Shen Lingyi looked in the direction of the door opening and saw Pei Yubai at the door.
Pei Yubai walked into the room and stood next to Shen Lingyi: "Mom, what brings you to the film set?"
Shen Lingyi nodded her chin at the cake on the table.
The cake wasn't big, the cream was white, and the words "Happy Birthday" were written on it in chocolate. The handwriting was crooked, so it must have been written by Shen Lingyi herself.
"Today is your father's birthday, you didn't forget, did you?"
Pei Yubai shook his head. "I was planning to take leave after recording the show today to go home and celebrate my dad's birthday."
Shen Lingyi immediately grasped the key point. "Originally? What about now? Don't tell me you're busy with work."
"I just asked your director, and we're still in the casting stage; filming hasn't even started yet."
" Xiao Xu knows about our family's situation; it's impossible for her not to let you go back. I've also asked your agent about your schedule, and it's entirely possible to avoid conflict."
"In the past, you would have gone back long ago. What's wrong with you now? You're not even home for your father's birthday, such an important day?"
Birthdays may not be that important to other families.
But it's very important in the Pei Family.
Shen Lingyi is a person who values rituals, but not overly extravagant dates like one-month anniversaries. She values the days that should truly be remembered.
Neither the Pei Family nor the Shen Family has a large number of members.
The "not many" here refers to direct descendants.
Although everyone is used to referring to them by their respective companies, the Pei Family and Shen Family are not simply companies.
This is something the general public is unaware of.
They are a true family.
Many people may confuse the difference between wealthy families and established families, thinking that wealthy families and established families are the same thing, and that wealthy families are the same as established families.
But that's not actually the case.
There is a fundamental difference between wealthy families and established clans.
This is why Pei Yubai's circle is considered the most core circle within the aristocratic circles.
Because Shen Family and the Pei Family are essentially aristocratic families.
Shen Lingyi and Pei Zhongkang were also from prominent families.
In short, wealthy families value "money and power," while established families value "family traditions and heritage."
Those who become rich overnight can also join the ranks of the wealthy, but established families need generations of accumulation.
Compared to scions of established families, so-called "second-generation rich" are really no different from nouveau riche.
The difference between the two is that wealthy families may be able to reach this stage in a short period of time, while established families take at least five generations, or even more than ten generations.
Among aristocratic families, it is common for them to have existed for centuries.
If wealthy families are nouveau riche who have suddenly become powerful, then established families are nobles who have accumulated wealth over time.
Established families place greater emphasis on cultivating talent within their clans.
Just like Shen Lingyi and Pei Zhongkang, the reason why Pei Yubai's family environment is so good, without any so-called mistresses or illegitimate children, is because of the extremely strict family education that Shen Lingyi and Pei Zhongkang gave him from childhood.
Of course, there is also the reason that the two have a strong relationship.
The direct descendants of the Shen Family and Pei Family were indeed not very numerous in the generation of Shen Lingyi and Pei Zhongkang.
Therefore, Shen Lingyi taught Pei Yubai from a young age that he should not miss his grandparents' birthdays.
As for their own little family, although there aren't such strict requirements, they still have to go home for anyone's birthday when they have time.
Pei Yubai usually goes home early.
Even if they're too busy, they'll send a message in advance and then rush back on their birthday.
However, Pei Yubai did not send a message home this time, so Shen Lingyi made a cake and arranged for a private plane to come over.
Pei Yubai didn't Shen Lingyi directly. He glanced around the room, not seeing his father, and asked, "Mom, where's Dad?"
Since his mother flew to Jiangcheng, it's impossible that his father, who seems inseparable from his mother, didn't come along.
Sure enough, Shen Lingyi said, "I went to pick out a restaurant as soon as I got off the plane. I heard that the Linjiangyan Guanchen private kitchen restaurant in Jiangcheng is pretty good, and the River Wine Vessel Manor also has a good reputation in the industry. I told him to go and choose one. You can go straight to a restaurant for dinner after you finish filming later."
