WBSGVS Chapter 31 V2

Calling the police was merely a scare tactic.

Qingli watched the situation unfold with cold eyes, feeling a bitter irony. There was a good girl who didn’t cherish what she had, and it took her to cause a commotion for anyone to care.

At that moment, a gaze fell on her. Qingli looked up and managed a harmless smile. Wen Shi shot her another glare but found that Qingli didn’t flinch. Confused, Wen Shi stared at her intently.

Qingli narrowed her eyes slightly. Given Wen Shi’s reaction, combined with the fear she had seen on the car ride, it seemed the original owner did have a deep-seated fear of this girl, who was even younger than herself.

She pressed her lips together; now wasn’t the time to explore that. She obediently said, “Grandpa Pei, I’ll head upstairs now.”

She waved her phone and skipped up the stairs.

At the staircase landing, she saw Pei Xiyue leaning over the railing, looking down. The young man had both arms resting on the rail, one leg straightened while the other slightly bent against the floor. His fair profile was strikingly handsome, and his fashion sense was impeccable. It was no wonder the original owner had admired him since childhood.

She intended to pass by quietly, but as she walked past, she heard Pei Xiyue say with a hint of a smile, “Not bad. I was wondering how you dared to stir things up; turns out you’ve got Grandpa’s lifeline.”

Qingli raised an eyebrow. “Lifeline?”

“Calling the police,” Pei Xiyue shrugged. “You know our Pei family wouldn’t want things to escalate to the police station. But I warn you, don’t go too far. This time it’s Wen Shi’s fault, but if you use this as an excuse to cause a scene regarding the engagement, even Grandpa can’t help you.”

Qingli found it amusing. “How many times do I have to say it? I’ve made my stance clear regarding this engagement, and my household registration isn’t with you all. What? Do you think Grandpa can force a marriage?”

Pei Xiyue turned around, staring at her in disbelief.

Qingli had already taken a step away, returning to her room when she felt her phone vibrate.

Opening it, she saw a message from Xu Nianhan: “I talked to your homeroom teacher; she agreed. The math Olympiad teacher also nodded. This weekend, study hard, and if you don’t understand anything, just ask me. Starting Monday, go straight to the big classroom in building two every afternoon after school.”

Qingli was delighted; she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly!

She went to her desk, took out her phone, and snapped a picture of the problems she hadn’t worked out yet, sending it over. There’s no need to waste the teacher’s time when they’re available: “Okay, thanks! How do I solve this problem? [Image]”

A message came back within seconds: “Draw an auxiliary line on the AH line.”

It was just a single sentence. After reading it, Qingli tried drawing it out, and her previously muddled mind suddenly cleared up: “Got it.”

Still at school, Xu Nianhan, who was doing ideological work, received the message and immediately shoved his phone in front of the math Olympiad teacher’s face: “Look, her comprehension is way better than mine! You should focus on nurturing her instead.”

Teacher Chen snatched the phone, opened the image, and upon seeing that one hint, the child quickly understood. Her eyes lit up, and her previously stern face broke into a broad smile. “Wow, she is a promising talent! Are you sure she hasn’t learned Olympiad math before?”

“Do you not know?” Xu Nianhan replied coldly. Just moments ago, he had asked the homeroom teacher for the student’s grades from the past two years. After reviewing them, he had reluctantly admitted that if he found a good candidate, he could let her stay.

Taking a deep breath, Teacher Chen pushed the young man aside with satisfaction. “Alright, you can go now. Since you found such a good talent, I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Xu Nianhan: “…”

His eyelids twitched. Though his tone was still cool, it betrayed a hint of pleasure. “I’m leaving.”

Pei Qi was genuinely taken aback. Although she had always disliked Fu Qingli, thinking that she diminished the standing of the heir to the Pei family, she had never actually tried to drive her away. In the Pei family, she was merely a married daughter, often bringing her daughter back to maintain relationships. Yet now, she couldn’t believe that in her father’s eyes, she was inferior to Fu Qingli?!

This realization hit Pei Qi hard, leaving her shocked and saddened as she looked at Pei Mingjiang. “Dad, what do you mean? Are you saying you want her to stay and I should leave?”

Pei Mingjiang felt his face twitch, his thoughts in turmoil. Faced with his daughter’s accusations, he wanted to explain but didn’t want anyone to know about this arrangement. If word got out and that person found out how he treated his granddaughter, it wouldn’t just harm him!

Pei Mingjiang’s silence only confirmed Pei Qi’s suspicions. Her shoulders slumped as she expressed her deep indignation, dragging the bewildered Wen Shi along with her, and coldly stated, “Let’s go! It is true that once a daughter is married off, she’s like spilled water. Now even the adopted ones can’t compare!”

Wen Shi felt like crying; she didn’t want to leave because leaving would mean admitting defeat.

