Chapter 35: Confession
Shan Dai smiled at him, her smile remarkably bright and direct for the very first time. “Then I’m going up.”
He nodded. “See you later.”
“Mm. You drive off first.”
Obediently, Pu Huaiyan started the car and drove out from the porch of her office building.
The black Land Rover sped away under the scorching sun, merging into the traffic on the long street, still exceptionally eye-catching.
Did he change his car on purpose? The one he drove back from Jincheng during the day was a Bentley. Ah, President Pu really spared no effort.
Shan Dai stood there until the car disappeared at the base of the towering skyscrapers lining the CBD, before slowly and reluctantly making her way into the building.
She went straight to Ziming’s office, tossed down a divorce certificate, and explained, “Pu Huaiyan picked me up just now, so I didn’t have time to send you a message.”
“Oh my goodness!” Ziming clutched the fresh divorce certificate, staring fixedly at her. “He went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to pick you up?”
“He said he was passing by, but I don’t believe it.” Shan Dai leaned against her desk, facing her with a smile. “Do you believe it?”
“President Pu doesn’t even bother coming up with a plausible excuse anymore. I bet he’s going to confess to you within the next couple of days,” Ziming said with absolute certainty.
Shan Dai said, “We made plans to have dinner tonight. I don’t know what he has planned. I feel like maybe…”
Ziming gasped, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes. “Will you say yes?”
“I don’t know.”
Ziming understood her line of thought. Having just received a divorce certificate, facing a man so perfect he defied description didn’t bring excitement, but a subconscious timid hesitation. Besides, as Shan Dai had mentioned, the Yanxin Family was a hidden titan in North America—genuine royalty. By comparison, she simply didn’t match his background. Crossing social strata was far too difficult, and what if his family didn’t approve?
If that happened, she would end up hurt by love all over again.
“Let’s see what Pu Huaiyan thinks first before considering it. There’s no rush,” Ziming soothed her. “I’m preparing to set off for the North City later tonight. If you run into any issues, look for me or give me a call.”
“Mm, okay.”
Shan Dai had no interest in that divorce certificate, leaving it at Ziming’s desk while returning to her own space.
Just as she sat down in her office, she received a message from Pu Huaiyan: [I left a car for you in the company’s underground garage. The key is right inside the car, and the window isn’t fully rolled up. Go give it a spin.]
Giddy and lightheaded, Shan Dai stood up. Looking at the message in a daze, she headed down to the underground garage. Based on the license plate number he provided, she instantly spotted a vehicle parked in a nearby spot.
A brand-new white Bentley. It hadn’t been registered with a permanent plate yet, but it had a temporary one.
Shocked and bewildered, she replied to Pu Huaiyan: [What is the meaning of this?]
[It’s a car for you,] Pu Huaiyan replied succinctly, coming straight to the point. [A gift.]
[…] Shan Dai instinctively replied, [I refuse.]
[You cannot refuse.]
[…] Shan Dai expressed her anguish, [I must refuse. I don’t want it.]
Pu Huaiyan: [Do you have one yourself?]
[I can just drive my friend’s.]
[You can drive your friend’s, but not mine?]
Shan Dai blurted out: [The two of us have known each other for years. We’ve known each other since college—this is our ninth year!]
[Give us a few years, and we can rack up nine years too.]
[…] Shan Dai called him directly.
Pu Huaiyan remained silent. Once the call connected, he quietly listened to the sound of each other’s breathing.
Shan Dai’s heart softened at his attitude. Leaning against the door of the car, she pleaded softly, “Don’t be like this. I really can’t accept President Pu’s car. I can buy one myself.”
“Save your money for important business.”
“I know I can’t afford a luxury car, but this car… it’s just not right.” Driving a luxury car gifted by him without any official status—what kind of situation was that supposed to be?
Pu Huaiyan said, “We can talk about everything over dinner tonight, mm? I have to go to a meeting now.”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t have anything going on when you came over?” she asked without thinking.
He let out a low laugh. “Am I not allowed to have last-minute work, Madam1? You’re so domineering.”
[…] Shan Dai puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “Goodbye.”
“Mm, see you tonight, Madam.”
“[…]”
Puffed up with annoyance, Shan Dai grabbed the car key and prepared to head upstairs. But after taking two steps, she turned back to look at that beautiful vehicle.
She had a feeling he would never take this car back even if he died. It was truly impossible to get him to accept her returning it, even if she rejected his pursuit.
Sighing, Shan Dai went back and sat in the driver’s seat.
She didn’t know how to drive this car. After getting in, she first opened her phone to search for how to operate a Bentley.
Then she tried starting the ignition.
