The call was abruptly cut off by Wang Bin.
The man stared at Shu Yi’s face, his smile instantly disappearing. The knife in his hand gleamed sharply, reflecting his terrifying expression as he waved it lightly.
“You have a daughter? Didn’t expect that. You’re quite capable, little secretary—actually managed to win over Pei Yanli. No wonder he’d tear up a contract worth that much money just for you…”
He stepped closer and closer, his gaze growing more and more sinister. Suddenly, he handed the phone to Shu Yi.
“How about we make a deal? Call Pei Yanli here, and I’ll let you go. What do you think?”
“I know you want to live. Think about your daughter—can you bear to leave her without a mother? A girl without a mother gets bullied, you know…”
Hearing this, Shu Yi met his dark, calculating eyes.
He had thrown out irresistible bait—he knew Niannian was her weakness, using her to lure Shu Yi into submission. But Shu Yi wasn’t foolish. With his nature, even if Pei Yanli came, he would never let her go.
“President Pei won’t come.”
“You’re protecting him? Fine then—go die!”
Enraged, the man grew increasingly violent. He raised the knife.
The sharp blade flashed before her eyes. Shu Yi’s fingers trembled. Knowing she couldn’t escape, she resigned herself and closed her eyes.
But the next second, she heard the knife clatter to the ground.
The pain she expected never came. Instead, she fell into a warm, familiar embrace.
The man’s chest pressed tightly against her body. They were so close that she could hear his heartbeat.
She knew him too well. Even without seeing his face, she could clearly tell who was holding her.
Afraid it was just an illusion, Shu Yi opened her eyes. What met her sight was the man’s sharp jawline, its taut lines glinting coldly in the dim light.
Her gaze moved upward—to a face she knew all too well.
His brow was sharp as a blade, his nose high and straight, his thin lips pressed into a line.
In the darkness, his eyes were especially deep, the corners slightly upturned like frost-edged blades. Yet at her gaze, a ripple appeared within them. His skin looked pale under the light, and a few strands of hair fell over his forehead. For a moment, she thought she was seeing the man from three years ago.
Before Shu Yi could fully process it, he released the arm that had been wrapped around her waist.
She stared blankly at Pei Yanli. Whether it was because he had appeared, or because she had narrowly escaped death—
Her chest suddenly tightened with emotion, and she felt like crying.
Even when Wang Bin had slapped her twice earlier, she hadn’t shed a single tear. But now, she couldn’t hold it back. Large tears fell from her eyes.
Pei Yanli looked at the pale-faced woman before him, her eyes red. When he had held her, her entire back had been tense like a bowstring pulled to its limit.
She must have been terrified.
“It’s okay now.” He wasn’t good at comforting people; his tone was stiff.
“Pei Yanli, you really came. Looks like you do care about this little secretary. Well, she’s so beautiful—after sleeping with her, of course you wouldn’t forget. Not to mention, she even bore you a child—”
Before he could finish, Wang Bin was kicked down the stairs.
His head slammed against the tiled edge of the stairwell, his face split open by the impact. Blood gushed out uncontrollably.
“Ah!”
“My person—how dare you touch her.”
Pei Yanli’s leather shoe pressed down on Wang Bin’s bleeding cheek, the sole digging into flesh.
Wang Bin’s pleas, mixed with blood, sprayed onto the polished shoe, his body twitching like a dying fish on a chopping board.
“Pei… President Pei, spare me. I lost my mind for a moment.”
Pei Yanli bent down and picked up the fallen knife. The tip hovered three centimeters above Wang Bin’s eye.
“Seems like you didn’t take my words to heart.”
Wang Bin trembled all over. “President Pei, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have touched your woman. Please give me another chance—please…”
“Not everyone gets a second chance from me.”
“Just this once, I promise—ah—!”
His pleading was cut off by the sudden stab of the blade. The pain nearly made him pass out.
Blood kept pouring out, spreading around him.
“Ah—Pei Yanli, you madman…”
Holding the knife, veins bulged on the back of Pei Yanli’s hand. He raised it again, about to strike—
Seeing this, Shu Yi rushed forward and grabbed his wrist.
If this continued, someone would die.
“President Pei.”
Suddenly, the stairwell was flooded with the bright beam of a searchlight. The sound of police sirens grew closer.
Shu Yi saw Pei Yanli squint under the harsh light, his dark eyes turning toward her—his gaze… obscure and unfamiliar.
Realizing what she had done, she immediately let go of his wrist, her palm slick with sweat.
By the time the police arrived, Wang Bin had already passed out from the pain, the ground soaked in blood. Shu Yi watched as they carried him away on a stretcher.
Downstairs of the apartment building—
The police took a brief statement from Shu Yi. Her hair was disheveled, and the marks on her face were obvious—clearly the result of being slapped, red and swollen.
“Miss Shu, are you alright?”
Shu Yi lowered her lashes, having calmed down a little. “I’m fine.”
“This time, thanks to President Pei calling the police, we were able to capture Wang Bin so quickly.”
Pei Yanli stood there the whole time, silent.
The female officer didn’t press further and instead looked at Shu Yi with concern. “Miss Shu, make sure to get some medicine for the marks on your face.”
“Thank you.”
As the sirens faded into the distance, Shu Yi turned back.
Pei Yanli stood a few steps behind her.
Tall and imposing, dressed in his usual immaculate black tailored suit, the bright lights outlined his striking features.
Different from three years ago—
Now, the coldness in his eyes felt distant, as if it came from deep within his bones.
Their gazes met briefly.
His eyes carried a sense of invasion, as if… peeling her apart layer by layer.
Suddenly, Pei Yanli stepped forward, his leather shoes making dull sounds against the ground.
He stopped beside her, looking down at her with an overwhelming sense of pressure.
“President Pei, why are you here?”
“Passing by.” His voice was low like the strings of a cello, yet sharp and undeniable as it swept over her face. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”
Shu Yi lifted her small face and forced an awkward smile. “W-what do you mean?”
He glanced at her, his gaze unreadable. “I don’t recall ever having a child with you.”
Shu Yi’s fingers unconsciously tightened on her clothes.
She should have known—someone as perceptive as Pei Yanli would never miss those unfinished words.
Gripping her clothes, she said, “I’m sorry, President Pei. I thought you were my husband just now, so I—”
But Pei Yanli cut her off directly.
“You called my name.”