Chapter 34 p1
Xin Yao and Pei Yu started living together.
Although they had occasionally spent nights together before, suddenly living together long-term took some getting used to.
Xin Yao often forgot about this fact.
For example:
Sometimes, waking up in the middle of the night, she would vaguely see a person lying next to her in the dim light. And that person had a terrifyingly large snake tail! She’d be instantly terrified and, without thinking, kick the person out of bed!
Then, Pei Yu, having been unexpectedly kicked out of bed by her wife yet again, would sit up and look at Xin Yao. Not saying a word of complaint, just looking at her quietly.
Xin Yao would come to her senses under Pei Yu’s accusing gaze, apologetically scramble out of bed, crawl to Pei Yu’s side, and hug her.
“Sorry, sorry! I forgot we’re living together now!”
Another example:
Xin Yao used to be the only one in the spacious house, so the bathroom was naturally hers alone to use whenever she pleased.
Even though Pei Yu had told her she was going to take a shower, Xin Yao, engrossed in her phone, would sometimes forget.
Walking to the bathroom door, she would habitually push it open.
The sound of water droplets hitting the floor echoed. Xin Yao looked up, startled, and saw Pei Yu’s porcelain-white skin and graceful figure under the warm light. The scene was captivating, causing her heart to race and her face to flush.
Plop
A mischievous water droplet splashed onto Xin Yao’s face, slightly hot.
Xin Yao finally reacted, quickly turning around and covering her eyes.
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to! I forgot you were in there!”
She then slipped and almost ran away.
Just as she reached the door, the person inside grabbed her wrist. Because Pei Yu was showering, her hand was hot and damp, burning like a shackle as it wrapped around Xin Yao’s wrist.
She spoke softly, her usually cold voice now tinged with the warmth and mist of the shower, hazy and sensual.
“Together?”
“I knew it!” Xin Yao clung to the doorframe, refusing to budge. “I just went to the wrong door! I don’t want to!”
From the depths of the snake-like bathroom, Pei Yu’s mischievous voice came.
“Miss Xin, there’s only one bathroom door in this house. How could you go to the wrong one? Lying will be punished.”
As she spoke, a snow-white, smooth, and enormous snake tail wrapped around Xin Yao’s waist and dragged her inside.
Then, Xin Yao’s scolding could be heard from within.
“Pei Yu, you bastard!”
But soon, the scolding softened, eventually turning into soft pleas.
However, there were also times when Xin Yao felt Pei Yu’s presence intensely.
For example:
Every morning, when she groggily woke up and went to the living room, she would see Pei Yu wearing her pink apron, cooking in the open kitchen. There would be a hot breakfast and warm milk waiting for her.
Hearing Xin Yao, Pei Yu would look up from the midst of the aroma and steam, her eyes gentle in the morning light.
“Morning. Go wash up and eat.”
Before, Xin Yao had been poor and busy, working tirelessly to pay off her debts, never having time to think about love, let alone marriage.
But at this moment, looking at Pei Yu standing in the reachable sunlight, she suddenly felt that this was what home should be like.
Peaceful, warm, and the first thing she saw every morning was the person she loved.
Xin Yao loved this feeling, the feeling of home. She always had a particular attachment to the idea of home.
But soon, this heartwarming feeling would dissipate.
Because Pei Yu was a beast, taking advantage of Xin Yao’s soft heart during her vulnerable phase. She would constantly act coquettishly, wanting intimacy almost every day, leaving Xin Yao unable to get out of bed.
Xin Yao’s house had underfloor heating.
Sometimes, when she came home from work, she would be tackled to the ground, right onto the carpet, by the restless giant snake waiting for her.
Xin Yao would lie on her back, looking at the white snake tail between her legs in the hazy light, her lips slightly parted, as if crying and pleading, her voice almost lost several times.
The price was being late for work the next day.
Fortunately, her family owned the company, and she was the boss, so no one could say anything!
Then, as she wearily sat down in her office chair, Xin Yao would suddenly realize, “Ah, so I’m the one who’s ‘the emperor who doesn’t attend court’ now!”
