Chapter 225: Zhu Yuan Has Asked for Leave

Pei Family Bank.

Pei Li walked in from outside. Pei Ling was sitting on a black high-backed chair, wearing a well-tailored black suit. His figure was exceptionally slender, yet his back appeared somewhat lonely and desolate.

Before him was an iron cage, inside which a wolf cub was eating a piece of raw meat.

He sat there watching quietly. Pei Li could not help but recall that several large iron cages had been placed in that spot before, and the wolves inside had all been shot to death by Sheng Yu; not a single one remained.

He did not know if the Second Master, sitting there, was thinking about those wolves, or about Miss Zhu, who had once fought against wild wolves.

Hearing footsteps, Pei Ling asked without turning his head: "What about Pei Shaoshen?"

"He has already been intercepted by our people. He almost escaped across the border; fortunately, you had deployed personnel in advance, Second Master." Pei Li thought of the look of despair in Pei Shaoshen's eyes after he was intercepted and realized there was no room for maneuver.

"If those pieces of evidence and the Pei Family's under-the-table dealings are all handed over to the police, then you, Second Master, will also... Please think twice, Second Master."

He did not want to see the Second Master ruin himself because of the Pei Family.

After a long silence, Pei Ling fiddled with the cufflinks on his sleeves and curled his lips in self-mockery, "This Pei Family, I have long since had enough of it."

He, too, had lived enough.

Pei Li thought of how he had not even been taking his Medicine recently and knew that he could no longer persuade him.

The Pei Family had harmed him for so many years; the physical and mental devastation made it impossible for him to live like a normal person.

He must have been waiting for this day for many years.

Pei Li did not know what to say. Tonight, those pieces of evidence would be handed over to the police; there were less than six hours left.

"Give me the car keys." Pei Ling stood up and walked toward him.

Pei Li was stunned, "Where is the Second Master going? Let me drive."

"No need, I'm just going for a drive."

Taking the car keys, Pei Ling walked out of the Pei Family Bank.

This three-courtyard compound reeked of the corruption of money everywhere. As he walked out the main gate, a gust of fresh, cold wind blew into his face.

He walked out expressionlessly, sat in the car, and started the engine.

The car drove out of the Pei Family Bank's perimeter. In truth, he did not have any particular place he wanted to go, but Zhu Yuan's face suddenly flashed through his mind.

As things stood, he admitted that he had fallen for Zhu Yuan.

That woman was simply an existence like a god, appearing in his mind at every moment.

In his life, apart from his birth mother, he had never had contact with other women; even the servants and Bodyguards around him were all men.

He found women troublesome.

Beautiful women were even more troublesome.

As a woman, and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, Zhu Yuan was trouble upon trouble.

He should have hated such a person, yet he could not help but think of her involuntarily.

But time and again, she would pour out to his face how much she loved Sheng Yu, and how much she was willing to sacrifice for Sheng Yu.

If she loved Sheng Yu that much, then let her keep loving him!

Whether she had lost weight or looked haggard had nothing to do with him!

Anyway, they would not meet again in the future; whether she lived well or not had nothing to do with him.

Realizing he was thinking of her again, Pei Ling cursed and slapped the steering wheel with one hand.

But when the car stopped, it was already at the back door of the theater.

Pei Ling cursed under his breath, leaned back against the seat, and his fingers involuntarily touched the seatbelt buckle.

With a "click," the seatbelt unfastened.

He frowned, pushed open the car door, and walked inside. The theater staff and actors greeted him respectfully when they saw him.

He ignored them and headed straight for the backstage.

He did not expect to run into Ji Xiang, who had a close relationship with Zhu Yuan.

"Second Master." Ji Xiang's little heart thumped wildly—the impact of this god-like face rushing toward her!

The Second Master was this handsome; did he even know it himself?

It was one thing to be this handsome, but he was actually wearing a suit? That was too against the rules!

Pei Ling asked as if in passing: "Where is Zhu Yuan?"

Ji Xiang shook her head, "She didn't come today."

"Isn't the tour starting the day after tomorrow?" His expression turned cold. He was still here, yet she dared to skip work? If he weren't here one day, would she not take her job seriously at all?

"She asked for leave."

"Why did she ask for leave?"

Pei Ling asked three questions in a row, and in a cold tone. Ji Xiang was so scared she was about to cry, "I really don't know."

Seeing that nothing could be asked of her, Pei Ling walked toward Hao Liang's office.

Hao Liang was busy with work when the office door was suddenly pushed open. The door hit the wall with a loud bang, and he cried out in fright: "Ah! Who... Second Master?"

Pei Ling walked in, sat down brazenly on the sofa, and crossed his legs, "Why did Zhu Yuan ask for leave?"

Hao Liang patted his chest, still shaken, walked over, closed the door, and turned to pour tea for Pei Ling.

"Speak!" Pei Ling had not a shred of patience.

Hao Liang was startled again and hurriedly said: "Second Master, you've come at the right time. I was just about to report to you when you arrived. Xiao Fengzheng has asked for leave—a very long leave. I estimate she won't be coming for a year."

Pei Ling's gaze darkened, "What is the reason?"

Director Hao shook his head, "She didn't say."

"Did she ask for leave herself?"

"No, it was President Sheng... no, I should call him Chairman Sheng now. It was his assistant who called," Director Hao replied.

Pei Ling pursed his lips. The person Hao Liang was talking about must be Situ.

It made no sense for Zhu Yuan to take such a long leave of absence without asking in person, instead having Situ relay the message.

He took out his phone and called Zhu Yuan, only for the other end to indicate that her phone was powered off.

Powered off, taking leave...

Pei Ling's expression turned completely cold as he dialed a number, "Did Sheng Yu go to the company today?"

After a moment, the person on the other end replied, "No."

Not going to the company on a workday, and Zhu Yuan had powered off her phone to take leave.

He dialed Pei Li's number: "Find out where Sheng Yu is right now, and all of Zhu Yuan's movements after she left the theater last night."

On the other end of the line, Pei Li felt a surge of joy!

He suddenly prayed that something would happen to Zhu Yuan; if something really did happen, would it change Second Master's decision?

With these words from Pei Ling, Pei Li hung up and quickly gave orders, seeking to investigate the matter clearly in the shortest time possible.

He didn't know until he checked, but when Pei Li saw the information sent by his subordinates, he was startled.

He hurriedly called Pei Ling: "Second Master, Ning Huaiqing has returned to Jingdu City with Sheng Yu's child and is at the hospital, though the specific situation is unknown; furthermore, Miss Zhu also went to the hospital last night, so she likely ran into them."

Pei Ling gripped his phone tightly; he didn't care at all about Sheng Yu's child, but if Zhu Yuan had run into them, what would she do given her temperament?

And what would Sheng Yu, that madman, do given his style of conduct?

A thought flashed through Pei Ling's mind: imprisonment!

It was already evening, and Pei Li risked his life to ask Pei Ling: "Second Master, should the evidence of the Pei Family's crimes be handed over to the police?"

As expected, there was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, "Wait until I find Zhu Yuan before we talk about that."