Chapter 25: Meng Qing

Pei Baoyuan had assumed that when her brother, Pei Zongnian, told Ms. Song Xuanling that he would meet his blind date, it was merely an excuse to brush her off. After all, her elder brother was buried in work, and it was a luxury to see him even once a month.

She never expected that he would actually go, and that he would even bring back such good news.

Pei Baoyuan had long known that Meng Qing would eventually be her sister-in-law, but seeing her in person in their own living room still caught her off guard. Goodness, her brother was fast.

Meng Qing looked just like her photos: gentle, graceful, and possessing the kind of features that made one feel at ease.

Ms. Song Xuanling was beaming with such joy that her face seemed ready to crack. She introduced them, "Yuanbao, this is your brother’s girlfriend, Meng Qing."

"Hello, sister Baoyuan, I’m Meng Qing," Meng Qing said, standing up with a smile and extending her hand.

Pei Baoyuan had a bit of a visceral reaction to that form of address; the last person to call her that was Ke Xianbai. However, she had a wonderful impression of Meng Qing, so she replied with great affection, "Hello, sister-in-law, it’s so nice to meet you."

Meng Qing lowered her head, blushing at the title. She felt very warmly toward Pei Baoyuan as well, and indeed, toward everyone in the Pei family. It was clear that they were people of great breeding and were very easy to get along with.

"Ahem!" Pei Zongnian interjected from the side, "Don't go calling her that."

Pei Baoyuan, unfazed, pulled Meng Qing down to sit beside her. "Why not? It’s only a matter of time anyway." She winked at Meng Qing. "By the way, sister-in-law, just call me Yuanbao, like Mommy does. And don’t listen to my brother—he’s always like this, so stiff."

Pei Zongnian: "..."

His audacious younger sister was badmouthing him right in front of his girlfriend—his future wife, no less. He glared at Pei Baoyuan, his tone heavy with warning: "Pei Baoyuan, you..."

Before Pei Zongnian could finish, Pei Baoyuan put on a sugary, affected voice and leaned into Meng Qing’s arms. "Sister-in-law, look at my brother~"

Pei Zongnian gritted his teeth. "...You’re unbelievable."

Meng Qing hugged Pei Baoyuan and chided him, "Why are you picking on your sister?"

Pei Baoyuan, safe in her embrace, stuck her tongue out at Pei Zongnian and made a face. It was wonderful to finally have someone who could keep her brother in check. More importantly, now that he had finally found a partner, she was determined to see them live a loving, inseparable life forever.

Meng Qing’s arrival was welcomed by everyone in the Pei family; even Pei Jianguo, who rarely smiled, let out a few hearty laughs that evening. The two women got along wonderfully, occasionally going out shopping or grabbing a bite to eat. Pei Baoyuan felt that her brother hadn't just found her a sister-in-law, but a best friend. Thinking of this, Pei Baoyuan felt particularly cheerful lately. Her work was going smoothly, her family life was fulfilling, and everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

...

Ever since Pei Baoyuan had warned Huo Yanci, he had stopped interfering with her work in the open, though he would occasionally stir up minor trouble behind the scenes. Fortunately, it was never anything significant.

Aside from hosting the singing competition, Pei Baoyuan had taken on a new role: a permanent host for an entertainment variety show. The program focused on games and lighthearted fun, though in reality, most of the artists appearing on it were there for promotional purposes. With its high exposure and lack of a heavy script, it was a fantastic resource for her.

Unfortunately, Song Yiren was among the guests for this recording.

Pei Baoyuan was part of the entertainment industry, but her work had clear limitations. As a newcomer to hosting, she occupied a different lane than Song Yiren, so they rarely crossed paths. However, Pei Baoyuan felt she knew a great deal about Song Yiren—after all, the live-streamed comments provided a constant, minute-by-minute broadcast of Song Yiren’s daily life, even exposing the most private details. It was as if Pei Baoyuan were viewing her through a lens of total transparency.

The two met at the elevator bank. The building had only two elevators, and one had an "Under Maintenance" sign standing in front of it, leaving Pei Baoyuan no choice but to wait for the other. With people constantly moving up and down the floors, the elevator was agonizingly slow. It was then that Song Yiren appeared.

[Ahhhhh, little Song!]
[Little Song is so unlucky, having to record a show with that vicious antagonist again.]
[Our little Song has had such a miserable time lately. A few days ago, she was inexplicably replaced in a role, and several endorsements that were almost finalized were given to others. Wuwuwu.]
[The male lead has lost his mind lately, only caring about Pei Baoyuan, completely unaware of how poorly our baby Yiren has been treated.]

Pei Baoyuan raised an eyebrow. With Song Yiren backed by Huo Yanci, the fact that she was being replaced and seeing her resources downgraded was quite significant.

Pei Baoyuan spoke up, "Miss Song, we meet again."

Song Yiren, hidden behind dark sunglasses, didn't reveal her expression. She gave a cold, dismissive grunt without even turning her head. Pei Baoyuan didn't bother to keep pushing; she had only wanted to show basic courtesy. Until the elevator arrived, Song Yiren kept her head bowed, staring at the floor, her eyes unreadable behind the opaque lenses.