Pei Yansong finally discovered that his youngest son was ill.

It was nearly the same as what Pei Xi had expected.

That young, vulnerable person was forgiven unconditionally.

Even though his weakness had become a sharp edge he used to attack others. Even though someone had been hurt by it.

If Pei Yansong possessed ten points of concern, only one point was afforded to Pei Xi, while the other nine points were given to Pei Zhen without reservation.

He didn’t even take Pei Xi to the hospital personally, and just called a driver while he stood watch over Pei Zhen.

After offering him some perfunctory comfort, he also didn’t forget to make excuses for Pei Zhen: “Your little brother isn’t in a good condition. And your wound isn’t serious, so as an older brother, don’t make a fuss about this.”

Not serious.

In the back seat, Pei Xi looked down at the still-bleeding wound and thought: Right. It wasn’t serious.

At least he didn’t die, or go crazy like Pei Zhen.

When he returned home very late, the lights in Pei Zhen’s room were still bright. In addition to Pei Yansong and Jiang Ting, there were also two psychiatrists there who had been swiftly summoned with a phone call.

It was unknown to what stage the diagnosis extended. He could only see Pei Yansong standing beside the bed with a face like dark waters, and Jiang Ting collapsed on the floor, face pale and body trembling.

The one who caused harm was favored, and the one who was harmed was ignored.

It seemed that in this farce, Jiang Ting was the only one who was treated fairly when it came to rewards and punishments.

When the diagnosis came out, Pei Zhen’s situation was very pessimistic. If physical diseases were to be used as a benchmark, he could be considered terminally and incurably ill.

Pei Yansong did his utmost to find many experts in psychology for Pei Zhen, traveling to countless places at home and abroad, but all he received was the same sentence: 

“It was caught too late, and the treatment process will be lengthy, with an unpromising outcome.”

Jiang Ting now had no desire for competition, and spent the whole day staring at Pei Zhen in a daze, apologizing and wiping away tears.

Pei Yansong just ignored her for a while, and in the end, he decided she was just young and ignorant, and didn’t divorce her.

On another level, could this be counted as a happy ending?

But it didn’t matter. Either way, it was their family’s business. Pei Xi didn’t care, and didn’t want to care. He kept his head down and continued on with the rhythm of his mechanical life.

Even just the lack of chatter and laughter from the living room made the world feel much quieter.

It was a pity that even though he wanted to be alone, some people refused to leave him be.

It was unclear if Pei Zhen did it unintentionally due to his illness or did it on purpose, but his attitude toward Pei Xi grew even more undisguised and increasingly extreme.

At the worst times, even just hearing Pei Xi’s name would cause him to lose control of his emotions and use everything visible to the naked eye as an outlet.

That period of time was what Pei Yansong called Pei Zhen’s most critical treatment time, and Pei Xi was basically forced to avoid Pei Zhen. As long as Pei Zhen was around, Pei Xi wasn’t allowed to show his face.

He was not allowed to go up and down the stairs freely, he was not free to enter or exit rooms at will, and no one in the house was allowed to mention his name…..

He clearly still lived there, but all traces of him had been wiped away, and everyone treated him like he wasn’t there.

He didn’t know if Pei Zhen’s condition was able to improve in such an environment. He only knew that during that time, he seemed to be locked in a suffocating, airtight box.

Subsequently, after a very long time, the cordon specifically set up for him was relaxed somewhat.

He no longer had to stay in his room from morning till night, and had the freedom to come and go within a certain period of time.

At that time, he realized that Pei Zhen really had improved.

But the number of times they met was still very few. The scant number of times he went downstairs to pour water in the middle of the night, he would see Pei Zhen standing expressionless in the corner of the living room or kitchen, as if deliberately staking him out.

It was very creepy, but at least he was no longer going crazy for no reason.

He was sixteen that year, and Pei Zhen was twelve. The two of them existed in the same dead zone, with him in the water and Pei Zhen on the shore. They were neither far nor close, and everyone was at peace.

