The next morning, everyone at the dining table saw Pei Ruoqing's swollen hands and her slightly scarred face. However, everyone tactfully did not say anything. Pei Yuan Shao and Shi Yunshu looked at each other. Shi Yunshu shook his head, indicating that he was not the one who punished them.
Pei Yuan Shao understood. If it was not Shi Yunshu, then it could only be An Chengxi. He was not surprised that their first confrontation had come so quickly. In fact, An Chengxi and Pei Ruoqing were very similar. They were both determined and persistent people who could bravely move forward for the people they cared about. The difference was that An Chengxi's persistence was vast and broad, while Pei Ruoqing was cautious and stubborn. No one was right or wrong, it was just that the situation was different.
As the only two women, Chu Junyi and Song Yuyan's hearts ached. Chu Junyi's most direct reaction was to treat An Chengxi with a cold expression early in the morning. If it wasn't for the sake of saving her man some face, she probably wouldn't have let An Chengxi off so easily.
Actually, Chu Junyi understood that there were some things that she couldn't interfere with, but her heart ached. Her hands were so swollen that they probably hurt when they touched anything. Seeing An Chengxi's calm expression, Ms. Chu almost raised her eyebrows.
On the other hand, Song Yuyan's method was much simpler and more practical. She changed the chopsticks in Pei Ruoqing's hands to a spoon and instructed," Eat lighter. Otherwise, you will feel uncomfortable in the car.”
Something flowed through his dry heart, repairing his heart that was like a reef bit by bit. Pei Ruoqing's hand stiffened slightly. After a long while, he said softly," I understand. Thank you, Aunt Yan."”
On the plane, Pei Ruoqing and Shi Yunshu sat together. Shi Yunshu sat by the window, flipping through a professional book slowly and rhythmically in his hand, looking calm.
Pei Ruoqing did not expect Shi Yunshu's major. In his previous life, Shi Yunshu had taught traditional Chinese studies at Yun Jing University. Pei Ruoqing thought that he had majored in traditional Chinese studies. It was only later that he found out that he had majored in information and computational mathematics, just like in this life.
But thinking about it carefully, it was normal. After all, Shi Yunshu had shown amazing talent in mathematics since he was young. As a top-notch teacher, Shi Yihong could not bury Shi Yunshu's strong points. He collected his thoughts and began to read the book in his hand.
The flight from S City to Jingdu took less than two hours. An Chengxi brought Shi Yunshu and Chu Junyi to the Shi family while Pei Yuanshao brought Pei Ruoqing back to the Pei family. The two families were not in the same area and were even separated by a certain distance.
Before they parted ways, An Chengxi looked at Pei Ruoqing meaningfully." Come to my house every Friday night after you go back. I'll teach you how to practice calligraphy. With your handwriting, not to mention being the teacher's disciple, only your sister Junyi would be able to read it.”
Then, An Chengxi shut his mouth under Chu Junyi's murderous gaze.
Pei Ruoqing, on the other hand, was a little confused. Did she need to be taught how to practice calligraphy?
Shi Yunshu was speechless. Did Ruo 'er still need to practice writing? Just as he was about to speak, he heard Pei Yuan Shao speak.
"Little Ruo, your senior brother is talking to you.”Pei Yuan Shao calmly reminded.
Pei Ruoqing was doubtful about her own standards as she replied obediently," I understand. Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Hence, Shi Yunshu swallowed the words he wanted to say. It was better to let his senior brother go and see for himself.
The Pei family's old residence was located in the southern courtyard. Almost all the older generation of the country's upper echelons lived here, and they were all national treasures. The younger generation moved out one after another. Normally, the courtyard would be deserted, but today was different. The Mid-Autumn Festival was one of the traditional festivals in China. It had a different meaning in the hearts of the older generation, especially the families with some background.
There were two main streets in the courtyard, which were distributed in a cross shape. Inside, the streets of various sizes crisscrossed. No parking was allowed in the courtyard, and the identity verification was extremely strict. After all, the person living here was too important.
Pei Yuan Shao stopped the car. After the identity check, he brought Pei Ruoqing to the south street. The further they went in, the more Pei Ruoqing could feel Pei Yuan Shao's silence. He did not understand what had happened back then, nor did he understand what his father had to bear. He went forward and tugged at Pei Yuan Shao's sleeve, asking worriedly," Dad, what will you face when you go?”
