Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 24

After eating crispy roasted pork belly for an entire week, Gu Nian stood before the mirror and stared at the tiny bit of extra fat on his stomach, his back teeth clenched tight.

This lifestyle is far too decadent!

Fortunately, he had been sticking to his workouts lately, and his arms had gained a noticeable amount of muscle.

Pei Jichuan was changing clothes beside him. As he took off his pajamas, his lean, toned upper body was on full display in front of Gu Nian. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he was a natural clothes horse with firm, powerful arms. Gu Nian recalled the sensation of grabbing those arms the previous night—the muscles were rock-hard, and Gu Nian had to scratch with quite some force just to leave a mark.

Though his waist was lean, it was undeniably strong; his abdominal muscles were clearly defined. His arms had held Gu Nian’s legs up all night without a hint of fatigue.

By the time Gu Nian finished dazing out, Pei Jichuan had already changed into his formal wear. A perfectly tailored suit wrapped around his frame as he tidied his lapels and adjusted his cufflinks.

When Gu Nian finished dressing, Pei Jichuan was picking out a wristwatch. He fastened the watch onto Gu Nian’s wrist, using it to hide the scars there.

Gu Nian fiddled with the watch. He used to own many like this, but after a watch once dented his wrist during a particularly violent encounter involving a sledgehammer, he had stopped wearing them. He didn’t much care for this feeling of restraint.

Wealth and power intertwined on this glittering night, as the peak of high-society brilliance was put on blunt display.

Neatly dressed attendants stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, serving the arriving guests. The venue for this event was a mountain villa owned by the He family. From the outside, the villa looked unremarkable, but upon stepping into the hall, one was greeted by a style of golden magnificence. As night fell, the banquet officially commenced.

As the current head of the Pei family, Pei Jichuan caused quite a stir the moment he appeared. Many people were eager to step forward and strike up a conversation.

Their gazes suddenly landed on Gu Nian, and low whispers began to ripple through the crowd—especially from those with sharp eyes who noticed the matching rings on their fingers. But no matter how much they gossiped, they didn’t dare let Pei Jichuan notice; after all, not everyone could afford the consequences of offending the Pei family.

Gu Nian stayed quietly by Pei Jichuan’s side, ignoring the scrutinizing looks around him.

As soon as they entered the hall, members of the He family stepped forward to greet them, led by the father of He Yunfeng and He Yunting. Father He emerged from the crowd, his hearty laughter ringing out.

“Nephew Pei! It’s been a while. I’ve finally been looking forward to your arrival. Is Old Master Pei’s health doing well?”

Pei Jichuan stepped forward. The two men shook hands in the air with equal strength, though it felt more like a silent, invisible probe.

“Grandfather is doing very well. Before I came today, he kept mentioning Elder He. He insisted that I come to wish Elder He a happy birthday,” Pei Jichuan said composedly.

“Hahaha! Good, good. Please, come inside.” After a few simple pleasantries, Father He led Pei Jichuan into the inner hall.

By unspoken agreement, they did not mention Gu Nian, who was standing right next to Pei Jichuan.

The surrounding guests cast covert, calculating glances at the two. Countless eyes were fixed on Pei Jichuan; if he showed even a single weakness, plenty of people were ready to pounce and tear a piece of the Pei Group away.

Diagonal beams of light swept through the room as priceless crystal chandeliers refracted a brilliant glow, adding a touch of debauchery to the hall. Father He took the stage to give a few formal remarks, and the banquet officially began.

Attendants carried expensive wine through the hall. Gu Nian gave Pei Jichuan a quick heads-up before slipping away to a corner with a small piece of cake to enjoy by himself.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, a man who bore a resemblance to the guest from the other day approached with a wine glass.

“So, you finally deigned to return this time,” Pei Jichuan said directly upon noticing him.

“It’s the Old Master’s eightieth birthday. If I, his grandson, didn’t return, wouldn’t that be unfilial?” The man chuckled twice, tilting his glass to clink it against Pei Jichuan’s.

