Shen Ju thought it over again and again.
Well, there didn’t seem to be anything too strange about it.
“Shen Chirp! We’re heading out too, okay!”
Han Chengfeng and the others waved goodbye to Shen Ju, who waved back. Bye-bye.
In no time, it was just him and Pei Yan left on the spot.
No need to hit the advanced slope now—the Task Energy Bar had filled up another notch just moments ago. Shen Ju was so happy he wanted to chat with Pei Yan, but when he looked up, he saw Pei Yan staring at him with a blank expression.
Uh…
It dawned on Shen Ju belatedly that Pei Yan might be… angry?
“Were you just trying to follow them to the advanced slope?”
With no one around, Pei Yan stepped up to Shen Ju’s side and lifted a gloved hand to pinch his chin.
His fingers were long and didn’t look bulky in the gloves. The fabric rubbed against Shen Ju’s chin, creating a faint itch.
In this state, Shen Ju froze just like before, rooted to the spot.
His round eyes gazed innocently up at Pei Yan.
This is how a kitten shows trust.
But Pei Yan narrowed his eyes, itching to see some other reaction from Shen Ju.
He was the “big brother” Shen Ju trusted, the reliable figure Shen Ju depended on, the “good guy” Shen Ju always believed him to be. But that wasn’t the real Pei Yan.
Hadn’t this kid noticed how no one else dared approach him casually?
Even Pei Haochuan always kept a measured distance around him.
Only Shen Ju opened up completely, exposing his soft underbelly like a cat letting itself be petted and kneaded without reservation.
And all of it was built on Shen Ju’s “misconception.”
It was starting to grate on Pei Yan more and more.
A dark impulse stirred in him—maybe he should scare the kid properly, make Shen Ju see exactly what kind of person he was.
And then…
“Pei-ge, don’t be mad.”
Shen Ju spoke up softly. Pei Yan didn’t look as approachable without his smile—it felt distant, even scary. But it was Shen Ju’s own fault for overreaching toward the advanced slope. Nothing had gone wrong this time, but if it had, he’d be in danger and cause trouble for everyone. He’d been thoughtless, so Pei Yan had every right to be upset.
And it came from a place of caring, too.
With that in mind, Shen Ju wanted to coax him properly.
He even sighed to 996:
[I made Pei-ge worry…]
[Pei-ge is so great.]
Shen Ju patted the back of Pei Yan’s hand. “I won’t do it again next time… oh wait, there won’t even be a next time, I promise.”
“…”
Pei Yan itched to grab Shen Ju’s cheeks and bully him until he cried.
Tears made an obedient kid look so much better.
The urge was almost overwhelming.
He spread his palm, his thumb and forefinger clamping Shen Ju’s chin, applying a bit of pressure.
Shen Ju seemed to notice.
A flicker of confusion showed in his eyes.
But he made no move to pull away.
“Pei-ge?”
In the end, Pei Yan couldn’t bring himself to squeeze harder.
He couldn’t predict Shen Ju’s reaction if he revealed his true self.
He still needed to monitor Shen Ju’s task progress. He needed Shen Ju to stay put by his side, obediently.
He couldn’t take the risk.
Pei Yan talked himself down and withdrew his hand.
“Wait here. I’ll go buy you a butt pad.”
Shen Ju knew what that was. “The butt pad?”
“…”
Fair enough, that wasn’t wrong.
Pei Yan chuckled. “Yeah, the butt pad. What style do you want?”
Shen Ju started to say he could go with Pei Yan.
“Forgot to get one on the way here, and it’s a bit far now. Walking would be a hassle—I’ll ski over quicker.”
“Oh, okay.”
Shen Ju nodded obediently. “Then I want the little turtle one.”
Pei Yan hummed in acknowledgment, ruffled Shen Ju’s hair, and turned to leave.
Pei-ge still seems kinda upset.
Did I not coax him well enough?
Shen Ju watched Pei Yan’s back, puzzled.
“What’s your relationship with Pei Yan?”
A voice cut in abruptly.
Shen Ju turned to see Zheng Su, the guy he’d crossed paths with once before.
Zheng Su didn’t look great.
Or rather, he hadn’t had a good expression on his face in ages.
For some reason, his company’s projects kept hitting snags—big and small issues piling up nonstop. He’d been swamped, irritable, unable to catch a break, like someone was deliberately sabotaging him. But he couldn’t pin it down. Things had only eased up in the last few days, so he’d come out to unwind.
Not that he’d chosen the Pei Family’s New Ski Resort on purpose—his own family ran resorts too, though they couldn’t compare to the Peis’. Still, as competitors, he wanted to “experience” it firsthand.
The more he experienced, though, the worse it felt, highlighting the gap between their operations.