Because he had learned so many things outside of the curriculum, when he wasn’t at his grandfather’s place, he continued to maintain his academic status and studied at home, not going to school.

But by high school, this pattern changed.

He would get up in the morning and put on his uniform like all normal students and enter campus before the first bell rang. His long-lost campus life began, and like thousands of his peers, he prepared for the university entrance examination in three years’ time.

This was the single freedom he had bought for himself through countless days and nights numbly learning like a machine.

He was nervous, hopeful, and afraid that he’d been out of touch with the social lives of normal people for too long, and wouldn’t know how to get along with his classmates or integrate himself.

He was full of expectations, yet nervous of what he might have missed.

But life soon dealt him a blow, informing him that an unhappy life was not easy to turn around, and that there would always be unexpected obstacles.

Pei Zhen fell ill again.

It came without warning, and he returned at once to his worst days. Almost all of Pei Yansong’s hard work had been in vain.

They searched for the cause, yet couldn’t find the reason for Pei Zhen’s agitation.

But Pei Xi knew it was because of his certificate of merit.

Because after he won an award in an online math tournament over summer vacation, the certificate was sent to his home.

Pei Zhen innocently received the express delivery, opened it, tore it up, and burned it to ashes. Nearly half the precious porcelain in the living room followed.

This time, Pei Yansong didn’t hesitate at all. Without asking for Pei Xi’s opinion, he went through the transfer procedures for him as quickly as possible.

There was no other reason than that Pei Zhen could no longer receive any stimulation during the treatment process. It had taken so long to finally see results, and they couldn’t let their efforts go to waste.

To Pei Zhen, he was a destabilizing source of mental stimulation. It was clear that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but even his existence was a mistake.

The time it took Pei Yansong to choose between his two sons was no more than the blink of an eye. His determination was such that no matter how Pei Xi begged and pleaded, it was no use.

Perhaps leaving was the better choice, both for him and Pei Zhen. At least if he was far away from Pei Zhen, he didn’t have to carefully avoid him and would have more freedom to do as he liked.

But at that time, Pei Xi’s thoughts solidified.

From childhood to adulthood, every time the trajectory of his life changed, it seemed to get worse. Therefore, he was afraid of change, and even though he didn’t like it here, he didn’t want to leave.

There at that home, he knelt down to Pei Yansong a total of two times.

The first time was a punishment. The second time was in opposition.

The first time, he still wondered if Pei Yansong loved him or not. The second time, he knew with clarity that it was impossible for Pei Yansong to love him as much as he loved Pei Zhen.

“Did Grandpa tell you how pitiful I was?” he asked He Chuzhou.

He Chuzhou’s face was cold. He didn’t answer.

Pei Xi took no notice of it: “It was actually fine. It was just a new environment, not as bad as I had imagined. Besides, if I really want to blame someone, it was my own fault.”

He paused when he said this, and continued with some self-deprecation: “After all, if I had spoken out as soon as I realized there was something wrong with Pei Zhen, maybe all those things wouldn’t have happened later on.”

“What blame? What your responsibility?”

He Chuzhou spoke abruptly, his originally relaxed voice having long since disappeared along with Pei Xi’s past: “Even if you can be blamed, it would be because you didn’t fight back when Pei Zhen directed his craziness at you.”

What was fine about this?

Was it fine to be thrown away to another city by his biological father, ignored and not allowed to go home during the holidays?

What did he mean, not as bad as he’d expected?

If a person was sick and no one cared, if he couldn’t bear it and went to the hospital for an intravenous drip and could only wait for a nurse to notice it back flowing, wasn’t that awful?

He said it so lightly. If he hadn’t heard Pei-calico cry miserably when he had a fever, he almost would have believed it.

Pei Xi was surprised by his strange focus: “Fight back? But Pei Zhen is four years younger than me.”

“So what?” The corners of He Chuzhou’s mouth twitched. He said expressionlessly: “What’s age difference when it comes to teaching trash a lesson?”

