Oh No

Zhang Guifang pulled open the bedroom door, the smile on her face vanishing completely the moment she saw Chen Zhi.

"Mom—"

"Come here."

She grabbed Chen Zhi by the arm, dragged him straight onto the balcony, and pulled the sliding door shut.

"You heard?"

Chen Zhi glanced toward the bedroom, keeping his voice very low.

"Heard what?"

"Cut the act." Zhang Guifang reached out and smacked the back of his head. "You were just pressed against the door eavesdropping on my phone call. Do you think I'm blind?"

Chen Zhi stopped arguing.

"I heard."

"Good."

Zhang Guifang gripped the balcony railing, her voice so low that each word seemed to pop out through her teeth.

"Wanwan is taking the high-speed rail at noon tomorrow and arriving in Jiangcheng at 2 PM. Lin Jing was absolutely thrilled on the phone just now. She said Uncle Lin is going to pick her up at the station, and our two families will have dinner together tomorrow night."

Chen Zhi's temples throbbed.

"Tell me, what are you going to do?"

"I..."

"If you dare break Wanwan's heart, I won't forgive you."

Zhang Guifang stared at him, tapping her finger against the railing. "That girl grew up right in front of me. If you make her shed even a single tear, I'll break your leg first, and then have your father break the other one."

"Mom, could you not threaten to break my legs at every turn—"

"Are two not enough for you?"

Chen Zhi shut his mouth.

Zhang Guifang took a breath, her pace slowing down a bit.

"I've been observing this girl, Xiao Pei, all evening. She's a good person, works efficiently, and speaks pleasantly. But Wanwan is arriving tomorrow. If you let the two of them meet in the same house, are you deliberately trying to tear our two families apart?"

Chen Zhi remained silent.

"Find a way to resolve the issue with Xiao Pei yourself."

Zhang Guifang slid the door open, instantly returning to her amiable demeanor, and called out toward the living room.

"Xiao Pei, Auntie has adjusted the water heater for you. Go ahead and wash up, and get some rest early."

Pei Ningxue's voice came from the guest room: "Thank you, Auntie."

Zhang Guifang turned her head and gave Chen Zhi one last look.

The meaning in her eyes was crystal clear: Figure it out yourself.

Chen Zhi stood on the balcony, letting the wind blow over him for two minutes.

July in Jiangcheng was sweltering, but he couldn't help the chill running down his spine.

He walked to the guest room door and knocked twice.

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, he saw Pei Ningxue sitting on the edge of the bed, drying her hair.

She had just finished her shower and was wearing the pajamas she brought. The tips of her hair were still wet, and she carried the fresh scent of body wash. The room wasn't large; a 1.5-meter bed took up most of the space, with her skincare products and phone resting on the nightstand.

"Let me discuss something with you."

Pei Ningxue's hand paused in her hair-drying.

"Go ahead."

Chen Zhi sat down on the chair by the bed and rubbed his hands together.

"Tomorrow, could you... head back first?"

The towel stopped moving entirely.

Pei Ningxue looked up, her damp long hair draped over her shoulders, her face expressionless.

"Chen Zhi, what do you mean?"

"I don't mean it like that, listen to me explain—"

"You brought me to your home, introduced me to your parents, we ate, I washed the dishes, I carried the rice."

Pei Ningxue placed the towel on her knees. Her voice wasn't loud, and she spoke very slowly.

"And then you tell me, 'head back first tomorrow'?"

"Here's the thing—"

"Lin Wanwan is coming back, right?"

Chen Zhi's mouth hung open, the words stuck in his throat.

"It's not like I'm deaf." Pei Ningxue picked up the towel and resumed drying her hair, her movements a bit rougher than before. "I was right next door when your mom was on the phone, and the doors aren't soundproof."

"Then you..."

"I what?"

Pei Ningxue tossed the towel onto the bed, stood up, and walked over to the window.

Outside the window was the downstairs of the old residential complex. The streetlights were dim, and a few distant dog barks could be heard.

"Pei Ningxue, don't get mad yet—"

"I'm not mad."

"Your voice has changed."

"My voice is always like this."

Chen Zhi stood up and took two steps toward her.

"Stay away from me."

Chen Zhi froze.

Pei Ningxue had her back to him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Chen Zhi, today in front of your mom, I washed dishes, sorted vegetables, carried rice, and let her scrutinize me all evening. It's not like you didn't see the look on her face when she watched me, but I gritted my teeth and took it all."

"I know..."

"What do you know?"

Pei Ningxue turned around.

"Do you know when I, Pei Ningxue, have ever served tea and poured water for anyone? Do you know when I've ever squatted on the floor picking up vegetable leaves?"

"I—"

"But I did it today, because she's your mom, and I wanted her to feel that you didn't choose the wrong person."

Pei Ningxue's voice lowered.

