“Who told you my address?” Pei Yuzhou changed the subject.
Meng Shuyao had promised Zhao Hesong, but she didn’t want to lie either. “Can I not say?”
Even if she didn’t, Pei Yuzhou could guess. “Zhao Hesong.”
Meng Shuyao watched his expression. “Will you be angry?”
“You can consider coming clean on your own about why you went to find Allen.”
“The Meng family is forcing me to go back for a marriage alliance. I don’t want to.” She was honest.
Pei Yuzhou’s gaze darkened. “You thought Allen was a better choice? You know him very well?”
Meng Shuyao immediately shook her head.
She had only heard that Allen had been very fickle in his youth.
At the time, she had been at the end of her rope. How could she have cared about so much?
“Do you know he used to fool around with several women at the same time? In bed.” Pei Yuzhou curled his lips in mockery. “I heard he also has special proclivities. Imprisonment, filming…”
Meng Shuyao felt sick just listening. “Stop talking.”
Now she was incomparably glad she hadn’t agreed to him that day. She had nearly stepped into another abyss.
“I know I was wrong.” She gently clutched Pei Yuzhou’s sleeve. “Can you let it go?”
He said nothing, his expression still unpleasant.
Meng Shuyao could only change the subject. “When will we get to the airport? Can I really leave without a passport?”
Pei Yuzhou leaned back, his voice flat and languid. “If you can’t leave, then stay.”
Afraid he would leave her behind, Meng Shuyao reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to. I want to go with you.”
Through two thin layers of fabric, her soft body pressed against him.
Thin as she was, the flesh she did have was all in the right places, her curves distinct.
Pei Yuzhou’s breathing grew slightly heavier, his throat itching. He pressed a finger to her forehead and pushed her away. “Stay farther away.”
“You’re telling me to stay farther away again. You weren’t like this when you kissed me just now.” Meng Shuyao couldn’t help accusing him. “And last time at the hotel too. I didn’t even do anything, and you were fierce with me.”
How could he change faces so quickly?
Pei Yuzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed, the depths of his eyes dark. With one hand, he confined her lower back, his thin lips brushing her ear as he said hoarsely, “If you’re not afraid, then come a little closer. We can do it right here in the car.”
“…”
The flush that had finally faded from Meng Shuyao’s face quickly burned up again. She broke free from his arm, climbed down from his lap, wrapped herself in the blanket, and sat obediently beside him, shrinking up like a quail.
So this was what he meant by telling her to stay farther away.
-
After they arrived at the airport, Pei Yuzhou had the staff take Meng Shuyao to the shower room first.
The clothes had been bought temporarily at a mall.
After changing out of her wet clothes, she felt much fresher and more comfortable.
By the time they finished dinner, it was just time to board.
The crew provided attentive service the entire way.
Mr. Pei’s private jet had a spacious, luxurious cabin. What entered the eye were gray genuine leather seats and marble tabletops. Inside, there were also separate conference rooms, lounges, bedrooms, cloakrooms, and bathrooms, with facilities comparable to a five-star hotel.
The rain lessened. At eight-thirty, the plane took off smoothly.
Pei Yuzhou showered on the plane. He was a clean freak and did not use shower rooms in public places.
Meng Shuyao lay on the sofa chair and watched TV for a while. After a whole exhausting day, she finally relaxed completely, and before long, she drifted off in a daze.
In her dream, she once again foresaw something bad happening to her sister. She watched helplessly from the side, unable to stop it no matter what.
A fine layer of sweat broke out on her forehead, her cheeks flushed, and indistinct murmurs spilled from her mouth.
She vaguely heard someone calling her by her ear, but she simply couldn’t open her eyes.
Pei Yuzhou pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. It was scalding hot.
After getting caught in such heavy rain, she had gotten sick after all.
At eleven at night, the plane landed at New York’s LGA Airport.
The crew witnessed Mr. Kerwin personally carry the girl off the plane.
The man’s steps were steady as he descended the gangway, his figure disappearing into the night.
