Chapter 97: Don’t Force Him
Pei Zhouye’s kiss finally crashed down. It wasn’t a gentle touch; it was a bite, a plunder, a punishment.
Wen Yan trembled beneath him.
Struggles, curses, even pleas—none of it meant anything to Pei Zhouye right now. Wen Yan’s tears hit the back of his hand, but he stubbornly refused to look into those weeping eyes, his actions only becoming more ferocious each time.
Initially, Wen Yan’s curses filled the room, but eventually, only broken, suppressed sobs remained.
Wen Yan’s eyes were open, the darkness on the ceiling blurring into a void. He felt his gaze slowly losing focus.
His dignity and hope had been shattered yet again.
Those words Pei Zhouye whispered in his ear—those obsessive declarations mixed with love and hate—he could no longer hear them.
The world first became a suffocating, pure white void, and then even that white faded, sinking into a cold, endless darkness. It was as if he were freezing from the inside out—starting with his heart, then spreading to every limb.
The world returned to a dead silence.
“Let me out!”
Standing before his parents, Cheng Shangshi kept a stony face. His hair was messy and his breathing was quick; his usually expressionless face was now written with anxiety.
Pei Zhouye’s men had sent him back to Jing City overnight, and since then, his parents had kept him locked in the house. He hadn’t even been grounded like this when he ran away from home before. It had been four days.
He had tried other ways, but every path was blocked. Neither soft words nor threats nor escape attempts worked. He had tried to climb the wall today, only to be caught within ten minutes.
“If you dare leave this house today, I’ll have someone break one of your legs!” Father Cheng’s chest heaved with rage. “What is so urgent that you have to go out now?”
It was a question with an obvious answer.
“Then break it!” Cheng Shangshi’s patience was gone. “Even with a broken leg, I’ll crawl to the police station to find Wen Yan.”
Father Cheng’s face turned ashen. With a wave of his hand, the bodyguards on either side forcibly dragged Cheng Shangshi back into the house.
That night, the dark wood door was pushed open.
He glanced up once, then coldly looked away, sitting dejectedly on the floor. Mother Cheng sighed silently as she walked over, leaning down to help him up.
“How much did Pei Zhouye give you, or how did he threaten you?” Cheng Shangshi’s voice was raspy, laced with resentment.
“Shangshi!” Mother Cheng’s voice rose in anger, cutting him off.
This young man rarely had such intense emotional outbursts. When they named him Cheng Shangshi, they had hoped he would have the character of a stone (Shi), and in a way, it had come true. True to his name, he was almost devoid of emotion and as stubborn as a rock when it came to what he wanted to do, all while maintaining a calm exterior. Father Cheng used to say that even throwing a stone into water would cause a ripple, yet his son never showed a hint of a reaction.
Well, there was a reaction this time.
“Shangshi, can you just follow your father and me this once? Just this once.” Mother Cheng’s voice was almost a plea. “We only have one son. We’ve never forced you to do anything you didn’t want to do. Just this once, okay? Your father is getting older; he can’t handle this kind of stress.”
Cheng Shangshi stared at the floor. Mother Cheng crouched beside him, her voice thick with unshed tears.
“If I don’t help Wen Yan, he really won’t be able to escape. He only came to me because he truly had no one else.”
The scenes of their time together flashed before his eyes—the stunning appearance, the vivid emotions, the disappointment, joy, excitement… Cheng Shangshi had never realized he remembered those details so clearly.
It was more of a sense of guilt and heartache than just responsibility. Heartache for Wen Yan’s situation, and guilt for failing to fulfill his promise.
“This is a personal matter between them. Do you think you can take on the Pei family alone? Your father and I are worried about you. You’re our only child; if something happens to you, what will we do?”
“Don’t go getting involved in that mess.” Mother Cheng spoke softly, hoping to sway him. “Besides, if he really cared about you, he wouldn’t have dragged you into this…”
“Mother!” Cheng Shangshi interrupted her. He wanted to explain something for himself and Wen Yan, but looking at his mother and the locked door, he felt there was no point. They wouldn’t listen.
Mother Cheng’s expression cooled. “I know you want to help him, but your father is having surgery next week. Shangshi, think about it carefully.”
The room returned to silence.
A University city, the Pei Group building in the city center.
The newly appointed Special Assistant, Ming Qing, handed over the schedule, his voice a bit tight. For the past two days, Pei Zhouye’s schedule had been incredibly intense. The assistants had to rotate in two shifts to keep up, but Pei Zhouye himself hadn’t left a single gap for rest.