Mm, the engine sound was actually pretty nice. She reversed, turned the steering wheel, and took a lap around the two-story underground garage. In the end, she couldn’t help marveling genuinely, “Not bad. The handling is really great, the sound is pleasant, and the interior is all off-white and gentle. Someone sure knows how to choose.”
Unable to resist, she snapped a picture of the steering wheel, sent it to Pu Huaiyan, and aloofly typed out three words: [Drives very well.]
Pu Huaiyan replied: [Oh, Madam. As long as it works for you.]
[…] Shan Dai broke into a laugh. This man was even more aloof than she was. She was truly outmatched.
She went upstairs and trotted into Ziming’s office.
The young heiress had a flight tonight and was currently packing her things, stuffing her laptop into her bag.
Ziming was still curious as to why she had returned so soon, when in the blink of an eye, she saw Shan Dai drop a Bentley car key onto the desk.
Ziming glanced at it, slanting her gaze at her. “Where did this come from?” She didn’t have a Bentley in her garage.
Shan Dai said, “A gift from Pu Huaiyan.”
“???” Ziming was so astonished she was rendered speechless.
Shan Dai exchanged a long, leisurely gaze with her. Ziming burst out laughing and nodded. “Fine, fine, fine. I’m rooting for President Pu more and more. He’s truly hellbent on whisking you away.”
“Seems that way to me too.”
“Wishing you a hundred years of harmony!” Ziming set down her bag and raised her hands to cup Shan Dai’s face. “Can we hold a wedding this time? Let me be the bridesmaid, and then toss the bouquet to me. Wish Bentley Bro and me a hundred years of harmony too.”
[…] Shan Dai timidly snatched the car key back. “Didn’t you say you were anti-marriage? You’re completely hopeless.”
“Aiya, it’s just that I feel Bentley Bro is actually pretty reliable.”
“Are you two together?”
“Nope.”
“[…]”
Shan Dai said helplessly, “I’ll drive you to the airport in a bit to get some practice. I’ve never driven this car before, so I’m not used to it yet.”
“Sure thing, I’m basking in President Pu’s reflected glory today.”
“Aiya, you’re sick of riding in Bentleys yourself.”
Ziming laughed endlessly. “You know Bentley Bro switched cars recently—he changed to a Land Rover.”
Shan Dai sighed. “Pu Huaiyan drove a Land Rover when he picked me up just now too. These men, their cars are all pretty much the same.”
“Yeah, guys really love Land Rovers. Actually, I love them too—they’re super cool. I plan on buying a G-Wagon later on, and when Bentley Bro comes back, I’ll have him give me some advice. Then the next time the two of us go camping, we can drive it there without bringing him along.”
“Sounds great. But you two really are on the same wavelength.”
Shan Dai carried the car key back and focused on working for an hour until Ziming came over, rolling her suitcase on her way to the airport.
A round trip would take more than an hour, and it was already almost time to get off work.
At the thought of having dinner with Pu Huaiyan tonight—a proper meal between just the two of them, without any business obligations, affairs, or excuses, purely a meal for themselves—and considering she was already divorced, this was bound to be an extremely ambiguous meal, nearly equivalent to a date. Because of this, she found herself distracted, unable to continue working.
Her phone vibrated, and Pu Huaiyan sent over a dinner address.
Taking a quick glance, Shan Dai instantly tensed up all over. It was a high-rise restaurant located directly across the river from Xieshaan.
She had been to this restaurant with Ziming a long time ago, when they went to celebrate their college graduation. It was the premier location for dates, featuring breathtaking scenery that overlooked the full panorama of Xieshaan and the front-line river view of Lan City, with the CBD skyscrapers all brought into sight. It was extraordinarily beautiful, and people often booked out the venue for marriage proposals.
Pu Huaiyan’s ambition was as clear as day—his intent was blatantly obvious.
Her breathing turned erratic. Instinctively getting up, she retrieved her makeup bag from a drawer and went to the lounge, where there was a vanity table.
In truth, she rarely wore makeup when meeting Pu Huaiyan. She only applied makeup depending on the occasion. Besides, with her refined features and fair skin, whether she wore makeup or not made little difference—it merely added a bit of color. Most of the time, she simply saved herself the trouble out of laziness.
Yet, for reasons unknown tonight, she subconsciously grabbed her makeup bag to get to work.
More than half an hour passed, and the company had long cleared past off-work hours. Shan Dai gathered her bag and stepped outside.
Reaching the underground garage and seeing the car Pu Huaiyan had gifted her, she thought that if she drove it over today, he would probably be very happy. However, it felt a bit too much… too ambiguous.
