Chapter 196 The Ruthless Patriarch 5 (2/2)

The movement was so fast that it even knocked over the wine glass next to it.

The crystal-clear glass slammed onto the thick carpet with a dull thud, and the remaining deep red wine quickly seeped into the expensive wool fibers, spreading a dark red hue.

"Mo Zhi?"

The old man next to him spoke up in confusion, but Pei Mozhi seemed not to hear him.

His gaze followed the disappearing figure intently, his heart pounding in his chest, the headache he had been forcibly suppressing long since taken away by her departure.

It even sparked an almost instinctive urge in him to catch up with her.

For the first time, he felt that it was damn pleasing to the eye that a woman threw a tantrum, turned her face away, and left.

He took long strides and ran straight towards the direction where Zi Xi had disappeared.

The gate closed, shutting out the noise inside.

Zi Xi's figure was not far ahead, her skirt swaying in the light and shadow.

Pei Mozhi quickened his pace unconsciously. He almost blurted out her name, the two words rolling on his tongue with an urgency that even he himself found unfamiliar.

“Zhao... Zixi.”

Just as he was about to catch up and even see a few stray strands of hair falling from the back of her neck, Zi Xi suddenly stopped.

She didn't turn around, but stopped, wondering why Pei Mozhi had asked her to do something.

This pause was extremely brief, yet it acted as an invisible barrier, instantly creating distance.

Pei Mozhi also stopped in his tracks, only two or three steps away from her.

Only the heavy breathing of the two remained in the corridor.

"What's up?"

Zi Xi slowly turned around.

The light from the wall lamp shone from the side, illuminating half of her porcelain-white face.

Zi Xi's expression remained almost indifferent and calm, her eyes as deep as an ancient well without the slightest ripple.

They didn't even show the slightest curiosity about the malicious glances they received at the banquet earlier.

It was as if he were just an insignificant stranger.

How can this be?

But all the words that Pei Mozhi wanted to say were frozen in place under the gaze of those eyes.

Understanding a person is so difficult; for the first time, he desperately wanted to hear someone's innermost thoughts.

Perhaps Pei Mozhi's desire was too strong, because he seemed to actually hear her voice in the empty corridor.

After eating something sweet, I'm craving something spicy.

The voice was clear and crisp, without any inflection.

Want something spicy?

Pei Mozhi's Adam's apple bobbed.

All the words that the relatives wanted to say about the dinner party seemed pale and superfluous.

In the end, he just looked at her, his gaze complex and unreadable, carrying a hint of frustration that even he himself was unaware of.

"Would you like something else to eat?"

He had just uttered a few words.

Zi Xi's phone vibrated unexpectedly in her pocket.

It stood out clearly in the quiet corridor.

She lowered her eyes almost immediately, her long eyelashes concealing all emotions in them, and took out her phone with utmost naturalness.

As soon as the screen lit up, Pei Mozhi's gaze began to wander unintentionally.

The above contains only text information.

[You brat, where have you been? You're not answering your phone!]

Zi Xi replied to the message promptly, indicating that she was married and living with her husband outside.