CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 45 Loosening Clothes and Unfastening Belts

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Loosening Clothes and Unfastening Belts

Pei Liyan’s eyes darkened as he fastened his belt.

"Liyan!" Qiao Xiang saw him fastening his belt and was stunned for a moment, a flash of astonishment in her eyes. Had Pei Liyan actually been undressing in front of Qiao Rui just now, in this room?

She couldn’t believe it. How could that be possible?

"Don’t you know to knock before entering?" Pei Liyan said coldly with displeasure.

Qiao Xiang came back to her senses and hurriedly explained, "Oh, it was because Qiao Rui didn’t close the door, so I just walked in. I thought you must have changed your clothes by now."

"There’s no need." Pei Liyan spoke indifferently, "Qiao Rui dried them for me. I don’t like wearing clothes prepared by others."

Qiao Xiang paused, then said, "I’m not ’others,’ Liyan. Must you really draw such a clear line between us?"

Pei Liyan looked at Qiao Xiang with a half-smile but remained silent.

Qiao Xiang mustered her courage again. "We were good friends before. Just because you’re married now, does that mean we can’t be good friends anymore?"

"Mhm," Pei Liyan nodded.

Qiao Xiang felt a tightness in her heart, not knowing what Pei Liyan’s indifferent "mhm" really meant.

She deliberately ignored it and said, "We are relatives now, even more closely related."

Pei Liyan shrugged, his expression very languid, "If that’s how you want to put it, sure."

He glanced at Qiao Xiang and said casually, "I didn’t expect Qiao Rui to have such a position in the Qiao family. There’s nothing in this room. Is this how the Qiao family treats Qiao Rui?"

Qiao Xiang was taken aback and quickly said, "How could that be? Grandpa is very fond of Qiao Rui. It’s just that you’ve come back unexpectedly today, and we didn’t have time to prepare!"

"So, you mean to say that Qiao Rui and I are being intrusive by returning?"

"No, Liyan, that’s not what I meant. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll talk to Grandpa and make sure to prepare everything for Sixth Sister," Qiao Xiang said.

Pei Liyan glanced at Qiao Xiang and spoke indifferently yet firmly, "I was hoping it’s not a misunderstanding because otherwise, in the future, Qiao Rui and I won’t be visiting the Qiao family."

"Don’t say that!" Qiao Xiang stood in front of Pei Liyan, her expression very anxious, "I’ll arrange everything for you, I promise it will all be taken care of."

If Pei Liyan wouldn’t let Qiao Rui come back, he wouldn’t either.

She absolutely wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

But why would Pei Liyan stand up for Qiao Rui, that bumpkin? What exactly was he trying to say?

"Then the lady has quite the task ahead," Pei Liyan said before walking out.

"Liyan!" Qiao Xiang hurried after him, and in her agitation, grabbed the sleeve of Pei Liyan’s shirt to stop him from leaving.

Pei Liyan frowned slightly and looked at Qiao Xiang.

She pursed her lips, gathered her courage, and didn’t let go.

He just watched her without expression. "What are you trying to say, Miss?"

"Liyan, I know you’re angry with me. Do you really have to address me like this?" Qiao Xiang’s bright eyes misted with moisture, making her look pitiful.

She still held the pants she had prepared for him in her other hand.

"So how should Miss prefer I address you?" Pei Liyan asked with a faint smile, "Dear Aunt? Or like Qiao Rui, just call you ’sister’?"

"No!" Qiao Xiang shook her head.

Those designations were so jarring; none of them were what she wanted.

She just wanted to go back to the past.

To that time when she was almost Pei Liyan’s girlfriend.

She felt that he surely had liked her.

Pei Liyan’s expression was calm, and his gaze fell upon Qiao Xiang’s hand holding onto the cuff of his shirt, exerting a formidable presence.

Qiao Xiang was taken aback by that intense look, and without realizing it, she retracted her hand.

She held the box tightly against her chest and said softly, "Liyan, you used to call me Qiao Xiang, or just by my name."

Pei Liyan just casually affirmed with a "Mhm!"

He reached for the door handle, and Qiao Xiang panicked and quickly asked, "Liyan, are you happy with Qiao Rui?"

Pei Liyan was about to leave, but his steps halted again. He turned to look at Miss Qiao and said indifferently, "Why would you ask that?"

Qiao Xiang gave a bitter smile and said, "I thought you chose Qiao Rui carelessly."

Pei Liyan explained earnestly, "No, I took it seriously."

Qiao Xiang pulled at her lips, "I don’t believe you. You can deceive others, but not me."

Pei Liyan shrugged and swung the door open, then added, "We shouldn’t be chatting alone in this room, lest people think I have something going on with Miss Qiao."

Qiao Xiang was taken aback, not expecting him to clear the air like that.

To avoid suspicion, he wouldn’t even stay a moment longer.

Following him out, Qiao Xiang still whispered, "I thought you’d choose one of the other cousins. I never imagined that you would choose Qiao Rui."

Pei Liyan stepped out and, standing in the corridor, turned to Qiao Xiang and said word by word, "Qiao Rui is very good. I don’t like it when all of you talk to me with that tone."

He was defending Qiao Rui again.

Qiao Xiang was tempted to point out a few of Qiao Rui’s flaws but caught herself just before the words left her lips.

She couldn’t speak ill of Qiao Rui.

Because Pei Liyan wouldn’t like it.

Even Qiao Yufei, who had just reached the second-floor corner, overheard this and was surprised, her mouth agape.

Pei Liyan was defending Qiao Rui.

He was protecting Qiao Rui in secret, places unseen, without even caring about the eldest sister?

Qiao Yufei was confused.

She had thought that Pei Liyan choosing Qiao Rui was to anger the eldest sister, who had always been so self-assured, always looking down on everyone.

Even on the day of the bride-selection event, she confidently didn’t attend.

Now, having unintentionally overheard the conversation between Pei Liyan and the eldest sister, Qiao Yufei was nothing short of shocked.

Could it be that he didn’t care about the eldest sister either?

Qiao Yufei quietly went downstairs.

At this moment, Qiao Rui was no longer in the room. After discussing Pei Liyan’s request with the patriarch, she had slipped out to enjoy the garden scenery.

Competing in beauty with her sisters was meaningless.

She might as well enjoy the rivalry of beauty outdoors.

After descending the stairs and not finding Qiao Rui, Qiao Yufei was surprised. Only after asking her sister did she find out that Qiao Rui had gone out.

She also chased out of the house and, indeed, found Qiao Rui in the garden, clad in pink.

At that sight, one couldn’t even say she was dressed up; it was simply an eyesore.

She frowned disdainfully and walked over, calling out from a distance, "Qiao Rui!"

Qiao Rui stiffened, not expecting Qiao Yufei to come out as well.

She had clearly seen Qiao Yufei going upstairs just a moment ago, so why had she come down so quickly?

Wasn’t Pei Liyan her target?

Qiao Rui mumbled to herself but still turned around, calling out, "Second sister!"

"You fool, why are you here admiring flowers all alone? Didn’t you see the eldest sister chatting with your husband upstairs?" Since Qiao Yufei couldn’t have Pei Liyan, she certainly didn’t want Qiao Xiang to have him either.

Now, she felt that Qiao Rui, the bumpkin, didn’t seem so bothersome anymore.

"My husband?" Qiao Rui was stunned, struggling to get used to the term.

"Yes, Pei Liyan!" Qiao Yufei said, "You run out to enjoy the flowers and don’t even keep company with your husband."