Chapter 19: The Perfect Guide to Winning Back Your Wife.
After tucking her back in tightly and setting the bedside lamp to sleep mode, Pu Huaiyan stood up and walked out.
Rain was falling outside; from midnight until early morning, Beijing’s summer rain had come without warning, drizzling incessantly. The white noise kept Shan Dai asleep the entire morning. Ultimately, a ringing phone woke her.
Eyes closed, she reached out to the nightstand to grope for her phone. “Hello?”
A man’s voice came through: “Ms. Shan? Hello, I’m Zhai Feng, the Creative Director at Zhuangzhou Entertainment.”
Zhuangzhou Entertainment.
Shan Dai went silent for a few seconds before snapping her eyes open. “Hello.”
The man chuckled. “Are you free today to drop by my company to discuss a project?”
Shan Dai was just about to agree and say she was free, but the next second, she pulled her phone away to check the time—it was already noon!
So late. She hadn’t eaten yet, didn’t know how her foot was doing or if she could walk, and still needed to put on makeup and get ready…
Putting the phone back to her ear, she could only say, “I might not make it today, Director Zhai… I’m so sorry. How about tomorrow morning?”
Zhai Feng replied, “Is that so? Are you busy this afternoon, Ms. Shan?”
Shan Dai pulled back the blanket and sat up. “It’s just that my afternoon is occupied, but meeting in the evening might delay your off-work time.”
The man on the line spoke up directly: “If Ms. Shan doesn’t have plans tonight, how about I treat you to dinner, and we can chat over the meal?”
Well… “That works, too.”
After exchanging the address and time, she hung up the phone. Shan Dai sat by the edge of the bed for a while before fully waking up. As her mind gradually cleared, the memory fragments in her head grew increasingly intricate. She recalled last night… Pu Huaiyan seemed to have come over? Was it real, or just a dream?
She tilted her head to survey the room. The coffee table was completely empty, yet she remembered drinking last night. Her head was still feeling slightly dizzy, and her body still carried the faint smell of beer.
Curious, Shan Dai climbed out of bed.
Her knee still ached a bit, but it was much better than yesterday. As long as she walked slowly, her injury was barely noticeable.
Scanning the room, she noticed a glass of water sitting on the nightstand. She knew for a fact she hadn’t placed any water there.
Rustling sounds echoed near the entrance, so she walked over and opened the door.
A cleaning lady was bending over to clean up the beer bottles outside her door. Seeing her open the door, she offered a warm smile. “Do you have any more trash? Would you like your room cleaned?”
Shan Dai looked back at her spotless room and shook her head. “No, thank you.”
She closed the door, returned to sit by the bed, and constantly replayed last night’s scenes in her mind. Pu Huaiyan came over? He actually came in the middle of the night?
And then, he carried her to bed? Cleaned up the room full of beer bottles for her? Poured a glass of water? And then left.
With virtually no room left to doubt whether it was real or fake, Shan Dai could fully confirm that Pu Huaiyan liked her.
She clutched her head in utter disbelief… Even more unbelievable than Lu Zhixing’s infidelity was that a man of his background actually liked her.
Her phone vibrated.
Shen Jiani sent a midday greeting: “How are you doing today, Ms. Shan? Is your injury feeling any better? Does it still hurt a lot?”
Shan Dai replied: “It’s much better now, Secretary Shen.” Remembering she had mentioned coming over to eat with her today, Shan Dai immediately informed her about her last-minute dinner meeting with a partner, telling her not to bother coming over to keep her company.
On the other end, Shen Jiani seized the opportunity to ask: “What kind of project are you discussing, Ms. Shan? Where are you meeting? You came here to work all by yourself in an unfamiliar place; if you need anything, just ask me! Although I grew up in Toronto, I come back to China often. Whether it’s the people or the roads in Beijing, I basically know them better than you. I can help you out, so please don’t stand on ceremony.”
Shan Dai was deeply touched. “Thank you, Secretary Shen, thank you so much. I just made plans to meet with the head of a gaming company tonight to discuss a collaboration. The company is called Zhuangzhou Entertainment, which is fairly well-known in the industry. If I need anything, I’ll definitely reach out. Thank you.”
Shen Jiani: “Zhuangzhou? I’ve heard of them. But do you know if the person you’re meeting is a man or a woman?”
Shan Dai: “The Creative Director who contacted me is a man, so the person I’m meeting should be male.”
Shen Jiani: “Meeting up for dinner?”
Shan Dai: “Yes.”
A few minutes passed before Shen Jiani replied again: “Ms. Shan, I asked the head of our company’s Gaming Department. The Creative Director of this Zhuangzhou company is indeed a man, and he’s almost forty years old. Um, judging by his appearance, I’m not really reassured—I might be judging a book by its cover, but I think going to a business dinner alone is a bit dangerous.”
Shan Dai paused upon seeing this, feeling a bit conflicted. What should she do? Ziming wasn’t in Beijing, leaving her to attend the meeting all on her own.
Back in Lan City, they would usually go to business dinners together.
Shen Jiani’s message popped up: “Did you come on this business trip all by yourself, Ms. Shan? Completely unaccompanied?”
“Yes.” Next time, she couldn’t do this again due to her lack of experience.
Shen Jiani: “Then how about I find a friend to accompany you to the dinner?”
Shan Dai froze, immediately replying: “That’s too much trouble. There’s no need, Secretary Shen, I can’t trouble you like this.”
“Aiya, Ms. Shan, we’re already friends! If anything happens to you in Beijing, I’d die of regret and self-reproach. In comparison, is it easier for me to find a friend or more comfortable to live in regret? I have plenty of friends in Beijing. You should know my surname is Pu, not some Shen drawn out of a hat.”
“…”
Shen Jiani made the decision unilaterally: “Just tell me the time of the meeting, Ms. Shan, and I’ll have a friend pick you up on time. Don’t worry, I’ll find someone reliable, so there won’t be any safety risks.”
Shan Dai didn’t even know how to express her gratitude, so she simply sent over the meeting time.
Feeling relaxed and lighthearted, Shan Dai got up to wash up. Upon returning, she called for room service while finishing the glass of water on the nightstand.
Rain was still pitter-pattering outside. Shan Dai walked over to the window and opened it. A cold June breeze brushed against her face—yes, a cold breeze.
It was quite magical; after a single rainstorm, it felt as though autumn were arriving in Beijing.
The rain had already stopped; the sound came from water dripping off the window sill. The carpet near the window was slightly damp, likely because the rain was too heavy last night and seeped through the window frames.
Leaning there while waiting for her lunch, Shan Dai involuntarily thought of Pu Huaiyan again. What did he like about her? Even if she got a divorce, she was still a divorced woman. Besides, they came from worlds apart; she was born in a small town in Jiangnan, which took a several-hour drive from Lan City to reach. There were several social strata to leap across before she could ever reach his level.
In this vast imperial capital of his, under the prominent and powerful families, could there possibly be a shortage of beautiful, captivating women?
For lunch, she ordered porridge again. With no one to dish out food for her, Shan Dai still lacked confidence in her abilities.
However, picking up the spoon today felt noticeably less painful. Tonight, she would see if she could remove a layer of gauze, allowing her to eat at least a bite or two at the dinner table. Going entirely hungry wouldn’t do.
Unable to figure out Pu Huaiyan’s deal, Shan Dai stopped thinking about it and spent her afternoon working on her laptop in the hotel.
At six in the evening, she changed her clothes, put on simple makeup, and waited for the phone call. The dining location was a Cantonese restaurant in the city center, set for seven o’clock—a moderate distance away.
At 6:10 PM, a call from a Beijing number starting with 199 came through. It looked a bit familiar, but without time to think, she immediately tapped to answer. “Hello.”
“It’s me.”
Shan Dai froze on the spot, her eyes widening, her entire body paralyzed.
The magnetic male voice came through the receiver once more: “I’m Pu Huaiyan. Are you ready? I’m downstairs at the hotel.”
Shan Dai couldn’t believe her ears. “President Pu?”
“Mm?”
“How… how is it you? Why did Secretary Shen look for you?”
“She was looking for some shady friends in their teens or twenties. I was afraid they’d mess up your business.”
“…”
“Besides, I had no social engagements tonight. I originally didn’t intend to eat, but hearing I could mooch a meal, I came. Don’t mind me.”
“…” Shan Dai held her head, caught between tears and laughter.
Pu Huaiyan: “Is it feeling any better today? Should I come up to assist you?”
“No need,” Shan Dai quickly said. “No need, I can walk today. I’ll come down myself.”
“Really?” He hesitated. “If it hurts, don’t force it. Coming up is no trouble.”
“I really can, you don’t need to come up.” Shan Dai immediately picked up her bag, rushed out of the room, entered the elevator, and went downstairs.
Passing by the front desk, she casually asked the hotel staff to check her window. The weather forecast predicted more rain tonight, and she feared water might seep through again at midnight.
The sleek body of a black Bentley was elegantly displayed under the hotel portico.
Before Shan Dai even stepped out of the main entrance, while still wondering through the hotel’s revolving glass doors whether that was the car, the voice of the man came through the phone line that hadn’t been disconnected: “The black Bentley, the same one as yesterday—my car is the only one at the entrance.”
“…Okay.” She quickened her pace, pulling open the front passenger door.
She realized the door was already unlocked, merely leaning shut.
The cool air-conditioned air instantly enveloped her, sending a subtle electrical current surging through her body. She turned her head awkwardly toward the driver’s seat, her eyes clashing directly with a pair of bright peach-blossom eyes.
Today, he was wearing a milk-white shirt made of soft fabric. The reddish sunset light filtered through the windshield, casting a warm glow onto his neck, making his skin radiate a captivating sheen. His features were stunningly gorgeous, his eyes shimmering like falling meteorites.
“President Pu.” She smiled faintly. “Troubling you again.”
“Just mooching a meal.” He casually shifted the topic. “What happened to your room? I couldn’t hear clearly on the phone earlier.”
“Oh, the windowsill seems to seep water, so the carpet is a bit damp,” she explained. “Since I’m currently mobility-impaired, I’m worried about slipping again. If I were uninjured, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
He nodded. “They should handle it, or change your room. The rain was very heavy last night.”
Shan Dai immediately said, “Did you come to see me very late last night?”
“Mm.” His eyes swept lightly over her from top to bottom. She wore a snow-white silk dress with long sleeves that hugged her body down to her calves. Showing no skin at all, it perfectly outlined her shapely curve, capturing attention with every single inch while possessing a softness that seemed capable of melting someone in the next second.
Dressing like this to meet a partner—did she think she looked exceptionally gentle, elegant, and low-key? She truly was oblivious to her own charm.
Shan Dai: “Thank you for taking the trouble to come over so late. And you went back in the rain, right?”
“It’s nothing.” Retracting his not-so-pure gaze, he suppressed the heat in his heart and calmly asked back, “Did you sober up? Does your head hurt?”
“I’m sober. The partner’s call woke me at noon, and I was working in the afternoon. It doesn’t hurt.”
He turned his head to glance at the passenger seat once more, and then, while Shan Dai was still confused, his body suddenly leaned over.
She held her breath.
His chest almost touched hers as a captivating scent of cold cedar swept over her. Shan Dai liked the smell, but barely dared to breathe, her heart beating so wildly it felt as if it would leap out from under her clothes. She couldn’t fathom why he suddenly…
The man pulled a black seatbelt from the right side of her seat.
Shan Dai froze.
The seatbelt crossed diagonally in front of her as his deep voice drifted into her ears: “What’s wrong with your hand? It must still hurt, so don’t touch this seatbelt when getting out.”
He was worried she would use her right hand to pull the seatbelt and hurt herself.
Shan Dai let out a gentle breath and said with gratitude, “It’s much better today, I should barely be able to hold chopsticks.”
Pu Huaiyan: “Are you still feeling sad?”
“Mm?”
He clicked the seatbelt buckle into place and sat back up without driving right away. “Do you remember what I told you last night about Lu Zhixing coming to Beijing on a business trip?”
Shan Dai nodded. “I remember a little.” She offered a faint smile. “It’s okay, I’m not sad. I was just surprised at first, but I’m over it now. Still, thank you, President Pu, for telling me time and time again. Otherwise, I might have been kept in the dark my entire life.”
“It’s good that you’re not sad. What about the rest? Do you remember?”
“What rest?” Her eyes were extraordinarily pure as she blinked at him.
Pu Huaiyan felt both relieved and helpless, the corners of his lips curving upward as he shook his head. “Nothing. One moment telling me to go back to work in the middle of the night, the next asking who I am—you’re quite amusing when drunk.”
“…” Blushing, she lowered her head.
In the corner of Pu Huaiyan’s eye, even a scene gathering a thousand sunsets couldn’t compare to this moment.
Before the car started, Shan Dai snapped back to reality. Looking up, she noticed the person beside her seemed to be watching her. Only then did she remember the crucial detail—the fact that he liked her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quietly changed the subject: “Aren’t we leaving yet? Will there be traffic? I’m worried about being late.”
The man started the car. “There’s an accident up ahead. No rush, I’ve calculated the time, we won’t be late.”
“Oh, okay, thank you, President Pu.”
“Quiet.”
“…” She puffed out her cheeks surreptitiously, while Pu Huaiyan smiled openly.
The car departed from the hotel portico, sliding in the blink of an eye into Beijing’s twilight traffic. Trapped in occasional standstills, the enclosed cabin felt so quiet that everything seemed amplified, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Shan Dai thought it over and decided against staying silent, finding a topic to chat about instead: “When I called earlier, you mentioned you didn’t plan on eating dinner tonight. Why is that? Did you eat at noon?”
Pu Huaiyan: “I did, so I wasn’t hungry.”
Shan Dai pondered for a moment and said softly, “Your stomach condition feels like something you subjectively starve yourself into, not because you forget. You simply don’t like eating.”
He smiled. Being understood brought a sense of intimacy akin to lovers, especially coming from the girl he liked. “Yes, my appetite is low, and I don’t enjoy eating.”
“That’s not good, it’s already turned into an illness.”
Her gentle tone sounded like a refreshing breeze amidst the bustling evening rush hour. Pu Huaiyan involuntarily glanced toward her.
Tilting her head, the girl suggested, “You could eat with your colleagues at noon and discuss work while eating. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?”
The man smiled without saying a word.
Shan Dai raised her delicate eyebrows: “What’s wrong?”
Her soft tone tugged at his heartstrings. Pu Huaiyan gripped the steering wheel tightly, suppressing the restlessness in his heart. “Except for the boss, who would willingly sacrifice their break time every day to talk about work during meals? My company is very humane.”
“…” Shan Dai chuckled, holding her head. “I forgot for a second, sorry.”
“Because you’re a boss, too.”
“…”
They looked at each other and smiled.
After laughing, Shan Dai said helplessly, “But if this continues, you’ll never want to eat. How about having Secretary Shen keep you company? You’re family, she shouldn’t mind.”
Pu Huaiyan took a deep breath. “She doesn’t mind, but I do. My stomach condition won’t kill me, but staying with her for a few extra minutes shortens my lifespan.”
“…” Shan Dai laughed again. “Then what should be done? It’s really going to get worse and worse.”
“What time does Ms. Shan usually eat lunch?”
“Me? On weekdays, around twelve o’clock,” she said, feeling slightly self-conscious. “Our company is small with a lot of tasks, so we start work at nine in the morning and take our lunch break at twelve.”
“And you eat right after your break starts?”
“Mm.”
“Do you eat alone?”
“If I’m not going out, I eat alone. If I go out, I eat with friends or colleagues.”
“Do you go out often?”
“Not really. At noon, I usually think about work while eating, so I don’t go out often.”
“In the future, when you eat lunch, let me know and call me to eat together.”
Shan Dai blinked, turning to look at the driver’s seat in confusion. “Huh?”
Pu Huaiyan: “What’s wrong?”
“Call you to eat together?”
“Mm. When you eat, Ms. Shan, send me a message saying you’re about to eat and call me to eat as well. Otherwise, I won’t have the desire to eat with no one keeping me company.”
“…”
A sudden wave of heat surged through Shan Dai’s body, an electrical sensation tingling through her limbs. A signal that felt slightly off. “I… call President Pu to eat together every single noon…”
“If it’s inconvenient, forget it. Skipping a meal is no big deal anyway. When my stomach feels uncomfortable around three or four in the afternoon, I can just take some stomach medicine or drink a cup of coffee.”
What an absurd statement. Shan Dai said subconsciously, “Don’t do that. You drink coffee in the morning, and drink it again when your stomach hurts in the afternoon—continuing like this means ending up in the hospital sooner or later, President Pu.”
“It can’t be helped,” he said, seemingly unbothered. “I’m used to it, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
Shan Dai couldn’t agree with that, saying disapprovingly, “Then… then I’ll just send President Pu a message whenever I eat. Still, it’s just a message—it’s not like someone is keeping you company in person. Will President Pu actually go eat? How is that any different from an alarm clock?”
“It will be different. I’ll think that Ms. Shan is eating with me, so I won’t feel as lonely or lose my appetite,” he explained. “Actually, my constant delay in eating might be psychological. Back when I was studying, because of the significant time differences across US states, I often had to use my lunchtime to contact people in other states for work. With studies and work piling up, my meal times were always different from other students. Over time, I lost the desire to eat at the cafeteria after mealtimes passed, as there wasn’t much good food left.”
So that was why. Shan Dai unwittingly knitted her brows.
Pu Huaiyan: “I have a good friend—the man we ran into at the Duo-Jia Hospital parking lot yesterday. He’s been my friend since childhood, as well as my Yale alumnus and roommate. He often delayed his time to eat lunch with me, going outside campus to buy takeout and bring it back. On occasion when he wasn’t around, I simply skipped meals and got through with a cup of coffee. Now my environment is very similar to back then, but we’ve both graduated. He works in North America with a twelve-hour time difference, making it impossible to even eat remotely with me. So I subconsciously feel that after mealtimes pass, there’s nothing good to eat in the cafeteria—even though the hotel delivers meals to me now, and food is available at any hour.”
Shan Dai turned her head to look at him, whispering softly, “It’s psychological, but it’s also a scar—a scar from the pain of that period. Because the environment hasn’t changed, it has never healed.”
“Yes, pretty much.” He smiled faintly. “Anyway, Ms. Shan, just eat your own lunch without bothering with me. Treat what I said just now as a joke.”
Shan Dai immediately shook her head, saying with slight urgency, “It’s not a joke. I… I’ll send you a message at noon.”
“Mm? Thank you, then. With you around, I won’t go hungry in the future.”
“…” Shan Dai lowered her head, her mind gradually clearing up from its dazed state.
What had she just agreed to? Was this man doing this on purpose—deliberately seeking her sympathy so she would agree to his request?
Because she felt a man of Pu Huaiyan’s caliber wouldn’t casually talk about his past with others, especially his student days.
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