CHAPTER 27To what extent could one person influence another?
At the same time, Pei Ying also saw the reports of her breakup with Song Nanchuan on Ren Shanshan’s computer.
After her night of drinking with Ren Shanshan, neither of the girls was able to get up in the morning. Ren Shanshan had finally pulled herself up and headed off to her studio, but Pei Ying didn’t want to move, so she stayed at home and went online.
Unexpectedly, she found herself on the front page with Song Nanchuan once again.
Those paparazzi wrote about their breakup with the certainty of an eyewitness. Pei Ying frowned when she saw the headline. Were she and Song Nanchuan officially broken up? They’d left things rather up in the air, so she wasn’t even sure herself about that.
The comments on Weibo were also pretty sensational. Most commenters were reveling in the unfortunate news, and a lot of them said they knew it would turn out as such. There were also some fans who sent her private messages of encouragement and comfort. And Pei Ying felt a tiny glimmer of warmth.
She hadn’t responded to anything on Weibo. Instead, she went to eat breakfast, and when she returned, she found the entire article had already been deleted.
Was it Song Nanchuan’s doing? She considered it for a moment before exiting Weibo and turning off the computer.
When she left Song Nanchuan’s house the previous day, she’d only grabbed her purse, which meant all her clothes and belongings were still at his place. This wasn’t the time to head back there and pick those things up though. Thankfully, when she moved her things there, she’d only brought half of her possessions, so she still had some things at her old apartment.
She thought about it. She couldn’t stay at Ren Shanshan’s forever, and the guy that was following her before was probably gone by now. There shouldn’t be a problem with her heading home now, right?
Mm. Pei Ying picked up her phone and sent a text to Chen Sheng. “GM Chen, can you help me find a new apartment? My current place isn’t very safe, so I’d like to move somewhere else.”
Chen Sheng replied very quickly. “Sure. I helped Tao Tao with her place. What do you think about getting an apartment in the same area?”
Pei Ying had been to Tao Tao’s apartment before. The rent there was double the amount that she paid now, but she didn’t really have many options now. It would definitely be faster for Chen Sheng to help her find a new place than for her to do it alone.
She clenched her teeth and responded, “Sure. Thank you.”
[Chen Sheng] Great. I’ll contact you after it’s taken care of.
Pei Ying had just put away her phone when Chen Sheng sent another message. “Did you and Song Nanchuan really break up?”
Pei Ying, “….”
She thought about it for a moment, but decided not to mention Song Nanchuan taking her out of the movie. “We had a fight yesterday.”
[Chen Sheng] Hey, what kind of couple doesn’t fight? If there’s a problem, you have to resolve it well. After everyone cools down, things will be fine.
[Pei Ying] Mm… Thank you for the concern, GM Chen.
[Chen Sheng] No problem. I’ll look out for an apartment for you then.
[Pei Ying] Thank you.
After taking care of her housing dilemma, Pei Ying felt a weight lifted off her. But before she found a new place, she decided to stay at her old apartment, and simultaneously pack up her things.
She got a taxi from Ren Shanshan’s place and headed back to her own apartment compound. She took a look around, and the guy that had been following her was indeed nowhere in sight.
After exiting the taxi, she headed inside quickly. It had only been a few days since she’d been gone, but she felt a bit nostalgic. She laid down on her bed and sent Ren Shanshan a text. “Shanshan, I headed back to my apartment.”
[Ren Shanshan] You’re not afraid of running into the pervert?
[Pei Ying] I asked GM Chen to help me find a new apartment. He should be able to get one in a few days.
[Ren Shanshan] Okay then. We got a new shipment today. Come for photos tomorrow.
[Pei Ying] …Okay.
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At this moment, Song Nanchuan was also sitting at home, feeling rather dejected. He was feeling horrible from his hangover and his head still hurt. He laid on the sofa in his living room as he heard a few cats calling, “Meow.”
He raised his eyes. Pei Ying’s stray cats.
