Peach Oolong Tea Chapter 3

“Except for a few minor scratches and a mild concussion, all the other results appear normal. We will be conducting a few more tests. Let us know if you feel any discomfort.”

The doctor, wearing a white coat, pushed up his glasses, and said kindly, “Next time, be more careful at the intersections.” After speaking, he gave a few instructions to the young nurse before leaving.

It has been a day since Bai Tao woke up.

But she remembered that her car accident was in 2015. By the time she reopened her eyes, it was already 2020.

Bai Tao knew she was smart, so even in this chaotic situation, she was very cautious not to show any objections. She then quickly familiarized herself with the current situation in just an hour—

She had traveled through time.

A car accident transported her five years into the future!

It seemed that the Bai Tao of 2015 had a car accident, and the Bạch Đào of 2020 had also been in a car crash, leading to the two from different times and spaces swapping places.

Everything she experienced after waking up confirmed Bai Tao’s speculation. It was identical to the scene in the comic she drew about traveling five years into the future!

She used to scoff at novels where the author was transported into their own story or when someone read a time-travel novel and then actually traveled through time. Bai Tao never imagined it could be real! She drew a comic about traveling five years into the future, and she did just that. And precisely five years at that!

Time-Travel Rule No. 1 — Stay calm and gather information.

Time-Travel Rule No. 2 — Stay undetected. Never reveal that you’ve swapped places to avoid unnecessary troubles.

Upon realizing she had traveled through time, Bai Tao began to grasp her current situation. The world five years later wasn’t much different from five years ago. A smart person like her could adjust flawlessly.

But when Bai Tao whimsically searched her name online last night, she got a huge shock—

She… she was married!!!

She married at such a young age?

She couldn’t accept it. And when she found out who her husband was, she was even more shocked—

Pei Shi?

She married Pei Shi???

Did that jerk Pei Shi blackmail her or something?

But when she used both of their names for another search, the results were even more astonishing—

“Pei Shi, the head of the Pei family, humbly proposed. After being rejected thirty times, he finally won over the beauty.”

“Pei Shi personally planted peach trees just to see his lovely wife smile.”

“After five years of secret love and years of chasing, Pei Shi succeeded.”

Although most news was concise, some reports were very detailed, describing how Pei Shi pursued her. Many articles of direct interviews with Bai Tao or her close friends.

Even though these events supposedly involved her, the Bai Tao who had traveled through time felt like they were stories about someone else.

Reading these articles, she was moved to tears.

Who could have imagined Pei Shi felt this way about her? Secretly loving her for five years?

Thinking about Pei Shi’s background, his looks, his physique, and his deep love for her, Bai Tao felt that she understood why she married him at a young age. After all, she married for love!

Since things had turned out this way, she decided to treat Pei Shi well and avoid causing him pain. Considering everything he went through for her, she felt he deserved her kindness.

Especially with Pei Shi’s good looks, Bai Tao thought she could definitely manage.

When Bai Tao checked her social media apps and then her gallery, she was bombarded with loving photos of her and Pei Shi: holding hands, cheek to cheek, and shots of her resting her head on his shoulder…

Unexpectedly, she had fed herself a spoonful of their lovey-dovey moments.

But when she opened her memo app, Bai Tao was even more surprised—

Inside, it was filled with records of their lovey-dovey daily life!

“When I complained to my husband about the puddle outside on a rainy day, he didn’t say a word. He just bent down, hugged me, and carried me over the puddle.”

“Last night, I casually mentioned wanting to eat pancakes, and he secretly learned how to make them and got up early to cook them for me.”

“My husband is a typical example of someone cold on the outside but warm inside. Sometimes he acts as if he wants to keep a one-meter distance from me, but when we’re alone… Others probably can’t imagine him that way, and this side of him belongs only to me.”

In addition to these sweet daily life stories, there were also some memos like:

“My husband was on a business trip for a month. Our reunion felt like a honeymoon. We didn’t sleep at all last night. Next time, we should sleep early for better health.”

???

As the person involved, Bai Tao’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment reading these daily stories.

It seems that Pei Shi is… quite resourceful? Looking at these, he hasn’t been idle… Who would have thought that someone as pure as jade like her would willingly live such an unrestrained life with him?

