Chapter 69: Can I Not Get Divorced?

Strangely enough, despite his extremely arrogant and off-putting words, no one objected. His assets truly didn’t need to be counted—there was simply no way. Only Xu Yunzhu cast him a glance, clicking her tongue inwardly. Quite the show-off. Others might not know he’d been thrown out of the Pei family, but she certainly did. She was a witness, after all.

Pei Jin might not care now, but soon enough he’d realize, thanks to the swap. She knew not only that all his cards had been frozen, but that he’d lost rights to his properties and his cars had been confiscated. Pei Jin had always been extravagant—never a saver, simply because he could afford it. Without the Pei family’s backing, his path in the entertainment industry would become far more difficult.

The novel even covered this period. Pei Jin broke with his family for Ning Qinghuan. To win his family’s approval for her, he never bowed his head, even when his career suffered. His love for Ning Qinghuan carried him through this low point, and because the show revolved around their relationship, her constant presence only deepened his feelings for her.

So the comments were filled with adoration:

"Is this the power of the top aristocratic families? Doesn’t even need to count his savings. Whoever’s jealous, I won’t say, but I definitely am."
"Whoever marries Pei Jin, won’t have to worry for generations. Envy, pure envy!"
"Most likely Ning Qinghuan. Cinderella marrying into a wealthy family might just become reality."
"Too naive. These young masters from elite families always end up marrying equally privileged heiresses. There’s no such thing as fairy tale love. Even if people say Pei Jin is here for Ning Qinghuan, those rumors aren’t believable—just not realistic."
"I don’t care about any of that. I just want to ship the couple. When are we getting some sweet moments from the Jinhuan CP? Damn the production team for splitting the official pairing!"

After the talk about savings, it was time for the final date for the three couples. Xu Yunzhu didn’t need to follow them anymore; she only had to sit in the observation room—her notes were complete.

Overall, none of the three pairs matched the natural rapport between Yan Feixing and herself, the observer. Still, she managed to scrape out some sweet moments from certain details.

For example, Yan Feixing was gentlemanly and gentle with Ning Qinghuan, always following her lead—passable enough. Pei Jin and Hu Biting’s group was merely polite and distant, but he was courteous, always listening to her opinion first and immediately attending to her feelings, which counted for something. Gu Qi and Xie Zhiyuan’s pairing depended entirely on Gu Qi’s devotion, but it was sweet in its own way.

In the end, online voting gave the highest score to Gu Qi and Xie Zhiyuan, and Xu Yunzhu, who had swapped observer roles midway, had fulfilled her task.

After the afternoon’s recording ended, Xu Yunzhu received a call from Pei Qiaonian. He was brief: “Get in.”

Xu Yunzhu paused. Dragging her suitcase, she glanced around and spotted the familiar luxury car about thirty meters away. When no one was looking, she hurried over, as furtive as a thief.

Chief Assistant Gao made room for her luggage, and Xu Yunzhu slipped into the back seat as she was accustomed to doing. As soon as she entered, she was greeted by Pei Qiaonian’s handsome face, his elegant brows slightly furrowed. “Why are you running? Someone chasing you?”

Xu Yunzhu froze, honest and upright. “No.”

Pei Qiaonian looked at the half-open car door, turned his head, and spoke with indifferent calm: “Get in. Don’t waste time.”

Xu Yunzhu: “…”

Damn, this man was truly cold.

He had timed her recording’s end perfectly—was he here to deliver the divorce papers?

For an instant, anticipation surged in Xu Yunzhu’s heart.

She looked at him with renewed warmth. “What brings you here?”

Pei Qiaonian remained expressionless. “Just passing by. Don’t overthink.”

Assistant Gao: “…”

He had clearly come on purpose, waiting half an hour despite his impatience, repeatedly asking why she hadn’t finished yet, but refusing to leave until she came out.

What an act.

He could only enjoy the drama inwardly, keeping his face blank.

Xu Yunzhu didn’t dare hope he’d come specifically for her, so she accepted his explanation without question, grinning: "Thank you for picking me up. Otherwise, I’d have waited another half hour for a ride. Do you have something to tell me?"

Her gaze became even more fervent.

Her eyes seemed to pierce him, as if she were admiring some rare treasure, making Pei Qiaonian uncomfortable, the tips of his ears tinged red.

Did she really like him that much?

The moment he appeared, her eyes clung to him.

Annoyed but oddly emotional, he felt as if they were a real married couple.

Well, he wasn’t like Pei Jin, ruthless and heartless, delighting in hurting others.

So he decided to give Xu Yunzhu one month. When the month was up, no matter how much she loved him, Pei Qiaonian would say goodbye.

Thinking this, he turned to meet her eager, almond-shaped gaze.

His eyes drifted to her vibrant, tempting red lips.

His voice grew colder: “Yes, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Xu Yunzhu’s heart leapt—was her million coming?

With that money, she could finally cure her foster mother’s illness completely.

But she couldn’t appear eager; she had to seem reluctant. Men hated being clung to, just as the original Xu Yunzhu had chased after Pei Jin—the more she pursued, the further he retreated.

If she acted impatient, it would seem as if she wanted to kick Pei Qiaonian out, and with his temperament, he might just turn vicious.

Bearing this in mind, Xu Yunzhu took a deep breath. When she looked up again, her eyes brimmed with tears. She let out a long sigh: “So it’s finally come to this day? Time moves so quickly—I haven’t even figured out how I’ll live after we part. Never mind, it doesn’t matter now. Go on, I’ll accept whatever outcome…”

She wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, exposing her pitiful yet stunning profile.

Pei Qiaonian was momentarily stunned, unable to speak.

Xu Yunzhu continued: “Your stomach isn’t well. I’ve already instructed the chef to prepare meals that are gentle on your digestion; you must eat regularly and avoid heavy flavors. Wait until your stomach improves before indulging. Attacks are very painful. As for your migraines, I consulted a doctor who said you need plenty of sleep, so you must go to bed by eleven every night—no overworking. I had the hallway lights installed in your room; they’ll come on whenever you get up at night, so you can see. In just half a month, these are all I could do for you. If only there were more time. I hate to leave you.”

She wiped her tears again.

With this performance, she won Pei Qiaonian’s goodwill, while perfectly playing to a man’s fear of being clung to.

Xu Yunzhu gave herself a perfect score.

Even Assistant Gao was moved to tears.

It was the first time anyone had cared so much for his boss.

He could cry.

Pei Qiaonian’s gaze lingered on Xu Yunzhu’s reddened eyes. After a long moment, he sighed and reached out to wipe her tears. “Why are you crying? Would it be better if I don’t divorce you?”