The Rest of My Life

The waters of Houhai reflected the scattered lights along the shore, while the noise from the adjacent bar street was completely blocked out by a narrow alley.

Instead of going home, Pei Ningxue brought Chen Zhi to a quiet lounge bar.

In Pei Ningxue's words, "Are you scared?" She provoked Chen Zhi just like she always did.

Chen Zhi knew she just wanted to spend a little more time with him, to enjoy some time alone together, so he obliged.

The resident singer was a long-haired older guy sitting on a high stool in the corner. His eyes were half-closed as he strummed a cliché folk song, singing listlessly without much technique, but full of raw emotion.

Chen Zhi picked the most secluded booth in the corner. Pei Ningxue slid into the seat and casually flipped through the drink menu.

"What do you want to drink?"

"Whatever."

Chen Zhi ordered two signature cocktails for her and a bottle of mineral water for himself.

Pei Ningxue shot him a glance. "You're not drinking?"

"I'm meeting your dad tomorrow. I need to stay sober."

"Getting nervous already?" Pei Ningxue picked up her glass and took a sip. "How pathetic."

Chen Zhi didn't take the bait, leaning back against the leather seat of the booth.

Pei Ningxue drank slowly. After one glass, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. She pushed the empty glass aside and picked up the second one.

"Slow down."

"Since when do you boss me around?"

She tilted her head back and took another large gulp.

Chen Zhi simply reached out, plucked the glass from her hand, and set it down on his side of the table.

"Give it back."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to show up hungover to pick up your dad tomorrow?"

Pei Ningxue glared at him for a couple of seconds but didn't argue further.

She leaned her body toward Chen Zhi and rested her head on his shoulder.

The singer switched to another song. His voice was hoarse and low, and Chen Zhi didn't pay much attention to what he was singing. The other patrons in the bar sat in twos and threes, minding their own business, with no one looking their way.

Pei Ningxue rested on his shoulder, remaining quiet for a long time.

"Chen Zhi."

"Yeah."

"Why are you such a womanizer?"

Her voice was light and airy, carrying a kind of blunt honesty that only came with a bit of a buzz.

"If only you liked just me. How nice would that be."

Chen Zhi opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He didn't know how to respond to that. Should he say, "I only like you"? That would be a complete lie. Should he say, "I'm sorry"? That felt too cheap.

Pei Ningxue didn't wait for his answer, continuing to speak half to herself.

"We could have just gone through middle school together, finished high school together, and made it all the way to college graduation together."

"Every day, I'd hold your hand and take a walk through these alleys, and then we'd watch the sunset together. After we got home, you would cook, and I would wash the dishes."

Chen Zhi remained silent, letting Pei Ningxue continue her monologue.

"Later, I'd give you a son and a daughter." Pei Ningxue nuzzled her face deeper into the crook of his neck. "Mmm, a son would definitely be too mischievous, so it's better to have a daughter first. We could watch them grow up, until our hair turns gray and our youth fades."

Pei Ningxue went quiet again for a moment.

The melody of the acoustic guitar drifted through the bar. The singer reached the chorus, keeping his voice very low, as if afraid of waking someone up.

"We would just keep going like this," Pei Ningxue's pace slowed down. "Every night you would hold me, and I would sleep in your arms. Later on, there would be a little thing squeezing between us, all warm and soft."

"That would be true happiness."

Chen Zhi stared blankly at the bar's dim ceiling lights.

The words Pei Ningxue had just spoken turned over and over in his mind.

Growing old together from middle school—it sounded like such a simple thing. For someone else, it might really just be a lifetime spent that way.

But for him...

What kind of person was Chen Zhi? A scumbag three-timing women.

He had two other girlfriends: a hopelessly romantic superstar, and a sweet, obedient childhood friend he had grown up with.

Now, Pei Ningxue was nestled in his arms, talking about spending a lifetime together, asking for all of him.

But could he give that to her?

Pei Ningxue waited for a long time, but no response came.

She lifted her head from Chen Zhi's shoulder, her brows knitting together.

"Why are you ignoring me?"

Chen Zhi snapped out of his daze.

"Do you not like that kind of life? Now that you have me, are you not even willing to humor me?"

She sounded like she was whining, but also like she was genuinely angry.

Chen Zhi looked at the face in his arms, flushed from the alcohol. Her anger now was completely different from before. In the past, she would coldly mock him, but now she was more like a ruffled cat, swiping at him with dull claws.

"I'm thinking about a very serious question," Chen Zhi finally spoke.

"What is it?"

"If we have a daughter in the future, and she grows up only to meet a bastard like me, what do we do?"

Pei Ningxue froze for a moment.

Then, she thought about it seriously for two seconds and nodded. "Then it's better to have a son."

"?"

