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

Pei Shuli's brows furrowed even more. He thought for a moment, following Shen Jicheng's train of thought, "You mean..."

Shen Jicheng bit his knuckles and pondered for a while.

"This suggests that the other party may have deliberately removed this bead. But as for why they would remove it, I can't figure it out for the time being."

His mind raced, trying to decipher the possibility that it was a false clue deliberately left for Pei Shuli. But if it was meant to mislead, leaving such a bead would be completely unnecessary. For the person committing the assault, leaving no trace was the safest option.

That leaves only one possibility: it wasn't left there intentionally, but actually fell off during the fight.

Pei Shuli clearly didn't have the patience to analyze the details; he simply waved his hand, his tone decisive.

"It doesn't matter whether he left it on purpose or not, as long as it's his! Once I find him, I'll definitely drag him out and interrogate him severely!"

After speaking, he stood up, brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes, his gaze unwavering and resolute.

"I'll go again tomorrow! I refuse to believe I can't handle Shen Mingxiao!"

Looking at his confident demeanor, Shen Jicheng sighed silently to himself. Who gave you that confidence?

Although he thought this way, he certainly wouldn't dare say it aloud. He just forced a fake smile, his voice carrying a hint of half-hearted encouragement.

"Keep it up!"

It was late at night. A black sedan drove smoothly under the streetlights, the interior dimly lit. Pei Lin leaned back in the back seat, eyes closed, listening to Zhang Xu's unhurried report.

Zhang Xu paused for a moment when talking about the situation at Beishan Villa.

"The maid reported that Mr. Shi seemed to have gotten into a fight with the third young master today."

Pei Lin slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. "Fighting? Is Pei Shuli asking for trouble? Hasn't the punishment from last time taught him a lesson?"

Zhang Xu hesitated for a moment, as if considering his words.

"Uh... the maid only said she saw a wound on the third young master's back, it seemed like he had been beaten up by someone..."

Pei Lin raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. "My darling is this skilled?"

Zhang Xu was silent for two seconds, then asked another question.

"President Pei, the Third Young Master's injuries seem rather suspicious. Should we investigate?" After all, the servant hadn't explained clearly, only saying that the Third Young Master left with injuries, and whether Mr. Shi had hit him was anyone's guess.

Pei Lin's tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion. "What's there to investigate? He's just asking for trouble. Knowing my darling doesn't like him, he still insisted on getting close. What else could it be but asking for a beating?"

Zhang Xu opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words.

"...Okay, Mr. Pei." Fine, whatever you say goes. After all, you're the boss.

When Pei Lin returned home, Shen Jicheng was already asleep. The lights in the living room and hallway were off, except for a dim nightlight in the bedroom.

Pei Lin walked in quietly, sat down by the bed, and looked down at Shen Jicheng's sleeping face curled up on his side. After a moment, still feeling uneasy, he reached out and gently lifted the hem of Shen Jicheng's clothes to take a look. His waist and back were clean and smooth, without a single injury.

Pei Lin stopped, his dissatisfaction with Zhang Xu growing even stronger.

Is this little thing even worth reporting? Pei Shuli is a grown man, 1.8 meters tall, so what if he gets a little injured? Besides, how strong can his darling be? Could he possibly break Pei Shuli's bones?

He was about to put Shen Jicheng's clothes back when his fingertips accidentally brushed against the delicate, warm skin on his waist.

The touch was delicate and soft, and he paused for a moment, his gaze darkening. In the end, he couldn't resist, and he leaned down to bite Shen Jicheng's waist lightly.

The next morning, Shen Jicheng got out of bed in a huff.

She didn't even put on slippers, walking barefoot on the floor as she went, covering her swollen lips and muttering curses.

"That bastard Pei Lin! If I ever sleep with him again, I'll change my surname to Shi!"

He couldn't even bear to recall what happened last night. He was fast asleep when suddenly he couldn't breathe. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw a magnified, handsome face pressed against him.

Before he could even start cursing, the other person chuckled, clearly in a good mood.

"Baby? You're awake? Come on, let's cultivate our relationship." Then she was "cultivated" over and over again all night long, until she finally passed out.

Shen Jicheng thought he had suffered enough today, until he walked into the courtyard and saw Pei Shuli sitting in a wheelchair outside the iron gate. His pupils suddenly contracted.

"Holy crap! What's going on?! Why are you in a wheelchair?!"

After Pei Shuli entered, he quickly ran over and circled the wheelchair twice, his gaze lingering on the leg in a thick cast and the bruises around the corner of the mouth. His shock was undisguised.

"Even if you can't catch up with Shen Mingxiao, you don't need to have self-destructive tendencies!"

Pei Shuli's brow furrowed with worry, almost bursting with emotion. He tugged at the wound at the corner of his mouth, wincing in pain.

"Self-destruction? I'd rather destroy others than destroy myself!"

After saying that, he said viciously, "Shen Mingxiao is no good!"

Shen Jicheng squatted down and poked the plaster, his tone slightly surprised.

"Found out? It was Shen Mingxiao who did it?" He clicked his tongue inwardly. His older brother was too ruthless. He even broke his leg. It seems he had really been lenient with him before.

Pei Shuli glanced at him coldly and uttered two words, "No."

"What happened?"

"I went out to follow Shen Mingxiao, but I stepped on a loose manhole cover and my leg got stuck, and that's how I ended up like this." Pei Shuli's tone was filled with an indescribable sense of frustration.

Shen Jicheng tilted his head in confusion. "Then what does this have to do with Shen Mingxiao?"

"How can it be alright?" Pei Shuli slammed his hand on the armrest of his wheelchair, so emotional that he didn't even care about the pain from the cut on his lip.

"Haven't you noticed? Every time I get involved with Shen Mingxiao, nothing good ever comes of it! The first time, he drugged me and made me overhear something I shouldn't have under the bed. The second time, he followed me and got beaten up with a sack over my head, and I still don't know who did it! The third time was this time, when I stepped on a manhole cover! My long legs almost died there!"

He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, finally leaning back in his wheelchair and letting out a long sigh. "Forget it, I'm not going to chase after him anymore. Shen Mingxiao is a jinx; anyone who gets involved with him is doomed."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat.

Giving up? That won't do! If Pei Shuli stops pursuing her, how will he send messages out through this channel? Besides, Pei Shuli still has Shen Yu'an's name in his hands. What if he impulsively tells Pei Lin one day? Then he'll be completely finished.

"No!" He quickly squatted down, looked up at Pei Shuli, and said with utmost sincerity.

"Don't give up yet, listen to me."