CH 68

The door to the living room closed gently.

Li Yuan turned around and looked at the grandfather and grandson who had come uninvited. Out of politeness, he took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Old Mr. Pei. “Old Sir, please sit down.”

Seeing his manners, a hint of admiration flickered in Old Mr. Pei’s eyes.

Li Yuan avoided meeting his gaze, and glanced at Pei Huan next to old Mr. Pei, his face pale—

Regardless of the choice An Yang made in his sophomore year, it was the difference in attitude she showed on their birthday that deeply hurt Li Yuan from beginning to end.

Li Yuan felt that he was not a saint, nor did he have the heart of a Bodhisattva. 

Whether or not Pei Huan had known about it, he really couldn’t treat a person who had taken his future away with a sense of balance.

Old Mr. Pei didn’t know his hidden past, but he saw Li Yuan’s expression change slightly.

He glanced at the slightly awkward Pei Huan, and took the initiative to explain, “I asked Xiao Huan to bring me to you. No wonder he didn’t talk to you beforehand and make an appointment to have someone in your company greet us.”

“I heard from Xiao Huan that the two of you were university classmates?”

Old Mr. Pei picked up the hot tea Li Yuan had poured, carefully observing his face through the steam. The charm of his features really resembled his wife’s when she was young.

Li Yuan gave an unnoticeable laugh, once again regaining his venomous tongue and coldness toward the outside world. “The Old Sir is joking. Mr. Pei is a young master from a wealthy family, how can I deserve to be a ‘university classmate’ of his?”

“I just studied the same major for a year, which doesn’t count. I’m not familiar with him.”

“…….”

Hearing the stabbing intent in his words, Pei Huan’s eyes froze slightly.

Old Mr. Pei also noticed this, and paused while serving tea. “Child, I checked on the situation of the Li family in recent years before coming here. You have suffered.”

Li Yuan responded indifferently, “It’s no good to bother the Old Sir with our Li family affairs.”

Old Mr. Pei heard the firmness in his words, and disagreed, “How can the affairs of the two families be discussed separately at this point? You should know the reason why I came to you today.”

Li Yuan naturally knew, but he didn’t care.

Old Mr. Pei smelled the ordinary scent of the tea and was about to put it down, but remembering that this was the first cup of hot tea that Li Yuan had poured for him, he still took a few dignified sips.

“Ruzhang and his wife have already done a paternity test with Xiao Huan, and so have Ms An and Xiao Huan. Xiao Huan……”

Old Mr. Pei paused, but still laid the facts down in front of the two children. “It is true that he has no blood relationship with our Pei family. He is the son of the late President Li and Ms. An.”

“…….”

A trace of unwillingness flashed deep in Pei Huan’s eyes. Rubbing his fingertips, he forced it down.

Li Yuan learned the truth, and the fog-covered mirror in his heart finally became clear. He saw his reflection, but didn’t recognize himself.

“So what?”

After a long silence, Li Yuan only asked these two simple words.

“I hope you can return to your position as ‘Young Master Pei,” so that we can make up for what we’ve owed you over the years.”

Old Mr. Pei’s gaze remained on Li Yuan’s face.

Having lived to this age, he always saw himself as invincible, but now, he couldn’t help being nervous as he anticipated the other party’s answer.

Pei Huan at the side saw Old Mr. Pei’s rare look of eagerness, and felt a sense of dissatisfaction in his heart.

Now that everything had happened, he was no longer qualified to express his unhappiness. Instead, he had to try his utmost to stabilize his position.

Pei Huan regained his spirit, and apologized to regain his sense of existence. “Mr. Li, I’m truly sorry, and I’m willing to give back your position.”

Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Pei finally remembered Pei Huan. “Xiao Huan, you are also a victim in this matter.”

Regarding this farce, the real fault lay with the hospital. Li Yuan was innocent, Pei Huan was innocent, and the two families were even more innocent!

When all the dust settled, they would sue the person in charge of the hospital!

People’s hearts were made of flesh.