If a person deserved a beating to a certain extent, let alone four years younger, they should be taught a lesson no matter their age.

Thinking about Pei Xi being treated like that in the past, he was filled with a nameless fire with nowhere to spread, its raging flames burning from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

He had thought it would be upsetting, but not this upsetting.

If it hadn’t been the wrong time, the wrong place, and the wrong people, he would have directly dealt with all of the idiots in that family, especially Pei Zhen. Not to mention tearing him apart, he would have at least beaten him until he had no tears left.

Tsk! The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

He simply stopped and turned to Pei Xi, his brows so furrowed that they could kill a fly: “So how are you able to speak so calmly now? Have you forgiven them?”

“There’s no deep hatred. When it comes to forgiving or not forgiving…..”

Pei Xi’s unfinished words were immediately silenced by the slight narrowing of He Chuzhou’s eyes.

Ever since the two of them got acquainted, what he recognized the most in He Chuzhou was his good temper. He was a good-natured person who never got angry with anyone.

Even when Pei Xi, his former rival, suffered from amnesia, he was able to be generous and accepting. He coaxed him and went along with everything, responding to his demands without holding a grudge.

This was the first time he’d seen him with a dark expression.

There was suppressed agitation in his eyes, his entire body exuding displeasure. A line of large characters was plastered to his forehead: 

If you dare say it, just see how I deal with you!

For some reason, Pei Xi kind of felt like laughing.

Even the slightest gloom evoked by past memories was dispelled.

“I admit I have complicated feelings about my father. Everything I have now was given to me by him, and even if he was too harsh with my training, I’m in no position to blame him.”

“Jiang Ting has always unilaterally regarded me as her son’s imagined enemy. Other than that, I had no interaction with her and never took her seriously.”

“As for Pei Zhen…..”

He Chuzhou’s eyes shifted with dissatisfaction.

Pei Xi held back his laughter and complied with the other’s wishes: “Well, I do hate him. I did in the past, I do now, and I will in the future.”

“That’s pretty much it.”

He Chuzhou was slightly satisfied, but there was still one thing to emphasize: “Of course you have the right to blame your father. He assumed the role of a father, but failed to fulfill the obligations of one. He couldn’t even achieve the most basic fairness.”

“As for everything you have now, it’s not so much that he gave it to you, but that you’re managing it for him. This itself was his purpose for training you.”

“If you weren’t capable enough, he wouldn’t have handed Pei Group over to you. And with your current ability, even without Pei Group, you could do just as well or even better on your own.”

“He brought you into this world without your consent. If he couldn’t be one hundred percent responsible, there is no doubt that he owes you an apology.”

Pei Xi was frequently impressed with He Chuzhou’s transparent view of the world. He envied and longed for it, but could never do it.

He had to admit that there was no comparison between he, who grew up under the pressure of adversity, and He Chuzhou, who grew up wrapped in nourishing love.

“He Chuzhou,” he praised sincerely, “You’re so smart.”

He Chuzhou raised his eyebrows, seemingly in a better mood: “You’ve said this before.”

Pei Xi said earnestly: “Then I’ll say it again. You’re very smart.”

Very smart, very outstanding, the most free and magnanimous ray of sunshine among thousands of miles of clouds, stopped by neither wind nor rain.

He Chuzhou had now been completely coaxed, and his expression visibly improved: “So you didn’t study at the high school affiliated with Wan University?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “I only studied there for half a semester.”

“Only half a semester…..”

He Chuzhou estimated the timeline: “That means if I hadn’t gone abroad, I would have gone to school with you for only two or three months tops.”

“ ? ”

Pei Xi hadn’t expected the joke from the dinner table to be mentioned outside.

As he considered the joke about pursuing someone without fail, and the slightly regretful tone with which He Chuzhou said “two or three months,” his breathing became disordered for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

He made use of the night to hide his unnaturalness: “We were in different classes and at different levels. Even if we stayed longer, we might not have gotten to know each other.”

