The Man in the Black Sweater - Chapter 8 .2: Offending Someone

Pei Yan, on the other hand, had never experienced such things. His life was ruled by clear goals and the methods to achieve them. He couldn’t understand Pei Heng’s heartbreak.

Their glasses clinked with a crisp sound.
Pei Yan raised his and said, “Get drunk tonight if you have to, but tomorrow you’d better pull yourself together.”

Pei Heng tilted his head back and swallowed the bitter wine.

After they emptied the bottle, the alcohol loosened Pei Heng’s tongue. Half-slouched on the sofa, eyes half-closed, he suddenly asked,
“That girlfriend of Tang Huang’s—are you sure she’s the one you had a one-night stand with?”

Pei Yan froze for a second, not expecting the topic to suddenly shift to him.

He chuckled softly, the sound faintly mocking. “I’m not her. How would I forget?”

“So what are you planning to do? Does Tang Huang know?”

“She’s already forgotten me. Only the two of us know about it. As for Tang Huang—what good would it do to tell him? It’s better if he doesn’t know.”
Pei Yan swirled his glass and added lightly, “She forgot, so let her. Makes things simpler.”

Pei Heng, half-drunk but still sharp-eared, laughed and said,
“Why do you sound a little unconvinced? She forgot you, and you’re upset about it?”

Pei Yan shot him a look. “If you’re not actually drunk, finish this bottle too.”

He grabbed another bottle of red wine from the ice bucket and set it in front of him.

Pei Heng glanced at it, then tilted his head—and passed out.

Pei Yan snorted, stood up, grabbed his coat from the side, and headed for the door.

The waiter waiting outside straightened immediately. “Mr. Pei.”

“Bring a blanket in there. Don’t let him catch a cold,” Pei Yan said, fixing his collar as he prepared to leave.

“Yes, sir. We’ll take good care of the Second Young Master.”

…..

Luo Xu stood quietly by the window, looking outside. Everything was still—no sign of movement anywhere.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, smiled, then hurried to the kitchen to tell Aunt Chen,
“Mr. Pei hasn’t come back yet. He must have another dinner engagement tonight.”

Just as she finished speaking, the faint sound of a car engine came from the courtyard—growing clearer and closer.

Aunt Chen chuckled. “See? He’s back.”

Luo Xu’s shoulders drooped. She forced a smile. “So much for being predictable…”

Pei Yan usually came home at exactly 7:15; she’d noticed it several times already.

She’d been planning to use his absence to sneak some food upstairs for Ross, fooling Uncle Cui and Aunt Chen in the process. But now that plan had just gotten a lot more complicated.

When Pei Yan entered, there was a faint trace of alcohol on him. Luo Xu’s nose was sharp—she caught it right away.

“Here, let me help you,” she said, eagerly taking his coat and hanging it up.

Pei Yan took a few steps, then turned around. She was holding his coat close, sniffing at it like a curious puppy, eyes half-closed in bliss.

His head buzzed for a second. “What are you doing?” he asked flatly.

“What kind of wine did you drink? It smells amazing.” Luo Xu took a deep breath before reluctantly hanging the coat on the rack.

Pei Yan’s lips twitched. “You want a drink?”

“If I weren’t pregnant, I could handle two bottles of whatever you had,” she said proudly.

Pei Yan replied, “So basically, you’re just bragging that you’re a walking wine barrel?”

“Do you know any barrels as pretty as me?”

He shot her a look that said he had no interest in continuing this conversation.

Aunt Chen arrived right on cue with the food, smiling. “Dinner’s ready, sir.”

“Mm.” Pei Yan responded softly and took his seat at the head of the table.

Luo Xu followed, pulling out a chair and sitting down as well.

Dinner looked wonderful—balanced, colorful, and fragrant, perfectly nutritious.

She ate about as much as Pei Yan did. When he finished and went to the living room to watch TV, she slipped back into the kitchen under the pretense of helping carry dishes.

“Aunt Chen, wait—I just want to scoop a little more rice.”

“Didn’t you eat enough?”

“Uh…”

“If you’re still hungry, why’d you leave the table? You’re not embarrassed, are you? Don’t be! You’re eating for two now—no one’s going to laugh at you.”

“Right… I just realized I wasn’t full after I stood up,” Luo Xu said quickly, following along with Aunt Chen’s logic—it sounded more convincing that way.

“Are you a little afraid of Mr. Pei?” Aunt Chen asked knowingly.

“Hehe…” Luo Xu forced a laugh.

“He’s actually a good man. You’ll see once you get to know him.”

“Really…”

“So what are you scared of, then? The company staff fear him because he could fire them—but what about you?” Aunt Chen leaned closer, her curiosity flaring.

Luo Xu swallowed hard and said with a guilty conscience,
“I just think he’s too cold. That poker face of his all the time—it’s like living with the King of Hell. So scary.”
She even added a dramatic shiver for effect.

“Oh, you poor thing. Pregnant and living under someone else’s roof…” Aunt Chen sighed, turning around to comfort her—
—but then froze when she saw the man standing in the kitchen doorway, holding a glass of water.

Luo Xu saw the look on Aunt Chen’s face and immediately knew something was wrong.
She didn’t even have to turn around to feel it—the air behind her was sharp as a thousand arrows, each one flying straight through her back and piercing her soul.

“Mr. Pei…” she said with an awkward, sheepish smile.

Pei Yan looked at her deeply, his gaze cold enough to freeze her in place—like he was staring at a corpse.

Then he turned and walked away without a word. Luo Xu didn’t even have the courage to chase after him or explain.

He had heard everything—clear as day—and it had come straight out of her own mouth.

She was eating his food, drinking his tea, living under his roof, and she’d called him the King of Hell. Even she thought she was the worst kind of ungrateful wretch.

Luo Xu smacked herself lightly on the mouth. “Ptooey…”

You big-mouthed idiot, she cursed herself inwardly.
If this were ancient times, you’d be crawling over a bed of nails for a crime like this!

She loathed herself—genuinely ashamed for having hurt the heart of such a handsome uncle.

…..

Ross was happily licking his food bowl, completely oblivious to how his “big sister” had just offended a very powerful man for his sake.
Without that man, who would feed them—or even give them a place to live?

Luo Xu lifted Ross’s hind legs to check his wound. “Once you’re all healed, I’m sending you to the shelter. You’ve caused me so much trouble.”

Ross jumped off the floor and nudged the empty bowl toward her with his paw, as if to say he was done eating.

“All you ever do is eat. Can’t you show some concern for me?” Luo Xu sat down on the carpet, resting her chin in her hand, looking gloomy.

“Woof, woof, woof…”

“Forget it—don’t make a sound. I might get caught.” She quickly held his mouth shut.

“Woo… woo…”

“The quieter you are, the longer I can keep you here. Be good, okay?” Luo Xu patted his head gently, her eyes soft.

Ross stared at her with those wet, innocent eyes, as if he understood. Gradually, he quieted down.

“Maybe it’s true that people—and dogs—who’ve been through hard times learn to read the room better,” Luo Xu said with a wry smile, rubbing his furry head to comfort him.

This time, Ross didn’t bark. He just lay at her feet, dazed and silent, lost in deep dog contemplation.

After a moment, Luo Xu stood up and said, “I’d better go apologize. That was too much.”

Ross squinted toward the closed door, then buried his head under the blanket to keep warm.