Pei Ruzhang and Deng Xiuya were reluctant to part with the child they had raised for twenty-five years, and Old Mr. Pei also recognized Pei Huan’s filial piety and hard work all this time.

“The matter has already happened, and we must find a way to solve it.”

“Fortunately, the family has been relatively well-off these years. Whether one child or two, we can afford it.”

“You can afford it?”

Li Yuan seemed to have heard something ridiculous. “Since you can afford it, why did you send Pei Yi off to get married in the first place?”

If he hadn’t met Bo Yueming who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and if Pei Yi hadn’t been of sound mind, he would have been ridiculed and bullied outside!

Li Yuan had seen the true faces of the rich and powerful. Hadn’t he encountered such a situation during the first meeting between him and Pei Yi?

“……”

Old Mr. Pei didn’t expect Li Yuan to be waiting for him at this pass, and his expression changed slightly.

Thinking of his little grandson whom he had placed high hopes on since he was a child, but turned out very disappointing, he couldn’t feel happy. “Why mention him out of nowhere?”

Li Yuan saw the indifference in Old Mr. Pei’s attitude, and the hesitation in his heart completely dissipated. “Old Sir, are you just going to recognize me back into the Pei family casually without doing a paternity test? Aren’t you afraid you’ll recognize the wrong person a second time?”

Old Mr. Pei set the teacup on the table and said confidently, “Of course one cannot make the same mistake twice. Since I sought you out today, of course I confirmed your paternity test.”

Li Yuan was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll have to ask Ms. An about this, she is the one who provided us with your test items.”

Old Mr. Pei explained this without any scruples, and looked fixedly at Li Yuan. “Of course, it would be great if you are willing to cooperate with us and go to the hospital for another examination.”

“……”

Li Yuan heard Old Mr. Pei’s casual tone, but his heart was filled with shock—

What was this?

Without his knowledge or permission, the other party “stole” items that could be used for a paternity test?

Then, with the established results and a natural tone, he wanted him to return as “Young Master Pei?”

“Sorry, I think you’ve made a mistake!”

Li Yuan suppressed his anger and incredulity, and simply stood up. “From beginning to end, I never thought about doing a paternity test or going back to the Pei residence!”

Old Mr. Pei’s eyes followed him closely. “What?”

Pei Huan was also a little surprised by Li Yuan’s attitude—

He had originally thought that the other party would eagerly “abandon” the Li family and “return” to his identity as the young master of the Pei family.

After all, the benefits and status the Pei family could bring were far superior to the currently defeated Li family.

“Your care, companionship, and family affection for the past twenty-five years don’t belong to me, but now you want me to come back because of a blood relationship?”

“Young Master Pei?”

Li Yuan looked at Pei Huan and gave a cold laugh. “No matter what my name is, I will create my own identity instead of relying on family background and wealth in exchange for my career and pursuits!”

“……”

Pei Huan could hear Li Yuan’s meaning, and it was as if he was being strangled by an invisible hand.

Before Pei Huan could saying anything, Old Mr. Pei slammed down his cane and stood up. “Outrageous! Do you think I came here to be taught a lesson by a child like you?”

“I thought you were a good boy with good manners and an understanding of right and wrong, but now it seems that you are not a good boy! You have the blood of the Pei family in your body. If you don’t return to the Pei residence, where else can you go?”

Seeing his angry face, Li Yuan only found it extremely amusing. These three or four years of experience being alone had allowed him to discover the ways of the world among these old foxes—

Leave the “foolish” Pei Yi alone, and instead let him return as a child without sentiment?

In the end, the Pei family just needed a true blood heir, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was Li Yuan!

They wrapped their inner selfishness in grandeur, and captured his will with the so-called blood relationship. What kind of familial affection and compensation was this?

Pei Yi helped him to break free of his shackles, and he didn’t intend to jump into another deep pit!

Sneering, Li Yuan refused. “Save your rhetoric for someone else.”