Meng Shuyao leaned against his chest and rubbed against him uncomfortably.
Pei Yuzhou instructed Mark to contact the family doctor.
Once they left the airport, a driver was waiting for them, and they headed straight back to the Manhattan residence.
The family doctor arrived early with his medical kit. A servant opened the door and invited him into the living room to wait.
“Isn’t Mr. Kerwin the one who’s sick?” He had rushed over in such a hurry that he only now realized he had put on mismatched socks.
The servant shook her head, indicating she didn’t know.
After waiting for about ten minutes, movement came from outside.
Footsteps drew near.
Pei Yuzhou carried someone through the door. “She got caught in the rain and developed a fever. Take a look at her.”
The doctor was surprised that he had brought a girl back in his arms in the middle of the night.
But his employer’s private affairs were not his place to ask about.
Meng Shuyao was settled in the guest bedroom.
The doctor took her temperature.
One look—high fever, 40.3°C.
Weak constitution, caught a chill, respiratory infection. She needed an IV drip to bring down the fever.
It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that her temperature gradually came down.
-
Meng Shuyao slept for a very long time. When she woke, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings, her head still a little heavy and groggy.
She remembered falling asleep on the plane.
In the large bedroom, the curtains were only half drawn, and the light wasn’t glaring.
She lowered her head and looked at the clothes on her body. They had already been changed into pajamas.
Who had changed them for her?
How had she slept so deeply that she knew nothing of what had happened?
After taking a few minutes to recover, she lifted the covers, got out of bed, and walked outside.
There was no one in the corridor. As she neared the staircase, she heard voices conversing below.
“Sir, the latest batch of developed medical devices and drugs is currently undergoing practical testing. It is expected to take half a year.”
“Keep a close eye on it. Don’t let anything go wrong.”
“Yes.”
Meng Shuyao stepped down the stairs.
She was barefoot, so there was almost no sound of footsteps.
But Pei Yuzhou still sensed it. He turned his head and glanced toward the staircase. “You’re awake. Come here.”
Mark tactfully took his leave. “Sir, then I’ll head to the company first.”
He gave a faint “Mm.”
Meng Shuyao walked to the sofa.
Pei Yuzhou had her sit over. “Why aren’t you wearing slippers?”
“I didn’t see any slippers.” Meng Shuyao sat beside him, pressed her lips together, and asked embarrassedly, “Who changed my clothes?”
Pei Yuzhou’s brow lifted slightly. He said nothing.
Meng Shuyao thought he was tacitly admitting it, and her face instantly turned red. “You…”
“The servant changed them.” He spoke calmly.
The words that had reached Meng Shuyao’s lips were swallowed back down. “…Oh.”
Why did he always scare her?
Pei Yuzhou raised a hand to check the temperature of her forehead. It had already returned to normal. “Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
“My head still feels a little heavy.” Meng Shuyao glanced out the window. “Did I sleep for a long time?”
Pei Yuzhou handed her his phone to show her the time.
Nine twenty-three in the morning.
At first, Meng Shuyao didn’t think anything was wrong, until she saw the date clearly. Her mouth parted in surprise. “I slept for a day and two nights?”
“Has your constitution been this weak since you were little?”
“I don’t get sick often. It’s just that when I do, it’s rather serious.”
Pei Yuzhou held her wrist. “What happened to the injuries on your hand?”
He had only discovered the night before last that there were several scrapes near her elbow, and they weren’t new.
Meng Shuyao raised her arm and looked at it. “That day, I went to tutor someone. On the way back at night, I ran into a bad guy who followed me and tried to snatch my bag. I fell by accident while we were struggling.”
Pei Yuzhou’s eyes darkened. “You should be glad he only tried to steal your bag.”
Meng Shuyao felt a lingering fear just thinking about it.
“Go eat breakfast. After you finish, take your medicine.” Pei Yuzhou stood and carried her to the dining room.
“Can I not take the medicine? Actually, I feel…”
“No.”
Meng Shuyao silently shut her mouth.