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

Shen Jicheng's heart sank.

Pei Shuli, you spineless coward! But he was more worried about himself. If Pei Shuli really told him everything, then he wouldn't be far from death.

He was just wondering whether he should try something else when he heard Pei Shuli speak very quickly.

"I...I told him we should talk...talk about how you two met!"

Pei Shuli wasn't stupid.

He knew at least he couldn't reveal that he had seduced Shen Mingxiao, since he was the one who first came up with the idea. Even though Shi Jiaming gave him a lot of suggestions later, he was still the one who started it all.

If this were to be brought to Pei Lin's attention, his love-struck brother would definitely be reluctant to punish his darling, and in the end, he would be the one who gets hurt.

Pei Lin narrowed his eyes, clearly skeptical of this explanation. "Oh? Is that so? Then tell me, how did we meet?"

Shen Jicheng breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Pei Shuli hadn't immediately exposed him.

He was about to say a few good words for Pei Shuli when he called out, "Husband~"

Pei Lin glanced at him indifferently, his tone unreadable, "Hmm? You're going to speak up for him?"

Shen Jicheng swallowed back the words he was about to say and obediently shut his mouth. He realized that if he said another word, neither he nor Pei Shuli would escape today.

Pei Shuli was incredibly glad that he had been careful enough to investigate how his second brother and Shi Jiaming met. Now that he was being asked about it, he remained calm.

"He drugged you, and you two did it. Then you brought him back." She paused, then added,

"And then, you became love-struck."

Shen Jicheng: "..." Are you serious about adding that sentence?

Pei Lin sneered, completely ignoring the other party's last sentence, and calmly pressed on with his questions.

"Then tell me again, why did my darling drug me in the first place?"

Shen Jicheng curled up silently in Pei Lin's arms, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

As expected, Pei Shuli was stumped by his question. He paused, then instinctively looked at the person in his second brother's arms, his face blank. Why drug him? How did he know? "For money, I guess..."

"It can't be because of love, can it?" After he finished speaking, he cautiously glanced at Pei Lin's face. Seeing that he didn't react, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he had guessed correctly.

However, he was unaware that the next challenge awaited him.

Pei Lin slowly posed the second question, "Then think again, who was his first choice?"

Shen Jicheng closed his eyes in despair and sighed inwardly.

I knew it.

Pei Shuli was completely dumbfounded: "???"

There's a first candidate? So his brother is just a backup plan? Who exactly is this Shi Jiaming? He's amazing! He couldn't help but cast a respectful glance at him.

Unfortunately, now was not the time for sentimentality; he truly didn't know the answer. He honestly shook his head.

"This...your darling didn't tell me this..."

Pei Lin raised an eyebrow, his gaze casually falling on the face of the person beside him. "Oh? Is that so?"

Shen Jicheng immediately replied, "That's right! How could I say that Pei Shuli was my first choice? Isn't he your brother? That's why I didn't tell him!"

Pei Shuli remained frozen in his wheelchair, his expression as if he had been struck by lightning.

He wondered if there was something wrong with his ears. He was the first choice? Him?!

Pei Shuli's expression was quite interesting. He opened his mouth several times as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

"I'll let this matter drop for now." Pei Lin said calmly, embracing Shen Jicheng, but his gaze returned to Pei Shuli.

"But what did you mean when you came that you succeeded? What did you mean by succeeding?"

Pei Shuli's Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent.

Pei Lin didn't even say anything more, he just tilted his head and said, "Bring Xiao Hei."

Pei Shuli's heart skipped a beat. "Wait! I'll talk!"

But this time, Pei Lin didn't call out to Jiang Jin. He simply pulled Shen Jicheng closer to him, his tone casual.

"You can say whatever you want, it won't affect anything. It's just that if I find out you're lying to me..." His voice lowered, his gaze turning coldly to Pei Shuli's face.

"Then you'd better be prepared to get bitten by a snake."

Jiang Jin quickly brought Xiao Hei over. The large, jet-black snake was coiled around his arm, its cold scales gleaming with a dark luster under the light.

Shen Jicheng and Pei Shuli shivered almost simultaneously.

Shen Jicheng felt that Pei Lin's last words were meant for him, but he didn't dare to think about it too much and could only bury his face in Pei Lin's arms again.

Pei Shuli stared at the snake, his scalp tingling and hair standing on end. He swallowed hard, and spoke in a trembling voice,

"When I said I succeeded... I meant that I was short of money these past couple of days, so I borrowed some from a friend... and he successfully lent it to me..."

After he finished speaking, he gripped the wheelchair handles tightly, trying to appear calm. But the guilt in his eyes was almost palpable. Pei Shuli wasn't good at lying; his upbringing didn't require him to survive on lies. Even when he later opposed Pei Lin, he always did it openly and honestly, never bothering to fabricate excuses. This was exactly the opposite of Shen Jicheng.

Pei Lin's gaze shifted coldly from him to Jiang Jin, and he uttered only two words, "Release the snakes."

In an instant, Xiao Hei swam down from Jiang Jin's arm and slid quickly along the ground towards Pei Shuli.

Shen Jicheng was so frightened that he jumped out of Pei Lin's arms, straddled him, and wrapped his arms tightly around Pei Lin's neck and legs.

He thought desperately, "It's over, Pei Shuli definitely can't hold on."

Pei Shuli was in an even worse situation. His leg was already injured, and he was sitting in a wheelchair being held down so he couldn't move. He could only watch helplessly as the black snake approached him.

"Aaaaaah—! Get out of here, you damn black snake! Help!!"

Pei Shuli's voice cracked, and he desperately tried to shrink back in his wheelchair, yelling, "Damn it, damn it, damn it—don't bite my leg!"

"Holy shit—!"

"Aa ...

"It hurts so much!! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

At Pei Lin's signal, Jiang Jin grabbed the snake by its vital spot and lifted it up. Pei Shuli was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, his face turning pale, and two small teeth marks on his calf were oozing blood.

"Quick... call a doctor for me... or I'll die..." He clutched his calf, his voice trembling.

Pei Lin glanced at him coldly. "Little Black isn't poisonous, you won't die. But if you don't tell the truth—" He paused, his voice growing even colder, "I'll find another poisonous snake to bite you."