After the Breakup, the Possessive Heiress Regretted It - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: What’s Lost is Lost. 1.1

“Pei Jinyue, I’m asking you again.” Pei Yan sat upright on the living room sofa, her expression stern, her voice cold. “Where did your sister go?”

Pei Jinyue sat opposite Pei Yan, her expression unchanged. In such a tense atmosphere, she calmly took a sip of tea. From her demeanor, it seemed she had no intention of answering Pei Yan.

“Tell me, what are you two hiding from me?” Pei Yan slammed the table, abruptly stood up, and looked down at Pei Jinyue.

Pei Jinyue sneered, “How would I know?”

“The driver had already parked the car at the door, so why did Pei Siche just go upstairs and then disappear?” Pei Yan asked, her face filled with anger.

Pei Jinyue played with her cup, seemingly indifferent, and replied, “Then go ask Aunt Zhao, why ask me?”

“Do you think I haven’t asked her?” Pei Yan scoffed, “I don’t know what you said to her, but I pressed her for a long time before she said it was you who opened the back door for Pei Siche.”

Pei Jinyue wasn’t too surprised, as if she had already expected it. She nodded and said, “It seems you gave her better conditions and a significant raise, right?”

“Don’t change the subject!” Pei Yan completely lost patience and quickly walked to Pei Jinyue. “You should know she was supposed to discuss the marriage alliance with me today, so why did you let her go?”

“Listen to your words, what a ‘let her go’,” Pei Jinyue stood up without showing weakness, meeting Pei Yan’s gaze without flinching. “So, according to your words, Pei Siche and I are your pets, or tools?”

Pei Yan was so angry that her body trembled. She raised her hand, pointed at Pei Jinyue, but couldn’t utter a word. Finally, she lowered her hand and cursed, “Sophistry.”

Pei Jinyue snorted, then feeling tired standing, sat back down.

Pei Yan also sat back on the sofa, took a sip of tea to calm herself. Seeing Pei Jinyue’s demeanor, she decided not to try and get anything more from her. “You can be stubborn, but I’ve already sent people to look for Pei Siche. When she comes back, I’ll ask her myself.”

“If I were her, I might never come back,” Pei Jinyue leaned back against the sofa, idly tapping the table with her fingertips, sweeping her gaze around the house. She tutted twice and continued, “What’s the point of coming back to this home?”

Pei Yan wasn’t intimidated by Pei Jinyue’s words; instead, she followed up on them, “It’s a pity you’re not your sister.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Jinyue’s fingers paused, and she was speechless for a moment.

Pei Yan noticed Pei Jinyue’s small movements and changes in expression and smiled with satisfaction. “I believe Siche, no matter what she’s doing, she will come back.”

Pei Jinyue resumed tapping the table, but her state of mind was somewhat different from before.

To be honest, even though she had told Pei Siche many times not to come back before she left, at least not today, and to leave the rest to her, a wave of worry still arose when she thought of Pei Siche’s unpromising nature.

“Tap-tap.”

The sound of the second hand sweeping across the clock merged with Pei Jinyue’s tapping on the table.

Perfect, if she just waited patiently until after midnight, perhaps the outcome of many things would change significantly.

However, life always has unpredictable events.

For instance, the sudden ringing of a phone.

Pei Jinyue’s eyes widened in shock, her hand suspended in mid-air, hesitating to fall.

It was clear to both her and Pei Yan that it was Pei Siche’s home phone ringing.

People like them usually have separate work and personal phones, and private numbers are generally only known by close acquaintances.

So, a call at this time…

Pei Jinyue abruptly stood up, wanting to grab the phone, but being an “old fox,” Pei Yan was a step faster.

Pei Yan lowered her head and looked at the phone, saying, “It’s an unsaved number.”

Pei Jinyue didn’t move forward; perhaps it wasn’t what she thought.

Besides, trying to snatch it would only make her seem more guilty.

But she had underestimated Pei Yan.

As a businesswoman, she would naturally not miss any opportunity.

Just like now, Pei Yan, who knew Pei Siche’s phone password, looked at the number and smiled, “Should I call back? What if it’s someone important? I can’t miss it.”

Pei Jinyue said nothing, just stared at Pei Yan’s every move, silently hoping that the person on the other end of the line was not the one who should appear today.

Another call came in.

One after another.

Pei Yan’s smile grew wider.

Pei Jinyue’s heart slowly sank. It seemed her guess was very likely true—it was Lu Yu calling.

Not long after, the phone rang again.

Pei Yan held the phone up but didn’t answer it.

When the phone stopped ringing automatically, she slowly raised her head and asked Pei Jinyue in a gentle voice, “Either I call back and ask the person on the other end, or you tell me.”

“Maybe it’s just a telemarketing call,” Pei Jinyue bit her lower lip. Since the situation was already out of her control, she simply started talking nonsense. “It’s very likely that the person on the other end is trying to get your child to sign up for tutoring classes, or trying to sell you a house.”

Pei Yan hadn’t expected Pei Jinyue to say that. She frowned and asked, “Where did you hear all this nonsense?”

Pei Jinyue was stunned. She hadn’t actually thought about how she would say that, but for some reason, in her panic just now, her mind was filled with everything Ji Wanmian had complained about to her.

Although Pei Yan initially knew that Pei Siche would return, she wasn’t sure if she would make it back tonight. But now, holding the phone, she felt more confident; perhaps Pei Siche was already on her way back.

So, she wasn’t as anxious as before and was even interested in chatting with Pei Jinyue. She asked, “Is it that little girl surnamed Ji?”

