Extreme Pampering-Chapter 53 - If you want to infuriate me then keep

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: If you want to infuriate me, then keep apologizing.

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: If you want to infuriate me, then keep apologizing.

Amidst the joyous singing of “Happy Birthday,” Qin Xiaoran cut the first slice of cake for Qin Fang, and the second was meant for Pei Yu, who she knew wouldn’t touch it, so she handed it directly to Shen Zhiyi.

With a playful wink, she said, “Sister Zhiyi, I received your gift, but Brother Pei Yu, why didn’t you prepare one for me?”

Pei Yu just picked up another glass of wine, his eyes and brows appearing indifferent under the cold white light, tapping his fingertip against the rim of the glass twice, “Family doesn’t give two presents.”

He lowered his eyes lazily, “If it’s too little, wait for New Year’s—I’ll make it up to you.”

A sound of broken glass came from the crowd. Unsure of who it was, Qin Xiaoran was first taken aback, then quickly laughed, “Alright, then I’ll wait for Brother Pei Yu’s New Year gift.”

The most important part over, Fu Songzhi and Qin Fang came over to chat with Pei Yu, finding his demeanor cold and couldn’t understand why. After a while, the hotel manager came to report to Qin Fang.

After hearing the report, Qin Fang furrowed his brows, “Is the injury serious?”

The manager gave a wry smile, “Two ribs, and his head got split open.”

“Tsk,” Qin Fang shook his head, “Anyone who can provoke Brother Pei to act must have some skill. Tell him I’ll cover the medical expenses and I’ll stop by his place later.”

Of course, it wasn’t to apologize—reprimanding would be more like it.

The injury was on Pei Yu’s part, and Qin Fang hadn’t even vented his anger yet.

Returning to his seat, Qin Fang probably understood why Pei Yu was unhappy, but the person was already beaten up. Logically, he shouldn’t look so unappeased. Qin Fang gave Fu Songzhi a look, who shook his head indicating that he was also powerless.

But Pei Yu didn’t stay much longer, leaving early. On the way back to Huating, he didn’t say a word, closing his eyes as if asleep, with a faint scent of alcohol lingering on him.

He had drunk quite a lot today.

Sitting in silence for a while, Shen Zhiyi moved cautiously closer to him, her fingers touching his and tentatively hooking them, almost holding her breath waiting for his response.

Quickly, he clasped back, but still didn’t open his eyes, nor did he speak.

Unsure if his mood had improved, Shen Zhiyi sighed silently, feeling troubled.

It seemed she always made him unhappy.

Back at Huating, Pei Yu let go of her hand and opened his eyes, his gaze clear, obviously not having been asleep. He rubbed the center of his forehead, looking uncomfortable, and couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol on himself; as soon as they got back, he entered the bathroom.

The butler looked upstairs, worriedly noting that while Pei Yu appeared to be in good spirits when he left, his face was cold now that he was back.

Looking at Shen Zhiyi, she also seemed preoccupied with thoughts.

The sound of running water from the bathroom continued. Pei Yu stayed in there so long that by the time Shen Zhiyi finished freshening up and came over, he still hadn’t come out.

A bit worried, she asked aloud, “Pei Yu?”

The water stopped, and moments later Pei Yu came out, a loose towel tied around his waist, carelessly wiping off, with his hair still dripping wet. Water trailed down along the lines of his muscles, and he glanced at her with his eyes, giving a low “hmm” as a response.

Shen Zhiyi followed him and saw him sit down on the sofa, then she went over too, “Let me see your wound.”

“No need,” Pei Yu didn’t want her to touch it, the injury on his neck—cut by broken glass—had turned startlingly red after being doused with hot water, and he couldn’t be bothered to tend to it.

“Pei Yu,” Shen Zhiyi called him, her voice very soft, watching him quietly.

Unable to resist for long, Pei Yu silently leaned in, his head lowered, allowing her a clear view of the wound.

Not sure if it was an illusion, but the wound seemed even more severe after all that trouble. As Shen Zhiyi disinfected the wound and applied a bandage, she asked in a low voice, “Did you hit him?”

Up close, one could tell the wound was caused by glass. She had experience and guessed it was from that wine bottle.

Pei Yu kept his head down, his gaze falling on her nightgown. The two were sitting close, and the hem of her gown spread over his knees, casually he asked, “Hit who?”

If she wouldn’t admit that she had been bullied, then he wouldn’t admit that he had taken action either.

“I’m sorry,” Shen Zhiyi apologized, “I didn’t mean to deceive you.”

Finally, Pei Yu was willing to look at her. His eyes were cold but not fierce, “You didn’t want to deceive me, you just thought it wasn’t necessary, right?”

What he found hardest to accept was exactly that: not necessary, not necessary. How could it not be necessary?

“Not that,” Shen Zhiyi let go of her hand, saying it without much confidence. She didn’t know how to explain and could only apologize again, “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want him to get involved, wasn’t used to accepting help from others, instinctively didn’t want him to get tangled with a loser, and subconsciously tried to avoid—all the men who went crazy after drinking reminded her of her unbearable past, being insulted and beaten by her drunk father… She was always afraid and always kept her distance.

She didn’t want to remember or bring it up, not one bit.

“If you want to annoy me to death, keep apologizing,” Pei Yu said expressionlessly. He didn’t want to hear those three words from her.

Shen Zhiyi looked bewildered. Weren’t apologies of any use?

After looking at her for a while, Pei Yu suddenly let himself fall over, his wet hair brushing against her neck, cool and damp. She was held by Pei Yu, hearing him ask, “Why didn’t you say you were bullied? Don’t I deserve to know?”

He bit her shoulder lightly, “Shen Zhiyi, I don’t care who you used to rely on when you were wronged, right now, the one who can back you up is me, and it can only be me. Why don’t you use the name Pei Yu when it’s so useful?”

Blinking slowly, a surge of unidentifiable sour tenderness welled up in her heart. Shen Zhiyi hugged him back, saying nothing.

She knew that Pei Yu treated her very well.

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His hair was too wet, quickly dampening her nightgown, even cooling her skin. Pei Yu frowned and went back to the bathroom to dry his hair.

Before bed, Shen Zhiyi asked curiously, “Did you really hit that guy?”

Unclear about the man’s identity, but anyone at Qin Xiaoran’s birthday banquet was fairly likely to be from that privileged circle, wealthy and distinguished.

“Hmm,” uninterested in talking about others, Pei Yu answered lightly, “Smashed him once, kicked him once.”

Shen Zhiyi let out a sigh of relief. Just a hit with a wine bottle and a kick, hopefully, he wasn’t hurt too badly.

She didn’t know if she was trying to comfort him or to justify herself, but she confessed proactively, “Actually, I also wanted to smash him with the wine bottle. I even picked it up, but you arrived just too coincidentally.”

She meant to say that she wasn’t someone who would be bullied without fighting back, she just didn’t want others to get involved.

She still had an unresolved debt of gratitude to Huo Heng, which had not been clearly paid off yet and had unintentionally caused her several wasted years. She didn’t want to owe anyone anymore; entanglements only led to pain.

Yet she was still protected by him.

Pei Yu chuckled softly, seemingly amused by her, then kissed the top of her head, praising her leisurely, “I know you’re tough.”

But he also knew that she had faced this kind of hardship dozens of times when no one was there to help. Just thinking about how many times she’d been left alone and defenseless made him wish… wish he could go back in time and take her away.

Unwilling to let her be bullied again, he was also fulfilling his own regrets.