"If a daughter met a bastard like you, it would be way too tragic," Pei Ningxue said, her face full of deep sympathy.

Chen Zhi was momentarily choked up by this plot twist. It took him a long moment to react. "It's tragic, yet you still love me?"

"I've already lost to you in this life. There's nothing I can do about it now." Pei Ningxue rolled her eyes. "It's my own fault for insisting on getting involved with you back then."

The resident singer finished his song, and a scattering of sparse applause echoed through the bar.

Chen Zhi put down his water bottle and pulled Pei Ningxue out of the booth.

The two of them held hands and walked back along the shore of Houhai lake.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long across the stone pavement, one tall and one short, swaying with their footsteps.

After walking a short distance, Pei Ningxue tilted her head to look at him.

"You've got a lot on your mind today."

Chen Zhi didn't deny it.

"Is it because my dad is coming, so you're scared?"

Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment, then nodded honestly.

He had stolen the family's prized cabbage.

On top of that, he had done a bunch of scummy things.

And tomorrow, he had to sit properly in front of her father and say, "Hello, Uncle."

He couldn't help but feel a bit of guilt and fear.

Pei Ningxue took in his expression and let out a haughty snort.

"Even if you're scared, I'm not going to help you."

"..."

"You caused this trouble yourself, so you can solve it yourself."

With that, she let go of Chen Zhi's hand, stuffed her hands into her hoodie pockets, and quickened her pace to walk ahead of him.

Chen Zhi stood in place, watching her back.

A white hoodie, light blue jeans, and a high ponytail swaying back and forth with her steps. The streetlight illuminated the side of her face, and he could see the corners of her lips curled upward.

This girl was in a great mood.

But Chen Zhi's mood wasn't great at all.

He took a few quick steps to catch up with her and grabbed her hand again.

"Boss Pei."

"What?"

"What kind of person is your dad? You have to at least give me a heads-up, right?"

Pei Ningxue tilted her head in thought. "My dad, huh..."

"Yeah."

"Do you know what the saying is in the Jiangcheng business circle?"

"What is it?"

"'Before you shake hands with Pei Dongcheng, make sure you count how many fingers you have first.'"

Chen Zhi paused his steps.

Pei Ningxue twisted the knife. "There are two kinds of people he hates the most."

"Which two?"

"The first kind: people who cheat him in business."

"And the second?"

Pei Ningxue turned around, walking backward as she stared right into Chen Zhi's face.

"People who deceive his daughter in relationships."

The air went dead silent for three seconds.

Pei Ningxue looked at his expression and finally couldn't hold it back, bursting into laughter.

"Look at how scared you are."

"I wasn't scared," Chen Zhi insisted stubbornly.

Having laughed enough, Pei Ningxue turned back and continued walking forward, this time taking the initiative to reach out her hand.

Chen Zhi grasped it. Her fingertips were cool, and her ring pressed against his palm, a tiny, hard point.

"Don't worry," Pei Ningxue's tone suddenly softened. "No matter how fierce my dad is, he won't actually do anything to you."

"How do you know?"

"Because whatever I choose, he eventually accepts it." She paused. "It's been like that since I was little."

Chen Zhi looked at her with half-belief and half-doubt.

Pei Ningxue added, "Of course, that's assuming you don't embarrass yourself too much tomorrow."

The two of them arrived at the bicycle parking area.

Chen Zhi swung himself onto the bike and patted the backseat.

Pei Ningxue didn't hesitate this time. She climbed on, sat down properly, and wrapped her arms naturally around his waist.

"Let's go home." She rested her chin on Chen Zhi's back.

"Let's go home."

The bicycle rolled over the flagstone path, making a creaking sound.

The night breeze blew past them, carrying away the lingering smell of alcohol from the bar.

Pei Ningxue closed her eyes, pressing her face against Chen Zhi's broad back.

She was very happy today.

But what she didn't tell Chen Zhi was...

Her father, Pei Dongcheng, coming to Beijing this time wasn't just to "see who his daughter was working for."

Last week, her father's secretary had called. The exact words were: "The Chairman wants you to look into exactly how many girlfriends Chen Zhi of Deep Space Technology has in Beijing."

She had stood on the balcony for a full ten minutes, gripping her phone.

Finally, she replied with three words:

"I'll handle it."

It was nearly eleven o'clock when they returned to Wanliu Academy.

Pei Ningxue leaned against the wall in the entryway to change her shoes. After slipping on one slipper, she stopped and tilted her head to look at Chen Zhi.

"What are you looking at?"

"Looking at you." Pei Ningxue kicked off her other shoe, walked over with one bare foot, and reached out to grab the collar of Chen Zhi's hoodie, pulling him toward her.

"Tomorrow's matters can wait until tomorrow."

