Pei Jin glanced at the glass of alcohol without saying a word.
His silence was approval enough.
In front of Ning Zhiyuan, he always carried himself with an air of superiority.
That sense of superiority came from her once wholehearted devotion.
The Pei and Ning families were equally prominent.
After the Pei family’s only legitimate son died unexpectedly, they brought Pei Jin, an illegitimate child, back into the family midway through his life.
At first, Ning Zhiyuan looked down on him.
That changed after a banquet.
A girl who liked Shen Li shoved her into a swimming pool, and the very man she had once despised, Pei Jin, jumped in and saved her.
After that, Pei Jin pursued her relentlessly.
He understood everything she liked.
He took her racing and introduced her to thrilling extreme sports.
He understood the rebelliousness hidden in her bones, as well as her vulnerabilities.
Before she knew it, she had fallen for a lover who seemed perfectly tailored to her.
Yet their relationship had always been strangely bland.
Pei Jin would pick fights over trivial matters.
One moment he was warm, the next he was cold.
He would start one-sided cold wars, pushing her into breaking up with him first.
Then, through Bai Xiaoxiao, he would let her know how much he supposedly cared for her, making her feel guilty enough to beg for reconciliation.
Again and again.
Over time, it became a deeply ingrained belief.
Whenever he got angry, it had to be because she had done something wrong.
He only reacted that way because he loved her too much.
And she absolutely couldn’t lose the person who loved her most.
But she had forgotten one thing.
Every so-called perfect match in this world is often carefully manufactured.
“Here, Zhiyuan. Hurry up and drink.”
Looking at the strangely colored concoction, Ning Zhiyuan curled her lips into a smile and obediently accepted the glass.
“That’s more like it.”
The young heir grinned and shot Pei Jin a meaningful look.
Pei Jin subtly glanced at his phone.
Understanding the signal, the young man cleared his throat.
“After you finish drinking, you’ll also need to apologize to Xiaoxiao. The poor girl has been heartbroken.”
“You two are best friends. Sisters shouldn’t hold grudges overnight.”
To them, it was only natural for a wealthy heiress to apologize to a servant’s daughter.
No questions asked.
No concern for right or wrong.
Because Pei Jin cared about Bai Xiaoxiao, all of his hanger-ons naturally sided with her as well.
Holding the glass, Ning Zhiyuan suddenly flung the alcohol straight into the young man’s face.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
Caught completely off guard, he failed to dodge.
His shirt was instantly soaked through, clinging wetly to his body.
He had tolerated plenty in his life, but not this kind of humiliation from someone he considered a lovesick fool.
Just as he was about to explode, his gaze landed on the hem of Pei Jin’s shirt.
A few dark splashes of alcohol had stained it as well.
An evil grin spread across his face.
“Ning Zhiyuan, you’re finished.”
“Throwing alcohol at me isn’t a big deal.”
“But you stained Pei Jin’s favorite shirt.”
“It was a gift from someone incredibly important to him.”
“If you don’t kneel down and apologize today, Pei Jin will never get back together with you!”
White was Bai Xiaoxiao’s favorite color.
Who had given the shirt was obvious.
Pei Jin frowned deeply.
His eyes filled with annoyance as he spoke in a commanding tone.
“Apologize.”
Where did he get the confidence to think she was still stupid enough to be manipulated by him?
With a cold laugh, Ning Zhiyuan grabbed another bottle of red wine and poured it directly over Pei Jin’s head.
Pei Jin leapt to his feet, scrambling to avoid the worst of it while desperately trying to save his clothes.
The white shirt was ruined.
Dark red stains spread across it in uneven patches.
Wine dripped steadily from his hair.
His movements were quick and agile.
There wasn’t a trace of drunkenness left.
Seeing that, Ning Zhiyuan simply tossed the bottle aside and slapped him hard across the face.
The sharp sound echoed through the private room.
Her voice rang out clear and powerful.
“Listen carefully.”
“It’s not that I want to get back together with you.”
“I’m the one who dumped you!”
Rubbing her stinging palm, she turned and walked out.
Behind her came the crash of bottles smashing against the floor, followed by Pei Jin’s furious roar.