"And the result? You tell me to get out and go back."

The guest room fell silent for several seconds.

Chen Zhi touched his nose, realizing he was completely in the wrong.

"Pei Ningxue, I'm not trying to chase you away. It's just that Lin Wanwan is arriving tomorrow afternoon. She's my neighbor, and her parents are old family friends with mine. If she comes back and sees you, it's over."

"So what?"

"What do you mean, 'so what'?"

"When Pei Dongcheng cornered me with photos, I didn't see you scared. When Zhang Yiming sat across from you to negotiate, I didn't see you scared. Now just because Lin Wanwan is coming back, you're pushing me out?"

Pei Ningxue reached up and tucked her wet hair behind her ear.

"Chen Zhi, do you think I'm easy to brush off?"

"I don't think that."

"Then give me a reason not to leave."

Chen Zhi was stunned for a moment.

"You could give me a plan for staying, too," he replied stubbornly.

"A plan?" Pei Ningxue walked back to the bed, sat down, and crossed her legs.

"I'm not going anywhere tomorrow. I'm staying right here at your house. When Lin Wanwan arrives, figure out how to handle it yourself."

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy."

"The two of you meeting at my parents' house? What are you trying to do? Have a face-to-face confrontation?"

"Didn't you say you 'want it all'?" Pei Ningxue tilted her head. "You could say it in front of Pei Dongcheng, but you don't dare say it in front of your mom?"

Chen Zhi opened his mouth.

It was true. In the private room at the Guomao Grand Hotel, right to Pei Dongcheng's face, he had declared, "I want to give them both a home at the same time."

"Pei Ningxue, can you stop arguing for the sake of arguing?"

"I'm not. I'm reasoning with you."

"What reason?"

"It's something you have to face sooner or later. Delaying it a day is no different from delaying it a year."

Pei Ningxue picked up the hand cream from the nightstand, squeezed a little onto the back of her hand, and slowly rubbed it in.

"Besides, will the problem be solved if I leave? Your mom knows I exist, and you can hide it from Lin Wanwan for a moment, but not forever. When are you finally going to be willing to face this problem?"

Chen Zhi sat back in the chair and ran his hands through his hair.

Every word she said made sense.

But making sense was one thing. Tomorrow at 2 PM, Lin Wanwan would arrive at the station, Lin Shuxian would pick her up, and both families would have dinner together in the evening. If Pei Ningxue was still sitting in the house, his mom would pass out on the spot.

"Give me one day."

Pei Ningxue looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"For the whole day tomorrow, don't leave this guest room. I'll handle Lin Wanwan's side first. After the two families finish dinner tomorrow night, I'll take you to see her the morning after."

"You want me to hide in your guest room?"

Pei Ningxue's tone dropped a couple of degrees.

"It is not hiding, it is—"

"What is it? Concealing?"

Chen Zhi was stuck for words.

Pei Ningxue screwed the cap back onto the hand cream and put it back on the nightstand.

"Chen Zhi, I am your girlfriend, not some shameful secret in your house. You either let me leave, or you let me stay here openly. Making me hide in the guest room and pretend I do not exist? Sorry, you have got the wrong person."

Chen Zhi remained silent for a long while.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"What I want to do is not important, what you want to do is what matters."

Pei Ningxue lay back down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders.

"You can leave now, I am going to sleep."

"Pei Ningxue—"

"Close the door behind you."

Chen Zhi stood there, watching her roll over to face away from him. Her wet hair rubbed against the pillow, leaving a small dark water stain.

His lips moved a couple of times, but ultimately he said nothing.

He walked out of the guest room and gently closed the door.

The hallway was very dark, with only the bathroom light still on.

Chen Zhi stood leaning against the wall for a moment and took out his phone.

Lin Wanwan had sent another message three minutes ago.

[Hubby, are you asleep? I booked the high-speed rail for 12:30 tomorrow afternoon, arriving at 2:00! Come pick me up, okay!]

At the end was a string of heart and kissing emojis.

Chen Zhi stared at that message for a long time.

Come pick me up, okay.

Come.

Of course I will come.

The problem is, after I pick you up and bring you home, there is already someone staying in the guest room.

Chen Zhi gritted his teeth, typed a few words, deleted them, and finally replied with the safest option.

[Okay, I will go pick you up.]

After sending it, he lay down and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Pei Ningxue was right; this was something he had to face sooner or later.

But "sooner or later" and "facing it tomorrow afternoon" were two entirely different concepts.

He rolled over to face the wall, forcing himself to close his eyes.

It was no use; he simply could not fall asleep.

About half an hour later, faint footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Thump, thump.

Two knocks on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Your dad."

Chen Zhi froze for a moment, then sat up and opened the door.

Chen Jun stood in the doorway, holding two cans of beer. He was wearing a tank top, large shorts, and flip-flops.

"Are you asleep?"

