xiao Ling. You just got pregnant and the doctor said that you have to rest well. Let’s talk about Valiant Song some other time.”
There was a sharp pain in Pei Ziheng’s heart again. She was really pregnant!
He looked very hurt, angry and betrayed. There was also some reluctance…
She did not dare to look at him again. Her heart was in a mess as she hurriedly got on the car with Li Lei.
The car slowly left.
During the ride, Xia Ling was in a bad mood. She leaned her head on Li Lei’s shoulder and looked at the city scenery outside the window without speaking. Li Lei gently hugged her. “Don’t worry. I will investigate what happened to Valiant Song. Perhaps it’s not really dead and Pei Ziheng just does not want to give it back to you.”
She whispered, “I feel restless.”
Li Lei kissed her. “I’m here.”
She looked at the scenery outside the window for a while and then slowly opened her mouth. “At that time when I reincarnated, I had no family, was targeted by Pei Ziheng, and was in so much debt. No one would acknowledge me and everyone bullied me. Even you, Li Lei… At the start, you treated me as a fling.”
She mumbled and told him about her past.
Li Lei was a little distressed. “I’m sorry.” At that time, he never loved any girl before and did not understand what love was. He mixed around with Jin Yifei and Du Yunfeng and changed women like he changed clothes, treating it as something normal. When he took interest in an ordinary girl, his first reaction was to treat her as a fling and not a girlfriend that he planned to marry. However, if he knew what was about to happen next, he would immediately take her to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a marriage certificate. Perhaps, there wouldn’t be so many twists and turns then.
Xia Ling’s butterfly-like eyebrows twitched. “Only Valiant Song recognized me at first glance. You don’t know how much comfort it gave me at that time… I only have myself to blame. Why didn’t I think of getting it back years ago? Li Lei, I’m really afraid that it’s really dead… I won’t be able to forgive myself in this life.”
As she spoke, tears gathered in her eyes.
Perhaps she became weaker after her pregnancy. Li Lei took care of her more gently. “Once we get home, I will investigate what happened to Valiant Song.”
“I will go with you.”
“No way. You’re pregnant.” Li Lei rejected her.
Xia Ling leaned over to look at him. “Li Lei, I have to do something for it. Regardless of whether it is alive, there has to be an explanation. Without clarifying it, I won’t feel at ease.”
Li Lei could not convince her otherwise and could only agree. “Ok, we’ll go together.”
The weather was good the next day.
The Pei Family’s private resort in the suburbs of the S City.
The Pei Family had lived in S City for generations, so the private resorts in the suburbs also had been used for generations. The land space was large, the environment was quiet, and no other family in S City could enter, even the Li Family.
Pei Ziheng looked at a horse in the stable.
Its whole body was red, its fur was smooth and velvety, and its body was strong. It had a pair of sharp eyes. Anyone who saw it would exclaim that it was a “good horse.” Unfortunately, this horse was crippled. No matter how hard it tried, it was obvious that its legs were unbalanced and could no longer run.
Pei Ziheng looked at it for a long time.
The sunlight scattered on its back, highlighting its cold look. No one knew what it was thinking.
This horse was beaten and crippled by him. That year, he did not know that “Ye Xingling” was the reincarnation of his beloved Xiao Ling. He hated how intimate Valiant Song was with another woman other than Xiao Ling. In anger, he broke its leg. However, now, the reality was that Valiant Song was right at that time. It recognized her at first sight.
This crippled leg seemed to mock him for his arrogance, stubbornness, and the way he continued to hurt his beloved woman again and again. Those were the reasons why he pushed his woman into the arms of someone else.
He looked at Valiant Song and his expression gradually turned dark.
Chapter 933: Valiant Song, Valiant Song
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Give me the gun.” He instructed Chu Chen, who was behind him.
These years, Chu Chen became the general manager of Imperial Entertainment and rose in power. However, no matter how powerful he was, in front of Pei Ziheng, he was as respectful as ever like when he had nothing at the start and begged Pei Ziheng for a future as a young man.
This was why Pei Ziheng still deeply trusted him after so many years.
He silently handed a clean pistol to Pei Ziheng and took two steps back.
Pei Ziheng lifted the gun and pointed it at the beautiful red horse.
“Mister!” Guessing what he was about to do, the servant who raised the horse looked at him pleadingly. Over the years, he developed a deep bond with Valiant Song and could not bear to see this beautiful and proud horse shot to death.
Pei Ziheng was unmoved and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Valiant Song’s body collapsed and fresh blood stained the soil.
Smoke rose from the muzzle. The barrel was hot and his palm was burning. Pei Ziheng looked at the dead horse not far away. In his heart, he apologized to Xiao Ling. He could not let her find out that it was crippled, so it had to die. However, he would create a beautiful tomb for her to visit it often.
In fact, as soon as she asked about the horse yesterday, he already decided to kill it. At first glance, it was obvious that its leg was crippled and there were many old wounds on its body from being whipped. How could he let Xiao Ling see those scars?
Death was the best way to bury these facts.
He dropped the gun and handed it back to Chu Chen.
In a low voice, Chu Chen said, “Boss.” His voice was alarming and strange.
Pei Ziheng turned around and realized that there were two more people on the grasslands. The young woman was wearing a long maternity dress and she looked at him incredulously. Her body looked like it was crumbling and she could not deal with the blow. If it weren’t for the support of the man next to her, she would have fallen down.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
“Xiao Ling.” His voice was dry and anxious.
When did she arrive? Were the workers in the villa all sleeping? Why did no one discover them and inform him?! A storm was brewing in Pei Ziheng’s heart. At this moment, he decided to punish the staff severely after this was over.
However, on the surface, he only said in a low voice, “Listen to me…”
However, Xia Ling did not listen to him at all. With Li Lei’s help, she staggered to Valiant Song’s side, knelt down slowly, and gently touched the horse’s beautiful cheeks with shaky hands. “Valiant Song…” Her tears rained down. She was the one who harmed it. If she did not suggest to get Valiant Song back yesterday, it would not have suffered such a tragic fate. She was unable to suppress her anguish.
“Xiao Ling.” Li Lei hugged her. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Think about your baby.”
However, she continued to cry. She stroked its elegant neck and cheeks. She felt the remaining warmth of its fur and realized the horrible old scars… “How could this be…” She murmured. Her fingers anxiously checked Valiant Song’s body. “When it was in Southern Mountain Racing Horse Club, it was still fine. Why did it suffer so many injuries in just a few short years?!” She continued to touch its hind legs and suddenly stopped.
Over there, was a trace of a broken bone. It was obvious that one leg was shorter than the other.
Li Lei also saw the old wounds. “It must’ve been broken by someone.” He said.
