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

On a street in late autumn, a black Rolls-Royce sped past, the roadside trees on both sides forming a blurry afterimage outside the car window.

Shen Mingxiao gripped the steering wheel with one hand, his gaze calmly fixed on the road ahead. He frowned slightly when he heard the person in the passenger seat finish speaking.

"You refused?"

Shen Yanhe nodded, her voice calm and measured. "Yes. Pei Lin's message is that he's been busy lately and doesn't have time to meet. But to put it bluntly, he just doesn't want to see me."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingxiao frowned even more deeply. He remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, "We didn't originally come here to see him. We just wanted to get information about Shen Jicheng from him."

He paused, a hint of worry in his voice, "So much time has passed, and we haven't heard anything from Shen Jicheng. Even that kid from the Song family says he doesn't know anything about the situation."

He didn't finish his sentence. But Shen Yanhe was perceptive and could easily detect the hidden worry in his words.

He took out a wet wipe and slowly wiped his fingers, a gentle smile on his face. "Don't worry, brother. Chengcheng is the kind of person who won't let himself be taken advantage of. If he's really in danger, he'll definitely find a way to let me know."

After saying that, he seemed to remember something, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"But this Pei Lin is really going too far. He's pinning everything on the Shen family, even blaming us for the losses on that maritime project. Isn't he just trying to find a pretext to target the Shen family?"

The red light is on.

Shen Mingxiao stepped on the brakes, and the car came to a smooth stop behind the white line. He continued, "However, the Pei family didn't gain much advantage this time either. Fortunately, Shen Yu'an passed on Shen Jicheng's instructions to me, telling me to be more vigilant, otherwise the Shen family might have really suffered a big setback with the Huanyu project."

Shen Yanhe seemed to suddenly remember something, and turned her head to look at him.

"Big brother, Chengcheng hasn't shown up for so long this time, could it be related to this matter?"

Just as Shen Mingxiao was about to answer, someone knocked on the car window.

He rolled down the car window.

A person stood outside the window, dressed in expensive and luxurious attire. Even just standing there casually, their innate air of nobility was undeniable. The person had a sharply defined face, with a hint of world-weary indifference in their eyes, yet at this moment, a smile curved their lips.

"Young Master Shen, hello." Pei Shuli bowed slightly. "I have admired you for many years. Would you have the honor of inviting me to a meal?"

Shen Mingxiao's gaze lingered on his face for two seconds. He had seen that face once before at a banquet; it belonged to Pei Shuli, the third young master of the Pei family.

Without saying a word, he rolled up the car window. The car drove off smoothly, leaving Pei Shuli standing alone by the roadside, his body still slightly bent over, a slight crack appearing in his smile.

After a few seconds of silence in the car, Shen Yanhe chuckled softly.

"Brother, you're so clueless about romance. Why did you just drive off without saying a word?"

"He's from the Pei family." Shen Mingxiao's voice was devoid of emotion. "Pei Lin's half-brother, Pei Shuli. I saw him once at a banquet."

Shen Yanhe wasn't surprised. "Then why didn't you come down, brother? You can use this as an excuse to find out where Chengcheng is."

Shen Mingxiao shook his head. "Everyone outside says that Pei Lin and Pei Shuli don't get along, but recently Pei Shuli has been frequently visiting Beishan Villa. This person might be someone Pei Lin sent to spy on us." He paused, "It's best to minimize contact."

Shen Yanhe smiled and said, "I don't think so."

Shen Mingxiao turned his head and glanced at him. "What?"

"Pei Lin wouldn't send someone brainless to gather information." Shen Yanhe's tone was gentle, yet carried a sense of certainty.

Shen Mingxiao didn't respond. He steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"What you just said isn't without merit. Shen Jicheng hasn't left the Pei family for so long, it's very likely because of the Huanyu incident, and Pei Lin has become suspicious of him."

He paused for a few seconds, then said, "If that's the case, we need to find a way to get him out safely."

"Don't worry, brother." Shen Yanhe's expression became more serious. "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If Chengcheng is indeed in danger, I will find a way to get him out."

Shen Mingxiao nodded. The street scene outside the car window rushed past, and the late autumn sunlight fell on the road, giving it a thin layer of gold.

In the villa on North Mountain, Shen Jicheng sat cross-legged on Pei Lin's armchair, his eyes wide as he listened to Pei Shuli's furious accusations.

"What? He won't even go to dinner when I invited him?!" Song Yiyang, you've really made something of yourself! You won't even go out for a meal?

Pei Shuli's expression was grim, his tone laced with barely suppressed anger, "What kind of lousy idea was that! It was completely useless! He didn't say a word, he just drove off!"

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat. Driving? When did Song Yiyang get a car? Did that kid secretly make a fortune behind his back?

Pei Shuli was still fuming, "Taking things step by step, cultivating feelings? I don't think it's as fast as making it a fait accompli!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jicheng felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He had a bad feeling. "You... what do you want to do?"

Pei Shuli glanced down at him condescendingly. "I think you're deliberately hiding your secrets from me. Why should you drug my second brother but tell me to take my time when you're giving me advice? Anyway, I've already found out how you seduced my second brother, so I'll just do it the same way."

Shen Jicheng froze completely; the sky had fallen.

"No!!" He grabbed Pei Shuli's shirt hem and sprang up from the sofa. "You absolutely mustn't do this! You'll regret it!"

His mind was already replaying the horrific scene of Song Yiyang being drugged. The image was so terrifying that just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

But his overly panicked appearance, in Pei Shuli's eyes, became irrefutable evidence that his trick had been exposed. Pei Shuli sneered, pulled his hand away, and walked out without looking back.

"Just wait for my good news."

Shen Jicheng: "..." That sounds familiar. He seems to have said that before.

No! That's not the point. The point is, Song Yiyang is doomed.

He needed to go out and warn Song Yiyang to be careful. But his phone had already been confiscated, and Pei Lin wouldn't let him leave the house. What could he do?

night.

Shen Jicheng sat on the carpet, hugging Pei Lin's legs, his face streaked with tears, his voice choked with sobs.

"Brother~ you know, my family was poor when I was young, so I was determined to die when I grew up."

"I can't be a caged canary at home! I have to be ambitious and successful. Even if I'm going to be a caged canary, I want to be one that's locked outside! Please let me out! I promise I'll behave myself and won't do anything inappropriate, like touching other people's abs, okay, brother?"