"Whatever," Heyu said, knowing that whenever Pei Yan asked her this, he intended to cook himself.
His culinary skills had always been remarkable, and for a while, she had thought of him as a chef hindered by his CEO duties.
Pei Yansi glanced at her as if, even though she’d only uttered two nonchalant words, he could make exactly the breakfast she desired. Without further questioning, he turned and left the bedroom.
As Heyu got up, the scent of food from downstairs already wafted through the air.
Sitting at the dining table, she couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her, considering the breakfast spread before her.
This man, if he wished, always took the time to join her for three meals a day.
Feeling her gaze, Pei Yansi looked at her. "Is something the matter?"
Without another word, Pei Yansi served her a bowl of noodles.
After a few bites, thinking of the wedding photoshoot scheduled for the afternoon, her appetite waned.
She considered putting down her chopsticks but met Pei Yansi’s gaze—full of warning, silently urging her to eat more.
With a sigh in her heart, Heyu reluctantly picked up her bowl again.
Pei Yansi finished his meal quickly and, within minutes, rose from his chair. "I’m heading to the office first."
Heyu didn’t respond or see him off. Only when his footsteps faded away did she breathe a sigh of relief.
For some reason, when alone with him, an inexplicable sense of panic always fluttered in her chest.
It was an innate fear of him, though what exactly she feared, Heyu wasn’t sure.
Lost in thought, she heard footsteps from upstairs.
Looking up, she saw the grandmother coming down, leaning on a cane, and sitting beside her. "I have arranged everything," she said.
Heyu glanced at the grandmother. "I know."
Then she added, "Thank you, Grandma."
The grandmother looked at her tenderly, not wanting to let go, taking Heyu’s hand into hers and patting it affectionately. "I hope you won’t blame me. Just that, under the current circumstances, this is the best outcome."
Heyu smiled and shook her head, her eyes bittersweet but not noticeably so. She thought she concealed it well, but the grandmother, who had one foot in the grave, could see through her.
"I understand, and this is what I’ve always wished for. Thank you for helping me leave," Heyu said.
The grandmother wanted her to divorce Pei Yan but knew he would disagree. After last time’s conversation with Heyu and realizing she was willing, the grandmother took matters into her own hands, pulling strings to enable the divorce.
With the divorce certificate, their relationship would end.
Heyu could leave, and Pei Yan could marry Chen Lingmeng. Everyone would benefit.
"The time is set for this afternoon. Go to the civil affairs office, and someone will handle the proceedings for you," the grandmother continued.
Heyu smiled faintly. "Thank you, Grandma."
"No need to thank me," the grandmother said. "It’s the only thing I can give you."
She pulled out a bank card and handed it to Heyu.
"There’s ten million in here, more than enough to secure a worry-free life for you and Yuexue. Additionally, I’ve allocated 5% of the Pei Family’s shares for you. Each month, the proceeds will be deposited into this account."
"From now on, you and Yuexue won’t have any difficulties in life," he had said. "Of course, if you ever encounter any problems, you can come to me at any time."
Shen Heyu lowered her head to look at the bank card, and didn’t refuse. She obediently accepted it.
Who would refuse an excess of money?
She was raising her daughter alone and there were countless places where money was needed. Even though she was capable of earning money herself, she wouldn’t refuse this. It would make their future lives better.
Besides, Yuexue was the blood of the Pei Family; it was only right that they provided this money for her upbringing.
Shen Heyu said, "If I have time in the future, I’ll come to see you."
The elderly lady sighed, "Better not. I’m afraid Pei Yansi won’t let matters rest if he sees you."
Shen Heyu nodded without insisting further. After all, it was nothing more than a polite remark.
Yet, thinking of the afternoon, when Pei Yansi would have someone pick her up, Shen Heyu felt somewhat troubled.
She could only choose one between the two.
After discussing everything with Shen Heyu, the elderly lady, now advanced in years, returned to her room to rest alone.
Shen Heyu sat alone in the living room, still holding the bank card in her hand, gazing around the familiar setting with a heart full of melancholy.
After so much entanglement, so many breakups and reconciliations, round and round, in the end, she couldn’t escape this denouement of parting.
Shen Heyu laughed at herself, stood up, and went to Yuexue’s room.
Yuexue was still on winter vacation and had slept in. When Shen Heyu entered, she was just waking up.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and, looking at Shen Heyu by the door, said, "Mom, you’re up early."
Shen Heyu sat beside her, stroked her daughter’s head, and asked, "Mom is taking you somewhere else, do you want to go?"
Yuexue looked at her, puzzled, "Where? The last time you said that, we had barely left for a day before we came back."
Shen Heyu looked at her daughter; she would soon be seven years old. She was starting to form her own understanding of the world.
Maybe between Pei Yansi and herself, she should leave this choice up to her daughter.
Thinking this, Shen Heyu hugged her daughter and asked earnestly, "If you could only live with one of us, your mom or dad, who would you choose?"
Even as unworldly as she was, she understood what her mother’s words meant. At school, she had heard that many of her classmates’ parents were separated, and they could only live with one parent.
She remembered that this was called divorce.
Yuexue said to Shen Heyu, "Are you going to divorce Dad?"
Shen Heyu was taken aback, not expecting her daughter to know this, which left her at a loss for words for a moment.
The very understanding Yuexue seemed to sense her embarrassment and said, "If it makes you happier, I support you. I’ve always grown up by your side, wherever Mom goes, that’s where I’ll be."
Shen Heyu felt a lump in her throat.
Looking at her daughter, who bore some resemblance to Pei Yansi, Shen Heyu felt a bitter ache in her heart as she held Yuexue, saying with some guilt, "It’s all my fault for not being able to give you a stable life."
Yuexue, sensing her mother’s guilt, hastily shook her head and said from within her embrace, "Having Mom by my side is the best thing for me."
Shen Heyu smiled and nodded. She had to admit to herself that Yuexue was now all she had left.
By afternoon, as predicted, Pei Yansi’s people indeed arrived at the Pei Mansion in their car, entered the living room, and found Shen Heyu.
"President Pei has sent us to take you to the photo studio to have your wedding dress pictures taken."