Not moving made Pei Qi angrier. She slapped her daughter’s back and shouted, “What are you still doing here? They don’t want us!”

Pei Mingjiang’s gaze darkened. How could he not see that his daughter was directing her anger at him? Looking at her ugly expression, he spoke with a hint of regret. “What are you saying? Aren’t we all part of the Pei family?! It’s not easy for us to come over on the weekend; can’t we stay for two days?”

Pei Qi maintained a stern expression and was still unwilling to budge.

Pei Mingjiang had no choice but to say, “Old Wei, take Aqi and Shishi upstairs to rest.”

“Miss, Shishi, let’s go upstairs to rest for a bit. You must be tired after the drive, and Shishi has been in class all day,” Uncle Wei said gently, supporting Pei Qi’s shoulder.

Only then did Pei Qi reluctantly head upstairs, accepting the exit that Pei Mingjiang had offered her.

Just like Wen Shi, she didn’t want to leave. Being outdone by the girl her father adopted was an immense humiliation!

She wanted to stay and look for opportunities to torment that little brat just like before!

After Pei Qi and her daughter went upstairs, the living room fell into a deep silence. After a while, Pei Rong finally spoke up, “Dad, can you explain why you’re doing this?”

Pei Qi had been spoiled and didn’t understand analysis, but as the heir to the family business, Pei Rong was more astute and understood his father better. If his father truly valued gratitude, then over the years, he wouldn’t have only shown superficial concern for Fu Qingli.

In the past, he genuinely thought his father was just concerned about appearances. Therefore, although he disliked that girl, he always expressed affection when mentioning her. After all, his son wouldn’t agree to marry Fu Qingli; it was just talk.

But this time, his father made such a choice, which was truly unbelievable!

It seemed there were many things he didn’t know about Fu Qingli, especially significant interests at play.

This also explains why his profit-driven father would allow his grandson to become engaged to such an orphan.

However, realizing this only left Pei Rong more puzzled. Since there were such great benefits involved, why hadn’t his father hinted at it for years and treated the girl well?

If he had nurtured her a bit, then even if Fu Qingli had a poor background, after so many years, she could have become an excellent girl. She certainly wouldn’t have rebelled against the Pei family to this extent!

Pei Mingjiang sighed, his brow slightly furrowed, feeling a tinge of regret. He regretted being too lenient and pushing Fu Qingli too far; she probably sensed something from the police call last night.

At that time, he had been watching financial news. The Pei family had relied on the technology provided by Lin Hengzhi to rise in the automotive industry, and other tangible industries were also performing well, but the most profitable was still automotive.

Yet now several competing companies were ramping up efforts, introducing new technologies and offering lower prices, posing a vague threat to the Pei family’s standing. He felt somewhat agitated.

Hearing Fu Qingli mention calling the police immediately made him think of Lin Hengzhi, momentarily revealing his vulnerability, leading to the current situation where she seemed to hold him in a bind.

This commotion was likely to validate her suspicions, leaving him with no option but to compromise.

He wished he had paid more attention to her earlier and not pushed her so hard.

Pei Mingjiang felt regretful as he pondered strategies, saying softly, “Just know, and don’t ask so many questions.”

Pei Rong furrowed his brow but didn’t press further.

Beside him, his wife made a face of discontent, remaining silent, but she too was upset. If Fu Qingli held significant benefits, perhaps she would indeed become her daughter-in-law. How embarrassing would that be?

With this marriage set by the old man, she wouldn’t be able to hold her head high among the many socialites! But for the sake of the Pei family’s reputation, she had to pretend to be fond of her, leading to even more frustration in the future!

But she was smart, knowing what to say and what not to say.

So, what she had initially thought would be a situation where Fu Qingli would suffer greatly turned out to pass smoothly, even leaving Pei Mingjiang’s daughter Pei Qi with no advantages!

This unexpected turn of events shocked the Pei family’s servants and made them feel guilty.

They hadn’t anticipated that the old master would be so fond of Fu Qingli. They had treated her poorly before, which was a misstep. Now, they wondered if it was too late to make amends.

That night, while Qingli was still studying, she received milk, fruit, and some snacks specially brought by the servants. They also reminded her, “Ah Li, don’t stay up too late studying. What do you want to eat in the morning?”

Although the kitchen staff treated her well, the kitchen was not just that one aunt’s domain, and now attitudes had completely shifted.

Qingli accepted it cheerfully as if it were only natural. “Noodles.”

“Sure! We just received a fresh batch of seafood this afternoon. How about seafood noodles?”

“Sounds good.”

The servants smiled as they left, instantly relieved that this young girl seemed obedient and held no grudges!

As she opened the door to step outside, she was startled to see a girl standing there with a pale face, dressed in a white nightgown, her hair disheveled, resembling a ghost.

It took a while for the servants to regain their composure, patting their chests. “Young Miss.”

Wen Shi lifted her chin. “Aren’t you going to move aside?”