“Pei Xi, don’t underestimate my social skills.”

He Chuzhou was not humble at all at this time: “When I was in school, I had acquaintances in every class and every grade. If I could have really gotten to know you back then…..”

Pei Xi’s heartbeat immediately accelerated. He practically held his breath as he listened to He Chuzhou’s next words : “I definitely wouldn’t have let you transfer schools. If your father wanted to protect Pei Zhen, I would have just abducted you to my house.”

…..That was different from what he’d expected.

But unexpectedly, it made his heart palpitate even more.

It was like happening to see a shooting star while waiting for fireworks.

It made Pei Xi’s heartbeat magically shift to another rhythm.

He had been taught since childhood to look toward the future and take the long-term view. That he shouldn’t stick to the past, let alone make unnecessary assumptions and imagine events that couldn’t have happened in the past, otherwise it would be a waste of time.

But He Chuzhou’s “if” drew him in irresistibly.

It seemed as if these few words had reversed the timeline, carving out a smooth, bright fork in the lonely path he had once walked, silently filling in an inconspicuous crack.

His lips moved, and it took him a long moment to find his voice: “But back then…..would you have really wanted to get to know me?”

“Of course.”

He Chuzhou stood there, backlit by light that outlined him in a warm yellow halo, though it wasn’t as warm as the smile on his face.

“Do you know? My mom likes you a lot. She secretly asked me for your WeChat just now.”

“Other than clothes and jewelry, Mom’s tastes and mine overlap at least ninety percent. According to this logic, I would have asked for your WeChat when I was eighteen years old.”

I wouldn’t have let you be sent to another city alone.

I wouldn’t have let you stay up until dawn alone when you needed someone the most.

“You had good grades and good looks. The first time I met you, I would have definitely wanted to get to know you.”

I would have fallen in love with you.

Would have taken you to experience the free and lively attractions of the world.

Would have given you all my preference and care.

*

*

Pei Xi took the initiative to add Chu Yuelan.

When filling in the name, he considered over and over before finally choosing [Mrs. Chu], the same as He Chuzhou.

Mrs. Chu was even more enthusiastic across the screen than she was face-to-face, as if she finally no longer had to worry if he was embarrassed or scared.

Three out of five sentences expressed her care for him, and the remaining two concerned sending him various things.

Pei Xi felt undeserving of the honor, but also didn’t know how to refuse. He went to ask He Chuzhou for help, but the other party only said: “Don’t refuse or send them back. Just keep them.”

Pei Xi had concerns: “Auntie’s so happy now. What if in the future, we…..”

He Chuzhou feigned ignorance: “What about the future?”

Pei Xi’s eyes flickered. He didn’t continue, and just shook his head: “Nothing.”

Mrs. Chu vowed to send so many things it would be like the New Year, but Pei Xi couldn’t handle it. In the end, He Chuzhou came forward to just barely salvage the situation.

He Aiyue also wanted to add Pei Xi, but He Chuzhou heartlessly refused.

“Just ignore her and let her calm down for a while.”

This was what He Chuzhou said to Pei Xi: “She’s really excited right now, and there’s no telling what messy things she’ll ask you.”

Later, Pei Xi couldn’t resist the exhaustion and fell asleep first. When He Chuzhou received a reply from Wu Qing, he slipped lightly out of bed and went to the study.

Wu Qing: [/file]

Wu Qing: [Pei Yansong does have a younger son with his second wife named Pei Zhen. Although he isn’t hidden away, it’s unknown why he’s never made a public appearance.]

He Chuzhou downloaded the file and clicked into it. Inside was Pei Zhen’s basic information, with a blue background photo. Nothing stood out in his upbringing, and there were even large gaps.

As for his appearance, he could be called somewhat good-looking. But compared to his brother, he lagged far behind.

Wu Qing: [This Pei Zhen is a little odd. He’s 22 this year, the age where most people would have graduated university, but he’s attempting to apply for a foreign-established school in China. With such financial strength, why doesn’t he just go abroad?]