Bai Tao felt increasingly shy as she read on and eventually covered her face with the bedsheet.

It seems that not only is Pei Shi head over heels for her, but she also seems quite infatuated with him…

But over-exerting oneself isn’t good for health, especially if Pei Shi still keeps his early morning routine. How much sleep does this man get?

Bai Tao thought responsibly that she should encourage Pei Shi to wake up later and get more sleep. Otherwise, he’ll die prematurely! From now on, After all, he is hers now; she should be more concerned about his physical and mental health.

As Bai Tao was lost in these thoughts, the door opened.

Bai Tao couldn’t deny that this moment was very cinematic. The slow door opening with the light filtering in was like a carefully designed scene. And then, Pei Shi’s face appeared, looking like a piece of art.

Even though Bai Tao was mentally prepared, seeing Pei Shi’s face made her heart skip a beat.

Five years had passed. Pei Shi’s sharp features remained, but everything else seemed to.

The man still looked as handsome as ever. The shadows on his face made his expressions even more enigmatic.

The Pei Shi before her now looked mature and solemn, wearing an expensive tailored suit that fit him perfectly and showcased his imposing natural aura.

It was then that Pei Shi looked at Bai Tao.

Their eyes met. Bai Tao didn’t look away but stared straight into Pei Shi’s eyes.

It was Pei Shi who finally looked away and calmly said, “You’re awake.”

His tone was so indifferent, like he was inspecting his work.

Without knowing the real situation, one would think they were a couple in discord!

Bai Tao thought triumphantly, glad she had done her homework by reading all the news reports and daily memos on her phone. This man, Pei Shi, is clearly solemn on the outside but passionate on the inside!

Five years had passed, and Pei Shi had not only not aged but had become even more handsome.

She now understood herself of 5 years later , Bai Tao thought, even if Pei Shi possessed nothing more than his good looks, he would still make a living off it.

As Bai Tao was lost in her thoughts, Pei Shi spoke again, his tone was surprisingly cold, “What do you want now?”

Bai Tao, basing her actions on the news and memos, decided to give Pei Shi a playful look and replied, “It’s just the two of us here, no need to pretend.”

Seeing this, Pei Shi was clearly taken aback, and he looked even more tense, “You…”

Did she go overboard?

Bai Tao analyzed the situation. According to the news and memos, she and Pei Shi were incredibly lovey-dovey. She must not have expressed well enough!

She had to be more genuine!

Bai Tao, thinking she needed to work on it a bit more, changed the topic, “I want an apple now.”

“Okay,” Pei Shi responded simply. “I’ll ask the nurse to come.”

“No, I want you to peel the apple!” Bai Tao, feeling that she was in the right mood, looked at Pei Shi tenderly, “I only want to eat apples peeled by you.”

For the first time, an expression appeared on Pei Shi’s face, however, it appeared somewhat dubious and cautious?

She had to be more genuine!

Bai Tao picked up an apple from the bedside table and stuffed it into Pei Shi’s hand, “Peel it. Didn’t you say you loved peeling apples for me? You’re going to do it for the rest of our lives or have you changed your mind?”

Pei Shi looked lost, staring at the apple in his hand.

Realizing the oversight, Bai Tao handed Pei Shi a knife, “Don’t be silly, here’s the knife, peel it for me.”

Pei Shi took the knife subconsciously. Although he still looked a bit off, he finally started peeling the apple.

He was good at it, his long fingers moving smoothly. He was so good-looking that even peeling an apple looked appealing. He managed to peel the apple in one continuous strip.

Watching as the apple was almost peeled, Bai Tao thought for a moment, feeling she should show some appreciation. Remembering what was written in the memo, she adjusted her expression and gave Pei Shi a sweet smile.

“Thank you, hubby! You’re the best!”

Unfortunately, many things go wrong when praised.

Just as she finished speaking, Pei Shi’s hand shook, breaking not only the apple peel but also causing the knife to cut his other hand. In an instant, blood flowed, and Pei Shi’s handsome hand was injured.