And right then, by sheer coincidence, he’d spotted Pei Yan nearby—and that student from the Ant Market, the one who’d defended him back then. He hadn’t forgotten that.
Now they were out together, just the two of them?
Unbelievable.
So as soon as Pei Yan left, Zheng Su hurried over and fired off the question.
But he wasn’t really after their relationship.
“You know Pei Yan’s a psycho, right?”
Shen Ju hadn’t planned to engage, but Zheng Su’s next words made his face change. He scowled. “What the hell are you talking about?!”
“Me, talking nonsense?”
Zheng Su laughed, delighted by Shen Ju’s reaction.
He pressed on. “Wanna ask around about what happened in the Pei Family?”
“I don’t want to—”
“A kid who watches his own mother slit her wrists, then sits quietly in the bathroom with her corpse all day without shedding a tear—what kind of normal person does that?”
Shen Ju’s words cut off, his face going blank with confusion.
Zheng Su grinned wider.
He even lowered his voice. “Hear that? I said watches. Meaning Pei Yan could’ve called for help while his mom was bleeding out, but he didn’t.”
“They say it happened on New Year’s Day at the Pei Family.”
“Pei Yan must’ve been, what, five? A five-year-old watching his birth mother die right in front of him, then sitting by her body until someone found them…”
“Found what?”
An icy voice came from the side.
Pei Yan was back—holding a Green Turtle Toy butt pad.
His face was expressionless as he stared at Zheng Su. “Why stop now?”
Zheng Su’s face twitched. He hadn’t expected Pei Yan back so soon.
But he blustered on. “Everyone in the circle knows this stuff. Sure, no one talks about it now, but dig a little and you’ll find it…”
“So you decided to spread it for me?”
Pei Yan even laughed, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
He walked toward Zheng Su, ignoring Shen Ju entirely.
“But the details are off.”
Pei Yan said, “Want me to correct you?”
Zheng Su stepped back instinctively.
“You—”
“Let me think.”
Pei Yan paused, as if recalling.
“Oh right, when they found us, I even said… ‘I’m hungry.’“
Pei Yan eyed Zheng Su. “Then yeah, they got me a shrink.”
Zheng Su’s throat tightened, his forced composure cracking into outright tension.
Fear flickered in there too…
“What else do you want to know?”
Pei Yan continued. “I can tell you—”
“Stop talking!”
Shen Ju’s voice rang out, trembling slightly.
Pei Yan fell silent.
He still didn’t look at Shen Ju, keeping his gaze on Zheng Su.
Zheng Su backed up another step.
Unnoticed, cold sweat had broken out on his back. The chill wind cut through his jacket, icy and piercing.
He regretted it.
Regretted blurting those words.
Especially since Pei Yan had heard every one!
What will Pei Yan do to me?!
Zheng Su didn’t dare imagine.
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Oh, right.”
Pei Yan seemed to remember something else—not about that, though. “How’s your company been lately?”
Zheng Su’s eyes widened as realization hit. “You—”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t have the mood to play.”
Pei Yan’s face stayed cold. “A day’s spending here isn’t cheap, after all.”
What the hell does that mean?!
Zheng Su staggered, not daring to delve deeper. He turned and bolted without another word.
Once Zheng Su was gone, only Shen Ju and Pei Yan remained.
But the atmosphere was far heavier than before.
Pei Yan finally looked at Shen Ju.
The kid’s face had gone pale.
Scared, no doubt.
Even Pei Tai had looked at him back then like he was some freak.
That was why Pei Haochuan was often wary of him.
Because Pei Haochuan knew better than anyone what he was really like at the Pei Family.
Pei Yan found it amusing.
Just moments ago, he’d convinced himself not to reveal his true face yet.
And in the blink of an eye, he was “exposed.”
“It’s all true,” Pei Yan said.
“If you want more details, ask Pei Haochuan.”
Shen Ju opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
No inner chatter with 996, either.
Pei Yan still clutched the Green Turtle Toy.
Its shell was thick and hefty, with a tiny head and limbs like it wanted to turtle up.
Snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.
Pei Yan blinked, thinking if Shen Ju was truly scared, he could leave now.
Or maybe…
Play the pity card.
But he shot that down instinctively.
It was like self-sabotage.
No refuting—just making sure Shen Ju saw it clearly.
“Or you can keep asking me now.”
“They found me with… her while I was reading a book—”
“I said stop!”
Shen Ju shouted, lunging forward to hug Pei Yan tight.
Pei Yan froze.
![How to Easily Capture a Long Aotian [Quick Transmigration]](https://i1.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/images-7.jpeg?resize=151,215 "How to Easily Capture a Long Aotian [Quick Transmigration]")
