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

When Shen Jicheng woke up again, it was already past ten in the morning. He squinted and stayed in bed for a while before suddenly remembering what day it was: Chu Haonan was coming, and the amulet was going to be checked.

He sat up abruptly, hurriedly washed up, and ran downstairs. When he reached the corner of the stairs, his pace unconsciously slowed down.

Jiang Jin's measured reporting came from the living room, with Pei Lin occasionally responding with a word or two, his tone unreadable. Shen Jicheng took a deep breath, trying to appear calm and composed, before stepping into the living room.

Pei Lin sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a cup of tea, listening to Jiang Jin say something.

Chu Haonan sat opposite him, legs crossed, looking like he was enjoying the show. Shen Jicheng's gaze swept over the three of them, finally landing on the amulet in its opened wooden box on the coffee table, and his heart skipped a beat.

He walked over discreetly and sat down next to Pei Lin.

The sofa wasn't narrow, but it was still a bit cramped for two grown men to sit side by side. Shen Jicheng's arm was next to Pei Lin's, and he felt uncomfortable. He quietly squeezed Pei Lin to the side, muttering to himself, "Why are you sitting on a single sofa? Can't you see there's no room for me? Don't you have any sense of propping yourself up?"

Pei Lin was amused by his little gesture, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. She didn't say anything, but simply stood up indulgently, giving him the entire sofa. She walked to the round table, picked up the amulet, and her gaze fell on Chu Haonan, who had just arrived.

"You said you had a way yesterday? What way?"

Chu Haonan coughed lightly twice, his fist pressed against his chin. He was probably also surprised by Pei Lin's good temper. In the past, if someone dared to push him and take his place like this, that person would probably be feeding the fish in the sea.

However, he didn't say much. He simply took the amulet from Pei Lin's hand, examined it from all angles, and gave a mysterious smile.

"When I was a child, I was frail and sickly. My mother took me to Baiguo Temple to pray for a peace charm. At that time, an old master asked for my birth date and time, saying that it was needed to pray for the charm. So after I got home yesterday, I thought about it for a while—"

He paused, then looked at Pei Lin meaningfully, "Guess what?"

Pei Lin narrowed his eyes. "Does it contain the birth date and time of the person who requested the talisman?"

Chu Haonan snapped his fingers. "Right!"

"Bring me a pair of scissors," Pei Lin immediately ordered.

Shen Jicheng sat on the sofa, outwardly calm, but his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

He tried his best to mentally prepare himself, thinking that it might not be true, and even if it was, it might be a coincidence. Besides, even if there was a birth date and time, it was written with Shen Jicheng's name on it, so what did it have to do with him, Shi Jiaming?

As long as he stubbornly denies it, who can do anything to him? With this in mind, he managed to calm himself down and even adjusted his posture to make himself look more composed.

When the scissors were handed to him by the maid, Shen Jicheng saw Pei Lin reach out and take them, the blade aimed at the stitching of the amulet.

His breathing unconsciously slowed, his gaze fixed on Pei Lin's fingers, not daring to blink.

But Pei Lin's hand stopped in mid-air.

He suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing on Shen Jicheng's face with a thoughtful expression. Shen Jicheng stiffened under his gaze, quickly forcing a smile, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Pei Lin paused,

"It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered that I've never asked you when your birthday is."

Shen Jicheng paused for a moment, then asked casually. He immediately said a date, "November 20th."

He is now Shi Jiaming, but the amulet says Shen Jicheng. He definitely can't reveal his real birthday.

Pei Lin read it aloud softly, "November 20th... Your birthday is coming soon." He lowered his eyes and didn't say anything else. He simply aimed the scissors at the thread of the amulet and cut it cleanly.

The talisman bag was opened.

Pei Lin reached in and pulled out a folded yellow paper strip.

Shen Jicheng's breathing stopped completely. Pei Lin slowly unfolded the paper, revealing black characters that formed the birth chart using the ten Heavenly Stems.

Pei Lin glanced at it twice, his brows furrowing slightly, as if calculating the corresponding date. Then he turned the note over, uncovering the folded corner.

The three words immediately caught my eye.

The temperature in the living room suddenly dropped to freezing.

Pei Lin's voice deepened, turning suddenly cold.

"Another member of the Shen family?"

"Shen-ji-cheng".

When those three words hit his ears, Shen Jicheng's fingertips unconsciously dug into his palms.

He gasped in pain, unsure whether to be relieved or unlucky. Relieved that Pei Lin didn't know the amulet was his own. Unlucky, Pei Lin now hated not only the Shen family, but also Shen Jicheng.

Shen Jicheng forced an innocent expression and asked a dry question.

"Ah...this belongs to Shen Jicheng? Then...what should we do...will you let him go?" Considering how innocent I am, maybe...we should just let it go?

Before Pei Lin could speak, Chu Haonan, who was standing to the side, had already spoken up with a smile.

"Let him go? Knowing Pei Lin's temperament, anyone who hurts him will be treated leniently if they don't suffer a severe beating. Since Shen Jicheng dared to do this, he should be prepared to be thrown into the sea to feed the fish."

Shen Jicheng: "..." Throwing him into the sea to feed the fish, does he have a grudge against the sea in this life?

Pei Lin used to threaten to throw him into the sea to feed sharks at the drop of a hat. Things had finally calmed down recently, but then a fake "Shen Jicheng" appeared and stabbed Pei Lin in the back, and now the blame is all on him.

Pei Lin gripped the amulet tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. He narrowed his eyes, a cold, ruthless glint swirling within them.

"The Shen family is still not giving up. Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Shen Jicheng, is it?" He slammed the note on the table, his voice cold and deep. "Just you wait."

Chu Haonan frowned at this moment, his gaze falling on the unfolded yellow slip of paper.

"I originally thought I could use birth dates and times to find the person who would do it. Although it would take some time, it would be faster than you flipping through the register at Baiguo Temple. I didn't expect there would be names on this list. My peace talisman only had birth dates and times, not names. It's going more smoothly than I thought."

He looked up at Pei Lin. "What are you planning to do?"

Pei Lin folded the note and put it back in his pocket, his tone cold, "Didn't the Shen family ask me to meet them? In that case, I'll grant their request."

"Once I've finished dealing with company matters in the next few days, I'll go see him properly." He turned around, his gaze falling on the opened amulet on the coffee table, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Especially that one who dared to lay a hand on me—Shen Jicheng."

Shen Jicheng huddled in the corner of the sofa, looking weak and helpless.

He's been wronged! Who on earth is so heartless as to frame him?!