Chapter 115: Chapter 115

More than half a month has passed since the accident occurred, and the official rescue team had long since withdrawn, declaring that further search and rescue would be impossible.

The Pei Family couldn’t give up and mobilized more resources to expand the search area, determined to find Pei Che, whether alive or dead.

Shen Jianian, due to an injury to her hand, took two days off to rest at home, but on the third day, she reported punctually to Yan Qiusheng’s private villa. In her spare time, she couldn’t help but search for news on her phone.

News has a timeliness, with so many things happening every day, people’s attention being drawn to new events, gradually, not many people follow up on the aftermath.

There was less and less news about Pei Che online, and in the end, almost no new content could be found. The reports that could be found were ones she had seen before.

They all used the same word — "vanished without a trace."

Shen Jianian might not have realized how her distracted demeanor was clearly noticeable to others.

"Something on your mind?" Yan Qiusheng brought over a steaming cup of coffee, with a deliberately crafted swan design in the milk froth, floating at the rim of the cup, saying, "I’ve noticed you haven’t been very focused on your piano practice lately."

This morning, she was especially unfocused.

When she played the wrong notes, he guessed that this girl must be troubled by something, to the extent that she couldn’t concentrate at all.

At that time, he didn’t interrupt or criticize her. He waited until break time to gently inquire.

If she was willing to talk, he was happy to listen. After all, she called him "master," and a master’s role is not just to teach but also to offer assistance in other matters.

Shen Jianian rose from her bench, twisting her hands together and apologizing with some embarrassment, "I’m sorry, Teacher. I shouldn’t have been thinking about other things during practice."

For someone of Yan Qiusheng’s caliber to take the time to teach her every day, she should be grateful, fully concentrating on absorbing the skills he imparted, rather than constantly getting distracted and wasting his effort.

She felt especially sorry towards him.

Yan Qiusheng gestured for her to sit down, placing his palm downward to indicate as such.

Today, he wore an elegant white traditional outfit, exuding a refined and scholarly aura. His voice, as always, was gentle, carrying the earnest guidance of an elder: "I’m not blaming you. If emotions were that easy to control, we wouldn’t have the concept of seven emotions and six desires. I’m asking if you encountered some difficulties that you might want to discuss with your master."

Shen Jianian held the coffee he had given her without drinking it, her brow furrowing impossibly.

After a long silence, she slowly opened up, "I have someone I care deeply about who is now missing, likely in great danger. This might have been caused by me, and I can’t forgive myself. I’m wondering if some decisions were wrong from the start. I truly don’t know what to do."

Despite careful consideration, what she uttered was still a mess, and she felt that Yan Qiusheng probably couldn’t understand what she was saying, as even she couldn’t untangle her chaotic thoughts.

These past few days, she kept thinking about one thing: the night she returned to Beicheng and encountered Pei Che, drunk at the bar entrance, might have been heaven’s opportunity for her.

If she had walked over and persuaded Pei Che more, perhaps the subsequent tragedy wouldn’t have happened.

Sometimes she reflected on whether she had been too harsh with him in the past.

Yan Qiusheng, living in isolation from the world, rarely watched online news, so he wasn’t aware of what happened to Pei Che. He merely extracted and analyzed from her few words, offering his perspective: "Everyone has their destiny, don’t blame yourself for the misfortunes others encounter. You’ve said it yourself, it’s only a possibility. Since it’s not definite, don’t assume the worst. You’re uncertain whether the path you’re on now is right or wrong, so I’ll tell you, even if given another chance, if you take a different path, you’d still face the same confusion. Life is about moving forward, urged on by time through self-doubt and stumbling. Cherish the present."

"Cherish the present..."

Shen Jianian murmured those last four words.

Yan Qiusheng said, "To put it another way, so what if you made a mistake? You’re still young, allow yourself to err. The most important thing is to make peace with yourself, don’t get trapped in a dead end, learn to let go."

Shen Jianian looked at the gentle man before her, who was as warm as jade, and lightly pulled a smile: "Teacher Yan, I wish I had met you earlier." Hearing those words sooner, she might not have been blinded by hatred, losing herself step by step.

Yan Qiusheng gave a faint smile and patted her head with his large hand, "Rest for a while, don’t overthink."

In the afternoon, Shen Jianian calmed her emotions a bit and practiced a new piece without making any mistakes.

A little after five, she bid farewell to Yan Qiusheng and left the villa.

The driver had already pulled the car in, but it wasn’t the usual Mercedes that picked her up, it was one of Fu Jichen’s private vehicles.

With confusion, she approached and saw Qu Mo in the driver’s seat. As she opened the backseat door, sure enough, Fu Jichen was inside with his eyes closed, feigning sleep.

Shen Jianian: "Why are you here?"

