The Man in the Black Sweater - Chapter 20 — The Way to Remember Him

Ever since that night at the fashion show — when Pei Yan appeared midway and left with Luo Xu — Linru hadn’t contacted him again.

Deep down, though, she had her suspicions.
Could it be that Pei Yan liked Luo Xu?
It would explain everything — all his uncharacteristic behavior suddenly made sense through that lens.

Linru did like Pei Yan, but she’d hesitated before.
A man living under the same roof as his “nephew’s girlfriend,” seeing her every day, sharing meals — how was that normal?

But when Pei Yan called to ask her out again, all her doubts vanished like smoke.
Excitement replaced every ounce of hesitation.
Linru was delighted.
Luo Xu, on the other hand, was completely miserable.

When Pei Yan called Linru, Luo Xu was sitting beside him in the living room watching TV.
She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, pointing at the screen — not paying attention at all.
At least not until she heard what he said on the phone.

“You’re going out on a date?” she asked, tilting her head, her big eyes filled with innocent curiosity.

“Now that you’ve said it like that, I suppose she’s not bad,” Pei Yan replied casually.

Crunch! The pecan in Luo Xu’s mouth cracked so hard it nearly chipped her tooth.

“W–wait, did I say that out loud?”

“You did,” Pei Yan said, ending the call and standing up.

Luo Xu looked up at him. “But it’s only three o’clock! You’re going now?”

That meant… they’d have hours together. So lucky.

“No, I’m just going upstairs to pick out something to wear for dinner.”
He stepped past her, long legs striding easily. Luo Xu instinctively leaned back to make space for him.

At the stairs, he turned back. “If you’re bored, you can come help me choose.”

Immediately, Luo Xu snapped her head toward the TV, pretending deep concentration. She waved a hand dismissively. “No time. You pick yourself.”

As his footsteps faded, her neck slowly turned toward the second floor.

Crunch! Another pecan shell cracked between her teeth — like the bones of an enemy.

“‘Pick out clothes’… yeah, right!” she muttered, popping the nut into her mouth and chewing with all the fury of a woman scorned.

In the walk-in closet, Pei Yan held his phone and sighed, already regretting his impulsive decision.
No matter how irritated he was, dragging a third person into it was beneath him.

He rubbed at his temples.
This lapse of composure — it was all because that girl drove him crazy.

“Hey, Pei Heng, can you meet Linru for me instead?” he called his brother, hoping to dump the problem.

Pei Heng refused immediately. “Nope. I have a personal life, not a full-time job as your fire extinguisher.”

Pei Yan’s tone dropped. “You broke up with Shen Yuqing, what ‘personal life’ could you possibly have?”

“Oh, I’ve recently fallen in love with my work,” Pei Heng said, flipping TV channels lazily. “Trying to increase productivity for the company — unlike my boss, who’s addicted to romance drama.”

Pei Yan: “…”

“By the way,” Pei Heng continued, “you know we have to go to Japan next week, right?”

“Mm.”

“I’ll go with you. Have your secretary book me a ticket too.”

“Book it yourself. Secretary Choi’s busy.”
Still bitter, Pei Yan hung up.

Pei Heng stared at his phone.
He couldn’t just text his own secretary? Seriously?

There was a knock on the closet door.
“Come in,” Pei Yan said, straightening his white coat.

Luo Xu peeked in, hands behind her back. “I thought about it again — maybe I should help you pick. I mean, I’ve been eating and living here for free this long…”

Pei Yan crossed his arms. “And you plan to pay off your debt this way?”

Luo Xu bit her finger. “No, I was going to have Tang Juan repay you when he gets back.”

Pei Yan turned away, shrugging off the coat and tossing it onto the sofa.

“Not acceptable either?” she asked, following him.

“He’s not you, is he? Can he replace you?” Pei Yan said, roughly pulling a camel-colored jacket from the rack and shrugging into it.

“Well, no,” she admitted.

“Exactly.” He yanked the jacket back off and tossed it aside.

