No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

It's not that Pei Jingnian is not allowed to go.

Rather, the information network is extensive and interconnected.

Especially when you're with someone you didn't expect at all.

Those who could attend that high school were either academically excellent or wealthy, and their parents knew each other.

I'm afraid it will get back to Lin Ya-hui and Bai Shu-wen.

Shi Qiao talked about going home from school, and then back to the living room from the garage—and succeeded!

I realized I was just wasting my breath.

How come she never noticed how stubborn Pei Jingnian was before?

Shi Qiao changed into her pajamas and ran to hug Pei Jingnian's arm. "I'll stay with Youyou all the time, and I'll tell you I have a boyfriend, so don't worry."

"Even if some people are really here specifically for me, they can't possibly know I have a boyfriend and still try to embarrass me."

Pei Jingnian picked them up and held them in his arms. The two little ones curled up on the sofa.

"Honey, I know you're kind, but don't think too highly of people's bottom lines."

"I knew you were always thinking the worst of people!" Shi Qiao pouted, fiddling with Pei Jingnian's fingers in her hands. "Then let me ask you, if I weren't with you..."

"There is no 'if'." Pei Jingnian frowned slightly and tightened his fingers.

"So I meant 'if'! Don't interrupt me."

"If Shi Qiao hadn't ended up with Pei Jingnian in a parallel universe, and instead had another boyfriend, would you really go out of your way to become a mistress?"

The question did not receive an immediate answer. Shi Qiao raised her head, about to say something, when Pei Jingnian covered her mouth.

He gripped her slender white wrist with one hand, forcing her to lean against the back of the sofa.

His half-closed eyes swept over her flushed face, then he pinched her chin and lifted her head, making it easier to pry open her teeth for the next step.

His lips parted slightly, his dark eyes unfathomable.

"That's my answer."

"I will stop at nothing to take you away."

Shi Qiao's eyes darted around. "Isn't that just knowingly taking on a third party role?"

He pecked at her lips, which were opening and closing as she spoke, and gently bit her soft lower lip. "Hmm."

"If it were you, I'd gladly be your mistress."

"They'll drag you into being an accomplice in front of your supposed 'boyfriend'."

He slid his fingertips down, brushing aside her long, disheveled hair that fell over her shoulders, revealing her fair neck and shoulders. "For example, when you're having long phone conversations and exchanging sweet nothings..."

As her fingertips wandered deeper, Shi Qiao couldn't help but tense her toes.

The man bit his earlobe and finished the sentence in a whisper, "I'm bullying your other mouth."

Shi Qiao: !

She frantically tried to pry open Pei Jingnian's increasingly aggressive palms, saying, "How come I never realized you were such a shameless man?"

Pei Jingnian narrowed his eyes. "So you still think your classmates are capable of anything?"

He glanced at Shi Qiao's still-on phone. "The place they ordered food from is near Central, so there's a strong possibility that there's a second part to the meal, and it's at a bar."

"I'm not going to a bar. I'm just having a meal to get Youyou's autograph, and I'll leave after I finish eating." Shi Qiao puffed out her cheeks, but it was obvious that she wasn't as confident as before.

"You also mentioned that your friend is waiting for that voice actress. I just checked her autograph session schedule."

"She finishes get off work at six o'clock. Putting aside whether she needs to have dinner with her colleagues, even if she came directly here, her journey would take at least an hour and a half."

He pinched Shi Qiao's plump cheeks. "Do you think she's more likely to come to the first half or the second half?"

hateful.

How come this man is so smart?

"Men understand men best, my wife." He gently pressed his forehead against Shi Qiao's and rubbed it against her affectionately.

"Besides, it's more likely that it was committed by someone you know. There are many people at a bar, and you and Jiang Youran can't keep an eye on your drinks all the time, can you?"

"I think my wife, when she's out and about, assumes the worst about everyone."

He blinked twice, gazing at her expectantly. "Can't I even say I brought a watchdog?"

Pei Jingnian's analysis was so logical and persuasive that Shi Qiao was completely convinced.