Pei Yubai nodded.
Neither of them felt there was anything wrong with having the current head of the Pei Family do such a thing.
Shen Lingyi glanced at him. "Trying to change the subject? I'm asking you a question, why are you so quiet? What's making you not even care about your father's birthday?"
Pei Yubai walked behind her and massaged her shoulders. "No, Mom, I remember, it's Yuanyuan."
As soon as the word " Yuanyuan " left her lips, Shen Lingyi turned her head sharply. "What happened to Yuanyuan? He asked you to go find him? Then why are you still standing here like a wooden stake?"
Pei Yubai opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Shen Lingyi didn't give him a chance to speak at all, "How could I have given birth to such an idiot like you? Hurry up and go find Yuanyuan!"
"You should hurry and take the private jet we used to come here. You should be able to navigate to Cloud-Hidden Town; it should be quick to fly there now. I'll call your dad; we'll treat this trip to Jiangcheng as a vacation. His birthday is nothing compared to his daughter-in-law."
As she spoke, she took out her phone and started scrolling through her contacts. When she looked up, she saw Pei Yubai still standing there dumbfounded.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up! Go and get yourself ready, don't go to see Yuanyuan looking all disheveled."
Pei Yubai, somewhat amused and exasperated, pressed down on Shen Lingyi's hand that was tapping on her phone. "Mom, don't rush, let me finish."
Shen Lingyi's gaze swept over, carrying a hint of "You'd better give me a reasonable explanation for your dawdling."
Pei Yubai withdrew his hand and stood obediently in front of her. " Yuanyuan came to Jiangcheng to see me. She arrived yesterday. I've been with Yuanyuan the whole time, so I forgot to message you."
Shen Lingyi's finger stopped on the phone screen, and she paused for a moment.
As she looked at Pei Yubai's face, her eyes gradually brightened, as if someone had lit a lamp in her eyes.
She put her phone down on the table, where it made a crisp sound as it hit the surface, but she ignored it.
"What did you say? Yuanyuan came to Jiangcheng?" Shen Lingyi's voice rose a little, her barely suppressed excitement overflowing.
Pei Yubai nodded.
"He came to see you? Didn't you go to pick him up?"
Pei Yubai shook his head. " Yuanyuan came by herself. She arrived yesterday and then came to the filming location to find me."
Shen Lingyi stood up from the sofa, took a couple of steps around the room, then stopped, turned to look at Pei Yubai: "Where is he? Where is he now? You left him alone in the hotel? How could you leave him alone in the hotel?"
Pei Yubai opened his mouth, but she cut him off again. "Has he eaten? What did you eat last night? Is he comfortable in his hotel room? Is the bed hard? Did he say anything that made him uncomfortable?"
Shen Lingyi kept asking questions, and Pei Yubai couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Mom," Pei Yubai called out.
Shen Lingyi finally stopped and looked at him.
" Yuanyuan is at the Listening to the Waves Mansion, with the production crew."
After listening, Shen Lingyi sat back down on the sofa. She picked up her phone, then put it down again, picked it up again, and put it down again. "Can I see him now? Will it disturb his recording?"
She really likes Qiguan Yuan.
I thought it would be a while before I could see Yuanyuan, but I didn't expect to see her so soon.
Pei Yubai thought for a moment, "He's probably playing right now. Yuanyuan would probably be happy to see you."
Shen Lingyi immediately stood up again. "Then let's go."
Pei Yubai glanced at her, then at the cake on the table. "Where's the cake?"
Shen Lingyi walked over, picked up the cake, looked at the crooked "Happy Birthday" words on it, and closed the cake box.
"I made this cake, but it didn't taste good, so I brought it to you. You can't give it to Yuanyuan."
Then she thought for a moment and asked Pei Yubai, "I remember Cloud Islet River Flavors is in Jiangcheng, right? Your father brought some pastries from that shop back for me to try before, and they were really good. Why don't you arrange for someone to order another one?"
