Sweet Temptation! The Beauty in President Pei's Palm is Too Alluring

"President Pei! President Pei!" Jiang Jianjun grabbed Pei Yanzhou's trouser leg. "Please, have mercy and let Chuchu go. She's just a child, she doesn't know any better. It's all my fault for not raising her properly. I'll take all the blame and all the punishment myself. I'll do anything you want!" Jiang Jianjun cried, tears streaming down his face.

Pei Yanzhou stopped and looked down at him, his eyes cold.

"You'll take responsibility?" he said. "I'm afraid even the lives of everyone in your Jiang family wouldn't be enough to compensate."

Jiang Jianjun shuddered.

"I've already shown mercy by not throwing her into the sea to feed the fish," Pei Yanzhou continued, his voice devoid of any warmth. "You should be grateful that my wife is still alive. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing in front of me now."

Jiang Jianjun's face was ashen.

"President Pei, Chu Chu knows she was wrong! She's still young, she just made a mistake for a moment! If she has a criminal record, her life will be over!" Jiang Jianjun was still making a last-ditch effort.

"So?" Pei Yanzhou raised an eyebrow. "You want to go in and keep her company too? I don't mind, it'll just be a bit of a hassle."

He leaned down and whispered in Jiang Jianjun's ear, "Embezzlement, illegal business operations, falsifying accounts... do you think I don't know about these things?"

Jiang Jianjun was stunned.

"Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't know. It's good that you and your daughter can be reunited inside."

After saying that, he didn't linger and strode towards the black Maybach parked at the factory gate.

Jiang Jianjun collapsed to the ground, watching Pei Yanzhou's car speed away.

The Jiang family is truly finished this time.

-

Hospital, VIP ward.

Pei Yanzhou returned to the hospital at 2 a.m.

The Pei family and Chi Yuchu had already been persuaded to go back and rest, only Chen Yifei was still guarding the door.

"President Pei." Chen Yifei stood up immediately when he saw him return. Seeing that Pei Yanzhou had changed his clothes, but his eyes were still tired and bloodshot, and there was still a cold and murderous aura about him that had not completely dissipated, Chen Yifei wisely did not ask any further questions.

"How is she?" Pei Yanzhou's voice was hoarse.

"My wife's vital signs are stable, but she hasn't woken up yet," Chen Yifei reported in a low voice. "The doctor just checked on her again and said that there are no signs of severe cerebral edema, which is a good sign, but the time when she will wake up... is still unpredictable."

Pei Yanzhou nodded, indicating that he could go and rest. Chen Yifei knew that he couldn't help by staying, so he silently stepped aside.

Pei Yanzhou gently pushed open the ward door and went inside.

Shu Hua lay quietly on the hospital bed, her face as pale as paper, her lips devoid of color. She wore an oxygen mask, her chest rising and falling slightly with each breath, very gently and weakly.

She looked so quiet, so fragile.

Pei Yanzhou walked to a chair and sat down. He reached out and gently took her hand.

Her hands were cold, like ice.

He pressed her hand against his face, trying to warm her with his own body heat.

"Hua'er..." his voice was hoarse, his eyes red, "I'm sorry..."

"It's my fault... I didn't protect you well..."

"Please... wake up..."

"It's okay if you forget me... I just want you to wake up..."

He apologized again and again, and pleaded again and again.

But the person in the bed did not react at all.

Shu Hua didn't wake up for a whole day and night.

Pei Yanzhou hadn't slept either. He just sat by the bed, holding her hand, looking at her as if she would disappear in the blink of an eye.

He had a bluish stubble on his chin, dark circles under his eyes, and looked much more haggard. But he dared not sleep, nor dared he leave, afraid that she would wake up and not be able to find him, afraid that she would be frightened.

Shu Hua's parents rushed back from abroad the day after the incident. Seeing their daughter lying unconscious in the hospital bed, Shu's mother burst into tears. Shu's father, embracing his wife, also had red eyes.

Instead of blaming Pei Yanzhou, she comforted him and told him not to blame himself too much.

"Yanzhou, go and rest," Shu's mother said in a hoarse voice. "If you continue like this, your health will collapse."

Pei Yanzhou shook his head: "Mom, I'm fine. I want to wait for her to wake up."

Mr. Shu sighed and patted his shoulder: "Huahua knows how much you care about her, she will definitely wake up."

For three whole days, Shu Hua still didn't wake up.

The doctor comes to check on him every day, and the answer is always the same: vital signs are stable, brain CT scans show no large-scale necrosis or severe edema, but he just… remains unconscious. Medically, this situation is not uncommon. Even if vital signs such as heart and lung function return to normal, brain damage and subsequent complex neurological responses can still prevent the recovery of consciousness. The time to regain consciousness depends primarily on the duration of brain hypoxia, the effectiveness of controlling cerebral edema, and the presence of severe, irreversible nerve cell necrosis.

The most serious consequence is a vegetative state.

