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

Throughout the day, Shen Jicheng was almost never out of Pei Lin's sight.

From leaving Beishan Villa to Yuanyue, and then back home, Pei Lin always walked beside him or half a step ahead. He sat opposite him when eating, and walked alongside him. Whenever he glanced at someone else, Pei Lin's gaze would fall on him, seemingly unintentionally.

Shen Jicheng didn't even have a chance to let his family know he was safe.

He sighed inwardly.

These days are even harder to endure than being locked up at home. At least when you're locked up at home, you can chat with "Brainless" and maybe even get some information about the outside world out of him.

Now, things are really messed up; I have a pair of eyes watching me all day long, so I can't do anything.

"What are you thinking about?" Pei Lin, with one hand on the steering wheel, glanced at him as she looked across the road ahead.

You seem to have something on your mind.

Shen Jicheng quickly composed himself, replacing his expression with a natural smile. He turned and leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, I've recently become obsessed with fishing."

"Firstly, it's to pass the time, and secondly, I feel sorry for you because you've been working so hard lately, so I wanted to stew some fish for you to nourish your body."

He changed the subject, his brows furrowing slightly, "But fishing alone is too boring... It would be nice if someone could keep me company."

Pei Lin's lips curled into a smile. "No need for the stewed fish; I'm afraid someone will burn my kitchen down again." He paused.

"If you're bored, I'll keep you company after I'm done with this busy period."

Shen Jicheng inwardly scoffed, "So you're just worried about your kitchen, afraid I'll burn the house down, that's why you're making excuses to stop me from fishing."

Pei Lin chuckled softly, amused by his self-righteous demeanor, his voice filled with undisguised indulgence.

"I don't care about the kitchen. You can cook whatever you want if you're happy. I'm just worried that, like last time, you might not be careful and burn yourself."

Shen Jicheng was speechless after being shut up by his words. He touched the tip of his nose, obediently leaned back in the passenger seat, and didn't say another word. He was still thinking about how to see Pei Shuli.

Putting everything else aside, he still had that amulet in his hands, and he had to get it back. He was pondering how to bring it up without seeming deliberate when Pei Lin spoke up again.

"If you're really bored and want to go fishing, I can find you a fishing buddy."

Shen Jicheng's eyes lit up. "Really?" Could it be Pei Shuli?

"Yes. A friend of mine just got back from abroad yesterday and is coming to see me tomorrow."

Shen Jicheng's gaze darkened, and the little bit of expectation that had just risen in his heart instantly vanished.

My friend... he's probably not someone who's easy to fool.

Anyone who can be friends with Pei Lin must be quite intelligent; how could they be as easily fooled as Pei Shuli? He sighed silently to himself. Suddenly, he missed Pei Shuli a little.

Meanwhile, Pei Shuli, who was being talked about, was nestled in a rocking chair on his balcony, staring blankly at the chat box on his phone screen.

The rocking chair swayed gently, the night breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead. He was wrapped in a thick coat, with a section of his leg in a cast draped over a small stool, a rather comical pose.

He stared at the message in the chat box, lost in thought for a moment. What did Shen Mingxiao mean by this?

Zhi Shu hits you: [Brother~ Guess who I am?]

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Get to the point.]

Pei Shuli frowned, feeling conflicted.

This reply is far too cold; they didn't ask anything at all.

Did the young master of the Shen family inform his elder brother beforehand? Is that why Shen Mingxiao didn't ask questions because he knew who he was?

Since that's the case... he might as well be more direct.

My fingertips flew across the screen as I typed a line of text and tapped send.

Zhi Shu hits you: [I'm trying to seduce you.]

There was no response for a long time after the message was sent.

Pei Shuli stared at the silent dialog box, his heart pounding. He couldn't help but sit up straight in his rocking chair and stand up for a while.

He pondered repeatedly, wondering if he had been too blunt. Should he have been more tactful? What if the other person blocked him?

He became increasingly uneasy, so he bent down to reach for his phone on the round table, intending to send another message to explain.

But as soon as he picked up his phone, he saw a new message pop up at the top of the screen.

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [I like flamboyant types.]

Pei Shuli's eyes widened suddenly.

"Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

After a long silence, he typed a line of text with a serious expression.

Zhi Shu hits you: 【I perfectly fit your requirements.】

Almost the instant the message was sent, the other party replied.

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Please provide proof.]

Pei Shuli was taken aback. Proof? How could he prove this? He looked down at his leg, which was in a cast, and decisively took a picture and sent it.

Zhi Shu will hit you: [Image]

The other party remained silent for a few seconds.

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [If you're going to seduce me with your legs, at least cover up the leg in the cast, right?]

Pei Shuli frowned, feeling confused. What seduction? He clearly just wanted the other person to see that his leg was injured, and now he couldn't prove it!

Zhi Shu hits you: [It can't be covered up, the doctor said it needs to breathe.]

After sending the message, he stared at the screen for a while, but the other party did not reply. Pei Shuli tossed his phone aside, leaned back in his rocking chair, and gazed at the dark night sky. He wished he could go to Beishan Villa.

He figured Shi Jiaming could definitely give him some advice.

Although his second brother had forbidden him from entering Beishan Villa and even had the servants guard the gate to prevent him from going in, he could still shout at the gate! Wouldn't it be alright to chat for a few minutes through the door? The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, so he immediately made a decision to go to Beishan Villa to stake it out the next day.

He stood up from the rocking chair and limped into the room to prepare his clothes for tomorrow.

Halfway through his jump, he suddenly remembered something, paused, and reached into the inside pocket of his coat. Shi Jiaming's lucky charm was still there; he would return it to him tomorrow.

He searched for a long time, but found nothing in either the left or right pocket. He paused for a moment, then, unwilling to believe it, took off his coat and searched it thoroughly, only to find both pockets empty.

Pei Shuli's expression changed. "Holy crap, it's not lost, is it?"

He pulled out the coat he had worn that day, emptied all the pockets, and finally sat on the floor in despair, staring blankly at his empty hands for a long time.

"It's over," he muttered to himself.

"I lost it... Will Shi Jiaming kill me?"

If it were in the past, Pei Shuli probably wouldn't feel so guilty, and might even have deliberately lost it to spite Shen Jicheng.

But things are different now. They're in the same boat now. Shen Jicheng is giving him advice and helping him get out of trouble. Last time, when Pei Lin almost exposed him, it was Shen Jicheng who smoothed things over for him. He doesn't say it, but he remembers this favor.

He sat quietly on the floor for a long while, then took a deep breath and made a decision: he would go out and look for it tomorrow, just in case he found it. If he really couldn't find it…

He was silent for a moment, then an idea suddenly popped into his head. Didn't Shi Jiaming like money? Then he'd get more money from Shen Mingxiao as compensation for Shi Jiaming.

Pei Shuli thought about it more and more and felt that his idea was perfect, and the expression on his face slowly changed from despair to smugness.