“How do you explain your presence at the hospital?”
Under the long chandelier in the Pei family study, the imposing aura radiating from the tall, handsome man in military uniform nearly overwhelmed Pei Ningyu.
Pei Xu asked, “Why did you expose Xu Sidu to omega pheromones?”
A 2.75-inch aluminum baseball bat would hurt terribly when striking someone’s spine with a chance of breaking it.
Pei Ningyu took the bat from the cupboard, weighed it in his hand, and casually handed it to Pei Xu with one hand. Even so, Pei Ningyu remained utterly unrepentant.
He raised an eyebrow calmly. “Because I didn’t want to see him.”
Was this the attitude of someone truly remorseful? Did Pei Ningyu feel even the slightest bit of guilt?
Pei Xu didn’t reach for the bat. When Pei Ningyu released his grip, it fell to the floor with a sharp clang, rolled twice, and came to rest in the corner.
Pei Xu’s gaze darkened abruptly, his pale gray eyes frosting over like ice, sending a chill down one’s spine. “Why didn’t you want to see him?”
Pei Ningyu answered matter-of-factly, “Xu Sidu is arrogant and insulting. How could I tolerate a beta repeatedly defying me? This concerns an alpha’s dignity.”
A fierce, almost sinister glint flashed across Pei Ningyu’s exquisitely handsome face as he spoke through gritted teeth, making Pei Xu frown deeply. His steady, unreadable eyes swept over Pei Ningyu.
Watching his younger brother’s incorrigible behavior, Pei Xu felt Pei Ningyu’s gaze sharpen like a blade, grinding one down with helplessness and leaving behind raw wounds.
Pei Xu asked, “So, did you successfully uphold your alpha’s dignity?”
Silence.
Pei Ningyu turned his head away.
“If I had arrived at the hospital even a moment later, do you know what you would have faced?”
“In two months, you’ll be old enough to stand trial.”
Dressed in his military uniform, Pei Xu stood tall and stern, his voice icy. His appearance was starkly different from Pei Ningyu’s where Pei Ningyu was visibly striking and vibrant, Pei Xu exuded an unapproachable, impersonal coldness.
“So, Pei Ningyu, is recklessness without foresight what the Dimension Base taught you?”
At this, Pei Ningyu tilted his head further away, shamefully avoiding Pei Xu’s gaze. For once, he didn’t retort.
He truly had no defense against Pei Xu’s accusations. Undeniably, he hadn’t considered these consequences.
“One month of confinement.”
Pei Xu’s verdict fell upon his ears.
Pei Ningyu scowled. “Pei Xu!”
Pei Xu remained unmoved, his tone indifferent. “If you can’t even call me ‘brother,’ is one month really too long?”
Though speechless at the punishment, Pei Ningyu’s expression remained dark. He clenched the glass in his hand, unwilling to accept this outcome.
One month one month confined would drive him mad.
Pei Xu’s decisions were nearly impossible to overturn, and he himself responded better to softness than defiance.
Unwilling to concede, Pei Ningyu softened his tone and stepped closer to Pei Xu something he rarely did since adulthood.
Fortunately, though Pei Ningyu was inept at matters of romance, he knew exactly how to handle his elder brother’s temperament.
“Brother, the base is about to start the full-scale simulated combat competition. If I’m confined for a month, how can I defend my title this year?”
As expected, Pei Xu’s brow twitched imperceptibly the moment Pei Ningyu approached him. This warm, consultative tone was both pleasing and unsettling to him. He had always adhered to his principles, and even Pei Ningyu’s demeanor couldn’t soften his severity.
“The one-month confinement punishment stands.”
“This matter ends here.”
Pei Ningyu had no choice but to fall silent. In his frustration, he crushed the glass in his hand, sharp shards piercing his palm as blood dripped steadily.
Pei Xu frowned and immediately called for his assistant to fetch bandages while grabbing Pei Ningyu’s hand, only to have it violently shaken off.
Pei Ningyu possessed striking, almost overwhelming beauty even expressionless, his dark eyes brimmed with unspoken emotion. But now, the sheer disgust in his gaze was startling.
Without a word, Pei Ningyu left.
Pei Xu cleared his throat quietly, absorbing every bit of that disdain silently as he watched Pei Ningyu’s retreating figure.
The assistant stepped forward, offering Pei Xu a clean handkerchief. “Young Master Ningyu is still young, his temperament not fully formed yet. General Pei needn’t worry over this matter.”
Pei Xu didn’t respond, his thoughts drifting back to the Crown Prince’s veiled warnings. It had become a festering wound in his heart.
With Pei Ningyu constantly stirring up trouble outside, could he truly shield him forever, protecting him safely into old age?
Pei Xu resolved that he could no longer indulge Pei Ningyu like this.