This was the first time Old Mr. Pei had been disrespected by someone of the younger generation, and he grabbed the other’s hand angrily. “Li Yuan, what do you mean? Did Li Xiao teach you to be so disrespectful before he died?”

“The Li family raised you as a waste!”

When Li Yuan heard Old Mr. Pei’s indiscriminate condemnation, a trace of long-lost anger welled up in his heart. “Enough! Who do you think you are?”

Li Yuan had always been grateful and filial to the Li family. Even though An Yang snubbed him after learning the truth, Li Xiao had already given him all the love he had as a father before his death.

“You have no right to control me! You have no right to talk about them!”

After Li Yuan’s loud refusal, he suddenly broke away from Old Mr. Pei’s restraint, and an unexpected accident happened!

. . . . . . .

The hospital operating room.

Sitting on the bench at the outermost corner, Li Yuan finally said it all in the lounge.

He glanced at the still-lit emergency lights, his heart filled with unprecedented self-blame. “I, I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t use that much strength.”

Pei Yi and Bo Yueming exchanged glances, and Pei Yi temporarily disregarded his lover’s jealousy, taking the initiative to hold his friend’s trembling hand. “Li Yuan, take it easy. We all believe in you.”

Bo Yueming’s gaze fell sourly on their hands.

When he received the WeChat message from his lover, Bo Yueming happened to be on his way to pick him up, and quickly changed lanes.

“You shouldn’t.”

Li Yuan shook his head unsurely. 

He was still immersed in replaying the situation just now in the lounge, and looked at this friend who had absolute trust in him. “Pei Yi, Pei Huan was standing behind the old man at that time. Even if he fell, he should have been able to catch him immediately.”

Pei Yi heard something abnormal in these words, and exchanged a dark look with Bo Yueming.

Li Yuan cast Yan Cen an uncertain glance, fearing that the other party would misunderstand and think that he was trying to shirk responsibility.

He quickly turned his gaze back and covered his face, taking a deep breath. “Whatever the case, I shouldn’t have argued or exerted strength on him.”

If Old Mr. Pei really had an accident due to the fall, how could he escape the self-blame deep in his heart?

Li Yuan really didn’t like the “family patriarch’s” coercive tone, but he never intended to hurt him!

Yan Cen saw his overwhelming anxiety, and comforted him in a gentle voice, “I think Old Mr. Pei must have a heart condition. He’s prone to sudden onset of his illness due to his age. Don’t panic or worry.”

As soon as these words fell, there was the sound of more disordered footsteps.

Pei Yi saw the tall figure clearly, and quickly got up and waved. “Brother!”

“Xiao Yi!” Qin Yishun walked over in large strides, and immediately brought his little brother within his range of protection. “Are you all right?”

Bo Yueming was unexpectedly pushed aside. His expression changed slightly, but he, who was formally dating Pei Yi, remembered Qin Yishun’s identity and had to temporarily suppress the incongruous sourness in his heart—

The situation was important, he couldn’t make things difficult for his brother-in-law!

Another familiar voice rang out, “Where is the old man? Where is he?”

Behind Qin Yishun were three anxious-looking people – Pe Ruzhang and his wife, and An Yang, who had come after hearing the news from some unknown source.

“……”

Pei Yi didn’t have a good impression of these three elders.

He took advantage of Qin Yishun’s figure to avoid any possible line of sight with these people.

Qin Yishun saw that his little brother didn’t like them, so he directly disregarded their relationship. “We met at the gate of the hospital and walked in the same direction.”

Of course Pei Yi wouldn’t doubt which camp Qin Yishun was in. He looked around, feeling a little more confident—

Five against four!

In the case of a team battle, they had a chance of winning!

Qin Yishun glanced at Bo Yueming and the others and cut to the point, “What’s the old man’s situation now?”

Yan Cen thought of his friend’s “inconvenience,” and answered in his stead, “It’s been half an hour since he went in, and he hasn’t come out yet. We had a project meeting with Mr. Li today, and happened to meet.”

