Wu Pengpeng didn't have lunch with He Qianshan. Instead, she went to meet Wu Junchen.
This should be their last meeting in this lifetime. Before coming, she had mentally prepared herself thoroughly, repeatedly warning herself not to cry in front of Wu Junchen.
However, when she saw Wu Junchen had prepared a table full of her favorite dishes and was waiting for her with a beaming smile.
All her feigned strength instantly crumbled.
"What's wrong with you?" Seeing her red - rimmed eyes, Wu Junchen quickly stepped forward. He glanced behind her and didn't see He Qianshan. Unconsciously, he gritted his teeth. "Did he bully you?"
"No." Wu Pengpeng quickly wiped her face and defended He Qianshan. "I just watched a movie. It was so touching."
Wu Junchen clearly didn't believe her. He pulled her to the table, pulled out a chair for her, then walked to the opposite side and sat down. Only then did he say calmly, "Why didn't he come with you?"
Originally, He Qianshan wanted to come with her. But she was here to bid farewell to Wu Junchen, and there were some things she didn't want him to know, so she refused his company.
Fortunately, He Qianshan always respected her decisions. He only sent her downstairs to the restaurant and then turned back.
Wu Pengpeng quickly picked up a sparerib and put it on Wu Junchen's plate. She winked at him knowingly. "I just wanted to be alone with big brother. It would be so inconvenient if he were here!"
Although he knew she was perfunctorily answering him, Wu Junchen still felt quite pleased. His beautiful eyes curved like a waning crescent moon.
He picked up his chopsticks and filled her plate with dishes. He said lovingly, "Eat more. You've lost weight recently. Why don't you go back home and stay for a while? Let Aunt Lin cook some nourishing food for you."
Wu Pengpeng felt a lump in her throat. She buried her head and gnawed on the sparerib, giving a perfunctory "hmm".
During the meal, Wu Junchen kept putting dishes on her plate, afraid that she would starve herself. Wu Pengpeng wanted to bring up the real matter several times. But every time she saw Wu Junchen's happy and smiling face, she couldn't say a word.
After the meal, Wu Junchen ordered her favorite dessert and proudly pushed it in front of her. "The lava glutinous rice balls in this place are really delicious. I'm planning to buy this place so that you can come and eat them every day."
Wu Pengpeng's hand holding the small fork paused. It took her a long time to compose herself. She looked up at Wu Junchen. "Big brother, is the foundation I asked you to set up ready?"
"Almost." A few days ago, she suddenly said she wanted to set up a women and children's rescue foundation. Although Wu Junchen didn't know why she suddenly wanted to do charity, he still tried his best to help her make arrangements.
Wu Junchen pushed a cup of milk tea in front of her and motioned for her to continue eating.
Seeing Wu Pengpeng take a bite of the glutinous rice ball, he then said satisfactorily, "The application materials will be completed this month, and it can be officially established next month."
It would be officially established next month. It seemed she wouldn't be able to see it.
Wu Pengpeng felt as if the glutinous rice ball was stuck in her throat. It was even a bit difficult for her to breathe.
She picked up the milk tea and took several sips before she felt alive again.
She put down the milk tea cup and pretended nonchalantly, "Then I'll have to trouble big brother to take good care of it for me when the time comes."
Wu Junchen quickly refused. "I'll only help you smooth out the relationships. I won't be in charge of the management."
Wu Pengpeng was silent for a long time. Then she said somewhat melancholy, "But I don't trust anyone else to do it!"
"Then you can manage it yourself!" As soon as Wu Junchen said this, he saw Wu Pengpeng's eyes suddenly dim. A bad premonition welled up in his heart. "What's going on?"
Wu Pengpeng didn't answer his question. She took out a file bag from her bag and pushed it in front of Wu Junchen. "Big brother, from now on, Zhengling Group will be in your hands."
Wu Junchen's face stiffened, and his tone turned cold. "What do you mean by this?"
Wu Pengpeng avoided his gaze and stared at the glutinous rice ball on the table. It took her a long time to whisper, "Big brother, I'm here to say goodbye to you today."
Hearing this, Wu Junchen felt as if there was a roar in his head. "Didn't you say last time that you still had half a year?"
Listening to his trembling voice, Wu Pengpeng felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. She was in so much pain.
She knew it was cruel to watch a loved one leave without being able to do anything.
But among those who remained, there had to be someone who knew the truth and helped her handle the unfinished wishes.
She was a selfish person. She couldn't bear to let He Qianshan bear this cruel ending, so she could only leave the cruelest and most difficult things to Wu Junchen.
"The deal ended ahead of schedule." She tried hard to suppress the不忍 in her heart and tried to appear calm. "Tomorrow is the last day."
