Chapter 157: Impolite

(1)

Eight thirty

Shu Shu was woken by the alarm

Because she had agreed with Siwei to go skiing this morning

She stumbled out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then changed clothes

I don't know if Pei Du's fever has fully subsided

Oh, wait

I also don't know if that little brat's fever has fully subsided

Just as she was thinking that

After finishing getting ready, Shu Shu zipped up, opened the door, and saw the "little brat"

A young man was standing just outside her door

His tall figure leaned against the wall, his dark eyes unfocused, looking nowhere, his clean, sharp side profile showing only a quiet, waiting demeanor

He heard the movement

He then turned his head, straightened up, and looked at her

Their eyes met, and Shu Shu unexpectedly paused, saying: "…Morning?"

He nodded: "Morning"

Shu Shu closed the door behind her, and out of concern for a patient, she asked: "Do you feel better? Your fever's gone, right?"

Pei Du pondered for two seconds, then shook his head and replied: "I'm not sure"

Shu Shu blinked: "Huh?"

"Not sure"—what does that mean?

The next second

He took two steps toward her, and in her bewildered gaze, he slightly lowered his head, speaking in a low voice:

"Yinyin helps me feel it; I can't tell myself"

"……"

Shu Shu looked at the forehead the young man brought close to her eyes

His eyelids slightly drooped; from this angle, his eyelashes looked very long, like two small brushes with exceptionally soft bristles

His obedient, compliant posture—

It inexplicably made one feel that refusing to touch would be terribly rude

By the time Shu Shu reacted, her hand was already on Pei Du's forehead, and at the same time her other hand went to her own head

She compared the two

"Not hot, huh, probably not feverish"

She said

Shu Shu lowered her hand

She didn't notice that the person with lowered eyelids had his dark pupils flicker, his gaze quietly following her pale hand that had touched him for only three or four seconds back to his side

Carrying a lingering reluctance

Shu Shu curiously asked: "By the way, what are you doing here?"

Isn't his room 106 down the hall?

Pei Du returned to his spot nonchalantly, saying: "Wait for you to wake up, then we'll have breakfast"

Shu Shu: "Oh, let's go"

…

When Shu Shu and Pei Du went downstairs, Siwei and a group of friends were already seated in the lobby

They were chatting, the atmosphere lively

The breakfast at the service point was buffet-style

Both Chinese and Western options were available

Bread, sausages, congee, ramen, fried eggs, etc.

Shu Shu walked up to the long table, about to grab two empty plates for food, when the empty plates were handed to her

She looked up and met Pei Du's calm gaze

"Thanks"

Shu Shu took the plate

Then, after picking up a fried egg and casually ladling some ramen, she went to look for utensils

A silver fork was then handed over

It was still Pei Du

Pei Du scooped two bottles of milk from the insulated box and asked: "Do you want anything else?"

Shu Shu glanced at her plate: "No thanks, this is enough"

"Mm." Pei Du indicated with his eyes: "There's an empty seat over there; let's go sit"

Shu Shu was full of question marks

How could it feel like she was the first time coming here!

…

Shu Shu and Pei Du sat by the window

A small table

The kind where two people sit face to face.

After sitting down.

Only then did Shu Shu notice that Pei Du's breakfast was the same as hers.

Also fried egg and noodles.

Pei Du picked up the fork, about to touch the food in the plate, when his motion suddenly stopped.

Shu Shu blinked and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I forgot, people with a cold can't eat eggs." Pei Du raised his eyes, his brows knitting, his expression clearly troubled: "Wasting food is not good."

After that.

He pursed his lips and pleaded to Shu Shu: "I haven't touched it, could Yinyin help me eat it?"

Indeed, there is a saying that people with a cold shouldn't eat eggs.

Shu Shu had no doubts.

She simply thought Pei Du cherished food.

Mainly because over those two months, she could see clearly that the handsome wood, though said to be a young master, was not at all spoiled, and sometimes Aunt Tao's whimsically devised new menu.

He isn't picky; he eats whatever is made.

Shu Shu generously pushed the plate over: "Here, give it to me."

Thanks, Yinyin.

Pei Du placed the whole fried egg onto Shu Shu's plate.

Shu Shu took the plate back, waved her hand dismissively: "No big deal."

Pei Du's gaze calmly watched the girl lower her head and take a bite of his fried egg.

Momentarily.

