Inside a private room at the club.
Allen personally poured wine for the man on the sofa beside him and said sincerely, “Mr. Kerwin, I truly have great sincerity toward this project. As long as you’re willing to cooperate with me, I can give up another one percent of the profits.”
Pei Yuzhou’s tone was languid. “One percent doesn’t mean much to me.”
One percent was already a profit of tens of millions of dollars, yet he looked down on it.
Allen gritted his teeth. “What about two percent?”
Pei Yuzhou let out a soft scoff. “At least five percent.”
Allen froze.
Five percent—hundreds of millions of dollars.
There was a Chinese saying, “opening one’s mouth like a lion,” and it was probably meant for someone like Kerwin. He truly was the most ambitious capitalist. When negotiating cooperation with him, don’t even dream of gaining the slightest advantage.
Pei Yuzhou propped his left hand against his temple, lowered his eyes, and scrolled through his phone, casually browsing Moments when he saw a familiar profile picture.
Meng Shuyao had posted on Moments at four in the afternoon: “The school is so empty. I thought the dessert shop by the school gate finally wouldn’t have a line, only to find out it wasn’t open. Is the owner on summer break too? (the sky is falling.jpg)”
His fingertip brushed it unintentionally, and he tapped into her Moments.
May 25: “Inspiration has dried up, drowning in discarded drafts.”
May 19: “Drew a blind box I like. I can be happy for the whole day.”
May 16: “Found an internship at a gallery. Soon I’ll be able to meet my favorite painter. All the unhappy things can all be set aside for now.”
May 10: “Another hateful rainy day. Lying dead in the dorm, don’t want to go anywhere.”
Only Moments from within the past month were visible.
When she was being clingy, she would send him several messages a day, but as soon as he said he was busy, she stopped disturbing him.
After returning from the hotel that day, she had been well-behaved.
Pei Yuzhou had guessed it too—she had probably been frightened that night.
With such little courage, she still dared to casually provoke a man.
If his self-control had been just a little worse, she should have already been in his bed.
“Five percent it is.” After weighing it over and over, Allen ultimately nodded in agreement. “When can we sign the contract?”
Pei Yuzhou turned off his phone screen. “In a couple of days. I’m not free tomorrow.”
Allen nodded. “All right. Then I’ll wait for your notice. I’m available anytime.”
Pei Yuzhou picked up the wineglass on the coffee table, brought it to his lips, and took a sip.
The wine rolled down his throat, leaving a faint astringency on the tip of his tongue.
Allen took out his phone. “If it’s convenient, may I add your contact information?”
Pei Yuzhou lifted his brow slightly. “What, afraid I’ll go back on my word?”
Allen wouldn’t dare admit that. “Of course not. You’ve always kept your word.”
Pei Yuzhou couldn’t be bothered with the unnecessary step. “Contact Mark. It’s the same.”
Allen had no choice but to give up.
Just then, his phone vibrated twice, and a text popped up.
Elara: “Mr. Allen, I’ve arrived at the club. Where are you?”
Allen sent over the private room number and told her to wait at the door.
There were also a few cooperation details to add.
After finishing the discussion, he took the initiative to bid farewell. “If there’s nothing else, I won’t disturb you further.”
Pei Yuzhou held the red wineglass and swirled it lightly, giving a faint nod.
Allen got up and left.
When he pulled open the door to the private room, the girl was standing outside.
Her words came urgently. “Mr. Allen, there’s something I’d like to ask your help with. I can agree to marry you…”
Before she could finish—
Bang.
The sound of a wineglass shattering rang out.
Meng Shuyao’s heart trembled. She looked into the private room in the direction of the sound and abruptly collided with that dark, gloomy gaze.
Her heartbeat seemed to suspend in that instant, her mind going blank.
“Mr. Pei…”
She hadn’t known there was anyone else in the private room, much less that Pei Yuzhou was there.
Glass had shattered all over the floor, splinters scattered everywhere.
Under the dim lighting, red liquid flowed from his palm and dripped onto the floor, starkly crimson.
Allen turned back and asked with concern, “Mr. Kerwin, are you all right?”
The man pulled out a tissue and wiped his hand, his voice giving away no joy or anger. “It seems I’ve disturbed your discussion of marriage.”
