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

"What you did would have earned you a thousand deaths if it had happened to anyone else. From now on, I hope you'll be clear about what you should and shouldn't do. After all, I am the master now, and you are the servant."

"If I'm in a bad mood, you can forget about having a good time either."

Shen Jicheng pursed his lips, and after a long while, he managed to utter a single word, "...Oh."

Pei Lin turned and left.

Shen Jicheng sat on the bed, looking down at the black card in his hand, its edges gleaming coldly under the light. He clutched the card, a strange and inexplicable emotion welling up inside him.

Pei Lin... does this mean you're not going to pursue the matter further?

But his words just now clearly implied that he had ties to the Shen family. Although the excuse was about money, it still connected him to the Shen family. He remembered clearly what Pei Lin had said back then.

It doesn't matter who Shen Jicheng is; what matters is that you don't get involved with the Shen family.

Otherwise, I'll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks.

Are you just going to let him go so easily now?

He placed the card on the bedside table, leaned back, sank into the pillow, and stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time.

Later, unable to stay in bed any longer, he got up and went downstairs. When he reached the corner of the stairs, the scene in the living room made him pause for two seconds.

Pei Shuli hadn't left yet.

He was wearing an expensive shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, and he was holding a long-handled mop, bending over as he and the servants cleaned up the broken pieces of porcelain and dirt on the floor. Sweat soaked a large area of ​​his back, the fabric clinging to the lines of his spine, and his hair was disheveled, making him look as disheveled as if he had just come from a construction site.

He straightened up, threw his head back, and let out a long howl, "I'm exhausted, why isn't it here yet—"

His words trailed off. His gaze met Shen Jicheng's on the stairs, and his eyes widened in disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost. "You're still alive?!"

Shen Jicheng: "..." Does he really have to die?

Shen Jicheng ignored him and walked around the mess on the ground towards the gate.

But Pei Shuli wasn't about to let him go. He dragged the mop and chased after him, blocking his way and shouting towards the second floor.

"Second Brother! He's trying to escape! Quickly send men to catch him and throw him into the snake pit!"

Since Shen Jicheng's path was blocked, he simply stood still.

Sure enough, the window in the study upstairs was pushed open. Pei Lin stood by the window, glanced down at the farce unfolding below, and said in a detached tone, "You still have the mind to care about others?"

"In that case, you can scoop up the fish from the pond as well."

Pei Shuli's expression instantly cracked. He pointed incredulously at himself, then at Shen Jicheng, "Then what was he doing?!"

Pei Lin's gaze swept over the quiet figure standing downstairs, his tone flat.

"He's injured. What can he do?"

Pei Shuli was furious. He touched his still swollen cheeks and lips, where the purplish-blue marks were still clearly visible.

"Then what am I?"

Pei Lin didn't even bother to look at him, and simply said, "Consider it your own fault."

The window is closed.

Shen Jicheng couldn't help but burst out laughing, unable to suppress the laughter.

Pei Shuli glared at him through gritted teeth, "You just wait!"

That day, Pei Shuli not only failed to get his ten million, but also lost fifty million of his private savings. The antiques in the living room and the valuable ornamental fish in the fish pond were all put on his account.

His wallet was visibly empty; he couldn't even afford to eat, let alone oppose Shen Jicheng or challenge Pei Lin.

However, he dared not return to the Pei family's old residence, fearing that his father would find out that he had done nothing but cause trouble these days. So he simply stayed in the small apartment under his own name, and then appeared at the dining table of Beishan Villa at mealtimes, ostensibly to "mooch a meal," but actually just to annoy Shen Jicheng.

Shen Jicheng still does some housework every day, wiping the table, watering the flowers, and spraying water on the potted plants in the study. Compared to being asked to mop the entire building's floors at the beginning, these tasks are now extremely easy.

He knew in his heart that Pei Lin was letting him win.

He wanted to find an opportunity to have a proper talk with Pei Lin, but Pei Lin seemed to be getting busier and busier lately, leaving early and returning late every day, so the two of them almost never saw each other. Even when they occasionally ate at the same table, Pei Shuli would always be there making faces and causing trouble, and he really couldn't bring himself to apologize to Pei Shuli in front of him.

So it just dragged on like that.

One evening, Shen Jicheng waited in the living room for a long time. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he was about to fall asleep when he suddenly heard the sound of an engine coming from the yard.

He snapped out of his daze, rubbed his eyes, and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eleven o'clock.

He got up and walked over, just as Pei Lin pushed the door open and came in. The late autumn night wind chilled him, and a few withered leaves clung to the shoulders of his black trench coat. He saw that Shen Jicheng was still awake, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Waiting for me?"

Shen Jicheng nodded. "Mm."

Pei Lin took off his coat and handed it to the maid, then walked to the living room sofa, sat down, and looked up at him. "What is it?"

Shen Jicheng stood before him, his brows slightly furrowed. After several seconds of silence, he finally spoke.

"Have you...forgave me?"

Their relationship has been so strange lately.

If Pei Lin hadn't forgiven him, then he hadn't assigned him any of those heavy tasks again, nor had he mentioned the debt again. He had even given him the card and told him to spend it however he wanted.

But even though they forgave each other, they never became as close as before. They no longer shared a bed, and there were no more unintentional touches or closeness. It was as if there was something invisible separating them.

He wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Pei Lin seemed surprised that he would ask this question. He leaned back on the sofa, staring intently at Shen Jicheng, remaining silent for a long time. The living room was so quiet that the second hand of the grandfather clock could be heard ticking.

"You want me to ask you if I've forgiven you?" he finally spoke, his voice lower than before.

I can't give a definite answer.

"I hate betrayal and deception. That's my bottom line, you know that."

"You crossed my line, and I can't forgive you. Forgiving you would be betraying myself." His gaze remained fixed on Shen Jicheng's face. "But I really can't bear to see you suffer, to see you hurt and sad."

Shen Jicheng's breathing unconsciously softened. He heard Pei Lin continue speaking,

"When you ran upstairs with red eyes that day, I didn't want to pursue the matter any further."

"You asked me if I've forgiven you, the answer is no."

If you ask me if I love you, the answer is yes.

Pei Lin's voice was steady and low, each word spoken clearly.

"But you have to understand, this hurts me terribly. It's like a thorn stuck in my heart. Every time I see you, I'm reminded of your betrayal. Every time I see you, I want to throw you into the sea."

"As long as I don't see you, as long as I don't think about this, you will always be the most beloved treasure in my heart."