Chapter 37: An Eight-Hundred-Dollar-a-Night Gigolo

Ke Xianbai’s hand, which had been gripping the quilt, stiffened. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. These actions of his had actually been intentional on Pei Baoyuan’s part. However, he quickly recovered; as his hand relaxed, Pei Baoyuan easily pulled the quilt away from him.

Ninety-nine percent of Ke Xianbai was now exposed to Pei Baoyuan’s eyes, and her face flushed crimson. She had been so focused on his wounds that she only now realized his physique was far beyond standard. Ke Xianbai splayed his arms and legs, lying on the bed like a fish waiting to be butchered. Pei Baoyuan was stunned on the spot.

Ke Xianbai: "Why are you dazed? Didn't you want to see? Go ahead and look."

Pei Baoyuan: "..."

Ke Xianbai admired the blush creeping from her neck up to her face. Tsk. The little girl was still too green.

Pei Baoyuan scolded, "You... pervert!"

Ke Xianbai looked innocent. "You were the one who wanted to see, and you were the one who pulled the quilt away. How can you turn around and call me a pervert? Sister Baoyuan, that’s quite a reversal of blame."

Pei Baoyuan: "..."

Help, this is just too much. Ke Xianbai did it on purpose! Pei Baoyuan kept a stiff upper lip, unaware that her face was as hot as a cooked shrimp. "Do you know what you look like right now?"

"?"

"You look like one of those gigolos that costs eight hundred a night!"

With that, Pei Baoyuan fled back to her own room as if running for her life.

Ke Xianbai: "..."

Ke Xianbai gritted his teeth. A gigolo? And worth only eight hundred? There wasn't a gigolo out there as handsome as him!

After Pei Baoyuan left, her phone received a flurry of messages. She sent a message to Pei Zongnian to let him know she was safe, then collapsed onto her bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with images of Ke Xianbai. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, an eight-pack—every muscle on his body was perfect. What left an even deeper impression was the innocent look in his eyes when he lay on the bed, watching her.

His high-bridged nose, with that mole on the tip, seemed to be offering itself to her. Pei Baoyuan couldn't take it anymore; she turned on the light and sat up in bed. "!!!"

Ke Xianbai noticed that Pei Baoyuan seemed to have a bit of resentment toward him today, and it wasn't a small amount. When she changed his dressings, she was heavy-handed, as if seeking deliberate revenge. After finishing the dressing, Pei Baoyuan tossed a phone over to him. "Order whatever you want to eat."

The interface showed the menu for Lianxiang Pavilion that he had sent her previously.

Ke Xianbai: "Actually, I prefer the porridge you make."

Pei Baoyuan leaned against the dining table and smiled slightly. "You wish."

Ke Xianbai: "..."

He silently and conscientiously ordered some light food. When the delivery arrived, Ke Xianbai realized he had only ordered bland items, while Pei Baoyuan had ordered herself a feast of rich, flavorful dishes. This little girl was pure revenge!

After cleaning up the tableware, Pei Baoyuan prepared to go out. Ke Xianbai watched her apply makeup the entire time, and as he saw her beautifully grab her bag and head for the door, alarm bells rang in his head. "Where are you going?"

Pei Baoyuan: "Private business. You have no right to ask."

Ke Xianbai: "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Pei Baoyuan looked him up and down and shrugged. "You're an adult. Do whatever you want."

Pei Baoyuan ruthlessly shut the front door.

Ke Xianbai: "..."

...

Pei Baoyuan drove to the station. This was her first time back since the elevator incident. Before the accident, the general manager had asked her to sign a cooperation contract, but she had refused because the term was too long. However, after his persistent pestering, she had eventually signed a six-month short-term contract. After the accident, she planned to look for a new job, but due to the three months remaining on her contract, she had to return to resolve the legal issue.

The staff had been replaced several times over, and everyone was busy with their own tasks, so naturally, few people noticed her. She walked unimpeded to the general manager's office. Through the glass door, she could hear his fawning voice.

"Ms. Song, the ratings for the xianxia drama you starred in are absolutely explosive! You are our station’s guarantee for ratings now; you're a huge star!"

Pei Baoyuan shoved the door open. The manager was about to scold the intruder, but upon seeing who it was, his expression stiffened. "Teacher Pei, you... why are you here?"

Song Yiren didn't seem surprised to see Pei Baoyuan; instead, she greeted her. "Ms. Pei, long time no see."

Pei Baoyuan ignored the manager's fluctuating, pale complexion and sat down in a single sofa, pulling out the signed contract from her bag and tossing it onto the table. "I'm here to discuss the termination of my contract."

The manager flipped through the contract quickly. It was the one he had begged her to sign. The term was six months, during which Pei Baoyuan could not sign with other platforms. If her work was not finished by the end of the term, the contract would automatically extend until the recording was complete. It wasn't an oppressive contract; in fact, the six-month duration was only possible because of Huo Yanci.

The manager said, "Ms. Pei, the incident last time was a staff error. We guarantee that such a thing will never happen again."

The manager had been harboring suspicions about the relationship between Pei Baoyuan and Huo Yanci. Huo Yanci had personally called to shower Song Yiren with resources, yet after Pei Baoyuan's accident, he hadn't shown the slightest concern. It was clear that Huo Yanci didn't care for Pei Baoyuan as much as he did for Song Yiren. Men were always fickle.

The manager was a smooth operator who didn't want to offend anyone. However, Pei Baoyuan simply didn't want to stay here anymore.

"What are you using to guarantee that?" Pei Baoyuan glanced at Song Yiren. "Let's terminate it. It will expire automatically in three months anyway; why should we drag this out?"

Song Yiren remarked, "I don't like hearing you say that, Ms. Pei. A contract is a contract. To terminate it, there must be sufficient grounds. Without a valid reason, you'll have to deal with the breach of contract. Don't you agree, Manager Wang?"

Manager Wang: "..."

He felt like a slice of meat in a hamburger, squeezed tightly between two buns. He wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and gave a dry laugh. "Ms. Song is right. Teacher Pei, if you want to terminate the contract, you must have sufficient evidence to prove that our company violated any of its terms. Otherwise, you cannot terminate it, or you will have to pay a triple penalty for breach of contract as stated in the agreement."

He still chose to side with Song Yiren.

Pei Baoyuan pulled a straight face, staring at Manager Wang. She wasn't short on money, but she simply refused to pay. She turned her gaze toward Song Yiren. She couldn't believe Huo Yanci hadn't warned her, yet Song Yiren was still bold enough to provoke her. She foolishly cast herself as a romantic rival, racking her brains to steal Huo Yanci away.

People always put their own interests first. Pei Baoyuan admitted she was no exception. From a woman's perspective, if Song Yiren used her own abilities to get what she wanted, Pei Baoyuan would applaud her. But looking at it from another angle, if Song Yiren’s gains came at the cost of harming her, then Pei Baoyuan would not let her off the hook.

Pei Baoyuan said, "So, Ms. Song, you're already out of the police station."