Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Pei Yuming turned to glance at the girl, asking for her opinion with his eyes.
Before the girl could answer, the crowd of onlookers in the train car refused to let it slide. A few young people who looked like college students spoke up. “Miss, don’t let him off! People like this will do it again once they get away with it. You have to take him to the police station and let the law punish him properly. If you’re scared of him, we’ll all go with you and testify.”
The girl’s gaze wavered between the Man in Black and the college students. Then she looked at Pei Yuming. Seeing so many people backing her up, she finally worked up the courage and nodded.
It was the same process of checking surveillance footage and giving statements, but because there were so many people this time, it took even longer.
Pei Yuming, however, was in no hurry. He had already made up his mind. At dinner tonight, he was going to lay everything out on the table.
There were still two hours before the meal. He could take his time and use the chance to sort through what he needed to say later.
This time, he bought the salt, but since Su Jin had arrived before him, Bai Xue had already started using some.
Still, Bai Xue was quite pleased. She teased, “Director Pei finally stopped treating my words like background noise!”
Pei Yuming set the supermarket bag in the kitchen. He forced a smile at Bai Xue and was just about to turn and leave when he paused. Then he turned back, wrapped his arms around Bai Xue, and said softly, “Honey, you’ve worked hard.”
Bai Xue froze. Then, as if suddenly embarrassed, she lowered her head. After a long moment, she looked up and gave Su Jin, who had seen the whole thing from by the door, a shy smile. Sweetly, she complained, “Oh, come on. Su Su is right here!”
Pei Yuming nodded to Su Jin before leaving the kitchen.
The doorbell rang immediately after. Pei Yuming went to open the door himself and saw Lu Dong standing outside with beautifully packaged bottles of red wine.
Pei Yuming invited him in and took the wine from his hands.
“You could’ve just come. You didn’t have to bring anything,” Pei Yuming said, greeting him with his usual friendly air. “Now you’re making it seem like we’re strangers.”
“Please,” Lu Dong said, lowering his head to change into a pair of slippers. “It’s not for you. I brought it for everyone.”
Pei Yuming smiled and pointed at him, then examined the bottles closely. Looking at the foreign letters on the labels, he praised, “This is good wine.”
Lu Dong raised his eyebrows. Pei Yuming seemed especially smooth-tongued today. He wondered if it was because people really did feel brighter on happy occasions.
He took one of the bottles from Pei Yuming and pointed to the mark on the neck, showing off. “Look here. ‘DOCG.’ Do you know what that means?”
Pei Yuming shook his head.
Lu Dong said proudly, “This is the highest classification of table wine recognized by the Italian government, and the production region is strictly regulated and certified. I specifically had someone help me order it two days in advance. Well? Can you see how seriously I take this big day for you and Bai Xue?”
Pei Yuming nodded, looking as if he had been enlightened and was genuinely grateful. “Then I really have to thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Lu Dong said, carrying the wine to the dining table. “No need for thanks. It’ll all end up in our stomachs later anyway.”
Just as Lu Dong was about to educate Pei Yuming on more red wine knowledge, the doorbell rang again. Bai Xue poked her head out of the kitchen and was about to call for Pei Yuming to get the door, only to find that he had already gone himself.
She raised her eyebrows. Director Pei seemed especially diligent today. She had to admit, he was making her look good.
The moment Pei Yucheng entered, he shouted, “It smells amazing!” Without even offering his brother a single auspicious word, he made a beeline for the kitchen, picked up a small half-bowl of freshly fried crispy pork from the counter, and started eating without the slightest hesitation.
Bai Xue turned around to get something from the fridge and nearly bumped into him. She smacked him lightly at once and scolded with a laugh, “Shoo, shoo. Move aside. Don’t get in the way!”
Pei Yucheng grinned and ran off with the bowl. With oil still on his hands, he tried to paw at the wine bottles, only for Su Jin, who was bringing out dishes, to chase him aside.
