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

Guests arrived at Beishan Villa that day.

Before Shen Jicheng had even come downstairs, he heard a burst of laughter coming from the living room, filled with the familiarity and warmth of a long-awaited reunion.

"You look much better after three years."

He stopped by the second-floor railing and curiously peered down. A man sat on the sofa opposite Pei Lin, his posture relaxed and casual, unlike the stiff and reserved manner of others present. From above, he was dressed casually, his every move exuding ease.

"Really?" Pei Lin's gaze suddenly lifted, landing on a figure peeking out from the second floor. A slight smile played on his lips. "Probably because he has a docile little puppy by his side."

Shen Jicheng was taken aback, not expecting that Pei Lin had even discovered him hiding behind the railing. Following Pei Lin's gaze, the man opposite him also looked up.

Their eyes met. Shen Jicheng finally saw the other person clearly; he looked to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven, with clear and handsome features. His temperament was somewhat similar to his second brother's, both possessing a gentle nature. Yet, they were different. His second brother's gentleness was like the autumn moon—gentle, but essentially aloof and unapproachable. This person, however, exuded a warmth that emanated from his very being, unadulterated and genuinely warm.

Upon seeing Shen Jicheng, the man smiled heartily and frankly, "Hello?"

He paused, then added,

"I've heard Pei Lin mention you before. You must be Shi Jiaming?"

Shen Jicheng: "..."

Pei Lin? Why would Pei Lin bring him up for no reason?

In the living room, Shen Jicheng sat obediently beside Pei Lin, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes.

Pei Lin introduced the guest, "This is the friend of mine, Chu Haonan, whom I mentioned to you yesterday."

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Haonan interrupted with a smile, "No need for introductions, I know, your wife is Shi Jiaming."

Shen Jicheng felt a tightness in his chest. Logically, he should be happy; in Pei Lin's heart, he recognized her as his lover. But this name was like a fine thorn, piercing the softest spot in his heart, the pain intensifying with each heartbeat. He should be joyful, yet this name always made him feel uncomfortable.

His smile faltered slightly. Pei Lin noticed something was wrong and asked a few questions in a low voice, his expression concerned. Shen Jicheng shook his head.

"It's alright... It's stuffy in the house. You guys chat first, I'll go check on the fish pond."

Pei Lin did not stop him.

Shen Jicheng's figure disappeared outside the French windows. Chu Haonan withdrew his gaze, looked at Pei Lin's still-chasing gaze, and chuckled, "Look at how worried you are."

"I don't even want to talk about you anymore."

Pei Lin smiled, his gaze still fixed on the figure crouching by the pool outside the window. "I can't let go."

Chu Haonan had never been in a relationship, but he understood that when the phrase "can't let go" came to someone like Pei Lin, it meant he was head over heels in love.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn't bother speaking. But since it was Pei Lin standing in front of him, he said a few more words, "Be careful of the people around you. Especially those close to you, be even more cautious."

He paused, as if he had something to say, but didn't say it all, only vaguely saying, "Back then... never mind. You know your own body condition. If something goes wrong again, I'll have to throw you into a snake pit."

Pei Lin slowly turned his gaze away from the window, his tone firm.

"He won't."

Upon hearing this, Chu Haonan relaxed the tension on his shoulders slightly and laughed again.

"That's good. It's clear that your condition has improved since he appeared. It wasn't a waste of his time to keep him around."

He patted his knee, then changed the subject, his tone becoming more teasing.

"As for you, you should also tone down that awful temper. Look at what people are saying outside—cruel, cold-blooded, ruthless, they're practically making you out to be a tyrant. You finally have someone who cares about you, so treat them well, don't scare them away."

Pei Lin simply smiled, his gaze drifting back to the silhouette of a fisherman hanging from the window. "No."

It won't scare him away; his little puppy is braver than anyone else.

...

By the fishpond, Shen Jicheng stared blankly at his fishing rod, the tip dangling over the water, motionless for a long time. He rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought, until a laughing voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Pei Lin is really going too far. I once asked him for a few ornamental fish, but he wouldn't give them to me."

Chu Haonan sat down cross-legged next to Shen Jicheng and exclaimed, "Now you're actually letting me fish with a rod?" "That's really going too far."

Shen Jicheng was slightly surprised. Really? Pei Lin is so petty? But he wouldn't defend an outsider. He turned his head and muttered to himself,

"It's just a few fish, why didn't you buy them yourself? Why did you have to ask someone for them?"

Chu Haonan: "???"

Shen Jicheng fiddled with the fishing rod and said in a low voice, "These fish are very valuable, it's only right that I don't give them to you."

Chu Haonan laughed in anger. He probably didn't expect the person in front of him to speak so "sharply" (unpleasantly). He thought that Pei Lin really was an obedient and well-behaved puppy, just as Pei Lin had said.

Looking at it now, this isn't a puppy at all; it's clearly a wolf cub.

"You know it's expensive, huh? I heard someone killed all the fish in this pond," Chu Haonan teased with a laugh. "Compared to that, asking for a few fish isn't a big deal, is it?"

Shen Jicheng: "..." Why does Pei Lin tell him everything? Are they that close? And the other person isn't bad-looking either... They knew each other before he even met Pei Lin.

Thinking about it this way, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Looking at the person in front of me, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Shen Jicheng didn't even look at him, and said with pursed lips,

"I killed the fish in the fishpond, and that's his treasure."

She paused, then returned the sentence to him.

"What's a few fish to you?"

Chu Haonan's face stiffened slightly. He pointed at himself uncertainly, "You...you're being sarcastic towards me?"

Shen Jicheng shrugged innocently, "No, I was just going along with what you said, wasn't I?"

Chu Haonan refused to believe that the person in front of him wasn't mocking him.

But he was a cultured person and didn't hold it against him. Instead, he handed him his business card.

"Here, call me if anything happens." He didn't finish his sentence; to be precise, he said, "Pei Lin, call me if anything happens."

However, it was not the right time to discuss this matter, so he omitted some details.

But Shen Jicheng didn't understand his meaning. He glanced at the other person's business card and frowned instantly.

"You're a doctor?" No wonder I dislike him so much; there's a reason for it now.

He has been afraid of doctors giving injections since he was a child.

In his view, those doctors were all gentle on the surface, but in reality, they were ruthless and heavy-handed.

Shen Jicheng reluctantly took it, didn't look at it much, and put it in his pocket. He asked one more question, "Can I call you when I'm sick?"

Chu Haonan, unaware of the seriousness of his words, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Of course!"