Xia Ling shook more viciously. It took a long time before she could force herself to stand up, lift her head, and interrogate Pei Ziheng. “Why did you abuse it and kill it?! It’s only a horse! Why can’t you let it go?!”
Pei Ziheng was silent and did not know how to reply.
Beside him, Chu Chen said, “Miss Ling, this horse was crippled by me. Boss has been spending the past few years trying to heal it, but he hasn’t been successful. He didn’t want to let it suffer any more pain, so he ended its life.” He appeared to be sincere and in grief when he looked at Xia Ling.
Xia Family shook her head. She laughed sadly and sarcastically. “Do you think I’m stupid? Oh, Chu Chen, you’re really a loyal dog! If you destroyed any of Pei Ziheng’s things, I believe that you wouldn’t even be standing here in one piece. I don’t believe you! You don’t need to cover for your master. I know that he was the one who personally harmed Valiant Song! Pei Ziheng, you bastard! You’re a savage!”
She looked Pei Ziheng in the eye when she said her last sentence.
Pei Ziheng was very tense. “Xiao Ling.”
After being caught red-handed, he really did not know how to defend himself. He only weakly said, “It’s only a horse. I’ll give you another horse.”
“That’s my horse!” She cried. She slowly knelt down beside Valiant Song again. The residual warmth of the horse gradually faded. Its body turned cold and her heart broke into pieces. “Valiant Song… Valiant Song…” She sobbed and called its name. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
If it did not have a lousy owner like her, it would still be roaming the fields with the other horses and attracting cheers from the people. It was so beautiful and was the proud queen of the Southern Mountain Club. Sadly, it ended up like this…
The more she cried, the more devastated became. Her whole body was leaning on the horse.
Li Lei was very anxious. “Xiao Ling! Calm down! If it’s in heaven now, it will definitely not want to see you so sad!” However, he could not persuade her to stop crying. He regretted bringing her to look for her horse and trespassing the Pei Family’s villa. If they visited normally, Pei Ziheng would have sufficient time to clean the corpse. Even if Xiao Ling did not find out Valiant Song’s wounds and death, it was better than her depressed state right now.
She was fragile during her pregnancy. Any small situation could make her heart soft.
As she cried, she hugged the horse’s neck and fainted.
“Xiao Ling!” Li Lei worriedly yelled and picked her up. “Prepare a room! Call for a doctor!”
Only then did Pei Ziheng finally return to reality and quickly looked for the family doctor.
After the family doctor examined Xia Ling, he had a serious expression. “Mrs. Li’s… I mean, Miss Ling’s condition is not very good. Due to overwhelming grief, there is a risk of abortion and she needs a lot of rest. I will give her an injection now.”
However, Li Lei stopped him. “I don’t trust you. You only have to monitor her exterior body and do the most basic care. You aren’t allowed to inject her with any drugs. The Li Family’s doctors and ambulance are already on the way, all you have to do is ensure that her condition will not deteriorate.”
Chapter 934: A Ruthless Name
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The doctor was caught in a fix. “Mr. Li, it’s difficult to stabilize the patient’s condition if we don’t inject her!”
Li Lei bent over and held Xia Ling’s hand, whispering to her, “Xiao Ling, hang in there, you’ll be fine.” He looked up at the doctor and a cold expression took over his face. “You have to stabilize her condition. If anything happens to her, I’ll bury you along!” He knew very well that Pei Ziheng wished for Xiao Ling to have a miscarriage, how could he trust the Pei family doctor?
The doctor was at a loss.
On the way here, Mr. Pei did give him instructions to get rid of that baby, but he also made it clear that he had to keep Miss Ling alive at all costs. If anything were to happen to Miss Ling, Mr. Pei would kill him first before Li Lei did!
The doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Regarding the injection, I think you should consider further…”
Pei Ziheng said to Li Lei, “This isn’t the time to be rash, let the doctor give her the injection.”
Li Lei’s eyes were almost like a wolf’s. He glared at Pei Ziheng. “Get out.”
Pei Ziheng said, “Li Lei, don’t you forget whose territory you’re on!”
Li Lei did not bother to let him go on. He swiftly whipped a gun out and shot Pei Ziheng on the leg! A patch of blood began spreading on Pei Ziheng’s pants as he stumbled to the floor. “Li Lei, you…”
Li Lei’s gun was still pointed at him steadily.
The doctor screamed in delayed fright. With that, Li Lei turned said in a cold voice, “Make sure Xiao Ling is treated. If anything happens to the mother or child, I’ll chop off your limbs. If both of them are affected, I’ll feed you to the sharks—don’t doubt my words, too many people have lost their lives in my hands, you wouldn’t make a difference.”
The doctor’s legs were shaking. He knew full well that the man before him wasn’t kidding.
Second Young Master Li was known to be ruthless since long ago, he was a true gang triad member! He took it in all seriousness! Looking at the pool of blood Pei Ziheng was in, the doctor picked up his apparatus with shaky hands. He no longer dared to mention the injection or medication and instead proceeded to use the least interfering methods of treating her.
He persevered at it for a long while.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
Finally, someone entered. “Boss, the Li family’s ambulance…” Chu Chen stopped mid-sentence, utterly shocked by the scene. He saw that Pei Ziheng’s leg was soaked in blood and his face was pale as a sheet. Meanwhile, Li Lei’s gun had been pointed steadily at his forehead the entire time.
“Boss!” Chu Chen yelled and knelt before his boss. “Are you alright? Hang in there! I’ll help you up to get treatment!”
Pei Ziheng grabbed his hand with whatever energy he could muster and said, “I’m fine… Xiao Ling…”
At a point like this, he was still concerned about her?!
Chu Chen was so mad he wanted to give Pei Ziheng a slap on the face to snap him back to his senses, but he dared not act on it. He turned around and glanced at Xia Ling before shifting his view to Li Lei. “Li Lei!” Chu Chen yelled, “If anything happens to Boss do you really think Ye Xingling won’t hold it against you?! Put the gun down, let me take him to receive treatment!”
Li Lei’s expression darkened, but he lowered his gun anyway.
“Xiao Ling…” Pei Ziheng refused to go.
Chu Chen suppressed his anger towards his boss. “Doctor, how’s Ye Xingling doing?”
“The patient’s condition has stabilized,” the doctor replied cautiously. “She’s out of the woods.”
Chu Chen said to Pei Ziheng, “Did you hear that? Ye Xingling is fine! The Li family’s ambulance is already here, she’ll be receiving the best possible treatment! And if anything happens to you, isn’t that too good a deal for Li Lei?! You’ve got to be healthy and strong, only then can you win her back!”
Li Lei was speechless and kept quiet.
Manager Chu, what a talent you have in comforting people!