Pei Yuan Shao stopped in his tracks and looked at the crowd that was several times more than usual. His gaze was distant." Since you have already made your choice, you have to bear the consequences.”
He turned around and looked at the child in front of him." Little Ruo, do you know what happened to your grandfather in his previous life?”
Pei Ruoqing's face suddenly turned pale. She tried hard to think, but she felt a sharp pain in her head. She could not remember anything and shook her head." I don't know why, but I don't remember most of the things in my previous life."”
Pei Yuan Shao supported Pei Ruoqing," If you can't remember, then don't think about it. Don't force yourself. Many things are already different and can still be changed.”
The Pei family's courtyard was very lively. Children were jumping around the flower terrace with lollipops in their hands. Men and women were divided into several groups and chatted happily, but the only owner, Old Master Pei, was not among them.
Pei Ruoqing was really surprised. She raised her eyebrows." The Pei family…has so many people?”
Pei Yuan Shao looked at her indifferently and strode in." Remember, the Pei family only has us.”
Back then, Old Master Pei, Pei Yansong, was promoted to an official position with his outstanding achievements. Even the Pei family village that he came out of had risen with the tide. Pei Yansong was a very loyal person when he was young. After he made a name for himself, he also actively gave back to his hometown. However, his parents had died, and he had been relying on his uncle's family to have the opportunity to go to school, so he had always been grateful.
Later, during the war, Pei Yansong's knowledge was valued by the military. He had always played an important role in the military and his status was not low. But all of this was done with his true abilities.
The Pei family seemed to have a lot of people, but in reality, they were all people from Old Master Pei's uncle's bloodline. Three generations ago, they could be considered as direct blood relatives, but when it came to Pei Yuan Shao's generation, their relationship had long faded.
People were always greedy. When they were poor, they might only want to have food and clothing to survive, but after enjoying the temptation of money and fame, it was difficult to return to their original heart. Old Master Pei's uncle's family used Pei Yansong's name to lord it over the village. They asked for special privileges in everything, and their eyes could no longer learn to look down.
Pei Yansong did not want to see his only relative fall, so he brought him to Jingdou, thinking that it would be easier to control him if he placed him under his nose. In the first two years, those people were quite honest. They didn't dare to be too presumptuous in a place where anyone they met could be an official.
However, no one could estimate the greed of human nature. Old Master Pei's uncle wanted to do some business in the capital and wanted to use Pei Yansong's name to occupy the land. Old Master Pei thought that it would be good to find something for them to do so that they wouldn't have to think about nonsense all day long. Therefore, he used his own name to buy a piece of land and handed it over to his uncle to manage.
At that time, land was very cheap, but as the country developed and opened up, a small piece of land became extremely expensive. The next generation of the Pei family also grew up quickly. Pei Yan, a talent who was very good at business management, was born in the Pei family. The value of that piece of land quickly increased in his hands, finally allowing him to make a name for himself in the real estate market.
However, his ambition did not stop there. Pei Yansong also had many projects and industries in his hands, and they were basically linked to the country's lifeline industries. When Pei Yansong was in power, these properties were not conspicuous. Later, after he retired early, his huge family property was exposed. These properties were like a tempting piece of fat meat, attracting the surrounding wolves and tigers to drool.
Pei Yuan Shao brought Pei Ruoqing through the courtyard, as if he did not see the noisy crowd around him. The situation in the courtyard was tight on the outside but relaxed on the inside. When Pei Yuan Shao was about to reach the main entrance, no one came out to stop him. The people around him also rarely revealed strange expressions, thinking that someone from the courtyard had come to visit.
" Eh? Isn't this Brother Yuan Shao?" Why are you back today?"
He spoke as if he could not come back today. Pei Yuan Shao frowned.
The person was thirty-three or thirty-four years old. He was only a few years older than An Chengxi, but he looked twice as old. His face was yellowish, and his stomach was round. He looked like a corrupt official with a fat head in a period drama. This was Pei Yan's second son, Pei Xu. Pei Yan had three sons and one daughter. The most outstanding one was his youngest son, Pei Li. His eldest son, Pei Hao, was neither humble nor humble, but at least he had entered the system with his own abilities. Pei Xu, on the other hand, was an idiot. He owned a medium-sized film and television company, which his father gave him when he saw that he had achieved nothing. He did not want to improve himself but was proud of himself. He had scandals with all kinds of small celebrities and models every other day.
