CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 230: Walking on the Edge of Tentativeness

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Walking on the Edge of Tentativeness

Shocked, Qiao Rui looked at Pei Liyan, whose gaze was calm. He was truly a man of great insight.

Muyu had just had an abortion two days ago, a medical abortion, and she would probably bleed for many days.

What she needed most now was rest and recovery, and her complexion didn’t look good.

She couldn’t even bring herself to talk about it.

And yet Pei Liyan had figured it out.

Sensing Qiao Rui’s astonished look, Pei Liyan smiled faintly and said, "It’s quite rare, she seemed to take a liking to you at first sight."

Qiao Rui’s heart skipped a beat, and she replied, "Maybe my charm is just too great. It’s hard for people not to like me when they meet me."

"You’re quite confident," Pei Liyan observed the woman who was laughing unrestrainedly.

"Of course," said Qiao Rui, "I was so ugly then, and Mr. Pei chose to marry me. That gave me a lot of confidence."

"Does that mean I’m the chief culprit then?" Pei Liyan raised an eyebrow.

Qiao Rui nodded, "Of course, if it weren’t for the confidence you gave me, Mr. Pei, I wouldn’t be this happy now."

"Happy?"

"Miss Song took a liking to me at first sight, didn’t she? I’ve made a new friend, how could I not be happy?" Qiao Rui’s smile was radiant.

Pei Liyan’s cool gaze fixed on Qiao Rui, and suddenly, he grasped Qiao Rui’s hand. "Are you sure it’s just a case of taking an immediate liking?"

Qiao Rui’s heart trembled.

What did he mean by that?

Was he testing her, or had he really perceived something?

"What else?" Qiao Rui asked, feigning indifference, and tried to withdraw her hand.

Having her hand held by a man like this, Qiao Rui was worried she might sweat from being too nervous.

At this moment, He Lan and Qiao Xiang returned together.

Qiao Xiang caught sight of Pei Liyan holding Qiao Rui’s hand, the two of them very close together.

Qiao Rui was struggling, trying to pull her hand away, but Pei Liyan was holding it tightly.

Qiao Rui was afraid that if she made too much of a fuss, it would give away some of her own secrets, so she stopped struggling and let Liyan hold her hand firmly.

Qiao Xiang’s gaze was fixed on their interlocked hands.

For a moment, a strong wave of jealousy surged up in her, making her particularly irritable.

The hand that was hooked through He Lan’s arm tightened slightly out of agitation.

"Ouch!" He Lan gasped in pain, "Sister Xiang, why are you pinching me?"

Qiao Xiang was taken aback and quickly said, "I’m sorry, He Lan, I didn’t do it on purpose."

"It really hurts!" He Lan was having a particularly unlucky day, not having expected to be pinched by Qiao Xiang, she was impatient and irritated, filled with a sense of defeat.

"I’m sorry." Qiao Xiang lowered her voice, "I’m just so annoyed thinking about these things. I pinched you in a moment of agitation."

He Lan was annoyed too.

She followed Qiao Xiang’s gaze and saw Pei Liyan and Qiao Rui, close together, looking very intimate.

She felt anger that had nowhere to go; she had intended to make Qiao Rui embarrassed today.

Instead, she was the one who ended up looking bad.

Thinking of this, He Lan felt very agitated.

Qiao Xiang was also extremely irritated, her resentful gaze resting on Pei Liyan.

Hadn’t he chosen Qiao Rui on a whim?

Hadn’t he been without feelings for Qiao Rui?

Yet, why was he holding Qiao Rui’s hand in public?

Displaying affection to the extent of stirring up Liancheng.

Resentment, jealousy, annoyance, regret, a whirlwind of emotions tangled together, burning inside Qiao Xiang’s heart, and she suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"They sure are loving."

Upon hearing this, He Lan followed with a cold snort, "Show off love all you want, but the quicker it’s flaunted, the quicker it ends."

