"Young Master?" The bodyguard beside him didn’t understand his actions.
Two nurses walked out, chatting and laughing, but instantly fell silent the moment they saw Pei Xuan.
The man was tall with a strong, handsome brow. His charming eyes were half-narrowed, giving him an air of effortless romance, yet his actual gaze was icy and indifferent. Top-tier wealthy families protected their heirs fiercely, not to mention Pei Xuan was the current Young Master of the Pei family. One couldn’t find a single trace of his personal information online. He was also wearing a mask that covered half of his face, so the two nurses naturally didn’t know his identity. However, sensing his outstanding aura, they realized he had to be a scion of a prominent family. They quickly reined in their smiles and stood respectfully.
DING. The elevator doors opened, and Pei Xuan stepped inside to leave. The oppressive pressure dissipated with him, allowing the two nurses to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The elevator arrived at the eighteenth floor.
Inside the VIP ward, Mr. Pei smiled instantly upon seeing his proudest grandson. "Xuan’er, come here and let Grandpa get a good look at you."
Pei Xuan sat down beside his bed. After a few moments of small talk, Mr. Pei asked, "What did you buy this time?"
"Just a small trinket," Pei Xuan said nonchalantly.
"Something that made you personally take a trip to the Southern Region? A small trinket?" Mr. Pei didn’t believe it. "Although you spend money like water, you only buy cultural relics. That money is well spent. Never forget that we are descendants of the Jianghuai Pei Family."
Pei Xuan chuckled softly. "I wouldn’t dare forget, Grandpa."
"Spoken like a true Pei family member." Mr. Pei was elated. "You came back just in time. In a couple of days, head over to Mingjing to meet the daughter of the Ye family."
Pei Xuan didn’t even lift his head. "I’m not going."
Mr. Pei hesitated before saying, "Xuan’er, out of everyone in this world, is there truly no one who catches your eye? You are already twenty-seven. You aren’t young anymore."
"There is." Pei Xuan smiled lazily. "In my eyes, no one is more formidable than her."
Mr. Pei instantly perked up. "Which family is she from?"
Pei Xuan’s expression instantly faded. "She’s dead. Why did she have to die so early?"
"Nonsense!" Mr. Pei immediately glared, blowing his beard in anger. "If you dare act like those scumbags in tragic romance novels and pull out some dead, unforgettable first love, see if I don’t break your legs!"
Pei Xuan finally lifted his gaze. "Grandpa, you should listen to fewer of those audiobooks; they’ll give you dementia. Look at your age, yet you spend all day thinking about romance. Your horizons are too narrow."
"You’re saying my horizons are narrow? In my early years, I traveled far and wide. I’ve seen more people and things than you can imagine," Mr. Pei said grumpily. "Then tell me in detail, what exactly are your feelings for this deceased girl?"
Pei Xuan pondered for a moment, then curled his lips into a smile. "It’s far above petty romance. It is something worth giving my life for."
It was rare for a loyal subject to meet a Ming Jun. What harm was there in dying for them?
"Get out, get out, get out." Mr. Pei was furious. "Don’t bother visiting anymore. I’m afraid you’ll anger me into an early grave."
"Alright." Pei Xuan shrugged. "But before I find the Xuan Doctor, you have to stay alive and well."
"You believe in that too?" Mr. Pei frowned. "Don’t believe in such illusory things. Everything must be based on historical facts. My health is perfectly fine, so there’s no need to worry too much."
Pei Xuan smiled and didn’t respond to that, instead shifting the topic to what he had seen and heard in the Southern Region over the past few days. Mr. Pei immediately sat up straight and listened with a cheerful smile.
**
An hour later.
After finishing her IV drip, Shi Changying was completely drained of energy. Seeing her wilted appearance, Ming Chengli asked considerately, "Changying, do you want some grilled sausages? Two for five bucks! Dad can buy you twenty of them!"
"No."
"Then... how about some milk tea? It’s buy-one-get-one-free!"
"No."
Ming Chengli panicked. "Oh no, oh no, my daughter’s brain got fried by the needle! She won’t even drink milk tea anymore!"
Shi Changying didn’t want to bother with him.
A lazy chuckle drifted over. "Are you really not going to drink any?"
Shi Changying turned her head. Holding a bag of milk tea, Shaoyuan shook his head with some regret. "What a pity for these two cups of milk tea."
Shi Changying deliberated for no more than half a second. "I’ll drink it."
