WBSGVS Chapter 35 V1

Qing Li never intended to harm anyone.

The staircase leading to the second floor of the Pei residence is V-shaped, and it naturally comes to a stop on the flat landing in the middle. Falling down a dozen steps wouldn’t result in broken bones—at most, the arms and legs would be sore.

Pei Cheng had once pushed the original owner into the swimming pool and then pulled her out himself. Given the original owner’s status, everyone just said, “Oh, this child knows she was wrong and can change. It’s not a big deal; just let it go.”

So, the matter was let go. The original owner could only suffer in silence and avoided Pei Cheng from then on.

This time, after Pei Cheng fell and came to a stop, Qing Li smiled as she walked over to him, the boy in pain pulling at her.

“Ugh! Let go!” Pei Cheng exclaimed.

It was late May, and the weather was already quite hot. He was dressed lightly, and after that fall, with the steps scraping against him, his elbows had already scraped the skin, and being pulled like that hurt even more.

Qing Li released him. “Alright, but it was you who didn’t let me help.”

“Ugh!” Pei Cheng groaned again and fell back to the ground, his scraped elbow taking another hit, which hurt even more than the first injury; his neck flushed red!

At that moment, Pei Xiyue arrived beside Pei Cheng and quickly hoisted him up. With his strength, he was able to help Pei Cheng stand.

Once he caught his breath, Pei Cheng sneered, “A cat crying for a mouse—what fake compassion!”

Qing Li beamed and flashed a brilliant smile she had just learned from Pei Cheng, replying sweetly, “I learned it from you.”

Pei Cheng immediately recalled how he had pushed Qing Li into the swimming pool before. Due to his family situation, he was different from others in the Pei family—sensitive and easily angered. Although he appeared cheerful, his heart was dark, and he could grasp the meaning behind a simple statement.

She was using his words to insult him!

Pei Cheng’s face turned pale, and he coldly huffed, “You just wait!”

“Enough!” Pei Xiyue scolded, his expression unyielding. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll tend to your injuries.”

Pei Cheng incredulously replied, “Brother! Just like that? She pushed me down from upstairs! Look at how badly I fell!”

Qing Li shot him an amused glance, turned, and continued upstairs to her room, showing no fear at all.

Pei Cheng was even more bewildered. How could everything feel so strange after such a short time away from the Pei residence?

Pei Xiyue spoke in a deep voice, “Grandfather is protecting her; you won’t get any satisfaction.”

Wasn’t it just a minor incident?

With the past incident still lingering, as long as nothing serious happened, Grandfather wouldn’t do anything to Fu Qing Li.

But Pei Cheng was unaware of the specifics. He had come today because he picked some wild greens while taking his grandmother to the park. The wealthy often craved not exotic delicacies but something fresh.

Now that their family was aging and dwindling, if they wanted to live well, they had to please Pei Mingjiang. So, after getting something, he hurried to deliver it.

Pei Xiyue invited him to stay at the Pei residence for the night, and they would go to school together the next day.

Then this incident happened.

Pei Cheng was dissatisfied, feeling that his cousin had betrayed his good intentions. If it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t have threatened Fu Qing Li, so he shook off Pei Xiyue’s hand and, enduring the pain in his limbs, ran to the first floor.

Most of the time, Pei Mingjiang was downstairs since it was too troublesome for his old arms and legs to go up.

Before long, he found Pei Mingjiang in the backyard, admiring the flowers. Pei Cheng ran over, looking pitiful. “Great-granduncle!”

“Ah!” Pei Mingjiang responded affectionately, but when he turned to see the bruises on Pei Cheng’s face, he was shocked. “What happened? Did you fall?”

Pei Cheng, feeling wronged, revealed his elbow, which was a bright red, with small beads of blood emerging, creating a gruesome sight. “Fu Qing Li pushed me down the stairs! Look at my arm; it’s all injured!”

“She just tossed me down the stairs!”

