Chapter 122

Pei Muyin and Pei Du went up to the seventeenth floor.

Pei Du asked his daughter if she wanted something to eat; she shook her head.

Pei Muyin likes tasty food, but she isn't gluttonous; after a normal three meals a day she has no further appetite. She has no restraint when it comes to snacking, and she only does so when her mood is extremely bad—but since coming to An Shi, she has only been happy and content.

Having finished her homework at school, she put down her bag, and Pei Muyin cheerfully went back to her room to wash up.

The quiet living room was brightly lit; Pei Du tossed his car keys into the small tray by the entryway, preparing to head to the study to finish reading the unfinished proposal.

"Ding-dong——"

At that moment the doorbell rang.

The house to the right was vacant and unoccupied; Pei Du and his daughter had no acquaintances in An Shi, so whoever could be pressing the doorbell at this hour……

Pei Du glanced at the video doorbell screen.

Without hesitation, the man in his grey slippers turned straight back toward the door, raised his hand, and pressed the handle.

The gap in the door widened gradually, revealing the girl's delicate features.

Shu Shu.

Seeing it was Pei Du, Shu Shu barely raised an eyebrow, then, expression normal, handed over the item in her hand—the daughter's plush bear; she must have been in a hurry and forgotten she hadn't brought her sleep companion.

"For Muyin."

However, Shu Shu waited several seconds, but Pei Du did not reach out to take it.

"?"

Shu Shu frowned, lifting her head to meet the man's dark, narrowed gaze; the next second she saw him stride straight out the door, indifferent to his indoor slippers, his palm snapping shut behind him as the door clicked shut with a "bang."

It was already deep night, and all around was utterly silent.

So quiet that the faint click of the metal latch engaging as the door shut was amplified in the empty hallway, clearly reaching the ear and making one's chest tighten involuntarily.

"??"

Pei Du stepped forward, the space shrinking; Shu Shu instinctively took a step back and voiced her confusion: "... What are you doing?"

"--What are you doing?"

"--What do you want me to do?"

Identical voices.

Pei Du quietly regarded Shu Shu for a moment, his voice low and flat: "Have we met before?"

"???" Shu Shu: "What kind of nonsense question is that?"

We've seen each other plenty of times; this guy just went upstairs and already has amnesia?

"What I mean is." Pei Du continued to look at Shu Shu, lowering his thick and sparse lashes, his gaze sweeping inch by inch from her forehead, brows, peach-blossom eyes, delicate nose, lips, and finally settling on her expression as he said: "Did we know each other before?"

Pei Du had expected to see Shu Shu show shock, surprise, or astonishment, but she displayed none of those.

"Mr. Pei, that's a rather strange question—I don't know what 'before' you refer to, exactly how long ago." Shu Shu went along with it, her lovely peach-blossom eyes showing no flaw, even curling her lips slightly to express bewilderment at the question: "I'm just an eighteen‑year‑old student; I could call you uncle."

The implication was that, with an age gap of over a decade, there's nothing to talk about regarding any prior acquaintance.

Pei Du: "……"

She said she'd call him uncle, but her words held no sincere desire to do so; she felt no fear of him, even a sense that she could easily handle him.

This realization wasn't the first time Pei Du had noticed it; after a brief silence he asked again: "That day, why did you hit me?"

It had been an unknown number of days since Shu Shu slapped Pei Du.

By asking this, Pei Du wasn't seeking to settle scores with Shu Shu; he was asking her what capacity she had when she delivered that slap.

If she were acting as a friend, angry on behalf of her daughter, that wouldn't hold up—whether considering generational boundaries or social status, they're not equal.

The property management of Yujingyuan lives up to the fees paid by the owners; the lights outside each resident's door stay on twenty‑four hours a day.

Clear light streamed straight down from behind.

In the hallway, Shu Shu and Pei Du stood facing each other; the man wore dark loungewear that made his neck skin look pallid, with faint traces of meridians visible, he was extremely tall, and the faint outline of Shu Shu's figure was reflected on his body.

Pei Du's gaze carried an evaluative meaning; he was waiting for Shu Shu's explanation.

Then came——

"Mr. Pei, Shu Lingchen is the school bully, you know that, right?"

"……" Pei Du furrowed his brows slightly, not understanding: "What?"

"Do you know about hereditary traits? Shu Lingchen is already a school bully." Shu Shu said: "As her aunt, I naturally have a bit of a temper; Muyin is my good friend, I can't stand to see her suffer such injustice, so I couldn't hold back and slapped you."

"Besides, if it weren't for this slap of mine, you and Muyin wouldn't be able to get along as you do now, would you agree?"

"……" Pei Du was about to speak——

"No need to thank me; this is what I should do." Shu Shu directly shoved the plush bear into Pei Du's arms, not giving him a chance to speak, turned, pressed the elevator button, and stepped in: "It's getting late, I'm pretty tired, I'll head out first."

Shu Shu disappeared into Pei Du's dim, unfocused gaze, yawning and looking weary.

But the instant the elevator's metal doors fully closed, her expression turned grave in a heartbeat.

What, what, situation……

Why did that guy suddenly ask if we'd known each other before? Had we met?

Could he have regained his memory?

That thought had just surfaced when Shu Shu dismissed it.

Oh, if Pei Du truly had recovered his memory, he wouldn't just stand before her and talk.

Or perhaps he had recalled something?

But from those two questions just now, Pei Du seems unsure of the answer himself, still in a tentative, ambiguous state of seeking confirmation.

Yet no matter how he seeks confirmation, it won't hold up.

She is now eighteen.

Shu Shu felt she only needed to flatly deny it.

After all, rebirth plus transmigration is something that only appears in novels and TV dramas; in reality it's pure fantasy—who would believe it, and then think that way?

But just now, Pei Du's scrutinizing, sharp gaze made Shu Shu involuntarily recall—long ago—

Back then she would complain that Pei Du was too clingy, so she'd make up an excuse about going out to throw away trash, and be back in two minutes.

She blinked her eyes rapidly, as if sincerely telling Pei Du.

Really, she really did come back in two minutes.

Even as a youth, Pei Du's gaze lingered on her face, scrutinizing; only two seconds later he spoke coldly: "Yinyin lied to me, promised to stay with me, why did you go back on your word?"

Just looking at her like that made her feel both guilty and angry, and she cursed him as a little punk.

Soon it was Friday, and there was no competition class to attend.

Pei Muyin said her dad had reserved a table at that private‑cuisine restaurant from last time; let's all four go eat.

Since that day when Pei Du questioned her, Shu Shu decided to reduce the chances of meeting him, basically avoiding him altogether.

And after that, nothing more happened—Pei Du went on another business trip.

Shu Shu couldn't refuse her daughter, thinking, "Just have a meal, it's no big deal," and agreed——