Since Pei Zhouye took over last year, the Pei Group had expanded overseas. Now, he handled domestic business during the day and international business at night. Leaving the building at 2:00 AM was considered early. Despite having a perfectly good lounge in his office, he insisted on traveling dozens of minutes back to Jinting every night.
After the report, there was no sound from behind the desk. Pei Zhouye was looking down at his phone.
On the screen was a message from Nanny Wang:
[Nanny Wang: Sir, Young Master Wen ate two pieces of fruit today, but he didn’t touch much of the meal.]
There was a photo attached below. Pei Zhouye stared at the photo, his brow furrowing. His fingers tapped against the screen:
[Find a way to get him to eat more.]
He paused for a second, then added:
[Don’t force him.]
Ming Qing waited with bated breath. Pei Zhouye finally looked up, his gaze sweeping over. “Send the report tonight. That’s all.”
“Yes, sir.”
On the drive back to Jinting, Pei Zhouye leaned against the backseat and closed his eyes. Ming Qing stole a glance through the rearview mirror. The shadows of the streetlights flickered over Pei Zhouye’s face—the lines were sharp and defined, but the exhaustion was unmistakable. His features were too outstanding, too dominant, and combined with his usual expressionless or frowning face, he appeared exceptionally cold.
Yet, this moment of fatigue had unusually softened his “do not approach” aura. It gave one the courage to finally look closely at his face, making it easier to be drawn in. He was a chairman of similar age, a true heir to a tycoon family.
The light turned red. The car stopped. The driver’s eyes met Ming Qing’s in the mirror, carrying a faint hint of a warning. Ming Qing quickly looked away, his lips twitching in embarrassment.
He had landed this position through layers of screening and had almost been rejected due to his age and lack of experience. It was the previous chairman, Pei Zhouye’s father Pei Mingcheng, who had personally insisted on hiring him. To this day, Ming Qing didn’t know exactly what he had over the other candidates. But since he was here, he just wanted to do his job well.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of the villa.
“President Pei, we’ve arrived.”
Pei Zhouye opened his eyes and got out of the car. Ming Qing instinctively pushed the door open to follow him, moving so fast the driver couldn’t stop him. Hearing the movement, Pei Zhouye paused and glanced back, his brow furrowed in a habitual frown. “Wait here. Someone will bring the documents.”
Ming Qing’s heart tightened as he hurriedly agreed. He hadn’t finished his work and needed a core file from the Pei residence to continue at home, which was why he had followed. He had assumed he would be going into the study to get it.
Pei Zhouye’s silhouette faded into the distance. Ming Qing stood silently by the car, not daring to move, just staring at the entrance.
On the second floor, a window was open.
Before long, the door opened again. The butler came out and handed him the file, his gaze discretely sweeping over him.
“Master Pei ordered that it’s hard to get a cab here, so the driver will take you back.”
“Understood. Thank you, President Pei.”
Pei Zhouye showered in the guest bedroom before quietly returning to the master bedroom. As soon as he lay down, he noticed a slight movement beside him.
“Not asleep yet?” he whispered.
Looking at the thin figure with his back turned, Pei Zhouye’s hand hovered in the air, wanting to embrace him. After a moment, he silently withdrew it.
As expected, there was no reply.
Ever since the brutal encounter after bringing Wen Yan back, Wen Yan rarely spoke to him anymore. He didn’t even curse him. He ate less and less, and his weight dropped rapidly.
Pei Zhouye intentionally delayed his return until the early hours of the morning just to minimize his presence, hoping Wen Yan would feel better. But in the end, he couldn’t bear not to see him, so he returned at 2:00 AM every night and left early in the morning.
The irony was that even at this hour, Wen Yan was always awake. Sleeping less every day would destroy his health. Pei Zhouye felt a heavy sense of dread, a late-coming panic washing over him.
He reached out to hold Wen Yan’s waist, and his heart sank again. The waist was terrifyingly thin, the bones sharp against his touch, sending a pang of pain through his heart.
“I’m sorry, Wen Yan.”
Wen Yan didn’t move.
The physical exhaustion made the mind clearer. Pei Zhouye recalled everything that had happened, each event becoming a wave of late-coming fear that tightened his throat.
He wanted to ask if the food wasn’t to his taste, but the words felt hollow. After a moment of silence, he simply whispered, “Eat a bit more. When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you out for a walk.”
