Chapter 33

Once the dinner was concluded, Pei Zeyan asked for Li Shaoze's number, taking this opportunity from when he had actually forgotten to ask for it when they met the first time before.

Li Shaoze felt that if Pei Qian had his number then naturally Pei Zeyan should too. So he gave him his business card.

There was nothing indicated on the business card except for his name and number, but the card itself was exceptional and made from special materials.

In return, Pei Zeyan also handed him his business card, it wrote his tittle indicating he was the current president of Pei Holdings.

"Ah, before I forget, we actually wanted to invite you over to our house for lunch. Since we're now neighbors we should get together more. What do you say?" Pei Zeyan was the one to open up the plan made by his mother.

He actually didn't want to get involved with his mother's enthusiastic and quite the one-sided plan but he knew his mother was serious in inviting Li Shaoze over. She never joked about something she would do. So he thought he should extend the olive branch in place of his mother.

When he heard that, Li Shaoze was blank. He didn't think things would escalate so much. At first, he was just accepting a dinner invitation, now he would be going straight to their home to dine together with the whole family?

Pei Zeyan saw his expression and just laughed. He then said, "It's just that our family knows you're Li Junfeng's brother who's also our new neighbor. So how could we pretend to be strangers? Just tell me when you're free. We can compromise on the date,"

Then Pei Zeyan dragged his little sister away. He came with his assistant right after the meeting and he had already asked his assistant to drive the car back. So he looked at Pei Qian for two seconds and she automatically gave him her car key.

"Let's go," he said. Then they drove away.

His eyes were fixed in front of the road but nobody should be able to hide from his observant eyes. Once they were already moving far on the road, Pei Zeyan started.

"You were the one who invited him?" he asked, looking for confirmation.

"I did. You thought it's the other way around?" Pei Qian was confused.

"No. I just thought it's weird. You wouldn't be so friendly to a person you just met," he naturally knew her so well.

"But he's Junfeng's older brother," Pei Qian reasoned, trying to keep her calm.

She didn't know why she was trying to be calm. Was she nervous unknowingly?

Pei Zeyan hummed and didn't say anything. He understood Pei Qian. She was someone who wouldn't be close to a stranger so abruptly. It took time to get to know her. But once she got closer to someone, she would be the first to hold out a hand.

"I think it's good to know Li Shaoze. He's Junfeng's older brother and even though there are rumors about him, it shouldn't be a reason for us to be prejudiced against him," Pei Zeyan said. He was also interested in Li Shaoze. When he knew Li Shaoze was actually in contact with the higher-ups from Quze Industries, his interest was further piqued.

"I know," Pei Qian gradually found her bearing as she nodded.

"How did you guys meet? I thought you were visiting uncle," Pei Zeyan asked another question, his tone neither inquisitive nor heavy. He was just curious about it.

Pei Qian was suddenly reminded of Qin Meili and she didn't hide anything. When Pei Zeyan heard her recount, he began to piece things up together.

Qin Meili... she was Quze Industries chairwoman. She must have something to do with Li Shaoze. Even the higher-ups seemed to have some relationship with Li Shaoze.

"My guess is that he's the blood related nephew who should have been the new chairman of Quze Industries," Pei Zeyan said after some consideration.

"Are you serious?" Pei Qian asked, dubious. Her eyes wide, indicating her disbelief. So it wasn't a case of different person with the same name after all?

"Sis, you didn't see it but I know. Chairman Liu Gang was with him back then,"

"But Quze Industries and Li Group are enemies!"

"Didn't you hear? President Li seemed to want to get a partnership with Quze Industries. He was asking around and news travel fast," Pei Zeyan said.

Although their family wasn't involved in the same industry, the business community was still small after all. The upper circle barely made up of 2% of population in the whole country. So it was natural for any venture or partnership between upper rank families to become an open secret.

Still, the fact that Li Shaoze was the future chairman of Quze Industries still made Pei Zeyan amazed. His instinct was usually never false. He was confident of his own conclusion.

Who didn't know about Quze Industries? That giant was the best at handling their business relationship and contracts. They had many subsidiaries outside of the country and all around the world. They had gone global even before others tried to get their start-up running. To say that Quze Industries was massive was an understatement.

***

Li Shaoze was inside the car while Zhu Zijin was driving in front. The atmosphere was quiet and Li Junfeng still hadn't said anything.

When they finally arrived home, Li Shaoze began to give instructions to Zhu Zijin. He told him that he would assume a temporary position in Quze Industries headquarters but he wanted it to be extremely low-key. He still didn't want to be exposed so soon. He hoped the peace would last for quite some time.

"Junfeng," he called Li Junfeng once Zhu Zijin was out of sight.

"Huh?" Li Junfeng snapped out of his trance.

"What's wrong?"

"No... nothing. Maybe I just missed her too much these days so seeing Pei Qian actually surprised me," Li Junfeng knew not to hide anything from his brother so he confessed awkwardly.

Li Shaoze fell silence. Somehow, he had a feeling that Li Junfeng wasn't telling the whole truth. He suddenly felt an unknown emotion surge through but he didn't know what it was. He felt that Li Junfeng should be the one sitting and having dinner with the Pei siblings, not him. He knew his existence was so out of place.

There wasn't supposed to be a place for him. Like he had robbed something from Li Junfeng. Li Junfeng must feel vexed to see the three of them dining together like nothing happened. He must feel forgotten and lonely.

"I'll be in the study," Li Shaoze turned around and disappeared instantly. He didn't want to show such a complicated face in front of his dead brother.