Chapter 6: The Unwitting Ally

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Huo Ciyue was delighted when Pei Baoyuan invited her shopping and agreed without hesitation. Grabbing Pei Baoyuan’s hand excitedly, she led her towards the luxury store she had eyed early that morning, dropping hints left and right. But since Pei Baoyuan’s return from abroad, she seemed to have lost some sharpness, completely missing her meaning and looking rather disinterested.

Huo Ciyue declined the salesperson’s persistent offers again and linked arms with Pei Baoyuan. “I think their stuff doesn’t hold value well. Baoyuan, let’s go check out Hermès.”

Pei Baoyuan didn’t reply.

Pointing to a billboard not far inside the mall, she said, “Huang Zhenyu’s girlfriend seems pretty famous. I think her name is… Song Yiren, right?”

Huo Ciyue glanced at the billboard and rolled her eyes disdainfully. “Her? She’s nothing special. If it weren’t for my brother giving her resources, she wouldn’t have become popular.”

[The male lead is surrounded by useless allies.]

[Who do you think provides the resources?! Say that again and you’re punished!]

“Your brother gives her resources?”

“No…” Huo Ciyue realized what had slipped out and hurriedly explained, “No, Baoyuan, it’s not what you think. She’s Huang Zhenyu’s girlfriend, but they’re just good friends. You know, when he asked, my brother couldn’t just say no.”

“Oh… why are you so worked up? I was just asking. But I think Huang Zhenyu’s family also invests in a film company.”

“...There’s no comparison between Huang Zhenyu’s family and ours. Of course the girlfriend has to get the best, just like my brother does for you.” Huo Ciyue tried to change the subject.

“That’s true. Looks like Huang Zhenyu is serious this time.”

Pei Baoyuan didn’t miss the colorful expression flickering across Huo Ciyue’s face.

For someone who wears everything on her face, she was currently the best “partner” in Pei Baoyuan’s eyes.

“I’m curious how those two met, when they got together, why didn’t any of you tell me?” Pei Baoyuan’s eyes shone clear with the eagerness of a bystander.

Huo Ciyue: ……

To protect Pei Baoyuan’s lucrative value, she felt this was the fastest her mind had ever worked, even though she was too guilty to meet Pei Baoyuan’s gaze when she lied.

“Well… we were all hanging out together, and it was love at first sight.”

Pei Baoyuan’s excitement visibly grew at the words “love at first sight,” and a bad premonition rose in her heart.

Before reaching the Hermès store, Pei Baoyuan bombarded her with a series of questions.

Huo Ciyue’s expression cracked.

She ran through all the billionaire romance novels she’d read in high school, picking and choosing, stumbling as she wove a long story for Pei Baoyuan.

[Don’t dare open my eyes, hope it’s just a hallucination.]

[Girl, listen to yourself, that’s not human speech, it’s too abstract. Make up something more believable.]

[The leads are cozy in the motorhome; cut the romance, the teammates are nearly sold out.]

[The supporting female lead hasn’t caught on yet, I’m starting to doubt her intelligence.]

Pei Baoyuan repeatedly warned herself not to laugh in front of Huo Ciyue.

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Even the clichés Huo Ciyue just made up were too overused for the romance novels she read in high school.

But seeing Huo Ciyue cautiously watching her expression, she feigned admiration, saying, “From what you say, they have a good relationship. Then I know how to get along with her in the future. Maybe I’ll even get to attend their wedding.”

“Just those two? I mean, they definitely came before you and my brother. Mom was saying recently that you and my brother are about to settle things. Maybe in a few days, you’ll officially be my sister-in-law.”

Just as the Hermès store came into view, Huo Ciyue’s eyes lit up.

Pei Baoyuan had bought quite a few things from the store over the years, whether as gifts or for herself. Even while abroad, she’d purchased many items through the sales assistants here to send to the Huo family.

The salesperson saw a familiar face and greeted them warmly right away.

“Miss Pei, it’s been a while! What would you like to see today?”

Before Pei Baoyuan could answer, Huo Ciyue eagerly asked about the Birkin bag.

“Unfortunately, the last Birkin was just taken a couple of days ago, so we’re out of stock,” the sales assistant cautiously said. “But we just got a new Phantom bag recently. Would you like to see it?”