In this state, their peaceful yet chaotic cohabitation continued for half a month.
During this half-month, Pei Yu worked from Xin Yao’s home. Gradually, her vulnerable phase began to ease, and Xin Yao could leave her for a while without any issues.
Coincidentally, during this time, Pei Yu received a wedding invitation. The bride’s family were close business partners of the Pei Corporation. Pei Yu was usually quite serious about work. If she hadn’t been in her vulnerable phase, she would have attended, but recently she didn’t want to leave Xin Yao’s side.
Xin Yao, however, was quite interested. She had never been to a wedding before.
Seeing the invitation on Pei Yu’s desk, she asked curiously, “When is it? Aren’t you going?”
Pei Yu easily understood her interest and said, “Do you want to go together?”
“Eh?” Xin Yao, who loved to join in the fun, was pleasantly surprised. “Can I go too?”
“Of course,” Pei Yu looked at her gently. “I can’t leave you now.”
Three days later.
The wedding was held on a warm island in the country. It was said to be the groom’s family’s private island, a grand affair in a warm climate.
Pei Yu was a quiet person, and when she was with her wife, she disliked being disturbed by others. Most people in the industry knew her temperament, so almost no one came to greet or chat with them.
She and Xin Yao nestled in a corner, chatting.
The sun was beautiful today. Xin Yao was wearing a white strapless dress, and at this moment, she was leaning weakly against the table.
“I’m done for. I think I ate too many cupcakes. Hiccup. I won’t be able to eat lunch later! Hiccup.”
Pei Yu’s eyes softened as she came over and gently patted Xin Yao’s back.
“I told you to eat less.”
“But the cupcakes were so delicious! Hiccup!” Feeling really uncomfortable, Xin Yao tugged at Pei Yu’s sleeve. “Help! Don’t you have some kind of magic that can poof make the food in my stomach disappear?”
Pei Yu paused her patting. “So you can eat more, and I can make it disappear again?”
“Then I can keep eating and try all the desserts today!” Xin Yao exclaimed, slapping her forehead. “Am I a genius or what?”
Before meeting Xin Yao, Pei Yu, a seemingly emotionless creature, never experienced such amusing moments. She looked at Xin Yao with gentle eyes, wanting to say something.
Just then, polite greetings came from not far away. They looked back and saw the bride, groom, and some business partners of the Pei Corporation. They were all important figures, so Pei Yu had to go and greet them.
Xin Yao initially wanted to go with her since Pei Yu was still in her vulnerable phase. But Pei Yu was worried that Xin Yao wouldn’t like such occasions, and since she wasn’t feeling well, she said, “Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”
Xin Yao didn’t insist. After Pei Yu left, she leaned against the table, admiring the island scenery.
She noticed the person standing by the tree with a casual glance. She had already looked away, but suddenly remembered something and slowly turned back to look.
Under a coconut tree, against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky, stood a beautiful woman in a long dress, seemingly middle-aged, but well-maintained, showing few signs of aging.
However, it wasn’t the woman’s beauty that surprised Xin Yao. What made her freeze, her fingers stiffening slightly, was the realization that the woman standing there was none other than Pei Yu’s mother, Pei Shuangshuang.
Why was she here?
Was she also invited to the wedding? Or was she here to see Pei Yu?
Xin Yao straightened up from her somewhat lazy posture.
Unexpectedly, while Xin Yao was looking at Pei Shuangshuang, Pei Shuangshuang seemed to be looking at her too. Their eyes met for a second in the sea breeze, and then Pei Shuangshuang lifted her skirt and walked towards Xin Yao.
Step by step, her long dress swayed in the light until she reached Xin Yao.
It seemed she really was coming towards her.
As she got closer, Xin Yao could see Pei Shuangshuang’s face more clearly. After so many years, she was still beautiful, but she no longer had the vibrancy and liveliness of before. She looked tired, her eyes misty. Her voice, however, was gentle.
“Hello.”
Seeing her, Xin Yao remembered the scenes from the memory flashback, her feelings complex. On the surface, she remained calm and replied politely, “Hello.”