Ah. In the end, she bumped into a female colleague who had just finished working overtime. She was a new intern who joined this year and owned a car. The girl asked her, “President Shan, where are you heading? Did you not drive today? How about I drop you off on my way?”
Shan Dai smiled. “Then I’ll trouble you, Shishi. I’m going to meet a partner by the river.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
So Shan Dai hitched a ride over. It was very close—just a turn around the corner—and even though it was peak evening traffic, they arrived in just a quarter of an hour.
The sky was still bright. Being the middle of summer, the sky in Lan City wouldn’t turn dark until half past seven. Right now it was only six o’clock, and the sunset hadn’t even made an appearance yet.
Such brilliant sunlight refracted through the windshield, bathing the two young women in the front seats.
“The weather is so nice today. It was raining heavily yesterday,” the girl driving remarked.
Shan Dai smiled and nodded. “Yes, the sun comes out after the storm.”
“President Shan.”
“Mm?” Shan Dai tilted her head to look at her. The girl was just twenty years old, graduating from college this year, and had joined the company after the New Year. Shan Dai had personally interviewed her and felt she had great potential.
Fushi said, “Um… today, I saw Brother-in-law. I didn’t know if I should mention it to you or not.”
Shan Dai paused briefly.
The traffic light intersection was jammed into a long line. The girl stopped the car, turning her head to meet her eyes. “I think I’d better say it. If you don’t want to know, just take it as me misspeaking and pretend I never said anything. Yesterday and today, I saw Brother-in-law driving a car with a woman inside, acting intimately.”
Shan Dai smiled.
The girl fell silent, staring at her in astonishment.
Shan Dai said, “It’s alright. We’re divorced.”
She gasped in surprise.
Shan Dai added, “He cheated, so we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Thank you, Shishi.”
“I’m sorry.” She lowered her head guiltily.
Shan Dai let out a soft laugh, shook her head, and gently patted her head.
The car stopped below the restaurant building. After offering her thanks, Shan Dai watched the girl drive away before entering the building by herself.
Taking the elevator up to the 48th-floor sky restaurant, the guiding waiter mentioned that her friend had already arrived.
They headed toward a private room. The path was so quiet that Shan Dai’s heart thumped wildly, making her constantly want to stop and rest before moving forward.
Finally reaching the doorway, the waiter made a gesture and departed.
Shan Dai took a deep breath and pushed the door open herself.
On one of the chairs by the dining table lay a bouquet of pink Accord roses. Last night, outside the clothing store in downtown Jincheng where the rain poured like a torrent, Pu Huaiyan had stood right beside the pink Accord roses at the neighboring flower shop.
Shan Dai’s eyes darted around, searching for him.
He was standing by the window. Having brought her birthday present on this business trip, he was wearing it today. The Charles blue matched the sunlight so exquisitely, blending perfectly with Pu Huaiyan’s noble and refined elegance. Standing before the pristine floor-to-ceiling window with his hands behind his back, he quietly and steadily gazed out at the high-rise scenery. Just his back profile alone was enough to make one stare blankly for several seconds, forgetting to snap back to reality.
Shan Dai realized that the most captivating aspect of Pu Huaiyan wasn’t even his unmatched appearance, his unreachable wealth, or his gentlemanly demeanor and sophistication—it was his composure.
He was only two years older than her, yet possessed a maturity and stability that far transcended her age group. For instance, the entire future he had mapped out for her North City company, the road waiting to be constructed in the near future, or their very first meeting, where he managed to convey such terrible news from start to finish with absolute composure and ease, remaining unhurried and able to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes right in front of Lu Zhixing.
Therefore, it was entirely reasonable and justified for her heart to flutter for such a man.
In the end, he was the one who heard the sound first and turned his head.
Gazing at her across half the private room, a faint smile curved at the man’s lips. The light at the horizon divided his body into light and shadow, but regardless of which side she looked at, she could see that his gaze was gentle, and his eyes were filled with joy as he looked at her.
At that moment, Shan Dai deeply felt her heart accelerating—and that accelerated rhythm was undeniably the fluttering of romance.
Standing here, Pu Huaiyan’s heartbeat probably wasn’t normal either, or else why wouldn’t he be sitting down?
This might be the only slight disruption of his composure in his entire life.
A few pre-dinner desserts had already been served on the table.
She could easily picture how, prior to her arrival, he had held the menu all by himself, earnestly and carefully selecting desserts for her.
She let out a faint smile, walked over, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. “The last time I came here was when I graduated from college. It’s been so many years. In recent years, it feels like I haven’t even come here for a date.”
