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

The following day, Shen Jicheng waited for news from Pei Shuli, wanting to see how things were progressing and to verify whether his guess was correct. But before Pei Shuli arrived at Beishan Villa, Jiang Jin, looking hurried, arrived first.

Jiang Jin carried a wooden box in his hands and walked quickly towards the main living room.

Shen Jicheng happened to be turning out of the corridor and bumped into him in his hurried manner. He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Jiang Jin, what good thing are you carrying?" The wooden box was locked with a copper lock, and anyone who didn't know better would think it was some valuable item.

Jiang Jin paused for a moment, then reported the truth.

"These are the items left behind by the murderer when Master Pei was injured that day." After saying that, he turned and went into the living room without saying anything more.

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat. Something left behind by the murderer? Pei Lin had clearly said that he had accidentally cut himself during a conflict that day, but judging from Jiang Jin's tone, it was obviously not that simple.

He hesitated for a moment, but still followed him inside.

In the living room, Pei Lin was standing by the window answering a phone call. Hearing footsteps, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye and said in a flat tone, "I understand. I'll handle it when I get back to the company. That's all for now."

After hanging up the phone, he turned around, his gaze falling on the wooden box in Jiang Jin's hand. He slowly sat down on the sofa, raised his hand and beckoned to Shen Jicheng, "Come and sit down."

Shen Jicheng didn't refuse and sat down next to him, but his gaze remained fixed on the wooden box. "What's inside? Jiang Jin said it was left by the murderer? You have to catch the culprit. How dare he hurt someone with a knife!" Even if it wasn't intentional, it's still unacceptable!

Pei Lin's expression softened slightly, and she raised her hand to ruffle his hair.

"Don't worry, once we catch them, we won't let them go."

Just as Shen Jicheng was about to nod, Jiang Jin unlocked the brass lock on the wooden box. The moment the lid was lifted, the contents were revealed to the two of them intact. In the center of the round table, a lucky charm strung with red thread lay quietly on a dark velvet cushion.

The moment Shen Jicheng saw the amulet, all color drained from his face. If Pei Lin hadn't been sitting right next to him, he probably wouldn't have been able to sit up at all.

How did I end up here?

How did this amulet end up in Jiang Jin's hands? How did it become something left behind by the murderer, as Pei Lin claimed? Pei Shuli clearly said he lost it, but where did he lose it?

His mind went blank, and he stared blankly as Pei Lin reached out and picked up the amulet from the box.

Pei Lin examined it twice, seemingly without noticing anything unusual. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Jiang Jin, "Are you sure it was left by that person?"

Jiang Jin's expression turned solemn. "Yes, Master Pei, it did indeed fall from that person. However, with only this amulet, we cannot yet identify the person."

Pei Lin didn't speak, his fingertips slowly tracing the lines of the amulet, lost in thought.

He suddenly turned his head. Shen Jicheng remained motionless in the same position, his eyes fixed on the amulet, even his breathing became shallow.

Pei Lin raised an eyebrow, twirled the amulet between his fingers, and handed it to Shen Jicheng. "What's wrong? Do you know him?"

Shen Jicheng's heart skipped a beat, his back almost soaked with cold sweat. It was impossible not to panic. Although he had absolutely nothing to do with what happened that day, this amulet belonged to the Shen family. What if they investigated further, what if they found something…? His throat bobbed slightly as he desperately suppressed the turmoil in his eyes, trying to appear bewildered as he shook his head.

"I don't recognize it... Is this... Is this what the person who hurt you left behind?"

Pei Lin looked at him. Shen Jicheng's eyelashes trembled, very slightly, almost imperceptibly, but Pei Lin noticed it.

For a moment, he almost spoke up to ask. But as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered something and suppressed his suspicions again and again.

In relationships, suspicion is a taboo.

Pei Lin lowered his eyes, held the amulet in his palm, and calmly instructed Jiang Jin, "Go and find out which temple this amulet comes from, and ask the monks if they remember it. Make sure you find its origin."

Jiang Jin replied with a "Yes" and turned to leave.

Shen Jicheng could hear his heart pounding in his ears like a drum.

He tried desperately to clear his mind, but his brain was a complete mess and he couldn't make sense of it at all.

At this moment, Pei Lin reached out and pulled him into his arms, resting his chin on his shoulder, his voice gentle, "Don't be afraid, it's all in the past. I won't scare you anymore, baby?" He thought that Shen Jicheng was still worried about the time he was injured.

Shen Jicheng lowered his eyes, suppressing his surging emotions, and mumbled an "Mmm," before raising his hand to hug Pei Lin's back.

Just then, a servant's voice came from outside the door, "Sir, the Third Young Master has arrived."

The panic that Shen Jicheng had just suppressed surged up again. Pei Shuli knew that the amulet was his.

What if he let something slip... what if...

He dared not think any further.

"I'm going to find Pei Shuli!" Shen Jicheng suddenly released Pei Lin, stood up, and walked towards the door.

Pei Lin watched his hurried departure, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the peace charm in her palm. In the end, she said nothing and simply withdrew her gaze.

As Shen Jicheng rushed out the door, Pei Shuli was standing in the courtyard waving at him, "Hey! I have something to say to you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Jicheng grabbed his sleeve and pulled him several steps toward a corner, his expression more serious than ever before.

"Starting today, you can no longer come here."

Pei Shuli was stunned. "Why? Didn't you make me come every day before? You wouldn't even let me come if I didn't want to. Why are you so fickle?"

Shen Jicheng knew that without a plausible reason, Pei Shuli would definitely not obey. He composed himself, lowered his voice,

"Because Pei Lin seems to be finding out about you and Shen Mingxiao soon."

"What?! Really?!" Pei Shuli was indeed startled, his voice rising several decibels. "How did he know?"

Shen Jicheng quickly tugged at him to make him speak softly.

"They haven't found out yet! But if you keep running this way, you'll be exposed sooner or later. I'm doing this for your own good; you know what happens if your second brother finds out, right?"

Pei Shuli's face paled for a moment.

He frowned, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally nodded.

"You're right. For our safety, I'd better not come for now. But... what ideas are you going to give me later?"

Shen Jicheng patted him on the shoulder, "Believe in yourself! Follow your instincts! Don't give up!"

Pei Shuli nodded emphatically, encouraged by his words.

"You're right! I have to stick to it!"

"We'll meet again in the martial world!" He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Jicheng, then turned and strode away.