Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Again, it’s for Shen Jianian.

Why do all the men in the world revolve around Shen Jianian!

Initially, Qin Zhongtian was captivated by her at the birthday banquet, unable to extricate himself, and ironically, his son Qin Fan also had her in mind. Fu Jichen was a prominent figure in Beicheng’s aristocracy, and his affection for her was well-known in the circle. Now her first love has returned to the country, still unable to forget her.

How fortunate Shen Jianian is.

"Miss Yin?" Pei Che’s voice came again from the phone, gentle and polite, "If you know Little Nian’s whereabouts, can you please tell me? I’ve tried many ways but still can’t reach her."

The man’s words contained a hint of humble plea, reflecting his deep affection and loyalty to Shen Jianian, which would move anyone who heard it.

Yin Shuyao secretly scoffed, of course, he couldn’t find Shen Jianian; there’s a grudge between them over the murder of their parents now.

How laughable, former lovers turned enemies.

Thinking of this, Yin Shuyao felt a sudden surge of relief.

"Jianian is in Yicheng." Yin Shuyao composed herself and said, "How about this, you come to Yicheng, let’s meet first, there are some things I’d like to discuss with you."

"Really? She’s in Yicheng?!" Pei Che couldn’t believe what he heard, so excited that he became incoherent: "Is... is she doing well now?"

As he said this, his tone turned cautious, afraid to hear bad news about Shen Jianian, and he couldn’t help holding his breath.

"Rest assured, she’s doing well. You’ll understand once you see her."

Since the person on the other side of the phone couldn’t see, Yin Shuyao slightly curled her lips, wearing an expression of eagerly awaiting a good show.

She was truly curious about how Pei Che would react upon seeing Shen Jianian with another man, and how Shen Jianian would react to meeting her first love again.

That scene would surely be fascinating, and she couldn’t wait to witness it.

Yin Shuyao pressed her lips lightly, suppressing her restless emotions, and said in her usual tone, "Call me when you arrive in Yicheng, we’ll keep in touch."

After speaking, she was the first to hang up, the arc of her lips widening.

"Who were you talking to? I heard a man’s voice, you called him Pei something."

When Yin Shuyao answered the phone, she didn’t avoid Hu Yuzhi, so the conversation was overheard, filling her with curiosity.

Yin Shuyao held the phone, her hands behind her back as she turned around, smiling at her mother: "Pei Che, you don’t know him, he’s Shen Jianian’s first boyfriend, the only son of the Beicheng Pei Family, with an impressive identity."

"The Beicheng Pei Family..." Hu Yuzhi met her gaze and suddenly understood, "Is it that Pei Family that brought ruin to the Shen Family?"

The outside world didn’t know the reason for the Shen Family’s downfall, but before Yin Tongshu left, she had called Yin Chengde, revealing the Pei Family’s treachery and their scheming against the Shen Family.

"Exactly." Yin Shuyao patted the phone in her right hand against the palm of her left, her eyebrows dancing, "Think about it, Pei Che can’t forget Shen Jianian and has come looking for her. With so many years of feelings between the two, it’s not something that can be easily severed. Who knows how entangled they might become. Now that Shen Jianian is with Fu Jichen, and he’s not someone easy to mess with."

Hu Yuzhi had some apprehension about Fu Jichen’s identity: "Don’t get involved in their business, have you forgotten how that little bitch Shen Jianian..."

Yin Shuyao cut her off, not wanting to hear about those unpleasant past events.

To be honest, wasn’t all this to be blamed on Shen Jianian?

Ever since she found out that Shen Jianian was with that person from the Fu Family, she understood many things. The night she was kidnapped and humiliated was probably orchestrated by that man, to vent Shen Jianian’s anger. Qin Fan knowing about her scheme against him at the hotel was probably also related to Shen Jianian or Fu Jichen.

She hated Shen Jianian deeply.

The unhappiness in her marriage, Shen Jianian had to bear most of the responsibility. How could she possibly watch her live a comfortable life with her eyes wide open?

We’ll see, she didn’t believe anyone could be lucky forever.

Pei Che didn’t bring any luggage, nor did he inform anyone before booking the earliest flight to Yicheng, boarding the plane empty-handed like an anomaly.