Chu Chen couldn’t care less about offending Li Lei. He looked at Pei Ziheng worriedly and said, “Boss, let me take you to the doctor, alright? We can’t wait any longer!”
Only then did Pei Ziheng nod his head and stagger out the room with his help.
On the other side, the Li family’s paramedics wheeled the unconscious Xia Ling out.
They did not send Xia Ling home. Instead, they took her to the best mother and child hospital in the city—the same hospital that Xia Ling did her tests in when she was expecting Shaohui. In the VIP ward, the doctor said, “Fortunately, she was sent here in time. She just needs to rest and be placed under observation for a while.”
Li Lei could finally heave a sigh of relief.
One full day later, Xia Ling regained consciousness. What greeted her was the white ceiling and the plant by the windows dotted with little flowers. Every once in a while, an image flashed before her—Valiant Song lying in a pool of blood.
She trembled.
Li Lei, who was right by her bedside, realized that she was awake. “Xiao Ling?”
Seeing that she wasn’t saying a word, he looked at her concernedly and wrapped her in an embrace. He relaxed only when he sensed that her body temperature and breathing were fine and normal. Yet, the words he uttered sounded mean, “I really wanted to kill you.”
She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist.
He rested his head on hers and quietly said, “Do you know how worried I was? If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken you to see Valiant Song! Xiao Ling, this is an extraordinary period, if you or the child were to run into any trouble, I would never be able to forgive myself!” He got increasingly agitated as he said it.
Xia Ling hugged him even tighter. “I’m sorry.”
She did not know things would turn out this way too. Everything happened so fast, she wasn’t prepared either. Initially, she had thought that the worst-case scenario would be seeing Valiant Song’s grave, or Pei Ziheng refusing to let her take Valiant Song away. She never would’ve expected to witness such a bloody scene before her, involving that beautiful horse…
It was gone with a bang.
Tears began streaming down her face.
Li Lei felt her crying instantly and hurriedly held her face in his hands. “Xiao Ling, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to be fierce at you. I’m sorry, don’t get upset…”
She shook her head and choked on her tears as she held him.
It took a while before she finally composed herself and asked, “Valiant Song… what happened after that?”
Li Lei was a little disappointed. “Why aren’t you asking if our baby’s fine?”
Only then did Xia Ling give him a fleeting smile. “The baby’s fine, I know that.” As they say, mother and child always had an indescribable bond. She just knew that her baby was fine, and maybe telepathy was the only explanation.
Chapter 935: A Thousand Paper Cranes
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Lei smiled too. “Yup, our baby’s fine. The doctor said he’s healthy.”
He then went on to tell her about Valiant Song. “It left without too much pain. It took just one shot to kill it, and that’s probably the only little comfort anyone can take in this tragedy. I brought its ashes and bones back; I plan to bury it in the headquarters, in a spot where our home can be seen. That way, it will be by your side forever. Oh, I’m also thinking of bringing Xiao Lei from the Southern Mountains Equestrian Club over to the headquarters. It shall roam around in the vicinity of Valiant Song’s grave, and they can be each other’s company in some sense. There’s Er Mao, Hairball, and not to forget Shaohui and Xiao Rui, our home will be full of life.”
He tried his best to brush over Valiant Song’s death and focus on the good stuff instead.
Xia Ling hugged him for a while more. She was still upset, but that was inevitable—Valiant Song was like her child; back then, she had bred it personally, saw it be born, and fetched it home in a private jet from the UK. At that time, it was such an adorable little horse… and now, its life ended in such tragedy.
Li Lei seemed to read her mind. “Don’t be too sad. You’re expecting a little baby, if you’re sad, the baby will be sad too. Valiant Song wouldn’t want to know that you’re affecting the baby because of it.” With that, he planted a kiss on her forehead.
She nodded and tried to compose herself.
Li Lei accompanied her for a long while and only left after dinner. There were a lot of urgent matters he had to handle.
Xia Ling tossed and turned in bed. Each time she closed her eyes, she heard the “bang” once again, and relived the scene where Valiant Song fell to the ground. She wanted to run forward, but was stopped by Li Lei. She could hear herself scream “Valiant Song!” before seeing Pei Ziheng turn around expressionlessly.
Her mind was in a mess.
She dared not shut her eyes anymore. Instead, she sat up with the blanket over her knees and stared out the window.
It was silent in the night, and the early fall breeze cooled the air. She was in a daze for a while, until her cellphone on the bedside cabinet rang. As she reached out for it, she saw that on the screen were the words “Pei Ziheng”.
It was late, what could he be calling for?
She looked at his number quietly but did not pick up.
The ringing went on and on, filling the room with a strange kind of sadness.
Did he want to apologize? He used to do that a lot, apologizing and coaxing her after he had done something wrong. But he never truly reflected on his mistakes and always committed them again.
He never really cared about her feelings.
All he cared about was himself, and an obedient plaything.
She looked at the blinking screen and finally decided to press the “decline” button, before adding his contact to the blacklist. From then on, she wasn’t going to receive phone calls from him again. It would be a clean break.
She looked up at the starry sky and took in all its beauty.
She was hospitalized for a while more until her condition stabilized and the doctor said the baby was healthy. She thanked the doctor, left the hospital, and went to live in the house on Cumulolake Isles that she and Li Lei had bought for their wedding.
Li Lei was extremely busy recently, having piled up a lot of backlog during his extended honeymoon trip. Xia Ling told him she didn’t need his company all the time, and that she had her own matters to handle as well, both at Phoenix Down Corporation and in preparation of moving to the headquarters. Hence, both of them got to their own businesses—she woke up each morning, washed up, and took her time to head to Phoenix Down. While she was carefree and relaxed, there was order in the things she did, and she managed to be productive without tiring herself out.
But days like these didn’t last very long.
One fine day, as Xia Ling was brewing some floral tea in her office as she looked through the unfinished compositions, someone knocked on the door. It was Lin Yunan, and he brought another person along—Chu Chen. “He insists on seeing you.” Lin Yunan scratched his head in some frustration. “There was no way I could stop him, it’s as if he’s on steroids.”
Xia Ling put her work down and looked at Chu Chen. “I’ve got nothing to do with your master anymore.”
Chu Chen said, “Just one last thing.”
Xia Ling said, “There’s no such thing.”
She was about to call for the security officers, but Chu Chen had already walked into the office and placed a huge box before her. “Miss Ling, this is from Boss, please take a look.”
The box was exquisite—a deep violet kraft paper was used, and the box was embellished with silver hasps. It looked almost like the beautiful night sky she had stared into.
Was he sending her a gift because he couldn’t get through on the phone?
That man was always trying means and ways to make her happy.