It was the first time Pu Huaiyan had heard her bring up matters involving Lu Zhixing. It seemed that once divorced, everything became insignificant, to the point where it could even be brought up as a joke.
“You like it here?” he asked.
“That’s the building where my company is located.” She pointed toward the forest of CBD skyscrapers. “Can you see it? Back when I just graduated, I hadn’t thought about anything after graduate school yet. At this moment, I feel a sense of ‘I’m actually doing pretty great’, so I quite like it.”
“Madam is indeed pretty great. Just now, I was staring at that building the whole time, wondering if you had stepped out yet.”
Shan Dai’s breath instantly hitched.
Smiling at him, she said, “An intern from my company drove me over. I originally wanted to drive, but on second thought, I gave up. She even told me she saw Lu Zhixing acting intimately with someone else.”
She smiled with a sense of relief. Just as she turned to take a seat, a hand suddenly pressed down on her wrist.
Shan Dai looked back, only to be led back half a step, her back coming to rest against the glass as she faced him directly.
Shan Dai blinked her large, innocent eyes, gazing at him helplessly.
Pu Huaiyan noticed that she had applied makeup. The outer corners of her eyes were tinged with a soft pink, making her gaze even more romantic—a kind of youthful, sweet romance. When she didn’t wear makeup, she possessed an elegant, intellectual, delicate, and enchanting beauty, which was another form of romance altogether.
He chuckled softly. “Today, you’re not withholding anything from me.”
Shan Dai’s complexion remained composure-bound. “There’s nothing to withhold. Does President Pu mind listening?”
“You know I don’t mind. Well then, Miss Shan is the cleverest of all. You can probably guess what I want to do today.”
Shan Dai promptly lowered her head.
Looking at her side profile as it gradually flushed crimson, Pu Huaiyan’s gaze burned with intense heat. This makeup was still too light—it couldn’t even cover Madam’s beautiful, blushing complexion.
Pu Huaiyan said, “To tell you the truth, the very first time I saw you at the Yanxin Building, that single glance was enough to make me fall in love with you.”
Shan Dai trembled all over, feeling her breathing grow too chaotic to describe.
Pu Huaiyan could feel her body going stiff. Unable to bear making her uncomfortable, he released his grip on her.
Shan Dai’s body staggered slightly, nearly losing her balance. Pu Huaiyan propped his hand against the glass beside her, allowing her to lean against it for support.
The woman kept her head bowed, her red lips lightly biting together, her lips pressed close. The flawless skin on her slender neck was so pure white it seemed almost translucent, while a red hue quietly spread from her cheeks all the way to her earlobes.
She leaned quietly against the glass, the faint scent of jasmine floating beneath his nose. His blood surged with excitement; he had never been this close to her in his entire life—not even during that embrace beneath the pouring rain on the long street, nor around the hallway corner at the Jincheng restaurant two nights ago.
This was an open and honest closeness, vastly different from any calculated or accidental encounters of the past.
Pu Huaiyan’s heart wandered, longing desperately—wishing he could instantly gain the right to be intimate with her forever.
“When I heard you were Lu Zhixing’s wife, my mood turned exceptionally complex in an instant. I felt regret for being a step too late, and even greater regret that you hadn’t found the right person. Back then, I thought to myself that things like marriage and love were so unstable. But it was also at that moment that I knew such things might truly exist, because I truly, deeply like Miss Shan.” Pu Huaiyan leaned an inch closer. “That night during the dinner gathering, I remembered every single sentence you said to me. My heart fluttered immensely. Those few minutes we spent alone together were the most wonderful in the world. For the first time in my life, I felt that I wasn’t someone bound by morality, nor was I a good person… but since he cheated, it’s entirely reasonable for me to step in. Why shouldn’t someone else cherish the person he failed to cherish?”
Shan Dai’s face flushed like fire. She clenched her fists to relieve the pressure on her pounding heart, secretly looking up to glance at him before turning her head away again.
Pu Huaiyan let out a soft laugh, staring intently at her dodging gaze. “Later on, I think you could feel my feelings for you. Last time I came on a business trip, it was actually for you—I wanted to see you. The night of the car accident, I drove around your company building several times.”
Shan Dai turned back in surprise.
Her frozen fox-like eyes collided with his shimmering peach-blossom eyes. Love surged overwhelmingly in Pu Huaiyan’s heart. “This time is also for you. I have no business here—this isn’t a work trip. I wanted to come and witness your divorce with my own eyes.”
Shan Dai bit her lip.
