Chapter 86: Got the Wrong Car

Pei Muyin had said many times that Shu Shu had a faint orange-like scent on her, which was very pleasant.

Shu Shu thought her daughter liked the orange scent, so she ordered a custom-made product, specially blending several bottles of spray similar to perfume and close to the orange scent.

Receiving the gift, Pei Muyin was overjoyed; she took the spray and sprayed it here and there on her favorite things and usual places, saying she wanted this scent to always accompany her, so even her everyday car would have a fresh orange smell.

Although it was night in summer, wearing a mask was still hot; Shu Shu opened the Rolls-Royce car door with one hand and took off her mask with the other.

Then, noticing a gap in the open door, Shu Shu realized something was wrong; she seemed to have opened the wrong door.

It wasn't the orange scent in Muyin's car, but an extremely faint, crisp cedar scent.

……It was also her, a familiar scent.

While scrolling her phone, Shu Shu had once seen this line online: On the street of reunion, my heartbeat will recognize you before I do.

Her eyelashes twitched minutely; as she lifted them, Shu Shu met a pair of cold, deep, black eyes belonging to a man.

It seemed as if time had frozen.

How long had it been since they last seen? Actually not long; she was twenty-four when she "died".

So, four years, five years?

In this brief moment that could be called a blink-and-it's-over time, Shu Shu had countless times imagined the scene of the two meeting again.

Or perhaps, when she bought breakfast and glanced back, he would be standing behind her;

Or, after she had just finished shopping and left the mall, passing a corner, he would appear on the opposite street;

Or, while she was squeezed in the crowd waiting for the fireworks countdown, under the night sky filled with fireworks, everyone watching the fireworks, he stood on a high step, his gaze locked on her.

In any case, no matter which scenario, the final result would be him striding straight to her, taking her hand, and saying in a clear, low voice: "Yinyin, it's time to go home."

Then if she refused, saying she hadn't had enough fun and didn't want to leave, his hand would tighten, gripping hers until it hurt, he would press his lips and stare at her silently, his eyes showing anger, resentment, and sorrow.

No matter which, the underlying emotion was tender, filled with a physical fondness for her.

But not like this, right now—

Shu Shu's white mask hung at the side of her face; she stood outside the car, holding the door edge, their eyes met—she was surprised, while the man inside the car furrowed his brows slightly, his black eyes looking at her were entirely unfamiliar, a strong sense of estrangement, as if he were looking at a complete stranger he had never met.

"Little friend, you, got on the wrong car, right?"

The co-pilot, a man wearing metal-frame glasses and with a gentle appearance, turned his head to look at Shu Shu; in his hand was a lit tablet displaying data and statistical charts mixed with English terms.

This indicated that before the car door was opened, a work briefing was underway inside.

At that moment, the phone in her palm buzzed; Shu Shu lowered her head to see a call labeled "Bao Bao"—likely Muyin had just left the Xu family, got in the car, noticed she wasn't there, and called to find her.

That flicker of surprise vanished without a trace; Shu Shu unhesitatingly withdrew her gaze, softened her eyes, and spoke to the co-pilot man with an apologetic tone, her voice showing no abnormality: "Sorry, I got on the wrong car."

Then, without glancing again at the man in the back seat, she decisively released her grip and stepped back.

With a soft "pa-da" sound.

The car was closed again from inside; its black doors and windows stood up like a clear-cut boundary.

…

Shu Shu held her phone, walking toward where the car was parked while answering her daughter's call.

On the call, Pei Muyin told Shu Shu the approximate location where her car was parked.

Shu Shu scanned the area; after a moment, she saw across the way a girl in a checkered skirt standing far away, and she immediately said: "Muyin, I see you; stay there, don't move, I'm coming over."

…

At that moment.

Moreover, another gaze was fixed on Pei Muyin, coming from inside the very car that Shu Shu had mistakenly entered.

"Director Pei, you've seen the young lady; we can go now—if we're late…… the final negotiation meeting with the Cen clan will be delayed."

Zhou Zhi from the passenger seat spoke up to remind him; actually he felt somewhat reluctant—this trip to Gang Cheng, Director Pei didn't really need to come; in order to secure the Cen Shi acquisition case, they had been working nonstop for a whole month, and originally they could have rested well last night, replenished their energy to attend the negotiation meeting with the Cen clan tomorrow morning at seven thirty.

But the young lady was here, so they detoured through two cities to come, just so Director Pei could get a glance at her.

Then they hurriedly finished looking, and now they have to rush back.

A finger with distinct joints pressed a button, and the black car window slid to the side.

Through the night, Pei Du's gaze fell clearly on his daughter.

The girl clutched a small bag, her peach-blossom eyes blinked, and she stood there looking obedient.

The man's cold, restrained emotion deep down had unknowingly softened; after taking one last greedy look, the window closed.

"Let's go."

His voice returned to its usual aloofness.

The Rolls-Royce with a license plate all nines started up; it came unnoticed, then slipped into the night, departing silently and unnoticed.

…

Shu Shu and Pei Muyin returned to the hotel.

From the way back, the girl's baby-fat white face always wore a smile.

She told Shu Shu, saying, "Sister, the elderly of the Xu family celebrating their birthdays—the grandfather and grandmother—are all nice, so kind and amiable; tonight's fish soup and sweet soup are both delicious."

Moreover, moreover, when she left, the Xu family grandfather also exchanged contact information with her, saying that when he had time he would invite her to come play at the Xu family in Gang Cheng; if it was inconvenient, it was fine—the Xu family could send a helicopter to personally pick her up.

The girl chattered on, even after her bath and lying in bed, like a lively little sparrow, her eyes full of light.

Shu Shu rubbed away the hand cream on her palm, half-sat on the bed's edge, and wiped her face.

Upon hearing her daughter say the Xu family treated her well, Shu Shu laughed and said, "Who let our Muyin be so cute and well-behaved, so everyone loves her?"

The girl smiled shyly.

At that moment, Shu Lingchen made a video call.

"When are you guys coming back?" the boy on the other end, biting a pen, face full of resentment, complained: "I'm home alone, bored to the point of growing grass!"

"What do you mean 'growing grass'? You think you're the village head? We've only been out a day, how can you say it's like a hundred years?" Shu Shu raised an eyebrow, saying, "Besides, I saw in the class group that Bo Luo Zai invited you to play games."

"I refused him; I want to study, okay? Anything that disturbs my learning, just get out of the way."

"Ya, our turkey chick baby is really well-behaved."

It was too late; Shu Shu didn't let her daughter appear on camera, Pei Muyin just waved her hand in the frame, Shu Lingchen, insisting shamelessly, got his sister to shout "brother", and only then did he happily hang up the video call.

…

Shu Shu finished tidying up and also got onto the bed; she dimmed the lights and lay down.

Pei Muyin already naturally moved over and snuggled into Shu Shu's embrace; she was probably still excited, couldn't sleep, and said she had been very happy all day, wearing beautiful clothes and meeting a wonderful person.

But there was one thing that made her unhappy.

Shu Shu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear and asked softly, "What's wrong?"