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

Pei Lin didn't hold back, pinching Shen Jicheng's cheek until it turned bluish-white, the pain excruciating. This sight of Pei Lin terrified him, and almost instinctively, his eyes welled up with tears. He gripped Pei Lin's hand, his lips trembling as he murmured something.

"Let me explain..."

Pei Lin didn't speak; he simply lowered his head in silence, looking at the heartbroken face that was crying so bitterly. Shen Jicheng's eyes were red-rimmed, tears clinging to his eyelashes, and the tip of his nose was flushed pink, making him look utterly pitiful.

Pei Lin suddenly remembered that this wasn't the first time such a scene had occurred.

Every time he got angry, this face in front of him would turn into this expression. Every time, he softened. Every time, he believed him.

"Brother..." Shen Jicheng called out again.

Pei Lin looked at Shen Jicheng with his eyes down for a long time, then chuckled softly. The smile didn't reach his eyes; it was more of a self-deprecating curve.

"Brother?" He swirled the word on his tongue, his voice icy cold. "You really think this title is a get-out-of-jail-free card?"

He moved his hand away and grabbed Shen Jicheng's chin again, this time with a bit more force, causing Shen Jicheng to wince in pain.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare throw you into the sea?"

Shen Jicheng was unable to speak as his cheeks were pinched, and could only tilt his head back, his wet, peach-blossom eyes staring at Pei Lin, filled with something indescribable. Pei Lin stared at those eyes for a moment, then suddenly, as if burned by that gaze, he released his grip in disgust and turned his back to him.

Shen Jicheng slumped onto the carpet, several red marks appearing on his chin.

"I'll give you three minutes." Pei Lin didn't turn around; his voice was icy.

"Give me a reasonable explanation for why you stole this document about the Shen family. If you can't provide an answer—"

He paused for a moment, his tone flat and even, "I wouldn't mind throwing you into the sea myself."

Shen Jicheng's body trembled slightly.

He didn't speak immediately. Tears were still on his face, but at that moment he suddenly felt that those tears were useless.

He raised his head, his reddened eyes looking at the figure with his back to him, and said softly, "What if I said... I have ties to the Shen family...?"

Pei Lin's back stiffened for a moment.

Shen Jicheng looked at his clenched hand, his knuckles turning bluish-white, as if he were restraining himself. He suddenly smiled, a bitter smile.

"Pei Lin, will you throw me into the sea?"

Before he could finish speaking, the door was pushed open.

Jiang Jin's voice came from the doorway, as cold and calm as ever, "Master Pei, we've caught Third Young Master Pei. He says he has something to report, about Mr. Shi."

Shen Jicheng's pupils contracted slightly.

Pei Shuli. It's Pei Shuli again. Is this person his nemesis?

Every time he thought there was still a chance to turn things around, Pei Shuli would appear, like a stubborn plaster that he couldn't shake off.

Pei Lin turned his head, his gaze sweeping across Shen Jicheng's face and landing on his suddenly stiff shoulder line.

"Bring it in."

Jiang Jin acknowledged and left. Not long after, the living room door was pushed open again, and Pei Shuli was escorted in by two bodyguards. His coat was a little wrinkled, and a few strands of his hair were loose, but the expression on his face carried an undisguised smugness. His brown eyes locked onto Shen Jicheng sitting on the floor as soon as he entered, and the curve of his lips was undisguised.

"Second Brother! I have something to tell you—" Pei Shuli began, his voice urgent as if he were about to report something, "This Shi Jiaming betrayed you for money! He's already sided with the Shen family! You absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Jin behind him had already shoved him down, his knee hitting the floor with a dull thud. Pei Shuli struggled but couldn't move, so he could only look up at Pei Lin.

Pei Lin sat on the sofa, legs crossed, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the two people on the floor. Shen Jicheng and Pei Shuli knelt side by side, one with a pale face, the other with a face full of resentment.

"Second Brother! Everything I said is the truth!" Seeing that Pei Lin didn't react immediately, Pei Shuli hurriedly spoke again, his tone urgent and rapid, "If you don't believe me, look at his phone! There are definitely transfer records from the Shen family to him! He's been a dog of the Shen family for a long time!"

Shen Jicheng: "..."

After getting a new phone, he didn't contact any members of the Shen family at all. He still doesn't understand how he got that ten million yuan.

Pei Lin never restricted the amount of money he transferred, and he had never carefully read the notes. But now, Pei Shuli so confidently identified that the money came from the Shen family, Shen Jicheng's heart sank.

He suddenly understood.

That money probably wasn't given by Pei Lin.

Pei Lin was silent for a moment, then looked away from Shen Jicheng's face. His voice was so calm that no emotion could be detected. "Go upstairs and get Mr. Shi's phone."

Zhang Xu responded and quickly went upstairs. The living room was so quiet that only the occasional rustling of Pei Shuli's clothes as he adjusted his posture could be heard. Shen Jicheng kept his eyes downcast, avoiding anyone's gaze, feeling that the carpet beneath his knees was colder than the stone slabs.

A few minutes later, Zhang Xu returned with his phone and handed it to Pei Lin with both hands.

The phone wasn't password protected. Pei Lin tapped to look; the transaction records lay there clearly, the amount, time, and notes lined up neatly. His thumb hovered over the screen, his fingertip turning slightly white.

Shen Jicheng followed his movements and looked over. Although he couldn't see the specific content on the screen, he could feel that Pei Lin's breathing rhythm had changed.

Then Pei Lin raised his eyes, a mocking smile curving his lips.

"Ten million will make you switch sides?" His dark eyes stared at him, his tone cold.

"Baby, are you really that worthless?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and slammed the phone onto the floor in front of Shen Jicheng. The loud "bang" and the sound of the screen shattering were particularly jarring in the quiet living room.

Fragments flew everywhere, some landing near Shen Jicheng's feet. He froze, looking down at the screen, now shattered into a spiderweb pattern, where a line of small print could still be faintly discerned.

—The reward is ten million to steal the documents Pei Lin used against the Shen family.

Shen Jicheng's eyelashes trembled.

He suddenly understood. This money was all part of Pei Shuli's scheme from beginning to end. He deliberately tried to sow discord between him and Pei Lin, so he transferred the money in advance with clear notes, just so Pei Lin could see it with his own eyes.

But I never expected it to be such a coincidence...

He was just about to pick up that document tonight.

"I..." Shen Jicheng opened his mouth, wanting to say that the money was not given by the Shen family, but when he looked at Pei Lin's cold eyes, he suddenly felt that anything he said would seem pale.

Pei Lin believed he had betrayed him for money. Where the money came from wasn't important; what mattered was that he had indeed taken the money and stolen the documents. Shen Jicheng closed his eyes briefly, swallowing back the words he was about to say.

If Pei Lin only thinks he's greedy, that's better than letting him know he's a member of the Shen family.

He was silent.

Pei Shuli, however, was unwilling to let this opportunity slip by. Seeing that Pei Lin did not immediately punish Shen Jicheng, he struggled to speak again.

"Second Brother! That's not all! Your darling has also been to the Full Moon! I have proof!"