“I’m already Mrs. Li,” Xia Ling was unwavered and refused to lay her fingers on the exquisite box. She looked coldly at Chu Chen. “Take it away, I don’t want anything from your boss.”
Chu Chen did not move. “This really is the last time, please accept it.”
There was a hint of helpless plea in his voice which shocked Xia Ling. When did the assertive Chu Chen become so mild and meek? Even so, she did not want to give Pei Ziheng’s lackey a chance. “Get out.”
Chu Chen said, “Boss has been nice to you, please don’t reject his kindness.”
“Lin Yunan, get him out!” Xia Ling was getting angry.
Chu Chen was being dragged out of the room by the arm, but he did not give up. “Miss Ling, please at least take a look! It’s just a gift, and Boss made it himself! I’ve already passed through security when I came, the gift is definitely safe!”
“You think I’m afraid?” Frustration surged inside Xia Ling, and she became harsher with her words. “Chu Chen, let me tell you, I don’t want your Boss’s trash, you can keep it for yourself if you like! Otherwise, just hand it to any beggar on the streets, there are tons of people looking up to your master anyway!”
Chu Chen was getting angry too. “Ye Xingling, don’t go overboard!”
“Who’s going overboard now?!” Ye Xingling sneered. “Back then when Pei Ziheng split Li Lei and me apart, was that not going overboard?! When he tried to kill my Shaohui, was that not going overboard?! When he killed Valiant Song, was that not overboard?! So what’s wrong with me throwing just one of his gifts away!”
She reached out, grabbed the box, and hurled it on the ground. “Get out! Don’t bother me with his trash!”
The box tumbled on the ground before opening up. The contents spilled onto the ground—a thousand colorful paper cranes. Xia Ling stared at the array of colors, completely stunned.
A thousand paper cranes?
In both lifetimes, the only gifts he had ever given her were flowers, jewellery, clothes, bags and title deeds. He gave her whatever was valuable on the market, and never had new ideas to express his feelings. But when did this change? When did he start thinking in a girl’s point of view, and giving paper cranes instead?
Chapter 936: Boss Is in Trouble
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
It was a full box.
The contents were all over the ground.
Lin Yunan was stunned as well. He even stopped in his tracks and forgot to drag Chu Chen out. What was going on, these capable and successful chairman and manager came all the way from Imperial Entertainment to Phoenix Down Corporation, passed through all the levels of security and subjected themselves to such humiliation, just to send a box of paper cranes?!
This must be… the most expensive delivery in history?
The cost of the delivery was more expensive than the item to be delivered!
Lin Yunan was confused. Was Imperial Entertainment… not in the right mind?
Chu Chen was fuming. “Ye Xingling, do you have to be this angry? Boss folded each and every one of the paper cranes on his own. He has been missing you all this time.”
“I should be thanking him then!” Xia Ling was furious. At a time like this, Pei Ziheng was still acting all saint-like to disgust others?! She scoffed. “Chu Chen, you’ve been his lackey for so many years, you’re really willing to speak up for him anytime. But what a pity, I’m no longer the child who’s infinitely grateful for his one act of kindness anymore! He misses me? If he really did miss me, he wouldn’t have done so many horrible things! Chu Chen, you’d better pick up all this trash and leave! The both of you will get your retribution!”
She still had not released her anger. She stepped onto the paper cranes and exerted force until they were deformed under her heels.
Chu Chen rose his voice. “Ye Xingling! Don’t be too much!”
Xia Ling looked into his eyes so calmly that he was slightly stunned. She smiled. “Too much? Chu Chen, I didn’t even know you were the sort to get angry, nor did I know that you even knew what ‘too much’ meant. Tell me, what’s the mission your master gave you today—” She walked on the paper cranes and arrived before him. “Was it for you to make me change my mind and return to him? I’m sorry, I’ll have to disappoint you. Are you going to be punished because of this? Is that why you’re so agitated? Let me offer you some advice, don’t work with that beast anymore, you’ll get your retribution if you continue to stay by him!”
Chu Chen glared at her like a predator. If not for Lin Yunan holding him back, he would’ve pounced onto Xia Ling and given her tight slaps on the face.”You’re the one who will get retribution. Ye Xingling!”
But this time, Xia Ling kept quiet. Her eyes shifted to the space behind him.
There was silence.
Behind him, by the sturdy door, was Pei Ziheng. He was bent over slightly against the sunlight, and his expression was barely visible.
“Boss…” Chu Chen turned around and looked at Pei Ziheng.
Pei Ziheng looked quietly at Xia Ling. They stood on two sides of a door but appeared to be standing in two different worlds.
“Boss, that’s not what it looks like!” Chu Chen was getting flustered as he tried to explain things. “Miss Ling didn’t mean to say that about you. I offended her, that’s why she’s taking it out on you…”
But Xia Ling said, “Pei Ziheng, I actually do mean to say that about you, so what? I don’t know what Chu Chen is doing, taking all the blame on himself, but let me make things clear to you now. I meant every word I said!” She tipped her chin up and looked at him. “No matter how much trash you give me, I won’t forgive you. I remember everything you owe me! In this life, no, in all the lives to come, the thing I regret most is knowing you!” With that, she opened the other door and walked out.
It was fall.
In the suspended garden of the building, the sunlight was abundant, but the air was chilly.
Xia Ling placed her hand on the railing and looked down at her employees hustling, but the image of Pei Ziheng still haunted her mind. She seemed to have seen his expression, but not quite. The scene of his slightly slouched back, his unreadable expression, and her own feet stepping on the paper cranes repeatedly were all jumbled up, and they actually made her feel a little… bad.
What was there to feel bad about? Xia Ling, haven’t you stopped caring about him a long time ago?
She looked down and asked herself, so what if he folded all of those paper cranes on his own? So what if you hurt him? Hasn’t he hurt you countless times before?!
She forced herself to look up and face the hazy sun of fall.
Behind her, footsteps approached.
She turned around and saw that it was Chu Chen. He was still in a prim suit, but his expression was solemn.
She really disliked seeing him. “Why haven’t you left?!”
Chu Chen looked at her with a tinge of disgust on his serious expression. “There’s something that Boss told me never to tell you about. But I feel that you have the need to know.”
“I don’t want to know.”
“Boss has cancer.”
W-What?!
Pei Ziheng has cancer?!
Those words seemed to explode beside her ears. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. “What did you say? Can you say it again?”
Chu Chen still seemed annoyed at her. He looked at her coldly and added, “Ye Xingling, you keep saying that I’m just like a dog that follows Boss wherever he goes, but even a dog develops feelings after a while. What about you? You’re inferior even to a dog!”
She shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to fight back at all as her head was in a mess. It felt almost like a dream.
Impossible…
Pei Ziheng was so big and strong, he was insurmountable, how could he possibly be down with such a horrifying terminal disease?
