CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 168 Men Crave Novelty

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Men Crave Novelty

"Why do you seem so reluctant?" Pei Liyan appeared to have some reservations about her tone and attitude.

Qiao Rui was taken aback, then turned to look at the man sitting beside her. His distance was neither too far nor too close, demonstrating some restraint and gentlemanliness.

"There’s no reluctance," Qiao Rui muttered softly. "I would just be afraid that if I lack self-awareness, you’d make fun of me again."

"Am I the kind of man who likes to make fun of women?"

Qiao Rui nodded. "You like to make fun of me."

Pei Liyan was startled, not expecting to have given her such an impression.

"You seem to do the same," he retorted without any courtesy.

Qiao Rui was startled again, then she chuckled.

Following that, Pei Liyan also laughed.

Their gazes met for a moment.

Suddenly, Pei Liyan asked, "Where did you go after coming out of the secret room?"

Qiao Rui’s smile faded slightly. "What if I don’t want to say?"

Pei Liyan seemed to have anticipated this response, saying, "It’s fine if you don’t want to say."

She was taken aback again, not expecting him to be so easygoing.

Many things seemed unexpected, at least better than she thought.

Qiao Rui turned to look ahead, saying, "Still, I will hold myself to one standard: as your wife, I won’t mess around with any other man, I’ll keep that bottom line."

Pei Liyan frowned, "As for you and Jibai, I don’t trust you."

"It doesn’t matter if you trust me," Qiao Rui said.

We might as well just get a divorce, she thought; after all, it had already been proposed, though he didn’t agree in the end.

"Stop thinking about the divorce," Pei Liyan said.

At that moment, a phone rang.

He took it out to see, and it was the Pei family butler calling from the old house.

Pei Liyan answered on speakerphone, and the butler’s voice came through.

"Young Master Yan, the test results for the old lady’s health check are in. We have to thank the young mistress this time; without her suggestion, the old lady might have been delayed."

"Is that so?" Pei Liyan looked toward Qiao Rui, then asked the butler, "How are the results?"

"The doctors say the old lady has myositis," the butler informed.

"Myositis?"

Qiao Rui was also taken aback, her expression immediately becoming much more serious.

"They say it’s an acute or chronic inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by viruses. The old lady’s recent stress has also affected her liver. Besides that, her high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels are worse than last time."

"Is she hospitalized?" Pei Liyan asked back.

"Yes," said the butler. "The old lady hasn’t verbally thanked the young mistress, but she also hasn’t spoken ill of her anymore."

"Got it, I’ll go visit the hospital later," Pei Liyan said.

"Alright, Young Master Yan."

After hanging up the phone, Pei Liyan turned to Qiao Rui, "Thank you."

"No need to be polite," Qiao Rui responded. "Don’t worry, your grandmother doesn’t have anything serious. Myositis is treatable; it’s just that at her age, and with her nasty temper, it really can affect her liver."

"She brought it upon herself," Pei Liyan said without much sympathy, seemingly not having much affection for the old lady.

This made Qiao Rui feel that his relationship with his grandparents might not be very good.

If it were good, he wouldn’t have been so rebellious, choosing to marry her.

Qiao Rui smiled awkwardly.

Pei Liyan said, "By the way, accompany me on a business trip next week."

This time, Qiao Rui was somewhat surprised, "Where to?"

"Liancheng, I’m attending a friend’s engagement party," he said.

He was actually going to take her to Song Xun’s engagement party.

Her mouth fell slightly ajar, and after half a minute of silence, Qiao Rui said, "If you take me with you, what if I can’t help but embarrass you?"

Pei Liyan sat on the swing set with her, both looking at the scenery ahead, and he said lightly, "Taking my MIster there, even if you embarrass me, I’ll tolerate it."

Qiao Rui: "....."

"You should have some discretion. It’s someone else’s engagement party; no one will be there to trouble you," Pei Liyan said. "So naturally, you won’t be provoked."

"Thank you, Mr. Pei, for thinking so highly of me," said Qiao Rui coolly. "I’ll try my best, but I don’t know your friends. Isn’t it rather presumptuous to attend uninvited?"

"My woman, attending with me, that’s the greatest sign of respect to the others," Pei Liyan said.

Qiao Rui: "......"

"That’s settled then. Have Jiang Jinfeng prepare a few outfits for you," Pei Liyan said. "I’ll have Si Ran make the arrangements."

Before Qiao Rui could speak, the man pulled her up: "Let’s go, time to eat."

After dinner, Pei Liyan had to go to the hospital and unexpectedly asked Qiao Rui to accompany him.

She felt it wasn’t appropriate to go with him; if she couldn’t restrain herself, she might aggravate the old lady’s condition, which would be a sin.

But Pei Liyan saw her hesitation and said, "You can wait for me in the car, no need to meet anyone."

Qiao Rui, speechless, asked, "Can’t I just stay at home?"

"No," Pei Liyan frowned. "We need to deepen our understanding of each other now. How can we do that without spending time together?"

And so, Qiao Rui was taken to the hospital by the man.

He went to the ward to see the old lady, and she stayed in the car.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he left, someone knocked on the car window.

Qiao Rui looked up to see Qiao Xiang. Dressed in professional attire and high heels, she seemed to have come straight from the office after work.

Qiao Rui opened the door and spoke indifferently: "Big sister, what’s up?"

Qiao Xiang was full of indignation, her words laced with cold mockery. "I really underestimated you. Your abilities are indeed strong, Little Six, to be able to leave the secret room after being locked in for a few days."

Qiao Rui smiled faintly: "Sorry to disappoint you, big sister, I didn’t die in there."

Qiao Xiang’s face darkened instantly, her fingers tensing so much she almost pierced her own palm.

After a brief silence, she said coldly, "What on earth did you do to make him so infatuated with you?"

Qiao Rui realized Qiao Xiang was ready to tear off the pretenses. "You’ll have to ask Pei Liyan that."

Seeing Qiao Rui now, who indeed looked more beautiful than before and whose sense of style had improved significantly, Qiao Xiang felt a bitter taste rise in her heart. A country bumpkin like her has no chance of turning into a phoenix.

She wouldn’t allow it.

Especially since Pei Liyan’s worth was only suitable for her.

"No matter," Qiao Xiang sneered twice. "He won’t love you. He’s probably just interested in your appearance. Men, they just want a sense of novelty."

Qiao Rui frowned and then chuckled lightly, "Right, big sister, men are all about novelty, so why worry? You two have known each other for so many years; the novelty has long since worn off."

"You!" Qiao Xiang scolded angrily, her face contorting. "Are you showing off to me?"

"Not at all," Qiao Rui replied, just as a call came through. It was from Pei Liyan.

With a swipe of her finger, she answered the call right in front of Qiao Xiang.

His voice was still husky: "I’ll be back soon. If you’re bored, you can get out of the car and take a walk. There’s a supermarket near the inpatient building."

Qiao Rui said, "Got it."

On the other end, Pei Liyan seemed to sense something off in her tone and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Qiao Rui lightly responded, "It’s nothing. I know. Let’s hang up."

Pei Liyan paused. "Alright then, I’ll take you shopping when I’m back."

After hanging up, Qiao Rui looked at Qiao Xiang: "Big sister, if you want to see Pei Liyan, better go upstairs now, or you won’t be able to meet him later."