"No."

Chen Jun shoved one can of beer into his hand, popped open the other with a hiss, and turned toward the balcony.

"Come out and sit for a bit."

Chen Zhi took the beer and followed him out.

There were no lights on the balcony, only the faint glow from the streetlights in the residential complex. The old man brought out two small folding stools, sat on one himself, and kicked the other over to Chen Zhi's feet.

The two of them sat down on the balcony, neither speaking first.

Chen Jun took a sip of beer and burped.

"Your mom told me."

Chen Zhi looked down at the ground.

"Yeah."

Chen Jun took another sip.

Downstairs, a dog barked for a moment before quieting down again. In the distance, someone was setting off fireworks. It was probably some kid who had bought a bottle rocket; it shot up with a whoosh and exploded into a tiny speck of light in midair.

"You are really something, kid."

It was impossible to tell the emotion behind those words—whether it was a compliment or a scolding.

Chen Zhi did not reply.

Chen Jun set his beer can down beside his stool, rested his hands on his knees, and looked out at the pitch-black buildings in the complex.

"When I was young and chasing your mom, I chased her for a year and a half. I rode my bicycle to the gate of her workplace every day to wait for her, rain or shine. One time there was a rainstorm, and I stood at the gate for two hours. When she came out and saw me, she just said, 'Are you crazy?'"

Chen Zhi listened without interrupting.

"Later, when she agreed to date me, I was so happy I didn't sleep well for a week. Just one was enough to wear me out. You're juggling so many, aren't you tired?"

"I am tired."

"If you are tired, why do you still do it?"

Chen Zhi was silent for a few seconds.

"They are all good girls. I cannot let go of any of them."

Chen Jun turned his head to look at him.

"You cannot let go of any of them?"

"Yeah."

Chen Jun scoffed, picking up his beer can and setting it down again, repeating the motion twice.

"Do you know why your mom was so angry?"

"Because of Wanwan."

"Not entirely." Chen Jun lowered his voice. "Your mom is angry because you hid things from her. You started a company worth tens of billions and she didn't know. You got two girlfriends on the outside and she didn't know. She feels like she was kept in the dark."

"I didn't mean to hide it..."

"I know." Chen Jun cut him off. "You were afraid we would worry, afraid we wouldn't understand even if you told us. But Chen Zhi, your mom has worried about you for nineteen years. No matter how old you get, you are always a child to her. You come back and don't even tell her the truth; how could she not feel stifled?"

Chen Zhi kept his head down, rubbing his fingers against the beer can.

The balcony was quiet for a while.

"That Xiao Pei girl—" Chen Jun spoke up, his tone casual like they were just chatting. "I observed her during dinner today. She is not simple."

"Yeah."

"Guanghua School of Management, your company's CFO, from a family in business." Chen Jun counted on his fingers. "Normally, a man cannot handle that kind of girl."

Chen Zhi said nothing.

"But the way she acted in front of your mom today—" Chen Jun paused. "It did not look like she was acting."

"She wasn't acting."

"That is good then." Chen Jun nodded and took another gulp of beer. "What about Wanwan? What do you plan to do about her?"

"She arrives tomorrow."

"Your mom told me."

"I don't know what to do." Chen Zhi downed half his can of beer in one go and hissed. "Pei Ningxue refuses to leave, Wanwan is coming, and my mom wants me to sort this mess out—"

"Do you want me to help you?"

Chen Zhi looked up at his dad.

Chen Jun waved his hand.

"I cannot help you. You have to face this yourself."

"Then why did you come looking for me in the middle of the night to drink beer?"

Chen Jun picked up his empty beer can and crushed it in his hand.

"To look at you."

Chen Zhi was stunned.

To look at me, or to laugh at me?

Chen Jun stood up and tossed the crushed beer can into the trash bin in the corner of the balcony.

"You have always had your own ideas since you were little. We cannot control you. Your mom scolds you, but her heart is softer than anyone's. We watched that girl Wanwan grow up, and today was my first time meeting Xiao Pei, so it is hard to say much."

He walked to the balcony door and stopped.

"You created this mess, so figure out how to solve it yourself. But there is one thing."

"What?"

"You are not allowed to let any girl shed tears in my house."

With that, Chen Jun slid the glass door open and went inside.

The sound of the bedroom door closing echoed in the hallway, followed by silence.

Chen Zhi sat alone on the balcony, finishing the remaining half can of beer.

The July night breeze blew past. On the small path illuminated by streetlights below in the complex, a stray cat darted across and disappeared into the bushes.

He took out his phone and checked the time.

Eleven forty.

Lin Wanwan had sent a string of stickers, all hugging and kissing bears and hearts. The last text message read:

[Then I will call you directly when I arrive tomorrow! Good night hubby, love you~]

Chen Zhi replied with a good night.