Only then did he pick up his fork again and start eating his own breakfast.

While eating, he would occasionally glance at Shu Shu.

…

The two quietly finished this breakfast.

Shu Shu remembered and reminded Pei Du: "After the meal, remember to take cold medicine."

Pei Du said the medicine is in the room.

Thus he got up, placed Shu Shu's and his own empty plates properly, then went upstairs to get the medicine.

Shu Shu thought that taking medicine required water, so she went to the nearby water dispenser to get a cup of warm water.

At that moment, her shoulder was tapped.

Shu Shu turned her head and saw Siwei's cute face.

The blond, blue-eyed girl looked incredulous, leaned close to Shu Shu's ear, and asked mysteriously:

"Dear Shu, does that super handsome guy have a twin brother or sister?"

Shu Shu was completely confused: "What."

"It means two people who look exactly alike, one cold as ice, the other hot as a torch." Siwei explained clearly: "When he's in front of you, he's the torch-like person, but when he's in front of us, he's the ice-like person."

(2)

Shu Shu raised an eyebrow: "Dear Siwei, that situation you described would be more aptly called having a split personality."

"Ah, yes yes yes." Upon hearing Shu Shu's words, Siwi felt suddenly enlightened, grinned, and admiringly praised: "Shu, your Now we need to output lines: English is really good."

Shu Shu: "……"

Is it possible that this is her native language?

This silly girl.

Siwei's small face grew solemn, she earnestly continued asking Shu Shu: "So, does he have a split personality?"

Split personality.

Pei Du?

Shu Shu was somewhat puzzled: "Why would you say that?"

Why say that.

That Siwei had plenty to say; she put her hands on her hips, ready to go on and on: "Last night he suddenly came here looking for you."

"I was just curious, I asked his name, but he seemed to completely block me out—oh, not just me, but the boss too, he blocked us."

"At the time I said a total of eleven sentences to him, exactly eleven." Siwei exaggeratedly counted on her fingers and complained to Shu Shu: "Then he only replied with one sentence! One sentence!"

"That sentence was still about you."

"This morning when I went out, I saw him standing at your door, probably waiting for you to wake up." Siwei said: "It was only just past seven then; I told him your alarm is at eight-thirty, he might have to wait a long, long time, oh, but he kept ignoring me."

"Phew, I'm about to freeze to death."

Shu Shu froze.

Seven-ish—so early?

Wouldn't that mean Pei Du waited for her at least an hour and a half—was it necessary to wait that long just to have breakfast together?

"I and the boss still thought he was just naturally that cold ice block, but—"

Siwei solemnly said: "The important part comes after—actually, I just saw him again helping you with the plate, the milk, making you fried eggs, talking to you, and I felt like I was seeing a flame."

The blond, blue-eyed girl even gestured with her hands: "A passionate flame!"

Shu Shu: "……"

Is it really that exaggerated?

And moreover.

Shu Shu felt that the Pei Du mentioned by Siwei was very unfamiliar to her.

Because Pei Du is not like that at all.

——Ask him and he'll answer you; if he does something wrong, he knows to apologize and make up for it; even when he's angry, he doesn't hide it but will basically tell you directly.

Not an ice cube.

It's a piece of polite, beautiful wood.

Shu Shu thought a moment and explained to Siwei: "Maybe he just arrived here, unfamiliar with the place, a bit shy, so he's like this; once you get to know him, he won't be like that."

Siwei expressed great doubt about this: "Really?"

At that moment.

Pei Du returned after getting the medicine from the room.

Under Siwei's intense gaze demanding proof, Shu Shu introduced her to Pei Du: "This is Siwei, uh, a friend I met while skiing."

"He's called Pei Du."

Pei Du first glanced at Shu Shu, then gave Siwei a slight nod: "Hello."

Just two short words.

That's it.

Although he was still cold, in Siwei's view, wasn't this a qualitative leap?

Shu Shu handed the warm water to Pei Du: "Take your medicine, the water will get cool soon."

Pei Du froze for a moment, then his cool eyes showed a hint of similar pleasure, his attractive lips pressing into a subtle arc.

"Thank you, Yinyin."

He reached out with both hands to take that cup of water from Shu Shu, then sat back at the wooden table just now, and opened the medicine packet.

Shu Shu shrugged at Siwei.

Meaning:

Look, she said it, what a polite piece of beautiful wood.

Siwei: "???"