“Brother, why are you here? Father told me to find you so you could host the guests, but here you are, slacking off on your own,” He Yunting walked up briskly. He had removed his ear studs and was dressed in a formal suit, looking every bit the steady and noble young master.

He Yunfeng reached out to tidy his younger brother’s collar. There was an eight-year age gap between them. Since Father He was always busy and away from home, and Mother He was a career-driven “iron lady” who frequently traveled abroad, He Yunting had been practically raised by He Yunfeng. He Yunfeng had even changed his diapers when they were little, making the bond between the brothers exceptionally close.

“Go on ahead, I’ll be there in a moment,” He Yunfeng patted He Yunting on the shoulder.

He Yunting curled his lip. “Fine, but be quick.” After nodding to Pei Jichuan, He Yunting went to find his father.

“There’s progress on the investigation,” He Yunfeng whispered, leaning toward Pei Jichuan. “Aside from the compensation paid by the He family, a significant sum appeared in the account of the driver’s family. It seems to be related to your half-brother.”

“Pei Ji’an?” Pei Jichuan’s fingers slowly swirled the wine in his glass. The liquid surged, as if foreshadowing a coming storm of blood.

“Exactly. But we don’t have physical evidence yet. Still, we’ll eventually get to the bottom of it,” He Yunfeng’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. Solving cases was his specialty.

A pensive gloom clouded Pei Jichuan’s eyes. He suddenly remembered that on the day Lin Nuo committed suicide, Pei Ji’an had also visited the manor. This brother of his had perfectly inherited their mother’s schemes and intellect, persistently finding ways to make his life miserable in an attempt to topple him from his position as the Pei heir.

“I’m counting on you, Yunfeng. Tell me as soon as there’s news,” Pei Jichuan said slowly, shaking off his thoughts.

“Will do. Don’t worry. I’ll go to my father now, or Yunting will come to nag me again,” He Yunfeng said with a faint smile, bidding a polite farewell.

After seeing He Yunfeng off, Pei Jichuan casually set down his glass. The coldness in his eyes hadn’t faded, and the people around him didn’t dare approach.

However, a pot-bellied, middle-aged man seemed not to notice the wary looks of the others and walked straight toward him.

Pei Jichuan turned slightly and caught sight of the man approaching, sweeping him with a quick glance. The man’s belly protruded so much he had difficulty walking. Every inch of his clothes and shoes was covered in logos. The gold watch on his wrist and the thick gold chain around his neck complemented each other perfectly. He grinned, and his solid gold front teeth were almost blinding under the lights.

Pei Jichuan was visibly shocked by the man’s taste, but he didn’t show much of a reaction.

“Aiya, this must be President Pei! A truly talented young man. My name is Qian; I’m the boss of Wanjin Group. I managed to make a few ‘small goals’ recently by riding on the Pei Group’s coattails, and I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet,” President Qian chuckled, his golden teeth gleaming even more. He cradled his belly and gave his waistband an unrefined tug.

Wanjin Group was a new industry standout that had popped up this year. Pei Jichuan had reviewed the guest list carefully before coming; President Qian had made his fortune in steel. In recent years, as the Pei Group reformed, many small companies had grown by attaching themselves to Pei Wanjin was one of them.

However, the CEO of Wanjin Group was known for not being a good person. He had over a dozen mistresses and had reportedly left his first wife with nothing after their divorce.

Pei Jichuan had no desire to deal with such a person. But before he could speak, President Qian continued, “I have a son who’s a bit of a disappointment, but he’s been working with me at the group for several years. He’s definitely a hard worker. I wonder if he might have the honor of running some errands for you, President Pei?”

President Qian turned to look around but couldn’t find his son. With the anger of one whose “iron cannot become steel,” he barked, “This kid, where did he go?”

Pei Jichuan suddenly realized that Gu Nian had been gone for a long time. His eyes scanned the room repeatedly, but he couldn’t find him. His heart tightened, and his fingers clenched as a sudden sense of unease surged within him.

He pushed past the people blocking his way, completely ignoring President Qian’s attempts to make him stay.