Chapter 107: Just Temporarily Forgetting Me

Following her father's long fingers, Pei Muyin's attention shifted to the desserts above, which were three different kinds of sweets.

Boston pie, Baba Loy, soufflé.

Each was delicately and beautifully packed in a small box, making one feel just by looking that their taste must be especially delicious; as a food lover, Pei Muyin's eyes instinctively brightened, and she unconsciously looked toward her father.

Receiving his dark eyes' gentle gesture indicating she could proceed, she picked up a small spoon, lightly scooped a bit of the Baba Loy, and slipped it into her mouth.

"Delicious."

Pei Muyin was instantly won over by the dessert's fine texture, and moreover she seemed to recall something, feeling somewhat surprised: "... This flavor, I have tasted it once before."

"Back then I thought it was especially delicious, but the box had no name; Grandma said she had casually brought it back from a banquet she attended, and she didn't know which pastry chef made it."

"Later, I even specially went to many dessert shops, but none had the delicious thing I had eaten."

Pei Du listened silently, then gestured again toward the Boston pie beside him: "Would you like to try this one as well?"

Pei Muyin did as he said, yet the second time she was astonished—this too was a flavor she had tasted before and then searched for but could not find.

As if inspired, she needed no further prompting; she spontaneously picked up the last soufflé, took a bite, and finally astonishment filled her eyes—she could not help asking: "Father, where did you find these pastry chefs?"

Pei Du lightly curled his lips, gave no answer, merely pondered for a moment, then softly asked: "Muyin, do you remember when you were four, after I woke from the car accident the second time I saw you, I reached out my hand, and you avoided me?"

Pei Muyin's motion paused; of course she wouldn't forget, she nodded: "Mm, I remember."

"I thought you were afraid of me, frightened by me."

"No, that's not it." Pei Muyin widened her eyes, hurriedly explaining: "Actually, at the time I really wanted to go over and hold Father's hand, but Grandma said Father had suffered serious injuries in the car accident and needed to rest properly, so I must not disturb his recuperation."

"... So that's how it was."

Pei Du's eyelashes twitched slightly, and he asked again: "Then when Muyin was in kindergarten, there was a time she ran a high fever, crying and saying she hoped Father would no longer look after me—what was the reason for that?"

Pei Muyin first stared, then suddenly put the soufflé cup she had been holding back onto the table, as if the question had touched some extremely unpleasant, even shadowy memory; she lowered her head and fell silent directly.

Pei Du pursed his lips lightly, not urging, waiting patiently.

After a long while.

He heard the girl's small voice, thick with guilt, rise: "Because of Father's car accident, it was my fault; if it weren't for coming to kindergarten to pick me up after school, Father and Da Fu would have been fine."

"All, all my fault..."

Upon hearing this, the cold-faced man's pupils contracted; the daughter's slight tremor struck his heart, sparking a fine pain, and he instantly frowned: "The car accident was an accident—how could it be your fault?"

Pei Du said in a low voice: "Who told you that?"

It turned out to be this reason; the phrase "don't look after me anymore" was, because of this reason, the daughter had borne the entire car accident on herself.

But she was only four years old then.

"It was Grandma."

Sure enough, it was her again; Pei Du's deep pupils flashed a momentary coldness, his gaze fell back on his daughter, the coldness instantly receded, his voice a bit hoarse: "So the next day you ate quickly, locked your bedroom door from the inside, wanting me to leave quickly—not because you disliked me."

"No." Upon hearing this, Pei Muyin hesitated not at all, saying: "I don't dislike you; it's just that Father's work is already very hard, and he also has to take care of me when I'm sick, which would tire him more—Father needs rest. I have never disliked Father."

Pei Du bitterly tugged at the corner of his mouth, but what could he do—he had made his daughter feel that he disliked her.

"Does Muyin think that I no longer want to see Muyin at all?"

"No." The girl's denying voice sounded again; Pei Muyin lifted her head, revealing those peach-blossom eyes unusually clear, bright to the point of being full of hope, she said:

"I will not feel that Father never wants to see me again, because I know Father has only temporarily forgotten me."

Countless times, the servants of the main residence have repeatedly said that the master has not returned for many years because he dislikes the Eldest Young Lady and does not wish to see her.

But Pei Muyin has always firmly believed that Father would not; as long as we wait for the day Father remembers, he will want to see her.

Even if that day, she has already waited nearly thirteen years.

…

Just that, really only just that?

When the truth long buried in dust is uncovered a little, wanting to explore the remaining part will be like pulling silk from a cocoon, becoming easy as pie.

The daughter, at home, is immersed in an endless, oppressive environment of being belittled; at school, she is also in another situation of being betrayed, stabbed in the back, isolated and helpless.

Gaining even a bit more knowledge makes one's heart tremble immensely; one feels as if the air drawn into the lungs grows sharp, icy blades that slice flesh and blood, making the heart ache as if it would die.

"Sorry, Muyin."

Pei Du spoke the words he had repeated countless times in his heart, solemnly looking at his daughter: "Even if I never regain my memory, the first sight upon waking from the car accident already made me very fond of Muyin; upon learning you are my daughter, I felt only supreme happiness."

"But I, due to my negligence, have let my daughter suffer so many unhappy things."

He truly deserves death ten thousand times.

"Just now Muyin asked where these pastry chefs were found." Pei Du lightly shook his head: "They are not pastry chefs; there are no pastry chefs. These, like the ones you ate before, are all made by me and then sent to you under others' names."

Pei Muyin froze: "... What?"

"On your tenth and twelfth birthdays, someone anonymously sent you a private jet and a yacht, respectively; that person was me. I hoped that when you wanted to go to many places to eat many delicious things, the journey would be more convenient."

"The school's interest-cultivation course—you chose violin; the school only had a music room, constantly occupied by piano-playing classmates, while violin students were few. Soon after, the school received a donation; after summer vacation, they built a room dedicated to violin practice, and that donor was me."

"The plush bear you love so much—its original manufacturer, facing bankruptcy due to poor management, received my investment, allowing it to resume production; thus you can forever buy it."

Pei Du narrated in a calm voice.

"And furthermore..."