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

In the following days, Pei Lin went to the company on time every day, and as he had promised that night, the basement door was never locked again.

Shen Jicheng had been going to the basement for the past two days. But he didn't stay for long, firstly because he was afraid Pei Lin would become suspicious, and secondly because he was genuinely afraid of snakes. The black figures coiled in the glass cabinets, even through the thick glass, made his scalp tingle and his back go cold just by looking at them.

Every time he went in, he had to mentally prepare himself first.

But today, he couldn't be afraid.

He stood in front of the surveillance wall, glancing at the dense array of screens that covered almost every corner of Beishan Villa. His gaze lingered on the images for a few seconds, and he thought to himself: If Pei Lin had really locked him up here, probably no one would have been able to find him.

Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

But he didn't have time to dwell on the fear. He turned around and began searching through the documents Pei Lin had placed on the computer desk in the basement.

He knew that Pei Shuli had sent a document.

But after searching for several days, I found nothing.

Shen Jicheng frowned, exhausted, and slumped into his computer chair. He rubbed his temples, his mind a jumbled mess. How could he not find it? Had Pei Lin already seen it? Impossible.

If Pei Lin had really seen the contents of that document, she would never be treating him so gently now. Given Pei Lin's personality, she should have questioned him long ago.

Then there's only one possibility left: Pei Lin didn't have time to look at it before putting it somewhere he couldn't find it.

Shen Jicheng scratched his hair in frustration and muttered under his breath, "Where is it...?"

His hand unconsciously fell onto the table, his knuckles brushing against the mouse. The computer screen lit up instantly, the white light suddenly filling his vision. Startled, Shen Jicheng frantically tried to turn off the power, but his gaze was immediately fixed on the text on the screen.

"Huanyu Bidding Plan"

Shen Jicheng's body stiffened.

His fingers scrolled involuntarily onto the mouse wheel, scrolling down line by line. His gaze moved from the headings to the body of the text, from the clauses to the data, from the plan to the budget, and finally, his eyes landed on the signature section at the very back.

"Pei Lin".

Those two characters were written with force and sharp strokes.

Shen Jicheng had considered that Pei Lin would target the Shen family, and that he would eventually make a move against Huanyu Entertainment. But he never imagined that Pei Lin would be so ruthless.

If the plan outlined in this document were to actually be finalized, he wouldn't even dare to estimate the amount by which the Shen family's market value would evaporate.

His hands were trembling.

His fingertips were icy cold, but his palms were sweating. He wanted to keep looking, to see if there was any room for maneuver, but just then, the familiar sound of an engine came from the yard.

It's Pei Lin's car.

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat. Almost instinctively, he turned off the computer, quickly put the files he had been flipping through back in their original places, and tidied the table so that nothing had been touched. He stood up, took a deep breath to calm his rapid breathing, and then strode out of the basement.

When he pushed open the basement door, he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

Pei Lin stood outside the door.

He seemed to have just returned, still wearing the same dark suit he had left in, his tie neatly tied. His face lacked its usual amiable demeanor, replaced by a cold, scrutinizing expression.

Those dark eyes were fixed on Shen Jicheng without blinking.

"You went to see Xiao Hei again?" Pei Lin's voice was devoid of emotion.

Shen Jicheng's heart tightened. He had been leaving early these past few days and had never run into Pei Lin. But today he was caught red-handed. He didn't even have time to make up an excuse, and could only subconsciously nod, "Um... I went to see."

Pei Lin remained silent for a moment, his gaze never leaving his face. "How's Xiao Hei? Is it still curled up in the glass cabinet sleeping, just like yesterday?"

Shen Jicheng was taken aback. For the past two days, Pei Lin had been asking him if he had been frightened, scared, or had nightmares. But today, Pei Lin was asking about Xiao Hei's condition.

He was somewhat confused, but dared not ask too many questions. He could only quickly run through his thoughts on how to answer. He hadn't had time to look at Xiao Hei at all today, and hadn't even glanced at the glass cabinet.

"Hmm... just like the past few days, I don't like to be active." He felt there was nothing wrong with that statement.

Pei Lin's expression softened slightly. His subtle disappointment was undisguised, and it caught Shen Jicheng's eye, causing his heart to tighten.

He wanted to salvage the situation, so he quickly spoke up.

"Actually, it's a bit better than yesterday. I just—"

Before he could finish speaking, the scene before him left all his words stuck in his throat.

Pei Lin didn't say anything, but slowly raised his hand. The bodyguard named Jiang Jin, who was standing behind Pei Lin, gently placed what he was holding onto Pei Lin's palm.

Shen Jicheng's gaze fell on that thing, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The little black snake he had just mentioned "coiled up in the glass case" was now obediently coiled on Pei Lin's arm. Its jet-black scales gleamed coldly in the light, its head slightly raised, facing him, its bright red forked tongue flicking in and out with a soft, crackling sound.

Shen Jicheng's lie was exposed on the spot. He wanted to explain, but his mind went blank, with only one word echoing in his mind: It's over.

Pei Lin said nothing. He simply stood there, a snake coiled around his arm, his gaze calmly fixed on Shen Jicheng, as if patiently waiting for him to offer an explanation.

Shen Jicheng's eyes flickered, a wave of unease washing over him. He looked at Pei Lin, at the snake, at those emotionless eyes; his lips moved, but ultimately only one sound remained.

"Brother... I didn't mean to."

Jiang Jin, standing beside him, turned his gaze away expressionlessly.

Pei Lin lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the little black dog on his arm, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Jiang Jin said that Xiao Hei has been sleeping a lot lately, and it's too cold in the basement, so he brought it out for some fresh air. He forgot to tell you. Later, when he found out you went to the basement, he was worried something might happen to you, so he told me about it."

He looked up at Shen Jicheng and said, "I just rushed back."

Shen Jicheng: "..."

Good heavens. So it was this bodyguard named Jiang Jin who deliberately set him up.

What do you mean "forgot to tell him"? It's clearly intentional! Little Black is sleepy? It's already autumn, how can a snake not be sleepy? Afraid something might happen to him? What could possibly happen to him? It's obvious that Jiang Jin doesn't trust him and deliberately set this trap for him to fall into.

Shen Jicheng was filled with a complex mix of anger and panic. But he also knew that the most important thing right now was not to argue whether Jiang Dan did it on purpose, but to smooth things over with Pei Lin.