Pei Du called Shu Shu: "Yinyin, this, how do you take it."

Yesterday Doctor Laoya had told Shu Shu how to take Pei Du's medicine; as she walked over she said: "Take two green ones, one blue one; I remember I wrote that on the bag before I left yesterday."

After Shu Shu walked over, Pei Du then said: "Here, I saw it."

Siwei beside them was stunned, her mouth opened in amazement, feeling her jaw might drop to the ground.

She now felt even more certain.

——Poor handsome guy really has a split personality!

…

Shu Shu propped her chin and watched Pei Du take his medicine.

Pei Du seemed to sense that Shu Shu had something to say to him; he put down the water cup and waited quietly.

Then.

Shu Shu voiced the doubt she'd had since last night: "Pei Du, how did you end up finding this place?"

The information she left with Zhoubo, aside from the name being true, the address and contact details were virtual; with those two you could never find her.

So how did Pei Du find her then?

Pei Du said two words: "Magazine."

"Magazine?"

"Yeah."

Zhoubo the butler's son lives abroad; he said he hopes to do a round-the-world trip after graduating college, so Zhoubo, to do his homework, regularly orders some related magazines each week.

Interesting places, places with nice scenery.

During idle days at the villa, Shu Shu would pass time by borrowing Zhoubo's magazines to read, after all she also likes to wander around.

After picking up Da Fu.

Pei Du took the dog to sunbathe in the garden, and she sat nearby reading the magazine.

"The magazine with a green lake cover, issue number CN32, -2109F, Yinyin read it five times." Pei Du and Shu Shu looked at each other, his voice calm: "The places he spent the most time on were the island, the grotto, the fishing village, and finally this place."

"I guess Yinyin is relatively interested in these places and might want to go there."

…

After listening.

Shu Shu was dumbfounded.

Isn't it this pair?

"Then you precisely found this place?"

Pei Du shook his head: "No."

Shu Shu heard him say: "I started from the island, found this place, one and a half months ago."

"……"

Shu Shu understood.

Pei Du could find this place not by luck, but because he tried each one individually from the island to the grotto to the fishing village.

Shu Shu recalled Doctor Laoya saying that Pei Du suffered from maladaptation to the local environment, severe lack of sleep, poor warmth preservation, malnutrition, and had not eaten properly for a long time.

All of it was to find her.

"You..."

For a moment.

Shu Shu was so shocked she didn't know what to say.

What are your chances of finding me, one in a thousand? How—

How silly.

In her mind she couldn't help picturing Pei Du searching place after place for her, windswept and dew-laden.

His healthy glow from rising early and sleeping early at the villa was completely ruined.

Pei Du looked at Shu Shu in silence; he didn't speak, yet it was as if he had.

He said:

Even if the chance wasn't one in a thousand, I still found you.

Shu Shu asked again: "Why did you come looking for me?"

We saw Pei Du's dark pupils dim; that accusatory tone from last night reappeared, and he retorted: "Why did Yinyin deceive me, claiming she was on vacation?"

!

Bringing this up—

Shu Shu instantly felt guilty, unconsciously pinching her fingers; she thought she had told plenty of lies in her life, yet for some reason she felt a little afraid to meet Pei Du's frank gaze.

Is it because the handsome wood's impression on her is too honest?

So deceiving an honest person gives a sense of guilt.

I feel like I can't get past this part.

"Um, Pei Du, let's discuss something." Shu Shu suggested, her pretty peach-blossom eyes blinking: "How about we each take a step back—I won't ask you, and you won't ask me either, canceling things out, okay?"

Pei Du didn't answer.

He simply took out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and pushed it toward Shu Shu.

"Yinyin's phone."

The implication was—if Shu Shu gave her phone number, they could cancel things out.

Shu Shu paused.

She wouldn't return to the villa; after Pei Du left, there would be no further contact between them—was there any point in leaving her phone number?

Just as she thought that—

"I thought we were friends."

Across from him.

The boy's voice was low and faint, his eyes grew dim, then he lowered his gaze somewhat self-mockingly.

"Turns out we weren't."

!!!

"I, I didn't say I wouldn't give it!"

Shu Shu picked up her phone and quickly entered her number.

"All right, look."

Pei Du lifted his eyes again, took the phone, saved the note for that string of numbers as 'Yinyin', then asked:

"Can I add Yinyin as a friend?"