"I..."
He opened his mouth, and his momentum involuntarily waned. The strength in his hand also slackened a bit.
In that instant—
A figure dashed down like lightning from the corner of the stairs, exuding a terrifyingly cold aura.
Before Yan Qiubai could react, a well - defined hand had already clamped down on his wrist like a vice, the one that was gripping Meng Ruozhao.
"Let go."
Pei Jiangmu's voice was terrifyingly low, as if laced with ice. Every syllable carried a crushing sense of oppression.
There was no trace of his usual clear and innocent look on his face. All that remained was a terrifyingly sinister look. His eyes were as sharp as knives, stabbing straight at Yan Qiubai.
Yan Qiubai winced in pain. He felt as if his wrist bone was about to be crushed, and involuntarily let go of his hand.
He stared at Pei Jiangmu, who had suddenly appeared, in a mixture of shock and anger.
"You?! Weren't you supposed to go upstairs? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?!"
Pei Jiangmu didn't even bother to respond to him.
The moment Yan Qiubai let go.
He had smoothly pulled the staggering Meng Ruozhao gently behind him, using his broad back to block all of Yan Qiubai's crazy gazes.
This gesture carried an undeniable protective stance.
"It's okay now."
He turned his head slightly and whispered to Meng Ruozhao, who was pale - faced behind him. His tone instantly changed, carrying a subtle tenderness and consolation.
Meng Ruozhao subconsciously grabbed the clothes on his waist. Her fingertips were cold and still trembling slightly.
Pei Jiangmu's arrival was like a solid wall, temporarily blocking the rough waves that were about to engulf her.
She leaned against his back, closed her eyes, and tried hard to calm her disordered breathing and the sharp pain in her heart.
Yan Qiubai watched this scene in front of him—Pei Jiangmu's blatant act of protection and Meng Ruozhao's completely dependent posture.
The anger and jealousy that had just subsided a bit surged up again crazily, burning away his last bit of rationality.
"Pei Jiangmu, you're just a penniless poor student with nothing. Do you think you can butt in here? Get out of my way!"
Yan Qiubai growled and stepped forward, trying to push Pei Jiangmu away and pull Meng Ruozhao back.
Pei Jiangmu's eyes flashed with a sharp look. He easily parried Yan Qiubai's hand and then pushed him back with a reverse hand.
Caught off guard, Yan Qiubai staggered back several steps and bumped into the table beside him, making a harsh scraping sound.
"Yan Qiubai."
Pei Jiangmu finally looked at him squarely. His gaze was as cold and sharp as a physical object, carrying a condescending contempt.
"She told you to get out. Can't you understand human language?"
"You!"
When had Yan Qiubai ever suffered such humiliation, especially in front of a "poor student" he didn't even look up to?
He was so angry that his whole body trembled. He shouted at Meng Ruozhao behind Pei Jiangmu without thinking.
"Meng Ruozhao, are you so willing to degenerate?"
"Either be someone's secret kept - away mistress or find someone like this?"
"Not to mention the other one. As for this one, what does he have besides his good - looking face? He's not even worthy of tying your shoes!"
"Be obedient and stay by my side. I don't mind your past. Let's start over. We..."
"Whether she has any past or not, you have no right to talk about whether you mind or not."
Pei Jiangmu coldly interrupted him. The chill in his tone made the surrounding air drop a few degrees.
"As for whether I'm worthy or not, it's not up to you to decide."
He slightly turned sideways, half - protecting Meng Ruozhao in his arms. His gaze swept across Yan Qiubai's distorted face like an ice blade.
"The recent projects of the Yan family have really given you a headache, haven't they? Not being able to solve the technical problems is one thing, and the withdrawal of investment from CY Capital has also given you a big headache, right?"
"I suggest you go back to the company right now. Maybe you can still figure out how to explain it to your father instead of going crazy at a woman here."
Yan Qiubai suddenly froze. The anger on his face was instantly replaced by suspicion and unease.
"You... How do you know about CY Capital? Who the hell are you?!"
The sudden withdrawal of investment from CY Capital was the highest - level business secret of the Yan Group recently. Even within the company, only a very small number of core management knew about it.
How could this seemingly ordinary poor student know about it? And know it so clearly?
A faint, cold arc appeared at the corner of Pei Jiangmu's lips. That smile was full of mockery and disdain.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is, Young Master Yan, if you don't get out now, you may lose more than just an investment project."
His tone was casual, but it carried a heart - pounding threat.
Yan Qiubai's heart sank suddenly. For the first time, he looked at the young man in front of him with a horrified and scrutinizing gaze.
It was still that overly handsome face.
But the aura around him was no longer the casualness of an ordinary student.
It was a kind of coldness and dignity that came from being in a high position and controlling everything.
Could it be... the information he had investigated was false?
An absurd but terrifying thought uncontrollably crept into his mind—his surname was Pei... The Pei family in Haicheng...
Could it be that he was really from the Pei family?
It was impossible. His family and the Pei family had always kept out of each other's way. Even if he was from the Pei family, he couldn't have known about the withdrawal of investment.
Yan Qiubai's face changed constantly.
Surprise, anger, unwillingness, and a trace of panic from having his weakness exposed were intertwined, making him look extremely embarrassed.
Pei Jiangmu didn't look at him anymore, as if he was just an annoying fly.
He lowered his head and focused on looking at Meng Ruozhao in his arms, who was still a bit absent - minded. He softened his voice.
"Let's go upstairs, okay? The air here is not good."
Meng Ruozhao nodded blankly.
Her mind was still immersed in the huge shock brought by the fact that "the child really existed". She was shivering all over and had no energy to deal with Yan Qiubai anymore.
Pei Jiangmu put his arm around her and turned to go upstairs.
"Meng Ruozhao!"
Yan Qiubai looked at her back and shouted unwillingly one last time. There was a trace of pleading in his voice that even he didn't notice.
Meng Ruozhao's steps paused for a moment, but she didn't look back.
Pei Jiangmu stopped walking.
He tilted his head slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Yan Qiubai. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the other person's ears, carrying a final warning.
"Yan Qiubai, don't show up in front of her again."
This sentence was not even a threat.
But it was like a final judgment, cold and cruel.
Yan Qiubai was struck as if by lightning. He froze in place, all the color draining from his face. He couldn't say a single word anymore.
He watched as Pei Jiangmu protected Meng Ruozhao and walked up the stairs step by step, disappearing from his sight. He felt as if all his strength had been drained out of him, leaving only endless coldness and fear.
Who on earth was that man?
...
It was much quieter in the attic than downstairs. The sunlight shone through the skylight, casting mottled shadows.
Pei Jiangmu helped Meng Ruozhao sit down on the edge of the bed.
Meng Ruozhao was like a puppet without any perception, blindly following his arrangement.
After sitting down, she kept her head down. Her long eyelashes drooped, covering all the emotions in her eyes.
But her pale face and tightly pursed lips revealed the turmoil in her heart.
Pei Jiangmu squatted in front of her and looked up at her. His heart felt as if it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, aching unbearably.
He reached out his hand and gently covered her cold hand.
"Ruozhao..."
He didn't call her sister. Instead, he whispered her name. His voice carried unprecedented heartache and regret.
He regretted it, regretted letting Yan Qiubai come here.
He also didn't expect that Yan Qiubai's way of trying to win someone back was to try to belittle her into the dust first.