CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 329: So You Thought I Wasn’t Sincere

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: So You Thought I Wasn’t Sincere

Qiao Rui was on the phone when she suddenly heard a faint sound. She immediately said in a low voice, "That’s it."

Hanging up the call, Qiao Rui lifted her gaze and looked behind her, only to see Pei Liyan watching her from afar, his eyes sharp.

Qiao Rui shrugged, silently deleted the call record, and walked toward him, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Looking at me like this—are you thinking I’m extraordinarily beautiful?"

"Yes!" Pei Liyan nodded. "Indeed, very beautiful."

He looked down at her, towering over her. The girl’s skin was porcelain-white and translucent, just like a doll, with long, dark, and dense lashes.

"Just a country girl," Qiao Rui said frankly. "Men always judge by appearance."

"Don’t women do the same?" Pei Liyan countered.

Qiao Rui replied, "Of course I do!"

Pei Liyan: "...."

"If you weren’t this handsome, I wouldn’t bother dealing with you." Qiao Rui said dismissively, "I’m a looks-driven person too."

"So, there’s no need for you to disdain me either," Pei Liyan said with a slight smile. "We’re kindred spirits in that regard."

Qiao Rui was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Even though you’re insulting me, I have to admit—no one’s perfect, so Mr. Pei, I’ll settle for you."

Pei Liyan’s lips twitched. "Am I an item for you to use?"

"More or less." Qiao Rui, knowing he was staring at her and she couldn’t act freely, shifted the topic. "Time to return to Qingcheng, isn’t it?"

"Just a couple more days," Pei Liyan replied.

"For the Song Family, you’re so invested?" Qiao Rui retorted. "Are you not even minding your own company anymore?"

"Concerned about my company?" Pei Liyan chuckled in response. "Or are you just hoping I won’t stay here in Liancheng?"

"If you want to stay, go ahead. I’m heading back to Qingcheng." Qiao Rui said, "The Qiao Family is still waiting for me. The eight hundred million you gave me—I won’t rest easy until it’s repaid."

"Oh?" Pei Liyan’s smile carried a hint of mockery. "You’re so self-disciplined. As your creditor, I’m quite gratified."

"So, does this mean I can go back to Qingcheng now?" Qiao Rui looked at him.

"Stay with me for a couple more days," he said. "The Song Family’s situation is dire, I have to stay here."

"Will your staying solve everything?" Qiao Rui countered.

"I have my plan," Pei Liyan said with a faint smile. "And for now, you’ll stay by my side."

"You’re so domineering." Qiao Rui shook her head and sighed. "Honestly, you and Song Xun would make quite the power couple!"

"Are you insulting me?" Pei Liyan raised an eyebrow.

Qiao Rui snorted softly, bowed her head, and said, "If you say so."

Suddenly, Pei Liyan said, "Look up."

Qiao Rui paused, then raised her head, meeting his handsome face. In that moment, the man’s deep gaze fixed on her, making her slightly dazed.

"What are you doing?" Qiao Rui asked.

"Why so nervous?" His voice was low. "Just taking a look at your eyes."

Could it really be that simple?

Qiao Rui hesitated for a moment.

"What’s so special about eyes?"

"Eyes conceal mysteries," he said with a smile.

Qiao Rui held her breath for a moment.

Pei Liyan chuckled softly, the corners of his lips curving up. "So, if you observe beyond the surface, what can you see?"

"Getting philosophical now?" Qiao Rui burst out laughing.

Unhurriedly, Pei Liyan said in his deep voice, "I thought, by seeing through appearances, you could reach the essence. Incremental changes lead to major shifts—once a certain threshold is crossed, seeing through becomes easy."

Qiao Rui suddenly felt her mind buzzing but quickly plastered a radiant smile on her face. "So what you mean is, you want to see through me via my eyes?"

Pei Liyan nodded slightly, his thin lips uttering one word: "Yes!"

Qiao Rui laughed again, her lips curving upward. "Simple, just be sincere and you’ll see right through me."

