WBSGVS Chapter 28

Pei Xiyue thought Fu Qingli had gone mad.

In the past, she always acted obedient and eager to please, especially toward him, never daring to offend him in the slightest.

But today, she dared to splash water on him?

And it was hot water!

If he had arrived even a moment earlier, it could have scalded his face!

Unfortunately, Pei Xiyue never hit girls. Even if he was furious, he could only use his gaze to try and intimidate her.

Yet the girl, who usually felt anxious under his stare, showed no fear this time.

After thanking the security guard, Qingli walked directly past him to the car.

The driver, who had previously been impatient on the phone, turned to her and said, “Miss Fu, don’t be angry. I was busy with the young master and didn’t have time to come.”

Qingli smiled faintly, and just as the driver relaxed, she replied, “But the fact is, you didn’t come to pick me up, so I’m angry.”

The driver’s face turned pale, and he was about to say something when Pei Xiyue walked over and slammed the car door shut, saying irritably, “Drive!”

The driver immediately fell silent, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he started the car again.

Inside the car, the atmosphere was tense. Pei Xiyue sat in the comfortably warm vehicle, yet felt sweat dripping down due to the anger boiling inside him.

As a guy who had much greater strength than the average girl, he couldn’t bring himself to retaliate physically, so he kept simmering in his rage, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

At that moment, his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was a message from his good buddy with whom he had just parted ways.

‘Jiangcheng Four Young Masters Group Chat’

Ding Yuanzhao: [Xue Ge, are you really going to pick up your little adopted daughter?]

Jiang Xingtin: [Otherwise, am I supposed to argue with the old man? By the way, this little adopted daughter of yours has upped her game, even going to the old man to complain.]

Pei Xiyue felt a mix of anger and amusement as he recalled this. He was just hanging out with his friends when his grandfather called and ordered him to pick up Fu Qingli.

What the hell!

Wasn’t Fu Qingli capable of returning on her own?

In the past, if he didn’t want to do something, he simply wouldn’t, but this time, he didn’t know why his grandfather was so insistent and serious about him picking her up.

Now that he was here, he was met with a cup of water to the face—nobody had ever treated him like that!

Pei Xiyue grew even angrier and replied with a cold smile: [Yeah, she’s bold enough to splash water on me!]

[!!!]

The group chat exploded with excitement, and the other two kept sending various surprised emojis. Finally, Ding Yuanzhao, with his wealth of romantic experience, speculated: [Bro, she’s not trying to play hard to get, is she? That little adopted daughter of yours is acting cold toward you.]

Pei Xiyue raised an eyebrow, feeling his anger dissipate slightly: [Right. After splashing water on me, she hasn’t said a word, just sitting there with a stiff face in the car.]

Jiang Xingtin: [Ding Ge is impressive; he can figure this out. A Xue, don’t fall for her tricks; today’s girls are very cunning. She doesn’t want to give up on you, her golden turtle.]

Ding Yuanzhao chimed in: [Exactly! Remember, no matter how she treats you, don’t show her any interest. You must constantly remind her not to have delusions!]

Pei Xiyue snorted: [Don’t worry, I’m not interested in her at all. My grandfather must be blind. Saving her life doesn’t mean I have to take her as my wife. Thank goodness it’s not the old society anymore.]

[Right, right!]

After a brief chat, Pei Xiyue looked over at the girl beside him, smirking mockingly: “Hey, I think you’ve had enough. Don’t act so self-important. You don’t even know who gave you the guts to splash water on me. But I warn you, if there’s a next time, you’ll regret it!”

Qingli leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes to rest, while thinking about how to retaliate against this group of ingrates.

Leaving the Pei family now wouldn’t be worth it. After all, how much profit had the Pei family gained from what the original host had brought?

Even if she called the police, the Pei family hadn’t abused her. At most, they could be accused of neglect, and she might be sent to an orphanage. Alternatively, they could alert her grandfather, and she might end up being picked up with a pitiful expression.

She could either let her grandfather slowly plot revenge, knowing the Pei family was powerful and wouldn’t be easily taken down in a short time, or she could grow stronger herself and seek revenge.

However, Qingli recalled that in her previous life, the original host had been so traumatized by a middle-aged man’s words that she had cried herself into a seizure and ultimately chose suicide. She certainly didn’t want to present that kind of image to her grandfather while having the ability to resist.

Moreover, she could leverage the original host’s identity to make the Pei family unable to complain while demanding their interest back in advance, which wouldn’t hinder her at all. Why not?

After all, Qingli didn’t care about the Pei family’s subtle bullying; she could even justly return the oppression she had suffered, like from Pei Mingjiang’s indifference and the bullying from Pei family peers, as well as the few girls who had locked her in the restroom.

At the very least, she wanted Pei Mingjiang to understand that adopting a child wasn’t as simple as he thought!

