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

Pei Lin looked down at the person crying uncontrollably at his feet, his dangerous eyes narrowing. He scrutinized Shen Jicheng for a long while, his voice carrying a nonchalant chill.

"Go out? That depends on my mood."

At the time, Shen Jicheng didn't quite understand what those words meant. But for the next whole week, he was thoroughly confused by those seemingly casual words.

On the first night, Pei Lin returned from outside, carrying with him a ruler that was entirely black, about two fingers wide, and had a cold, smooth luster.

When Shen Jicheng first saw it, he found it novel and couldn't help but take a closer look, already figuring out its purpose in his mind. He held it in his hands, examining it from all angles. It felt warm and heavy, and the more he looked at it, the more satisfied he became. He then swaggered over to the sofa and asked Pei Lin, who was drinking tea nearby…

"Hey, where did you get this wood? It feels nice, can I have it?"

He spoke as if it were perfectly natural, without feeling that there was anything wrong with it.

Pei Lin slowly sipped his tea, put down the cup, and gave him a half-smile.

"You like it?"

"I like it!" Shen Jicheng nodded, proudly raising his chin.

"Aunt Zhang picked up a stray puppy, but it's really fierce and barks at everyone it sees. I think it needs to be properly trained, and this ruler would be just right."

He tried tapping it lightly on his palm, which made a crisp sound, but it didn't hurt much.

Pei Lin's lips curved into a meaningful smile. "I'm glad you like it. I was worried you wouldn't."

Shen Jicheng had a gut feeling that something was wrong, but he didn't think much of it.

An hour later.

"Damn it! Pei Lin, you bastard!" Shen Jicheng never expected that the ruler would be used on him.

The room was dimly lit, the warm, ambiguous light bathing the bed. He lay there, angrily turning his head to glare at someone. A crisp sound answered him, followed by Pei Lin's lazy, nonchalant voice from behind.

"Sweetie, don't you want to go out?"

Shen Jicheng: "!"

"Didn't we say we were going to train the dog?" Pei Lin's voice carried a hint of amusement. "How about I train my puppy first, then you can train yours?"

Shen Jicheng was so angry he was about to explode, but he was currently restrained and unable to move, so he could only verbally defiantly shout, "You're a pervert!"

Another crisp sound rang out. Pei Lin raised an eyebrow. "Say it again?"

"You—" Shen Jicheng was about to retort, but before he could finish speaking, the ruler fell again, clean and decisive.

Shen Jicheng turned around angrily and yelled, "I haven't even started cursing yet!"

Pei Lin's smile deepened. "I know, but you made a move."

Shen Jicheng: "..."

While he was suffering terribly at the Beishan Villa, Pei Shuli was not having an easy time either.

For the first time, Pei Shuli didn't wear his usual flashy outfit. Instead, he changed into a black suit, put on a mask, and huddled in the back of the car, watching two figures walk into the hotel across the street. He squinted for a moment, then followed without hesitation.

"Hello, do you have a reservation?" the receptionist asked politely.

Pei Shuli withdrew his gaze from the figure that had disappeared at the elevator entrance, decisively pulled out a business card and slapped it on the table, raising his chin slightly. "What hotel needs this young master to book personally?"

The receptionist's attitude visibly changed, her smile becoming much more attentive. "Hello, we'll arrange a suite for you, is that alright?"

Pei Shuli had no interest in booking a hotel room and waved his hand dismissively.

"Get it done as soon as possible."

He sent a staff member to make tea, and while the receptionist turned away, he quickly flipped through the registration book on the table. Although this hotel didn't require ID registration, it did record names and room numbers. Pei Shuli's fingers flew across the pages, his gaze sweeping over each name, before suddenly stopping at one.

Shen Yu'an?

He frowned, a string of question marks flashing through his mind. Who was Shen Yu'an? Was she using a pseudonym to avoid being investigated? It wasn't impossible.

"Sir! What are you doing?" The receptionist returned at some point, and her expression changed when she saw his actions. She hurriedly snatched the registration book from his hands, looking flustered and uneasy.

Pei Shuli remained calm, smiling as he moved closer and glanced at the other person's name tag.

"Zhang Jin? I'll remember you. If you tell anyone what happened just now, I'll make sure you lose your job."

He spoke casually, then turned and strode toward the elevator, his steps as relaxed as if he were in his own home.

Only after his figure completely disappeared behind the elevator doors did the employee named Zhang Jin put away his fear and take out his phone to make a call.

At the same time, in a room at the end of the corridor on the second floor of the hotel, Shen Mingxiao was standing by the window answering a phone call. After listening to the report on the other end of the line, his tone was calm.

"Alright. If he wants to come along, let him. I want to see what he's up to. He can't be so bored as to follow someone around like this."

Shen Yu'an's phone rang at that moment, and he whispered something beside him.

"Brother, this is my teacher on the phone, let me take it."

Shen Mingxiao glanced at Shen Yu'an subconsciously; three words were flashing on his phone: "Professor Zhang."

After Shen Mingxiao nodded, Shen Yu'an walked to the other side to answer the call.

Just as he hung up the phone, Shen Yu'an walked back from the corner of the room, still clutching her phone, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Brother, my teacher said I won a prize in the chemistry experiment competition, and I got a scholarship of 10,000 yuan!"

As he spoke, he handed his phone to Shen Mingxiao. Shen Mingxiao glanced at it; the contact name was "Professor Zhang," and below it was a transaction record.

Shen Yu'an put away her phone and spoke with a serious and sincere expression.

"Brother Shen, if you hadn't saved me back then, I would be dead already. I'd like to transfer this 10,000 yuan to you."

Shen Mingxiao frowned slightly. He glanced instinctively towards the door, then pushed open the door to another empty room, stepped aside to let Shen Yu'an in, casually closed the door behind him, and lowered his voice.

"Don't say things like that in public again."

Shen Yu'an was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something, and covered her mouth in annoyance.

"I forgot... I was so happy just now that I forgot my current identity..."

Seeing his expression, Shen Mingxiao didn't say anything harsher. His tone softened a bit. "I'm not blaming you." He paused. "Keep the bonus for yourself. Don't transfer it to me. I won't accept it."

He recalled the phone call from earlier, and his expression darkened for a moment.

"I received word that the Pei family is following us, and this hotel is no longer safe. You should have told me before you booked the room."

He didn't mean to blame her; he was simply worried about Shen Yu'an's safety, and of course, about Shen Jicheng's situation.