CH 64

As soon as Pei Yi arrived at the underground parking lot, he caught sight of a familiar license plate. He looked around to make sure no outsiders had noticed, and quickly got into the car.

“Er-ge!”

Pei Yi took off his hat and mask, smiling happily.

Seeing his inexplicable excitement, Bo Yueming couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and glance at his watch. “It’s only a minute past six o’clock. So fast?”

“…….”

Pei Yi was in a jam. His eyes dodged a little.

As the general manager of Bo Group, Bo Yueming’s time was not strictly limited. 

At 5:30 this afternoon, he left the company and arrived at the parking lot of YWY Studios, and sent Pei Yi a WeChat message.

From that moment on, as Pei Yi sat in the office, his heart drifted with the wind.

He admitted that he examined the circumstances, and in front of many employees, was the first to slip out the office door. He really didn’t bear the image of a “core partner.”

Pei Yi was inwardly guilty, but flaunted his superiority on the surface, “You’re allowed to leave work early, but I’m now, ah? Besides, I didn’t miss one bit of work today.”

How could Bo Yueming dare say otherwise? Seeing that his kitten’s mood had improved, and his entire person was no longer crumbling and gloomy like last night, he also felt at ease. 

His mind was still on Pei Yi’s fingers. “Do they still hurt?”

“Only a tiny bit, but it’s completely tolerable.” Pei Yi had re-learned how to be honest, and reminded Bo Yueming, “Can you help me change my medicine tonight? I can’t do it myself.”

Bo Yueming laughed in spite of himself. “Okay.”

Seeing the corners of his mouth rise, Pei Yi felt that the “strategy” he had studied for half an our seemed quite reliable—

Learn to be honest, learn to show weakness, and learn to create opportunities to spend time together.

That’s right, he did them in order!

“Second Young Master, Little Sir, are you going directly home?”

Lao Fu, who had been peeking in the rearview mirror from the front seat, finally found the time to speak up without seeming like a third wheel.

“En.”

Just as Bo Yueming spoke, he heard Pei Yi next to him refute—

“Lao Fu, don’t go back, let’s go eat out today.”

As he spoke, he posted the address of a restaurant on Lao Fu’s WeChat account. “Let’s drive.”

Bo Yueming was a little surprised by Pei Yi’s decision. “Going out to eat?”

“Yes, ah, I’ve already notified Uncle Kai in advance.” Pei Yi nodded naturally.

How boring was it to eat at home every day, ah? Wasn’t a dinner date the most common form of pursuit?

Pei Yi was embarrassed to say that he ordered a bouquet of roses in advance, but in order for it to not look too deliberate, he quietly asked the owner of the private restaurant to find a vase to arrange the flowers in, pretending that it was arranged in-store.

Pei Yi hid his small considerations and pretended to be calm. “I found a suburban private kitchen with good ratings and reserved a private box. It shouldn’t be easy to meet people we know there. Do you want to go?”

“Certainly.”

This was exactly what Bo Yueming wanted, and he looked at Pei Yi with darker eyes—

Was it his illusion?

He just felt that the kitten’s attitude was much more proactive, and this “proactiveness” was an emotional closeness, which surprised and delighted him.

Pei Yi avoided looking at Bo Yueming for a long time, his heart warm. “What are you looking at me for?”

Bo Yueming teased him with a chuckle, “I didn’t expect our Little Sir to treat me to dinner one day. Did you make a lot of money?”

Pei snorted. “Something like that. Anyway, it’s no problem to invite you to dinner.”

He had completed the structure and transactions of five consecutive games, and the Bo family basically paid for his daily expenses, so his private coffers were quite sufficient.

Bo Yueming didn’t ask about Pei Yi’s account balance, and just tole Lao Fu who was driving, “Lao Fu, drive a little faster, I’m hungry.”

His last two words were full of anticipation.

“Okay, Second Young Master!” 

Lao Fu set up the route navigation and had just driven out of the underground parking lot when a phone vibrated in the back seat.

When Bo Yueming saw the caller ID, his smile smoothed out—

It was Aunt Song calling, the person who stayed by Old Mrs. Bo’s side and looked after her.

Bo Yueming quickly picked up the phone, and there was a hint of worry and solemnness in his tone, “Hello, Aunt Song, is there something wrong with Grandma?”

Pei Yi stared silently at the side of Bo Yueming’s face.

In the next second, he saw the other person’s expression change suddenly, and the fingertips holding the phone tightened.

“Okay, I understand.”

Bo Yueming replied simply and ended the call, which had not lasted more than thirty seconds.

Pei Yi immediately asked, “What’s wrong with Old Mrs. Bo?”