"Oh, and order some other pastries while you're at it, just in Yuanyuan likes them."
Pei Yubai a message to his assistant, asking him to come over.
When the assistant arrived, Pei Yubai told Shen Lingyi that he had already ordered pastries from this shop for Qiguan Yuan, and that Qiguan Yuan Shen Lingyi n't really like overly sweet pastries.
Shen Lingyi nodded.
After Pei Yubai's assistant arrived, he learned that the assistant had already ordered pastries from Cloud Islet River Flavors and asked him what the most expensive cake was like.
The assistant recalled for a moment and said, "It should be limited to five seasonal, one-of-a-kind pastries per month."
He remembered this especially clearly.
Because one costs 12880.
When the assistant heard this, he was so poor he cried.
This is almost half a month's salary for him.
Shen Lingyi was somewhat uncertain. "Limited-time offer? Does that mean it won't be available anymore?"
Pei Yubai said casually, "There should still be some. Dad bought Cloud Islet River Flavors pastries because you liked them. They keep these limited editions."
Cloud Islet River Flavors will indeed keep one in case the Pei Family suddenly needs it, as Pei Zhongkang said. Only after confirming that the Pei Family doesn't need it will this one be sold.
The assistant, in a daze, took the 100,000 yuan that Shen Lingyi had transferred to him and went to Cloud Islet River Flavors.
The two people went out the door.
Shen Lingyi walked ahead, her pace much faster than usual. Pei Yubai followed behind her, walking slowly but with long strides, just enough to keep up.
Shen Lingyi went straight inside as soon as she arrived at the scene.
She wore a well-tailored dark blue dress with a light gray cardigan over it, and flat shoes. As she walked, the hem of the cardigan was lifted slightly by the wind.
She walked very fast, and Pei Yubai had to quicken his pace to keep up.
Meng Xu was sitting behind the monitor, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold.
He was wearing a wrinkled T-shirt today, his hair was unkempt, and he was slumped in the chair, looking as casual as if he were in his own living room.
His gaze swept across a row of screens as he hummed a song whose name he didn't know, completely off-key, without realizing it himself.
When Pei Yubai walked up to him, he looked up, the coffee cup stopped at his lips, and the humming stopped.
His gaze passed over Pei Yubai and landed on the woman in the dark blue dress behind him.
The chair made a sharp thud, and he jumped up, his knee hitting the edge of the table. The coffee cup on the table wobbled, spilling a few drops, but he ignored it.
He stood very straight, with his hands hanging at his sides and his back ramrod straight, like a primary school student meeting the headmaster.
" Auntie Shen, what brings you here?" Meng Xu's voice was a half-tone higher than usual.
Shen Lingyi waved her hand. " Xiao Xu, where's Yuanyuan?"
Meng Xu straightened his back a little more. " Teacher Qiguan is inside the mansion, recording a program. He should be..."
He glanced at the screen, but before he could finish speaking, Shen Lingyi had already turned away.
She took a step toward the mansion's gate, her skirt swaying slightly at her legs.
Pei Yubai reached out and grabbed her arm, his hand loosely cupping her sleeve, without applying any force. "Mom, it might scare you inside. Meng Xu has arranged some things there."
Shen Lingyi tilted her head and glanced at him. "What is that?"
Meng Xu quickly chimed in, a little guilty, "They're just some artificial gimmicks to create atmosphere, Auntie Shen. They're not scary, just a little dimly lit, and there are occasional sound effects. They're very safe, not scary at all."
He secretly planned to quickly get the staff dressed as ghosts out, lest they scare Shen Lingyi.
Shen Lingyi looked at the gate of the mansion.
The door was open, and it was pitch black inside, so dark that you couldn't see how deep it was. Only a small area near the doorway was illuminated by light.
She bit her lip and grabbed Pei Yubai's arm. "You're coming with me."
