Sheng Qianchi felt that he had teased her enough; the woman in front of him was on the verge of being angry out of embarrassment. He smiled and picked up a cheese shrimp ball for her, "Eat more." Gu Jiayin knew when to stop. She accepted the shrimp ball, ready to finish the breakfast. But damn it, that man went further to add, "You worked hard last night." For more chapters visit novel fire.net With a "bang," a box of tissues was thrown at the man’s face. The tissues scattered, drifting down like snow. The elegant and noble man, though hit in the face, showed no anger at all. Instead, he laughed joyfully, the laughter resonating in his chest, even causing his shoulders to bounce up and down. The rising sun gradually illuminated the mountains, as well as the vast ocean. Layer upon layer of waves were coated with a charming golden hue. Pei Nianchen finally withdrew his gaze from the sky. When he turned around, it seemed like sentiments from a thousand years had settled in his eyes. The pain from the gunshot wound on his shoulder made him gradually clear-headed. His face was very calm, without any expression, as he drove slowly along the road back. The car drove into the shaded road in the suburbs, where the sunlight filtered through the swaying leaves, casting dappled shadows that flickered across his face. After a night drenched in wind and rain, his heart was soaked through, cold without a trace of warmth, but his mind was finally clear. He wanted Gu Jiayin and would never give up. Although she was now going in the opposite direction from him, he would pull her back, even if it took a lifetime. He simply couldn’t leave those sixteen years behind, what could he do? At the intersection ahead, there was a parked taxi, and next to it stood a woman. A woman so familiar that it couldn’t be mistaken. She wore loose jeans, a black shirt, flat leather shoes, slender and elegant. Pei Nianchen slightly frowned, stepped on the accelerator, drove over, parked by the roadside, rolled down the window, and called her, "Xiya." Seeing Lu Xiya again, his heart was full of guilt. He had muddled through seven years, forgotten her in her most difficult times, and hadn’t given her any support; he was ashamed to have been her childhood friend. Upon seeing Pei Nianchen, Lu Xiya beamed a bright smile, turned to the taxi driver, said something, and the taxi drove off. She ran with small steps to Pei Nianchen’s car, "Brother Nianchen." "Hmm," Pei Nianchen casually opened the passenger door, "Get in." Lu Xiya had a straightforward and carefree nature; although Pei Nianchen had embarrassed her that day, once things had passed, she didn’t hold onto them. Seeing Pei Nianchen again, she still felt friendly. She sat in the car with a smile, subtly inspecting Pei Nianchen up and down, and finding nothing particularly off with him, her tense mind slightly relaxed. She had come deliberately to find him. Having grown up together, with her understanding of him, she had guessed that he would come to Shuiyunjian, even though there had been a storm last night. Pei Nianchen hadn’t thought so deeply, "What are you doing here?" "Waiting for you, of course." Pei Nianchen suddenly turned his head, puzzled, "Looking for me, is something wrong?" Lu Xiya feigned light-heartedness and laughed, "Came to see if you’re going to die for love." Pei Nianchen paused for a moment, then let out a soft snort, started the car, and he appreciated Lu Xiya’s warmth and goodwill. Some people, though not family, establish a profound familial bond. No matter how words are said or expressed, they can make one feel warmth. He knew that Lu Xiya must be worried about him, not having slept well for the whole night. "I’m fine," he said, stepping lightly on the pedal, and the car slowly drove back onto the highway. After the rain, the world was fresh and moist. Lu Xiya closely observed Pei Nianchen’s face; indeed, he looked very unwell, deep circles under his eyes, clearly having not slept the entire night. He loved Gu Jiayin deeply; after what happened yesterday, his mood was extremely gloomy. With a gunshot wound to the shoulder, he refused hospital treatment, let alone ran to Shuiyunjian to feel up close that the woman he loved belonged to another man. His actions last night were essentially a form of self-punishment. He was deliberately tormenting himself. "Brother Nianchen," Lu Xiya said, "some things should be let go." "Xiya," Pei Nianchen kept his eyes on the road, driving steadily, and didn’t directly reply to her, "I’m sorry, for neglecting you in the past seven years. When you were in the most difficult time, I was nowhere to be found." Lu Xiya pursed her lips, a smile forming, "I don’t blame you, I understand." She understood his pain—the kind of pain when the sky crumbled and the earth shattered—forgetting her was only natural. In the beginning, she thought the person secretly protecting her was Pei Nianchen, but later she learned it wasn’t him, and she wasn’t very disappointed. Later, she realized that the person who had been protecting her all along refused to reveal themselves, thinking it must be an old friend of her father’s, who didn’t dare to show up out of fear of getting into trouble, considering at that time the Lu family had offended Qin Zhennan. Pei Nianchen, however, blamed himself greatly, "It was my fault." He sighed deeply, "Last night I thought about many things. It’s my fault, I’m not worthy of Jiayin. She abandoned me for a reason, because I’m truly not good enough." He said, "You, Yachen, Jiayin, and I—we four should have supported each other throughout our lives. Yachen is gone, I should have taken good care of both you and her, but I terribly failed to do anything for either of you." Yes, he felt awful, seven years ago, when Gu Jiayin disappeared, he followed in painful gloom and didn’t properly handle anything she might have cared about afterwards. For instance, taking care of Lu Xiya, or preserving the things she cherished during her life. Seven years later when they met again, he still hadn’t done anything meaningful for her and instead brought trouble to her. After causing trouble, he left. It was too awful, so awful it made him want to kill himself.