She stood on her tiptoes and took the initiative to kiss him.

It wasn't a mere peck.

Chen Zhi took a half-step back against the entryway cabinet, reaching out to support her waist.

The sensor light in the entryway flickered on.

And went off again.

The two of them moved from the entryway to the living room, and stumbled from the living room into the bedroom.

Clothes were discarded all along the way.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were the myriad twinkling lights of late-night Beijing. The night breeze slipped in through a crack in the unsealed window, billowing the white sheer curtains.

On the spacious double bed, two silhouettes thoroughly intertwined.

This time, Pei Ningxue completely shed her reserve and threw away the baggage of being the eldest daughter of the Pei family.

She was as passionate as a ball of fire, her fingers gripping the bedsheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Chen Zhi..."

"Mhm."

"Hold me tight, don't let go."

Chen Zhi leaned down and left a mark on her fair neck.

"Don't even think about running away in this lifetime."

As the night grew deeper, the myriad lights outside the window witnessed this profound union of body and soul.

Pei Ningxue was woken up by her alarm.

Her phone vibrated frantically on the nightstand. She fumbled to turn it off, rolling over with the intention of sleeping in for another two minutes.

But as she rolled over, a wave of soreness instantly surged through her entire body.

Gritting her teeth, she slowly slipped out from under Chen Zhi's arm. Managing to sit up with some effort, she looked down at Chen Zhi, who was still fast asleep.

He was quite well-behaved when asleep, one hand resting on her pillow, his breathing even.

Pei Ningxue rubbed her aching waist, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and tiptoed around the clothes strewn everywhere, making her way into the bathroom.

The sound of the shower splashed to life.

Chen Zhi's eyelids twitched.

He had actually woken up five minutes ago. His biological clock, honed over two lifetimes, was more accurate than an alarm clock. But he hadn't opened his eyes, just wanting to see if Pei Ningxue would wake him up.

In the end, the girl slipped away by herself.

Chen Zhi took a deep breath and sat up in bed.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

A few minutes later, Pei Ningxue pushed the door open, wrapped in a bath towel. Her wet hair draped over her shoulders, and her cheeks were flushed pink from the hot water.

"You're awake?" She glanced at Chen Zhi and walked over to the wardrobe to start rummaging for clothes.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Why should I? Afraid you'd run away?" Pei Ningxue didn't even turn her head. She pulled out a beige cashmere coat from the wardrobe, held it against herself to check, and then swapped it for a gray one.

She changed outfits three times back and forth, finally settling on a light yellow knit cardigan paired with camel-colored trousers. It was simple and neat, but the details showed a careful sense of proportion. It couldn't be too casual, lest her dad think she was living a rough life in Beijing, nor could it be too formal and seem overly deliberate.

Chen Zhi watched her twirl in front of the mirror a couple of times and couldn't help but say, "Are you nervous?"

Pei Ningxue turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be nervous? He's my dad, not yours."

"True." Chen Zhi threw off the covers and got out of bed. "I'm the one who should be nervous."

"Then why aren't you washing up yet?" Pei Ningxue gestured toward the bathroom with her chin. "What are you dawdling for? The flight lands at nine, and the drive takes at least forty minutes. Are you planning to leave a good impression on my dad by being late?"

Chen Zhi stepped barefoot into the bathroom, glancing back at her. "Boss Pei, what do you think I should wear today?"

"That dark gray tailored suit in your closet."

"Won't that be too formal? It'll make me look nervous."

"You are nervous."

"..."

Chen Zhi closed the bathroom door.

Twenty minutes later, Chen Zhi came out of the bathroom, drying his hair as he walked over to the closet.

Pei Ningxue had already finished her makeup. Sitting at the vanity, she used a curling iron to give the ends of her hair a slight curl. With light makeup and a much more subdued lipstick shade, she looked gentle and elegant.

Chen Zhi opened the closet. The dark gray suit tailored at Plaza 66 in Shanghai was hanging in the very back. He thought for a moment, then pulled out a navy blue V-neck sweater and a pair of khaki casual pants.

"Didn't I tell you to wear the suit?" Pei Ningxue eyed him through the mirror.

"Wearing a suit to meet your dad feels like going to a job interview." Chen Zhi pulled the sweater over his head. "It's not like I'm applying for a job at his company. Dressing a bit more casually at least makes me look natural."

Pei Ningxue stared at him for two seconds and didn't object further.

Chen Zhi's choice actually made sense. Dressing too formally would only expose his insecurity; dressing comfortably and relaxed showed the kind of spirit a young man should have.

But she wasn't about to praise him out loud.

"Your collar is crooked." She put down the curling iron, walked over, and reached out to straighten the collar of his V-neck sweater.

Pei Ningxue kept her head down as she fiddled with his collar, her eyelashes fluttering.

