Mr. Pei! Don't force yourself into circles you can't fit into.

In the living room.

Shen Jicheng's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Pei Lin sat on the sofa in front of him, legs casually crossed, looking relaxed and carefree. Most alarmingly, a black-scaled snake was coiled around Pei Lin's arm, its head facing Shen Jicheng, its bright red tongue flicking in and out with a hissing sound.

Shen Jicheng got goosebumps all the way from his neck to his heels.

Pei Lin didn't even glance at the person sitting on the ground. His gaze was fixed on the snake, and he casually said, "Little Black hasn't eaten in a long time. I was thinking, should we give it a change of pace? After all, it's bound to get tired of eating the same thing every day."

He adopted a thoughtful expression, his tone light and casual, "Tell me, what should I replace it with?"

Shen Jicheng felt a chill run down his spine, his pupils trembling. "Fish...should we feed it fish? There are plenty of fish in the yard..."

Before she could finish speaking, she met Pei Lin's cold gaze.

"Hmm?" Pei Lin's voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a threatening tone that seemed to say, "Say it again, I didn't hear you."

Shen Jicheng was on the verge of tears. This wasn't just not hearing clearly; it was a blatant threat. He bit his lip, shrinking into a corner, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the wall. He was incredibly annoyed; how could he have been so careless as to be caught red-handed by Pei Lin? If he hadn't been discovered, he would have already run away, free and unrestrained.

Now look what's happened, we're stuck here like a quail waiting to be slaughtered.

Finally, Pei Lin handed the snake in his hand to the servant next to him, then stood up and walked towards Shen Jicheng. He squatted down in front of Shen Jicheng, reached out and pinched his chin, forcing him to raise his head.

"The first thing I did was kill all my ornamental fish."

Shen Jicheng's eyes were brimming with tears. "I really didn't mean to..."

Pei Lin ignored him and continued counting, "The second thing is to set the kitchen on fire."

Shen Jicheng silently shut his mouth, having nothing to say.

"The third thing," Pei Lin paused, gently rubbing his dirty cheek with his thumb, "is to run away."

Shen Jicheng's heart was in his throat.

Pei Lin's fingers traced the soot on his face, his voice devoid of emotion, "You choose one: throw you into a snake pit, or dump you in the sea to feed the sharks?"

Shen Jicheng asked desperately, "Do I really have to choose? Is it okay if I don't choose?"

Pei Lin sneered, "What do you think?"

Shen Jicheng knew he couldn't escape today. Even back in his own family, the things he'd done would have gotten him cut off from his allowance for months by his older brother, let alone now on Pei Lin's turf, facing the notoriously ruthless Second Master Pei. This man could even harm his own brothers, let alone an outsider like him?

Accept your fate.

Shen Jicheng gritted his teeth, stretched out an arm towards Pei Lin, his voice trembling noticeably, "Alright then. One bite, only one bite..."

Pei Lin raised an eyebrow: "?"

Before I could even understand what the other person meant, I heard them mutter to themselves, "If your snake is poisonous, you'd better have a doctor ready for me. If it's not poisonous... well, it can only bite once. It can't bite too many times..."

Pei Lin finally understood, and was so angry he laughed. He yanked Shen Jicheng up from the ground, his voice filled with gritted teeth.

"Intentionally? Hmm? You think this will make me soften?"

Shen Jicheng felt a deep sense of despair. Soft-hearted? Pei Lin would be soft-hearted? Who would believe that? If he were soft-hearted, he wouldn't be in his current position. If he were soft-hearted, he wouldn't be keeping a yard full of snakes. If he were soft-hearted, he certainly wouldn't be locked up here.

but……

What if?

What if you see a ghost? What if a pie falls from the sky, the sun rises in the west, iron trees bloom, roosters lay eggs, frost falls in June, rivers flow backward, a mute speaks, a stubborn rock nods, and Pei Lin softens his heart?