Luo Xu frowned. “Then how am I supposed to repay you? I’m broke.”

Pei Yan turned toward her, his gaze meeting hers.
Her wide, clear eyes were full of sincerity and confusion — as if she were truly trying to calculate how to pay him back, without a trace of guile.

He sighed.
What was he even doing, bullying her like this?

“Forget it. I promised Tang Juan I’d look after you anyway.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets, the light from the window glinting off his watch, scattering dust motes through the air.

Luo Xu swallowed hard.
God, he’s so handsome. Just one look at him felt like a profit.

Pei Yan noticed her gaze and unconsciously straightened his posture — not even sure why.

Luo Xu looked away, her eyes drifting over the clothes hanging neatly in his wardrobe.
After a moment, her fingers stopped on a black, collarless coat. She smiled in satisfaction and held it up to him.

“Wear this one,” she said brightly. “You look amazing in black.”

……

Linru noticed the faint smile tugging at Pei Yan’s lips and couldn’t help but ask,
“Something good happen?”

Pei Yan lifted his wine glass slightly in a toast and said,
“Thank you for dressing up so beautifully — and for coming tonight.”

“My pleasure.” Linru smiled softly, her whole face lighting up.

Pei Yan absently ran his fingers along the rim of his glass, watching her sit there, elegant and demure, a gentle smile curving her lips.
She really was delightful — poised, considerate, the kind of woman who matched him perfectly.
If not for Luo Xu’s appearance, he thought, Linru would have been ideal.

But love… love was never about who was suitable.
It was always about timing.

Meanwhile, Luo Xu was pulling at her own hair in frustration.
Why did I have to make him look so handsome before he went out?! Why?!

She could have ruined it — picked something dull and awkward — but no, she had to go and make him shine like that!
Failure! Absolute failure!

She stomped back and forth through the house, upstairs and down, leaving a trail of regret in her wake.

She’d practically polished up the man she liked and sent him out dressed to perfection — as if she were handing him over to another woman on a silver platter.
Who else in the world had ever done something so stupid?

But then again… when she pictured his tall, striking figure, his calm and graceful bearing —
like God’s most flawless creation — how could she have ruined it?
How could she bear to dim something that beautiful?

Leaning weakly against the railing, she let out a helpless little laugh.
Yes, she regretted it.
But at the same time, she was thankful.
Thankful that she’d gotten to see him like that — perfect, alive, real — every day, every second.

Forget it, she thought. As long as he’s happy, that’s enough.
With that, Luo Xu pushed herself up, brushed off her clothes, and went upstairs to sleep.

The next morning, Luo Xu got up early.
The first thing she did was run downstairs to check the shoe cabinet.

Uncle Cui had returned and watched in amusement as she rushed past him straight toward the entryway.
“What are you looking for?” he asked, smiling.

“Nothing! Just checking!” she called back.

There they were — the black leather shoes he’d worn yesterday, resting quietly on the rack.
He was home.
She let out a small sigh of relief, smiling to herself as she bounded upstairs again to wash up.

Uncle Cui watched her hurry about so energetically first thing in the morning and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“She really doesn’t act like a pregnant woman at all,” he murmured.

In the hallway, Luo Xu ran into Pei Yan and greeted him cheerfully,
“Morning! You look handsome again today!”

Then she flashed him a bright smile and slipped into her room, leaving behind one very confused man who had no idea what to make of the compliment.

“Morning, sir,” Uncle Cui greeted as Pei Yan came downstairs.

“Do you know what’s gotten into her?” Pei Yan asked, glancing back toward her closed door — even from here, he could feel her good mood radiating through it.

Uncle Cui chuckled. “Maybe it’s just youth — every day’s a good day when you’re young.”

Pei Yan smiled faintly. “That answer doesn’t sound much like her, though.”

Uncle Cui just laughed again, clasped one hand behind his back, and went off to water the flowers with his kettle.

…..

