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

He took a day off and didn't go to the company. When he woke up in the morning, Shen Jicheng was still asleep, wrapped tightly in the blanket, with only his hairy back of his head showing.

Pei Lin didn't wake him up. She went to the kitchen and made breakfast herself, then brought it to Shen Jicheng after he woke up naturally.

Shen Jicheng sat at the dining table, looking at the fragrant bowl of beef noodles in front of him. He picked at the noodles a couple of times with his chopsticks, then suddenly looked up and said something.

"Pei Lin, I want to eat beef rice noodles, but not rice noodles, just beef."

Pei Lin said nothing, put down his cup, and went into the kitchen. Not long after, a bowl of pure beef rice noodles was placed in front of Shen Jicheng.

Shen Jicheng glanced at the bowl full of beef, then looked up at Pei Lin, a slight smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips before he quickly suppressed it, continuing to poke at the meat in the bowl, and speaking in a muffled voice.

"I want to drink snake soup."

Pei Lin didn't even flinch. He walked over and pinched his cheek, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, making it unclear whether it was anger or affection.

"Your skin's itching, huh?"

Shen Jicheng was pinched and dodged to the side, laughing as he fell onto the sofa. Pei Lin, worried he might fall, reached out to support his waist. Shen Jicheng leaned back on the sofa, hugging a cushion, watching Pei Lin sit down beside him.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on Pei Lin's profile and warming his sharp features.

"Why haven't you gone out with your friend these past few days?" Pei Lin looked down at him. "Are you short on money?"

He always knew his son was a big spender, throwing tantrums if he didn't have enough money, and getting upset when he was told to be careful. Now that he wasn't even leaving the house, he figured the balance in his account was probably almost gone again.

Shen Jicheng hugged the cushion to his chest, rested his chin on the edge of it, and shook his head. "No. There are still tens of millions in the account."

Pei Lin has always been generous with his money, especially now that their relationship is completely different, he's even more extravagant. He has enough money in his account to last him a very long time, so long that he's starting to lose interest in spending it.

"Then why are you unhappy?"

Shen Jicheng was taken aback. Was he unhappy?

Pei Lin raised a hand to tidy up the stray hairs falling across his forehead, his gaze filled with concern.

"You've seemed preoccupied these past few days. What's bothering you? Tell me, and I'll try to figure it out."

Pei Lin's gentleness was like a fine net, covering everything. Shen Jicheng lay inside, completely enveloped, yet felt somewhat suffocated.

He lowered his eyes, avoiding that concerned gaze, his voice muffled.

"No...it's probably just that the weather is getting closer to autumn, and I feel a little sentimental."

After saying that, he turned to look out the window. The leaves on the trees in the yard were beginning to turn yellow. A gust of wind blew by, and a few leaves swirled down and landed in the now-cooled fishpond.

Pei Lin also looked out the window. His gaze wasn't fixed on any particular leaf, but rather on the gradually yellowing treetops. His voice was very soft.

"Yes, autumn is almost here."

The quiet in the living room was broken by a series of hurried footsteps.

Zhang Xu walked in from outside, his pace a bit quicker than usual. He stopped a few steps away, bowed slightly, and said in a tone that carried a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment, "President Pei, Third Young Master Pei is here. He says he has something to discuss with you."

Before Pei Lin could even respond, he felt the person in his arms stiffen slightly. The stiffness was brief and easily overlooked, but Pei Lin's senses were always sharp. He lowered his head and looked at Shen Jicheng's profile.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat. Pei Shuli's return visit was definitely not a good thing. This time, the grand entrance meant he had probably discovered something. Although he hadn't been to "Full Moon" these past few days, there was no guarantee that the traces he had left behind wouldn't be unearthed.

He looked up, met Pei Lin's concerned gaze, and shook his head. "It's nothing... it's just that hearing the name Pei Shuli reminded me of what happened before."

He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his voice carried a perfectly measured sadness.

Pei Lin frowned. He turned to look at Zhang Xu, his tone turning cooler, "Have you forgotten what I said before? Didn't I tell him not to come?"

Zhang Xu looked troubled, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead. "President Pei, Young Master Pei is determined to come in this time, and I... really can't stop him. The security guards are almost at their breaking point."

Pei Shuli's loud voice could be faintly heard outside the courtyard gate, and it could still be heard clearly even through the iron gate.

Pei Lin's gaze turned cold. "Then let Xiao Hei out."

Zhang Xu paused for a moment, then lowered his head. "...Yes."

yard.

Pei Shuli was stopped at the gate by two guards. His clothes were disheveled, and a few strands of his once meticulously styled hair were loose. Completely devoid of his usual aloof and self-possessed demeanor, he angrily shouted towards the inside, "Pei Lin, I think you've got your brain caught in a door! You won't listen to anyone. Sooner or later, you'll be swindled out of everything!"

There was no response from inside the door. Pei Shuli was about to speak again when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a jet-black snake slowly slithering out from below the iron gate. Its cold, vertical pupils were fixed on him, and its forked tongue flicked in and out, making a hissing sound.

Pei Shuli's hair stood on end instantly.

He didn't care about maintaining appearances anymore; he turned and ran, shouting angrily at the villa as he ran.

"Pei Lin! You're such a love-struck fool!"

"The Pei family's business will be ruined in your hands sooner or later!"

"Don't chase me, you ugly, hideous black snake!!"

The last sentence had a noticeable vibrato, and the ending tone was almost distorted.

In the living room, the sounds were mostly blocked out by the thick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving only faint echoes.

Shen Jicheng was still nestled in Pei Lin's arms. His ear was pressed against Pei Lin's chest, listening to the strong and powerful heartbeat, steady and regular, which gradually suppressed the anxiety surging in his heart.

Pei Lin seemed to sense his tension. He didn't ask any further questions, but simply raised his hand, placed his palm on Shen Jicheng's back, and slowly stroked down his spine.

"Honey, once I've finished dealing with the Shen family's affairs, I'll take a break and go out with you to relax, okay? Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you."

Shen Jicheng's breathing faltered. He didn't look up, but instead buried his face in Pei Lin's chest, tentatively speaking.

"Can't we do it now? How long will we have to wait?"

Pei Lin thought for a moment, "There are still some things to take care of. It'll probably take about a week."

Shen Jicheng pursed his lips and didn't reply. He felt the hand that was stroking his back stop and instead land on the top of his head, gently stroking it.

"The maritime project I mentioned to you before was sabotaged by the Shen family. They control the 'Huanyu' business and haven't given up. I'm the kind of person who always seeks revenge, and I won't let this go."

Shen Jicheng's back tensed slightly.

Huanyu. Although he had never been involved in family affairs, he was familiar with the name. It was one of the most profitable businesses under the Shen family, mainly engaged in the entertainment sector, bringing considerable revenue to the Shen family every year.

Shen Jicheng was silent for a moment, trying to make his voice sound like casual conversation, "That must take a lot of effort, right?"

Pei Lin smiled. "It's alright. We'll get it almost done."

He spoke casually, but Shen Jicheng understood the weight behind his words.

Pei Lin squeezed his fingers, then rubbed his hand against her lips. "If you want to go out, I'll go with you."

Shen Jicheng didn't look up, but simply gave a soft "hmm".