CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 184: AGONIZING WAIT

Pei Nianchen obviously didn’t know that Sheng Qianchi had given Gu Jiayin a deadline for her return; he only knew that he didn’t want to be separated from her for even a second.

"Have dinner together, okay?" he asked.

Gu Jiayin looked at the time again, and finally did not refuse, "Okay."

No matter what, she wouldn’t be able to get to Shuiyunjian before eight, and Pei Nianchen clearly had more to say to her. Since they were bound to break up, it was better to say everything today.

In the future, without her in his life, he’d have a lot less pain.

He needed to move on from seven years ago.

He took her to the most luxurious Luoli Restaurant in Licheng City.

Luoli Restaurant, renowned throughout the city for its cuisine, was right next to Luoli Hotel.

It was at Luoli Hotel that Pei Nianchen and Qin Xueyao held their wedding.

Pei Nianchen took Gu Jiayin directly to the second floor and, with great extravagance, booked the entire floor.

Thus, the entire floor was just for him and Gu Jiayin.

The splendid crystal lights cast a warm orange glow.

At a square wooden table, sitting opposite each other, Gu Jiayin quietly ordered the dishes she wanted under Pei Nianchen’s gaze.

While waiting for the dishes, she held a white porcelain cup and said softly, "Brother Nianchen, I hope you’ll be happy in the future."

Pei Nianchen’s body noticeably paused. Even though he had brought her to reminisce all afternoon, had she still decided not to want him? Were all those little memories not worth it to her?

He raised his eyes and looked at her quietly, "Tell me, are you going back to Sheng Qianchi because you love him, or because of Twilight Manor?"

Gu Jiayin felt her throat go stiff. This was a question she was unwilling to ponder, "Does it matter? The result is the same."

He looked at her intensely, "If there were no Twilight Manor, would you go back to him?"

She answered honestly, "No." Yes, no.

Pei Nianchen excitedly grabbed her hand, "In that case, it means you don’t love him enough, right? If you want Twilight Manor, I’ll try everything to help you get it, don’t go back, okay?"

Gu Jiayin didn’t know how to respond. She no longer wanted him to pay any price for her. Twilight Manor was in Sheng Qianchi’s hands, and getting it would be as hard as climbing to the sky.

Just as she was grappling with how to answer, her phone rang, and Sheng Qianchi’s name flashed on the screen, along with the corresponding caller ID image.

It was a screensaver that Sheng Qianchi had set for her personally, a close photograph of them under a pear blossom tree.

That’s when she realized, she hadn’t changed it all this time.

...

All day, Sheng Qianchi had been full of confidence, dismissing all the bodyguards following Gu Jiayin, not deliberately seeking out news about her.

Even though he knew she was with Pei Nianchen.

Because he firmly believed, she would definitely return to him.

So, early off work, he drove alone back to Shuiyunjian.

Entering the living room, he found Sister Li holding Jiajia and sighing in secret, missing Gu Jiayin, so he cheerfully said, "She’ll be back tonight."

Sister Li lifted her head in astonishment, paused for several seconds before asking, "Really?"

"Hmm," Sheng Qianchi nodded, "This time, once she’s back, she won’t leave again."

Sister Li was overjoyed, "Really, that’s great, I’ll go prepare dinner."

"No need," Sheng Qianchi smiled, stopping Sister Li, "Tonight I’ll personally cook dinner, take Jiajia and have a day off."

Sister Li seemed to have thought of something, immediately picking up Jiajia, "Okay, I’ll take Jiajia out to play, the kitchen has all new ingredients today, everything’s there."

Sheng Qianchi nodded with a smile, "Hmm, go ahead."

In the large villa, all the servants were given a day off, leaving only one man.

He was graceful, elegant, and dignified.

Quietly setting down his briefcase, tearing off his tie, unbuttoning his collar and cuffs, then rolling up his sleeves, he elegantly walked into the kitchen.

No one would believe that such a noble man, who seemed to be on a cloud for people to look up to, could actually cook so well.

There was a constant smile on the corner of his lips.

As if celebrating some grand festival, he made eight dishes and a soup.

From the westward-leaning sun, he cooked until dusk fell.

Finally, seeing the delicious dishes on the table, he satisfiedly curled his lips and took off the apron around his waist.

Glancing at his watch, it was six in the evening.

There were still two hours to go.

He never thought she’d stand him up, so he was still full of joy and anticipation.

However, he was inwardly quite anxious.

He left the villa, stood outside the gate looking down the mountain, like any ordinary man, waiting for his wife to come home.

During the wait, he smoked a cigarette, felt that time passed too slowly, went to fetch a pot of water, watered the flowers in the yard, and even squatted down himself to pull out some weeds growing on the lawn.

After doing all of this, it was already after seven.

He finally frowned slightly, wishing to call her to ask, but since he promised her absolute freedom before eight, he shouldn’t disturb her early.

So, he ultimately refrained.

Only, the time was even harder to bear.

He ran out to the gate again, looked down the mountain, but no car shadow, no human shadow.

He wondered if her car was already halfway up the mountain but obstructed by obstacles so he couldn’t see it, so he ran back to the study to pull up all the route surveillance on the computer.

However, not even the hem of her garment could be seen.

The clock on the wall already pointed to seven-thirty.

He finally began to feel restless.

Nonetheless, he was still certain, there was no reason for her not to come back. First, she clearly liked him a lot, and second, she desired Twilight Manor so much. Since returning to Licheng City, everything she did was to obtain Twilight Manor.

So, she really had no reason not to come back.

But why was she still absent at the allocated time?

Finally, his heart wavered in his initial certainty.

Pei Nianchen.

Though he arrogantly humiliated Pei Nianchen today, in reality, he wasn’t as confident as he seemed. Deep down, he was apprehensive about her and Pei Nianchen’s sixteen years together.

At this moment, his heart began racing for no reason, fearing that she had once again returned to Pei Nianchen’s embrace.

Standing alone in the grand study, he stared intently at all the route surveillance, time ticking by second by second.

When the time turned to eight o’clock sharp, his gaze shook violently for a moment.

She hadn’t come back, she hadn’t returned within the time he set for her, she was with Pei Nianchen, she had accepted Pei Nianchen again.

Ha!

A heartless woman.

No matter how many things he did for her, would she throw it all away just because of one word from Pei Nianchen?

Huge rage swirled within his chest, tearing his heart into pieces.

His chest heaved up and down immensely, grinding out three words through gritted teeth, "Gu Jiayin!"

With a bang, he abruptly grabbed the computer on the table and hurled it against the wall, the sound of it shattering splintering the air.

"Fine, you’ve done well!"