Chapter 129: He is the Pei Family's Living Target

After leaving the Theater, Pei Ling returned to the Pei Family Old Residence.

The housekeeper was startled and immediately sent someone to invite Pei Shaoshen.

"Second Master, will you be staying at the Old Residence tonight?"

Pei Ling sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, looking at the trembling housekeeper, and answered with a question: "Is there a room for me?"

The housekeeper said awkwardly, "I will have someone go tidy up a guest room right now."

An expected answer.

"Forget it, I'll leave after seeing my big brother."

The man's aura was too menacing, and the housekeeper shrank back in fear.

Before long, a man wearing a bathrobe with gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose came down the stairs.

He looked at the person on the sofa, casually tied the belt of his bathrobe, walked over to sit on the middle sofa, and reached out to open the box in front of him, taking out a cigar.

"Why did you come back tonight?"

Pei Ling looked at the man before him, who was gentle and refined, and whose facial features—aside from his skin tone—bore a slight resemblance to his own. "Big brother didn't know I would be back?"

Glancing at his half-brother, Pei Shaoshen smiled. "You have always been one to act as you please; how would I know what you are thinking? However, I am happy you are back."

"Don't be happy just yet." Pei Ling leaned against the sofa and asked as if in passing, "Did big brother go to see the play today?"

Pei Shaoshen lit his cigar. "I have been busy lately and haven't had much time. I plan to go see it in a few days; the new play has received great feedback. That actress named Xiao Fengzheng has infinite potential; she is a good talent."

Pei Ling suddenly sneered, stood up, and kicked over the box of cigars in front of the man.

The box flew up, simultaneously knocking the cigar from Pei Shaoshen's hand.

The sound of firearms being readied rang out in unison from all directions.

Dark gun barrels were all aimed at Pei Ling.

Pei Ling ignored them, not bothering to mince words with him. "You know why I returned here. You have overreached; are you trying to provoke me by using people at the Theater?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." The man maintained an elegant and composed expression on his face.

He raised his hand slightly, signaling for the people hidden in the shadows to lower their weapons.

"Why is it that after so many years, your sharp edge still hasn't been worn down? Pei Ling, have you forgotten how Father taught you?"

Pei Ling narrowed his eyes. "Stop using that man to provoke me; you know the consequences of me getting angry."

As he turned to leave, he saw a dim corner beside the side hall where a huge iron cage sat. It was ancient, and the iron bars of the cage were covered in rust.

Large hunting dogs had once been kept inside.

Later...

Pei Shaoshen's voice came from behind him. "Does it remind you of the time you lived in a dog cage during your childhood? My fault, I should have thrown it out sooner. But I cannot go against Father's dying wish, so I specifically had someone move it to the corner. Just pretend it doesn't exist."

Pei Ling stopped in his tracks.

He walked over, drew his pistol in front of Pei Shaoshen, and fired repeatedly, shattering the lock on the iron cage and breaking the iron chains coiled inside.

Pei Shaoshen's eyes darkened abruptly.

Pei Ling walked out of the Pei Family mansion into the wind mixed with rain and snow.

Fragmented scenes flashed through his mind.

A stunningly beautiful woman in a qipao crouched before his five-year-old self, weeping as she stroked his hair.

—Xiao Ling, Mother must escape. I cannot take you with me; if I do, neither of us will be able to escape.

—Wait for me, I will definitely come back to get you as soon as I can.

The scene shifted; cold iron chains shackled his hands and feet.

The man known as Boss Pei, who dominated Kyoto and even Jiangbei—the man he called Father—pushed him into the iron cage without mercy.

—Your mother doesn't want you anymore.

—I couldn't catch her, so you will take her place and be punished!

—From now on, this dog cage is where you will eat and sleep.

—I want your absolute obedience: obedience to the Pei Family, obedience to my orders!

—Pei Ling, I want you to be the Pei Family's dog!

He lived in the cage for two years.

Yet he was worse off than a dog.

A dog could at least eat one meal a day.

He did not.

The man made him, not yet eight years old, fight wild wolves to earn a full meal.

The moment the dagger sliced through the wolf's throat, hot blood splashed onto his young, tender face.

That scene haunted him like a nightmare for over twenty years; only the Qingxin Mantra could bring him a moment of peace.

Second Master of the Pei Family.

What an ironic title.

The Pei Family started out in illicit trades, and their family fortune could not withstand scrutiny. Once something was uncovered, the first to bear the brunt would be the Pei Family Bank.

He was the Pei Family's living target.

The next day, when Zhu Yuan arrived at the dressing room, the makeup artist did her makeup while the stylist curled her hair.

Zhu Yuan suddenly remembered what she had promised Pei Ling last night. Although it was very bizarre, she was afraid that if she didn't fulfill it, he would go crazy again.

"Let's change the hairstyle today."

The stylist was puzzled: "Why change it suddenly? Wasn't it already decided?"

"I feel a bit uncomfortable with that hairstyle. Change it to something that makes me feel more at ease, and besides, finger waves take too much time; this way you can be a bit more relaxed too."

Zhu Yuan is the star of the troupe now, so how could the stylist refuse her?

Afterward, the stylist let Zhu Yuan choose one from several alternative looks.

Zhu Yuan chose the one that differed the most from yesterday's hairstyle.

When picking a cheongsam, she deliberately avoided styles similar to the one from yesterday.

Standing in front of the mirror, she checked herself over repeatedly; surely Second Master Pei would have nothing to say now, right?

After the performance ended, Zhu Yuan snuck a glance toward the VIP box upstairs.

Sheng Yu was not there.

It stood to reason; as the big president of a financial group, how could he have time to watch plays here every day?

Thinking of the subtle changes between the two of them last night, a wave of panic washed over Zhu Yuan again.

After she got up this morning, Grandfather had looked at her meaningfully for quite a while.

She suddenly realized that she had fallen asleep in Sheng Yu's car last night, yet woke up at the hospital.

She hurriedly tried to make up for it, even concocting the most outrageous lie that she had fallen asleep at the hospital's back entrance and Sheng Yu just happened to pass by and bring her up.

Grandfather could not stand her lies, "He told me about you and the Zhu Family; he said you were crying and wanting to find Grandfather, so he had no choice but to bring you back."

"I didn't exactly cry and look for..." Zhu Yuan was speechless; how could that man dare to say anything?

Grandfather said nothing more, but the look in his eyes held even more meaning.

She guessed that Sheng Yu must have told Grandfather something else.

Unfortunately, Grandfather was a patient, so she could not interrogate him.

Zhu Yuan pulled back her thoughts and went backstage to prepare to eat.

However, she unluckily ran into Pei Ling, who was wearing a black leather jacket, walking this way in the corridor; he had black over-ear headphones hanging around his neck.

The man's figure was too tall, and his presence was full of oppression.

Zhu Yuan had noticed long ago that when Pei Ling was not speaking, there was a gloomy air about him that was hard to describe, yet made people very afraid to get close.

Zhu Yuan instinctively looked for a place to hide, but there was a wall on the left and a wall on the right; she couldn't exactly scramble up to the ceiling to hide.

She ran around aimlessly like a headless chicken.

Yet Pei Ling ignored her and walked straight past her.