Shen Jicheng blinked his deep, affectionate peach blossom eyes innocently, his eyes filled with a thin mist of tears. His lips moved slightly as he softly called out, "Brother~"

"I was wrong... please don't punish me?"

Pei Lin's eyes darkened for a moment, but his face remained expressionless.

Shen Jicheng carefully observed his reaction and, seeing that the other party did not immediately refuse, grew bolder and continued in a softer voice,

"I will be good from now on and I will listen to you."

He swallowed hard, suppressing his fear, and moved closer to Pei Lin. He carefully took Pei Lin's hand, pressed his cheek against it, and gently rubbed his palm against Pei Lin's, his voice so soft it could melt your heart.

"You know, my family was poor when I was a child..."

Pei Lin didn't speak.

"They all bully me... so to protect myself, I have to make myself look tough. That's why I'm acting a bit unruly now." Shen Jicheng's eyes reddened, and a tear fell, landing right in Pei Lin's palm, filled with sadness and sorrow.

"My family of origin will always be the deepest wound in my heart."

The living room was quiet for a few seconds.

Pei Lin's gaze lingered on that single tear for a moment. Then he reached out and gently wiped away the moisture from Shen Jicheng's eye with his thumb. His tone was emotionless, but much gentler than before.

"Alright. If it happens again, I won't let you off so easily."

Shen Jicheng's eyes lit up instantly, practically glowing. He nodded frantically, "Mmm-hmm-hmm!!"

He actually managed to fool everyone and get away with it!

Shen Jicheng was overjoyed, raising his chin proudly like a proud little peacock. It seemed that Pei Lin was indeed captivated by his face.

Pei Lin couldn't bear to look at his filthy, smug face. He said expressionlessly, "Go take a shower. Look how dirty your face is."

Shen Jicheng's smile vanished abruptly.

He forgot... that his face was still covered in soot.

They immediately slunk away.

The living room fell silent again. Pei Lin picked up a wet wipe and slowly dried his hands, which Shen Jicheng had rubbed against. Zhang Xu stepped forward and asked in a low voice,

"Mr. Pei, what should we do with the fishpond?"

"Change the batch," Pei Lin said casually. "And change the password for the main gate while you're at it."

"Yes."

Zhang Xu hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but remind him, "President Pei, what Mr. Shi said... may not be credible."

Based on experience over the past few days, it seems that every time that person apologizes and admits their mistake, they manage to stir up an even bigger problem. They're the type to admit their mistakes but never actually change them.

Pei Lin scoffed, tossed the wet wipe into the trash can, glanced at Zhang Xu, and said, "Do you think I don't know?"

Zhang Xu silently lowered his head. He had been overthinking it; how could President Pei not know?

"If he were obedient, I wouldn't have had to change the front door password." Pei Lin withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent, but his words surprised Zhang Xu. "But it's understandable, the pain from his family of origin may have caused him a lot of suffering. So it's not a big deal that he's a bit willful now."

Zhang Xu: "..." You actually believed that?

Pei Lin was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something, stopped, and turned back. "By the way, we need to replace all the kitchen furniture with the kind that isn't easily flammable. It's a small matter if the kitchen burns down, but it wouldn't be good if someone got hurt."

Zhang Xu nodded and noted it down.

"Also, replace them with a batch of fish that are easier to raise." Pei Lin paused, then added with a frown, "They die as soon as you put a little onion juice in them. In the end, it's still these fish that are useless."

Zhang Xu: "..."

Do you want to hear what you're saying?

Pei Lin, however, didn't see anything wrong with it and continued to instruct, "He's bored being locked up at home, and I think he really enjoys playing games. Open up the e-sports room upstairs so he can pass the time."

"……yes."

Pei Lin finally left.

Zhang Xu stood there, lost in deep thought. Just a simple "brother," and President Pei had tolerated it to this extent?

If he calls him "brother," will President Pei give him a raise?

...It feels like it's worth a try.