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

Zhang Xu's heart skipped a beat; he realized that the Shen family had truly offended this person this time. He didn't ask any further questions, but simply replied solemnly.

"yes!"

Pei Lin's thoughts, however, had already drifted to something else. He leaned back slightly, his expression softening.

"Next week is my baby's birthday, and I want to give him a gift. I've been catching up on work ahead of time, and I'm working overtime whenever I can to finish it."

Zhang Xu frowned instantly, and, forcing a smile, reminded him, "President Pei, Dr. Chu said you need to rest more now—"

Pei Lin raised his hand to signal him to shut up, not letting him continue, and simply said, "We misunderstood him today. If anyone dares to stir up trouble again..."

He turned his head to look at Zhang Xu.

"No need to report to me, just throw him out."

Zhang Xu opened his mouth, but all his words of persuasion were blocked by those words. He was silent for two seconds, and finally just responded softly,

"……yes."

In the following days, Beishan Villa was unusually quiet.

Pei Lin didn't mention the events at sea that day again. Even when Shen Jicheng pressed for details about the Shen family's breach of promise, Pei Lin glossed over it, simply speaking gently to him...

"Don't worry, I won't let the Shen family bully you."

Shen Jicheng's smile was somewhat forced; he didn't know what to say.

I just hope that when he confesses on his birthday, Pei Lin will be just as gentle as he is now.

"You still haven't told me why you're sleeping in the second bedroom?" Shen Jicheng asked suspiciously, frowning as he held Pei Lin's arm. "Don't you like me anymore?"

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, he had heard that Pei Shuli had come here yesterday and was summoned by Pei Lin, but he had no idea what they had talked about.

He had initially worried that Pei Shuli had betrayed him or said something he shouldn't have, but judging from Pei Lin's attitude towards him over the past day or two, that seemed unlikely. Pei Lin's level of indulgence towards him surprised even himself.

As soon as he said that, Pei Lin couldn't help but frown and pinched Shen Jicheng's cheek as if punishing him, "What did you say?"

How could I not like you?

If he didn't like it, he wouldn't have heard his darling's voice in the deep sea that day.

Shen Jicheng had only said it casually, and now he seized the opportunity to ask, "Then I want to sleep in the spare bedroom with you!"

Pei Lin couldn't refuse; faced with Shen Jicheng's coquettish pleading and whining, he had no choice but to agree.

night.

Shen Jicheng and Pei Lin slept in the side room.

Pei Lin told Shen Jicheng to go to sleep first. He was working on some documents in his study and was about to go back to his room to rest when he received a call from one of his subordinates. He answered the phone, and after a brief pause, he didn't hear what they were saying.

"Does Shi Jiaming own a sea-view property?"

The person opposite reported truthfully, "Yes! And it was purchased when I was eighteen. The house was worth tens of millions, which was beyond Mr. Shi's means at the time. However, it has been vacant for many years and no one has lived there."

Pei Lin stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the night outside. He lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

As is customary, the person on the other end asked one more question, "Mr. Pei, should we continue the investigation? Mr. Shi may be hiding something from you."

Pei Lin's fingers rubbed together, his expression calm, but the backs of his hands were tense, his nails white. "No..."

His voice was a little hoarse, "No need."

The person on the other end seemed slightly surprised, perhaps because this was the first time such a situation had occurred. "But..."

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking, "I believe him."

After the call ended.

Pei Lin swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and the same sentence kept repeating in his mind.

Keeping it from him...

His darling is hiding something from him...

No.

You can't think like that.

You are sick, Pei Lin.

Pei Lin slowly opened his eyes, opened the drawer, took out the medicine Chu Haonan had given him, took out one pill, fed it into his mouth, and swallowed it dry without even drinking water.

Shen Jicheng's mood these past few days has been a mix of anticipation and trepidation. He looks forward to confessing to Pei Lin on his birthday, but he is also apprehensive about Pei Lin's reaction when he finds out.

He was bound to be angry, and he was prepared to bear Pei Lin's wrath, even if he was thrown into the sea. Whatever happened, he would accept it.

If possible, he also hopes to have a good talk with his elder brother when he goes back. It's not good for the Shen family and the Pei family to keep fighting like this. He hopes that the two families can get along peacefully.

Of course, it's too early to think about that now. The most urgent thing is to resolve the issue of my identity.

Pei Lin still came home very late at night, always after he had fallen asleep. One time, he woke up in the middle of the night and saw Pei Lin drinking water, as if he was swallowing something. When he asked, Pei Lin said it was vitamins.

She even asked him if he wanted it.

He was terrified of taking medicine, so he immediately shook his head in resistance and refused.

Because he hadn't spoken to Pei Lin for several days, Shen Jicheng waited for Pei Lin on the sofa downstairs that evening.

Pei Lin has not returned yet; he is still on his way.

The driver was in the car, and Pei Lin sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, listening to Zhang Xu's report from the passenger seat.

"President Pei... there's one more thing, about Third Young Master Pei..."

Pei Lin said coldly, "Skip this, I don't want to hear it."

Zhang Xu hesitated before speaking, "But this might be related to the Shen family..."

Suddenly, Pei Lin opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them. His voice was slightly cold as he asked, "What did you say?"

Zhang Xu reported the facts truthfully.

"My men found out that the Third Young Master's injuries were apparently caused by him following... Young Master Shen, which is why he was beaten?"

Pei Lin instantly sensed something was wrong, narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhang Xu, "Why is he following Shen Mingxiao?"

Something seemed to flash through his mind, and almost instantly, Pei Lin's expression darkened. He squeezed out a few cold words through clenched teeth, "Shen Mingxiao..."

"The person he was trying to seduce from beginning to end was Shen Mingxiao."

Zhang Xu was shocked and subconsciously asked, "Isn't that related to Mr. Shi?" After all, Young Master Pei had said that it was Mr. Shi who gave him the idea, and now it seems... if it really is Shen Mingxiao...

Pei Lin clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh. He lay on his back with his eyes closed, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Zhang Xu didn't dare to ask at this moment.

After an unknown amount of time, a low, hoarse voice finally came from the back seat.

"check."

"Check if the person contacting Pei Shuli is Shen Mingxiao. If it's true..." His tone was cold and resolute, "Throw him into the sea to wake him up. He actually colluded with the Shen family behind my back, and he still dares to fool me? I think his good days are over."

"Yes," Zhang Xu replied immediately, then cautiously added, "President Pei, what about Mr. Shi...?"

Pei Lin paused for a moment, then said, "You don't need to worry about it. I know what I'm doing."