“Meow.” Blackie walked over to the sofa and looked up at him. That look clearly meant it was asking for food.
Song Nanchuan sighed. “Your mom’s left. There’s no one to feed you.”
“Meow, meow, meow,” Blackie continued. A new wave of pain rushed over Song Nanchuan’s head.
“Really scared of you now…” He got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. Speaking of those cats, he usually never saw a trace of them. But when it was meal time, they suddenly all slipped out from who know’s where.
Quite shrewd, they were.
Song Nanchuan prepared some cat food and water, and placed them down on the floor. All three cats suddenly appeared and started eating.
Song Nanchuan crouched down and watched them. Suddenly, he lifted his hand and pet Blackie’s head.
“Meow!” Blackie impatiently waved a clawed paw at him, leaving a streak of red on his hand.
Song Nanchuan, “….”
“Okay. With a good heart, I fed you guys, but you dare to scratch me?” Song Nanchuan raised his eyebrow and looked at them with an expression that wasn’t quite a smile.
“Meow,” Blackie called again. That meow sounded like the cat was saying, “Clean up the litter box and don’t disturb me while I’m eating.”
Song Nanchuan, “….”
He felt that these cats were better suited than he was to be overbearing CEOs.
…They weren’t like this when Pei Ying was around!
As if in a battle with someone, he went to pet Blackie’s head again. Before the cat could raise its claws, he quickly disappeared.
Song Nanchuan stood at the side watching, a smug expression on his face, as Blackie pounced into empty air.
Blackie, “….”
Was this p.o.o.p cleaner r.e.t.a.r.ded?
Song Nanchuan, “….”
Although he didn’t want to admit it, he felt he understood very well what those eyes were conveying.
He decided to ignore the three cats and he returned to the kitchen. He hadn’t felt it earlier, but after watching the cats eat, he felt a bit hungry.
He wanted to call for some food to be delivered, but then went to check out his refrigerator instead. There were some vegetables that Pei Ying had bought. He picked them up and inspected them before returning them back to the shelf.
How could an overbearing CEO personally cook?
After standing in front of the refrigerator for a moment, his eyes landed onto a bag of Luosifen.
Pei Ying had brought it with her. He’d originally been against putting the noodles in the refrigerator, but as can now be seen, it was to no avail.
There had been two bags previously, but there was only one left now. Pei Ying must have secretly eaten one when he was away!
Even while he was angry at her for cooking Luosifen in his house, he suddenly smiled to himself.
Get it together, Song Nanchuan! She wants to break up with you and you’re still thinking about ger?
He pulled out the Luosifen from the refrigerator and tossed it into the garbage can. Not three seconds later, he went to retrieve it.
He was in a bad mood today, so he wanted to eat something with a heavy flavor. Let’s see then, how good these noodles really were.
Following the cooking instructions on the bag, he cooked the noodles for ten minutes. When he opened the bag of sour bamboo shoots, that bewildering scent floated into the air. Song Nanchuan frowned with displeasure.
Was this really edible? After he contemplated awhile about throwing it out, he finally decided to add in the bamboo shoots.
While the noodles cooked, he quickly opened the windows to the kitchen and living room. Then he tossed all the opened bags and packets into the garbage and took out the trash.
After he completed all of that, Song Nanchuan finally felt more comfortable. After the noodles finished cooking, he put everything into a bowl and forced himself to pick up his chopsticks.
The noodles were perfectly cooked, neither too soft or too hard. The bamboo shoots also didn’t taste that strange. Rather, you might call it a particular flavor. Most importantly, he’d added the entire packet of seasoning which made the soup delightfully spicy.
….He actually felt that the flavor wasn’t bad.
He laughed at himself for the second time that day as he quietly ate his noodles.
To what extent could one person influence another?
Before that day, he wouldn’t have even dreamed that he would eat Luosifen in his own home.
Pei Ying didn’t have much of an appet.i.te that day and she was feeling rather lazy. She laid in bed and listened to music for awhile, when she received a new message.
