Master Pei! Don't force yourself into a circle that doesn't want you to.

He didn't know if Pei Lin was asking about the Shen family or the person named "Shen Jicheng." But no matter which one it was asking, the answer would be the same.

Shen Jicheng shook his head, his voice muffled, "I don't know him."

He paused, pursed his lips, and added, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity.

"Who is Shen Jicheng? And is the Shen family, like Song Yiyang's family, also a prominent and powerful clan?"

He was certain that Pei Lin had already investigated him; given his close relationship with Song Yiyang, this couldn't be kept secret. Rather than waiting for Pei Lin to ask, he figured he might as well bring it up himself first, making himself appear more open and honest.

Pei Lin stared at him for two seconds, his gaze neither too light nor too heavy, like a sheathed knife brushing against the skin. Then he looked away, hummed in agreement, and turned a page of the newspaper.

"Who Shen Jicheng is is not important." Pei Lin's voice was unhurried, as if he were talking about something insignificant. "What is important is that you don't get involved with the Shen family."

He paused, a slight, cold smile curving his lips. "Otherwise, I'll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks."

Shen Jicheng frowned, his voice carrying a hint of timidity mixed with a touch of ingratiation.

"What kind of relationship could I possibly have with the Shen family? Besides... even if I accidentally offended them, wouldn't you protect me? You can't just let others bully me, can you?"

These words seemed to please Pei Lin. He raised an eyebrow, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes, and his tone softened accordingly, "Of course not. I've said it before, this will be your home from now on. As long as you're obedient, this will be your safe haven."

After saying that, he glanced down at his watch and stood up.

"Stay home obediently today."

"Wait for me to come back."

No sooner had Pei Lin left than Shen Jicheng pulled out his phone to check messages. The signal bars on the screen were empty; the message couldn't be sent.

He ran to the gate and looked outside. Sure enough, there were several more guards on duty than usual, scattered in twos and threes in the courtyard, blocking every possible way out.

Shen Jicheng's heart sank.

Pei Lin is going to imprison him.

Having finally escaped from her older brother's control, is she about to jump into another fire pit?

No, that won't work. We need to think of something.

His gaze swept across the front yard and landed on the huge fish pond, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

Have it.

Hot summer.

Shen Jicheng eagerly ran to the fishpond and said with a smile to the maid who was feeding the fish, "Let me do it! I've raised fish before, I'm very experienced!"

He had indeed fed the fish a few days ago, and the servant didn't think much of it and handed him the bucket.

Shen Jicheng sat cross-legged by the fishpond, leisurely scattering a handful of fish food into the water. Colorful koi and butterfly carp surged up, crowding together. While feeding them, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then secretly pulled a mineral water bottle from his pocket.

I unscrewed the bottle cap and poured just a tiny bit into the pool.

This wasn't ordinary water. It was onion juice he got from the kitchen. He'd read online that onions could affect fish, causing their gills to malfunction and making them stun.

His plan was simple: each of these ornamental fish was quite valuable, and Pei Lin usually enjoyed them. If a few suddenly got sick or fainted, everyone's attention would be drawn to them. Who would care about him then? He could then escape in the chaos.

perfect.

However, after staring at the pond for a while, the fish continued to leisurely sway their tails, eating and swimming as usual, showing no signs of getting dizzy.

Shen Jicheng frowned, shook the bottle in his hand, and fell into deep thought. Could it be that the onion juice wasn't working?

He looked at the fishpond, which was several meters wide, and then at the small bottle in his hand. Suddenly, he realized that the fishpond must be too big and he had poured in too little onion juice, which was why there was no reaction!

Without further hesitation, he went all in and poured the entire bottle of onion juice in.

Then he sat by the pool, crossed his legs, and waited patiently.

Twenty minutes have passed.

Those brightly colored and beautiful precious ornamental fish continued to swim leisurely, looking even more energetic than him.

Shen Jicheng was completely dumbfounded. He examined the empty bottle from all angles, beginning to doubt whether all the information he had found was a lie. No, he had to get another bottle to try.

He ran to the kitchen again, secretly took a few onions, and carried them back while looking down at the search page on his phone.

He scrolled down twice and saw the content he hadn't finished reading before.

"Onion juice is even better than cooking wine at removing fishy smells! Adding a little star anise makes the stewed fish even more fragrant!"

Shen Jicheng stopped in his tracks.

Stewed...stewed fish?

That's not right. He's looking for a way to stun the fish, not a way to cook it.

He continued scrolling down.

—Friendly reminder: Use with caution when handling ornamental fish!

Shen Jicheng hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his head and looked towards the fishpond.

He froze instantly.

Everything went black.

The phone and onion in my hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

in the office.

Pei Lin flipped through the documents in his hand, his expression indifferent and cold. "This maritime project is inextricably linked to the Shen family. Since they are so unscrupulous, don't blame me for being impolite."

Zhang Xu asked in a low voice, "What does Master Pei mean?"

"Isn't the young master of the Shen family missing?" Pei Lin closed the folder and said casually, "Then spread the news that 'the young master of the Shen family is in my hands.' I'd like to know if the Shen family will come knocking on our door."

Zhang Xu paused slightly. "Spreading false information?"

Pei Lin scoffed, twirling the pen in his hand. "Whether it's true or false is unimportant. What matters is the Shen family's attitude. All I want is for them to come to me of their own accord."

Zhang Xu nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, President Pei."

Pei Lin, seemingly remembering something, casually asked, "How's the little guy? Is he behaving well?"

The phone rang suddenly as soon as he finished speaking.

Pei Lin picked up his phone and answered casually, "What is it?"

After hearing something said on the other end of the phone, Pei Lin's face gradually darkened, his tone becoming increasingly strained, "What did you say? Say it again?...Everything?"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xu felt a bad premonition.

Pei Lin was so angry he almost smashed his phone. He forced out a sentence through gritted teeth, "Fine, I know. Keep an eye on him, we'll talk when I get back."

Beishan Villa.

Shen Jicheng stood awkwardly by the fishpond like a child who had done something wrong, his face filled with fear. His eyes darted around, and he hurriedly grabbed the arm of a servant beside him, pointing to the row of basins full of fish on the ground, his voice trembling, "Big brother, look... is there any way to save these fish?"

The maid squatted down to take a look, then shook her head.

Shen Jicheng's expression immediately wilted, and he felt increasingly uneasy.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside the yard.

The luxurious silver Bentley came to a smooth stop at the entrance. The door opened, and a pair of long, straight legs stepped out first. Immediately afterward, Pei Lin's sharp face came into view, his brows furrowed with obvious anger.

His dark, cold eyes swept over the bowls of ornamental fish with their white bellies turned up, finally locking onto the culprit in the corner who was trying to curl up like a quail.

Shen Jicheng's heart leaped into his throat.

Seeing Pei Lin stride toward him with a stern face, Shen Jicheng's legs went weak and he slipped and fell to his knees on the ground with a "thump".

He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, his face filled with pity and despair. He reached out and tugged at Pei Lin's sleeve, his voice both aggrieved and guilty.

"Please don't throw me into a snake pit..."

"I didn't mean to..."