Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 21

Gu Nian woke up early and occupied Pei Jichuan’s home gym to work out. After sticking to an early morning exercise routine for a while, his body felt significantly stronger and more energetic.

Gu Nian picked up a towel to wipe away his sweat, intending to take a quick shower before heading down for breakfast.

The manor seemed to be expecting guests today; Pei Jichuan had been holed up in his study since early morning and didn’t seem to have any plans to head to the office.

After his shower, Pei Jichuan joined Gu Nian for breakfast as usual. Lately, Pei Jichuan hadn’t been going to the company as frequently, but his workload hadn’t decreased—his primary office had simply shifted from the corporate building to the house.

His casual attire today gave him a youthful vitality, a stark contrast to the mature aura he exuded when dressed in formal suits.

Gu Nian stole several glances at him. Pei Jichuan’s skin was so good it practically glowed; even from a close distance, his pores were nearly invisible. Back in Country F, Gu Nian had seen plenty of blonde, blue-eyed beauties, but none could compare to Pei Jichuan’s face.

Zhou Yi’s face was also considered quite stunning, though it was a pity about the long scar left behind from the time he took a knife for Gu Nian against Gu Congnan.

After breakfast, Pei Jichuan returned to the study. Unusually, he didn’t request Gu Nian to accompany him today.

Left to his own devices, Gu Nian wandered around the manor. After he had absentmindedly plucked the seventeenth plant of an unknown species, an exasperated Butler Zhao led him to the library.

The room was stocked with all kinds of books, comparable to a small public library. Gu Nian casually picked up a few books from the outermost shelf; they looked like new additions.

Without even checking the covers, Gu Nian sat on the sofa, intending to kill some time. He pulled one out at random, but the moment he saw the cover, he froze for two seconds.

There, in bold letters on the cover, was: A Guide to Pig Farming.

He pulled out another one: Signals from Sows.

He decided to grab the rest of the stack: Management of Pig Farm Delivery Rooms, Nutritional Requirements of Pigs, and Manual for Pig Disease Prevention and Control. Finally, there was the one he had seen at Xiao Yuan’s house: What to Do When Sows Refuse to Mate.

Gu Nian rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Well, he thought, it seems the Pei family really is going bankrupt.

Gu Nian imagined Pei Jichuan’s stern, stoic face as he fed pigs. He gave himself a violent shudder, trying to shake the mental image away.

Gu Nian stared at the books before him with a deadpan expression. Eventually, he picked one up and started flipping through it. Forget it; he might as well learn whatever was in front of him. You can never have too many skills.

“Achoo!”

Butler Zhao was currently snatching the shears from a gardener to trim the hedges when a sudden sneeze caused him to snip a gaping hole into the greenery.

Startled, he quickly handed the shears back to the gardener.

“Cough, Xiao Wu, I’ll leave this to you. I’m going to check if the tea is ready; we have a guest arriving today.” After saying this, he patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and made a decisive escape.

Xiao Wu held the shears, staring at the gap in the meticulously maintained hedge, utterly speechless.

Butler Zhao pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face. Yesterday, when the motorcade returned, the assistant had brought back a pile of books, supposedly a gift from Young Master Xiao. Butler Zhao had immediately organized them and placed them in the library.

However, that top book, What to Do When Sows Refuse to Mate, had piqued Butler Zhao’s curiosity.

It seemed President Pei was planning to develop a new project. As a qualified butler, how could he not share his employer’s burdens? Thus, Butler Zhao had rushed to purchase a whole crate of books regarding pig farming to place alongside the original volume.

As for those books about love and romance, Butler Zhao rubbed his forehead in confusion.

So, even in pig farming, one must respect a sow’s right to fall in love freely? Does it make the meat taste better?

The sun had long since hung quietly in the sky. The early winter sunlight wasn’t as fierce as in summer; it only brought a mild warmth.

The tranquility was shattered by a red sports car. The roar of the engine echoed through the silent manor.

The eye-catching red car drifted sharply and came to a halt at the manor entrance. Its owner stepped out and tossed the keys casually to a waiting servant.

The man was tall and well-built, dressed in a casual style with a metal stud in his left ear. He brushed his hair back carelessly, exuding a wild, bohemian air.

Butler Zhao stepped forward and gave a slight nod.

“President Pei is already waiting for you in the study. Second Young Master He, this way please.” He stepped aside and gestured to lead the way.

He Yunting nodded arrogantly and followed Butler Zhao toward the study.

Time quickly approached noon. Gu Nian put down his book and checked his phone—11:20 AM, nearly lunchtime.

A whole morning of reading had left his head spinning; his mind was completely filled with pigs. He suddenly had a craving for crispy roasted pork belly. He wondered how he could get Pei Jichuan to agree to let him eat such “greasy and unhealthy” food.

Gu Nian let his brain go blank for a moment before getting up to head to the study.

Servants were still prohibited from the second floor, especially with a guest present today, so Gu Nian encountered no obstacles.

The plush carpet muffled his footsteps. Just as Gu Nian reached the door and prepared to knock, he heard a stranger’s voice coming from inside.

“I’ve investigated everything you asked for. However, the true face of the current leader of ‘Black Crow’ is impossible to find. That Zhou Yi is definitely a puppet pushed to the front. Black Crow and Tianyu are absolutely both in the hands of that Gu Nian…”

Gu Nian heard this clearly, and a flash of murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

Why was Pei Jichuan suddenly investigating the relationship between Tianyu and Black Crow? What else had this person found?

Tianyu and Black Crow were one and the same—a secret known only to the highest level. Before Gu Nian took power, Tianyu’s strength was barely in the top five of Country F. It was only after he took over and worked with Zhou Yi, utilizing Black Crow’s methods, that Tianyu Group was pushed to the No. 1 spot in Country F.

There was definitely a mole.

The door wasn’t fully closed. Gu Nian didn’t rashly approach; he simply listened quietly while keeping an eye on the stairs to see if anyone was passing by.

“That’s all for the intel. Our cooperation with that person isn’t rock-solid either. Black Crow values profit above all else. No one knows what that current leader did, but those people are scared of him like grandsons. The informant has seen him but can’t provide a photo.”

The conversation from the study drifted out intermittently. Gu Nian breathed a small sigh of relief.

The die-hard loyalists who followed Gu Congnan had already been wiped out by him and Zhou Yi. Those who remained were nothing more than a disorganized rabble, not worth worrying about. Of course they feared him; after all, he had “swallowed them whole” in front of everyone.

Gu Nian narrowed his eyes, a glint of ruthless killing intent passing through them. It would be best if he never found out who leaked the information…

“Zhou Yi is coming to Country Z next week to discuss a partnership,” Pei Jichuan’s voice came through the crack in the door. Even with a wall between them, Gu Nian could imagine his sharp gaze. “I don’t know what he’s up to. This partnership isn’t significant enough to warrant him coming in person. He definitely has another motive.”

“Oh, right. Xiao Yuan’s father is also returning to the country,” the guest added. “That marriage partner he’s been hiding so well seems to be coming back too. But he doesn’t seem to have any intention of returning to the ancestral home. I heard he bought a mansion in some unknown location and brought a ton of bodyguards. Very mysterious.”

Gu Nian frowned upon hearing this. Xiao Yuan’s father… Xiao Tingbai. They had collaborated before…