On the way home, the man did not ask about Tang Xiaoyu.
He did not even speak much.
The still and silent atmosphere in the dark car made Pei Ge slightly awkward.
For some reason, she just wanted to say something.
“Ziming, how are the kids at home? Are they already asleep?”
Her light cough broke the silence.
“Mhm. They’re already asleep,” he replied succinctly.
She was slightly taken aback by his response because she understood how difficult it was to coax those two to bed.
Bedtime stories must be read to them before they would sleep.
“You read bedtime stories to them?”
She looked at him in surprise. With the man’s handsome yet cold face, she did not think him capable of coaxing children to bed and even telling them bedtime stories.
“I did.” The man nodded at her in response.
“What story did you read to them?” The woman was suddenly curious because the storybook she left on An An and Ran Ran’s bed featured several fairy tales for children.
“…Cinderella,” softly replied the man after a prolonged silence.
Even if he was expressionless, she could clearly sense the struggle in his eyes when he mentioned the story’s title.
“Pfft!”
She let out a laugh and grinned as she observed the man’s side profile.
Seeing that aloof yet perfect face, all the gloominess in her heart disappeared without a trace.
All the negative emotions that she had for her best friend were gone because of the man.
“Cinderella… Sometimes, I feel that I’m just like that fairytale character.”
She raised her head slightly as she leaned back on her seat and looked at the night scenery with a complicated gaze.
She was surrounded by numerous people who were helping her find happiness.
Pei Ge did not expect this light sigh of hers to invoke Ji Ziming’s reactions.
“You’re not Cinderella.”
Red light. The car stopped.
His words were like a basin of cold water splashing at the woman and waking her up.
“Huh?”
Baffled, she looked at him and asked, “Why?”
“Because I’m not a prince.”
A brilliant smile appeared on her face at the simple reply.
“Ha ha ha!”
She laughed for a long while before stopping.
She then focused an intense gaze on the man.
“Ziming, do you think I’m really dumb?”
The corners of her lips curled into a helpless smile. “I treat Xiaoyu and Zhengrong with double standards, and though I clearly know that my best friend… might be lying to me, I…”
She did not continue speaking and merely smiled helplessly.
“No, you aren’t dumb but just too kindhearted.” The man stopped the car by the roadside and turned to look at her. “But Pei Ge, sometimes, I hope that you’ll be nastier. Like this, you won’t be at a disadvantage and won’t be hurt.”
