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

"Nonsense!"

Old Master Shen Yue slammed his cane heavily on the floor with a dull thud. He was in his early fifties, with sharp, hawk-like eyes that exuded an imposing aura. Even sitting there, he radiated an aura of authority and pressure from someone who had long held a position of power.

"It's one thing to spoil him all the time, but now he's actually going and provoking people he shouldn't have?" His deep voice echoed in the empty living room.

"I think it's all your fault for spoiling him; you've spoiled him so much that he doesn't know his place!"

The living room was completely silent.

"He's in Pei Lin's hands now. He's always been at odds with our Shen family, and Shen Jicheng is probably in grave danger in his hands."

"Father," Shen Mingxiao finally spoke, his voice steady, "this matter is probably not that simple."

Shen Yue narrowed his eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"

"The timing of Pei Lin releasing the news that 'Shen Jicheng is in his hands' at this critical juncture is too coincidental." Shen Mingxiao took two steps forward, standing in the center of the living room, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I asked that kid from the Song family, and he said that Shen Jicheng used the pseudonym 'Shi Jiaming' from his school days when he went to the Pei family. If Pei Lin investigates this identity, he won't find anything, unless Shen Jicheng confesses himself."

"But Shen Jicheng, though a bit mischievous, isn't stupid." Shen Mingxiao paused.

"Since he knows that Pei Lin and the Shen family are at odds, he would not voluntarily reveal his true identity."

Shen Yue tightened his grip on his cane slightly, but remained silent.

"So," Shen Mingxiao raised his eyes, "I suspect that Pei Lin did this not to tell us 'the person is in his hands,' but to test us."

"What are you testing?"

"He's testing the Shen family's reaction." Shen Mingxiao's voice deepened. "He wants to know if Shen Jicheng is actually a member of the Shen family. If we panic and go to them, it would be tantamount to admitting it."

The living room was quiet for a few seconds.

Shen Yue closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his hawk-like eyes had regained their composure. "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"First, confirm Shen Jicheng's safety." Shen Mingxiao's answer was concise and to the point. "Send someone to the Pei family to check on him, make sure he's alive and hasn't suffered. If he's safe, there's no rush. That kid Shen Jicheng is smart; he won't let himself get hurt. If he's not safe..."

He paused for a moment, his eyes darkening.

"Then let's negotiate with Pei Lin."

Shen Yue pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Let the second son handle this."

His gaze fell on the young man on the sofa who was stroking a cat. Shen Yanhe looked up; his features were gentle, and his eyes exuded a warm and refined air.

But those who know him are well aware that this second young master of the Shen family is more meticulous than anyone else.

"Don't worry, Father." Shen Yanhe's voice was gentle and pleasant, like a spring breeze brushing against your ear. "I will bring Chengcheng back."

Beishan Villa.

The living room was empty except for the wall lamp, whose dim light fell on the carpet, making the whole space seem exceptionally quiet.

Pei Lin stood in the entryway, his movement of unbuttoning his cuffs pausing slightly.

"Where is everyone?" He looked around, his voice not loud, but it sounded particularly clear in the empty living room.

Zhang Xu followed behind him and respectfully replied, "Mr. Shi is still in the e-sports room and hasn't come out yet."

Pei Lin glanced down at his watch; it was 10:03 PM.

His expression darkened slightly. "When did he go in?"

"The maid said that Mr. Shi went into the e-sports room at ten o'clock this morning." Zhang Xu's voice trailed off, "He came out once in between... to have lunch."

Pei Lin laughed in exasperation.

He ripped off his tie, tossed it and his coat to Zhang Xu, rolled up his sleeves, and strode upstairs. Zhang Xu stood there, watching Pei Lin's retreating figure, silently lighting a candle for Shen Jicheng in his heart.

The door to the e-sports room was closed, with a faint blue light shining through the crack, mixed with the sounds of intense gunfire and Shen Jicheng's voice.

"Hurry! Hurry! Charge! Charge! Take it!"

Pei Lin pushed open the door.

Completely oblivious, Shen Jicheng shouted into the microphone, "Left! Left! Go ahead and hit it! Beautiful!"

Pei Lin walked over.

Shen Jicheng's attention was entirely on the screen, and just as he was about to start the next game,

"Smack."

The screen froze. The keyboard backlight went out. The screen went dark. The entire room fell into dead silence.

"Damn it! Who the hell is so blind to my presence?!"

Shen Jicheng's cursing stopped abruptly the moment he saw who it was.

Pei Lin stood behind him, one hand in his pocket, the other hanging at his side, with the power cord that had just been unplugged beside him. He leaned against the gaming table, his expression cold and somber, his dark eyes fixed on Shen Jicheng.

The entire process of Shen Jicheng's expression shifting from rage to shock, and then from shock to guilt, took no more than two seconds.

Pei Lin tilted his head slightly, his tone neither warm nor cold.

"Huh? What did you just say?"

Shen Jicheng jumped up from his chair. A smile, more like a grimace, stretched across his face. "Mr. Pei... when did you get back...?"

Pei Lin ignored him.

He turned to Zhang Xu at the door and said, "Lock the e-sports room. No one is allowed to go in without my permission."

Shen Jicheng's smile froze.

Zhang Xu nodded. "Okay, President Pei." He then walked towards the door.

Shen Jicheng then realized what was happening and rushed over to block Zhang Xu, spreading his arms wide. "Wait! If you lock this door, what am I supposed to do?!" His voice trembled with anxiety as he turned to look at Pei Lin.

How can you be so fickle!

Pei Lin gave him a cold glance. "Fickle? Tell me yourself, how many hours did you spend inside today?"

Shen Jicheng opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Three days. If you work less than eight hours even one day, I can tolerate it." He pointed out the window.

"Look at the time!"

Shen Jicheng looked in the direction he was pointing. It was pitch black outside the window, and not even the stars could be seen.

He shrank his neck, but still stubbornly refused to move aside.

Pei Lin stopped wasting words with him, looked past him and at Zhang Xu, "Close."

Zhang Xu stepped forward and politely said, "Mr. Shi, could you please move aside?"

Shen Jicheng did not move.

He stood at the entrance of the e-sports room, his lips pressed into a line, his chin slightly raised. The usual watery mist in his peach blossom eyes was gone, replaced by a stubbornness and an unwillingness to bow down.

He was confronting Pei Lin.

Zhang Xu stood between the two, caught in a dilemma. Pei Lin looked at Shen Jicheng, and Shen Jicheng looked at Pei Lin.

The eye contact lasted for about five seconds.

"Don't make me angry," Pei Lin said.