Seeing he was about to leave, Meng Shuyao instinctively reached out to grab his sleeve. "Mr. Pei, don't go."
The man frowned, his voice dark and forbidding. "Let go."
An invisible pressure bore down on her.
Meng Shuyao's fingertips trembled.
She remembered when she was drunk before, grabbing his hand to ask for his contact information. So at that time, he had truly been indulging her, but right now, he was annoyed.
"I'm sorry…"
She went limp, her arm dropping to her side.
Pei Yuzhou brushed past her, not lingering a second longer.
Meng Shuyao watched him get in the car, his figure disappearing from sight.
Mark returned and handed her the umbrella. "Miss Meng, go back."
Meng Shuyao's eyelids fluttered faintly. She took the umbrella handle, her voice hoarse. "Thank you."
Mark turned and went back to the car.
The car door closed, the engine started, and the taillights flickered in the curtain of rain, melting into the night.
The rain grew heavier and heavier, falling wildly.
The umbrella was big and heavy. With one gust of wind, Meng Shuyao couldn't hold it at all, and it flipped inside out onto the ground.
She hadn't eaten much all day; it was probably low blood sugar. Her head spun, her legs went soft, and she fell to the ground in a sorry state, completely soaked, her lips pale.
Under the streetlight, raindrops splashed up ripples. Her figure was slender and fragile, like a reed ravaged by the tempest—one light bend and it would snap.
"Boom—" Lightning tore through the veil of night, deafening.
Meng Shuyao's body trembled reflexively.
Her eye sockets ached and swelled. Tears mixed with rain streamed down her face, and her mouth tasted a hint of salt.
The car hadn't driven far when Mark caught sight of this in the right-side rearview mirror and spoke up. "Sir, Miss Meng fell on the ground."
Pei Yuzhou remained silent.
She fell—couldn't she get up by herself?
One second, two seconds…
He parted his lips. "Stop the car."
The driver immediately stepped on the brake.
The downpour was torrential, as if it would devour everything.
Meng Shuyao wanted to cover her ears. The thunder kept striking against her eardrums and nerves, fear wrapping around her suffocatingly tight.
At that moment, a pair of black polished handmade leather shoes entered her vision, the trouser legs of his crisp suit similarly drenched by the rain.
She slowly raised her head, murmuring, "Mr. Pei…"
Pei Yuzhou looked down at her from above.
Her eyes were rimmed with red, completely bloodless—wronged and broken.
Regardless of whether she was putting on an act, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to ignore her.
Pei Yuzhou picked up the umbrella beside her and squatted in front of her, his scrutinizing gaze landing on her face. "What exactly do you want?"
Meng Shuyao met his eyes, her heart tightening in waves, her voice low and weak. "To stay by your side…"
Pei Yuzhou fixed his gaze on her. "Why didn't you find someone else?"
Meng Shuyao curled her palm, speaking with a heavy nasal quality. "I don't want anyone else. I only want you."
"Stay by my side until I get tired of you, right?"
"Yes."
Pei Yuzhou pinched her chin and lifted it. "Then tell me, is it that it has to be me?"
Shrouded by his sharp, profound gaze, Meng Shuyao's eyelashes trembled. "…Yes."
The pads of his fingers rubbed her skin forcefully. "Say it again."
The obsession in his eyes was somewhat unfamiliar to her.
After a few seconds of silence, she obediently repeated, "It has to be you, Mr. Pei."
Pei Yuzhou finally let go and gave her the umbrella. "Hold it."
Meng Shuyao numbly gripped the umbrella handle.
The next moment, her body was lifted into the air, carried horizontally in his arms.
A long-missed embrace. A cold woody fragrance rushed into her nostrils—the sense of security unique to him.
Meng Shuyao let out a breath of relief, both hands straining to hold the umbrella.
The man's footsteps were steady, his voice coming from above. "Come with me to New York."
She said softly, "I lost my documents."
"I don't need your documents."
"But I haven't packed my things either."
"Buy new ones."