He Chuzhou: [Which schools did he apply to?]

Wu Qing: [Just one in Nancheng, called St. Paul University. It’s said to be the best Sino-foreign joint venture in China.]

He Chuzhou: [Don’t they only accept the best?]

Wu Qing: [Why do you say that about your brother-in-law?]

Wu Qing: [It’s indeed a bit difficult. After all, his scores on the written exam and the interview aren’t very good. But they’re no match for your father-in-law’s extensive connections and funds. The school is currently saying they’re considering him.]

Wu Qing: [I get it. Did Pei Xi ask you for help?]

He Chuzhou: [No. Do you have acquaintances at that school?]

Wu Qing: [I don’t, but a friend of mine does. It seems Guan’er is still quite influential there. I also got this information from him.]

He Chuzhou: [Have your friend convey this to the school: Pei Zhen is mentally ill, and it’s quite serious. He also has violent tendencies, so it is advisible for them not to accept him.]

Wu Qing: [Ah ? ? ? Is that really true?]

He Chuzhou: [Have them take Pei Zhen to the hospital for a psychological exam.]

Wu Qing: [If he’s mentally ill with violent tendencies, the school definitely won’t accept him. How dangerous. But why are you sneaking around and placing stumbling blocks for your little brother-in-law? Did you have a fight with Pei Xi?]

He Chuzhou: [I’m just thinking of the personal safety of the rest of the students. How can a justifiable report to the authorities be called a stumbling block?]

Wu Qing: [ ? ]

He Chuzhou: [It’s true, so it’s fine. From here on out, I’ll probably be giving him a lot of stumbling blocks. You’ve been rather free recently, haven’t you? Remember to be on call at any time.]

Wu Qing: [ ? ? ? ]

Wu Qing smelled a good gossip melon and was extremely curious.

It was a pity that He Chuzhou wouldn’t explain everything in detail to him tonight. He replied, “I’ll tell you later,” then clicked out of the chat and planned to return to the bedroom and sleep.

But before shutting down the app, he remembered something. He clicked into a web forum and entered the background program to view the replies: 

[How’s it going, bro?]

[Where did you go? What were the results of the test, la?!]

[If you have any questions, remember to ask them, ah. Your brothers are always online.]

He Chuzhou read the messages and typed a reply:

[Not bad.]

Unexpectedly, the enthusiastic netizen on the other side was still awake, and replied almost instantly: [What did I say? What did I say?]

[Since the person living with you didn’t show much resistance after hearing your confession,  I just knew there must have been some drama, believe it or not!]

[When you hugged him, did he resist? Did he dodge when you pulled him in? Did he accept all intimate contact without rejection?]

[Jiayou, Brother, you have great prospects! At least, you’re ahead of many people at the starting line. Getting that person into bed is just around the corner!]

He Chuzhou: [Getting them into bed?]

Netizen: [Ah, it’s been difficult to pursue your sweetheart. Why not get them into bed? Can you endure it?]

He Chuzhou smiled: [I can endure it. I really don’t have such ambitions at the moment.]

He had originally wanted to take it step by step, but Pei Xi’s boundaries were too strict. In everything, he needed to consider if they were at the right point in their relationship or not and whether it would cause trouble for him.

In order to eliminate these boundaries as soon as possible and make Pei Xi, like Pei-calico, unafraid of causing him all kinds of inconveniences, he could only choose to take the risk of speeding things up.

And at present, there was one more reason to hurry.

His family was very large, with many relatives. There were a few optimistic uncles who chatted and joked all day long, and a group of brothers and sisters who chattered louder than sparrows in the persimmon trees in autumn.

There were also the lanterns that hung all over town during the festival, small boats that rocked along the water, elders at home who personally made glutinous rice balls, and New Year’s red envelopes to receive with modesty…..

He needed to hurry, to move a little faster, so that he could share everything he had with Pei Xi.

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Chapter 45 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 47