“Ning Zhiyuan!”
“You’ll regret this!”
“Even if you get down on your knees and beg me like a dog someday, I won’t spare you a second glance!”
The moment she heard his voice, Ning Zhiyuan quickened her pace.
She was afraid that if she stayed even one second longer, she might go back and smash a wine bottle over his head.
She repeatedly reminded herself to stay calm.
With how greedy and insatiable Pei Jin and Bai Xiaoxiao were, they would eventually destroy themselves without any help from her.
All she had to do was wait.
When she stepped outside, the afternoon sun was warm and bright.
A Ning family car was already parked at the entrance, clearly having waited for some time.
She had come here by taxi specifically to sever all ties with Pei Jin and avoid causing any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Apparently, her father had someone follow her.
Two bodyguards got out of the car and respectfully gestured toward it.
“Miss, Chairman Ning wants you to return home immediately.”
One stood on each side.
It was obvious they were prepared to put her in the car by force if necessary.
There was no room for negotiation.
Ning Zhiyuan figured she should deal with Bai Xiaoxiao first, then pack her things and move in with Shen Li.
Upon returning to the Ning residence, she noticed untouched medicine and a glass of water sitting on the coffee table.
A slightly overweight middle-aged woman leaned against the sofa, one hand pressed dramatically against her chest.
When she saw Ning Zhiyuan enter, the corners of her mouth drooped.
“Yuanyuan, you’re back.”
She made no effort whatsoever to stand.
The maids stood neatly in their uniforms.
Meanwhile, Bai Cuilan wore luxury-brand clothing gifted by Ning Zhiyuan and acted like half the mistress of the house.
She did no housework.
Her salary was several times higher than that of the other servants.
And right now, Bai Cuilan was unhappy.
She was deliberately expressing her dissatisfaction through her dismissive attitude.
Ning Zhiyuan simply watched.
No concern.
No greeting.
No response.
After nearly half a minute of silence, she finally asked,
“What happened?”
One of the maids who was particularly close to Bai Cuilan immediately jumped in.
“Miss, you don’t know how upset Madam Bai has been today.”
“After Miss Xiaoxiao came home, she locked herself in her room and refused to eat.”
“Madam Bai has been worried sick. Her heart condition even flared up from the stress.”
“You should really talk to Miss Xiaoxiao and put Madam Bai’s mind at ease.”
Back when Chairman Ning had nearly adopted Bai Xiaoxiao as his goddaughter, people had begun calling her “Miss Xiaoxiao.”
Even though the adoption never happened, the title had stuck.
In the past, Ning Zhiyuan had turned a blind eye to it.
Now, hearing it again made her skin crawl.
“When did the Ning family gain another young lady?”
“How come I never heard about it?”
The maid froze.
“Miss… you and Miss Xiaoxiao are as close as sisters. We’ve always addressed her that way…”
Ning Zhiyuan’s expression turned cold.
Her brows shot upward.
“You’ve got some nerve.”
The maid’s knees instantly gave out.
With a thud, she fell to the floor and looked pleadingly toward Bai Cuilan.
Remaining perfectly composed, Bai Cuilan walked over and helped the maid up.
“Yuanyuan, if you’ve had a disagreement with Xiaoxiao, don’t take it out on the servants.”
“Servants are people too. They’re no worse than anyone else.”
“Why be so aggressive?”
“You really should work on your temper.”
“Once you marry Pei Jin, no family would like a daughter-in-law who behaves like this.”
Her tone was gentle and conciliatory.
Yet every word carried criticism.
A servant standing above her employer and throwing her weight around.
Because Bai Cuilan had become close with Pei Jin through Bai Xiaoxiao, the relationship between them was unusually friendly.
Whenever Pei Jin visited the Ning family during holidays, he always brought Bai Cuilan gifts equal in value to those he gave the Ning family.
Sometimes even more expensive.
Using that relationship as leverage, Bai Cuilan had quietly extracted countless benefits from Ning Zhiyuan over the years.
“How about this, Yuanyuan?”
“Give her an extra six months’ salary as compensation.”
“Then I won’t tell Pei Jin that you mistreated the servants.”