Bo Yueming’s hand trembled slightly as it held the phone, and his voice was filled with a rare excitement. “Aunt Song said that Grandma is completely awake and wants me to come see her.”

Pei Yi asked, “Now?”

Bo Yueming thought of Pei Yi’s reserved private kitchen dinner, and hesitation flickered across his face, but before he could say anything, the other party promptly opened his mouth, “Lao Fu, go to Minxi Manor instead.”

Bo Yueming’s heartstrings loosened slightly. “Pei Yi, I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Of course Old Mrs. Bo is more important.”

Pei Yi knew that Bo Yueming had always been concerned about Old Mrs. Bo, so he said straightforwardly, “I’ll accompany you to see Grandma. We’ll go to that private kitchen later when we find time.”

In the original text, Old Mrs. Bo never got much written about her. 

Pei Yi had always been worried that she wouldn’t be able to survive this ordeal, but now that there was such good news, he was relieved for Bo Yueming.

They made eye contact.

Unspoken feelings flowed between them, and Bo Yueming smiled again. “Okay.”

. . . . . .

They arrived before seven o’clock.

Bo Yueming took Pei Yi into Mingxi Manor, and the second they stepped through the private door, the two of them clearly saw the situation inside the room.

Old Mrs. Bo, who had been asleep all day long, had woken up and was sitting comfortably in bed.

Six months of continuous illness had caused her to become emaciated, and the sides of her cheeks were sunken, but the eyes looking at them were very bright.

There was no gloom of chronic illness, no confusion from being away from society, only the resolution and tranquility that came after weathering a storm.

Old Mrs. Bo saw the person approaching, and opened her mouth to call faintly, “Yueming.”

She hadn’t spoken for a long time, and it was still a little difficult to speak at the moment.

Hearing this long-lost address, Bo Yueming quickly walked to the bedside. “Grandma, I’m here.”

With just three words, a rare trace of moisture filled his eyes.

Pei Yi stood by the door and watched, but didn’t choose to follow along inside. He left space for Bo Yueming, allowing him to breathe and relax in front of his family member.

Old Mrs. Bo raised her skinny hand with the IV needle and patted the corners of his eyes lightly, both comforting and concerned. “All……right?”

Her first sentence was to call his name, and her second sentence was to show concern for his eyes.

“……”

Bo Yueming held onto his emotions that were about to burst out, and just nodded quickly.

Aunt Song was moved at the sight. She put down the rest of the nutritional soup and took the initiative to explain the situation, “Second Young Master, Madam woke up some time ago, but her body hasn’t recovered yet, and she can’t speak much.”

Bo Peizhi didn’t ask the other party to notify Bo Yueming immediately, and carefully recovered for a week instead. It wasn’t until today, when she had recovered enough to speak a few words, that she let Aunt Song make the phone call just now.

“She was okay a few days ago?” Bo Yueming took a deep breath, blaming himself a little. “It’s my fault that I was busy during this time and didn’t come to see you.”

Old Mrs. Bo waved her hand, then pointed to her throat and mouth. Her meaning was obvious.

She had been awake for a few days, but her body’s various functions were recovering very slowly, and she couldn’t say much, so why make her grandson take time out of his busy schedule to just sit here and stare?

It was better for him to spend more time in his position with the company, so as not to let some people take advantage.

Old Mrs. Bo turned her gaze to the door again, regarding the relatively unfamiliar Pei Yi with a doubtful gaze.

Seeing Pei Yi standing considerately at the door, Bo Yueming recovered from his initial excitement. He quickly got up and returned, leading Pei Yi into the room.

“Grandma, let me formally introduce you. This is Pei Yi.”

Facing Old Mrs. Bo’s silent scrutiny, Pei Yi felt a nervousness he had never experienced before.

The other party was not only a once all-powerful strong woman, but she was also the only close relative that Bo Yueming recognized in his heart. The two of them hadn’t officially fallen in love yet, and now he was meeting the parents?

Pei Yi thought about this relationship, and bowed very earnestly and politely. “Hello, Old Mrs. Bo, I’m Pei Yi.”

Seeing the kitten’s cuteness, Bo Yueming’s lips curved up unconsciously.

Old Mrs. Bo sensed the special relationship between the two and beckoned for them to come closer.

Aunt Song next to her took the initiative to move chairs near the bed, allowing Pei Yi and Bo Yueming to sit down and accompany the old lady properly, and quietly sat by herself on the small bench in the corner.

Bo Yueming took Pei Yi to sit down, and hesitated for a couple of seconds before speaking the truth, “Grandma, Pei Yi and I are in a marriage relationship. Back then, my eyes were inconvenient, so Grandpa and Uncle decided for me……”

In the past few days since Old Mrs. Bo woke up, she had learned many things here and there from Aunt Song. 

