Chapter 165: Heart Ailment

(1)

The season when temperatures drop is usually the peak period for influenza.

Shu Shu unfortunately became one of those who caught it; she rushed back to Jing Shi to give Pei Du a heads‑up, but after sending the message she disappeared.

When Pei Du hurried to the villa in Bamboo North District, pushed open the bedroom door, he saw the girl curled up under the blankets, sleeping deeply.

Her face was unusually red.

Pei Du reached out and touched her forehead; the next second, his brows furrowed.

It was hot; she had a fever.

Pei Du immediately took out his phone and called the doctor; after the doctor arrived and gave a brief examination, he prescribed some medicine.

Guessing that Shu Shu must not have eaten dinner and was on an empty stomach, Pei Du cooked some light porridge, brought it to the bedroom, sat by the bed, and woke her up.

"Yinyin, have something to eat first."

Shu Shu felt unwell and had no appetite at all, but Pei Du still fed her the whole small bowl of porridge.

He watched the time.

When the time came, Pei Du prepared the medicine as the doctor instructed, various bitter-tasting powders.

Shu Shu wasn't afraid of bitterness, but perhaps subconsciously aware that she was being cared for, she groggily threw a tantrum, turned her face away, wrinkled her expression, and dodged.

"I won't drink it, it's hot."

Pei Du spoke gently to Shu Shu, explaining: "It's not hot; I let it cool beforehand."

"It really is hot, super super hot." Shu Shu stubbornly refused to listen, she whispered: "If you don't believe me, try it yourself."

It was clearly an unreasonable fuss.

But Pei Du remained patient throughout; he held the warm-feeling glass cup, actually took a spoon and drank a sip in front of Shu Shu to prove the medicine "wasn't hot."

Then Shu Shu gave a sly expression and asked him: "Is it bitter?"

That was her true intention.

To tease him.

Pei Du answered without changing his expression: "It's sweet."

Shu Shu blinked in surprise: "How could that be?"

Pei Du curled his lips, his voice light: "If Yinyin doesn't believe it, you can try it yourself."

Thus that cup of medicine was finally drunk by Shu Shu.

After Shu Shu finished the medicine, she soon fell asleep again; Pei Du wrung out a hot towel and wiped her face and hands twice, then after washing up himself he also lay down.

He stayed alert, not sleeping too deeply, and would open his eyes every half hour or so to check on Shu Shu's condition.

Until midnight.

Pei Du heard intermittent sobbing, instantly woke up, and sat up.

By his side, under the soft glow of a warm-toned lamp that wasn't glaring, the girl kept her eyes closed and tears streamed down, even soaking a patch of the pillow.

"Yinyin?"

Pei Du was quite frightened, he tried to shout to wake Shu Shu.

But Shu Shu seemed to have fallen into some kind of nightmare, she cried bitterly, murmuring incoherently.

"Sorry, sorry…"

"Sorry, to whom?"

Hearing this, Pei Du felt a pang of sourness in his heart; he pulled her into his embrace, gently patting her back while softly cooing to comfort her.

Soon.

Pei Du felt Shu Shu return the embrace, tightening her hold around his waist, relying heavily on him, and he heard her occasionally utter one or two lines:

"Sorry, Mom and Dad…"

Pei Du had never seen Shu Shu so vulnerable; he vaguely inferred that the long‑hidden heart ailment of the girl was her family.

The next day.

Shu Shu felt much refreshed and returned to her lively self.

It seemed as if the person who had cried the night before wasn't her.

Pei Du did not press for details.

Most of the time, painful matters shouldn't be probed deeply; since the person involved refuses to show their scar in public, a little carelessness can easily cause secondary harm.

The best approach is to wait until the other feels that the surrounding environment is full of enough safety and is willing to speak up on their own.

Pei Du possesses that absolute patience.

…

After Shu Shu's flu completely cleared, she stayed honestly in Jing Shi.

She and Pei Du ate, lived, and slept together; the originally somewhat reversed schedule was brought back to normal by Pei Du.

Pei Du prepared tasty dishes for Shu Shu every day, varying the recipes.

One day.

Shu Shu stepped off the scale, her tone surprised: "Xiao Du Xiao Du, do you know how much weight I've gained?"

"Not fat, very thin."

Pei Du pinched Shu Shu's wrist, which had indeed gained a bit of flesh but was still quite thin, then he began to consider whether to add an extra dish to each meal.

"Yinyin can eat a bit more to boost immunity."

Shu Shu took up the conversation: "Then so I can be sold?"

Pei Du: "What."

Shu Shu said: "It's like that—buy lots of little pigs, feed them every day, and when the New Year comes, after they've grown into big pigs, sell them to make money."

Pei Du said solemnly: "I won't sell Yinyin."