Pei Yuzhou unceremoniously stuffed her into the car and threw the umbrella on the ground.
Meng Shuyao was so wet that water could be wrung out of her. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing light-colored clothes; otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing.
Mark took out a blanket from the storage compartment and handed it over. "Miss Meng, wipe yourself off."
Meng Shuyao said gratefully, "Thank you."
The car door closed.
Pei Yuzhou wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her onto his lap, lifted the blanket to wrap her up, and wiped away the water stains.
Meng Shuyao's body went stiff, not daring to move.
Beneath her hips, she could faintly feel the firm muscles of his thighs.
With an extra person in the car, the driver wasn't sure if the plan had changed. "Sir, are we still going to the airport?"
"Yes."
The Cullinan started again.
Mark's phone was ringing. He glanced at the caller ID and asked Pei Yuzhou for instructions. "Sir, Allen is calling me. It's probably about the contract."
The moment she heard that name, Meng Shuyao's scalp went numb. Out of the corner of her eye, she cautiously glanced at the man beside her.
Pei Yuzhou spoke coldly. "Speaker."
Mark did as told.
The call connected. The person on the other side asked, "Assistant Mark, Mr. Kerwin and I made an appointment to sign the contract a few days ago. When will he be free?"
Meng Shuyao lowered her eyes, her fingers pinching the blanket.
Pei Yuzhou ignored it.
"Look up."
He said it in English, but obviously wasn't talking to Allen.
Meng Shuyao was stunned for a moment, then raised her head to look at him.
Pei Yuzhou's palm pressed against the back of her head. He lowered his head and kissed her, his tongue pushing in.
His breath was domineering, scorching hot.
Meng Shuyao's pupils dilated slightly, her lips forced open.
She didn't know how to kiss at all, completely receiving it passively.
The veins on the back of Pei Yuzhou's hand bulged, each one distinct, bursting with wild tension.
His kiss came fiercely.
Meng Shuyao couldn't withstand it, her waist and back tensing.
Especially since there was someone up front, and the phone was still connected.
Her reason returned, and she tried to push away the man in front of her.
Pei Yuzhou bit her punishingly.
Meng Shuyao felt pain, and a soft moan spilled from between her lips.
Pei Yuzhou pulled back, lifting her face. His fingertips brushed across her glistening red lips. In a low, sexy American accent, he said, "Breathe. Don't know how, Elara?"
Meng Shuyao's face flushed red. "I…"
She had never kissed anyone before.
Pei Yuzhou seemed to only just remember. "Sorry, forgot about the call."
An apology completely devoid of sincerity.
His tone was indifferent. "I think there's no need to continue the cooperation."
On the other end of the phone, Allen pulled himself out of his shock. "Mr. Kerwin, please listen to me…"
Pei Yuzhou didn't have the patience for that. "Hang up."
Mark promptly pressed the end button.
The car returned to quiet, the ambiguous atmosphere not yet dissipated.
Meng Shuyao's cheeks burned, the flush spreading to the roots of her ears.
He had done it on purpose—deliberately letting Allen know.
The driver understood etiquette well, pretending not to hear, not looking at what he shouldn't see.
Mark raised the partition on his own initiative, leaving private space for the back row.
A stuffy heat welled in Meng Shuyao's chest, her breathing slightly stagnant.
She looked out the window uncomfortably. Raindrops beat against the glass, water trails sliding down crookedly.
Pei Yuzhou turned her face back toward him. "Why are you blushing? Weren't you very bold when you kissed me?"
Meng Shuyao met his gaze, her eyelashes trembling lightly, defending herself in a low voice, "I never actually kissed you before."
Besides, whose first kiss is a French kiss?
Her mouth was full of his taste, the root of her tongue still faintly numb.
Pei Yuzhou brushed aside the wet hair at her cheek. "You've gotten your kiss now. Satisfied?"
Meng Shuyao didn't make a sound.
He had bitten her until it hurt. Even if she wasn't satisfied, she wouldn't dare say so.