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

Shi Qiao snapped out of her daze and got up to tidy up the table.

"Go answer the phone, I'll just change my clothes."

Pei Jingnian stared at his empty palm, his dark eyes swirling with emotion, then picked up his phone and left the room.

Lu Zhou had better have something more important to say than his own life.

As soon as the call connected, Pei Jingnian's voice was filled with resentment: "Do you want to die?"

Lu Zhou was stunned, and the words he had been organizing for so long were suddenly forgotten. "You...you knew all along, Lao Pei?"

Pei Jingnian frowned slightly, switched the phone to speakerphone, casually picked out a gray sleeveless top from his suitcase, and didn't respond directly.

Lu Zhou heard no response from the other end of the phone, and his teeth chattered. "This... can't be entirely blamed on me, right?"

"I created that account to answer questions and generate some sales on the side."

After all, couples can go to small bars in Central to create an atmosphere, while those who have just broken up can go to Jinye for emotional and physical comfort.

They profited from both ends and made a fortune!

"You know how stingy my dad is with my allowance, so I have to earn more to pay for my wife's piano maintenance."

Pei Jingnian changed into a sleeveless top, warmed his hair with his hands, and casually parted his hair to the side. "So?"

"So... you should forgive me for introducing Jinye to Shiqiao, right?"

"But I swear, it was really an accident! I didn't know it was her. If I had known, I would have raved about her, wouldn't I?"

Pei Jingnian picked up his phone in disbelief, making sure he hadn't misheard, "What?"

Lu Zhou was stunned. "Bu'er, you didn't know?"

"Then why were you so menacing when you answered the phone?!"

Pei Jingnian had lost all interest in fixing his hair; his knuckles were cracking. "You'd better explain the whole story clearly."

Over the next five minutes, Lu Zhou meekly recounted the entire story of "crossing the river in a boat" from beginning to end, down to the smallest detail.

"But, Lao Pei, doesn't that mean Shi Qiao likes you? Right? Right?"

"So, all these years of subtly flaunting your 'female genitalia' in front of young girls has actually worked, hasn't it?"

Pei Jingnian swiped his thumb across the screen, carefully examining Shi Qiao and Lu Zhou's chat history.

After watching it from beginning to end, he did indeed discover a blind spot.

"Tell me, does what she said mean that she dislikes this arrogant person?"

Lu Zhou was surprised to find that Pei Jingnian didn't seem so angry after all, and his tone even carried a hint of excitement, so he quickly chimed in:

"Yeah, I told you so, girls like directness."

"I told you a long time ago that you'd get an A, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences. Don't you understand?"

"Look how worried your wife is!"

Pei Jingnian pursed her lips, completely ignoring Lu Zhou's nonsense, her mind racing back to the few words she had once said.

Brainstorming.

Does she want someone aloof? Someone fierce? Someone who doesn't like her?

what?

It looked like something round and red had grown out of the tip of his nose.

He had originally planned to gradually express his feelings for his wife after confirming that she had feelings for him, but it seems that he doesn't need to now.

However, we cannot be completely certain.

It's hard to say whether his tastes suddenly changed or if his competitive spirit suddenly kicked in, making him want to compete with him.

Pei Jingnian's silence on the other end of the phone was deafening, and Lu Zhou's voice grew weaker.

"Old Pei...we've been brothers for over a decade, fighting side by side for so many years, isn't that enough to warrant a single leniency?"

Pei Jingnian snapped out of his thoughts, "You..."

Seeing that there was a chance, Lu Zhou earnestly hummed in agreement twice.

"Give me that account."

"What are you doing? That account is my cash cow!"

Pei Jingnian scoffed and directly transferred a 1 followed by several zeros to Lu Zhou, saying, "Rent it, okay?"

Lu Zhou collected it so quickly that if it were a video, you would definitely see the eunuch's smile on his face: "Oh my, how come our money-giving boy has fallen from the sky?"

"You can log in to this account as you like, just don't bother my other potential clients~"

"But remember to mimic my tone, I still have some influence with your wife."

"Don't let your usual cheap attitude show."

Pei Jingnian ignored him and started making plans.

Let's not rush things these next few days, let's take it easy.

His wife isn't in a good mood, so we should at least wait until she finishes her quiz before discussing it further.

*

For the next few days, Shi Qiao studied with Pei Jingnian every morning and spent the rest of her time enjoying the island scenery.

A balance between work and rest is essential to achieving both.

Soon, the short holiday came to an end, and Shi Qiao reluctantly boarded a plane back to the hell on earth.

After finishing the quiz at 8 a.m., Shi Qiao looked refreshed and even hummed a little tune while packing her bag after class.

"Sure, you did well on the test."

Shi Qiao gave a light hum, "Of course, her writing flows like a divine inspiration!"

Jiang Youran curled her lips into a mischievous smile, "Oh, right, I haven't asked you yet."

"Tell me honestly, what's been going on between you and Pei Jingnian these past few days on the island?"

Shi Qiao's smile froze abruptly. "This... what could possibly be going on?"

Jiang Youran narrowed her eyes, "Really? But you've been so quiet in our chemistry group these past few days."

"Given your past behavior, shouldn't you have been saying things like, 'Hey, help! What video should I watch for this information?' or posting instructions on your social media?"

"It must be Pei Jingnian teaching you, right?"

Shi Qiao breathed her last. How could her best friend be like Sherlock Holmes?

"Yes, they are definitely teaching me..."

Jiang Youran's eyes sparkled as she grabbed Shi Qiao's hands. "Damn! You two really didn't do anything?"

"That's a man and a woman alone in a room!"

"During teaching, the shoulder that brushed past unintentionally, and the sound of the other person's breath..."

"This is a scene that TL comics love to use in their childhood friend series! How could nothing have happened between you two?"

"If you can't do it, you should at least kiss!"

Shi Qiao coughed lightly, "Sorry to disappoint you, none of what you're imagining is true!"

"I just... fed him a strawberry or something."

In the days that followed, Pei Jingnian not only maintained an appropriate distance, but even kept his true feelings to himself.

She also found it quite strange.

However, under the pressure of chemistry, she had no time to think about anything else.

"Nothing happened?" Jiang Youran pondered, stroking her chin. "Could it be that Pei Jingnian is impotent?"

"You can tolerate a soft little cake on a plate? Were you a Ninja Turtle in your past life?"

"Could it be... that chili peppers are hanging from a big tree? There's a saying that goes, 2L and 500ml Coke caps are the same size."

Shi Qiao replied softly and weakly, "Youyou, our school does have students from all over the world, but that doesn't mean there aren't any Chinese students!"

"Could you please keep your voice down a little?" She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked towards the door.

As soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I saw a familiar figure. It was Xia Heng, holding the large bouquet of roses that Shi Qiao had requested.

Oh right, after she finished negotiating with Master Zhou that day, she confirmed the time with Xia Heng.

I've been studying so hard these past few days that I forgot.

The delicate roses, glistening with fresh water droplets, looked as if they were coated with sequins from afar, and were incredibly beautiful in the sunlight.

Standing opposite him were Pei Jingnian and Lu Zhou.

The next second, Pei Jingnian snatched the rose and threw it directly into the nearby trash can.

ha? ?