Luo Xu was wearing a long white sweater with a denim pinafore layered over it. She circled around in front of Pei Yan several times, clearly trying to get his attention.

Finally, Pei Yan lifted his gaze from the magazine and looked at her.
“What is it?”

“Didn’t you notice something different about me today?” Luo Xu clasped her hands behind her back, smiling sweetly.

Pei Yan gave her a quick once-over. “New clothes?”

Luo Xu pouted. “You bought them with me last time, remember?”

“Oh…” Pei Yan nodded thoughtfully, then added after a pause, “Well, you do look a bit fairer, I suppose.”

That was all? Luo Xu gave up instantly, pressing a finger to her lips and pointing. “New lipstick.”

“You had money to buy lipstick?”

Luo Xu stared at him like she’d just died inside. “Am I really that poor?”

Pei Yan replied calmly, “Depends on your definition of poor. If having a four-digit bank balance counts, then yes—you qualify.”

Luo Xu flopped onto the sofa in despair, completely deflated.

The doorbell rang. She dragged herself up to answer it.

Tang Yu entered, arms full of shopping bags. She glanced at Luo Xu and blurted, “Is that the ‘boy-killer’ shade?”

“Good eye.” Luo Xu gave her a big thumbs-up.

“Pfft.” Tang Yu dismissed her proudly and went straight toward her target.

“Uncle.”

Pei Yan looked up. “What brings you here?”

“I need a favor,” Tang Yu said directly, setting all her gifts neatly at her feet. She blinked up at him. “See? I came prepared for begging.”

Pei Yan nodded slightly, his eyes flicking toward Luo Xu.
The latter lowered her head guiltily — she’d been living here for so long and had never once brought a gift. Seeing this made her realize just how thick-skinned she was.

“Well?” Pei Yan asked. “Credit card frozen again?”

“No,” Tang Yu said, shaking her head. “I want to study fashion design. Can you help me talk to Grandma?”

“You want to study? Go ahead. She’s stopping you?”

“Exactly. She refuses no matter what I say.” Tang Yu sighed. “I want to carry on Mom’s legacy, but Grandma always says it was her job that made her sick. She doesn’t want me to go down the same path.”

Pei Yu — Tang Yu’s late mother — had left behind a successful fashion brand, which Pei Yan had since hired professionals to manage. The business was thriving.

“When I studied business management, that was Grandma’s decision, too. I was young back then and didn’t realize what I really wanted. But now I do — I love fashion design. I want to do what my mom did.” Tang Yu looked at Pei Yan earnestly. “Uncle, do you believe in me?”

“I do.” Pei Yan smiled gently. “Your mother said the exact same thing back then. You’re just like her.”

“Really?” Tang Yu’s face lit up with joy.

“Yes — especially this part where you’re rebelling against your grandmother.” Pei Yan chuckled.

Tang Yu pouted. “So both Mom and I needed Uncle’s help, right?”

“As I should,” he said with a soft smile — one that carried the calm elegance of a seasoned businessman.

“And Grandma?”

“I’ll handle her. You just focus on doing what you love.”

Tang Yu leapt forward and hugged him tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. “I knew coming to you was the right choice!”

Pei Yan patted her head. “Don’t let your mother down. That brand was her life’s work.”

“I’ll start from the basics. I won’t ruin her name.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting to see what you do.”

Tang Yu sniffled and nodded firmly. “Mm!”

From the side, Luo Xu raised her hand timidly. “Can I ask something? To study fashion design… do you have to learn drawing first?”

“Yes,” Tang Yu said, nodding.

Luo Xu cupped her face and asked eagerly, “Hehehe, can I learn with you then?”

“You mean design?”

“No, just the drawing part.”

“Sure!” Tang Yu agreed without hesitation.

Pei Yan turned to look at Luo Xu, a question glinting in his eyes.

Luo Xu only gave him a bright, innocent smile.

If she could draw him — capture him and carry that image with her — then maybe forgetting wouldn’t be so easy, right?