Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the third year of my relationship with Pei Zhan.

Then my mother suddenly called to pressure me into getting married.

“Zhu Siling, when are you and Pei Zhan planning to tie the knot?”

“Pei Zhan has no plans to propose to me yet.”

I frowned, thoroughly irritated.

My mother refused to let it go.

“If he won’t propose, can’t you propose to him?”

“You’re almost twenty-eight. What you need to do is hurry up and marry Pei Zhan. No career a woman pursues can compare to marrying a good husband.”

“When I was sick, if Pei Zhan hadn’t found a doctor to operate on me, I might have died years ago. And your father’s company would have gone under long ago without Pei Zhan’s help.”

“Pei Zhan is such a good man. You absolutely cannot let him slip away. When a woman needs to take the initiative, she should be a little more proactive.”

…

After hanging up, I sat dazed on the sofa for a long time.

I remained there until Pei Zhan came through the door. His lean, powerful arms wrapped around my waist, jolting me back to reality.

When I looked up, the handsome face that had once left me utterly spellbound slowly drew closer.

His beautifully shaped, thin lips moved toward mine.

As our breaths mingled, I caught the rich scent of roses-a fragrance that wasn’t his.

I had smelled it on him for three days in a row.

And yet, when he left that morning, he had still smelled fresh, like gardenias.

That was what I was thinking as I fell backward onto the sofa.

Pei Zhan leaned close to my ear, his voice hoarse with barely restrained desire.

“Was my kiss not deep enough? What are you spacing out over?”

I didn’t feel like humoring him. I kept my eyes closed and said nothing.

When Pei Zhan tried to take things further, I stopped his hand as it moved downward.

“I’m on my period today…”

My menstrual cycle had always been regular.

But Pei Zhan didn’t care much about me, so naturally, he wouldn’t remember.

He frowned and clicked his tongue before getting to his feet without another word.

A short while later, I heard water running in the bathroom attached to the bedroom.

I gathered the collar he had pulled open and let out a long breath.

As my eyes swept across the room, they landed on the phone he had left on the sofa.

The screen suddenly lit up with a new message.

I picked up the phone.

Someone in his group chat with his brothers had tagged him:

[If you’re going to break up with her, give me a heads-up. I’m actually pretty into her type.]

My heart jolted.

I listened carefully as the water continued to run in the bathroom.

Then I opened his group chat.

[Pei Zhan, what happened to you? You suddenly changed your tune. You actually stayed with this girlfriend for three years.]

[I guess he’s planning to settle down and get married.]

[Get married? I have no intention of that. To me, she’s just something to pass the time.]

[You may not, but you can’t guarantee the girl feels the same way.]

[Tsk. If she dares bring up marriage with me, I’ll dump her on the spot.]

The screen was filled with strings of “Hahaha.”

And then there was the message that had just popped up.

I blinked. The irritation I had felt moments ago suddenly turned into delight.

I had heard that every one of Pei Zhan’s ex-girlfriends received a massive breakup settlement as compensation when they split up with him.

My mother was right.

When a woman needs to take the initiative, she really should be a little more proactive.

I thought it was time to propose to Pei Zhan.