Volume One, Chapter Thirty-Six: Bloodstained

"Gently—" Pei Jingmo rushed over in a few steps, carefully gathering Song Qingyu, along with her blanket, into his arms.

"It's all right now, nothing will happen. I'm here. Don't be afraid." He tried to remove the blanket, but Song Qingyu shook her head and wrapped herself even tighter. "No!"

"It's me..." Song Qingyu was lost in her own emotions, nothing could reach her. Her mind was filled with the image of her mother lying on the bed, breathless.

Pei Jingmo kept calling her name, comforting her. After quite a while, Song Qingyu finally loosened up, lifting a corner of the blanket.

Her eyes were red, tears hanging at the corners, making her look so pitiful and heartbreaking. He gently wiped her tears away with his fingertips. "Don't be afraid..."

Song Qingyu looked at Pei Jingmo, unable to hold back her emotions any longer. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and burst into tears.

The more vulnerable one feels, the more one wants to rely on someone.

Xie Liuzheng was gone.

She thought there was no one left in the world she could depend on, no one who cared for her. But when she turned, Pei Jingmo was right behind her.

Pei Jingmo sat on the floor, pulling her onto his lap, gently patting her back to soothe her.

As her emotions gradually settled, Song Qingyu softly pushed Pei Jingmo away. "I'm sorry. I must have made a fool of myself."

Pei Jingmo touched her head. "Being afraid of thunder isn't something to be ashamed of. When I was a kid, I was afraid of bugs!"

Seeing Song Qingyu's surprise, Pei Jingmo smiled. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Song Qingyu nodded.

Pei Jingmo carried Song Qingyu to the bed and warmed a cup of milk for her.

"Can you tell me why you're so afraid of thunder?"

Actually, Pei Jingmo already knew the reason; Chu Xingzhi had told him recently. But he wanted to hear it from Song Qingyu herself.

Song Qingyu cradled the milk, gazing out the window at the sky.

The rain that day was even heavier than today, lightning and thunder filling the sky, the clouds so dark it seemed the whole city would be swallowed.

"Mother was in a bad mood then. I won first place in an art competition and got two perfect scores. I wanted to show my grades to her, to make her happy."

Song Qingyu sank into deep memories.

"Mother..."

She called several times, but her mother never responded.

Opening the door to the bedroom, she saw her mother lying on the bed covered in roses, wearing a long white dress, asleep.

Yes.

At first, she thought her mother was simply sleeping.

But later, no matter how she called, her mother wouldn't wake. Her mother's wrist had been slashed with a craft knife, blood staining the sheets.

"My mother died. Song Yanfeng cheated on her when she was pregnant with me. She was deceived by Song Yanfeng for over ten years, until he brought Liu Yue'e and their children home. Only then did my mother understand."

Song Qingyu couldn't help but cry, and Pei Jingmo did not interrupt, quietly listening.

"My mother couldn't bear the blow. She took her own life while I was at school."

Song Qingyu let out a bitter laugh, her eyes filled with hatred. "But Song Yanfeng not only showed no remorse, he even said it was unlucky for my mother to die in bed. He smashed or burned everything she had used."

Song Qingyu tried desperately to stop him. Liu Yue'e and Song Xinrui grabbed her arms, restraining her.

She could only watch as they erased everything that belonged to her mother.

After that, if it weren't for fear of others saying Song Yanfeng was heartless, he wouldn't even have let her go to school.

Later, she met Chu Xingzhi, thinking he would be her salvation.

But unexpectedly, Chu Xingzhi cheated too, just like Song Yanfeng.

She hated cheaters—she would never forgive one her entire life.

Back then, Song Qingyu was only eleven or twelve. Thinking of her collapse, helplessness, and despair, Pei Jingmo felt a deep ache in his heart.

"I learned a new idiom these past few days."

Song Qingyu, eyes still brimming with tears, looked at him. "What is it?"

"'When misfortune reaches its limit, good fortune will follow.' You've already been through so many bad things. Everything you meet from now on will be good."

Pei Jingmo's comfort was as earnest as he was, but it warmed Song Qingyu's heart.

"Meeting you is pretty good."

The unconscious words stirred Pei Jingmo's heart, leaving him restless.

Song Qingyu suddenly noticed Pei Jingmo's clothes were wet. "Did you just get back?"

"No, I was just taking a shower—"

He heard her cries, and without even drying off, he threw on his clothes and rushed over.

She lowered her eyes, her heart fluttering. "Pei Jingmo, you really are a good person."

Pei Jingmo: "..."

The thunder grew fainter. Song Qingyu was exhausted but afraid to sleep.

Pei Jingmo carefully laid her on the bed. "Sleep. I'll stay here with you."

"No need. You have work tomorrow. Go rest early."

"I'm fine."

Song Qingyu was about to speak when Pei Jingmo, calloused hands gentle, covered her eyes. "Good night."

The unique scent on Pei Jingmo, mixed with the fragrance of gardenia laundry detergent, was just the kind of smell that calmed her.

She slowly closed her eyes.

Once Song Qingyu was asleep, Pei Jingmo walked over and called Fu Linhan.

"She said I'm a good person."

"Pfft—" Fu Linhan, in the middle of drinking, spat out his wine. "Oh no, you got the 'good guy' card. Song Qingyu won't ever like you."

"Do you want to die?"

Hearing the displeasure in Pei Jingmo's tone, Fu Linhan wasn't afraid of being beaten from the other end of the phone, so his voice was particularly cocky.

"I really thought better of you. Alone together, I figured you'd be showing off your masculine prowess to Song Qingyu. Didn't expect you haven't made a move yet."

"What do you know? I want her to willingly sleep with me."

"Then you'll be waiting a while. She and Chu Xingzhi were so in love, but they never slept together before marriage."

Pei Jingmo's expression stiffened. "How do you know?"

"Isn't it obvious? If Song Qingyu had slept with Chu Xingzhi, would he have cheated?"

"Heh..."

Pei Jingmo blew out a smoke ring. "A man who wants to cheat—even if you feed him delicacies every day—he'll still think garbage outside smells better. What does that have to do with my baby?"

"Fine, fine, your baby is the best, your baby is wonderful. Keep it up."

Pei Jingmo coldly hung up, his dark eyes lingering on Song Qingyu's bedroom for a moment. After brushing his teeth, he walked back into her room.

The next day.

When Song Qingyu woke up, she found her hand being held by a warm, large palm.

She sat up and saw Pei Jingmo asleep by the bedside.

As soon as she moved, he woke up.

"You're awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

Perhaps feeling stiff, Pei Jingmo patted his arm and stretched.

Song Qingyu looked at him, a strange emotion flooding her heart. "You stayed by me all night?"

"Yes."

He seemed to think nothing of it, and left the room as soon as she was up.

When Song Qingyu came out again, breakfast was ready.

After breakfast, Pei Jingmo was about to leave when Song Qingyu couldn't help but call him. "Jingmo—"

Pei Jingmo turned. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

Pei Jingmo smiled slightly. "I'm your husband. Everything I do for you is of my own free will. As long as you're happy, that's all I want."

Something in her heart was stirred. Song Qingyu touched her chest, feeling the wild thumping of her heart.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Xie Liuzheng calling.

"Qingyu, have you heard about the Early Autumn Art Treasures Auction this time?"

"No, what's the matter?"

"I heard your scumbag father is putting your mother's most famous work, 'The Smiling Girl,' up for auction!"