Pei Yuan Shao did not hide the disgust in his eyes as he pulled Pei Ruoqing away.
Pei Xu's expression also turned ugly." Pei Yuanshao, you've already been chased out of the Pei family by Uncle. How can you still have the face to come back?”
Pei Yuan Shao had been outstanding since he was young, almost suppressing the three brothers until they couldn't raise their heads. He loathed Pei Yuan Shao more than he loathed his Third Brother, who had always won his father's heart.
In the early years, when people mentioned the Pei family, they only knew about Minister Pei's son, Pei Yuan Shao. They did not know that there were the three brothers, Pei Hao and Pei Xu. No matter how well they did, others would always praise Pei Yansong and Pei Yuan Shao.
Why? Didn't Pei Yansong rely on their family to support him when he was down and out back then? She wanted to turn her back on him after becoming an official, and she was not afraid of being scolded for being ungrateful! Therefore, he took the protection Pei Yansong had given him for granted.
Pei Yuan Shao didn't say anything. He didn't even look at him. There was no need to waste his breath on someone who wasn't worth it. However, Pei Ruoqing could not endure it. Just as she was about to say something, she felt Pei Yuan Shao's grip on her hand tighten.
Who knew that Pei Xu would become even angrier when he saw Pei Yuanshao's indifferent attitude? Feeling the gazes from the surrounding people, he became even more smug. He looked at Pei Ruoqing with ill intentions." Yo, this can't be the child that you had with your teacher's only daughter, right?”
Pei Ruoqing looked up at Pei Yuanshao blankly. This was…
Pei Yuan Shao looked at Pei Xu as if his eyes were filled with ice. At that moment, Pei Xu felt as if he had fallen from a sunny day into the depths of hell. He shuddered violently and did not dare to look Pei Yuan Shao in the eye.
He recalled a past incident. Pei Yuanshao had been extremely outstanding in the military school back then. He had gone from a master's degree to a Ph.D., and it was as if he had cheated all the way. If it wasn't for that incident, he wouldn't have been forced to drop out of school. The cadets who had undergone systematic military and political training had some special qualities that ordinary people did not have. Ordinary people only respected him, but people like him who had dirty thoughts only feared him.
Under Pei Xu's evasive gaze, Pei Yuanshao spoke up." Pei Xu, has anyone ever told you that jealousy makes people ugly?”
Pei Xu's face twisted. He was jealous? Ha, although the current Pei Yuan Shao seemed stable, because of that incident back then, his official position would never be higher than the provincial level. What was there to be jealous of?
"Pei Yuan Shao, today is the day of the Pei family reunion. You are no longer a member of the Pei family, so why are you still standing here?”Being expelled from the family was Pei Yuan Shao's greatest humiliation in his life, and the reason for being expelled was an injury that Pei Yuan Shao could not bring up. He wanted to see how this person who had always looked down on him would be able to control himself.
Pei Yuan Shao's heart was ignited, but his political career of more than ten years was not spent in vain. No matter how angry he was, he did not show it at all. He raised his eyelids slightly and swept his emotionless eyes over the people watching the show around him. He said slowly," Today, everyone can enter this door only because of the power of my Pei family. Once the Pei family falls, your good days will come to an end. Although I, Pei Yuan Shao, am unfilial, I am still the only son of the Pei Family's main branch. Everyone, you must think clearly, who will you rely on when my father dies?”
Pei Yuan Shao lowered his eyes. He really didn't want to use such a boring method. However, some things had crossed his bottom line and he could not allow others to trample on him like this.
Everyone knew that he was sowing discord, but they had to admit that what he said made sense. These people were all related to Pei Yan, but most of them were business marriages that were linked by interests and were not reliable. With his instigation, some of the fence-sitters quietly distanced themselves from Pei Xu, that idiot.
Pei Xu was about to die from anger, but he seized the loophole in Pei Yuan Shao's words and made a big fuss. His face was vicious." Pei Yuan Shao, are you cursing Uncle to die? Once he dies, as the first heir, you can take all the assets for yourself, right?”
Pei Yuan Shao laughed mockingly. Just as he was about to speak, he heard an old but energetic voice," He is my only son. If I don't leave my inheritance to him, should I leave it to you?”