Qingli had her plans laid out perfectly, so when she heard Pei Xiyue’s words, her hunger made her too lazy to respond. She simply replied, “Oh.”

What was so special about splashing water?

As long as she didn’t physically harm him, no matter how much trouble she stirred, the Pei family wouldn’t do anything to her!

Pei Xiyue was genuinely surprised. For the first time, he leaned closer to her, curiously staring into her eyes. “Are you going to keep playing hard to get? Isn’t it embarrassing?”

Qingli gave him a deadpan look. “Hard to get?”

Pei Xiyue thought she was just putting on a front. His brows furrowed slightly as he leaned back, fiddling with his lighter and adding a warning tone: “Everything has its limits. Just because our family adopted you doesn’t mean you’re truly my fiancée. You’re not worthy of that position yet. If my mother finds out about the water splashing, you’ll regret it.”

Qingli smiled: “I know, I’ll call off the engagement. As for splashing water on you, who told you to kick the door? Those who insult others will also be insulted in return. Understand?”

“Feeling tough, are we?” Pei Xiyue shook his head, realizing she had indeed learned something. Most people would likely have clashed with her by now, but he didn’t particularly like this girl. “Fine, since that’s the case, go tell Grandpa that the engagement is off. I’ll consider it a loss. How about that?”

“Sure,” Qingli nodded eagerly.

Pei Xiyue narrowed his eyes slightly, genuinely believing her for a moment. But he quickly shook his head. It was impossible. Even if she said the engagement was off, Grandpa wouldn’t agree. She was so certain it wouldn’t happen that she could afford to be this confident.

Moments later, the car stopped in front of the Pei family residence.

As Qingli got out and stood up, the skin on her knees, which had just started to heal, became tense again, causing her a sharp pain. She winced, momentarily unable to move.

Pei Xiyue took a couple of steps forward, then turned back with a sardonic smile. “Afraid to go inside?”

Ignoring him, Qingli took a moment to recover before slowly walking back.

They had exited the car from opposite sides, but as she approached, Pei Xiyue noticed her movements, his gaze lingering for a moment, feeling a hint of awkwardness.

So that’s what it was.

He shook his head and returned to the house, hands in his pockets.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Uncle Wei, the butler, approaching. Noticing Pei Xiyue’s appearance, Uncle Wei frowned. “Young Master, why are your clothes wet? It’s chilly out; you could catch a cold. You should go change.”

“Got it,” Pei Xiyue replied lazily but didn’t head upstairs immediately. He called out to his grandfather, who was still on the sofa, “Grandpa, I brought her back. Don’t go threatening to cut my allowance just because of this!”

“I know, I know,” Pei Mingjiang said with a smile, leaning on his cane as he stood up. Spotting Qingli’s slender figure by the door, he feigned anger, “But if you walk in alone like that again, just wait and see how I’ll deal with you!”

Pei Xiyue frowned in displeasure, really wondering who the true grandson was.

When he unexpectedly gained an engagement, he almost thought he was adopted. It turned out to be true; after secretly getting a paternity test, he confirmed that his grandfather and Fu Qingli were not related by blood.

As Qingli stepped inside, she looked around and saw a kindly old man smiling at her, while Pei Xiyue stood beside him with a somewhat taunting expression.

Recalling what the original owner had discovered about Pei Mingjiang—who was known in the business world as a smiling tiger, kind to everyone but ruthless in taking their interests—Qingli realized that this kind of person was someone a young girl like her could never contend with.

She smiled sweetly, “Grandpa Pei, I’m back.”

“Ah Li, you’re back! Why so late?” Pei Mingjiang walked over, noticing her knees and looking shocked. “What happened to your leg? Did someone bully you?”

Turning to Uncle Wei, who hadn’t noticed Qingli, he called, “Old Wei, go get the first aid kit for Ah Li.”

Qingli felt moved but also a bit wronged as she said, “Grandpa Pei, someone did bully me. It was a few girls from my grade. They said I was too close to Pei Xiyue, so they wanted to teach me a lesson.”

Pei Mingjiang frowned in displeasure. “What’s wrong with these girls these days? You’re Pei Xiyue’s fiancée; isn’t that only natural?”

Biting her lip, Qingli spoke softly, “Grandpa Pei, I don’t want to be his fiancée anymore. Let’s just forget about the engagement.”

Pei Xiyue, who was leaning against the wall with crossed arms, was surprised. Did she say that?

In the next moment, Pei Mingjiang opposed it without hesitation. “How can you just give up like that? Your engagement was arranged even before your father was born. Besides, you two grew up together; how wonderful is that?”

Pei Xiyue smiled, his gaze turning cold as he headed upstairs.

He had suspected this. She was undoubtedly sure Grandpa wouldn’t agree, playing a deliberately crafted role. He hadn’t expected Fu Qingli to have such intricate thoughts; it was genuinely disgusting.