Pei Liyan’s gaze sharpened.

Qiao Rui added, "But remember, you need to use genuine sincerity."

Pei Liyan suddenly seemed enlightened. "So, you think I lack sincerity."

Qiao Rui gave no direct answer.

Pei Liyan’s lips tugged slightly, a faint trace of disappointment flashing in his eyes. He sighed. "I see, so that’s how it is."

Watching his look of disappointment tightened something in Qiao Rui’s chest.

Still, she spoke earnestly. "I’m not someone who easily opens up, and neither are you. At our core, we’re the same kind of person."

Pei Liyan’s pupils contracted as he fixed his gaze on her, perhaps understanding her guardedness.

When she returned to the Qiao Family, she wasn’t treated well.

During her less attractive days, he showed no particular interest. It was only after she blossomed that they ended up here.

Thinking back, her constant vigilance and lack of openness were her way of protecting herself.

Pei Liyan let out a wry chuckle. "You’re right. True sincerity for true sincerity."

Qiao Rui wasn’t sure if he truly grasped her point.

But she still hoped—she didn’t want him probing when she wasn’t ready to open up. When she felt safe, she would naturally tell him.

He didn’t press further and instead asked, "You really want to go back to Qingcheng?"

"Yes," Qiao Rui nodded. "Wasting time like this isn’t great."

"And being with me—is that wasting time too?" He raised his eyebrow in challenge.

"Romantic escapades are, in essence, just wasting time. Don’t you think so, Mr. Pei?"

Pei Liyan took a step forward, wrapping her waist in his arm, and looked down at her. "I think it’s a beautiful indulgence. When I’m with you, I don’t feel time wasted."

Qiao Rui laughed again. "Oh, an honor, Mr. Pei. But let me clarify—my fear is getting too addicted to being with you. So I constantly remind myself not to indulge in beauty too much, or else my kidneys might give out!"

Pei Liyan chuckled, "Still trying to avoid me, huh? Maybe staying by my side for a while will lead to unexpected rewards?"

Qiao Rui froze for a second, then studied Pei Liyan carefully. She noticed the deep intensity in his eyes, faint red streaks, slightly heavy eye bags, and the subtle tiredness etched in his features—a result of a sleepless night.

Her gaze lingered on him, captivated by his seriousness. After a long moment, she said, "I’m already accompanying you. But as the saying goes, ’If love can last for an age, why worry about fleeting mornings and evenings?’"

The meaning, round and round, was still about leaving.

Pei Liyan understood some matters couldn’t be rushed.

The more impatient he became, the more counterproductive the outcome might be.

With a slight smile, he said, "Alright, I’ll let you go back to Qingcheng first. I’ll stay here in Liancheng."

Qiao Rui was surprised. "You’re really letting me go back?"

"You make it sound like I’ve imprisoned you," he said with a chuckle. "Do you think Pei Liyan is the type to be unreasonable?"

Qiao Rui thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Occasionally, you can be unreasonable."

His grip tightened around her waist.

Forced to press against his chest, Qiao Rui lifted her face to look at him. "Just being honest."

"When exactly was I unreasonable?"

"At the Pei Family banquet," Qiao Rui said calmly.

Pei Liyan paused, recalling the day he danced with Qiao Xiang, and she instantly partnered with Pei Jibai.

He fell silent, gazing down at her, his eyes flickering with a mix of emotions.

Soon after, Pei Liyan’s voice grew hoarse. "I’m sorry."

Hearing an apology from him was rare. Though she didn’t really care, she had to admit—it felt good to hear it now.

"Haha, it’s alright."

"What about you?" he asked back.

"What about me?"

"Were you deliberately trying to provoke me by dancing with Jibai?" Pei Liyan questioned.

Qiao Rui’s face flushed instantly.

"Answer me!" The man demanded imperiously.

Qiao Rui giggled nervously, "Yep, deliberately provoking you. I’ve always believed in using someone’s own tactics against them. Of course, if someone treats me well, I repay them tenfold."