She asked softly, “You’re kidding, right? You’re just trying to lie to me.”
“Why would I lie to you over something like this?” This time, it was Chu Chen who sneered. “Unless his life is no more than a joke to you?”
She continued shaking her head in disbelief.
For the longest time, Pei Ziheng had been a respectable god-like figure in her heart. He was just like a mountain, sturdy and strong. She never would’ve thought that an unconquerable mountain could collapse one day too…
Into shambles.
An inexplicable fear choked her. She staggered to regain her footing, pushed Chu Chen aside and went to look for Pei Ziheng to clarify things.
That man was still in her office.
The early fall sun rays filled the room, reflecting off the paper cranes scattered all over. He was squatting in the middle of this “wasteland”, trying his best to smoothen out all the traces that she had stepped on them. His movements were slow and almost unnoticeable, and his back was still bent over.
Xia Ling had never noticed that he had his moments of sadness and loneliness too.
She stopped at the door and did not have the guts to step forward.
Pei Ziheng had his back facing her. He coughed occasionally while trying to erase the footprints on the paper cranes, and that hollow sound echoed through the quiet room.
Chapter 937: Sad Lungs
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling had never noticed before, when did he start coughing?
She started recalling the day she shifted into her new home and how he had already been coughing slightly in between his words.
Her heart sank. Was Chu Chen telling the truth about his terminal illness? Watching the man as he picked up the paper cranes off the ground, she wanted so much to dash forward and clarify her doubts. But she was afraid, what if it really was the truth? What was she to do? Eventually, she just stood by the door as her mind spun.
Pei Ziheng picked up each and every piece and smoothed the folds out before placing them back in the slightly damaged box. Thereafter, he clasped the hasps carefully, tried to salvage the damage on the surface, and then used his sleeves to wipe the dirt off.
Xia Ling felt her nose scrunch up a little. He had always been someone so particular about his image and had never been willing to stoop to the level of cleaning something with his pristine sleeves.
A while later when he was finally done dusting the box, he stood up and saw her. He was a little stunned.
He had not had the time to hide his fatigue and sadness and hence, tried to force a smile out, which turned out a little awkward. “Xiao Ling.” His voice was a little hoarse, but that did not conceal his pleasant surprise.
She could not keep it in any longer. “Pei Ziheng! Don’t even think that you can use Chu Chen to lie to me, coming up with those absurd stories to win me back!”
He was a little confused. “What?”
She yelled at him, “You’re still pretending! Chu Chen said you have cancer! What a joke, you’re so strong, how could you possibly be down with that illness?! Can’t you think of a better lie?!”
He looked downwards and tried to hide his expression.
A while later, he said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten Chu Chen to lie to you.”
Her heart sank to the pits. Having spent 20-odd years with him over two lifetimes, she knew him all too well. She knew that if he had really been lying to her, he wouldn’t be admitting it so readily. “It’s true, isn’t it?” Her voice trembled.
But Pei Ziheng said, “I was lying to you.”
“Then what did you call me for the other night?”
He kept quiet, knowing exactly which night she was referring to—that day, she had witnessed Valiant Song’s tragic death and passed out from it. While she was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, he had been shot by Li Lei. Chu Chen sent him to the hospital for treatment, and he underwent a full body checkup…
That was the night he was diagnosed with the terminal illness…
He held onto the report and had a hard time trying to fall asleep in the luxurious single ward. Scrolling through his contacts list, he realized that there was no one he could turn to. Before he knew it, he was already dialing her number, but his call was declined.
His expression was ashen.
Xia Ling composed herself. “What sort of cancer?”
Pei Ziheng took a long pause before saying, “Lung cancer.”
“Show me the report.” She wished it was a dream.
“Xiao Ling…”Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
“Show it to me!” She yelled, unable to suppress her emotions. “Pei Ziheng, you monster, maniac, devil, beast! It’s bad enough that you’re torturing others, why can’t you let yourself off?! You’re already so ill and you should be lying in a hospital bed, why did you come all the way to look for me?! Do you want to die even earlier?! Pei Ziheng, this is all a result of your own doing!”
With each word she scolded, he looked more dismal than before.
Xia Ling lost all rationality and went forward to grab him by the collar. “You beast! Haven’t you hurt me enough all these years?! And now you’re still manipulating me?! Finally… finally, Li Lei and I are about to live blissfully… we’ve got so many children, our own life… awaiting the arrival of our baby… b-but you… you actually fell ill… how could you?”
She choked on her words and her voice got weaker as she spoke.
Pei Ziheng looked even more forlorn than before. He looked at her helplessly.
“Pei Ziheng…” she cried while grabbing tightly onto his collar, barely able to stand. “You’re so mean, but why, why can’t I get over you… if anything were to happen to you, h-how am I supposed to live in bliss peacefully…?”
Her voice got increasingly hoarse as her grip loosened.
He did not expect her to utter such words and reached out to embrace her. “Xiao Ling, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” He repeated it over and over despite her struggles.
That day, Xia Ling followed him home and went through the report.
Nanny Zhou was wiping her tears by the side while telling her, “Miss Ling, you don’t know how sad Mister has been all these years… Ever since you left, he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep. He often wakes up in the middle of the night thinking that you’re still around, and he’d ask me, ‘Where’s Xiao Ling?’ In order not to think about you, Mister spent all his time at work, but how could he possibly stop missing you? He kept it all in his heart… Slowly, he began coughing, but he still refused to see the doctor…” Nanny Zhou sobbed. “The other day, Mr. Chu finally got him to take a test, and the doctor said it was sad lungs…”
The elderly nanny was crying very hard.
Xia Ling was holding in her tears too. She read through the entire report in one sitting: cancer, late-stage, and all sorts of medical terms she vaguely remembered including “metastasis”, “radiotherapy” and the like…
Xia Ling felt herself go weak. She had no idea what to do, it was almost as if her world was crumbling. In fact, she was gripped with more fear now than when she saw Li Lei fall off the cliff. Because she knew that if anything were to happen to Li Lei, she could die with him in the name of love. But what if Pei Ziheng was the one?
He was her god, her sky, her undying mentor, father, senior…
And the love and hate of two lifetimes.
She used to think that he was indestructible, that he could stand tall even if a calamity were to befall him. Only now did she realize that he was a man of flesh and blood, a man who would age and die too. Maybe a turning point in life was all it took for him to leave this world for good…
She did not know how she ended up at home.
Li Lei completed his tasks early that day and was preparing some delicacies at home while waiting for her return. He saw how she looked and got a shock. “Xiao Ling, what happened to you?!”
She shook her head and murmured, “Pei Ziheng is ill.”
Li Lei frowned. “A serious illness?” He understood his lady. If it was just any ordinary illness, she wouldn’t be acting like this.