Pu Huaiyan: “I hope you go to North City to develop your career out of selfish motives. That’s right, because I know long distances don’t work out. After you told me you hated long-distance relationships, I understood this even more clearly. Of course, within this, I also seriously researched the feasibility of your company’s expansion. Every time you went on a business trip, it was so exhausting. When I can clearly provide everything for your new company to support the growth of your dreams, why wouldn’t I do it? So… so I looked forward day and night to your going there.”
Shan Dai slowly lowered her head once again.
Words like “looking forward day and night” carried too much weight.
From the moment she learned that Lu Zhixing had cheated, she assumed that such profound love would never appear in her life again.
Yet, he had been looking forward day and night.
Pu Huaiyan: “I will often need to go on business trips—I won’t deny or hide that. But if we’re in the same city, Dai Dai…”
He had called her that last night, and for some reason, she hadn’t felt anything off at the time. Hearing him address her like that now, Shan Dai suddenly felt her entire body heat up, feeling that they were far too close—so close that they were almost like a couple.
Pu Huaiyan: “Then we’ll go together, travel together. I’ll take you out to play, and we won’t be separated, okay? I’ll find a time when you’re free before heading out, doing my absolute best to avoid spending even a single day apart from you.”
After a moment of silence, he said, “If you don’t go to North City…”
Shan Dai suddenly stared directly at him.
Pu Huaiyan gazed back at her from mere inches away for a long moment. “I’ve considered it. I can work in Lan City. We won’t be in a long-distance relationship, rest assured.”
Shan Dai froze, the light in her eyes coming to a complete standstill. She had never imagined that one of his options would be coming to Lan City.
This was undeniably the most inconvenient option, yet he hadn’t even considered giving up.
Pu Huaiyan: “We discussed this issue on the way back today. I could tell you wanted to go to North City. But, Dai Dai, after listening to what I have to say, you can reconsider. I can come over. The reason you want to go doesn’t need to be tied to me—base it on your own career considerations.”
Shan Dai’s heart beat so hard it nearly leaped out of her chest. She almost wanted to tell him to stop talking, to stop saying things she couldn’t bring herself to process.
“I can’t possibly accept you coming here,” she said.
Pu Huaiyan let out a helpless laugh. “Then you’ve made up your mind?”
Shan Dai murmured uneasily, “I thought from our conversation about work locations during the day, you would know I pretty much intended to go.”
Pu Huaiyan chuckled softy. Only after finishing his laugh did he cup her face with both hands. Amidst Shan Dai’s deeply embarrassed expression, he asked tenderly, “Then, can you accept me pursuing you?”
Shan Dai was stunned, staring fixedly at him. “Pur… pursuing?”
Pu Huaiyan: “I don’t know if you’ll feel disappointed facing this question when you already knew I liked you. But I always feel that abruptly asking ‘Miss Shan, will you be my girlfriend?’ would be too sudden and too superficial. I’ve never truly pursued you in a real sense. In the past, my status didn’t allow it, and I never properly or explicitly expressed pursuit or affection. Those flowers, intimacy, words, and even hugs in the past were nothing more than a man’s scheme and impatience.”
Shan Dai found it hard to believe he would say such words, just like that time she was injured in North City, when he remorsefully admitted that he had intentionally asked Little Ci to trick her.
Pu Huaiyan couldn’t deceive her in the slightest; he couldn’t offer her even a fraction of insincere devotion.
Pu Huaiyan: “So asking like that today lacks sincerity. In my heart, you deserve to be properly pursued. This period could be one year, three years, or five years. You’re still young, and I believe you’re in no rush to remarry. It’s also compensation—blame me for being a step behind someone else.”
An intense surge of sourness and stinginess swept through Shan Dai’s eyes. For a moment, she suddenly didn’t know how to reply, because the answer she had prepared was for when he asked her to be his girlfriend, not whether he could pursue her—not him saying she shouldn’t be in a rush to remarry, that he was willing to properly pursue her for three to five years, blaming himself for being a step late.
“You don’t need to immediately consider whether I’m worth it or suitable. Just give me a period of time to pursue you, mm?” Pu Huaiyan pleaded devoutly. “I really, really like you, Dai Dai.”
“Between us, actually… the gap is too huge,” she sniffled, forcing a reluctant smile while looking straight at him. “I’m already divorced. I don’t match you anymore.”
Pu Huaiyan: “That is not an issue, and never has been. Ask the next one.”
“[…]” Shan Dai lowered her head. “If others find out your… your girlfriend has been divorced, it won’t look good.”
“Whoever thinks it’s not good isn’t qualified to stand in front of me and speak to me.”
Translator’s note
- 夫人 (Fūrén) – “Madam”, an honorific title used by close friends/subordinates to address the protagonist as the wife of the boss/husband, now used playfully by Pu Huaiyan. ↩︎