The person who came was Old Master Pei, who was close to 65 years old. He was dressed in a light brown Tang suit. His hair was neatly combed, and his deep eyes revealed great wisdom. His face was already wrinkled. Pei Yuanshao's eyes turned sour, and he held Pei Ruoqing's hand tightly.
Pei Ruoqing was in great pain, but he just let Pei Yuan Shao pull him as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao He, chase out all those who are not surnamed Pei. Today is the day of the Pei family reunion.”Pei Yansong placed his hands behind his back and instructed the guards behind him.
Pei Xu felt very embarrassed. Most of the people here were invited by him, and most of them had more or less contact with him. He just wanted to show off his status in the Pei family, but he did not want to be slapped in the face by Pei Yansong. In the past, the old master had never cared about such matters, but today was abnormal.
Pei Xu's face was contorted as he watched the guards politely and threateningly escort those people out. He did not dare to say a word. Especially when he saw that some of the people who left were looking at him strangely, his expression became even uglier. Anyone who knew about that period of history knew that Pei Yansong was known as the Iron Blood Army Master. No one wanted to try his methods. Their biggest weakness was that they placed too much importance on friendship. Otherwise, they would not have been able to live so freely these years. Pei Yansong would have taken care of them long ago.
They were only relying on Pei Yansong's kindness before he became rich. However, there was always a time when kindness was worn away. They could only take more things while Pei Yansong still had a trace of friendship.
When the crowd dispersed, only a few people with the surname Pei were left in the courtyard. But most of them were juniors, a few were even younger than Pei Ruoqing. Pei Hui, the leader of the other branch of the Pei family, did not come. Pei Hao and Pei Li were nowhere to be seen. Only an idiot, Pei Xu, came.
"Xiao He, call the First Master and ask him to come over for a meeting.”
Pei Yan Song lowered his eyes and ordered. His gaze landed on Pei Ruoqing." Grandfather.”Pei Ruoqing called out. He nodded and looked away.
Pei Yansong clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked towards the pavilion not far away.”
Pei Ruoqing looked up at his father and realized that Pei Yuanshao's face was unusually pale. He moved his hands uneasily," Dad?”
Pei Yuan Shao raised his hand to stroke his head and comforted him," It's alright.”
The two of them followed Pei Yansong to the pavilion. There was a stone table in the pavilion. There was still unfinished tea on the table, and the cup was still steaming. Clearly, there had been someone here just now, and it was very likely Pei Yansong himself. Therefore, everything that happened in the courtyard just now could not escape his eyes.
The old man stood at the side of the pavilion with his hands behind his back, his back facing Pei Yuan Shao and the other man. He looked at the few people in the distance with different expressions, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Pei Yuan Shao let go of Pei Ruoqing's hand and knelt down across the stone table. He said in a deep voice," Your son is unfilial. It has been so long since I came back to visit you.”
Pei Ruoqing was stunned for two seconds before following Pei Yuanshao to kneel behind her. She lowered her head and carefully looked up at the person in front of her. He finally understood where his father's oppressive aura came from. Even if his grandfather stood there normally, he could make people feel that he was a huge mountain that could not be crossed.
Pei Yansong suddenly turned around, grabbed the teacup on the table and threw it at Pei Yuanshao." Useless thing, you don't even know how to retort after being slandered like this?”
Pei Yuan Shao didn't dare to turn his head. With a bang, the teacup accurately hit his forehead, and the warm tea flowed down his face. Pei Yuan Shao's forehead instantly turned red.
When Pei Ruoqing saw Pei Yansong's shocking actions, her heart stopped for a moment and she almost cried out in shock. Fortunately, she still had a trace of rationality and understood that Pei Yansong could not really hurt Pei Yuanshao.
Pei Yansong was silent for a long time, but he said something else," Pei Yuanshao, you were wrong from the beginning, so wrong. You know a lot of things, but you refuse to touch that line. What are you afraid of? Afraid that the truth you think is all ugly?”
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Pei Yuan Shao's heart, causing him to be unable to regain his senses for a moment. He knew what she meant, but how could he accept it?
Pei Ruoqing was puzzled. What did he mean by many things? Why was reality ugly? He raised his head to look at Pei Yuan Shao, only to discover that other than a figure as steady as a mountain, there was nothing else.
