Chapter 41

Li Junfeng saw Pei Qian on the balcony right after he arrived. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

He flew to her side and crouched down, staring at her lovely face that he wished he could touch. The iPad on her hand slipped down to the floor and Pei Qian was surprised as she took it back and put it on the table.

She let out a small sigh. A pout naturally formed on her lips which were redder than usual. In the night breeze, her hair scattered around like a net that caught people's hearts.

Li Junfeng continued to stare with a smile. Until she mumbled something that shook him a little.

"Brother Li... Li Shaoze..."

When did this happen? She called his brother, brother Li?? Li Junfeng didn't know their relationship had progressed that far.

He stared at her eyes for a long time to look for answers. But came out with nothing. There was no affection in her eyes when Pei Qian said Li Shaoze's name.

'But there definitely was progress,' Li Junfeng thought.

Most love began with curiosity. Until it turned into affection. Li Junfeng felt it would take a long time for Pei Qian to be extremely curious about his brother. But now it seemed like he misunderstood.

'This is good...' he muttered.

"I won't get anything if I keep thinking about it," Pei Qian suddenly talked to herself. With a positive attitude, she closed her iPad and took out a shawl to drape it on her shoulder.

She planned to take a walk near the lake.

When she went downstairs, she saw her brother.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Taking a walk. Want to join me?" she smiled.

"I'd love to but I have to make a call for a while," Pei Zeyan said regretfully. Pei Qian laughed and left him behind.

Li Junfeng followed after her silently. As if he was a guardian angel looking out for Pei Qian wherever she went to. His head was filled with optimistic thoughts about his brother and Pei Qian's future relationship as he didn't realize she had stopped abruptly at one point.

Li Junfeng raised his brows and looked over, only to see Li Shaoze standing right before the lake surface. He looked like he was just out of a shower. His hair was a bit wet and slightly messy. He wore a white colored T-shirt with a black oversized cardigan.

Somehow, he appeared much paler than usual and the oversized clothes he wore made him look more frail. But Li Shaoze's temperament still remain cold. He stood tall like a boulder. As if there was nothing he was afraid of. But his back appeared lonely.

Li Shaoze didn't notice Pei Qian and Li Junfeng. He just stared at the water surface as if looking for something. His hands were inside his pants pocket.

Looking at the water, he couldn't help but reminisce something random about a pool party he once went to. He definitely wasn't a party people, but he had to attend it due to his client being one. In Country E, people were not so conservative and they liked to have fun the most.

Li Shaoze arrived at the party just to see a ghost playing in the water. She was a woman with long hair that covered most of her face. Her skin was whiter than snow and there were no eyeballs on her eye sockets. He suspected she must have died due to drowning and that was why she didn't leave the pool.

At that time, he was already so used to such a sight that he pretended not to see it. Li Shaoze felt that looking at such a scary ghost was much better than having to deal with the dead Li Junfeng who liked to go around and vanishing whenever he liked.

He was about to sigh when he heard a rustle near him. Li Shaoze naturally turned around and saw Pei Qian with Li Junfeng floating by her side. Seeing the two together, he suddenly felt his mood worsen for unknown reason.

Li Shaoze suppressed the strange emotions he felt as he chided himself. His lips pursed and his expression turned a degree colder.

Pei Qian who was about to say something, felt an unprecedented amount of dissatisfaction once she saw his expression. She misunderstood and took back the words at the tip of her mouth, then turned around to go back. Her attitude decisive, like how he had acted when he turned abruptly and left her earlier in the day.

Li Junfeng was shocked to see Pei Qian acting like this. She had never been vocal about her displeasure towards other people and would always act calmly the foremost. But now she just left- acting like she saw nothing and showing her attitude.

Before he could convince his brother to take action, Li Shaoze had beat him to it.

"Please wait a second," his voice wasn't loud but it was clear in the night.

Pei Qian stopped in her track and looked at him. He could see a trace of grievances in her eyes, along with a little bit of anger.

"I apologize for being rude to you earlier. I didn't mean it," Li Shaoze said sincerely. He knew he didn't have to apologize for anything since they weren't close. They didn't owe each other anything and he didn't have to consider her feelings.

But he felt like he had sinned when he saw her expression full of hope and a little bit of hurt when she turned around just now.

"We aren't that close for you to apologize like this. You did nothing wrong and I understand," Pei Qian said simply. Her voice was still the same as usual but there was a sense of detachment.

This tone of voice that seemingly suited for a stranger struck Li Shaoze in the heart and made him unable to breath.

He clenched and unclenched his hand inside his pants pocket, indicating how confused he was. He didn't look at Li Junfeng who was already beside him, nervously urging him to say something good and not offend Pei Qian.

Li Shaoze's eyes reached the grass and he couldn't get himself to look at her. But after contemplating for a while, he found the resolve and smiled. Pei Qian's heart beat faster when she saw him.

"I understand. I agree that we aren't close enough for me to apologize. But I still wanted to because I feel bad. Your family has been good to me but I just left without a word. I admit I was rude," it was his first time ever saying long sentences to anybody. So Li Shaoze felt awkward but he didn't show it.

Li Shaoze glanced at the lake once again. His smile that was so small now completely disappeared. A sense of loss washed over Pei Qian like a bucket of cold water.

Li Shaoze chuckled lowly as if belittling himself, "I wished we could turn back time since it has been unpleasant, from my part mostly,"

"What...?" Pei Qian was speechless. How was there a man in this world that wouldn't want to reach out at all? He didn't even want to try.

It looked as if he was resigned to fate. He didn't want to gain friends, didn't want to receive favor, didn't want to make some effort to better his current relationship with others.

"I'll go back now," Li Shaoze turned around and walked away. He ignored Li Junfeng's furious nagging by his ear because he simply couldn't fulfill his wish.

Pei Qian saw his retreating back getting farther away. For some reason, Pei Qian felt the stinging sensation in her heart once again. And it kept getting more and more painful the further he walked. She felt that he would really close himself off if she didn't do anything about it right now.

"Brother Li, don't go!"

This time, she decided to reach out first.