The sound of Shen Yuqing slamming the door was loud. Wu Yi, who had just stepped out of the gym, was startled by the noise. He instinctively glanced at Pei Yiyan sitting on the sofa, but the man showed no reaction, so Wu Yi quietly settled down.
Shen Yuqing walked over to Pei Yiyan and said, “Someone from your Pei family is here.”
Everyone knew exactly why the Pei family had sent someone over at this moment. Though Shen Yuqing already had his own thoughts on the matter, he still wanted to hear Pei Yiyan’s take first.
At the mention of the Pei family, Pei Yiyan’s expression stiffened momentarily before returning to normal.
Shen Yuqing had been watching Pei Yiyan’s face closely. Though that flicker of emotion vanished quickly, he still caught it.
It seemed Pei Yiyan was thinking the same thing—he just hadn’t figured out how to bring it up yet. After all, he was still part of the Pei family and would have to return there eventually.
Shen Yuqing yawned and said, “Having one Pei family member in this house is enough. If they try to shove anyone else in here, you can all go back together.”
In simpler terms—no more troublesome Omegas.
Pei Yiyan naturally understood Shen Yuqing’s meaning. He instinctively turned toward the source of the voice but could only catch a faint glimpse. Not wanting to alert anyone, he simply nodded. “Alright.”
The incident with the Omega drugging him was, after all, the Pei family’s fault.
Only then did Shen Yuqing say, “Wu Yi, would you mind opening the door?”
Wu Yi nodded and went to answer it. Outside, the Pei family representative stood obediently, having expected Shen Yuqing to answer again. He had already prepared a polite smile, only to find a servant instead. His smile faded as he asked, “May I come in?”
Wu Yi stepped aside to let the man enter.
Shen Yuqing was sprawled lazily on the sofa, his legs draped over the armrests, his head resting on a pillow, effectively squeezing Pei Yiyan into the far corner.
The man looked at Pei Yiyan’s vacant eyes. He had been sent by Pei Yiyan’s uncle—ostensibly to check in on him and, more importantly, to mention that someone new would be arriving tomorrow to take care of him.
“Are you alright, Young Master?” the man asked.
The Pei family had known about Pei Yiyan’s hospitalization last night. In any other household, a whole crowd would have rushed over in a panic, but the Pei family hadn’t reacted at all. Now that he was back, they were just going through the motions.
Pei Yiyan’s tone was flat. “Not dead. So, fine.”
An awkward smile flickered across the man’s face. He forced himself to continue with the formalities. “The family head is very concerned about you. It’s just that the company has been extremely busy, so he couldn’t find the time to visit in person. That’s why he sent me instead.”
The man was a beta, one of Pei Yiyan’s uncle’s assistants. His gaze shifted to the lounging Young Master Shen, and he felt a headache coming on.
The underlying meaning behind Pei Yiyan’s four-word response was obvious—he was calling out the Pei family.
The assistant continued, “The family head said you should rest well these next few days. Tomorrow, he’ll send someone more reliable to take care of you.”
“More reliable?”
This time, it was Shen Yuqing who spoke up.
His eyes were still fixed on the game on his screen, but his mouth never stopped. “That’s what they said about the last one they sent, and then she drugged me. Send another ‘reliable’ one, and next time you visit, will you be bringing me a funeral wreath instead?”
This time, it was Pei Yiyan who drank the drugged drink. After all, he was still a member of the Pei family. They probably wanted to pin the blame on that Omega servant, then offer Pei Yiyan some half-hearted consolation before sweeping the whole matter under the rug.
But with Shen Yuqing’s intervention, that wasn’t going to happen.
The assistant stiffened. He was just an errand boy, and the hostility in Shen Yuqing’s words was unmistakable. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
The living room fell silent, the atmosphere thick with tension.
Yet Pei Yiyan’s attention remained fixed on the person beside him, engrossed in a game. The phone’s sound wasn’t muted, so he could still hear the game effects from the speaker. Not only was Shen Yuqing fully immersed, but he also had the energy to spare for sarcasm. Truly impressive.
Shen Yuqing soon won the match. Hearing the silence, he sat up from the couch, glancing first at the man before turning to Pei Yiyan. Feigning ignorance, he asked, “Why’d you stop talking?”
The man hesitated. “Young Master Shen, Mr. Pei knows you’ve been wronged. He asked me to invite you to dinner whenever you’re free.”
“The kind where I get drugged?” Shen Yuqing was actually grateful for the original owner’s personality—being this sarcastic felt so satisfying.
The man broke into a cold sweat. “Young Master Shen, you misunderstand. Mr. Pei said that since you and the young master have been engaged for so long, it’s only proper for him, as an elder, to invite you to a family dinner—to introduce you to the other young masters.”
After the original owner got engaged to Pei Yiyan, it had always been Pei Yiyan visiting the Shen family. The original owner had never once stepped foot in the Pei household.
He had always despised Pei Yiyan—why would he go?
Just as Shen Yuqing was about to deliver another round of sarcasm and refuse, the plot point struck again.
[Pei Family’s Back Garden]
Shen Yuqing found the banquet unbearably dull. If not for Shen Zhen forcing him to attend, he wouldn’t have bothered setting foot here.
Still, as tedious as it was, the Pei family’s garden was flourishing. It was spring in Silino, and under the glow of the evening lights, the flowers looked even more vibrant than in daylight.
Some of Shen Yuqing’s irritation faded. He took a few steps deeper into the garden when he suddenly heard voices. Losing interest, he turned to leave—but then he recognized one of them.
It sounded like… Pei Yiyan.
His brow arched slightly, and he walked closer. Within moments, he spotted them—it was Pei Yiyan.
Cornered, Pei Yiyan was forced onto a bench meant for resting, flanked by two unfamiliar men. Shen Yuqing recalled they were friends of one of Pei Yiyan’s cousins, also invited to dinner tonight.
Shen Yuqing didn’t speak, simply watching from where he stood.
The two exchanged a glance before ruthlessly hauling Pei Yiyan up by his arms. Though an Alpha, Pei Yiyan’s atrophied glands and frail body made him no match for them.
Shen Yuqing watched as they threw the struggling Pei Yiyan into the nearby fountain, laughing as they snapped several photos before strutting off.
Pei Yiyan, blind and unsteady on his feet, was left there. The weather wasn’t cold, but for someone as sickly as him, it was more than enough to cause lasting harm.
Shen Yuqing watched as he floundered in the pool, struggling to reach the shore, then walked over with a cold laugh. Silent as a shadow, he waited until Pei Yiyan finally managed to grope his way to the edge. With a slight raise of his brow, Shen pushed him back into the water.
Shen Yuqing closed his eyes briefly. Fine, just fine.
This world was nothing but one giant bullying novel—he was truly… speechless!
