Extreme Pampering-Chapter 70 - He once had a girl he liked

Chapter 70: Chapter 70 He once had a girl he liked.

Chapter 70: Chapter 70 He once had a girl he liked.

“Did you finish work early today?”

Xiaodong ran over, backpack slung over his shoulder while carrying a milk tea. He glanced at the time. “Isn’t there a night shoot scheduled?”

Shen Zhiyi had removed her stage makeup, her complexion appeared somewhat pale. She scrolled through messages on her phone. “I had some matters to attend to and asked the director for leave. You should go home and rest as well.”

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“Huh?” Xiaodong glanced at the car. “Where are you heading? Don’t you need me to drive you?”

“No need.”

She put on a hat, said goodbye to Xiaodong, and headed for the address indicated in the messages, where a black Audi had already parked.

The man in the driver’s seat was middle-aged. He nodded slightly in greeting. “Miss Shen.”

Shen Zhiyi didn’t immediately get in the car. “Where are you taking me?”

Yesterday, she had received a call from Father Pei, who wanted to meet her. For some reason, she hadn’t told Pei Yu about it.

The man looked at her more closely. “The rehabilitation center.”

Father Pei had been sent to the rehabilitation center a few years ago, and he rarely had opportunities to go out. That was the reason he had asked Shen Zhiyi to meet him there.

They drove westward. The rehabilitation center, nestled in the mountains, was also a property of Pei’s.

Upon arrival, the man courteously opened the car door for Shen Zhiyi. “Go straight to the third floor, no need to register.”

The private rehabilitation center had an excellent environment. The third floor was especially set aside as a private residence, fully equipped with all sorts of facilities. Shen Zhiyi didn’t know what illness had led to Father Pei being sent there, and she imagined she would meet an elderly man in his twilight years.

The reality was far different from her expectations.

“Miss Shen, are you surprised?”

The old man sat in a wheelchair. He did not look as aged as she had imagined but rather robust and spirited, his eyes and eyebrows strongly resembling those of Pei Yu yet sharper.

One could glimpse the demeanor of his youth.

Shen Zhiyi shook her head. “Hello.”

Father Pei made a gesture inviting her to sit. His demeanor remained gentle throughout, like an ordinary old man chatting about family matters with his younger relatives.

“I saw you on the day of Pei Yu’s mother’s memorial,” he remarked with some emotion. “I didn’t expect Pei Yu to have a woman by his side, someone he would bring in front of his mother. He must really care about you.”

Shen Zhiyi didn’t respond. She didn’t know why Father Pei had called her here and just listened quietly.

It seemed Father Pei didn’t really expect a reply from her. He brewed a cup of tea for himself and leisurely reminisced about the past. “He’s not the type to fall in love easily; for so many years, he didn’t have a partner. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I was too strict with him.”

“I still remember, when he was about sixteen or seventeen, he took a liking to a girl, insisted on keeping her close; he was infatuated,” Father Pei sipped his tea, a slight smile on his lips.

“Wasn’t that foolish? Not yet of age and wanting to keep a woman, the Pei family doesn’t indulge kids like that. I didn’t agree, and he was angry with me for half a year afterward and grew increasingly disobedient.”

He seemed regretful, but that emotion did not linger long on his face before dissipating. He paused, and suddenly added, “You do resemble that girl somewhat.”

Shen Zhiyi stared at a water spot on the edge of the coffee table, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She had never heard about Pei Yu having had an interest in someone else; he was still young back then, and she had only seen his youth in photos.

What would he have been like when he liked someone in his youth?

Did she really look very much like that girl?

Did Pei Yu also understand this?

“Miss Shen,” Father Pei always spoke in a gentle tone that made it difficult to detect his malice, “I quite like you, if it’s convenient, I hope we can meet often.”

He joked, “The days in the sanatorium are incredibly boring, I’m happy to talk to someone.”

Shen Zhiyi looked at him for a while and forced a smile, “I’m afraid that won’t be very convenient.”

She still didn’t fully understand why Father Pei had called her over, but she vaguely sensed that he didn’t truly want to see her.

At the same time, she realized her emotions were being manipulated by him, which was not good. She feared this feeling of being seen through and loathed such manipulative tactics.

Having only met once, he already knew what kind of words would shake her.

Before leaving, Shen Zhiyi asked a sudden question, “Your leg…”

He appeared to have no issues other than difficulty walking, but how was his leg injured?

Father Pei touched his knee, his smile cooling, “An accident.”

It all came back to his good son.

Leaving the sanatorium, Shen Zhiyi hurried back to the set for night shooting and returned to Huating slightly later.

In the quiet living room with nobody else around, Pei Yu was absorbed in reading data on the computer, not noticing her arrival.

She didn’t know when he had started working in the living room, often busy while waiting for her to come home.

She approached quietly, and before she could speak, Pei Yu noticed her, stretched out his long legs to trip her, then accurately caught her in his arms, “You’re back a bit late.”

Having gone out in the middle of work, the ending time was inevitably delayed; Shen Zhiyi did not explain but gave a slight smile, “You should go work in the study, don’t wait up for me.”

“It’s all the same wherever,” Pei Yu said nonchalantly, holding her in his embrace, “Keep me company for a while.”

The glowing screen light softened the contours of his face. Through that face, Shen Zhiyi tried to recall what he looked like in his youth—more aloof, more rebellious.

Although she constantly avoided recalling Father Pei’s words, that sentence “You look a lot like her” was still deeply etched in her mind—she knew it was meant to provoke her, it might not be true, but she couldn’t help sketching the contours of that girl, thinking mostly of Pei Yu when he liked someone else.

“What are you thinking about?”

Shen Zhiyi was so deep in thought that she didn’t even notice Pei Yu had closed the laptop; coming back to her senses, she shook her head, “Nothing, just tired.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier,” Pei Yu carried her upstairs, “I won’t hold you up next time.”

“I’m not that tired.”

Actually, Shen Zhiyi didn’t mind accompanying Pei Yu while he worked; she liked the tranquil atmosphere, and it made her feel she understood more about Pei Yu beyond what others could see.

Pei Yu looked down at her for a while, somewhat unaccustomed, a smile playing on his lips, “You’re much more behaved today.”

His attitude was one of allowing him to take whatever he wanted.

“Not really,” not wanting him to keep staring, Shen Zhiyi buried her face in his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat there, her heart also calming down.

Huo Heng said she never does things she’ll regret later, but this time was an exception, how could he know for sure that she would regret it?

She wasn’t greedy, on this road named after “Pei Yu” she would go as far as she could; when she reached the end, she wouldn’t force it, nor would she have regrets.