The Man in the Black Sweater - Chapter 8 .1: Offending Someone

By the time Uncle Cui came back into the yard after grabbing his gloves, the sight before him nearly made him faint. The ground was covered in fallen leaves, and the holly bush he had carefully tended all season was now bald—an ugly kind of bald, too.

“I’m so sorry…” Luo Xu hung her head guiltily, setting down the pruning shears and backing away.

Uncle Cui sighed. “If you didn’t know how to trim the branches, you could’ve just told Mr. Pei.”

Luo Xu scratched her head awkwardly. “If I’d told him that, he wouldn’t have given me this job at all—and then I wouldn’t have gotten paid…”

Uncle Cui squatted down to pick up the fallen leaves and said, “Since he offered you the job, it means he wanted to help you. Don’t worry.”

“He doesn’t really seem like the helpful type,” Luo Xu said honestly.

Uncle Cui chuckled, lifting his head to look at her. “You’re still too young—you don’t see people clearly yet.”

“Maybe you’re right…” Luo Xu gave an embarrassed smile and obediently crouched down to help him clean up the mess. “I’m a little clumsy, but I’m willing to learn. If you teach me, I’ll call you my teacher and make sure I can share your workload.”

Uncle Cui laughed. “I’m no teacher, but I’ll do my best to keep you from getting caught.”

Luo Xu nodded enthusiastically—that was the main thing! As expected of someone who’d worked under Pei Yan for years—his sharp perception hit right where it mattered.

“Gardening isn’t too deep or too shallow,” Uncle Cui said as he stood up, smiling. “Like school—you start with the basics. We’ll begin with books.”

Luo Xu nodded earnestly, showing her best “eager-to-learn” attitude.

Lin Ru had gone on several dates with Pei Yan by now, and the more she met him, the more intrigued she became. If at first she’d agreed to see him only because of family arrangements, every date after that had been something she wanted—something she looked forward to with genuine delight.

But Pei Yan was hard to read. He was like steel—strong and impenetrable—and at the same time like a cloud—distant and elusive. Every time she saw him, he felt new again, as though she could never grow tired of him.

Since she couldn’t figure him out, Lin Ru decided to start with his surroundings. That’s why she showed up at his family estate, carrying gifts, to visit his grandmother.

“Oh my, I’ve seen you before when you were a little girl—chubby and so adorable,” the old lady said, holding Lin Ru’s hand with a warm smile. “You’ve grown into such a capable and beautiful young woman! I hear you’re already handling major projects on your own at the company?”

“Please, praise me all you like, ma’am. I’ve got thick skin—I can take it,” Lin Ru replied with a playful tilt of her head, charming and modest all at once.

“Haha, now you’ve stumped me. If I’ve already praised everything, what else is there left to say?” The old lady chuckled and tapped Lin Ru’s nose fondly.

Lin Ru laughed too, their rapport easy and natural.

The housekeeper came in with some refreshments, smiling. “When Madam heard Miss Lin was visiting, she specifically asked for plum blossom cakes to be made. The petals were freshly picked—just smell how fragrant they are.”

“You treat me so well—it feels just like being with my own mother. When I first came back to China, she was the same—cooking this, making that, as if I’d been starving abroad,” Lin Ru said, laughing lightly. Her tone was affectionate but not overly flattering—natural and warm.

The old lady’s heart softened instantly. The more she looked at Lin Ru, the more she liked her—especially compared to that Luo Xu from before. Lin Ru was practically flawless.

“So, you came here just to see me today? Nothing else on your agenda?” the old lady asked with a smile.

“To see you, of course! What else could I possibly be here for?”

“Then I’ll only ask once, and never again,” the old lady said teasingly.

“Ma’am…” Lin Ru laughed helplessly. “You’re teasing me again.”

“What’s wrong? Things not going well between you and Pei Yan?”

Hearing the key question, Lin Ru straightened up and answered quickly, “He’s great—it’s probably me who’s not good enough…”

“He gave you attitude?”

“No, no! Brother Pei treats me very well. I really… like him.” Lin Ru hurried to deny it, then lowered her head shyly, a faint smile playing on her lips, as though laughing at her own lack of restraint.

Who didn’t like seeing their son admired? To the old lady, Pei Yan was her proudest achievement, the masterpiece of her life. Seeing Lin Ru, so obviously smitten like a young girl in love, made her delighted beyond measure.

“He’s a dull man, I’m afraid. It must be hard for you to date someone like him.” The old lady smiled modestly, as elders do, giving Lin Ru an easy way to respond.

Lin Ru, however, couldn’t hide her growing anxiety. She asked the old lady worriedly,
“Did Brother Pei once have someone he liked?” Because whenever he looked at her, his eyes always seemed… distant.

“It’s normal for a man to have had some experiences,” the old lady said earnestly. “Your mother and I wanted to match you and Pei Yan precisely because we trust each other’s families. We would never let you suffer. Pei Yan has always been a disciplined child, never rebellious—always steady and dependable. You can rest assured, there’s no one in his heart.”

“You’re that sure?” Lin Ru asked softly.

“Of course. I know my son. If he truly liked someone, he wouldn’t be acting the way he is now.” The old lady smiled knowingly.

The more self-controlled and composed a person is, the crazier they become once they fall in love. Pei Yan’s personality was just like his father’s—if he ever truly liked a woman, could he possibly sit still and act so calm?

Lin Ru felt as if she’d swallowed a calming pill. As long as there wasn’t some unforgettable “red mole” or “bright moonlight” in his heart—some lingering love from the past—she was at ease. She had no intention of being a third party or a heartless woman who broke up others. She disdained that kind of person.

Meanwhile, Pei Yan was drinking with Pei Heng.

Pei Heng had recently broken up with Shen Yuqing and was heartbroken, so he’d asked Pei Yan out for a drink—to “clear his head.” Somehow that “clearing” had led them all the way to a winery.

Under the dim lights, crystal wine glasses shimmered faintly. If it had been a man and a woman, the atmosphere could’ve easily ignited into something passionate—but it was two brothers, and one of them had just been dumped.

On the large brown sofa, the brothers sat facing each other, each with a glass of red wine freshly uncorked.

“Shen Yuqing really disappointed me,” Pei Heng sighed.

Pei Yan wasn’t surprised. The Shen family had always been status-driven—it ran in their bl00d. They weren’t the type to fight against power, and perhaps Shen Yuqing had never intended to.

Pei Heng was an illegitimate child, not registered under the Pei family’s household, so to them he wasn’t truly “one of their own.” They saw no potential in him and had urged Shen Yuqing to end the relationship early.
What they didn’t know was that Pei Yan had entrusted Pei Heng with managing the most critical part of the Pei Corporation’s capital chain—essentially giving him control of its lifeline.

Pei Heng genuinely liked Shen Yuqing. She was tall, beautiful, and intelligent—well-read, with refined tastes in art and music, and a gifted pianist. She had that soft, literary charm that made her irresistible.
But even such a woman—who usually had no interest in jewelry or luxury—had still left him for cold, practical reasons. That hurt.