Shu Shu: "Oh, so you mean I'm a pig?"

Pei Du: "..."

Shu Shu's daily three favorite things: eating, sleeping, teasing Pei Du.

…

Shu Shu previously thought that after lovers passed the honeymoon phase, that "heat" would gradually cool over time, and then neither would cling to each other as they did at first.

But she discovered.

She and Pei Du seem not to be this case.

Because they seem to always be in the honeymoon phase.

Pei Du needs to "supervise employees working" during the day, but even a brief lunch, he also calls Shu Shu to eat together, and after eating returns to "supervise employees working".

However, before returning—

Pei Du silently took Shu Shu's hand, staring at her without speaking; Shu Shu slightly tiptoed and gave Pei Du's lips a crisp chirp, after which Pei Du contentedly let go.

The two said goodbye at a certain intersection in CBD.

Shu Shu walked leisurely down the road, intending to pick up Great Blessing, who had just been sent to the pet shop for a bath, and then go home together.

Just then.

A valuable luxury car pulled up sideways in front of Shu Shu, blocking her path.

The car door opened automatically.

Inside sat a lady bedecked in pearls and jewels, wearing a fitted fur coat, her expression haughty, she sat elegantly upright, not even giving a glance, speaking lightly:

"Shuyin, right? I am Pei Du's mother."

"Do you have time to chat?"

In just a few seconds, from blocking the road to such a condescending attitude, Shu Shu judged that the other party had ill intentions.

"Oh, no time."

Shu Shu finished speaking, hands in pockets, and was about to leave.

"You...!"

Madame Song was stunned, evidently not expecting Shu Shu's reaction; she turned her head in disbelief, gritted her teeth and repeated: "Didn't you hear me clearly? I said I am Pei Du's mother, and you are speaking to me with this attitude?"

Shu Shu's expression unchanged: "You may be Pei Du's ancestor, but I will speak to you in this attitude as well."

Madame Song wanted to use her seniority to pressure Shu Shu.

Shu Shu simply doesn't buy that; if the other party treats people politely, she will naturally reciprocate politeness, and she has no patience for those who don't understand respect and wear pleasant expressions.

What does it matter that she is Pei Du's mother? She is dating Pei Du himself, not his mother.

(2)

Madame Song had received instructions to break up her son's romance.

She had thought it would be an easy task.

After all, with her status, dealing with a little girl, a few offhand words would easily dismiss her.

But the result.

Madame Song was almost both shocked and angry, about to scold, but the moment she clearly saw Shu Shu's face, she froze.

"You, stand there first!"

Madame Song got out of the car, walked up to Shu Shu, and stared at her unblinkingly.

She resembled, truly resembled, exactly like that person.

... especially those peach-blossom eyes.

Madame Song dazedly asked Shu Shu: "You... you aren't surnamed Xie, are you?"

Shu Shu turned a deaf ear and walked straight away.

"You are definitely surnamed Xie! Your father is Xie Yingting!" Madame Song called out to Shu Shu, then she realized: "Shuyin? Your full name should actually be Xie Shuyin, right? I haven't remembered wrong, your mother is called Xie Yun."

Shu Shu's steps halted, and then she slowly turned around.

Whether the content of Madame Song's words was true or false had already been decided.

Shu Shu looked at Madame Song, her eyes utterly unfamiliar.

She did not know her.

"You don't know me, but I know you." Madame Song's expression held a hint of mockery: "Once the sole little treasure of the Hai Cheng Xie family, Xie Shuyin?"

She emphasized the word "once".

"I know many things about your deceased parents; how about it, do you have time now?"

Madame Song changed her mind; she wanted to do more than just break up Pei Du's romance.

Shu Shu: "What is your surname?"

Madame Song, haughtily: "Song."

Shu Shu looked at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "Alright, I have time now, then, let's chat."

…

Jing Shi Pei Family main residence.

In the luxuriously decorated living room.

Madame Song had the servant bring tea and delicate pastries, pushing them toward Shu Shu.

To entertain Shu Shu?

It was obvious she did not have such good intentions.

Madame Song, in a condescending manner, gestured for Shu Shu to eat the pastry, saying: "You must feel nostalgic for this life that is both familiar and unfamiliar, alas, the Xie family has gone bankrupt; how could they ever return to the past?"

After sitting down, Shu Shu didn't touch the snacks, nor did she speak.

Madam Song: "Ah, you're also a pitiful child who fell from the clouds to the dust; you certainly aren't used to it, so you've come all the way here, trying every means to seduce my son."

Shu Shu still didn't speak.

Madam Song: "So this is what they call 'like mother, like daughter'? The Xie family ended up with destruction and ruin—no one else to blame. If blame there is, blame your father for not seeing people clearly, being deceived by a lowborn mute woman who used tricks to rise to power and enter the Xie family's gate."