“Hubby! Are you okay?” Bai Tao genuinely panicked. At first, she felt awkward calling Pei Shi ‘hubby’, but now it flowed naturally. She looked at Pei Shi with guilt, “I shouldn’t have asked you to peel the apple. Have you been working too hard lately? You can’t be distracted when peeling apples!”

Perhaps because of the pain, Pei Shi quickly stood up from the chair. Yet, his primary concern was still Bai Tao. He looked at her seriously and asked, “Are you… really okay?”

What could be wrong with her? She just lost an apple.

This man truly loved her deeply. Even with his hand like that, his first concern was whether she was upset about not getting the apple.

“I’m fine, hubby. But you…”

It seemed hearing she was fine allowed Pei Shi to think of himself. He turned and headed for the door, “I’ll find a doctor.”

His gaze was very deep, and his expression was a bit strange. He walked very quickly. Bai Tao wanted to say a few more words, but the man had already left.

Bai Tao reflected on her reaction, feeling a bit remorseful. Pei Shi, despite his bleeding hand, was worried about her feelings regarding the apple. Isn’t that true love?

Compared to him, Bai Tao felt she had been somewhat indifferent. When Pei Shi returned, she must treat him better.

Pei Shi, at this moment, barely noticed his wound. While the nurse dressed his cut, he called Bai Tao’s doctor.

“My wife’s behavior seems off.”

Although Pei Shi simply stated the fact, there was an undertone of reproach in his voice.

The doctor, wanting to appease Pei Shi, quickly pulled out Bai Tao’s complete medical records, “There’s no significant physical harm. Despite the car accident, the car’s good quality and airbags minimized injury. All tests confirmed she’s okay. What’s the specific problem? Did she show any abnormal behavior?”

Abnormal, everything felt abnormal.

Recalling Bai Tao’s flirty demeanor when she called him ‘hubby’, Pei Shi felt a chill. Yet, he couldn’t openly discuss it, even with the doctor, and simply replied, “She might have some memory issues.”

Hearing this, the doctor reassured, “That’s normal. After a concussion and a sudden accident, patients might have post-traumatic stress, leading to memory distortions. However, they often recover without treatment.”

Pei Shi frowned deeper, “What has she been doing since she woke up? Any unusual actions?”

The nurse attending to Bai Tao replied, “Nothing unusual. She was on her phone for a while.”

“On her phone? Playing games?”

“No, reading news,” the young nurse replied, “Specifically, news articles about your relationship. She seemed touched by your love for her.”

“…”

Feeling a headache, Pei Shi dismissed the doctor and nurse and called his assistant, Yuan Mu, “Gather all news articles about Bai Tao and me.”

Soon, Pei Shi was looking at the articles. The headlines shocked him with tales of extreme love acts that he supposedly committed for Bai Tao. The content was exaggerated and misleading.

While some events mentioned, like buying a jewelry mine or a dessert production line, were true, they were mere business strategies and had nothing to do with Bai Tao.

“But the only consolation is that this article doesn’t sensationalizes the idea of slitting one’s wrist for love…

“Because of his wife, Mr. Pei Shi confessed that his favorite color is white, and his favorite fruit is peach.”

Very well.

Pei Shi’s most disliked color is white because it gets dirty easily; his least favorite fruit is the peach because it’s too sweet.

Reading the rest of the article, Pei Shi could not bear it any longer. When Bai Tao unilaterally notified him of the impending press release in the past, he should have stopped her. At the very least, he should have retained the final editorial authority.

At that moment, Pei Shi received a call from Lawyer Gao –

“Mr. Pei, as the legal advisor for the IPO, I still recommend that you communicate and negotiate with your wife once more. I hope she can abandon the idea of divorce. The public offering prospectus has been released, and we will complete the listing in a few months. Divulging a divorce or pursuing a divorce lawsuit at this crucial juncture risks affecting stock delivery and may even impact the IPO process, especially when rival companies are already eyeing aggressively. They might exploit the situation when you’re distracted by a divorce… If you need, I can negotiate with your wife right away, convincing her to delay the divorce proceedings…”

Pei Shi pressed his lips together, “No need for now.”

The lawyer on the other end was indeed taken aback.

Pei Shi calmly said, “We won’t divorce for now. Just focus on pushing forward with the IPO.”