Hearing this, Wu Junchen suddenly stood up. The chair scraped against the floor, making a harsh sound, which made the diners nearby turn their heads to look.
But he seemed not to notice. With red eyes, he roared at her, "You just give up like this. Why don't you try again? You don't know..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his tears fell first.
For the first time, he felt so desperate and at a loss.
If Wu Pengpeng had offended some terrifying person or done something illegal, even if it was to the ends of the earth, he would hide her so that she would never be found and would never be hurt.
He could fight against the most vicious criminals, but he couldn't protect her from the laws of nature.
Wu Pengpeng looked up at the out - of - control Wu Junchen and forced a smile to try to comfort him. "Big brother, don't be sad. I tried hard to stay. Although the result is not satisfactory, I have no regrets."
She really had tried hard. She had even risked someone else's life, but still couldn't stay.
If this was her fate, she accepted the outcome.
After all, compared to dying miserably and alone in her previous life, being able to steal two and a half years and get to know them was already a great blessing.
It was just a pity that she met the best person in her best years but didn't have the luck to grow old with him.
"There must be a way to save you, right?" After the brief out - of - control, Wu Junchen had regained his composure. He walked up to Wu Pengpeng, knelt down in front of her, and almost begged, "Tell big brother. No matter the cost, I will save you."
Wu Pengpeng knew in her heart that if Wu Junchen knew the way to keep her alive, he would make the same choice as Jiang He.
That was exactly why she couldn't tell him.
"There's no way." Wu Pengpeng looked into his eyes and said gently and calmly, "Don't be sad, big brother. I never really belonged here. I'm just going back to where I'm supposed to be."
Wu Junchen clearly didn't believe her. "Do you think I'm easy to deceive? If you could go back to your world, you wouldn't have made that stupid deal with the Heavenly Dao in the first place!"
Wu Pengpeng was amused by his sudden swear word. But when her gaze met Wu Junchen's sad eyes, she felt sad again.
"Big brother, in the future, spend more time with and take care of Uncle. He's getting old and will surely feel lonely. He needs the company of his children. Also, take good care of the other uncles. Try to match Uncle San and Zhao Bufan up. Maybe we'll have another aunt..."
"Wu Pengpeng!" Wu Junchen loudly interrupted her. He stared at her with his eyes so red that it seemed blood would drip out. "Stop giving me your last words here. I won't do any of these things for you. You do them yourself!"
Wu Pengpeng looked at her gentle big brother, who now looked like a helpless child, trying to keep her with the most primitive and clumsy method.
She so wanted to let him be a willful child just this once and fulfill all his wishes.
But she couldn't.
She slightly shifted her gaze and tried hard to suppress the trembling in her voice as she continued calmly, "If possible, can you be friends with He Qianshan? Accompany him when he's sad and attend important moments in his life on my behalf."
"... Also, don't tell him the truth. Just tell him I've gone abroad and I don't like him."
The emotions she had been trying hard to suppress finally broke down because of the name she had deliberately ignored.
She quickly lowered her head. Warm liquid dripped onto the back of her hand. She shivered as if she had been burned.
The next second, more liquid fell, making her tremble all over.
"Pengpeng." Wu Junchen's voice slowly sounded amidst the endless tears, soft as if it came from the sky. "Please, don't go."
Wu Pengpeng looked at Wu Junchen's slightly trembling shoulders. Her heart ached unbearably.
Just as she was about to reach out and pat Wu Junchen, a worried voice suddenly came from above her head. "Why are you crying?"
She stood up in a panic and clumsily wiped her face. "Why did you come?"
He Qianshan looked at her worriedly. "I have a project to discuss this afternoon. I'm here to pick you up."
"Then let's go quickly!" Wu Pengpeng stepped forward and hooked his arm. Without looking back, she said, "Big brother, we're leaving first."
After saying that, without waiting for He Qianshan to say hello, she dragged him towards the stairs.
He Qianshan looked at Wu Pengpeng's red - rimmed eyes and felt a bit心疼. "I've noticed that you've been crying a lot recently. Your emotions are a bit volatile."
As he said this, he seemed to remember something. He looked at her somewhat shyly. "I heard that pregnant women's emotions are more volatile. You're not...?"
"Yeah." Wu Pengpeng pulled his hand and placed it on her flat abdomen. "I'm carrying the children of hot pot and milk tea."
He Qianshan was amused by her. "Then let's go for hot pot tonight."
Wu Junchen watched the backs of the two walking away hand in hand. Suddenly, his heart twitched in pain.
He instinctively reached out to cover his chest. So this was what it felt like to be helpless. It was so painful.