However, the issues she was worried about could not be ignored.

"Then let's compromise. You...you can come as a member of my family."

Pei Jingnian smiled, "Husband?"

Shi Qiao remained silent, then said, "Yes! Brother! Brother!"

"And if you have anything you can't say in public," she poked Pei Jingnian's chest, "you can say it through your mind."

On a side note, this system for expressing one's innermost thoughts is actually quite convenient.

"Oh." Pei Jingnian's lips immediately drooped.

Before Pei Jingnian could say anything more, she forcefully added the closing remark, "Okay, no objections, it's decided then."

*

On Saturday, Shi Qiao got up quite early, since she had a lot of people to meet and would inevitably take photos to post on WeChat Moments.

To create a polished post for her WeChat Moments, she even went to get a hair treatment in the afternoon.

When I got home, I immediately went into the walk-in closet and started picking and choosing.

Each piece was quite beautiful, making her extremely hesitant.

She ran to Pei Jingnian's room with two outfits she was hesitating over, and as soon as she opened the door, she bumped into him coming out wrapped in a bath towel after taking a shower.

Shi Qiao immediately turned around and said, "I'm...sorry, I didn't knock."

The man's heat patted her from behind, carrying a damp warmth. "Wife, are you being so distant?"

"What part of me haven't you seen before?"

Shi Qiao's fingertips were burning hot.

How can they be the same?

Even in situations where she'd seen everything, she was still too shy to look around too much.

But... I only caught a vague glimpse of the taut, rhythmic lines of her waist.

A surge of heat rose to the tips of her ears, slowly spreading across her cheeks, turning them flushed.

She shook her head, clearing those images from her mind, and gently fanned her cheeks.

"Alright, alright, wait here for me a moment, I'll show you these two outfits."

"Help me pick out one." She said this and ran back to her bedroom.

Ten minutes later, Shi Qiao showed Pei Jingnian two sets in turn.

The first outfit is a relatively ladylike floral long dress with a halter neck design that reveals her fair back. The dress length just reaches her calves, and she wears a thin, sheer cardigan over it.

It's her usual style.

The second outfit is a Hong Kong style denim suit, featuring a smoky rose red tube top with a matching scarf around the neck, and slightly flared dark high-waisted jeans.

The dark, thick-edged belt is not immediately noticeable, but the buckle shimmers with a beautiful metallic sheen depending on the light.

Her black leather CL high heels with red soles were hidden under her jeans, with only the pointed toes peeking out.

With each step, the red color on the soles of the feet would appear once more.

It's alluring, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden.

It's infuriating to watch.

Shi Qiao noticed Pei Jingnian staring at her, and feeling a little embarrassed, she spoke up hesitantly:

"Is it not quite right for me?"

"I choose this one."

The two voices spoke almost simultaneously.

Shi Qiao was somewhat surprised.

When she put together this outfit, she was worried that Pei Jingnian would think it was too revealing, and she kept thinking about whether to add a striped shirt as an outer layer.

"What? Are you surprised that I chose this outfit?" Pei Jingnian gently grasped her hands, which were hanging at her sides, and pulled her closer.

Shi Qiao nodded, "Because this outfit feels a bit too extravagant and revealing, I'm a little worried you'll be jealous..."

Pei Jingnian tilted his head back, looking serious, "I do get jealous."

"But honey, no matter what clothes you choose to wear when you go out, the only thing you need to consider is yourself."

"My wife is so beautiful, there's no need to hide her."

Shi Qiao blushed and said, "Don't say such mushy things."

Pei Jingqing gently rubbed the flesh of her palm, "But I feel like something's missing."

"Wife, bend over."

Shi Qiao obediently did as instructed.

The next second, a sliver of silk scarf around her neck was parted by scalding fingertips.

Pei Jingnian pressed her neck down.

Her lips parted slightly, and she lightly bit her fair neck, her fingers pressing hard to prevent her from escaping, sucking until she felt numb.

It left a deep red mark.

A red mark that can be covered by a silk scarf, but will be revealed if there is any slight movement.

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright."