Chapter 23: Steadfastly Coming for Pu Huaiyan
Yanxin Times finished work at five-thirty in the afternoon, but Shen Jiani arrived at Oriental Rose to look for Shan Dai as early as five o’clock.
When she arrived, Shan Dai was in the middle of getting ready. Shen Jiani saw a woman with long, straight black hair cascading alongside her translucent profile. Her skin was as white as snow, and the corners of her fox-like eyes held a rosy tint. Her eyes possessed a natural, moist quality, shimmering like rippling water whenever she blinked, while her curved red lips were intoxicatingly captivating.
She had an oval, palm-sized face. Her dark hair fell gently along the smooth lines of her cheek as she tilted her head slightly, looking at her with pleasant surprise as she called out in a soft voice, “Secretary Shen~” Indeed, her voice carried a natural wave, making one’s heart melt.
Shen Jiani completely understood why Pu Huaiyan, a man known to be as pure as a saint, had his romantic feelings stirred and launched a pursuit plan for a married woman so recklessly.
Clutching her chest, her eyes sparkled as she gushed, “Fairy!! I like you so much.”
Shan Dai couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction.
Asking her to sit for a moment, Shan Dai simply needed to change into a dress and tidy up her bag before they could head out.
Shen Jiani had made a special effort to dress up today before coming over; she hadn’t done a single shred of work in the office all afternoon, spending all her time fussing over her hairstyle. She had intentionally styled her curly, wool-like hair into a princess half-updo, exposing her delicate face to look exceptionally adorable.
However, the moment she saw Shan Dai coming down with her dark hair casually draped over her shoulders—exuding a soft, feminine, and alluring charm that made it utterly impossible to take one’s eyes off that face—she fell completely silent. A true fairy looked gorgeous even without a trace of makeup, and why was she so naturally feminine?
Back when she lived abroad, she used to wear short skirts too. But whenever her older brothers saw her, they would knit their brows. As long as a skirt was shorter than the middle of her thighs, the entire group would attack her choice, saying young girls shouldn’t dress so carelessly or they’d get picked on outside, painting a picture as if everyone out in the world was waiting to bully her.
Even after returning to China, Pu Huaiyan—who never wasted words—had handed her a copy of the Employee Dress Code Manual right after a meeting scattered one day, simply because she had worn a tight leather skirt to work and attended a conference in the grand auditorium.
She had protested, threatening to file a complaint with the relevant authorities about his tyrannical terms and employee bullying. He had replied that a group of old men in the meeting were staring at her, calling her mindless and ignorant, and telling her that if she wouldn’t listen, she could go straight back to Toronto.
He always used that single sentence to threaten her—if you don’t listen, go back to Toronto.
It was an absolute nightmare for her. So, in order to lodge an accusation against him to her family, she had secretly pulled the conference room surveillance footage, only to discover that someone really had been peeping at her! It was the Deputy General Manager of the Marketing Department—a total pervert! The very next day, that man was banished to Yuanshi Group to clear new land under the pretext of unsatisfactory performance.
Anyway, all of the above reasons had prevented her mature style of dressing from ever taking off. Now, her work attire at the company consisted strictly of long sleeves and long skirts or trousers, covering up everything except her neck.
Yet today, she realized Shan Dai was also wearing long sleeves and a long skirt, exposing not a single inch of skin! And yet, she was still extraordinarily sultry and captivating!
It wasn’t until Shan Dai came over to take her hand that Shen Jiani was pulled out of her demoralized state.
Then, she realized Shan Dai’s hands were so, so soft, and so, so slender…
Pu Huaiyan was truly something else; his taste was absolutely top-tier. She just wondered if the charming Miss Shan had any interest in becoming the President’s wife at Yanxin Times.
“Miss Shan, do you know that Yanxin Times has a subsidiary in Beijing called Yuanshi Group? Aside from that, there are two other group companies, and then there’s the US headquarters in Wall Street, New York, where there are countless Yanxin Times companies—far too many to even count.”
Shan Dai looked at her with curiosity: “I… I’m not very clear on that; I only know about Yuanshi Group. You actually have so many companies? Your family is so massive and impressive.”
She giggled, “Yeah, yeah, exactly.”
Although Shan Dai didn’t know why she had suddenly brought this up, she didn’t probe further, merely feeling in her heart that the distance between herself and Pu Huaiyan was even more of a chasm.
Shen Jiani’s goal had been to entice her, unaware that to an outsider’s ears, it sounded quite intimidating instead.
…
Having grown up in North America as a Chinese American, Shen Jiani truly knew the good food and fun spots in Beijing like the back of her hand, speaking with complete confidence.
She had driven over, taking Shan Dai to a very famous hotpot restaurant for dinner. Shan Dai’s hand had recovered a little bit more today, but Shen Jiani still served her soup and scooped out food for her throughout the entire meal. She even asked the restaurant for a fork for Shan Dai to use so she wouldn’t have to strain her hand holding chopsticks.
Shan Dai was looked after so thoroughly that, in her utter comfort, she couldn’t help but recall another man who always took care of her in the exact same manner. Last night at the noodle shop, he had taught her how to roll up noodles as if he were teaching a child.
It was past seven o’clock when they finished eating, which was when night finally prepared to fall over Beijing during the height of summer. The city center became lively everywhere, so Shen Jiani took Shan Dai out shopping.
All along the way, Shan Dai pondered what gift she should purchase for Pu Huaiyan. A big boss like him was clearly someone who lacked neither material wealth nor rare treasures; finding a decent gift, or one he could actually use, was genuinely difficult.
Shen Jiani had no idea what she was planning to buy.
While the two strolled through the largest shopping mall in Beijing, Shan Dai couldn’t resist discussing it with Shen Jiani after all. “Secretary Shen, tomorrow is President Pu’s birthday, right?”
“Yeah, yeah! Did he tell you?” She put on an expression as if she had just found out.
Shan Dai nodded: “Yes. President Pu invited me to celebrate his birthday together.”
“That’s awesome!! Then I’ll get to see Miss Shan again tomorrow night!” She pretended to be exceedingly delighted. She felt that if Pu Huaiyan refused to let her make a game modeled after him, she could beg him to open an entertainment agency for her—she was ready to launch her own debut.
Shan Dai was very innocent, completely unaware of how many twists and turns were packed into the daily scripts tailored specifically for her by this pair of acting siblings.
She asked her: “Then, Secretary Shen, what gift have you prepared for President Pu?”
“I didn’t prepare anything for him; I don’t have money,” she replied with a deadpan expression.
“…” Shan Dai had never anticipated such an outcome.
Shen Jiani even explained to her, “I work for him, but do you know he doesn’t pay me a salary? I think I mentioned it to you before.”
“…”
“I’m working for free, so where would I get the money to buy a gift for a big president?” she said with disgust. “Let that capitalist starve to death for enslaving an intern.”
“…”
Shan Dai let out a bitter smile, rubbing her temples as she found herself in an even greater dilemma, without even a point of reference to consult.
As they passed by a branded boutique, a quick glance revealed exquisitely crafted men’s shirts and suits displayed against a spotless black wall. Under the cascading spotlight, every single piece looked incredibly tempting.
Shan Dai slowed her pace until her gaze landed on a Charles blue shirt, at which point her feet ground to a complete halt.
Shen Jiani followed her gaze into the store, her eyes curving slyly.
Shan Dai said, “Secretary Shen, let’s step inside to look at the clothes.”
“Sure, sure!”
The two walked in together.
A sales associate stepped forward to inquire what they were looking for. Shan Dai stood beneath that row of shirts, looking up with unblinking eyes. Charles blue was so beautiful—not as low-key and reserved as white, nor as deep and cold as black, nor as flashy and glaring as other shades of blue. It was a color that bridged the gap between gentle, noble, elegant, and composed.
Moreover, looking closely at the garment, the entire shirt was embroidered with subtle white textured patterns that couldn’t be clearly seen from a distance. While men’s shirts with large-scale embroidery existed, a design that managed to be so low-key, understated, and yet so extraordinarily elegant was very rare.
Shan Dai pointed at the shirt and asked the sales associate, “May I feel the fabric?”
“Of course.” The salesperson immediately took the shirt down and placed it on the counter for her.
Shan Dai and Shen Jiani leaned in close to inspect it together.
The pattern possessed a strong tactile texture to the touch, while the fabric was remarkably soft, light, and thin. As her fingertips brushed across it, every inch felt exceptionally comfortable—it was pleasant without feeling too thin or heavy, making it perfectly suited for summer wear.
Most importantly, it was gorgeous; this men’s shirt was simply too handsome. If he wore basic styles to work, this piece could be worn entirely during his off-hours.
Shan Dai looked at the other clothing in the store. There were quite a few suits inside, but a suit still needed to be custom-tailored to fit properly.
Besides, buying a full suit felt far too grand and overly ambiguous, whereas buying a shirt was just right.
In truth, Shan Dai felt that a married woman buying clothes for a man other than her husband was still quite out of bounds. During a normal marriage, it was certainly improper, and she would absolutely never do such a thing. However, the current circumstances were extraordinary… and aside from clothes, she genuinely couldn’t think of any gift that was both practical and showed thoughtful consideration.
If she gave something he rarely used, it felt no different from giving nothing at all.
Shan Dai checked the size tag and found it was a small. She then turned to ask Shen Jiani, “Um, Secretary Shen, do you know what size President Pu wears?”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
“…” Disaster.
Shan Dai felt a headache coming on.
The sales associate chimed in, “Do you happen to know his height and weight? I can recommend a size for you, and it generally won’t go wrong. If it doesn’t fit during a try-on, we also support size exchanges.”
Shan Dai immediately looked at Shen Jiani: “President Pu should be around 187 or 188 cm, right?”
“So precise! You really know him well, Miss Shan—he’s 188.5 cm.”
“…” Shan Dai felt awkward. “And his weight…”
“I don’t know his weight, ah.”
Shan Dai looked at the sales associate in distress, “I think he… has a very good figure.”
Shen Jiani: “…” She snickered secretly.
Shan Dai continued her description: “It’s just the kind of figure that is perfectly proportioned. At his height, he doesn’t look too thin at all, nor does he look like he carries any excess weight—he just looks extremely well-fit, a classic clothes-hanger frame. His shoulders are quite broad, and his waist seems a bit slender.”
The salesperson nodded, “Understood. I’ll fetch the appropriate size for you.”
“Alright, thank you.”
The salesperson quickly brought out a brand-new shirt, packaged it neatly, and placed it on the counter. Shan Dai pulled out a credit card and handed it over.
Shen Jiani whispered into her ear, “You didn’t ask the price, Miss Shan! This Brandon brand is insanely expensive.”
“It’s alright. Even though my company is just starting out, I can still afford to buy a piece of clothing.” She smiled to reassure her; after all, the house purchase was no longer an urgent matter anyway.
Shen Jiani suddenly felt that the two of them could be considered evenly matched.
The garment was indeed not cheap. When the receipt was handed over, Shen Jiani took a look—36,000 RMB… extremely expensive for someone like her who didn’t earn a salary.
Pu Huaiyan really had incredible luck; before things were even set in stone, and while his crush wasn’t even divorced yet, she was already gifting him a 36,000 RMB shirt. It truly made one’s eyes bleed with envy.
Having bought the gift, Shan Dai felt completely relaxed. She accompanied Shen Jiani to eat and drink, buying ice cream cake before heading to a small pub to listen to music and enjoy a few drinks, making for a thoroughly pleasant evening.
Later, it began to rain—a massive downpour that submerged the entire capital in torrential rain—so they stayed put and didn’t leave.
Shan Dai was worried Pu Huaiyan might brave the rain to rush back from Linzhou tonight, unsure if the rain was heavy over there as well.
It was around eleven-thirty at night when she received a message from Pu Huaiyan. Since she had nothing to do tomorrow during the day, Shan Dai was in no rush to head back. As for Shen Jiani, tomorrow was Saturday, so she was free; besides, even if she had to work, a fake secretary like her had nothing to fear.
The late-night atmosphere inside the pub was delightful, and both of them were somewhat immersed in it.
Pu Huaiyan asked Shan Dai: “How is your hand today? Don’t stay up late while out enjoying yourself; rest early.”
Shan Dai replied: “My hand is much better. Secretary Shen and I haven’t headed back yet, President Pu.”
“??? It’s eleven-thirty,” he sent back a shocked counter-question. “I’m already home.”
Hearing that he had arrived home safely, Shan Dai felt at ease and explained, “We are listening to music at a pub, and it’s raining heavily outside, so we weren’t in a rush to head back.”
Pu Huaiyan: “Where are you?”
Shan Dai hadn’t realized what he intended to do, directly sending the address over: “A pub called Walong Paradise, inside Qishan Hutong.”
He stopped replying, and Shan Dai went back to listening to the music.
Less than ten minutes later, she sensed a familiar figure flash before her eyes. Glancing over, she saw a tall man clad in a black shirt a short distance away, stepping around the pub servers as he wove past a front table toward them.
Before she could snap back to reality, the man was already standing right before her.
Shan Dai raised her eyes, blinking.
The man looked down, a strand of hair swaying lightly across his forehead, seemingly clinging to a few rain droplets. His pair of peach-blossom eyes—illuminated by the pub’s crisscrossing purple lights—seemed as if flower petals were fluttering within a single blink.
Shan Dai forgot to blink.
He reached out his hand: “Let’s go.”
“…” Shan Dai finally snapped back to her senses, took a deep breath, and turned her head in embarrassment to look at Shen Jiani. The girl looked at her, then looked at Pu Huaiyan, and then took off like a streak of smoke, completely abandoning her.
Shan Dai: “…”
She lifted her eyelids, feeling inexplicably timid, and asked without much confidence: “Why did President Pu come?”
“What do you think?” His facial features remained cold amidst the colorful lights.
Shan Dai: “…”
“It’s almost midnight.” The man tapped his left wrist, which bore a watch worth tens of millions. “In a pub, a young girl—you really have quite the nerve.”
“There are two of us,” Shan Dai appealed.
Pu Huaiyan coldly upheld his original judgment: “Two people mean you can fly to the heavens? Does she count as a full person? A half-grown kid who doesn’t even know her way around—you expect her to protect you?”
“…” She felt Secretary Shen knew almost every single hutong in the capital like the back of her hand, but Shan Dai couldn’t voice it out, only speaking a few seconds later: “Sorry, Secretary Shen is still young, and I brought her out too late.”
“Is my point about her? Who cares about her? Her family lives nearby within walking distance.”
“…”
He extended his hand once more, “Let’s go.”
Since Shen Jiani had already run off anyway, Shan Dai stood up. Then, she realized that whether from walking too much during shopping or sitting for too long tonight, her knees hurt a bit as she tried to rise. She instinctively placed her hand onto Pu Huaiyan’s palm, using his support to successfully stand up.
The man supported her gently, asking a couple of quiet questions before tucking her into his arm to support her as they walked out.
Pu Huaiyan felt no dissatisfaction or inclination to blame her for hurting her feet from walking and drinking while shopping.
Because he was the one who had told her yesterday that she could go out and have fun, fearing she would be bored to death. Right now, he felt nothing but heartache, which sparkled glaringly in his eyes.
The pub—infused with the scent of alcohol—was thronged with people crowding shoulder-to-shoulder. They walked cautiously for a long while before finally making it outside, where a torrential rainstorm was raging.
Qishan Hutong was not wide and didn’t allow parking, so that familiar black Bentley was not at the entrance. Pu Huaiyan had parked the car outside the hutong and walked in with an umbrella, which explained why there were rain droplets in his hair—they had been blown in by the wind.
The hutong ground was filled with water. Shan Dai was wearing three-centimeter heels, barely managing to step through without getting her feet soaked.
She stole a glance at Pu Huaiyan’s thin-soled leather shoes. With just that single glance, her foot slipped, “Ah…”
Pu Huaiyan hurriedly pulled her completely into his chest and held her tight to prevent her from falling all the way down.
Shan Dai plunged full into his embrace. Her thin summer top transmitted her skin temperature, ironing onto him. Both of their bodies stiffened, yet neither could move—a single movement would mean getting soaked in the rain.
The late-night hutong was devoid of people; deep in the alley, there was no sound of breathing except for the rain. The smell of soil mixed with vegetation intertwined with the cedar fragrance on his body, leaving Shan Dai momentarily unable to tell where she was at this exact second.
“Are you hurt?” A raspy voice brushed past Shan Dai’s ear. Her mind and body trembled softly as she murmured, “No…”
The man switched the umbrella to his other hand, carefully helping her up before using both hands to support her as they walked.
The pub was about twenty meters from the hutong entrance, but Shan Dai felt as if they had walked for a very, very long time—long enough to feel dazed.
Finally, they turned a corner and saw the familiar Bentley being mercilessly pelted in the rain.
Yet that scene was inexplicably quite beautiful—like a sense of security that made her heart inexplicably race, as if someone were waiting for you in the torrential rain of a chaotic world.
Because she had never thought that one day, the man who would always wait for her and the home that would forever belong to her would mysteriously disappear from this world.
Deep down in her bones, she was likely still unaccustomed to it.
Pu Huaiyan helped her into the front passenger seat before walking around the hood to get into the driver’s seat himself.
The car started, smoothly slicing through the waterfall-like rain. The wipers on the windshield swung frantically like they were in a battle. For the first time, Shan Dai didn’t actively initiate a conversation throughout the ride, feeling it was a bit noisy and feeling somewhat guilty.
However, the rain was truly massive; they spotted several accidents along the road, either from skidding and rear-ending or stalling out.
At a red light, Pu Huaiyan’s phone broke the tranquility that had lingered between them all evening.
He picked it up and held it to his ear, his expression changing slightly two seconds later as he turned his head to look at her.
After hanging up, she immediately asked: “Did something happen? Is it Secretary Shen?”
“No. Are you sleepy?”
Shan Dai shook her head directly, “What’s wrong?”
Pu Huaiyan: “Sui Yuan and his wife were entertaining foreign executives tonight and met with an accident on the road. They’re completely stuck now, and they aren’t familiar with the domestic environment.”
“They asked you to go over? Then hurry and go,” Shan Dai said instinctively. “Are the two of them alright?”
Pu Huaiyan shook his head.
The red light ahead turned green. Pu Huaiyan released the brake and moved his foot to the accelerator.
“Close your eyes and sleep a bit, okay? I’ll go take a look; it won’t take too long.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about me.”
The car was clearly not driving toward the Oriental Rose Hotel, having turned onto an unfamiliar road. The rain was so heavy that it was almost impossible to see how massive the tall buildings were outside. There were hardly any people on the road, and Shan Dai actually admired Pu Huaiyan’s driving skills—even in such an extreme environment, he could still drive exceedingly smoothly, with high splashes of water flying up on both sides of the road, making the car feel as if it were traveling along a beach.
Unsure how long they drove, figures finally appeared up ahead. Several cars were stopped in the middle of the road, and two people stood beside the vehicles in the rain, their umbrellas blown completely askew.
Shan Dai took a sudden look—heavens, it was actually a multi-car pileup involving at least six or seven vehicles, with the two cars right in the middle almost half-destroyed.
She took a deep breath, wondering if his friends and the executives were genuinely okay.
Pu Huaiyan parked the car a dozen meters away, unbuckling his seatbelt while telling Shan Dai: “Sleep and rest for a bit.”
With that, he took an umbrella and stepped out.
Shan Dai instantly saw the wild wind blowing his umbrella to one side, to the point where even Pu Huaiyan’s strong grip could barely keep its direction steady.
Wading through the water to the pile of cars, the man standing nearby frantically making a phone call turned his head. Shan Dai recognized him as Pu Huaiyan’s good friend, Sui Yuan.
Then what about his wife? What about Miss CiCi—could she be trapped inside the car?
Shan Dai pressed against the windshield anxiously, looking out. Because the car had stopped, the wipers were no longer moving, making her field of vision very blurry.
She reached out to press the start button and turned the wipers back on.
Finally, she could barely make out Pu Huaiyan and Sui Yuan pulling together with all their strength from opposite sides on the rear door of the twisted car in the middle. Another person—unsure if he was their driver or someone else—was working alongside Sui Yuan.
Shan Dai’s heart rate began to accelerate. So, their people were in the most severely damaged car?
A flash of lightning ripped across the night sky, turning the entire city into day. The accompanying gust of wind blew the umbrellas askew in the two men’s hands. Pu Huaiyan suddenly tossed his umbrella aside, using both hands to pull at the car door.
Shan Dai’s eyes widened.
Suddenly, she noticed a figure by the side of the road. Turning her head to look, it was CiCi, holding an umbrella and hiding under the doorway of a store. The girl was wearing a red sleeveless short dress, and she appeared to be injured, with blood trickling down her lower leg.
Shan Dai immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, retrieved an umbrella from the back seat, and opened the car door.
The wind and rain nearly knocked her slender body over. Holding onto the car door to steady herself, she trudged through the water toward the roadside with great difficulty.
Before long, CiCi spotted her, her pupils dilating as she ran toward her.
Shan Dai caught her body just as she nearly fell into the water.
“Ahhh, Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law…” She had completely forgotten that Pu Huaiyan had said Shan Dai was just his friend; seeing them arrive together at this moment, the two of them looked more like a couple in her eyes than all the marriage certificates in the world combined.
She was so grateful she was on the verge of tears.
Shan Dai embraced her half-soaked body, offering a soothing smile before leading her to their car, opening the rear door to help her inside. She then reached into the front seat for a box of tissues, heading to the back to hand them to her, “Is your injury severe?”
“Not severe, not severe! Thank you, Sister-in-law, thank you!” She wiped the blood off herself with the tissues while looking at Shan Dai outside with immense gratitude.
“Come on up quickly, Sister-in-law! The rain is too heavy, way too heavy.” She reached out to help Shan Dai up into the back seat with her.
However, Shan Dai shook her head, “You sit.”
CiCi thought she was going to the front seat, only to see the woman take her umbrella, close the car door, bypass the front door and the hood, and walk forward step-by-step under the umbrella.
CiCi was terrified, immediately opening the car door to shout ahead: “Sister-in-law, don’t go! Don’t go, you’ll get soaked, the wind is too strong!”
Shan Dai did not look back, walking straight through the water under her umbrella for a dozen meters until she reached Pu Huaiyan’s side, opening the umbrella in her hand to hold it over his head.
Pu Huaiyan was straining to pull open the deformed car door. Inside was his American executive, completely wedged immobile between the rear seats.
After a long while, rescue had not arrived, and the police had yet to reach the scene. His two executives were trapped inside unable to move, both injured, and this particular executive had a heart condition, breathing shallowly and slipping into a semi-conscious state.
That was why he was so anxious, completely failing to notice that Shan Dai had gotten out of the car and walked over.
The moment his body was no longer being painfully pelted by rain droplets, he turned his head. Instantly, his pitch-black gaze froze, before slowly shattering into pieces.