He only heard his father say in a tone that was similar to hesitation and a sigh," Dad, that person is already dead. Uncle Qi is also dead!”
He didn't want to pursue the responsibility of the dead, even if…
Pei Ruoqing finally realized who the Uncle Qi Pei Yansong was referring to was. After the war, Country H won and was later given the title of Marshal. Commander Qi Minghua was one of them.
There were countless legends about this Marshal Qi, and every single thing he did was enough to make people talk about it for half a day.
As for Qi Minghua…he was his grandfather's sworn brother. But who was the other person in his father's words? He had a feeling that this person was very important.
Pei Ruoqing knew that he was no longer qualified to listen. As expected, he heard his grandfather say," Come to the Western Courtyard.”
"Yes." Pei Yuan Shao did not refuse and obediently stood up.
Pei Ruoqing did not want to be treated as an outsider and excluded. She glanced at the two people in front of her and followed silently.
Pei Yansong turned around to look at him. There was no sharpness in his eyes, but there was an invisible pressure that almost suffocated him. He did not even know how to speak.
Pei Yuan Shao put his arm around his shoulder and said to Pei Yansong," Dad, Little Ruo knows her limits.”
Pei Yansong glanced at the two of them without leaving a trace. He did not say anything and walked towards the western courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Pei Ruoqing waited for an hour.
In the attic of the Pei family's western courtyard, the bamboo curtains swayed slightly and rustled. The wooden balcony was filled with exquisite potted plants. Murraya paniculata, begonia, gardenia, they were scattered in a distinct order. It was so elegant that it seemed like the residence of a young lady, but Pei Ruoqing knew that this was Pei Yansong's place.
The fragrance of flowers floated under the sunlight. His senses were opened, and all sounds became clear.
For example, the sound of a long whip breaking through the air in the room. Pei Ruoqing stood by the fence like a statue. He had already waited for almost an hour, and the whipping in the room had not stopped. There was no conversation, no explanation, as if it was just a punishment.
Pei Ruoqing felt uneasy. There were a few times when she wanted to rush in without caring about anything. However, after being taught by Shi Yunshu and Pei Yuan Shao for so long, he finally managed to retain some rationality.
Pa, followed by a cracking sound. Pei Ruoqing broke into a run and rushed inside.
Entering the house, Pei Yansong was about to whip Pei Yuanshao's back when Pei Ruoqing pounced on him without thinking. However, how could Pei Yansong's whip be so easy to endure? Pei Ruoqing felt as if her back was being torn apart as she groaned.
As if he had pressed the pause button, Pei Yansong stopped. Pei Yuan Shao was kneeling on the cold floor, his body stiff. The person on his body was like a heat source, and when he touched the wound on his back, his entire body seemed to burn. After a long time, he carefully pulled the person behind him down. His pale lips trembled slightly as he suppressed his anger." Who told you…to come in?”
The corners of Pei Ruoqing's eyes were slightly red. Looking at her hands that were stained with blood, she felt more pain than her own injuries. He had never felt so sad to see someone else get hurt before. He wished he could replace her with his own body.
Instead of answering his question, she looked at Pei Yansong and said," Grandpa, do you have to be so ruthless? If my dad is wrong, you can teach him a lesson slowly in the future. You've trained him to this extent in one go. Don't you have to heal him?"”
Pei Yansong frowned and looked at Pei Ruoqing," Why did you come in to join in the fun? You're even blocking me. Do you think you're as tough as your father and can take a beating?"”
Pei Yuanshao was speechless.
"Grandpa, just give me and those pastries some face. We can settle the score later, okay?”
Pei Yuan Shao was speechless. When did Little Ruo become so familiar with her father? Did something happen that he didn't know about? What was with the pastries?
"Hmph, you're filial. Better than this bastard." Pei Yuan Shao was helpless. His father had yet to vent his anger. She was scolding him openly and secretly for not coming home all these years.
"You're right. I'll definitely change in the future.”Pei Yuan Shao followed his words and admitted his mistake very straightforwardly.
Pei Yansong ignored his flattery and continued to speak in an unfriendly tone," Don't bring your system back home. If you dare to play tricks on me again, I'll make you lose face." It didn't matter if you were forty or fifty years old.”
Pei Yuan Shao's expression turned serious and his attitude was very respectful.”