Allen hurriedly denied it. “No, we’re the ones who disturbed you. My apologies.”
“You.” Pei Yuzhou tugged at his lips, his voice devoid of warmth. “How intimate.”
Meng Shuyao lost all reaction, standing there woodenly.
Allen sensed something was off. “You and Mr. Kerwin know each other?”
Meng Shuyao parted her lips. “I…”
Before the word could fall, the man cut her off in a low voice. “We don’t.”
Pei Yuzhou wiped his hand clean. The veins on the back of his hand stood out as he casually tossed the crumpled tissue aside, then rose and walked out.
Meng Shuyao’s gaze was dazed. In her field of vision, his figure drew nearer and nearer.
As he passed by her side, Pei Yuzhou’s steps paused slightly. His tone carried a hint of ridicule. “What, in order to achieve your goal, you’ll sell yourself out so casually? You can hook up with anyone, is that it?”
Meng Shuyao’s lashes trembled. She murmured, “It’s not like that…”
She had no other choice.
Pei Yuzhou didn’t spare her another glance and walked straight past her.
His footsteps gradually faded.
Meng Shuyao’s eyes ached, a faint redness seeping into the corners.
Allen was at a loss. “What exactly is going on?”
He didn’t understand Chinese and had no idea what Kerwin had said at the end.
Meng Shuyao was muddled, her heart as if tightly gripped by a hand.
Just then, her phone rang.
She slowly lowered her head to glance at it. It was an unfamiliar number.
“Sorry, I need to take this call.” She walked to the side and pressed the answer button.
Aunt Xue’s voice came from the other end. “Yaoyao, Xiaoman woke up. Don’t worry, she’s fine. I’ll take more care of her in the future.”
Meng Shuyao let out a long breath. “Okay.”
As long as she was fine.
Aunt Xue reminded her, “Don’t return to China. I heard the Meng family wants you to come back and get engaged. They’ve already discussed it with the Xu family.”
Meng Shuyao knew, but she was also afraid Meng Yan would find ways to harm her sister again later.
“My phone was taken away by Meng Yan. I may not be able to contact you often during this period.” Aunt Xue was risking losing her job right now, borrowing someone else’s phone to call Meng Shuyao.
Although the people who had hired her were the Meng family, back then, it had been Meng Shuyao who took out her own jewelry and sold it to help her repay part of her debt. Only then had she and her daughter been able to live peacefully these past few years.
“Okay, I understand. If anything happens to my sister, please make sure to tell me.” Meng Shuyao’s voice was muffled and hoarse.
Aunt Xue agreed. “Mm, I definitely will. Then let’s leave it at this for now. I’m hanging up.”
After ending the call, Meng Shuyao calmed down.
Marriage was a major matter; it could not be used as a transaction. Once one took a wrong step, there would be no medicine for regret.
Allen was still waiting for her. “Miss Elara, shouldn’t you give me an explanation?”
Meng Shuyao apologized to him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Allen. I was too impulsive today. I came to find you without thinking things through clearly. I’m very sorry.”
“This is the answer you’re giving me?” Allen frowned unhappily. “What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Kerwin?”
Meng Shuyao said in a low voice, “We truly have no relationship.”
They had none before, and there would be even less in the future.
Mr. Pei probably loathed her to the bone now.
“What, in order to achieve your goal, you’ll sell yourself out so casually? You can hook up with anyone, is that it?”
That cold, heavy voice still echoed by her ear.
Allen didn’t believe they had no relationship. Kerwin’s expression had clearly been off just now. He had always been emotionally stable, remaining calm and unreadable no matter what happened.
If he offended Kerwin because of Elara, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Meng Shuyao spoke again. “I’m sorry for disturbing you today. I’ll head back first.”
After leaving the club, she took a taxi back to school.
Leaning against the back seat, whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Pei Yuzhou’s icy, bone-chilling gaze.
It was as though something had blocked her chest, leaving her unable to breathe.
Why did she care so much about what he said?
Actually, he wasn’t wrong. She was selling herself out to achieve her goal, hooking up with men, willingly sinking into depravity.
But if she had any other choice, she wouldn’t have done this.