[Yu Kaize] Still feeling upset about DIBS?
Pei Ying thought about it for a moment before replying, “No. People have to (move on and) keep their eyes on they money.”
[Pei Ying] Last…
[Yu Kaize] Hahaha (toothy grin). Are you free tonight? I’ll treat you to a meal. Don’t be upset.
Pei Ying subconsciously wanted to turn him down, but recalling that she still owed him, she decided to respond, “How about I treat? I said I would next time. I’ll invite Tao Tao too.”
[Yu Kaize] Okay.
She sent an invite to Tao Tao. At first, she was worried that Tao Tao might not come, but unexpectedly, she agreed right away.
Pei Ying recalled the restaurant that Yu Kaize had taken them to previously, so she set their destination for the same place this time. Because she was the host, she had to arrive a bit early. She sent the room number to Yu Kaize and Tao Tao, and Yu Kaize showed up not long after.
The two of them weren’t really close, and rather, Pei Ying felt a bit awkward with him. Fortunately, Yu Kaize was better at making small talk. After they spoke for awhile, they ended up at the topic of the DIBS auditions.
“It’s really unfortunate this time. Although everyone calls me the Universe Pictures’ prince, my shares in the company are all from my dad. I don’t really have much say in what goes on, and I can only take care of my own matters,” Yu Kaize explained to Pei Ying.
Pei Ying chuckled. Being able to decide your own fate was already quite enviable. She couldn’t even make those decisions for herself. “None of this is your fault. I’m already very thankful that you told me about the auditions.”
Yu Kaize’s lips thinned, as if slightly angry. “Yi Feiyue originally wanted you, but after the results went out, Song Nanchuan had you switched out. Just because he’s a major shareholder, he thinks he can do anything.”
Pei Ying’s eyes dimmed as she stared at the table without responding.
Just then, Tao Tao arrived. She took a seat as she explained the traffic on her way. After the group finished their meal, Tao Tao dragged them out for drinks. Tao Tao wasn’t in the best mood because she’d also failed the audition. When she complained to Pei Ying about it, Pei Ying could only smile and remain silent.
At around ten, Pei Ying decided that it wasn’t early anymore, so the three parted ways. Pei Ying was about to hail down a taxi when Yu Kaize called to her. “It’s late. I’ll send you back.”
Pei Ying declined his offer. “It’s alright. That would be too much trouble for you.”
“Not at all. Don’t worry, I didn’t drink earlier.” Yu Kaize shot her a smile. “It’s not safe for you to head back by yourself so late.”
Pei Ying thought of her stalker and then felt a bit uneasy. After hesitating for a moment, she finally decided to accept Yu Kaize’s offer. “Thanks.”
Tao Tao was dropped off by her a.s.sistant, so the a.s.sistant also picked her up. Yu Kaize waited until Tao Tao was picked up before he drove Pei Ying home. “GM Chen’s too biased. Tao Tao always has someone watching after her, but why don’t you have an a.s.sistant?”
Pei Ying smiled, not minding at all. “Who told Tao Tao to earn more money than me?”
Yu Kaize turned to look at her. He said, “Don’t be so down. Universe puts out a lot of good projects. There are still a lot of scripts waiting. I’ll keep watching out for you. You’ll get the chance one day.”
“Thanks.”
Yu Kaize laughed. “No need for thanks. You have the strength, so you’ll surely soar in the skies someday.”
Pei Ying laughed along. Actually, this Universe prince wasn’t nearly as bad as the media made him out to be.
After arriving at Pei Ying’s apartment, he put on his beloved sungla.s.ses. Pei Ying looked at him and suddenly recalled the previous incident when he’d been recognized by fans. She couldn’t help laughing. Yu Kaize looked at her. “What are you laughing about?”
“Nothing. I just suddenly remembered when you were surrounded by fans last time. How did you get away in the end?”
Yu Kaize recalled the traumatic incident. “How can you even bring that up. You all just left me there back then. In the end, the police had to come save me.”