"You better not dare." Pei Yansong glared at him and threw down the whip. He looked at Pei Yuan Shao with an unfriendly gaze." Don't forget what you promised."”
Pei Yuan Shao's face was pale as he bowed slightly.”
"Alright, go and apply the medicine." Pei Yansong waved his hand impatiently.
"What are you daydreaming about? Help me up." Pei Yuan Shao scolded with a smile. The little brat was probably frightened today.
"Dad, I want to know why." Why did Grandfather punish him mercilessly, and why did you accept it willingly? He even had a feeling that this punishment was more like a promise.
Pei Ruoqing supported Pei Yuanshao and looked straight into his eyes.
Perhaps it was because his gaze was too scorching, Pei Yuan Shao's eyes dimmed.
Why? Thinking of the reason, Pei Yuan Shao felt as if he had returned to that hellish day. He looked up at the wall and saw a black and white photo that was nearly a meter long hanging on it. In the photo was a very young woman with a long braid. She wore a dark green military uniform and looked very delicate. Her smile was unusually sweet, and the blooming Gesang flowers behind her paled in comparison.
Pei Ruoqing followed his father's line of sight and was shocked. She asked uncertainly," This…is Grandmother, right?”
It was a strange feeling to call a young girl who looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old grandma.
Only then did Pei Ruoqing realize that the layout of this room was a little like a small temple hall in ancient times. However, there were no god statues or tablets. There was a black and white portrait hanging in the middle. Logically speaking, if it was a portrait, it would be a recent photo of the deceased, but the one in front of him was obviously the owner's teenage years.
He suddenly couldn't guess what his grandfather was thinking.
Pei Yuan Shao used the strength of Pei Ruoqing's arm to stand up. The tearing pain on his back made him take a deep breath. After a period of relief, the bleeding had already stopped. His shirt had already stuck to his flesh and blood. Every movement was like a new round of torture.
Pei Yuan Shao smiled bitterly. Beating him was just atonement. Only in pain could he find a trace of peace of mind. He looked at the woman in the photo who would never change her appearance and muttered," Mom, if you pity her…"
If you pity me, please let me see the truth. Before he could finish his sentence, Pei Yuan Shao seemed to suddenly have something stuck in his throat and swallowed the rest of his words.
Back then, it was because of this pity that this beautiful woman lost her life.
Some memories couldn't be stopped once they were opened. Thirteen years ago, during his father's birthday banquet, he suddenly received news that Shi Yuting had gone missing. At that time, Shi Yuting was about to give birth. He didn't even care about his father's birthday and called for someone to leave in a hurry.
An hour later, in the skyscraper in the city center, the head of the Shi family, the leader of the literary world, jumped down from the rooftop. The world seemed to be silent at this moment.
When he rushed to the bottom of the skyscraper, what he received was not the comfort of the family of the deceased, but a cold and ruthless investigation.
When he heard the investigator ask him in a cold tone," What's your relationship with the deceased?”
He heard himself answer,"I'm... his student."”
"Do you know what he has been doing recently?”
"I don't know."
"He stayed in Murica for three months. Did you contact him during that time?”
" Yes..." Yes, how could there not be? It was a daily greeting once a week. The teacher's tone was filled with joy and excitement from the success of the project, as well as longing for the future.
"You know…"
Pei Yuan Shao didn't know how he managed to answer all those harsh questions. When he came out of the interrogation room, he had already lost his ability to think.
At that time, other than Shi Yanjie, the Shi family only had one daughter, Shi Yuting, and an adopted son, Shi Yihong. However, Shi Yihong was not in the country at that time. Instead, he had gone to a foreign university to study. Shi Yuting was missing, so he was the only one who could be said to be related to Shi Yanjie.
When he was informed to claim the body, the unreal feeling slowly faded away. He finally realized that the teacher who patiently taught him knowledge... was gone! That was the first time he had cried so heartbreakingly, right at the entrance of the police station. It was also the first time in his life that he had disregarded his image.
The events that followed were like a chain reaction, and one by one, he was on the verge of collapse.
Shi Yanjie's body was already so blurry that it did not look like a human. In his hand was a string of small seals strung together with a red string. This was the gift that Shi Yanjie had promised to give to his senior and junior brothers after he returned to the country. However, before the gift could be given out, it had already been stained with the blood of the giver.
