Near the end of the year, Pei Yi worked overtime for several days straight. He ate at home much less, surviving on takeout with his office colleagues.
“Engineer Pei, have you ordered? Want me to order for you?”
A colleague stretched and took out his phone, scrolling through the delivery app, torn between spicy hot pot and light meals. Pei Yi didn’t even look up, sitting at his desk, his work not finished.
“I’m not eating. My wife is bringing me food later.”
The colleague teased: “It’s good to have a wife. When will someone bring me a loving lunch?”
Pei Yi smiled. Only after the detailed drawing was almost complete did he talk to his colleague. As they spoke, the phone on the desk rang. After returning to China, Pei Yi and friends opened this independent design studio. He had won several global design awards abroad. His clients were rich and noble, with high demands. The studio was in a villa area within Beicheng’s ring road. The first floor was public, for receiving clients with appointments and visitors. The call Pei Yi received was from the front desk.
“Engineer Pei, a lady wants to see you. No appointment.”
Pei Yi glanced at the clock. It was lunchtime. He subconsciously thought it was Hua Zhao bringing him food and said to the front desk, “Let her up.”
The front desk hung up and smiled at the woman before her. “You can go up.”
The woman nodded and walked to the elevator in her high heels. Few people came to the studio at noon. It was break time. Those who came down to get takeout didn’t want to go up, sitting in the first-floor lounge area to eat. The visiting woman was good-looking and was looking for Engineer Pei. Everyone exchanged looks, catching a whiff of gossip.
The front desk swiped the card for the woman, letting her on the elevator. She was a very pretty woman, her dress and accessories showing her wealth.
The front desk first noticed the luxury bag the woman carried. Her jewelry and high heels all had big brand logos. Her coat and shawl were big brand classics. She wore a skirt in such cold weather.
The front desk watched the elevator go up and turned to her colleague. “They say rich people don’t dress for the weather. Now I believe it.”
Another girl sighed: “The car parked at the door is over a million. Tsk, there are so many rich people in the world. Why can’t I be one?”
The two spoke in low voices. A boy with a bowl came over. “Who’s that?”
“Don’t know. Said she’s here for Engineer Pei. Maybe a friend.”
At lunch, gossip was lacking. Everyone held their bowls, standing at the front desk chatting. But they hadn’t chatted long, hadn’t taken two bites, when they heard an argument from the second floor. It sounded intense. Although Pei Yi was the boss, he had a good temper, smiling at everyone. Except for work, no one had seen him angry. A group of people rushed to the second floor.
Pei Yi hadn’t expected Fang Qin to dare come find him. He immediately stood up from his workstation, his voice low. “What are you doing here?”
The woman at the door was so polite it was flawless. She even hypocritically called him “Xiao Yi.”
Yi my ass.
“Don’t call me that. It’s disgusting. If you have something to say, say it.”
Fang Qin carried her bag, elegant. Clearly a selfish, snake-hearted person. But she showed the world a completely different face. Pei Yi’s attitude was expected. Fang Qin smiled, pushed open the glass door, walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat in front of Pei Yi.
“Actually, you don’t need to be so hostile. I didn’t do anything, did I?”
Pei Yi took a deep breath, almost grinding his teeth. “Didn’t do anything?”
He pressed: “You didn’t send Qiqi to the full-time kindergarten? Fang Qin, no one’s here. What are you pretending for?”
Fang Qin put the bag on her lap and looked up slightly at Pei Yi. Flaws on the face could be covered with makeup, but the red blood vessels in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Pei Yi sneered. “If you have to fart, do it quickly.”
Fang Qin was still smiling. Pei Yi didn’t know how her skin could be so thick, daring to come find him after all that happened.
“After your brother’s accident, I worked myself to the bone for his affairs, couldn’t even sleep.
I was too busy then, really couldn’t take care of Qiqi. I didn’t know the kindergarten teachers were so bad.”
Pei Yi reached out and interrupted her. “What exactly do you want?”
Fang Qin wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes, sobbing twice. “I miss Qiqi too much. I want to see him.”
“In your dreams!”
Pei Yi stood abruptly, sneering. “You say you miss him now. Where were you before?”
Pei Yi didn’t know how to deal with a crying woman. He wished he could beat her up, but he couldn’t. Fang Qin lowered her eyes, whimpering there. She said she was also sad about Pei Ye’s car accident, and how much she missed and felt guilty about Qiqi.
“…If you hadn’t hidden Qiqi, I would have taken him with me long ago. Why, why did you take my son?”
Pei Yi’s head buzzed. Looking up, the door was already crowded. Truly humiliating, Pei Yi thought. In the standoff, someone came through the crowd.
“Pei Yi.”
Hua Zhao, one hand holding Qiqi, the other holding a thermos, immediately saw Fang Qin’s back, her shoulders shaking. She squinted, turned, and smiled, taking the cowhide paper bag from Qiqi’s hand and handing it to the front desk girl.
“These are the cookies Qiqi and I made. Everyone, share it.”
Pei Yi hadn’t publicized his relationship with Hua Zhao and Qiqi at the studio, but those close to him had met Hua Zhao. The moment Hua Zhao and Qiqi appeared, everyone’s attention shifted. They shared the cookies and praised them.
After praising them, the front desk girl shyly took out her phone and asked Hua Zhao, “Teacher Hua, I really like you and Qiqi. Can I take a photo with you?”
The scene became a fan meeting. As for the woman inside, fake crying, howling without tears, she was forgotten in the corner.
Everyone who got signatures and photos was satisfied. The front desk girl thought Hua Zhao was very nice and asked curiously: “Teacher Hua, who’s that woman? Why did she cry as soon as she came in?”
Hua Zhao put Qiqi on her lap, beckoned the girl, and whispered in her ear: “That’s Qiqi’s biological mother. After Qiqi’s dad died, she married a rich man. Haven’t seen him for over a year, right? Is that a mom, Qiqi?”
Hua Zhao lowered her head and asked the child.
Pei Qiqi leaned in his aunt’s arms and shook his head. “She’s not my mom.”
She was Cen Yuankai’s mom now.
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gingerbread On PCA Chapter 222