Qiao Xiang forced a smile for her, "How could they possibly break up? They just got married. Lanlan, don’t be childish. Don’t bother Qiao Rui, haven’t you seen how many people are protecting her?"

"Hmph, I’ll wait for that Qi Yun to leave before I speak," He Lan said. "Without Qi Yun here, let’s see how much of a fuss Qiao Rui can stir up!"

A cold glint flashed in Qiao Xiang’s eyes, but she spoke, "No, absolutely do not provoke her anymore. Sister, I really don’t want to see you get unlucky."

"Xiang sister, you’re so loyal. I will definitely stand up for you. I can’t let them bully you like this," He Lan promised earnestly.

"Lanlan, don’t say that. I was also really worried when I saw you being bullied today."

"It’s nothing," He Lan didn’t mind it. "That Qi Yun, she’s not much better than me. When you encounter someone who’s reckless, you’d better avoid them."

Qiao Xiang didn’t expect He Lan to be not such a hothead.

She also had her own ideas.

The two quickly walked to the table and sat down.

He Lan stopped talking and was indeed much more behaved than before, but she just stared at Pei Liyan, not speaking.

Being stared at like this, Pei Liyan’s gaze shifted, and he glanced at He Lan before opening his mouth, "He Lan, why do you look so pale?"

He Lan was startled and remembered how her legs had gone weak with fright, and said, "Big Brother Pei, speaking of which, that Qi Yun is a lunatic."

Pei Liyan saw her full of anger and realized she still wasn’t obedient enough.

She had been scared at the moment, but she hadn’t truly changed her ways.

"Really?" Pei Liyan asked indifferently, "What did she do?"

"She wanted to ruin my face," He Lan immediately complained to Pei Liyan, seeing his concern for her. "She actually wanted to scratch my face."

Pei Liyan carefully looked at He Lan’s face and said casually, "It looks fine to me."

"She didn’t dare to really do it!" He Lan protested, not convinced. "She was just trying to scare me, thinking I was really afraid."

Qiao Rui frowned.

He Lan really did need a lesson.

It seemed that the previous lesson wasn’t enough to scare her, deep down she still believed no one would really dare to touch her.

"He Lan, you’d better behave," Pei Liyan said sternly. "Some people you just can’t provoke."

"Big Brother Pei, you’re actually speaking up for an outsider," He Lan was shocked again.

"If you don’t listen and end up with your face ruined, there’s no place to buy regret medicine," Pei Liyan reminded her once again.

He Lan was stunned for a moment and then said with knitted brows, "I know. I’m not that stupid, and I won’t let someone just butcher me like that."

Pei Liyan looked at her still defiant and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

This girl, truly spoiled, needed to experience some hardship.

At that moment, Qiao Rui whispered to Pei Liyan, "Let go of me."

Pei Liyan’s gaze fell on their clasped hands, and he casually let go, saying to her, "The banquet is about to start!"

"I know," Qiao Rui didn’t intend to leave, but seeing He Lan and Qiao Xiang opposite her made her feel nauseous.

Especially Qiao Xiang, since her return, she hadn’t spoken a word, just staring intently at Qiao Rui with a particularly complicated look in her eyes.

At that time, Song Muyu, looking pale, came from a distance with Qi Yun’s support.

Behind them followed Fang Mo.

The three of them seemed not to have returned together but one after another.

Song Muyu returned to the dining table.

Qiao Rui glanced at her worriedly but didn’t dare to speak because of the sharp man sitting beside her.

Pei Liyan looked at them and cracked a faint smile.

Qi Yun glanced at He Lan and Qiao Xiang.

Both of them lowered their heads simultaneously, neither looking at Qi Yun.

Qi Yun let Song Muyu sit down and went to get her a cup of hot water.

"Miss Song, have some hot water!"

"Thank you!" Song Muyu smiled and thanked her.

Qi Yun shook her head.

This scene of interaction caught Pei Liyan’s eyes, and the man imperceptibly raised his eyebrows.

Pei Liyan spoke lightly, "Miss Qi wasn’t originally with Miss Song, was she?"