Hearing Bo Yueming’s story just now, she still felt an unstoppable nausea and disgust.

“Don’t be angry.”

Bo Yueming immediately comforted her, “There is nothing wrong with me now, but I must ‘thank’ them.”

Even if this marriage was originally intended to humiliate him and block his room to maneuver, who would have thought it? He had met such a good Pei Yi.

The person gave him the highest recognition and encouragement when he needed comfort and companionship the most. If not for Pei Yi’s existence, Bo Yueming felt that his life would have gone to an extreme.

Old Mrs. Bo took another deep look at Pei Yi, but said nothing.

A few seconds later, Bo Yueming said, “Grandma, I want to ask you something.”

These words not only diverted Old Mrs. Bo’s attention, but also eased the silent tension of the person next to her.

Old Mrs. Bo met his expression and understood before he could speak. She nodded slowly, and spoke hoarsely but firmly, “It was……him……it was……Cheng……Yangsheng.”

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi exchanged glances, and immediately understood the information in this sentence!

Even though they had guessed that Old Mrs. Pei’s “illness” was man-made, when the truth came from the other party’s mouth, it still made them feel anger, disgust, and even a bit of hidden fear!

To be able to do such a thing to someone who had been with him for half his life!

Cheng Yangsheng was simply terrible!

“Second Young Master, it isn’t convenient for the Old Madam to talk. She has spoken to me little by little over the past few days.”

Aunt Song in the back corner looked at the closed door, and then said to Bo Yueming and the others, “On the day of the accident, the old man wanted Bo to invest in the establishment of a foreign trade company, but the Old Madam disagreed.”

Bo Peizhi nodded slightly, feeling a chill in her heart.

The Bo family was directly related to her generation, and there was only one girl, Bo Peizhi. She took charge of the Bo family business against all odds, and made it bigger and stronger.

Bo Peizhi was a natural strong woman. She was unwilling to hand over the family business that her grandparents, father, and herself had built. Either she would not get married, or the man would have to marry in.

Back then, Bo Peizhi and Cheng Yangshan met at the university’s inauguration ceremony. Her father was the investor and builder of the Teikyo Business School, and Cheng Yangshan was a young teaching assistant there.

Bo Peizhi accidentally twisted her ankle behind the scenes, and it was Cheng Yangshan who happened to pass by and help her.

Love and marriage in that era were simple, and the two got to know each other deeply over a period of time—

Bo Peizhi appreciated the other party’s scholarly aura, and Cheng Yangshan appreciated her straightforwardness and ability. Although the latter hesitated for a long time about marrying in, he finally agreed.

Over the years, Bo Peizhi gave birth to two sons with the surname Bo, and the subsequent grandchildren also followed her surname.

The relationship between the two transformed into familial love over the years, and then the feelings unknowingly faded away. Perhaps it was lack of communication, or because her business was getting bigger and bigger, but Bo Peizhi, who had a good sense for people, didn’t notice at all—

That the person on the pillow next to her had changed completely.

Over the years, Cheng Yangshan took advantage of the Bo family’s convenience to continuously provide assistance to members of the Cheng family, so that very distant relatives could reap some benefits.

The Bo family had a large business, and as long as it didn’t impact the foundation, Bo Peizhi was willing to save face for her husband who had been with her for decades.

But she didn’t expect Cheng Yangshan to get worse—

Half a year ago, he actually attempted to embezzle Bo Group finances using Bo Peizhi’s own seal. He wanted to use that capital to create an electronic technology group, and the shares were in the name of him, his nephew Cheng Xingde, and others.

Bo Peizhi discovered and prevented this early, and then closed the door and confronted her husband face to face!

One thing came to another, and two two got into an ugly fight.

Bo Peizhi only remembered that her husband picked up his cane and swung it toward her fiercely. She managed to dodge, but was pushed hard by the other party and lost consciousness.

It had been a long while since she fell into a coma, and many things had happened.

Bo Peizhi came back to her senses, and lightly patted the back of Bo Yueming’s hand. “Don’t…..alert the enemy. You guys…..be good.”

As long as she still had a sliver of strength left, there would be a day when she would personally deal with Cheng Yangshan!

Bo Yueming gave a slight nod. “Grandma, take care of yourself first. I’ll take care of the group. Don’t worry, there won’t be any serious problems for the time being.”

Old Mrs. Bo nodded, and gave Aunt Song another look.

The latter had been by her side for twenty or thirty years, and immediately understood, “Second Young Master, Little Sir hasn’t had dinner yet, right? Why don’t you go out with me to get him something to eat?”