Shaoyuan raised an eyebrow, wearing an "I knew it" expression. He pierced one of the cups with a straw before handing it to her.
Shi Changying was very protective of her food. "Both cups are mine."
"Yes," Shaoyuan said in a leisurely tone. "They both belong to you, my lady." Although the title was clearly a tease, his bewitching tone somehow carried a hint of indulgence.
"Changying, don’t be so rude," Ming Chengli said. "This young classmate is..."
Even the exceptionally ugly Jianghuai High School uniform couldn’t hide the sharp, imposing aura radiating from him.
Shi Changying cupped her milk tea. "The kind Samaritan who treated me to a meal the other night."
Ming Chengli paused in surprise. "What a coincidence?"
"Yes, Teacher Bei asked me, this kind Samaritan, to come see you on behalf of your classmates." Shaoyuan emphasized the words "kind Samaritan" before adding, "Hello, sir." He didn’t seem to have any intention of introducing himself.
"You’re Shaoyuan?" Ming Chengli remembered, his expression brightening. "Principal Ning mentioned you to me. You rank first in your grade and are so good-looking. Truly an exceptional youth."
Shaoyuan had heard too much of such flattery. Whether it was two thousand years ago or two thousand years later, he had always been indifferent to it. But at this moment, he revealed a faint smile at Ming Chengli’s words. "You flatter me, sir."
"Little Shao, I have a presumptuous request." The more Ming Chengli looked at him, the more he liked him. "Our Changying might have a bit of a temper, but she’s a wonderful girl. Please look after her while at school. If you could help improve her grades, I would be endlessly grateful!"
Hearing this, a profound look flashed through Shaoyuan’s eyes. "Not at all. Classmate Shi is an obedient and good student."
"Obedient?" Ming Chengli choked on his words. He, who had always been incredibly proud of Shi Changying, couldn’t utter those words even if he threw his conscience to the dogs. His daughter had been rebellious since she was a child. Out of her ninety-nine pounds of body weight, a hundred pounds of it was pure defiance.
"It’s really a bother for you to come all the way here so late." Ming Chengli coughed lightly. "Where is your home, Little Shao? Changying and I can drop you off."
Shaoyuan maintained his polite demeanor. "There’s no need. I still have matters to attend to."
He watched the father and daughter leave before finally turning toward the elevators.
DING. The elevator doors opened, and Pei Xuan stepped out. The moment he brushed past Shaoyuan, he suddenly felt as though his personal space had been invaded. Pei Xuan narrowed his eyes sharply and turned his head. The elevator doors were already half-closed. He only caught a glimpse of a pair of fox-like eyes—beautiful and crystal clear—looking at him from a slightly upward angle. It wasn’t an intentional display of arrogance, nor was it showing off. Rather, it was an innate, unspeakable nobility.
The bodyguard smiled. "Young Master, that’s a student from Jianghuai High School. The future of Jiuzhou is in the hands of these youths."
Pei Xuan withdrew his gaze, not paying it much mind. "That might be true, but right now, he’s just a kid."
**
Meanwhile, on the way back to the Xu family.
Shi Changying finished her milk tea and said unhurriedly, "Since you admire him so much, how about I kidnap him and bring him back to be your son?"
"COUGH, COUGH..." Ming Chengli choked on his spit. "Changying, you are the most amazing person in Dad’s heart! No matter how outstanding someone else might be, Dad only has eyes for you!"
Shi Changying was finally satisfied.
"Changying, Dad won’t be going back tonight," Ming Chengli added. "There’s an emergency meeting I need to handle."
He dropped Shi Changying off at the Xu family before hurrying away under the moonlight. Eating her fill, drinking enough, and getting a good night’s sleep—life was rarely this pleasant.
The next day.
Shi Changying walked downstairs with her backpack slung over her shoulder, only to see several servants gathered around the corner. Upon seeing her, their whispers abruptly stopped. The servants’ expressions looked somewhat unnatural. "Good morning, Miss Changying."
Easily catching on to the anomaly, Shi Changying shifted her footing. "Move aside."
Startled, the servants subconsciously stepped out of the way. By the time they reacted and tried to stop her, Shi Changying had already seen everything in front of her.
Ming Chengli’s three history books had been torn to pieces. The shredded paper lay scattered across the floor, covered in black dog paw prints.
Shi Changying’s expression was completely calm, her gaze unmoving. She even smiled slightly. "Who did this?"