As he expected, she said ever so softly, “Cancer.”
She curled up on the sofa and hugged her knees. She asked, neither to herself nor to Li Lei in particular, “If he dies, what’s to happen?” Although she had a family now, her parents, husband, and adorable children, nobody could ever replace him in her heart…
As much as she hated him…
He would always be the one who got her out of the orphanage, the one who raised her.
Chapter 938: Entrust
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Lei sat down next to her. “Everyone has their own lives.”
He was silent for a while before adding, “No matter what happens, I will always be by your side.”
Xia Ling looked down for a long time, then looked at Li Lei a little pleadingly. “Can we return to Headquarters a little later? I… I want to spend more time with him… Maybe… it’s the last time…”
Her voice gradually lowered as she controlled her emotions.
Li Lei held onto her. “Okay. But you have to promise me, you will take good care of yourself and the baby in your belly. You are not to leave the bodyguard by even a step, and you are not allowed to go anywhere dangerous, okay?”
Rather than letting her be shackled in guilt for her whole life over Pei Ziheng, it would be better to get it over with once and for all, to let her accompany him on his last journey. Maybe then, she could put it down completely.
“Thank you.” Xia Ling said softly.
Li Lei stayed by her side for longer, until she was fast asleep in his arms. He stared after her sleeping face for a long time, gently kissing her eyebrows that resembled the shape of butterfly wings. He then carried her back to the bedroom bed and came out by himself.
He then went to find Pei Ziheng.
In the Chairman’s office, the man was just as majestic as ever, with no sign of his illness at all. He stared seriously at Li Lei and said, “I’m very busy. I don’t have time to talk nonsense with you.”
“You are indeed very busy,” Li Lei said deliberately. “You can still do so many things while sick, and even have the energy to go harass someone else’s wife. Who else in this world could be busier than you?”
Pei Ziheng’s pupils seemed to contract. “Xiao Ling told you?”
“I don’t like you calling her Xiao Ling, that’s not for you to call.” Li Lei did not bother being courteous with him. “Pei Ziheng, Xiao Ling said that she’ll stay in the country to accompany you, and I have agreed. But I don’t want her facing any harm. If you dare to do anything that endangers her, I swear, after you’re dead, the whole Pei family is coming to join your burial.”
The two men were fully aware that Pei Ziheng was Imperior Entertainment’s sole owner, the core, and if he were to die, there was no other heir that was capable enough to even strike a balance with Li Lei. He was even young, too young to have time to truly pick and cultivate an heir. His illness came too sudden, and the Pei family’s transfer of the heir was broken.
Under these circumstances, it was more than easy for Li Lei to do anything to the Pei family.
Pei Ziheng’s expression was grave. “Maybe before I die, I should get rid of you first.”
Ling Lei smiled carelessly and said, “You’re welcomed to do that anytime.” They both knew how difficult it would be to defeat a big company like Skyart. It was not simply a one-off effort and was impossible in even ten years, let alone a few years.
Pei Ziheng did not speak, and he glared at Li Lei for a long time, his glare as dangerous as a menacing tiger’s.
Li Lei said, “Why don’t we make a deal? You make sure Xiao Ling stays safe, and after you die, I will make sure the Pei family stays safe as well. And if you make Xiao Ling forget you, I can even support the Pei family financially to tide over these difficult months.”
“Xiao Ling will not forget me,” Pei Ziheng said with conviction.
“You know what? That is what makes you most detestable,” Ling Lei said.
Pei Ziheng gave a rare smile. “Why? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? So what if you married her? Don’t forget, when she was at the orphanage, the one that she always worshipped at first sight was me, and it will always be me!”
Li Lei really wanted to hit him.
The urge was almost impossible to control, ah, the power of the wild.
He flexed his fingers instinctively, wondering if a patient could be beaten to death directly if he hit him ruthlessly. Opposite, Pei Ziheng slowly removed his suit coat, ready to beat him at any time.
“… Forget it.” Li Lei put down his fists eventually. “I don’t pick fights with someone about to die.” He was not going to take the bait. Now that Pei Ziheng was terminally ridden, hitting someone else would be useless, and even Xiao Ling would not bear to say anything harsh to him. However, what if Li Lei were to hit Pei Ziheng? Xiao Ling would probably never forgive him.
Li Lei was resentful.
Pei Ziheng also kept his fighting stance.
He looked at Li Lei and said, “I will not hurt Xiao Ling, and I can even persuade her to live well with you for the rest of your days. But after I die, you are not to touch the Pei family, and when they face any difficulties, you are to reach out and help. Do you agree to these conditions?”
“You sure are greedy.” Li Lei grumbled.
“How is this considered greedy?” Pei Ziheng retorted. “You want the person you cherish most to stay safe, and I want the family I cherish most to be safe—an even transaction, fair and reasonable.”
“It sure is fair and reasonable.” Li Lei smiled. “With you saying it like that, it does sound just a tad reasonable. No wonder you were able to inherit the whole family at a dangerous time at just the age of 16… Pei Ziheng, if we weren’t love rivals I would actually love to be friends with you. I promise you for the conditions you mentioned.”
The man’s deep eyes also showed some gentleness. “Thank you.”
Li Lei kept his gleeful expression and reached out his hand. “A gentleman’s word.”
Pei Ziheng also reached out his own hand formally, grabbing Li Lei’s in a handshake. “A gentleman’s word.”
One woman, one family, their fate had been sealed with a handshake between these two men. They were not worried about the other party going back on their words because, to a certain extent, they were the same kind of people, carrying heavy responsibilities on their shoulders, with things they needed to guard in the depths of their hearts. Hence, they had nothing to lose…
Pei Ziheng gestured for Li Lei to leave with his eyes.
Turns out that that man only came to get him to treat Xiao Ling well.
If he really had no choice but to die, then leaving Xiao Ling’s future in the hands of a man like Li Lei was undoubtedly the best choice. Suddenly, he felt his chest contract and Pei Ziheng started coughing fiercely…
Xia Ling had no idea about the alliance that the two men had just come up with.
She was putting even more effort than before in taking care of her baby, since her child was going to be running between her new house and the Pei family’s for quite a while… She had put on some light makeup, brought her bodyguard, and was sitting on the nanny’s car to the villa to find Pei Ziheng.
Nanny Zhou opened the door and looked at her with low eyebrows. “Miss Ling, Mister isn’t here, please go back.”
Xia Ling asked, “Where did he go? I was just at the hospital, and the doctor said that he’d already gone home, so why is he not back yet?” Her words showed her worry and anxiety.
Nanny Zhou shook her head. “He probably went to the office to hold a meeting.”