Pei Yi and Bo Yueming exchanged glances, clearly understanding the implication.

“……..”

Wasn’t this meant to get the kitten alone for a chat?

Bo Yueming feared that Pei Yi would be uncomfortable, and was about to say something more when he heard the person beside him answer easily, “Er-ge, I’m a little hungry.”

If she wanted to talk alone, he would talk alone, ba. He was not guilty or afraid, and was at most a little nervous.

Bo Yueming gave Pei Yi a smile and didn’t stop him in the end, getting up to follow Aunt Song out.

The door closed softly.

Pei Yi suppressed the tension overflowing from the bottom of his heart and said with well-behaved calmness, “Old Madam, is there anything you want to ask me?”

Seeing Pei Yi’s attitude, Old Mrs. Bo chuckled.

She was old, and her body was failing, but her judgment was quite accurate—

Pei Yi was a young man who looked cute and innocent on the outside, but his eyes revealed cunning and cleverness. He should be a person who knew how to advance and retreat.

Bo Yueming was the child she had raised, and wouldn’t make mistakes in any aspect. Since this person could be highly recognized by her grandson, Pei Yi must be a good boy with a firm mind.

Old Mrs. Bo didn’t care to beat around the bush. Even when seriously ill, she didn’t use those tricks. “You…..like…..Yueming?”

“I like him,” Pei Yi replied quickly and firmly, with a hint of innocent shyness. “I like him very much.”

Old Mrs. Bo didn’t detect the faintest falsehood in his eyes, and nodded, reassured. “Then…..that’s good.”

Although she had once hoped to watch Bo Yueming marry and have children, as the saying went, children and grandchildren were their own blessings. Since the hearts of the two were interlinked, they must support each other to live.

After such an encounter, Bo Peizhi understood—

What did it matter if there were no descendants, or whether they were related by blood? The point was to meet the right person!

Old Mrs. Bo took Pei Yi’s hand and spread his palm flat on her own.

Pei Yi was puzzled, but didn’t retreat. “Old Madam?”

Old Mrs. Bo wrote a string of numbers on his hand. “Don’t……forget.”

Pei Yi nodded seriously. “En, I’ll remember. I’ll stay by his side.”

. . . . . .

The two had a simple dinner at Minxi Manor, and returned to the Bo residence after Old Mrs. Bo fell asleep.

After washing up, Pei Yi walked to the living room and stared at the wine wall. He searched for a long time, but before he could find his target, Bo Yueming’s voice sounded from nearby.

“You want to drink again?”

“Can’t I?”

Pei Yi felt that he had justice on his side. “Since I can’t get back the booking fee for the private chef dinner, don’t you have to compensate me with a bottle of wine?”

Bo Yueming replied with another condition, “En, I’ll accompany you to drink, but come here first and let me change the dressing on your fingers.”

“Okay.”

Pei Yi walked over and sat on the small sofa to let Bo Yueming change the dressing. The deep wounds still tingled a little, but he was in a relaxed mood.

“Er-ge, are you happy? The Old Madam is fine.”

“Of course I’m happy.” Bo Yueming moved his hands lightly, and diverted his attention, “What did Grandma say to you alone before dinner?”

Pei Yi kept the secret. “I can’ say for the time being.”

Bo Yueming looked up at him. “You can’t say?”

Pei Yi avoided his gaze, and conspicuously changed the subject. “Er-ge, do you think we can see the stars at night?”

“Now that it’s deep in the season, the visibility may not be as good as in summer.” Bo Yuemign went along with him unconditionally. “We can go upstairs to the terrace later if you want to see them.”

“Okay, ah.”

Pei Yi readily agreed, and pointed to the upper right corner of the wine wall. “Then I want that one.”

Petrus Winery, a small but exquisite rare wine brand.

Bo Yueming’s eyes shifted slightly, and he gave a helpless and indulgent sigh. “”You, ah, you can’t handle your alcohol, but you have a good eye for picking wine.”

. . . . . . .

Ten minutes later.

As soon as Pei Yi opened the door to the roof, the chill in the air rushed over him, making him shiver a little.

Following behind, Bo Yueming saw this and frowned slightly. “Cold? How about we go back inside and have a drink.”

“No, ah, it’s comfortable here.”

Pei Yi wrapped his sweater snugly and raised his head, stepping out. “It looks like we can see a star or two. I’ll heat up after drinking some wine.”

Bo Yueming went out with him and set the wine they had brought on the nearby table. Because few people stopped by regularly, there was only a simple long chair placed here.

