Pei Donglai's heart was in turmoil. The last thing he expected had happened; he could hardly believe that his sister had developed feelings for the Captain.

He knew that Lin Xiao had always taken good care of him and his sister and was aware that Lin Xiao had helped his sister out many times. Moreover, Lin Xiao had always treated his sister as if she were his own.

Pei Donglai looked at Pei Yanzi with a complex expression. "Yanzi, you know that Brother Lin is already married, right?"

If Lin Xiao were still unmarried, Pei Donglai certainly wouldn't say anything. After all, Lin Xiao was indeed someone worth entrusting one's life to. But the problem was that he was already married, and his wife was the foremost beauty of Jinling City. No matter how you looked at it, his sister stood no chance.

Pei Yanzi knew what her brother wanted to say and nodded with a pained expression. "Brother, I know Brother Lin is married," she said through tears. "I... I don't have any inappropriate thoughts. I just like him. I want to see him. I know it's not ethical, but... but I can't control my heart."

Pei Donglai let out a deep sigh. He didn't know how to comfort her.

He knew this was the first time his sister had fallen for someone.

They fell silent for a while.

Pei Donglai sighed and said, "Yanzi, you have to bury this love deep in your heart. The Captain loves his wife very much, and you've seen how beautiful she is. I know this is the first time you've liked someone, but not all feelings lead to a happy ending. Do you understand?"

Pei Yanzi nodded through her tears.

Su Qingning's heart was also in disarray. It was late, but Lin Xiao had not yet returned. Although she had gone to bed early, she now found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

She didn't even know what was wrong with her. All she could think about was Lin Xiao. She wasn't worried that Lin Xiao would do something reckless with Chu Xiangxue; she just missed him. Yes, that was it. She missed him. But Su Qingning didn't realize that this was the feeling of missing someone. Having never been in love, she didn't know what it tasted like, let alone what it truly felt like to miss a person.

Right now, however, she felt a little gloomy, so she got up and left the villa.

The vast villa was silent. It seemed that Shao Mei'er and Shen Jingzhe were already asleep. Su Qingning walked to the pavilion in the courtyard, rested her chin in her hand, and stared blankly at the bright moon. The whole villa was quiet—or perhaps, the entire world was. It was as if nothing else existed between heaven and earth. Suddenly, Su Qingning felt a pang of loneliness. In her entire life, not even when her father passed away, had she ever felt this way.

At this moment, her mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Xiao: how they first met, when they got their marriage certificate, the times he cooked for her, and the countless occasions he had stepped forward without hesitation in the face of danger... The more she thought, the more her heart churned. She didn't know what was wrong with her. How could Lin Xiao occupy her every thought after just a few hours apart?

The sudden sound of brakes at the villa's entrance, followed by an engine shutting off, made Su Qingning jolt. The feeling of loneliness vanished instantly, replaced by an inexplicable surge of joy. She quickly got up and walked toward the villa's entrance.

Soon, the front door opened, and Shao Mei'er's enchantingly beautiful face appeared. Su Qingning froze. A wave of immense disappointment washed over her. So it was Shao Mei'er, not Lin Xiao.

Shao Mei'er was slightly startled when she saw Su Qingning, but she quickly put on a charming smile. "Madam, it's so late. Why aren't you asleep?"

"It's nothing, I just can't sleep," Su Qingning replied nonchalantly.

Shao Mei'er smiled. "Are you going for a walk around the complex?"

Su Qingning nodded.

"Come on, I'll go with you. I can't sleep either!" Shao Mei'er said with a smile.

Su Qingning asked back, "Aren't you tired?"

"Yes, I'm tired, but Madam, this villa complex is huge, and you're so beautiful. Even though the security is good, I worry about the what-ifs. If something were to happen to you, the Master would kill me!" Shao Mei'er said with a laugh.

Without waiting for a response, she took Su Qingning's arm and led her out of the villa. Su Qingning's face flushed, feeling a little hot. She naturally knew the 'Master' Shao Mei'er spoke of was Lin Xiao.

Strolling through the quiet residential area, Su Qingning remained silent. Although she had moved into Hidden Dragon Villa some time ago, she had never really taken a good look at the place. As she walked with Shao Mei'er, she realized just how luxurious and impressive Hidden Dragon Villa's construction was. And it was all the handiwork of the young woman beside her.

Honestly, Su Qingning suddenly felt a pang of envy for Shao Mei'er. They were about the same age, yet Shao Mei'er was already capable of independently managing such a massive project, while she was still struggling with a small bar. It was true what they said: comparison is the thief of joy. Su Qingning had never believed in fate, but at this moment, gazing upon the entirety of Hidden Dragon Villa, she started to. Her thoughts then drifted to Su Qingfeng, who would be marrying into a wealthy family in a couple of days. She would surely use her new in-laws' influence to make things difficult for her.

At these thoughts, Su Qingning let out a faint sigh.

"Madam, you seem to have something on your mind," Shao Mei'er asked with a smile.

Su Qingning shook her head. "No," she said calmly.

"Did the Master bully you?" Shao Mei'er stopped and asked.

"No, Lin Xiao has never bullied me."

"Then why did you sigh?" Shao Mei'er asked curiously.

Su Qingning shook her head again. "I was just thinking about a few things."

"They must not be good things, otherwise you wouldn't look so troubled, Madam. Why don't you tell me? I'd like to think we can be considered friends, right?" Shao Mei'er said with a smile.

Su Qingning was taken aback. Friends? Am I friends with Shao Mei'er?

Seeing Su Qingning's hesitation, the astute Shao Mei'er naturally knew what she was thinking. With a charming smile, she said, "Of course I consider us friends, Madam. Unless, you don't want to be friends with me?"

"No, it's just... I feel a bit unworthy," Su Qingning said in a low voice.

Su Qingning wasn't one to feel inferior. But at this moment, she genuinely did. Here was the young lady of the high and mighty Shao Family, already managing such a massive project at her age, while she couldn't even run a small bar properly.

Shao Mei'er's dewy eyes widened. "Madam, what are you talking about? Do you have any idea how much I envy you?"

Envy me? What is there to envy about me? Su Qingning looked at Shao Mei'er skeptically.

Shao Mei'er said, "You're self-reliant and strong, with great integrity. After suffering so much unfair treatment, you've stayed true to yourself. That's incredibly rare. After all, with your looks, you could have had plenty of men willing to give you everything, but you chose not to. Most importantly, you have the Master's love—all of it. Isn't that more than enough to make anyone envious?"

Su Qingning fell silent. And yet, the image of Lin Xiao only grew clearer in her mind.

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