“Tsk, tsk, look how precious you are!” Pei Yucheng curled his lip and squeezed onto the sofa like a child. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, shouting as he chewed big mouthfuls of meat, “Sis-in-law, do you have any ice-cold Coke?”
Bai Xue turned and took a pack from the refrigerator. She was just about to bring it over when Pei Yuming stopped her and took it from her. “Go on with what you’re doing.”
Bai Xue smiled in relief and said softly, “Thanks.” Then she turned and went back to the kitchen.
Pei Yuming set the Coke on the coffee table and shot his younger brother a glare.
Pei Yucheng, utterly oblivious, ignored the rebuke completely and even started ordering his brother around. “Big Bro, get one out for me.”
Pei Yuming’s face finally went cold. He snapped, “Did you not grow hands of your own? You really think you’re a guest here?”
Pei Yucheng stuck out his tongue and was just about to do it himself when he saw his brother start tearing open the paper packaging. He immediately perked up again and reached out to take it.
In the end, his big brother did not even spare him a glance. He took out a can and handed it to Lu Dong.
“Thank you,” Lu Dong said politely as he accepted it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pei Yucheng sitting beside him with an awkward look on his face, so he turned and handed it to him instead. “You drink it. I’m not thirsty. Lao Pei, don’t fuss. We’re all family here. If I want one, I’ll take it myself.”
Pei Yucheng took the Coke and gave his brother a smug look. “Thanks, Dean Lu.”
Pei Yuming glared at him again, but finally said nothing more.
Still, it was strange. No one knew what had gotten into Pei Yuming this time, but he seemed especially annoyed with his younger brother. When he saw Pei Yucheng about to wipe his oily hands, fresh from grabbing fried pork, on the sofa, he nearly hurled the teacup in his hand at him. If Lu Dong had not stopped him, he really would have taught him a lesson today.
Pei Yucheng felt terribly wronged. His brother had never been this fussy before, so he could not help needling him. “What’s with you, Big Bro? Another patient file a complaint against you?”
How could Pei Yuming not hear what he was implying? With a snort, he tossed the tissue box on the coffee table into Pei Yucheng’s lap. “How old are you? You can’t sit properly, can’t stand properly. Good thing Xiaobei isn’t here. If she saw you like this, she’d laugh her head off.”
“What’s this got to do with Xiaobei? You’re the one overthinking it,” Pei Yucheng muttered.
“And you think you’re in the right?” Pei Yuming’s voice suddenly rose in anger, loud enough that Bai Xue and Su Jin, who were busy in the kitchen, both heard it and hurried out to see what was going on. “Do you know how much work it is to wash this sofa cover? Sure, it’s convenient for you to wipe your hands on it, but your sister-in-law has to spend an entire afternoon cleaning it!”
“Oh, come on.” As soon as Bai Xue heard that, she knew what had happened. This was hardly the first time this brother-in-law of hers had done something like this, and even someone with her impatient temper had gotten used to it. Still, Pei Yuming was defending her so fiercely this time that she was delighted deep down. She did not let it show, though, and instead spoke up for Pei Yucheng. “It’s such a small thing. You’re the big brother, so stop picking at him on such a happy day. Here, if you all have nothing to do, help Su Jin and me peel a couple heads of garlic.”
With that, she turned and brought three heads of garlic out of the kitchen, handing one to each of them. No one was allowed to sit around idle, lest they start arguing again.
And so, three middle-aged people whose combined ages exceeded a hundred and thirty gathered around the tempered-glass coffee table, lowered their heads, and silently began peeling garlic.
Bai Xue had started preparing this meal at noon. Later, with Su Jin joining in, the two of them worked nonstop until a little after five before they finally got all the dishes on the table.
“Why isn’t Xiaobei back yet? I’ll call her. You all sit down first.” Bai Xue took off her apron and was about to go get her phone.
Pei Yuming waved a hand. “Sit down. She’ll be here in ten minutes.”
Bai Xue looked puzzled. “How do you know? Did you text her?”