Sitting down, Bo Yueming poured half a glass of wine to air out for Pei Yi. “This alcohol content is lower, but you can only drink this much.”

“…….”

Compared to the thin layer he started with, the current half cup was an absolute improvement.

Pei Yi sat down next to Bo Yueming and took the wine glass. He couldn’t help but probe, “Actually, it’s okay if I drink a little more. If I get drunk, don’t I have you?”

Bo Yueming was pleased by the dependence hidden in these words. “If you’re not afraid of waking up with a headache, you can drink half a glass more tonight.”

Pei Yi laughed. “En, we’ll talk about it later.”

When it came to drinking, it was not about the quantity, but about the taste, and the most important thing was the person who accompanied you to taste the wine.

The wine glasses clinked lightly, creating a beautiful melody in the night.

Pei Yi took a sip of wine and looked up at the starry night sky again. “Sure enough, the older you get, the less you can see the stars.”

It was the first time Bo Yueming heard that Pei Yi had such a hobby. “Do you like looking at the stars?”

“Not really, I just used to look at them every day when I was a kid.”

Back in the orphanage, there were not many things to play with.

The children admitted to the orphanage were either abandoned at birth, or had an accident at home and no longer had someone to attend to them.

Perhaps “missing parents” and “missing relatives” were the growth path that every child must go through, and the dean used the most cliched formula—

The stars in the sky were their relatives.

Pei Yi had never met his biological parents. When he was a child, he would look at the starry sky and fantasize about his parents. They were probably like the parents of the original owner, responsible and understanding, gentle and loving.

Bo Yueming gazed at Pei Yi’s upturned and focused profile, then lowered his head again and took a sip of his wine. “I looked at them seriously once when I was at the beach as a child.”

“The beach?”

Pei Yi was slightly taken aback, and asked cautiously, “When?”

“When I was six years old. I had nearly forgotten.” Bo Yueming said very lightly, “I just remember that she disappeared the day after we looked at the stars.”

“…….”

Pei Yi’s heart sank, and he immediately blamed himself for bringing up a bad topic.

The original strategy may not be able to be used at all, so what should they talk about?

Bo Yueming met his eyes again, sensing his subtle guilt. “It was a long time ago. If you want to look at them, shall I take you somewhere else to see them in a few days?”

“Huh?”

“The top of Yanshan Mountain. When the project team was established before, Lin Zhong was responsible for leading them to go there once, and he told me it was pretty nice when he came back.”

Bo Yueming asked Pei Yi for his opinion. “If you’re interested, I’ll take you there sometime.”

Pei Yi took the lead to decide, “How about next Saturday?”

Bo Yueming didn’t refuse. “All right.”

The glasses clinked again and again.

Pei Yi continuously restrained himself, but his inebriation still ticked up fairly quickly.

Bo Yueming spied the liquid remaining at the bottom of his glass, and asked, “Do you still want to drink more?”

“Huh?”

Pei Yi gave a hum. He turned to look at Bo Yueming’s face, and his drunken eyes began to sweep over his wantonly—

From Bo Yueming’s eyes, down the bridge of his nose, and finally to his thin red lips.

The entanglement of that night inexplicably appeared in Pei Yi’s mind.

At that time, he was overly stunned and nervous. He only remembered that his head was dizzy, and his breathing and even his soul was controlled by the other party.

It seemed that kissing Bo Yueming was quite comfortable?

Hm, he didn’t remember exactly.

Perhaps he should try again?

This idea uncontrollably occurred to Pei Yi, and the knot of his throat rolled slightly. He shifted his body like a snail, and the moment he was about to touch those thin lips—

The night wind blew.

The befuddled fever of inebriation was blown away in exchange for a short moment of sobriety.

Pei Yi suddenly realized that his thoughts were not so simple, and “reined himself in,” leaning his head on Bo Yueming’s shoulder.

“…….”

Seeing the kitten that was nearly hooked in suddenly change direction, Bo Yueming suppressed his slight disappointment and teased him again, “Pei Yi, what did you want to do just now?”

Pei Yi’s ears turned red, and he pretended to be confused. “I, I’m drunk.”

This little cat never admitted to being drunk before, but it happened for the first time tonight.

Bo Yueming saw through him but didn’t call him out. “Shall I take you back? You’ll catch a cold if you stay out here any longer.”

Pei Yi whined, three points drunk, but trying to make it seem realistic.

Bo Yueming put down the wine glass and picked him up. “Then do you want to sleep in my room tonight, or go back to your room and sleep by yourself?”

He was teasing, but also tempting.

“…….”

Pei Yi had his face buried in his shoulder without looking up, and it took him a moment to answer while feigning drunkenness, “S-sleep with you.”