Chapter 161: Pretend the Past Never Happened

Pei Ling curled his lips; this was truly interesting.

In the past, bold women would use the excuse of borrowing money from the Pei Family Bank to confess their feelings to him. Sometimes, when the mood struck him, he would feed the wolves right in front of them.

Those women would either faint from fright or cry and run away.

Not to mention those who would vomit, tremble all over, and collapse to their knees, unable to rise.

This was the first time someone was neither afraid nor retreating, and could even say such things.

But then again, a woman who could scare off wild wolves with a whistle, how could she be afraid of these?

The iron tongs were tossed into the iron bucket with a clang.

Pei Ling took the towel handed over by a Bodyguard to wipe his hands, then tossed the towel into the trash can.

He walked toward Zhu Yuan step by step, his gaze fixed directly on her face, "Aren't you afraid that it's Zhu Chaoqin's flesh?"

The iron cage that had held the wolf cub was carried away by the Bodyguard.

The smell of blood in the air had faded somewhat, but it could still be smelled.

As Pei Ling approached, a faint, clean fragrance on him masked the scent of blood.

Yet upon hearing his words, Zhu Yuan's brow twitched.

Pei Ling stood before her, hands in his pockets, leaning down to be at eye level with her, "You told me to scare him; if I was too heavy-handed and slipped up, I couldn't just waste the meat, could I?"

Zhu Yuan felt her heart leap with terror, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.

The man's pair of deep brown, cold eyes seemed to stare at people like a wolf staring at its prey.

Her body was unable to move.

Pei Ling looked into her eyes, waiting for her to question him or be frightened to the point of reddening eyes by his words, but to his surprise, she said: "Then, has your wolf had its fill?"

It was unexpected, yet given her personality, it was also within reason.

The man sneered and straightened up, "It's not full. Should I carve your flesh to feed it?"

"I'm too thin and don't have much meat; if it's not enough, you can carve some more off Zhu Chaoqin," Zhu Yuan said very generously.

The man seemed amused by her, the corners of his mouth curving, "Isn't he your father?"

Zhu Yuan gave a bitter smile, "What kind of father lets his own biological daughter enter a Dragon's Den and Tiger's Lair?"

Having been warned by Sheng Yu not to show her face, this was the method they had come up with.

She hadn't come here out of a soft heart, but to give them one last chance to see their true colors.

Pei Ling's gaze landed on the bitter, mocking smile at the corners of her lips, his expression pausing slightly; after she finished speaking, he sneered, "Are you implying my place is a Dragon's Den and Tiger's Lair?"

Zhu Yuan pursed her lips, looking at him with sincere eyes.

Isn't that the truth?

"You're quite honest," Pei Ling said, not annoyed.

Zhu Yuan suddenly asked him: "Has Second Master's injury healed?"

A strange emotion flashed quickly through the depths of Pei Ling's eyes, and he gave a light scoff, "Can that even be called an injury?"

Although he realized Zhu Yuan was saying this to make him soften his heart and let people go, he still answered her: "It has already healed."

Just then, Pei Li entered from outside, "Second Master, President Pei is here."

Pei Ling's gaze turned abruptly cold and stern; he glanced at Zhu Yuan beside him, "Take her to the back first."

"Miss Zhu, please."

Zhu Yuan was taken behind the side hall; separated by a screen, Pei Li had Zhu Yuan sit on a chair, then called for someone to pour a cup of tea and bring snacks, and a clean fragrance permeated the air.

Before long, several people entered from outside; through the screen, Zhu Yuan vaguely recognized the one walking in front as Pei Shaoshen.

A few days after the new play premiered, Pei Shaoshen had come to the theater's dressing room to visit the actors, which was the first time everyone had seen the theater's big boss behind the scenes.

He was also very tall, looking refined and outstanding, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Pei Ling sat on a black chair, legs crossed casually, "Big Brother, what brings you to my place?"

"It's already the second day of the New Year, and you still refuse to go home for the holiday, so I had to come personally to invite you back."

"It's not the first year I haven't gone back for the New Year, and I haven't seen Big Brother stoop so low before."

Pei Shaoshen sat down, a servant served tea, and he picked up the cup and took a sip, "Big Brother knows you have resentment toward the Pei Family, but we are family after all; we should be reunited for the New Year."