There was no further sound in the bedroom.
Wen Yan stared at the curtains with his eyes open. He didn’t fall asleep until the morning, even as he sensed the person beside him leave quietly.
He couldn’t sleep.
As soon as he closed his eyes, he thought of his parents, his hard work for the Baoyan recommendation, and his efforts for the exchange program. The ups and downs of his twenty-one years had been too extreme. Before, it felt like he could get whatever he wanted. Now, it seemed that the more he wanted something, the further it drifted away. There was always a flicker of hope, only for it to be completely shattered just as it was within reach.
Wen Yan didn’t go downstairs until noon. He had only managed to doze for two or three hours after Pei Zhouye left. He felt like he had dreamed, but he remembered nothing upon waking.
“Young Master Wen, you’re awake.” Nanny Wang greeted him with a smile and immediately started preparing lunch.
Wen Yan gave a simple acknowledgement and sat on the living room sofa. The news channel was on, reporting that the “Morning Star 3.0” developed by the Pei Group was about to be released. The press conference was set for a month later. Following the news, not only did the Pei Group’s stock price soar, but the entire tech sector was in the green.
When Nanny Wang finished setting the table and came to call him for lunch, she saw Wen Yan dazing on the sofa. The news had switched to reports on regional wars, with scenes of combat.
Nanny Wang kept her smile. “Young Master Wen, lunch is ready.”
Wen Yan didn’t reply; he just stood up and walked toward the dining room. Nanny Wang didn’t follow immediately. She looked back at the TV, picked up the remote to switch to a lighter channel, and then went into the kitchen. She had served many employers, and Pei Zhouye and Wen Yan were among the easiest to get along with—few demands, high pay. It was just that both were too cold and spoke very little.
“Master Pei mentioned that you can rest a bit more after lunch. When it gets cooler in the evening, it’ll be a good time to go for a walk.” Nanny Wang served Wen Yan’s soup while casually relaying the message.
Every dish on the table today had been specifically ordered to include soothing ingredients, and the fruit was exactly what Wen Yan had been willing to eat more of yesterday.
Wen Yan didn’t respond to her.
When Nanny Wang came back to clear the table, she was pleasantly surprised to find that while Wen Yan still hadn’t eaten much, it was a massive improvement over the past few days. She had been worried that at the rate he was going, he was only maintaining basic life functions; even a slight breeze would have made him fall ill.
[Nanny Wang: Sir, Young Master Wen had a much better appetite today. I’ll have the chef prepare similar dishes tomorrow…]
Nanny Wang’s joy could be felt through the phone. A hint of a smile finally appeared in Pei Zhouye’s eyes, then vanished. It had nothing to do with the food; Wen Yan had eaten more today because of that one sentence—that he could go for a walk.
Is staying by my side really that hard?
Pei Zhouye realized that on the scrap paper he used for notes, he had written two characters.
[Wen Yan]
He used to fill pages with those two characters in the past; as soon as he thought of him, he would fill an entire sheet.
“Ming Qing.” Pei Zhouye set his pen down and looked up at Ming Qing.
Ming Qing asked, “President Pei, what is it?”
“Clear my schedule after today. Empty out my evening.”
Pei Zhouye was wearing a black suit today, giving him a more mature aura, much like the fountain pen he held.
Ming Qing instinctively wanted to ask if there were other arrangements for tonight, but he remembered the emergency training Assistant Liu had given him. He suppressed the question.
“Understood.”
Pei Zhouye hummed an acknowledgement.
As Ming Qing leaned in to take the materials from the desk, his gaze flickered over a conspicuous piece of white paper before he quickly looked away. On the paper were two characters written in a flamboyant hand:
Wen Yan
It looked like a warning, or perhaps just a person’s name.
Ming Qing was still thinking about it as he left the office, nearly bumping into Assistant Liu. Assistant Liu frowned and lowered his voice in a scolding tone, “What are you thinking about?”
Ming Qing said nothing. Assistant Liu had work to do and didn’t have time for a lecture. “Do you remember what I told you today?”
“I remember,” Ming Qing replied in a small, somewhat muffled voice.
Assistant Liu hummed, composed himself, and knocked on the office door, ignoring Ming Qing.
Ming Qing recalled what Assistant Liu had taught him today.
Don’t procrastinate, don’t ask unnecessary questions, don’t talk about personal matters in front of Pei Zhouye, and never step into Pei Zhouye’s private space.
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