Pei Mingjiang felt a pang of sympathy. As the eldest brother, he was responsible for several inept siblings, and he had taken care of this child the most. Hearing Fu Qing Li’s name suddenly made his expression stiffen, and the anger in his old eyes gathered faster than Pei Cheng had expected. He said sternly, “Who did you say?”

“Fu Qing Li!” Pei Cheng affirmed, becoming more aggrieved. “Great-granduncle, she’s too arrogant! She dares to do this at home!”

Pei Mingjiang gritted his teeth, but his poor dental health caused him pain, and he released his grip. His lips quivered, and a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes. He said seriously, “This is going too far! Grandfather will teach her a lesson shortly. You take care of your injury first, and I’ll have Uncle Wei come over.”

Pei Cheng nodded eagerly.

Uncle Wei brought the medical kit, and upon hearing it was Fu Qing Li who had hurt him, he paused for a moment, subtly giving Pei Cheng a sympathetic look. He had seen this many times before, and although he knew Qing Li had been a bit harsh this time, his instincts told him she would be fine.

Pei Mingjiang patted his nephew’s head and, leaning on his cane, slowly made his way upstairs, feeling like his body had aged significantly in the past half month.

Had he known it would turn out this way, he should have treated her well from the start.

But… he couldn’t accept it!

When Pei Mingjiang knocked on the door, Qing Li was stretching and preparing to start her workout.

Hearing the knock and guessing the situation, she called out, “Come in.”

Pei Mingjiang pushed the door open, saw Qing Li, and immediately smiled warmly. “Ah Li, are you exercising?”

Qing Li nodded with a slight smile. “Yes, my body is too weak. If I get into a fight, I might lose, so I need to train more.”

Pei Mingjiang’s eyelids twitched, and his expression darkened. He said sternly, “Ah Li! Just now, Xiao Cheng told me you pushed him down the stairs. How could you do that? It’s so dangerous! If Xiao Cheng breaks a bone or something happens, that could be considered a crime!”

Isn’t she the one who likes to use the police to pressure others?

Pei Mingjiang mimicked her words. If something serious happened, even though she was not yet eighteen, she was already seventeen and would have to bear legal responsibility!

Qing Li blinked, puzzled. “But he’s fine, right? I know my limits; I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”

Pei Mingjiang was even angrier. “You know your limits? What limits do you have? That staircase is so long; what if he rolls down and doesn’t stop? What would you do if something happened?! He’s lost his parents and is all alone with his grandmother; even if you want to cause trouble, you can’t do it like this!”

But Qing Li just smiled, her voice bright. “But Great-Grandpa, I remember being pushed into the swimming pool by him two winters ago. You didn’t say anything back then.”

“The swimming pool?” Pei Mingjiang hesitated for a moment, momentarily forgetting about it, but he quickly remembered and felt a tightness in his chest. He was at a loss for words.

Qing Li stepped forward, her slender figure suddenly seeming taller, exuding a strong sense of pressure as she said softly, “I remember everyone said I didn’t have any serious issues; I just caught a chill. Besides, I recall that Pei Cheng only had a superficial injury. Great Grandpa, was it that serious?”

Boom!

Pei Mingjiang’s heart sank as all his previous confusion about Fu Qing Li’s actions became clear. At the same time, he was taken aback by her imposing demeanor, and unexpectedly, he took a step back!

His face flushed with embarrassment, turning red like tree bark. He struggled to straighten his back and shouted, “Are you trying to get back at me?”

But to his surprise, Qing Li nodded decisively. “Yes, I am getting back at you! Why should they be allowed to bully me while I can’t retaliate? Great Grandpa, didn’t you always say that kids playing around shouldn’t be meddled with? Why do you want to interfere now?”

Pei Mingjiang found himself at a loss for words.

Previously, he had ignored it because he didn’t want to get involved, and he even… wanted to see this kind of scene. But now the ones being bullied were his own family’s children; it wasn’t the same!

Yet he couldn’t say that. Fu Qing Li had become extreme; who knew what she might do? The Pei family wanted to continue gaining benefits from Lin Heng, and after all these years, they were even less inclined to give that up.

While he struggled to find a response, Qing Li asked softly, “Is it because you don’t like me?”