In June, the howling wind felt like a frigid December winter wind, stinging one’s face with pain. Shan Dai’s smooth, dark hair was lifted by the wind, her pink silk dress blown into ripples like a surging river surface. Water droplets gathered bit by bit on her face as she steadfastly held two umbrellas, positioning one above his head.
For a moment, Pu Huaiyan felt dazed, unable to tell whether this was a dream. Yet beneath his eyes, a light like obsidian flickered and flowed.
From Shan Dai’s perspective, she felt he was going to scold her—he was definitely going to scold her. Just like in the pub earlier, he had looked as if he wanted nothing more than to pass judgment on her and Secretary Shen. So she pursed her lips first, looking at him innocently, unknowingly displaying a wronged expression beforehand.
The torrential rain felt like unfeeling blades, making it impossible to tell if God intended to submerge the city today and destroy everyone. Yet Pu Huaiyan knew with absolute clarity that the icy coldness across his body could not withstand the sudden, surging warmth in his heart—in that single second, it felt as though he were the one with the heart condition.
“Go back,” he said raspy in a single sentence, before continuing to pull at the car door, which was already on the verge of being ripped open by him. On the other side, Sui Yuan reached through the car window to rescue the other person.
The space here was too narrow to accommodate two people exerting force, leaving Pu Huaiyan to operate here on his own.
It was far too stretched, far too difficult…
Shan Dai didn’t budge, keeping the umbrella held over his head, shifting its angle wherever the wind blew.
Two minutes later, thunder ripped through the storm curtain alongside a loud crash as the car door was completely ripped open by Pu Huaiyan.
Shan Dai held her breath as she looked at his right hand, terrified that his bone might fracture again.
Pu Huaiyan glanced back at her once more, and then, completely beyond her expectations, he said nothing at all. He climbed into the cabin, extending his long leg to kick forcefully at the front seat that was wedged tightly against the rear seat. That part was easy to resolve; with two kicks, he cleared enough space to rescue the person.
The sirens of the ambulance and fire trucks were terribly delayed. Pu Huaiyan helped his executive out from inside.
The space was too small, so the doctor’s umbrella could only cover the patient’s head. The raincoat covering the man’s body was repeatedly lifted by the wind.
Shan Dai did her best to hold her umbrella over the injured man, leaving Pu Huaiyan completely exposed to the wind and rain.
After handing the person over to the doctor, Pu Huaiyan went to the other side to help Sui Yuan and the driver. As he walked, he looked back, and Shan Dai—while holding the umbrella for the injured man—also looked back at him.
Across a distance of several meters, through the pouring rain, Pu Huaiyan could tell her expression was bad and that she was uncomfortable. She had gotten out of the car for him, not for anyone else; neither she nor he was that noble.
Once the person was finally loaded onto the ambulance, Shan Dai turned and charged straight toward Pu Huaiyan.
In that moment, it was as if the injury on her knee no longer existed.
He and his good friend had already lifted the other injured person out and placed him onto a stretcher. The remaining cars were not severely damaged, nor were they their acquaintances, so they left them alone for the firefighters to dismantle.
Pu Huaiyan turned his head, panting as he quietly watched Shan Dai, who was still holding the umbrella over him.
Her injured hand couldn’t hold the umbrella with her palm, so she hugged the umbrella handle with her arm, holding the other umbrella high over his head with her left hand.
“Get in the car, let’s go, Huaiyan. Sister-in-law, let’s go, let’s go.” Sui Yuan retrieved a document bag dropped by an executive from the car, turned to pull Pu Huaiyan’s arm, and urged them to leave.
Pu Huaiyan took an umbrella and handed it to Sui Yuan, whose own umbrella was nearly ruined.
He took the umbrella Shan Dai was hugging in her arms and pulled her into his chest.
A bolt of purple lightning wildly ripped open the night sky, turning the entire deserted avenue purple—at once brilliant and terrifying.
Terrified, Shan Dai shrank toward Pu Huaiyan’s side. He stopped in his tracks, opening his arms to hold her, completely wrapping her body within his embrace, clamping her tight.
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