Naturally, the lawyer would not want any complications during the listing process. The tech company Pei Shi established, “Shi Lai Technology,” has been doing well, specializing in big data management. The firm supports various businesses including banks, SMEs, gaming companies, and major shopping websites. They have a powerful open-source database and have accurately tapped into the big data trend in the domestic market. Although the company suffered a loss of 320 million during its inception four years ago, Pei Shi turned things around spectacularly. Within three years, revenues surged by 134%, and they secured investments from Sequoia Capital and SoftBank Group. The current valuation has reached 1.2 billion USD, with plans to be listed on the NYSE. The lawyer is responsible for liaising with American counterparts and advancing the IPO process.

This is a significant deal, and the lawyer was initially concerned about how Pei Shi’s marital situation might affect the IPO. However, upon hearing the news, he gleefully responded, “No problem! Congratulations on reconciling with your wife! You two always seemed so in love. I’ve seen those affectionate news stories about you both. If you two were to divorce, it would be hard for anyone to believe in love anymore!”

“…”

Perhaps, as a lawyer, you’re better off not believing in love.

Although dressing a cut doesn’t take long, Pei Shi took quite a while to return. Bai Tao waited anxiously, and it was two hours before he came back to the room.

Upon his return, although he seemed a bit off, Pei Shi looked much more relaxed, and his hand was properly bandaged.

Perhaps embarrassed by his clumsiness in cutting himself while peeling an apple, Pei Shi looked somewhat awkward as he sat down beside Bai Tao’s bed.

Looking at him, Bai Tao thought, “Is he… somewhat cute? No wonder, according to the memos, I was so smitten with Pei Shi.”

Bai Tao decided to play her part and clutched her chest, feigning pain, “Husband, my chest hurts!”

Pei Shi frowned, “You didn’t break a rib, and there’s no injury to your chest. Why would it hurt?”

Holding Pei Shi’s uninjured hand with a heartbroken expression, Bai Tao said, “When you’re hurt, my heart aches. My body might not be in pain, but my heart is.”

Although the words made Bai Tao cringe slightly, she had figured out from her research and records that this was her usual way of speaking with Pei Shi.

She couldn’t understand how, in less than a year of marriage, she could change her way of speaking like this…

But clearly, this was the right approach. Although his response was a bit stiff, Pei Shi did react, “It’s okay. Getting hurt for you is always worth it.”

Maybe it was the blood loss affecting his mood, but when Pei Shi said these words, Bai Tao felt it was very dry and dull.

However, Bai Tao was still pleased to hold Pei Shi’s hand. This man’s hands were naturally beautiful, and Bai Tao couldn’t help but touch them repeatedly. As she was doing so, she noticed something odd: wasn’t this the left hand that Pei Shi had cut his wrist because of her, as mentioned in the news? Why was the wrist so smooth and unblemished? Wasn’t it just a week ago that the news mentioned a nasty scar on Pei Shi’s wrist, which was supposedly a symbol of their love? And didn’t Pei Shi also modify this scar into a tattoo of Bai Tao’s name?

“Dear, where is the scar from when you cut your wrist for me? Didn’t they say you bled profusely and had to be rushed to the hospital, needing a transfusion of a fifth of your body’s blood volume to be saved? And what about the tattoo?”

Pei Shi paused for a moment. Although his expression remained composed, Bai Tao felt that he was somewhat distressed deep down.

Possibly reminiscing about the past, Pei Shi’s expression seemed a bit forced, but his tone was calm, “You mentioned before that the scar looked bad and there was no need for the tattoo. You asked me to remove it because it pained you to see it. Every time you were reminded of how I almost lost my life, it would choke you up. So, I recently had the scar removed and also got the tattoo erased.”

So that’s what happened!

Bai Tao touched Pei Shi’s wrist again, genuinely marveling. In just five years, medical science had seen such remarkable progress! The scar removal procedure had advanced to the point where it left no trace. It was even hard to believe Pei Shi had once slit his wrist and gotten a tattoo!

In a span of five years, medical technology had taken a giant leap! The future for humanity indeed seemed bright!

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I apologize for the long wait. The chapter’s very long. Let me know if it doesn’t make sense anywhere and I will try to fix it.