Qingli ignored him. She wanted to end the engagement to stop Pei Xiyue’s incessant nagging. As for whether Pei Mingjiang agreed, it didn’t matter. With her head down, her voice grew quieter. “But if the engagement isn’t canceled, I’ll keep being bullied. I don’t want to be bullied anymore.”

Pei Mingjiang comforted her by patting her shoulder and speaking gently. “It’s Grandpa’s fault for not noticing this. Don’t worry; I’ll handle it.”

Qingli smiled brightly. “Thank you, Grandpa Pei. Five girls bullied me, and their names are…”

Pei Mingjiang nodded repeatedly. “I’ll remember!”

Uncle Wei arrived with the first aid kit. “Ah Li, come sit on the sofa while I treat your wounds.”

“Okay.” Qingli obediently sat down and then looked at Pei Mingjiang. “Grandpa Pei, they broke my phone. I need to buy a new one.”

Pei Mingjiang said again, “Sure, I’ll transfer you some money. Will ten thousand be enough?”

Unlike his grandson, who often spent tens of thousands, the original owner’s monthly allowance was only a few thousand, doled out at the butler’s discretion. She never asked for more, thinking whatever she was given was fine.

However, Qingli didn’t plan to be polite. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she shook her head. “I don’t think that’s enough, Grandpa. I want to buy a better phone so that if they break it again, I can report it to the police.”

Pei Mingjiang’s eyelids twitched. “You don’t need the police; just wait. Tomorrow, I’ll send someone to deal with this. By the way, what are those girls’ names?”

It was clear he hadn’t remembered, just brushing it off. Qingli pretended not to notice and repeated their names.

“Got it. I’ll have someone go over tomorrow,” Pei Mingjiang nodded. “From now on, your living expenses will be increased to fifty thousand.”

“Thank you, Grandpa Pei,” Qingli said cheerfully, finishing her sentence with an innocent smile typical of the original owner.

“What’s there to thank? It’s what I should do. It’s my oversight,” Pei Mingjiang waved his hand dismissively.

Qingli lowered her head, her smile fading.

Wasn’t it only right?

Qingli didn’t believe that the original owner’s grandfather would provide her with a living stipend, considering he had patented inventions to sell for profit, all to repay the Pei family for raising the original owner. A man like him wouldn’t neglect supporting the original owner. Thus, if he didn’t have cash on hand, the patent’s value would be significantly less than its actual worth.

The patents could allow the Pei family to thrive, especially in the automotive industry, where deals worth hundreds of thousands were commonplace. The original owner receiving only a few thousand in allowance would be a loss for the Pei family.

After having ointment applied to her leg, Qingli didn’t linger, taking the iodine upstairs. She needed to look after her own body; after showering, she would have to apply it again. Doing it now would be futile.

The kitchen staff kindly left her dinner, which was still warm.

After finishing her meal, her previously cold body began to warm up. Once she returned to her room and took a hot shower, she felt even better.

Lying in bed, she pondered how to see the original owner’s grandfather. While it wasn’t urgent, she had to plan early.

Putting aside everything else, she must ensure that the original owner’s grandfather didn’t help the Pei family acquire the patent for driverless technology.

However, she guessed that the original owner’s grandfather had no intention of seeing her.

He believed he had little time left and, due to guilt over his wife’s hatred, which led her to remarry with their son, he felt he had no face to meet his only granddaughter, who had lost her father. Moreover, he was busy with work, so even if he took the original owner with him, she would just be a left-behind child.

It was better to hand her over to a friend, who at least could provide a good family, someone to be with her, and take care of her without her having to endure the pain of losing her only relative. He couldn’t stay with her for long.

Lin Hengzhi didn’t know how the friend treated his granddaughter behind the scenes. Even if he investigated, he would only find that the Pei family treated the original owner well—she had good food, and clothes, and attended a prestigious elite school that she had no hope of excelling in.

At this moment, Qingli logically shouldn’t know her true identity; even their surnames were different, and there was no way to confuse them.

The other party is a researcher at the National Defense University, someone with many accomplishments. According to the information the original owner found, he was still striving until his last moment; such a person would be protected by many, making it difficult for her to get close to him.

She would need to relearn certain special methods; otherwise, it could end in disaster.

As Qingli pondered this, she nearly fell asleep. In that half-asleep state, she suddenly recalled that the middle-aged man who came to bail out the original owner in her previous life was a mentor at the National Defense University.

He must have learned about the original owner’s identity from her grandfather.

If she could just present herself directly to him, wouldn’t that make things easy?

Feeling reassured, Qingli stopped overthinking and soon fell into a deep sleep.

However, the next day, she woke up with a frown.

She had forgotten to set her alarm clock, and she was late!