“Then I’ll go find him there,” Xia Ling said, thanking Nanny Zhou and leaving towards the company.
Nanny Zhou’s expression revealed a hint of concern. “Miss Ling, Mister’s illness cannot be known to the public, and the whole Pei family still do not know. You finding him at the company with no reason is just too attention-grabbing, please don’t give him any trouble.”
Chapter 939: Fresh Youth
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling was a little shocked. She had never thought that finding him would bring him trouble.
“Then…” Feeling a little upset, she asked Nanny Zhou, “How has he been? How’s his energy, has he been eating his medicine on time and sleeping?”
Nanny Zhou told her one by one.
Xia Ling said, “I’ve been calling him these past few days, why has he not been picking up?”
Nanny Zhou said, “Electronic projects have radiation, the doctor instructed Mister not to use them. If you have anything you want to say just tell me, I will help you convey them to him.”
Xia Ling thought it over and found it made sense, so she instructed Nanny Zhou. “You have to take good care of him. I heard that the Wei family has a cure for cancer, but I’ve been blocked every time I went. Please tell him the news, maybe there’s still a chance to live…” She knew that the chances were slim, but it was just like a dying person grabbing desperately onto the last life-saving straw. If it was possible, then it was worth a try.
Nanny Zhou’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“It should be true.” Xia Ling was not so sure herself. “Wei Shaoyin was the one who told me, saying that the family had discovered a cure long ago. But the effectiveness is not very stable, an estimated… one in a thousand chance of recovering. Furthermore, the ingredients are very rare. Also, there’s no use finding other people for it, we can only find Wei Lingnan.”
Unfortunately, Wei Lingnan was avoiding her, and even Wei Shaoyin could not come up with an idea.
Nanny Zhou was full of gratefulness. “Thank you. No matter what, news is better than no news at all. I will make sure that Mister hears about this. If he recovers, you will be his life savior!”
Xia Ling gave a few more instructions, looked up to look at the villa, then left.
The nanny car drove further away slowly.
Behind the second floor’s curtains, a man was staring outside the window, his expression slowly becoming solemn. The dimly lit table lamp shone like a bean, casting his originally tall figure against the rosewood bookshelf and grey-washed wall. It stretched and bent into a weird shape, making it look like the figure of an old man.
His face was haggard, his eyes weak.
Nanny Zhou softly walked to the door. “Mister, Miss Ling has left.”
He nodded. “Very good. Bring me the documents that Chu Chen brought over, and prepare a video conference at five.”
Nanny Zhou could not bear it. “Mister, you have been handling your business these past few days, your body will not be able to take it! Why are you avoiding Miss Ling? With her around, she can convince you!”
Pei Ziheng shook his head, and said with a stronger tone, “Go move the documents.”
Why would he not want Xia Ling’s company? Why would he not want her by his side to comfort him, accompanying him in his life’s final months? The thing was, he couldn’t. He could not let Xiao Ling see him in such a feeble state, just like a wilting towering tree. He was her God, her sky, her faith, and her dependence…
If he was going to leave this world, let it be of him as a strong man in her memories.
And not this sickly, fragile man who coughed with every few words.
He was deliberately avoiding her, not picking up her calls, not seeing her, just because he did not dare to meet her.
Nanny Zhou stared after him with tears in her eyes. “Mister, you have to at least take care of your body! Miss Ling just told me that the Wei family has a cure that could possibly cure your illness! How about we go beg the Wei family?”
“There is no ‘beg’ word in my Pei Ziheng’s dictionary,” he said.
If the prescription was easy to get, Xiao Ling would already have given it to him. If even her “Xia family’s Phoenix” background could not get it, then why should he waste his time trying? He would much rather use the energy to settle his family’s work, choose the next heir, and ensure a balance of power at the exchange.
With a plethora of things to handle, where would he get the energy to ponder over his illness?
Pei Ziheng went back to focus on his documents.
After Xia Ling went to find him a few times, she slowly regained her logic, and one day, she went to the villa again, holding onto Nanny Zhou and asking, “Is he avoiding me deliberately?”
Nanny Zhou finally exploded. “Miss Ling, please go persuade him! Mister has been tiring himself out these days! He would not listen to the doctor’s word, nor Mister Chu’s words! The only person who can persuade him is you!” She intermittently complained about how hard Pei Ziheng had been working, crushing his own limit. Even normal people would not be able to withstand such high work intensity, much less a sick person!
Nanny Zhou got down onto her knees. “Miss Ling, I beg you, please save Mister!”
Xia Ling listened with her heart in her throat. She had not imagined that the situation would have gotten this severe. She asked Nanny Zhou anxiously, “Where is Pei Ziheng now? I want to find him!”
Nanny Zhou wrote up a hospital address for her and said, “Mister has been working overnight these past few days. Yesterday, he suddenly coughed up blood and was sent to the hospital by an ambulance. His condition has just stabilized a little.”
As she continued talking, tears started to fall.
Xia Ling could not concern herself with comforting her. She rushed towards the nanny car and ordered the driver to head towards the hospital.
The hospital was very remote, and was not owned by the Pei family. Even the dignitaries were rarely seen. On the top floor of the hospital, even the VIP room’s conditions were much worse than those of big hospitals’. The floor in the dimly lit corridor was old and broken, and the floorboards squeaked when stepped on.
If not for the two familiar bodyguards standing in front of the hospital door, Xia Ling would have suspected that she had gone to the wrong place.
The bodyguard tried to stop her. “Miss Ling, Mister has ordered us to not let anyone disturb him.”
Xia Ling glared fiercely at them. “Is it the first day you know me? Don’t you know I have special privileges?” With that, she rushed inside without waiting for the bodyguards’ response.
The room was dead quiet.
Aside from Pei Ziheng lying on the hospital bed, beside the bed stood a fresh young man.
The young man wore a steel grey suit, and his eyebrows were slightly sharp, just like him. The two of them were talking, and they froze when they saw her come in. Pei Ziheng’s expression held a hint of surprise, and also an incomprehensible weariness. “Xiao Ling, why have you come?”
Xia Ling stared at him.
He did indeed look very feeble, having lost a ton of weight and seemingly lost his shape.
She could not help but think of the person in her memories that year in the orphanage full of blooming irises. She’d looked up at the broken glass of the principal’s office on the second floor, and that guy… tall and handsome, like a God.
How did he become like this?
Her nose soured, and she almost cried out.
Pei Ziheng also felt a little awkward, so he changed the topic and introduced to her. “Xiao Ling, this is Pei Xiu, Imperial Film’s CEO. He just came back from studying in Germany.”
