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

When Pei Shuli arrived at Beishan Villa, it was already dusk.

The study upstairs was closed, and Pei Lin went in and didn't come out again. Shen Jicheng glanced up at the window on the second floor where the light was shining, but didn't pay much attention. He had just seen Pei Lin's face darken after answering a phone call, so something important must have happened at work.

The wounds on both sides have almost healed, so it won't hurt to be busy for a while.

He's now completely focused on something else.

Dr. Chu said that sleeping with someone you like more often would improve your condition. Although this suggestion sounds strange, he's a doctor, after all; what a doctor says can't be false, right?

"Didn't I tell you?" Pei Shuli, who had been called over by him, was now sprawled out on a wicker chair in the yard, looking completely unwilling. "When my second brother is home, we shouldn't see each other. It's not a good look."

Shen Jicheng snorted coldly, "What's wrong? Do we have some kind of secret affair? Do we only see each other when Pei Lin isn't home?"

"Tsk! Don't talk nonsense like that!" Pei Shuli sat up abruptly, glancing warily around at his surroundings, and lowered his voice, "If my second brother hears this, knowing his petty nature, he might throw us both into a snake pit!"

Shen Jicheng pouted in dissatisfaction, "Remove the 'men', thank you."

Pei Lin would never throw him into a snake pit; if anyone were to be thrown away, it would be Pei Shuli alone.

Pei Shuli's smile froze instantly. He turned to stare at him, his tone laced with threat, "Don't forget, we're in the same boat now, comrades on the same front, remember?"

"Okay, okay." Shen Jicheng didn't have time to argue with him, and pulled him by the arm towards a less crowded area.

"I called you here because I have something important to ask you."

"How's things going on your end? With me... uh, with that guy, Shen Mingxiao?"

When the matter was brought up, Pei Shuli didn't hide anything and obediently followed Shen Jicheng to the corner of the courtyard, complaining as they went.

"It's nothing special. I suspect that the eldest young master of the Shen family has some kind of mental illness."

He pulled out his phone in frustration. "Didn't I show you our chat history a week ago? We were chatting so well, he even cared about me and told me to come home early. But these past few days, he's acted like his personality has completely changed—"

Shen Jicheng frowned suspiciously. "He doesn't care about you anymore?"

After all, that concern was just a subtle hint that he should go back sooner.

"How concerned!" Pei Shuli unlocked the screen and handed over the phone.

"It's just that his way of showing concern... well, you'll see for yourself."

Shen Jicheng took the chat, opened it, and fell into a deep silence.

Zhi Shu hits you: 【Good morning, brother~】

Leisurely Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Good morning.]

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Is your leg better?]

Zhi Shu hits you: [Okay, thank you for your concern, brother~]

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Look at the legs]

Zhi Shu hits you: [Three thousand]

Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes: [Transfer] [500, no more.]

Zhi Shu hits you: [Okay...]

This chat log shocked Shen Jicheng quite a bit. His stern, unsmiling older brother, let alone his legs, actually knew how to haggle? From three thousand to five hundred?!

What Shen Jicheng found even more unbelievable was that Pei Shuli actually accepted it?

"You...you just gave it to me?" Shen Jicheng opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Pei Shuli glanced at him with a sly look. "It's better than nothing, right? My second brother won't give me any money anyway, so five hundred is fine. Every little bit helps. I just think this young master of the Shen family is too stingy."

He frowned, stroked his chin, and muttered to himself, "Tsk, I need to figure out a way to get him to transfer more money to me..."

Shen Jicheng's eyes suddenly lit up. "I have an idea!"

Pei Shuli looked over suspiciously. "What method?"

Shen Jicheng beckoned to him, gesturing for him to come closer. Pei Shuli hesitated for a moment, then leaned in. Shen Jicheng whispered a few words in his ear, and Pei Shuli's eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn, so direct? No way!" He waved his hands repeatedly. "Last time left me traumatized. I don't want to go through that again, eavesdropping on other people's sweet nothings under the bed."

Shen Jicheng patted his chest and then patted his shoulder with a serious expression. "Would I lie to you? Would I lie to you? You have to go through some trials before you get what you want, right?"

He coaxed patiently, "Think about who you are? The third young master of the Pei family! Is there anyone you can't handle? Just go for it!"

Pei Shuli pondered for a moment, his expression gradually softening. "That... isn't entirely without merit."

"That's right!" Shen Jicheng pressed on, "Let's go! There's nothing we can't achieve!"

Pei Shuli was about to nod when he suddenly realized something was wrong. "Wait, who did you say would go?"

"You!" Shen Jicheng said matter-of-factly, leaning closer and lowering his voice, "Didn't you say before that you saw that... uh, Shen Jicheng kissing Shen Mingxiao, right? So I've been thinking about it, and this could very well mean that he's the one who's the one who's in a lower position! That's also the reason why you've never been successful."

He pointed to the phone screen.

"Take another look at your chat history. Isn't it obvious? Why would he look at legs? Isn't it because he has feelings for them? Why would he look at them if he didn't?"

Pei Shuli fell into deep thought. "If he has ideas, why is he bargaining with me?"

Shen admitted that he had thought about it seriously and finally came to a conclusion.

"Because that's not what he really wanted to see at all! He was just... uh, too embarrassed to ask directly, so he used looking at legs as a pretext. When he found out it wasn't what he wanted, he was disappointed, so naturally he turned around less often."

Pei Shuli suddenly realized, and his eyes gradually brightened.

"Oh—I see, so that's how it is."

"So what should I do?"

Shen Jicheng leaned in again and whispered something in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Pei Shuli's face lit up with a smile, and he jumped up from the wicker chair. "Great! I'll send him a message right now!"

Shen Jicheng waved to him with a smile.

"I'm waiting for your good news. Try to get her to sleep with you soon!" Maybe that way, the pressure on my older brother will be relieved, and his condition will improve sooner.

Pei Shuli ran towards the door without looking back, fiddling with his phone as he ran.

That evening, a new message popped up in the chat box of "Idle Clouds and Wild Cranes".

Zhi Shu will hit you: [Call me husband and I'll satisfy you.]

At this moment, Shen Yanhe had just finished showering. She was holding a towel and drying her wet hair. Her brows were unusually furrowed, and she finally fell into deep thought.

Soon, the phone lit up again, and a message popped up in the chat box.

Zhi Shu will hit you: [Image] Take it, you're welcome!

After seeing what kind of picture the other party had sent, Shen Yanhe's eyelids twitched violently a few times.