While Pei Kexin was buying a set of lingerie, Pei Zongrui called again.
Of course, she didn't answer. He called once and she hung up, called once and she hung up.
After repeating this several times, Pei Zongrui shamelessly sent her a WeChat message.
"Where are you? Why aren't you answering the phone? Why aren't you back yet? When will you be back? I'll pick you up, send me your location."
One message after another, his tone was as presumptuous as if he were her legitimate husband.
Pei Kexin finally realized he had gone mad.
Fearing his endless harassment throughout the night, she finished reading the WeChat messages and then turned off her phone.
She spent a peaceful night at Wanlong, waking up at seven the next morning.
She changed clothes, washed up, and only then turned on her phone.
As soon as the phone turned on, various messages flooded in, one after another, making her hand go numb.
Without even looking, aside from a few work-related WeChat messages from her assistant, all the others were from Pei Zongrui.
They were all about where she was, when she would return, and by the end, as Pei Kexin delayed her replies, he started to curse.
Pei Kexin got a headache from reading them.
The successor the old man so earnestly wanted to cultivate was such a scumbag with no integrity or bottom line. Should she tell the old man the truth, or turn a blind eye?
Despite the personal troubles, work still had to be done.
After being bothered by Pei Zongrui for less than two minutes, she checked the time, decisively composed herself, called the two engineers to confirm their travel plans, and then went to the first floor for the buffet.
However, what she didn't expect was Pei Zongrui's persistence.
Her phone had been on for less than ten minutes, and he had already figured out her whereabouts and found his way downstairs.
Seeing him dressed impeccably, waiting in the lobby like a hunter waiting for his prey, Pei Kexin's composure shattered.
She had initially intended to let things slide, to give him a chance to reform and start anew.
Now, she was determined to report his every move truthfully to the old man.
Pretending not to see him, she picked up her bag and headed straight for the restaurant.
Pei Zongrui slowly stood up, hands in his pockets, and sauntered behind her.
As she held her plate and chose food, he followed closely beside her.
"Hiding from me? You came all the way here to hide from me? Pei Kexin, what do you mean?"
Pei Kexin continued her actions, her expression blank.
"Isn't it obvious enough?"
"Pei Zongrui, not to mention that I'm already married, but even if I weren't, aren't you afraid people will see you so close to me and laugh at you for being crazy?"
Pei Zongrui was unfazed: "Do you look down on me?"
"..."
"The man you found, so poor, so incompetent, still studying at his age, what can he do other than drag you down? You're willing to settle for him, yet you dare to look down on me?"
Pei Kexin couldn't help but turn her head and give him a look as if he were a lunatic.
"Your brain must not have fully developed before you were born. There's no point talking to you."
"How can you compare yourself to him? It's simply absurd!"
Pei Zongrui had suffered all night to get her.
After finally tricking her location out of the driver, he had rushed over early in the morning to wait.
And this was the attitude, the look she gave him?
His anger surged, his pride felt trampled.
He suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling Pei Kexin in front of him, forcefully snatching her plate from her other hand and placing it on the buffet counter.
"Don't push my limits! Pei Kexin, come with me! Let's go somewhere private, and if you have the guts, say what you just said again!"
Men were still men. Even though he was a few years younger, when it came to physical confrontation, Pei Kexin was no match for him.
Easily pulled forward and stumbling, Pei Kexin struggled and cursed at him.
"Pei Zongrui, don't do anything rash! I'm not someone you can bully, and I'm certainly not someone who will suffer in silence!"
"Let go, or I'll call the police and have you arrested!"
Whether he didn't believe her warning or simply disregarded it, Pei Zongrui fearlessly continued to pull her outside.
"Fine, if you can do it, then call."
"I haven't kissed you or touched you, I'm just asking my aunt to come back with me soon. I don't believe the police can do anything to me."
So, he was trying to exploit a loophole.
Pei Kexin was speechless and turned to call for help from the restaurant staff.
"Help me! Is this how your hotel handles things? Seeing a guest being harassed and doing nothing? Hurry up and call the police, I don't know this person, he's crazy, call the police for me!"
The staff, seeing the handsome couple, initially thought it was a minor dispute between lovers...
Upon hearing her words, the staff left the buffet table and were about to run to press the alarm.
Pei Zongrui, quick-eyed, stopped her in time: "Wait!"
The staff member was halted and looked up at him.
He pulled out two work badges from his suit pocket.
"See if we know each other. These are our work IDs! Look at the names, the faces, the companies we belong to. Are you sure you want to report a false alarm?"
Staff member: "??"
"We are family. We just have a slight disagreement about work."
"We have an important project to sign today, and she's being willful, refusing to return to cooperate with work. Are you going along with her foolishness?"
"You call the police? If you mess up my work, I'll report you to the police instead, believe it or not!"
Staff member: "..."
Since Pei Zongrui dared to grab someone in a public place, he had likely anticipated the worst-case scenarios beforehand.
He was prepared, and Pei Kexin knew it was useless to argue with him; she couldn't force her way, only outsmart him.
Seeing the staff member believe his lies, Pei Kexin had no choice but to give up struggling.
As she obediently walked out with him, she said,
"Alright, alright, I'll go with you. I won't argue with you anymore. My hand hurts, don't grip it so tightly."
However, Pei Zongrui ignored her conciliatory gesture.
Pei Kexin tried another tactic.
"I booked a room for three days, and my ID is still here. Since we're leaving, let me check out of the room first. Let go of me, I'll go back to my room to pack my things."
He didn't believe her and looked down at her.
"You came empty-handed yesterday, what important things could you have left here? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"
Pei Kexin: "My cosmetics, lingerie, and the like are all upstairs. I even bought a new pair of shoes last night. Who am I lying to!"
She spoke with such conviction and righteousness, appearing fully confident. Pei Zongrui looked at her for two seconds, then a funny thought suddenly struck him, so he chose to believe her.
"Alright, let's go back to get them now, I'll go with you."
"...Just going upstairs to get something, you have to follow too?"
"Is that not allowed? Unless you're guilty and planning something else."
"Pei Zongrui..."
"You like my name so much you call it. Go ahead and call me."
"..."
Her understanding of him before was too superficial; she only knew that apart from eating, drinking, and having fun, he had no ambition whatsoever.
Now, she suddenly realized he did have one merit – persistence.