Probably due to the mix of anxiety and eagerness nearing home, as the plane was about to land at Yicheng Airport, Pei Che was unprecedentedly restless, nearly to the point of being unable to sit still.

The physiological reactions of tingling palms, dry throat, and sweating at the back continued until he disembarked from the plane.

After leaving the airport, the climate felt different from Beicheng’s humid chill, with a fine rain mixed with snowflakes falling from the sky.

Pei Che turned off airplane mode on his phone and called Yin Shuyao, informing her of his arrival.

He agreed with Yin Shuyao’s suggestion; rather than rushing to Shen Jianian and frightening her, it was better to understand her current situation first before making plans.

Besides, he didn’t know how to face her either.

Should he kneel and repent for what his parents did? Even being cut into pieces wouldn’t be enough to atone for it. The Shen Family is no more, and she’s lost her parents; how could he ever make amends?

Although he desperately wanted to see her, hug her, and comfort her, the fact was that he had no face to meet her.

His phone received the address from Yin Shuyao, which was a café.

Pei Che took a taxi there, focusing intently on the passing street scenery, imagining the life Shen Jianian led here, his heart aching to the point it was becoming hard to breathe.

The café was located at a corner of a street, and the driver reminded the passenger in the back seat that they had reached their destination.

It took Pei Che a while to react, his eyes misting over, as if the mix of rain and snow from outside had entered his eyes.

"Sir, you’ve arrived at the café you’re looking for." The driver reminded him once again.

Pei Che’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he slowly shifted his gaze, paid the fare, thanked the driver, and got out of the car to walk into the café.

Yin Shuyao had arrived ten minutes earlier, sitting by a round table in the corner with a cup of coffee in her hands, looking out of the window.

She noticed Pei Che as soon as he got out of the car.

After not seeing him for a few years, he looked much taller than in her impression, slender and tall, wearing a dark brown coat with a high-necked pure white sweater underneath, the collar casually draped around his neck, black casual pants wrapping around his long and straight legs.

He had his hands in his coat pockets, walking forward, snowflakes landing on his hair, eyelashes, and shoulders, looking like he stepped out of an idol drama set, particularly attractive.

All the girls in the café were looking at him.

Pei Che pulled down the brim of his fisherman’s hat, trying not to attract attention while searching inside the café.

Yin Shuyao remained silent, waiting for him to spot her.

But it seemed he had forgotten what she looked like, his gaze skimming over her face twice without recognizing her.

At that moment, Yin Shuyao couldn’t quite describe her feelings. Her fingers tapped against the coffee cup’s wall before she finally took the initiative to raise her arm, waving to signal him.

Pei Che finally saw her, taking steps in her direction.

As the distance closed, his face gradually became clearer, and even though he seemed a bit haggard, it couldn’t overshadow his handsome features. He still had that elegant and refined air, making one’s heart skip a beat.

"Long time no see, Pei Che." Yin Shuyao gave him a reserved smile, summoned a waiter, and handed him the menu, "Take a look at what you’d like to drink."

Pei Che didn’t look carefully, casually ordered a cup, without any extra small talk, his first words revolved around Shen Jianian: "Is Little Nian staying at your place now?"

Yin Shuyao’s gaze darkened slightly, and in the instant she lifted her eyes, it disappeared, leaving behind a smile laced with helplessness: "She did stay at my place initially, but then she left on her own."

Pei Che looked at her in surprise, an urgency in his heart: "What happened? Where is she now?"

"She..." Yin Shuyao shook her head slightly, lamenting, "She’s changed, she’s not the Jianian she used to be. We’ve tried talking to her many times after her family left, but it didn’t help. She doesn’t listen to us anymore."

She said regretfully, "Since her family’s incident, she’s become so despondent. After just arriving in Yicheng, we took her to an elder’s birthday banquet hoping she’d feel better. Little did we know, she’d end up attaching herself to a big shot from Beicheng, becoming his lover and moving out of our home."

"What? She’s a lover...?" Pei Che’s voice trembled, both in fury and disbelief, speechless at this revelation.

Yin Shuyao nodded, pretending to be sad, "Yes, she’s not the same Jianian anymore. No matter how many times we tried to advise her, it was useless."