Fu Jichen, with his legs crossed, wrapped his distinctly jointed fingers around a black cord, turned his head to look at her. His already deep eyes appeared even more furrowed from lack of sleep, making him seem even more profound and unreachable.

He explained briefly, "Finished my business, so I stopped by to pick you up."

He’s been very busy recently, with a new project starting, needing to smooth out all the connections, and too many social engagements to count. By the time he comes back at night, she is usually already asleep. Thinking about it, it’s been almost a week since they had a meal together.

Shen Jianian stared at him steadily. This is the Half Mountain Villa; there’s no way it could be "on the way." It’s more like he came specifically.

"What are you doing standing there in a daze? Get in the car." Fu Jichen urged her.

Shen Jianian hunched over and got into the car.

Fu Jichen instructed Qu Mo to drive, not returning to Yunding Palace first, but heading to a discreet private kitchen restaurant in the suburbs.

The dishes in these private kitchens aren’t very delicate, but they win in being natural and healthy.

A gentle simmer of lotus root and pork rib soup wafts a rich fragrance when served. Fu Jichen, dressed in formal wear, unfastened the front button of his suit, reached for a clean small bowl, and in his movements, revealed a bit of his lean wrist, with the branded watch reflecting a low-key, luxurious glow under the light.

"Have some soup first to warm your stomach." Fu Jichen placed a half bowl of soup in front of her, "Haven’t been eating well lately? Why do you look thinner again?"

He didn’t mention Pei Che, but he knew she was worried about that person.

"No, I’ve been eating well." Shen Jianian picked up the white porcelain spoon and tasted a sip. The soup was delicious, "Are you done with your work now?"

"Temporarily." Fu Jichen put on a pair of disposable gloves, picked up a shrimp from the plate, pulled off the head, and peeled the shell section by section, "There’s more in the next stage to keep busy with."

Shen Jianian, out of the corner of her eye, caught sight of his long, fair hands and was unknowingly drawn in, watching his actions as he peeled the shrimp, finding it pleasing to the eye.

Fu Jichen brought a peeled shrimp to her mouth and said without any warning, "Next month is my grandfather’s eightieth birthday. My family is planning a big celebration, and I want to take you with me. Just giving you a heads up so you won’t be unprepared."

Shen Jianian was stunned, as if hearing something astonishing, her eyes filled with shock. She looked at Fu Jichen’s face again, and he wore an air of calmness, as if he hadn’t just said those words.

Fu Jichen had expected her reaction, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He touched her tightly pressed lips with the shrimp, "Spent quite some time peeling it, won’t you at least taste it?"

Shen Jianian dumbly followed his command, opened her mouth, and bit into the shrimp he offered, finding it fresh, without unnecessary seasonings, and savoring the unique sweetness of shrimp meat.

But that wasn’t the main point; the main point was how could he act so nonchalant after dropping such a bombshell.

"I’m not joking with you." Knowing what she was thinking, Fu Jichen simply made his words clearer to save her from overthinking, "I intend to introduce you to my family."

The incident she had at the beginning of the year still had no resolution. Although he speculated it was the work of his family, he couldn’t find out who was behind it.

Instead of shielding her secretly, it was better to bring her out in the open, letting those watching her in the shadows see that she was someone he acknowledged, so they might think twice before acting.

Shen Jianian held the bowl with one hand, pinched the spoon with the other, her whole person seemingly petrified, not moving for quite a while.

Did he really understand what he was doing?

Shen Jianian knew her place. With her current family background, the Fu Family would never accept her.

She was always waiting for the day Fu Jichen would tire of her. Then, she would take back Lingyue Group and part ways with him amicably. This was their business, not something to be made public.

She had imagined countless scenarios of their separation, but never thought he would make such a decision.

The news of the Pei Family holding a funeral spread out, causing a stir in the whole circle.

According to the law, when a person is missing due to accidental events, after two years, they can apply to the people’s court to declare them dead. Pei Che’s body is yet to be found, so strictly speaking, the funeral shouldn’t be held so soon.

Unless proven by relevant authority that the individual couldn’t possibly survive.

Indeed, a speeding vehicle broke through the guardrail, plummeting off a cliff into the sea below; surviving would be tough for anyone.

It was revealed by a close relative of the Pei Family that after fainting several times from crying, Pei Che’s mother, Zhou Ruo, had a dream where she saw her son standing soaked at their doorstep, unwilling to leave or enter.

Upon waking, Zhou Ruo felt it was her deceased son appearing in the dream, telling her he could not rest in peace.

The head of the Pei Family, Pei Fengnan, had previously been hospitalized due to illness and had only recently been discharged when he was struck by the tragic news of losing his son. He fell into a deep depression, aging rapidly, appearing as an old man at death’s door in less than a month.

Batch after batch of salvage teams were dispatched, yet no news ever came. He could only be forced to accept the reality of his son’s passing and, heeding his wife’s counsel, prepare for the funeral.