She couldn't wait any longer; she just wanted to see Yuanyuan as soon as possible.
Pei Yubai was pulled forward a step by her.
He walked beside her, one in front of the other, with Shen Lingyi walking in front and him to her left and behind.
The mansion was dimly lit.
There were no lights in the corridor, only light filtering through the windows, casting patches of light onto the floor.
Shen Lingyi slowed her pace a little, but didn't stop.
Two people walked towards us down the corridor.
Shen Yuzhou walked ahead, still holding the notebook in his hand, muttering something to himself.
Cheng Yanqiu followed behind him, carrying nothing in her hands, with both hands in her pockets.
When Shen Yuzhou looked up and saw Shen Lingyi, he paused, and the notebook almost slipped from his hand.
He quickly stood up straight, switched the notebook in his left hand, and held his right hand at his side, standing properly.
"Aunt, what brings you here?" Shen Yuzhou's voice carried a hint of surprise.
Cheng Yanqiu stood behind him, and although she didn't speak, she leaned forward slightly and bowed slightly to Shen Lingyi.
Shen Lingyi smiled and looked at Shen Yuzhou: " Yuzhou, have you seen Yuanyuan?"
Shen Yuzhou nodded honestly. "I saw him. Brother Yuan was on the third floor just now, he's probably gone somewhere else now."
Upon hearing Shen Lingyi's eyes lit up, and she smiled happily.
Shen Yuzhou and Cheng Yanqiu Yanqiu's cameraman captured Shen Lingyi and Pei Yubai, and Shen Yuzhou's comment about "aunt" further added to the scene.
Those familiar with the relationship between Shen Yuzhou and Pei Yubai guessed in the first episode that Pei Yubai's mother was likely Shen Yuzhou's aunt.
So, is the woman next to Pei Yubai right now Pei Yubai's mother?
[aunt???]
[ Shen Yuzhou calls Pei Yubai's mother "aunt"]
[Is this the main point? Isn't the main point Mama Pei? Mama Pei!]
[Mom! Mom! It's me, your daughter! Mom, look at me!]
[Mother!]
This is a truly "rich" mom!
In the scene, Shen Lingyi has already walked past Shen Yuzhou.
Pei Yubai followed behind her.
Shen Lingyi walked to the top of the stairs and glanced up. The stairs were made of wood, and the handrails were worn smooth by time. Sunlight shone down from the windows upstairs, falling on the stairs like a slanted ribbon of light.
Shen Lingyi removed her hand from Pei Yubai's arm, straightened her cardigan collar, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the first step of the stairs.
Pei Yubai walked behind her.
After walking a few steps, Shen Lingyi suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "Are you sure Yuanyuan will be happy to see me?"
Pei Yubai nodded.
Shen Lingyi took another deep breath and continued walking upstairs. The second floor was brighter than the first floor. At the end of the corridor, a window was open, and the light from the lake shone through, casting a large patch of light on the corridor floor.
A breeze blew by, carrying the scent of the lake and the fragrance of grass and trees.
The corridor was deserted. Shen Lingyi stood there for a moment, then turned and glanced at Pei Yubai.
Pei Yubai raised his chin slightly towards the other end of the corridor.
As they reached the corner of the corridor, they heard people talking ahead.
It was Lin Yanru's voice, not loud, as if she was reciting something. Su He'an's voice also came through, a little lower than Lin Yanru's.
Shen Lingyi slowed her pace. She stood at the corner and peeked down the corridor. There were two people standing there, their backs to her.
Pei Yubai stood behind Shen Lingyi and glanced down the corridor.
Qiguan Yuan walked over from the other end of the corridor.
He wore a dark red robe, his silver hair fell over his shoulders, and he held a fox mask in his hand, which hung at his side and swayed gently with his steps.
He looked down at his fingers, where the red thread was wrapped.
He walked slowly and lightly, making almost no sound on the floor.
Pei Yubai looked at Qiguan Yuan and called out, " Yuanyuan."