Huo Ciyue: “Yes, we want it!”

The sales assistant displayed the bag before them. Huo Ciyue grew more satisfied with each glance and shyly said, “Actually, if there’s no Birkin, the Phantom is fine too. I don’t mind at all.”

Pei Baoyuan was also pleased and waved her hand to buy it.

Huo Ciyue’s eyes sparkled; at that moment, Pei Baoyuan seemed grand and imposing to her.

As Huo Ciyue reached to take the bag from the sales assistant, Pei Baoyuan snatched it instead and said, “This bag suits Auntie’s temperament perfectly.”

Her smile froze on her face. “Isn’t this bag…?”

Pei Baoyuan acted as if she hadn’t heard, casually pulling Huo Ciyue out of the store. “The jewelry store across the way looks nice. Let’s go have a look.”

Huo Ciyue spent the whole day shopping with Pei Baoyuan but came back empty-handed.

When Pei Baoyuan said, “Thanks for shopping with me today. I’ll treat you to dinner,” Huo Ciyue, who was on a diet, felt like the sky was falling.

Pei Baoyuan ran into Huo Yanci’s father at her own doorstep. He was just leaving, so she greeted him briefly and hurried inside.

Her father, who had been away on business for a long time, was indeed sitting on the sofa, with tea utensils still scattered on the coffee table.

“Daddy!” Pei Baoyuan cooed, “You’re finally back.”

Her father had a square face that looked intimidating when serious, but he always smiled warmly in front of his daughter.

“Oh, you’re all grown up but still so clingy,” he said with mock annoyance, eyes crinkling in amusement. “Why did you come back early? Isn’t graduation still a few months away?”

“Of course it’s because I missed you and mom.”

He snorted. “Not because of that Huo guy?”

“...”

Pei Baoyuan firmly denied it and insisted she just missed home.

Her father watched his carefree daughter eat fruit and suddenly grew jealous. He said sourly, “Old Huo was chatting with me just now and mentioned your and Yanci’s marriage. What do you think about that?”

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“Daddy, I’m still young, no rush.” Pei Baoyuan buried her head in the fruit. “You should worry about my brother first. He’s over thirty, and I haven’t even seen a shadow of a sister-in-law.”

Her father, selfishly reluctant to let his daughter go, was reminded by Pei Baoyuan’s words.

Pei Zongnian, now thirty-two, should find a partner.

The couple agreed to immediately find a suitable match for Pei Zongnian.

Pei Baoyuan silently apologized to Pei Zongnian in her heart.

The three of them were chatting happily in the living room when Pei Baoyuan’s phone suddenly rang.

Caller ID: Huo Yanci.

Her father’s mood hadn’t faded. “Oh, he’s here to check up on the news.”

Her mother nudged him in the waist with her elbow. Pei Baoyuan smiled and quietly went back to her room to answer the call.

Huo Yanci carefully asked, “Yuan Yuan, did you go shopping with Huo Ciyue today?”

[Laugh out loud, Huo Ciyue went back and scolded her brother on the phone, really frightening the male lead.]

[The arrow is already on the string; how could he not be scared?]

[The male lead came to see if the supporting female lead already knows about his affair—he’s getting creepier by the minute, right?]

Pei Baoyuan was about to laugh herself silly at the comments, never expecting Huo Ciyue to bring her such an unexpected surprise.

Instead of exposing Huo Yanci all at once and letting him live in constant fear of being found out, wouldn’t it be better this way?

“Yes. Mom’s birthday is coming up, so I picked out a gift.”

Huo Yanci seemed to ask trivial questions casually, but each was a probe.

Pei Baoyuan listened lazily, occasionally replying.

Her room held many nostalgic toys from childhood. Above a half-height storage cabinet hung a framed drawing.

The red crayon outlined a little girl’s round face, holding a puppy in her arms.

Pei Baoyuan didn’t remember drawing it, but her mother said she had insisted on framing it.

She grew a bit distracted and excused herself, saying she was tired.

Her tone was normal, and Huo Yanci’s worry eased somewhat.

He knew Pei Baoyuan loved him to the point of obsession, her eyes always on him, so how could she possibly sense his relationship with Song Yiren?

However...

To elevate the Huo family to the pinnacle of the capital and for herself, he would need to spend more time with Pei Baoyuan in the near future.