Pei Jinyue’s thoughts were seen through. She blinked and gave no response.

But Pei Yan didn’t need any answer from Pei Jinyue. Just by looking at her daughter’s change in expression, she already knew what was on her mind. She glanced at the time and asked, “I heard Qi Wanwan say you were flying to Sucheng tonight, why aren’t you going when it’s already time?”

Pei Jinyue rubbed her palm with her fingertips, pretending to be nonchalant. “I’m a bit tired today, too lazy to go.”

“A bit tired?” Pei Yan raised her hand to cover her mouth and chuckled softly. “How come I remember you went out today, towards the main urban area? Let me think, you were even wearing a wig. I wonder what you were doing.”

Suddenly, Pei Jinyue squeezed the flesh of her palm and said coldly, “Why do you know so much about my whereabouts?”

Pei Yan was still smiling, her tone light: “It’s just a mother caring about her daughter, why so nervous? Besides, maybe you just went to a bar, I don’t interfere with your private life.”

What a high-sounding remark.

Pei Jinyue gritted her teeth, too angry to speak.

“However, my dear little daughter, don’t forget what you promised Mom.” Pei Yan’s smile vanished, and the closeness and warmth in her eyes disappeared instantly.

Pei Jinyue almost spat out the word through clenched teeth: “Fine.”

“Then let’s continue drinking tea,” Pei Yan took a step and sat back on the sofa, watching the clock hands slowly move. “I’ll wait another half an hour for Pei Siche. This is my maximum patience. If she doesn’t come back, I’ll have to call and ask myself.”

Pei Jinyue looked at the clock, then lowered her head and looked outside the door.

She no longer had to worry about whether Pei Siche would return, because for whatever reason, Pei Siche would definitely return.

It was just a matter of time.

It was truly interesting that one day she would actually help Pei Siche.

She had hated her for so many years, and should have long forgotten about family ties, but when she learned that Pei Siche had given up her love for her sake, a moment of pity arose.

Actually, Pei Jinyue was also a little incredulous.

If things had gone normally, she would have boarded that flight to Sucheng today and met the person she had longed for so many years in her best form.

But she had stayed here because of Pei Siche.

An ill-closed window let in a gust of wind, making Pei Jinyue clear her head a little.

This time she stayed, not for Pei Siche.

It was for that unanswered call.

After finding out her number had been blacklisted, she got a new SIM card, wanting to call with the new number.

Both times, no one answered.

The third time she called, she was blacklisted again.

She didn’t know why she was so persistent about calling that person.

But if she didn’t, a strange emotion would arise within her.

Forget it.

Stop thinking about it.

It’s time to move on.

Pei Jinyue lowered her eyes. Now that she thought about it, perhaps it would have been better not to help Pei Siche.

No one knew if this time it was helping her or harming her.

“Tick-tock.”

Time flowed away with each sound.

In a blink of an eye, only five minutes remained until the time Pei Yan had set.

Pei Jinyue glanced at Pei Yan out of the corner of her eye.

It seemed she was ready to call at any moment.

Since it was already decided, Pei Jinyue could only hope that Lu Yu had also blacklisted Pei Siche’s number.

One minute left.

There was still no movement outside the door. It seemed Pei Siche wouldn’t be coming back.

Pei Yan shook her head and said, “Then I’ll just have to call.”

She unlocked her phone, found the incoming call, raised her hand, and slowly brought it down.

“Don’t—”

Pei Siche’s voice rang out from outside the door, distant, her voice hoarse but extremely loud.

As if she had made up her mind.

“See, your sister won’t do foolish things like you,” Pei Yan smiled, put down her phone, stood up, and as she walked out, she didn’t forget to say a few words to Pei Jinyue.

Pei Jinyue was speechless and slowly walked behind the two, her arms crossed, watching everything unfold.

“You’re back.” Pei Yan chuckled. When she reached Pei Siche, she didn’t directly question her, but spoke gently, “Look at you, all sweaty, why are you in such a hurry? Go back and get a tissue to wipe yourself.”

Pei Siche acknowledged, took off her baseball cap, put on her glasses, and went back to the living room to get a tissue to wipe her sweat.

But Pei Jinyue had already handed her one.

Pei Siche took it and thanked her. When she looked up at Pei Jinyue, she had expected to receive a look of disdain, but not only was there none, the person opposite even showed her some… concern?

That’s good.

She didn’t beg her sister to completely forgive her, but if their relationship could improve a little because of this, it wouldn’t be a loss.

Pei Jinyue opened her mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally only managed to say one word: “You…”

Pei Siche pushed up her glasses, her demeanor instantly returning to its former self, as if the woman who had just been crying and begging Pei Jinyue for help wasn’t her.

She turned her head, looked at Pei Yan, and lowered her head, saying, “Mom, can I have my phone?”

Pei Yan just smiled and didn’t hand over the phone, saying, “Your current clothes don’t have pockets, do they? I’ll give it back to you after you change.”

Pei Siche understood the hidden meaning. After a long silence, she replied, “Okay.”

Then, she took a step and walked upstairs.

“Pei Siche.”

Pei Jinyue called out, but the person in front of her didn’t turn back.

How disappointing.

Pei Jinyue cursed in her heart.

While Pei Siche was changing, Pei Jinyue sat back on the sofa, feeling frustrated, her gaze unintentionally falling on Pei Yan’s hand.

Pei Yan tapped Pei Siche’s phone, then held it to her ear.