When he returned to the Pei family's residence, the lively crowd had already dispersed. The courtyard was steaming with the summer heat, and everything was restless. He was about to go see his father when a phone call stopped him again.
Something…happened to Shi Yuting.
He hung up the phone and ran away, but he bumped into his mother. He didn't even have time to apologize before he rushed out. At that time, he only had one thought: he had to protect Shi Yuting and protect his teacher's only bloodline.
As for He Jingqiu, who was his mother, she kept chasing after him, asking him to wait. She seemed to want to say something to him, but it was as if he couldn't hear her at all. His mind was filled with Shi Yanjie's bloody body.
He thought that if he hadn't been so impulsive at that time, wouldn't things have happened later?
Bang! The wheels of the car slid across the ground, and the sharp sound of friction seemed to pierce one's eardrums. Something was sent flying. He stood on the opposite side of the road and turned around. The setting sun was like blood behind him, and the world was peaceful.
He charged at the person who was knocked away at an extraordinary speed, but it was already too late.
He knelt beside his mother and carefully pulled her into his arms. His arms were trembling as if he was going to throw her out the next second.
The person in his arms was still breathing. Her slender hand slowly caressed her son's face." Silly girl, I…just wanted to…ask you to change…your clothes. They're…stained with blood…"
Even the howl of a trapped wolf could not vent the grief and despair in his heart. He sat on the street as if he had lost his soul. Everything around him seemed to have left him. He was immersed in his own world and could not extricate himself.
After that, there was no more after that. Even if the emergency room had been performing emergency treatment for more than ten hours, even if he had knelt at the door of the emergency room until the lights went out, it had not been able to bring back his mother's life.
On the other side, Shi Yihong returned overnight. Shi Yuting only had the sixteen-year-old An Chengxi as the manager. When he finally took some time to visit Shi Yuting, the child had been born for a few days. Fortunately, the mother and son were safe. This was also the only bit of kindness that the heavens had shown him in the past few days.
Pei Yuan Shao came back to his senses and stared at He Jingqiu's face in the photo, which looked like a young girl in her prime. A wave of regret overwhelmed him, causing his heart to twitch.
That memory was too painful. He wasn't born during the war, so he couldn't be as calm as his father.
Pei Yuan Shao's hand on Pei Ruoqing's shoulder was spasming and trembling. The sticky sweat on his body bit his wound. Every movement was heart-wrenching, but he did not seem to feel it. He bowed deeply towards the portrait." I know…my sins are heavy. I can only…redeem myself in my next life."”
Who knew that just as he finished speaking, he heard a stern shout from outside the room." Pei Yuan Shao, haven't you had enough of the whip?”
Pei Yuan Shao was startled and immediately understood that his father had not left. The corners of his mouth twitched and he smiled bitterly. It would be great if some things were so easy to let go.
Then, she heard someone outside say," Everyone says that you're outstanding and that your methods are brilliant. In my eyes, you're just an unclear thing. The person had already passed away. Was there any use in feeling sad and blaming yourself? If he had the time and mood, he might as well do something practical.”
Although Pei Yansong studied literature, he didn't like to beat around the bush. This straightforward style was influenced by Ye Minghua.
Not a single sound came from outside the room and Pei Yuan Shao knew that his father had already left. He fell into silence. After a long time, he said to Pei Ruoqing," Let's go.”
Inside the house, Pei Ruoqing carefully removed Pei Yuanshao's clothes. With a gentle tug, a patch of blood appeared.
"If you had given in to Grandpa, you wouldn't have been injured like this.”Although it was against the rules, it still made Pei Yuan Shao's heart soften. He said," Go get a hot towel and wipe it before applying the medicine."”
"Oh." He was obviously a little angry. This childish appearance made Pei Yuan Shao's tensed heart relax slightly. He could feel the change in the little cub. His behavior was slowly matching his current age. The incongruity from the beginning was slowly disappearing.
It wasn't an act, but a subtle change from the inside. This change made him happy. He had always wanted to give him a normal childhood.
When Pei Ruoqing went to get a towel, Pei Yansong asked Xiao He to bring the latest medicine and said," The chief wants you to have dinner together tonight.”
Pei Yuan Shao was helpless at his strict tone. The person in front of him was about the same age as An Chengxi, but he was a veteran with great skills. He wanted to ask something, but he saluted and turned to leave.