"Isn't it just the two of us here? Why not reunite after we're dead? Father, your mother, and my mother are all underground; it would be livelier with more people," Pei Ling curled his lips, but there was not a hint of a smile in his eyes.

A sharp glint flashed in Pei Shaoshen's eyes behind his lenses, "Xiao Ling, don't say such things during the New Year."

"I'm not superstitious, yet Big Brother is more superstitious than I am."

Pei Shaoshen sighed, "Let's just pretend the things from the past never happened, alright?"

"Never happened?" Pei Ling played with his phone nonchalantly and raised his eyes, "I heard there will be a major inspection in two days. Is Big Brother afraid that I'll have a slip-up here and ruin the Pei Family's business? But the Pei Family can't survive without the supply from the bank, so is Big Brother here to curry favor with me?"

"The Pei Family prospers together and suffers together. You were personally trained by Father to work for the Pei Family, so you should know what you ought to do at a time like this," Pei Shaoshen reminded him.

—You were personally trained by Father to work for the Pei Family.

Behind the screen, Zhu Yuan's gaze paused.

This sounded uncomfortable.

Shouldn't children raised in a great family be nurtured?

A normal person wouldn't use the word "trained."

Outside the screen, Pei Ling's voice was icy, the depths of his deep brown pupils soaked in frost, "Big Brother, rest assured; as long as I am here, the Pei Family's business will be foolproof."

Pei Shaoshen curled his lips; he knew Pei Ling was wild and untamable.

But having been trained by Father for so many years, loyalty to the Pei Family was already carved into his bones; he was like a dog of the Pei Family—no matter how fierce he was to outsiders, he could never break free from the Pei Family's shackles.

"With those words from you, Big Brother is relieved," Pei Shaoshen stood up, his gaze sweeping casually over the screen, "I have already ordered the dog cage that kept you for three years to be destroyed."

Pei Shaoshen left with his people.

Silence fell on both sides of the screen.

The cold wind poured in through the open doors and windows; Zhu Yuan shivered, looking through the screen at Pei Ling's cold and lonely back, her eyes complex.

"Pei Li, bring her out."

Pei Li walked to Zhu Yuan's side, "Miss Zhu, please."

Zhu Yuan walked around the screen, her expression as usual as she tried to please him, "Second Master, may I take Zhu Chaoqin away now?"

Pei Ling turned his head to stare at her face, yet he could not see the slightest flaw on it; there was no shock, nor was there any sympathy, as if she had not understood those words at all.

He sneered coldly, "You want to take someone from under my hands so easily? We called it even after I took a bullet for you last time; I don't owe you anything. What chips do you have to trade with me today?"

"It's not that I absolutely must save this person, but it's the New Year, and I also hope that Second Master can have a good holiday. Zhu Chaoqin disturbed your peace because of me; he brought his beating upon himself, but Second Master really doesn't need to keep such a useless person."

"You have a smooth tongue; who knows which of your words are true and which are false?"

Pei Ling stood up, his tall and upright frame full of oppressive force; he lowered his eyes to glance at her, "It's time for a meal; treat me to dinner, and I'll pick the place."

Zhu Yuan was dragged by her arm and shoved into the car by him.

The car drove out of the Pei Family Bank, and when they arrived at the destination, Zhu Yuan's scalp went numb at the sight of the two characters "Shengshi".

Pei Ling had actually chosen a restaurant belonging to the Sheng Family!

"The food here isn't good." Zhu Yuan gripped the car door handle tightly, not wanting to get out.

Pei Ling turned his head to look at her, "Everyone says it's delicious, and you say it's not? Are you afraid to go in?"

He suddenly curled his lips, "Didn't you and Sheng Yu break up? What are you afraid of him for? I'll cover you."

As he spoke, he pushed open the car door and, ignoring Zhu Yuan's struggle, pulled her out of the car.

A gust of biting cold wind blew over.

Zhu Yuan instinctively raised her eyes and saw several people getting out of a car not far opposite; the man surrounded in the center had his usual cold and detached features, and when he saw her arm being held by Pei Ling, a thin, cold chill flickered across his lips.

"What a coincidence," Pei Ling looked down at the frozen Zhu Yuan, his voice loud enough to reach Sheng Yu's ears, "Your ex-boyfriend."