Imperial Film was Imperial Entertainment’s parent-son company. This Pei Xiu was considered Pei Ziheng’s direct subordinate, and his position was very high. Hearing the introduction, Xia Ling was shocked at his youthfulness. But thinking about it, when Pei Ziheng inherited the whole Imperial Entertainment urgently, he was even younger, but of 16 years old, so it was not strange at all.
Chapter 940: You Are Not Allowed to Die
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling gave him a slight signal to show her friendship.
He was born very good looking. Certainly, the Pei family were all very good looking. This kind of beauty was not the same as Xia Ling’s stunning looks in the last life, but a delicate and almost introverted feeling. If you looked at it carefully, you would realize that every angle was perfect and flawless. That was the genes that could only be possessed by superior families after generations of survival of the fittest.
However, Xia Ling did not put much thought into the handsome young man. She still glared furiously at Pei Ziheng. “Why are you hiding from me?!”
Pei Ziheng did not answer, he only said to Pei Xiu, “You go out first.”
Wearing his steel grey suit, the young man gave him a bow and went out.
The slightly broken old hospital room door closed, and Pei Ziheng asked Xia Ling, “What do you think about him?”
Xia Ling frowned. “What do you mean?”
However, Pei Ziheng changed the topic casually. “Today’s weather is not bad, I went to take a walk in the little garden in the afternoon, and daisies were blooming. I remember there was a year you plucked many daisies to make tea, and almost drowned the whole kitchen. In the end, Nanny Zhou had to clean for a really long time before it went back to normal.”
Reminiscing, his solemn face was replaced by a hint of a smile.
Xia Ling’s heart, however, was floating in a haze. “Pei Ziheng, why are you living inside such a remote and unappealing hospital? Why have you called Pei Xiu here? You… You are arranging things, aren’t you?”
He said with a low tone, “No, don’t overthink.”
“You’re lying!” Xia Ling was furious. “Your illness was supposed to be a secret! Chu Chen and Nanny Zhou told me again and again not to leak it! Even the phoenixes don’t know, but you? You’re meeting Pei Xiu in a hospital room! Pei Ziheng… you’re arranging a successor, right?”
He was shocked, his expression revealing slight surprise and a hint of unnoticeable sadness. “Silly girl, after two generations you’ve grown all big, yet why are you still thinking so much?”
Her nose soured. The reason why she was not sensitive to the past things was because of the presence of him and Li Lei, so there was no reason for her to worry. Furthermore, she did not care about power and authority. However, it was different now. The matter involved his death, and even a slight blow of the wind could activate her sensitivity.
She walked towards the bed step by step, half knelt down and grabbed hold of his ice-cold hands.
“You’re not allowed to find a successor, not allowed to die.”
He stared after her, his gaze warm. “Okay, I won’t die.”
“Swear!”
“I swear.”
She looked at him doubtfully. “You swore too easily, swear it again.”
He smiled fondly, and time seemed to return to many years ago. She returned to being the wilful little girl in his memory, and him, he was still her God, her eternal hero and mountain of support. Pei Ziheng reached out his hand, gently helping her to tuck the pieces of stray hair behind her ear and said softly, “I swear, I won’t die. If I break this oath, then call me… call Xiao Ling to live to a hundred years, blissful for her entire life.”Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
“Pei Ziheng! You!” She could not hold it in anymore and exploded in tears.
What kind of oath was this?! What kind of a bullshit oath?!
“It doesn’t count! Not counted!” She hit him with her hands, crying out. “You rogue! You liar! You only made this oath to make fun of me! Pei Ziheng… Pei Ziheng…”
She cried so hard that her energy was not enough.
Pei Ziheng stared at her longingly, the corners of his eyes tearing up too. Carefully, he brought her into his embrace. “Xiao Ling…” His voice was soft and gentle. “I’m sorry I can’t be by your side for eternity, can’t watch your kids give birth, can’t keep fighting with Li Lei… I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to, I don’t want to hear you say sorry… You have to get better, do you hear me?”
He hugged her even tighter, not saying a word, but not letting go.
If there was a possibility of getting better, who would not want that? However, once you had cancer, it was like you were written in the Grim Reaper’s books. How many had actually escaped? They both understood, so what if they took an oath? In the face of death, words held no power. The girl in his arms was crying so hard she was almost fainting, so he searched for words before saying with difficulty, “Xiao Ling, don’t worry. The doctor said there is still a chance for surgery.”
She stopped crying and lifted her tear-stained face to ask, “Really?”
He said, “Yes.” In actual fact, the surgery carried a huge risk, and his lung cancer that was in the middle to late stage was not suitable for it. Aside from harming his vitality, it could even be a failure, accelerating his death.
Regardless of whether he did it or not, the outcome was already decided.
Xia Ling was very helpless. She knew deep inside that if things were really this simple, he would not have had to scout Pei Xiu behind everyone’s back, settling the aftermath. However, she wanted so badly to believe him. If he could continue staying alive, how good would that be? In a state of irony, she murmured, “Why did you call Pei Xiu?”
Pei Ziheng said, “That is only a precaution. If something… really happens to me, I have to find someone who is reliable and can hold up the family business, and also, someone who can treat you well.” Actually, there were a few who had the ability to hold up the Pei family, but he had eventually chosen Pei Xiu only because out of all the other candidates, he was the only one who did not have biases against her.
Many of those under the Pei family were famous in their own names, and before Xiao Ling’s phoenix identity was exposed, many looked down on her—Pei Ziheng could not let someone who looked down on her be the successor. Only Pei Xiu, who treated everyone as equals, could continue to take care of her after his death, to be her mountain of support.
Even if there was already the Li family and the Xia family.
But as for her mountains of support, the more the better.
Pei Ziheng touched the hair of the girl in his arms lovingly, telling her, “I still have some money and immovable property, those are left for you. I have already gotten a lawyer to write it. It’s not much, but it can ensure you live your life with no worries.”
Her heart continued to sink. He had already thought of all the details.
“Pei Ziheng, you’re not allowed to die…” With a thousand words, this was the only sentence she could formulate.
She started to stay by his side, visiting him every few days, sometimes in the hospital, sometimes in the villa where the red wall was wrapped in ivy. His illness deteriorated quickly, and he kept coughing, frequently coughing out blood. However, he did not stop working and was even busier than before.
Xia Ling’s heart hurt as if it were being torn apart, and she could not bear to see it anymore.
That day, when he was arranging his financial accounts, she snatched the thick folders from him all of a sudden. “Pei Ziheng, don’t you want your life anymore?! Is your body or your business more important?! Why can’t you just rest properly!”
She was the only one who dared to snatch his folders away from him.
He stared at his empty hands, yet did not feel angry, only said patiently, “Xiao Ling, give the folder back to me. Be good. I don’t have much time, and while I still have the ability to do these, I need to…”
“You promised me you wouldn’t die!” She interrupted, her voice choking up.