Chapter 27
He turned around, expecting to see a familiar face, but as the figure approached, he realized it was Pei Songji.
He was stunned, then a wave of anger washed over him.
How did he know where he lived? Had he been investigating him?
His expression hardened, his voice cold. “What are you doing here?”
Pei Songji sensed his anger, hesitating for a moment, then deciding against lying. “I’m here on business. There’s a project we’re considering in this area.”
“A project?” Jing Ciying almost laughed. What project could possibly require Pei Songji’s personal attention in this small city?
The excuse was too flimsy.
“What kind of project requires your personal inspection, Mr. Pei?” he asked sarcastically.
“A very important project,” Pei Songji said, stepping closer. It was dark, but Jing Ciying could still see the intensity in his gaze.
Jing Ciying stepped back, and Pei Songji stopped, maintaining a safe distance.
“You were right,” Pei Songji said, his voice low. “You know everything about me, but I know nothing about you. No wonder you were so surprised by my confession. I would have been too.”
Jing Ciying understood.
“So you came here to investigate me?”
“No, I just wanted to… understand you.”
“And what have you learned?” Jing Ciying asked.
He expected Pei Songji to reveal some personal information he had uncovered, but instead, Pei Songji said, “I’m sorry.”
Jing Ciying was so stunned he thought he had misheard.
Had he actually heard Pei Songji apologize? To him?
He stared at him, speechless.
“I shouldn’t have stopped you from returning home from Colorado. And I shouldn’t have misunderstood your relationship with Ji Shuhuai.”
Jing Ciying finally found his voice. “Mr. Ji told you.”
“Yes.” Pei Songji’s eyes softened. “I always thought I could keep you by my side with a high salary, that money justified all my demands. But I was wrong. Money isn’t everything. I was arrogant.”
Jing Ciying had thought he had become accustomed to Pei Songji’s demands, his aloofness, his indifference to his feelings, burying his own pain, pretending everything was fine. He had thought he had built a wall around his heart. But Pei Songji’s words triggered a wave of unexpected emotion.
He masked his feelings, maintaining a neutral expression. “I was just doing my job.”
“No…”
“Mr. Pei,” he interrupted, not wanting to relive the past, “it’s getting late. I should go. You should too.”
He turned to leave, but Pei Songji stopped him again. “Wait.”
“Is there something else?”
“I… I can’t find my hotel.”
Jing Ciying was taken aback. “Can’t find your hotel? Don’t you have GPS?”
“My phone died.”
Although it seemed absurd, it was possible. Jing Ciying had always handled everything for him; Pei Songji had probably never even charged his own phone. “What’s the name of your hotel? I’ll call you a taxi.”
“I don’t remember.”
Jing Ciying: “…”
“You don’t remember the name of your hotel, but you remember where I live?” he asked, suspicious.
Pei Songji nodded matter-of-factly. “So, can I come to your place to charge my phone?”
Jing Ciying: “…”
He reluctantly agreed, leading him back to his apartment.
He found a charger for Pei Songji’s phone, which was indeed dead.
He couldn’t say anything, letting him charge his phone in the living room.
He had been planning to take a shower and go to bed, but with Pei Songji here, he couldn’t. “Have you eaten?” he asked.
Pei Songji shook his head.
Jing Ciying hadn’t eaten either. He had just returned and had no groceries, so he would have to order takeout. He hesitated, knowing Pei Songji wouldn’t like it.
But he wasn’t his boss anymore; he didn’t have to cater to his preferences. He ordered what he wanted.
The food arrived quickly: congee and some side dishes.
Pei Songji would never have touched such food before, but today, he ate without complaint, even thanking Jing Ciying politely.
Jing Ciying had little appetite, having eaten a large lunch, so he ate only a few bites.
But Pei Songji ate heartily, almost too much.
Jing Ciying expected him to linger, but he unplugged his phone. “Thank you. That’s enough.”
“It’s only half charged. Are you sure?” Jing Ciying’s secretarial instincts kicked in.
“It’s enough,” Pei Songji said, showing him the hotel address on his phone. It was the best hotel in the city.
Jing Ciying realized his mistake. Of course, Pei Songji would be staying at the best hotel. He should have known.
But it was too late now. Pei Songji had not only invaded his apartment, but also eaten his dinner. Another day of losses.
“I should go now. Get some rest,” Pei Songji said.
“Okay.” Jing Ciying walked him to the door, eager to get rid of him and go to bed.
At the door, Pei Songji stopped. “Almost forgot something.”
“What?”
He pulled out a small, red velvet box and handed it to Jing Ciying.
Jing Ciying hesitated, looking at him warily.
Pei Songji, sensing his suspicion, quickly clarified, “It’s not a ring.”
Jing Ciying cautiously took the box and opened it.
Inside was a small pendant, a delicately carved “birthday cake.”
The material was smooth and shimmered, like starlight or candlelight.
“Happy birthday,” Pei Songji said. “Better late than never.”
Jing Ciying hadn’t expected him to remember his birthday.
“Thank you, Mr. Pei, but I don’t celebrate my birthday,” he said, closing the box and offering it back.
Pei Songji, having learned a bit about his past, understood. “Because of your parents?”
“Yes.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t get a real cake.”
“Even a fake cake wouldn’t be appropriate,” Jing Ciying said with a small smile. “But thank you.”
Pei Songji didn’t take the box back. “It doesn’t have to be a birthday gift.”
“Then what is it?”
“A memento.”
“A memento?”
“Yes. Today isn’t just your birthday, it’s also the anniversary of the day you met your family.”
“A memento of the day you first met, twenty-nine years ago.”
Jing Ciying was speechless.
Pei Songji, seeing his stunned expression, let him process the words, understanding the complexities of grief.
After a long silence, Jing Ciying looked up. “That’s… a very unique perspective. How did you come up with that?”
“I thought of it after my parents passed away.”
Jing Ciying remembered that Pei Songji, like him, had lost his parents at a young age.
“I used to avoid my birthday too, but then I thought, why avoid it? It’s a day to celebrate, to celebrate the day I met them, the day our connection began. Even if they’re gone now, it just means our time together was short, but I’m still grateful for the time we had.”
Jing Ciying was silent for a moment, then accepted the gift.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I should go now.” Pei Songji said goodbye quickly, as if fearing he might change his mind. “Get some rest.”
“Yes. Goodbye.”
Jing Ciying watched him leave, then closed the door.
It was almost midnight.
He opened the box again, staring at the delicate “cake” pendant, and made a wish.
“I hope we’ll be family again in our next lives.”
“And… happy 29th anniversary of the day I met you all.”