Hai Cheng Xie family's second young master, Xie Yingting, was once a prominent figure among the younger generation of aristocratic circles.

His appearance was outstanding, with a pair of bright peach-blossom eyes that were gentle and moist; his personality was open and talkative, and when he spoke his voice always carried a hint of nonchalance.

He was very popular with girls.

But although he seemed easy to get along with, he had a strong sense of boundaries; he would never bluntly refuse without consideration, making people hesitate to approach.

One day he invited friends to play tennis at the sports center, where he happened to glimpse a girl delivering flowers; he fell for her at first sight and immediately blushed.

That girl was called Shu Yun; she had a gentle, water-like appearance and ran a small flower shop on her own, but unfortunately, for some reason she had lost her voice, making her mute.

Everyone had never seen Xie Yingting pursue a girl so shamelessly—buying flowers frantically and learning sign language, like a peacock displaying its tail.

They teased Second Young Master Xie about an iron tree blooming, while also predicting that once the novelty wore off, this flower would wither, given their vastly unequal standings—it was doomed not to last.

About a year and a half later, everyone received the wedding invitation of Xie Yingting and Shu Yun.

They truly became a perfect match, and after marriage they were as lovey‑dovey as could be; at gatherings, Xie Yingting's favorite line was "My Ah Yun, how … how …"

They were very happy, yet they almost missed out.

Within aristocratic circles there have always been ill‑intentioned people keeping a close watch on the Xie family's marriage, hoping to ally through marriage to strengthen their own clan.

But the eldest young master, Xie Yingheng, was only absorbed in his righteous law career and could not extricate himself.

Thus only Xie Yingting remained.

Thus, Shu Yun, whom Xie Yingting loved, became the target of everyone's resentment.

Next, her flower shop was frequently complained about; she herself was tailed and surveilled, suffering all kinds of malicious acts, the other side hoping to scare her into not staying with Xie Yingting.

But Shu Yun's personality did not match her appearance; once she had decided on Xie Yingting, she only grew braver with each setback.

…

"You probably don't know how low your mother Shu Yun is—she'd endure any humiliation to marry into a wealthy family; even if she were locked in a toilet all night, scared until her face turned deathly pale, she'd still stay with your father."

Madam Song grew more and more excited as she spoke; although she was ostensibly narrating from an onlooker's perspective, her eyes shone with glee, and she sneered at Shu Shu:

"I despise her conduct, and naturally I despise you as well."

"Are you done speaking——"

Shu Shu hadn't uttered a single word the whole time, only speaking up softly at the end.

Madam Song was a little surprised.

Because she saw no anger or hatred on Shu Shu's face, as one would expect.

"Putting on an act." Madam Song snorted: "Speak—how much do you need to leave Pei Du?"

Then she heard Shu Shu say: "I want more than just money."

Madam Song frowned: "Then what else do you want?"

Shu Shu wore an expectant look: "As you said, I really do miss the life I had when I was wealthy, so I'd like to experience it once more here."

Madam Song eyed her suspiciously: "…Is that all?"

Shu Shu: "Just that."

Madam Song: "How do you want to experience it—by staying here?"

"No, just half an hour will do." Shu Shu said: "First call out all the servants here, because I want them to serve me tea and water one by one."

Madam Song's gaze toward Shu Shu instantly turned contemptuous.

Indeed, just like that lowly Shu Yun who couldn't show her face, she was vain, and she even thought she liked Pei Du a lot.

Madam Song raised her hand, gave an order, and according to instructions, all the servants—whether busy or idle—came out and stood in rows before Shu Shu.

Like military drill.

Shu Shu rose, eyes satisfied, walked two circuits, and asked one of the servants.

"Where is the restroom?"

The servant silently pointed toward a certain direction in the living room.

Shu Shu went that way and indeed found the restroom; she opened the door and returned to the living room.

What is this for?

Isn't she supposed to have people serve her tea and water?

Just as Madam Song puzzled over what Shu Shu wanted to do, the next second Shu Shu walked straight toward her, drawing nearer until only a few steps remained, and Madam Song saw the girl's expression suddenly turn cold.

It was chilling to the bone.

"What are you—ah!"

Madam Song only felt her head jerk sideways; Shu Shu grabbed her elegant bun, and she lost balance, falling from the sofa to the floor.

It was a force she could not break free from.

In the astonished gazes of all the servants, Madam Song was dragged by Shu Shu to the restroom.

The toilet lid was lifted. The back of her head struck hard, and she came into sudden, shocking contact with the water.

She felt a heavy blow to the back of her head, and with terror filling her vision, she struck the water's surface.