“Pfft. You made a police report?”
“Make a police report? They came to find me from the ensuing traffic jam.”
Pei Ying chuckled. She took off her seat belt and got out of the car. “Thank you for the ride.”
Yu Kaize nodded and watched as she walked away.
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At that time, Song Nanchuan was lying in bed. He’d been drunk last night, but tonight, his mind was crystal clear and he felt an especially noticeable void. How was he going to get to sleep? He pulled out his phone and opened his chat with Pei Ying. After staring at it for a long while, he still didn’t know what to say to her.
After five minutes, he put his phone back in its original spot.
He didn’t sleep well at all that night. When sky started to light up, Song Nanchuan immediately woke up. He picked up his phone to check the time, and then he stared blankly at his chat with Pei Ying for another while.
The two were currently at a standoff, and whoever contacted the other first was going to be the loser. He stared at Pei Ying’s chat icon for what seemed like half an hour before finally sitting up.
Well then, he’ll lose! What’s the big deal if he gives in to her a bit?!
After some editing, he finally had a text that said, “Good morning.” Just as he was going to send it, he suddenly grew terrified. He thought about it a bit more and then decided to check out Pei Ying’s Weibo page. He didn’t find anything new on it.
Pei Ying hadn’t posted anything in the past two days, but Song Nanchuan did see a new headline.
“Pei Ying and Yu Kaize at a bar in the middle of the night! Universe’s prince acts as protector and personally sends Pei Ying home!”
Song Nanchuan’s brows suddenly knit together. This article was very detailed. Even the drinks they ordered that night were listed. The article was also accompanied by a photo. Pei Ying and Yu Kaize at the bar and then again at her apartment compound.
Although it was still very early, there was already a crew of commenters who’d already visited.
“Pei Ying’s skills aren’t bad! CEO Song and then Young Master Yu! High standards there!”
“Yu Kaize belongs to our Tao Tao! Get out, adulteress!”
“G.o.ddess Pei, please put out a manual for catching men. I’ll definitely buy orz”
“She just broke up with Song Nanchuan, and now she’s grabbed onto Yu Kaize… (bye)”
“If you throw away our Pei Pei, we won’t just stand by! (smile)”
“I’m laughing here. Are these paparazzi earning a living off of our Pei Pei now?”
“Yu Kaize’s nothing good :)”
“The Tao Tao fans above must be kidding. Yu Kaize and Tao Tao were obviously a fake couple. You guys really believed it?”
Pei Ying and Yu Kaize’s names kept coming out at the same time. Song Nanchuan hit his computer screen, causing it to wobble.
He told her to go find Yu Kaize and she really did! Why didn’t she listen so well normally?!
He felt a fire burning inside him. Song Nanchuan kicked his table furiously. Even with a bang, his anger hadn’t really dissipated, but his foot did hurt a bit.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Without looking at it, he answered, “What is it?”
Xiao Zhang was startled by the angry response. Slightly on guard, he spoke, “CEO Song, didn’t you ask me to look out for scripts for Pei Ying? I found one.”
Because he felt partly responsible for Song Nanchuan and Pei Ying’s breakup, Xiao Zhang had quickly found a suitable script, hoping the pair would be able to make up quickly.
Who knew that Song Nanchuan would be even angrier upon hearing the news. “Who cares what she’s acting in?! Just let her get help from Yu Kaize!”
He tossed his phone aside after he finished speaking. After walking around the room, he picked his phone back up.
“What script were you talking about?” he asked Xiao Zhang with a snippy tone.
Xiao Zhang responded nervously, “It’s a story by a famous writer on Pu Jiang. The writer is Boiled Lemon. (Note: The website, or the site’s publishing company, that My Fault for Being Blind was originally posted on is called Pu Jiang.)
“I’ve only ever heard of boiled beef.”
“Right! Her story is t.i.tled Calling Out for Meat at the Heart of the World!”
Song Nanchuan, “….”
Was this guy messing with him?