"That mark on your neck..."

Chen Zhi looked down.

It was the reddish-purple circular mark Pei Ningxue had left last night, faintly visible.

"Change into a turtleneck," Pei Ningxue said decisively.

"A turtleneck in March?"

"Then wear a scarf."

"A scarf in March?"

Pei Ningxue glared at him. "Do you want my dad to see a hickey on your neck?"

Chen Zhi tactfully shut his mouth and obediently changed into a dark gray crewneck knit shirt. The collar perfectly covered the evidence of his crime.

Pei Ningxue circled around him, looking him up and down, and finally nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

It was exactly 7:50 when the two left the apartment.

Lao Zhao had already parked the Rolls-Royce in the underground garage of Wanliu Academy. Pei Ningxue opened the rear door and got in, with Chen Zhi following right behind her.

As the car drove onto the Fourth Ring Road, Pei Ningxue kept looking at her phone. Chen Zhi glanced over; it was the flight status, showing an estimated arrival time of 08:55.

It was a few minutes earlier than expected.

It is arriving early. Pei Ningxue locked her screen and turned to look out the window.

Chen Zhi noticed her right index finger repeatedly rubbing her plain platinum ring.

She was nervous, too.

However, her nervousness was different from his. Chen Zhi was nervous about how to avoid messing up in front of his father-in-law, while Pei Ningxue was nervous about exactly how much her father had found out.

The car fell into silence.

Soon, Lao Zhao dropped the two of them off at the airport.

They got out of the car.

Chen Zhi stood beside her, keeping an arm's length between them.

It was a very standard distance for a subordinate and a superior.

Pei Ningxue glanced at him and tossed out a soft warning: Don't embarrass me.

Chen Zhi was just about to talk back.

The automatic doors of the VIP channel slowly slid open.

A tall middle-aged man strode out.

He wore a dark cashmere coat over a well-tailored dark blue shirt. His hair was combed meticulously, with a few silver strands at his temples, and his facial features shared a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Pei Ningxue's.

Behind him followed a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, pulling a carry-on suitcase. His steps were short and quick, clearly a secretary.

Pei Ningxue had already stepped forward to greet him.

Dad.

Her tone was much lighter than Chen Zhi had imagined. There was no excitement of a long-awaited reunion; it sounded just like a casual greeting at the office.

Pei Dongcheng's footsteps paused for a moment.

He looked at his daughter for two seconds, his eyebrows twitching imperceptibly, and then the corners of his mouth pulled into a not-so-warm smile.

You have lost weight.

Pei Ningxue did not reply.

Pei Dongcheng's gaze moved away from his daughter and landed on Chen Zhi, who was three steps away.

Chen Zhi, long time no see.

Chen Zhi took a step forward and extended his right hand.

Hello, Mr. Pei.

Pei Dongcheng looked down at the extended hand and shook it firmly.

The grip was so strong that it made Chen Zhi's finger bones ache slightly.

Let us go. We will head to the hotel first. On the way, you two can tell me what Deep Space Technology has been busy with lately.

After speaking, he walked straight toward the Rolls-Royce, his secretary jogging to keep up.

The three of them got into the car. Pei Dongcheng sat on the left, Pei Ningxue sat on the right, so Chen Zhi had no choice but to take the passenger seat.

As for the secretary? He took a cab, of course.

Lao Zhao started the car.

Pei Dongcheng leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed, looking as if he were resting his mind.

Just as the car merged onto the airport expressway, Pei Dongcheng suddenly opened his eyes and turned his head.

He looked at Chen Zhi.

How old is Mr. Chen this year?

Nineteen.

Pei Dongcheng's mouth twitched. Nineteen years old, managing a company valued at tens of billions.

You flatter me, Mr. Pei. The company is still in its startup phase—

I was not praising you, Pei Dongcheng interrupted him. I was just wondering how a nineteen-year-old young man distributes his energy.

Pei Ningxue's body tensed slightly.

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

How he distributes his energy.

It sounded like they were talking about work, but the look in Pei Dongcheng's eyes clearly meant more than just work.

Running between my studies and the company is indeed exhausting, Chen Zhi answered flawlessly. Fortunately, I have Ningxue to help me share the burden of the company's finances and operations, which frees up my time to balance my studies.

Pei Dongcheng's expression did not change.

Hmm, he murmured, closing his eyes again.

The car was quiet for half a minute.

The Rolls-Royce drove smoothly on the expressway.

Mr. Chen.

Go ahead, Mr. Pei.

Pei Dongcheng slowly opened his eyes, turned his head, and stared at Chen Zhi's face.

Today at noon, I am treating you to a meal. Just the two of us.

He paused for a moment.

Xiaoxue does not need to come.