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

Pei Shuli slipped away again before Pei Lin returned. He was determined not to meet his second brother. In the past, Pei Lin would have investigated the matter thoroughly, but lately he was preoccupied with trivial matters and had no time to deal with Pei Shuli, so he had no choice but to give up.

The weather was indeed not good. No sooner had Pei Shuli left than a light drizzle began to fall.

Shen Jicheng had originally planned to fish in the yard, but now he had to give up and retreat to the living room, hoping that the rain would subside before going out again.

But the rain showed no sign of stopping; instead, it became even denser. Unconsciously, Shen Jicheng walked to the door and stood there, looking up at the sky that was pressed down by gray clouds, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

Perhaps it's because it hasn't rained for so long, but the sky inexplicably makes one feel a tightness in their chest.

Why?

Perhaps it was that message my older brother sent this morning: "Come home early"?

Shen Jicheng shook his head, but the tangled mess in his mind only grew tighter.

He didn't know why, or perhaps... Pei Lin was late today. Usually at this time, he could already hear the sound of the courtyard gate opening.

"Mr. Shi, please don't stand outside. Your clothes are all wet. Please come inside and sit down," Aunt Chen said, leaning out from behind him with concern in her voice.

Shen Jicheng simply shook his head slightly, "It's alright, Aunt Chen, I'll be inside in a bit."

He couldn't explain where that inexplicable panic came from. Raindrops pounded on the leaves of the trees in the yard, pattering and chaotic, making him feel uneasy.

He listened for a while, then finally frowned and decided to turn around and go back inside.

Just as I turned around, I caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of my eye.

The rain was heavy. Pei Lin walked in from outside the courtyard gate wearing a black coat. He was soaked to the bone, with strands of hair sticking to his forehead and rain running down his angular jaw.

His dark eyes appeared especially cold in the rain and mist, but when they fell upon the figure standing at the door, the sharpness in his eyes softened abruptly, leaving only tenderness.

Shen Jicheng watched Pei Lin walk towards him. Before his mind could even process what was happening, his legs had already moved.

He rushed into the heavy rain without a care in the world and threw himself into it.

Pei Lin clearly hadn't expected him to run out like that, and was knocked back two steps before he managed to regain his balance.

But instead of pushing Shen Jicheng away, he instinctively tightened his arms, holding him tightly in his embrace. Rain soaked them both. Pei Lin looked down, his voice slightly hoarse from the rain, yet exceptionally gentle.

"Why did you come out? It's raining outside, come inside quickly, don't catch a cold."

Shen Jicheng buried his face in his chest, his arms tightly wrapped around his waist, his voice muffled, "Where did you go? Why are you so late?"

Actually, Pei Lin didn't come back that late; at most, he was only half an hour later than usual.

But Shen Jicheng seemed off today, and those thirty minutes felt unusually long. Pei Lin didn't argue; he simply reached out and rubbed Shen Jicheng's wet head, his voice low and indulgent.

"It's my fault, I came back late."

Just as Shen Jicheng was about to say something, his fingers, which were wrapped around Pei Lin's waist, suddenly touched something warm. The temperature was sticky and not like rainwater. Immediately afterwards, a faint smell of rust mixed with moisture entered his nostrils.

His movements suddenly froze.

Shen Jicheng slowly withdrew his hand, looked down, and saw a glaring bright red stain on his palm.

The blood trickled down between his fingers as the rain washed over him.

He froze instantly, then suddenly tilted his head back.

Pei Lin's lips were already pale, and his usual calm demeanor had been greatly diminished by the rain and blood loss.

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat, and his voice almost went off-key.

"Pei Lin, what's wrong—"

Pei Lin lowered his eyes and saw the bloodstains on his palm, his brows furrowing slightly.

He didn't care about his own injury at all. Instead, he took Shen Jicheng's hand and used his sleeve to wipe the bloodstains clean little by little.

Rainwater washed over their hands, Pei Lin's movements delicate and gentle, he didn't want the blood to taint his precious treasure.

"I went out and got a minor injury, it's nothing serious," he reassured me in a very gentle tone.

As he spoke, he led Shen Jicheng into the house.

But Shen Jicheng wasn't the kind of person who would believe whatever he said.

The two had just stepped into the living room when he didn't say a word, pursed his lips, and reached out to lift the hem of Pei Lin's shirt at the waist. Pei Lin reacted quickly, grabbing his wrist.

His grip was still very strong, and Shen Jicheng struggled twice but couldn't break free.

Pei Lin sat on the sofa, looking up at him with a hint of helplessness and heartache in her voice, "Baby, don't look. It's really just a minor injury."

Shen Jicheng's eyes suddenly reddened.

He gritted his teeth, remaining silent and unyielding, stubbornly standing there, his red eyes fixed on Pei Lin. His gaze was both defiant and pained. Pei Lin faced him for a few seconds.

Looking at Shen Jicheng's reddened eyes and tightly pursed lips, he finally gave in. The large hand that had been gripping his wrist slowly loosened its hold.

Shen Jicheng's fingers trembled slightly as he slowly lifted Pei Lin's robe.

A gruesome knife wound was visible on his side, the skin and flesh torn open, and bright red blood was still seeping from the wound. The shirt underneath was already soaked with blood, sticking wetly to his skin, a shocking sight.

The moment Shen Jicheng saw the wound, tears streamed down his face without warning.

"Are you sick?!" His voice trembled, both anxious and distressed. "You've suffered such a serious injury and instead of going to the hospital, you're running back—" Before he could finish speaking, he had already reached out to cover Pei Lin's wound on the side, trying to stop the bleeding.

Pei Lin looked down at his bloodshot eyes and blood-stained hands, and suddenly laughed.

He reached out and pulled Shen Jicheng into his arms, resting his chin on the other's shoulder, closing his eyes, his voice hoarse beyond belief.

"Baby, do you know... when I was injured, I thought I heard your name."

Shen Jicheng's body stiffened for a moment in his arms.

"I thought... you were the one who fell into the sea." Pei Lin's voice was very soft. "You can't swim and you have thalassophobia, I was terrified."

"So I wanted to go home to make sure you were alright."

The sound of rain outside the window filled every inch of space. Shen Jicheng buried his face in his shoulder, his voice a little muffled, "Weren't I locked up at home by you? How could I get out? Idiot."

Pei Lin chuckled softly, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him some pain. He endured it, saying, "Yes... I didn't think of that at the time."

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and hurried footsteps came from the entrance hall. Zhang Xu rushed into the living room, opened his umbrella, and then closed it; raindrops dripped from the tip of the umbrella onto the floor.

"Mr. Pei, Dr. Chu has arrived."

Chu Haonan arrived despite the rain. Along the way, Zhang Xu only briefly mentioned on the phone that Pei Lin was injured, without specifying the severity, location, or cause of the injury.

He was uncertain and worried, but when he entered the living room and saw Pei Lin still standing there holding the person, he finally felt relieved. It seemed that the person was not dead.

He carried the first-aid kit over, knelt down in front of Pei Lin, and lifted the hem of his shirt at the waist, revealing the gruesome wound completely under the light. He carefully examined the shape and direction of the wound, his brows slowly furrowing.

"How did you get hurt here?"