Pei Shuangshuang didn’t reply immediately. She stood there, looking at Xin Yao for a moment in the morning sun, before speaking.
“Are you and Pei Yu friends?”
What did this question mean?
For so many years, hadn’t she refused to see Pei Yu? Why did she suddenly appear now, asking such a strange question?
Xin Yao couldn’t help but remember the mother in her memories who hated her and her child, and she remembered Pei Yu being drowned. She clenched her hand at her side and looked at Pei Shuangshuang firmly, shaking her head.
“No, we’re not friends. I’m Pei Yu’s girlfriend, Xin Yao.”
Pei Shuangshuang was stunned, seemingly never having considered the possibility of Pei Yu having a girlfriend. Then she chuckled softly.
“You know what she is…”
Her voice was low, but Xin Yao heard it!
Her attitude really irritated Xin Yao.
So what if Pei Yu was a demon? Did that mean she couldn’t be loved?
Unable to hold back, Xin Yao interrupted, “I know.”
Pei Shuangshuang’s ambiguous smile froze, and she looked up at Xin Yao.
Xin Yao was also looking at her, her bright eyes burning like fire.
“I also know who you are. You’re Ms. Pei Shuangshuang, right? I want to tell you that I know everything about Pei Yu.”
“You know and you still dare to be with her?” Pei Shuangshuang’s smile faded, her eyes unreadable. “Aren’t you afraid?”
Xin Yao didn’t even hesitate. “I’m not afraid.”
She spoke with such conviction.
At this moment, looking at Xin Yao’s stubborn face, Pei Shuangshuang suddenly saw her younger self and chuckled.
“Before you meet her, everyone thinks they’re brave.”
“You say that now, but you haven’t reached that point yet. If you don’t have enough courage, I advise you to stay away from her. Otherwise, you’ll only bring her sorrow.”
So, was it because she lacked courage that she stayed away from Pei Yu?
But Xin Yao didn’t ask. She simply replied firmly, “I do.”
Pei Shuangshuang shook her head with a smile, saying nothing.
This made Xin Yao feel frustrated, not for herself, but for Pei Yu.
Pei Yu was emotionally reserved and never proactively talked about her past, so her pain was never known. Those painful years were buried in darkness, sinking day by day, unnoticed even by herself, buried, and finally disappearing in the wind.
Xin Yao didn’t want them to disappear just like that, unnoticed. She also knew that if she didn’t speak, the person in front of her would never know.
So she stepped forward and looked into Pei Shuangshuang’s eyes.
“I think I’m at least a little braver than you. And I’ve always had a question: Why don’t you see Pei Yu? Do you hate her, or are you afraid of her?”
“I know more than you think,” Xin Yao’s eyes reddened slightly. “At least I know something you don’t. Pei Yu has had memories since birth.”
“So she remembers you calling her a monster, remembers the Pei family’s cruelty, and remembers every second of being drowned.”
Xin Yao hadn’t known this initially. Nuan Nuan had told her later, and she had secretly cried for a long time, heartbroken.
Similarly, Pei Shuangshuang didn’t know this. Xin Yao’s words hit her hard, her eyes widening in disbelief. Finally, she seemed about to collapse, opening her mouth to say something.
At that moment, heavy footsteps sounded from behind.
Xin Yao’s hand was suddenly grabbed. She looked up in surprise and saw Pei Yu standing in front of her, her back a reassuring presence.
Pei Yu shielded Xin Yao, frowning at Pei Shuangshuang, her expression serious. Facing her own mother, she showed a hint of defensiveness. Of course, on the surface, she remained polite and distant.
“Hello.”
“If you have anything to say, tell me directly.”
Simply put: If you have a problem, come to me, don’t touch her.
Xin Yao peeked out from behind Pei Yu, glaring like a little lion.
The two were completely united, seemingly guarding against her, the outsider.
This was her and her daughter’s first meeting after many years, inexplicably strange and unpleasant.
Pei Shuangshuang’s shocked expression softened, and she chuckled, turning and leaving without a word.
The snake clan, truly a breed of sentimental creatures.
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