Pei Yanzhou refused to consider that possibility. Every day, besides staying by Shu Hua's side, he researched various domestic and international medical materials on brain injuries after drowning and contacted top neurology experts. He was willing to pay any price to wake her up.

News travels very fast within the circle.

Rumors have begun circulating in the circle that Mrs. Pei's chances of survival are slim, and she is likely facing a life-or-death situation. Some people are even secretly lamenting that a girl with such a good family background, beautiful appearance, and talented personality is truly going to perish like this.

Wen Jiani had also visited Shu Hua a few times. She had been hospitalized for two days because of an asthma attack while rescuing someone. She had just been discharged today and came straight over.

"Yanzhou." Wen Jiani looked at Shu Hua on the hospital bed, her eyes slightly red. "Hua Hua will definitely wake up. She's so strong..."

Pei Yanzhou nodded: "Thank you for saving her."

"Painting is my friend," Wen Jianian said softly. "I just hope she's safe."

She paused, as if remembering something, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I've heard... that the incense at Yunqi Temple in Jiangcheng is very effective. Mr. Ji... often goes there too. Perhaps you could give it a try."

Mr. Ji refers to Ji Tingchen. Everyone in that circle knows that Ji Tingchen is a Buddhist and has been making offerings at Yunqi Temple for many years.

Pei Yanzhou was a thorough atheist and a materialist. In the past, he scoffed at these beliefs about gods and Buddhas, believing that fate and outcome were solely in his own hands.

But now...

He wanted to try it.

He was willing to try as long as there was even a glimmer of hope.

When science and medicine offer uncertain answers, the ethereal gods and Buddhas seem to become the only straw that desperate people can grasp.

-

Jiangcheng, Yunqi Temple.

Nestled halfway up the mountain, the ancient temple is hidden among ancient pines and cypresses, where the morning bells and evening drums resound and incense burns brightly. Even on weekdays, many devout believers still come to offer incense and pray for blessings.

A black Maybach with consecutive Chinese license plates (华A) was parked at the main gate of the temple, attracting the attention of many passersby.

Pei Yanzhou got out of the car. He was wearing a black suit today, without a tie, and his shirt collar was slightly open. He looked a little tired, but he still couldn't hide his innate noble temperament.

He entered the temple alone without any bodyguards.

The aroma of sandalwood and incense wafted through the temple. He bought some incense and went to the main hall. The enormous Buddha statue stood solemnly, its eyes lowered as it looked down upon all beings. Inside, many people were already kneeling and praying, chanting softly.

Pei Yanzhou stood outside the hall, watching the wisps of smoke rising and the unfamiliar faces praying for peace, wealth, or marriage. For the first time, he felt a sense of bewilderment.

What should he ask for? How should he ask for it?

He never believed in these things.

But... his wife is still lying in the cold hospital.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the main hall. He lit the incense in his hand and knelt on the prayer mat. He closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and raised the incense above his head.

In his mind, there was Shu Hua's smiling face, her puffed-up cheeks when she was angry, the warmth of her nestled in his arms, and her pale face when she was unconscious...

"Buddha..." He opened his mouth, but his voice was dry and he could barely make a sound.

He had never prayed for anything before, yet now, clumsily and devoutly, he silently murmured in his heart: "I, Pei Yanzhou, ask for nothing more than that my wife, Shu Hua, may wake up safely. Whatever the cost, I am willing. Please... bless her."

He bent down, his forehead gently touching the cold ground, and kowtowed three times.

Then, he inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner and watched the three sticks burn slowly, the blue smoke rising straight up.

Just then, an old monk in a brown robe with a kind face appeared beside him, put his hands together, and nodded slightly: "Benefactor, you seem to have many worries and deep desires."

Pei Yanzhou looked at him and recognized him as the abbot of the temple, whom Ji Tingchen had mentioned.

The abbot gazed at him calmly and said slowly, "Everyone says that Madam Pei has a noble destiny and is destined for a smooth life, sitting on the lotus throne, living a peaceful and wealthy life."

Pei Yanzhou felt a slight tremor in his heart.

The abbot then changed the subject, his voice still calm, yet seemingly carrying an all-knowing power: "However, observing your face, benefactor, your brows conceal a sharp edge, and your eyes hold a resolute determination. A bright moon and a solitary lamp are signs of destiny bestowed upon you. Yet, benefactor, it seems you harbor a will to defy fate."

Pei Yanzhou looked at him in silence.

The abbot smiled slightly and said no more, only saying, "Sincerity is the key to success. Since you have prayed sincerely, please wait for good news. There is a peace talisman in the temple that is quite effective. You may take it home and place it under the sick person's pillow or wear it with you."

Pei Yanzhou followed the instructions and requested a talisman made of yellow paper and cinnabar. The abbot personally folded the talisman for him and placed it in an exquisite red brocade pouch.

People generally believe that destiny cannot be defied.

But Pei Yanzhou insisted on defying fate. He refused to let his bright moon dim and hang alone in the boundless darkness.

Even if it means fighting against fate and destiny, he will bring his painting back.