Then he switched to Pei Ningxue's chat window.

He typed the words "Are you asleep?", stared at them for a while, and then deleted them one by one.

Forget it.

Anything he said tonight would be wrong.

He went back to his bedroom, lay down on the single bed, and pulled the thin blanket over himself.

Before closing his eyes, a hundred plans ran through his mind, but none of them were perfect.

Half-asleep, he had a dream.

In the dream, he stood at a fork in the road. On the left stood Lin Wanwan, waving at him. On the right stood Pei Ningxue, her back turned to him. Behind him was a blurry shadow, looking like Li Zhiyi.

Three paths, but he only had one pair of legs.

Then his mother dropped from the sky, brandishing a rolling pin.

"Chen Zhi, stop right there—"

He woke up with a start.

It was already daylight.

His phone showed 7:12 AM.

There were less than seven hours before Lin Wanwan got off the high-speed train.

Chen Zhi got out of bed, washed his face, and walked out of the bedroom.

The guest room door was closed, and there was no sound inside.

The clinking of a spatula against a wok came from the kitchen; Zhang Guifang was already making breakfast. He walked over and poked his head in.

"Morning, Mom."

Zhang Guifang didn't even turn her head.

"The one in the guest room isn't up yet."

It was an update, and also a reminder.

Chen Zhi walked back to the hallway, stood at the guest room door for two seconds, and raised his hand to knock.

"Pei Ningxue."

No response.

He knocked again.

"What." She sounded a bit grumpy from waking up.

"Time for breakfast."

After a few seconds of silence, the door opened.

Pei Ningxue was wearing the same pajamas from yesterday, her hair loose, with slight sleep marks on her face. She glanced at Chen Zhi, said nothing, and turned to go to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, she came out freshly washed, changed into clean clothes, her hair tied in a simple bun. She looked much like she did when she arrived yesterday.

Chen Zhi noticed her face was devoid of any emotion.

Not coldness, but the kind of state right before a meeting—strictly business.

"Have you made up your mind last night?" Pei Ningxue dropped the question softly as she walked past him.

"I have."

Pei Ningxue stopped in her tracks.

"And?"

"You don't need to leave."

"And after Lin Wanwan arrives?"

"I will talk to her."

He said these words very decisively, but after saying them, Chen Zhi felt his own throat go dry.

Only then did Pei Ningxue turn around, looking him up and down for two seconds.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Your mom agreed?"

"Even if she doesn't, she has to face it."

Pei Ningxue looked at his face, as if weighing the true value of those words.

"Alright."

She walked toward the living room, took two steps, and stopped again, her voice a bit softer than before.

"Chen Zhi, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you on purpose."

"I know."

"But I don't want to be someone hidden away."

"You aren't."

Pei Ningxue didn't say anything else and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, Auntie. Let me help you serve the congee."

Zhang Guifang looked back at her, then at Chen Zhi following behind.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—no, the mother, the son, and this girl whose status had not yet been officially acknowledged—ate breakfast in silence.

Chen Jun had gone out for a walk, leaving only three people at the table.

No one brought up Lin Wanwan at the dining table.

But all three knew very well that the countdown had already begun.

After breakfast, Chen Zhi sat on the living room sofa, gripping his phone, mentally rehearsing over and over how he would break the news when he saw Lin Wanwan later.

At 10:30 AM.

Lin Wanwan sent a message.

[Hubby! I'm on the train! I'll be there in three and a half hours, did you miss me!]

This was followed by a selfie. She was wearing a baseball cap and a mask, revealing only a pair of curved, smiling eyes, with a finger-heart gesture poking out from under the brim of her hat.

Chen Zhi stared at the photo, his thumb hovering over the screen for quite a while.

The sound of Pei Ningxue turning the pages of a book came from the direction of the guest room.

He placed the phone on the coffee table.

Right at that moment, the sound of a key turning came from the door.

Chen Jun had returned from his walk, carrying a bag of fried dough sticks in his hand.

He tossed the fried dough sticks onto the table, changed into his slippers, and walked up to Chen Zhi.

"Your Uncle Lin just ran into me downstairs."

Chen Zhi's heart suddenly clenched.

"What did he say?"

Chen Jun hitched up his waistband, his tone flat.

"He said Wanwan is arriving this afternoon, and wants our two families to have dinner together tonight. He's already booked a private room at the restaurant."

The sound of running water from washing dishes in the kitchen stopped.

Zhang Guifang poked half her body out.

The guest room door was slightly ajar, and the sound of flipping pages stopped too.

Chen Zhi sat in the middle of the sofa, feeling as if the whole world was waiting for him to speak.

Chen Jun glanced at him, then at the direction of the guest room, and said nothing.

He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and walked toward the balcony.

After two steps, he tossed a sentence back over his shoulder.

"Your Uncle Lin said 6:30 PM tonight. Don't be late."