Alright, Pei Yuan Shao stopped his thoughts of probing the situation. If his guess was correct, the severity had already arrived, and the outcome of the discussion was still unknown. However, when he thought of his uncle's temperament, his eyes suddenly turned dark.
Pei Ruoqing took a towel and started to treat the wound skillfully.
"Turn around and take off your shirt."
" It's nothing…" Pei Ruoqing knew what his father wanted to do and wanted to reject him immediately. However, when he met Pei Yuan Shao's gaze, he immediately shut his mouth obediently. He took off his shirt and turned his back to Pei Yuan Shao.
There was a whip mark on the young man's thin back that ran from his right shoulder to his left waist. The skin near his shoulder had already been broken, and a little blood had seeped out, but fortunately, it was not a big problem.
Pei Yuan Shao's gaze fell on the whip mark and his tone was absent-minded. Doesn't it hurt?"
Pei Ruoqing lowered her head and put on her clothes. She turned around and sat by the bed. She took the medicine that the guard had brought over and carefully applied it while whispering," Only after this will you know what you have suffered in the past.”
"What nonsense are you saying?" Pei Yuan Shao reprimanded with a cold face but did not show any anger.
Pei Ruoqing more or less understood his father's personality and knew that he was not angry. However, she still knelt by the bed and told him what she was thinking." Dad, there are some things that you will never be able to empathize with if you have not experienced it yourself. This whip today is far less than one ten-thousandth of what you suffered. And there are some things that I've been missing for too long, and I always want to make up for them in a limited time. You protected me for half my life in my previous life, and I want to do my best in this life.”
Time seemed to have become exceptionally long and Pei Yuan Shao only felt his nose turn sour. It seemed like a long time ago, a small figure tugged at his trousers and called out to him softly," Daddy, Daddy, look, I got a little red flower. The teacher said that when children grow up, they can become the backing of their parents. In the future, I will also be the backing of you and Mommy.”
At that time, he shook his head and found it funny. He did not agree or refute. His feelings for this child were too complicated. The day he was born happened to be the time when his two closest relatives died. Because of this reason, he secretly did something to delay Pei Ruoqing's birthday by a whole week. It was set to be seven days after his teacher and mother's birthday. Now that he thought about it, he seemed to have never accompanied Pei Ruoqing to celebrate her birthday.
Pei Yuan Shao had never felt that he was a saint, so it was impossible for him not to have any ill feelings towards Pei Ruoqing's birth. Although he was rationally urged not to be prejudiced against this child, it was inevitable that he would be a little cold in his daily life.
Later on, a series of unexpected things happened. The photo of Shi Yuting and someone lingering late at night was deliberately placed on his desk. The other main character in the photo was mosaicked, making it impossible to tell who it was.
He didn't want to be led by the nose, so he didn't care about this kind of method to sow discord. He had gotten someone to verify those photos. They were taken before he and Shi Yuting got married. Other than being surprised, he didn't have any other thoughts. It also showed from another angle that he did not love Shi Yuting.
In order to protect her reputation, he didn't publicize it, and he didn't even tell Shi Yuting herself. He had only done some investigations in secret, and it was from then on that he gradually realized that his teacher's death was a huge conspiracy.
As for Pei Ruoqing, there was already a seed of doubt in his heart. He suspected that Pei Ruoqing was not his son. After all, it was an accident that Pei Ruoqing was there. It was so unexpected that even he felt that it was unreal.
It was only when Pei Ruoqing was eight years old and Shi Yuting felt that she would not be long in this world that she revealed the truth about that incident.
Both of them had been drugged and had done everything they should and should not have done in their unconscious state. Everything that happened after that was logical. Shi Yuting was pregnant, they got married, Pei Ruoqing was born, and his teacher…was gone.
Because of these matters, he and Yuting had neglected Pei Ruoqing, which resulted in the various situations that happened later on. He was grateful for Pei Ruoqing's rebirth, which broke the deadlock between them. At the end of the day, he was the one who didn't take good care of him and didn't fulfill his responsibility as a father.
"Get up. Dad doesn't blame you.”Pei Yuan Shao rubbed the space between his brows and said helplessly. This kid's personality had changed, but he was getting closer and closer to Shi Yunshu.
He was getting more and more orderly!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。