As soon as he spoke, Pei Huan, who was alone at the door of the emergency room, came over in search of the voices.

“Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of Grandpa.”

His eyes were flushed red with forbearance, a sense of guilt emanating from his entire person.

The distressed An Yang wanted to push away the crowd, but when she met Li Yuan’s gaze, she stopped in her tracks and could only say in embarrassment, “Xiao An, what is going on here?”

At the same time, Deng Xiuya kept looking at Li Yuan, her emotions fluctuating violently. Her heart, which had gradually grown hollow since the birthday celebration, seemed to suddenly grow flesh and blood.

Pei Yi, Bo Yueming, and the others remained silent for the moment, and didn’t speak rashly.

Seeing this, the older Pei Ruzhang directly threw the question to Pei Huan, “Xiao Huan, tell me! What is going on here?”

Pei Huan knew that there must be an explanation, and the self-blame in his tone continued. “Grandpa insisted on meeting Mr. Li. I couldn’t deter him, so I took him there.”

Pei Ruzhang realized something. “The results of the paternity test came out this morning?”

Pei Huan nodded with difficulty.

The paternity test results came out just this morning, so Old Mr. Pei came to the door in a hurry.

With the truth thoroughly confirmed, Deng Xiuya suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes sore and astringent.

She really wanted to rush up and hug her son, who had never been loved well since birth, but when she thought of her mocking and ridicule on the other party’s birthday—

She wanted to slap herself twice! How could she say such mean words!

“Grandpa was trying to persuade Mr. Li to come home. He said that he wanted to make up for the debt owed over these years, but Mr. Li refused to recognize the Pei family no matter what, and after talking for a while, it became a little unpleasant.”

“…….”

Li Yuan’s hands unconsciously clenched at his sides, but he couldn’t refute—what the other party stated was indeed the truth, but what was with the strange tone? It made him feel unspeakably aggrieved!

Pei Ruzhang took a deep look at Li Yuan, and said, “Then what? The old man usually has such a strong body, how could he fall down and pass out for no reason!”

“Mr. Li wanted to leave, but Grandpa refused, and then something happened,” Pei Huan said briefly. These words left a lot of room for imagination.

Qin Yishun couldn’t bear the half-spoken and half-concealed remarks, so he looked directly at Pei Huan and asked, “You’re saying that the reason the old man fell and passed out is because Mr. Li pushed him?”

“…….”

Pei Huan got stuck.

He looked at  Li Yuan and hesitated to speak, as if hiding something for the other party and making a silent accusation.

Li Yuan couldn’t explain directly, and said with a pounding heart, “I just broke free, I didn’t push him on purpose!”

Pei Yi believed in his own discernment of people, and also believed in Li Yuan’s conduct. He watched Pei Huan’s peerless pantomime performance and quickly rushed to his friend.

“Li Yuan is good! You’re bad!”

Pei Ruzhang’s heart was a mess, and he seethed with anger. “Pei Yi, what are you doing here! What’s the matter with you, fool!”

This indiscriminate accusation quickly roused the ire of both Bo Yueming and Qin Yishun—

“Mr. Pei.”

“Uncle.”

With just a few words of address, the collective aura that burst out was enough to make Pei Ruzhang freeze in place.

Bo Yueming took the opportunity to lure his family’s kitten back into his arms. “Pei Yi, come here.”

Pei Yi easily fell into his arms, and didn’t forget to cleverly remind, “Camera.”

Yan Cen caught the key point, and pretended to be neutral, “That’s right, I remember that there are cameras everywhere in YWY Studios. Shouldn’t they also be installed in the lounge? When there’s time, check the recordings.”

“Also, I think Old Mr. Pei’s symptoms just now are more like a heart attack than a coma caused by a contusion.”

“…….”

A trace of panic flashed through Pei Huan’s lowered eyes, and he recalled the situation in the lounge just now—

Li Yuan broke free, but the force used could not be considered a “push.” It was only that Old Mr. Pei fell ill for some reason and was not able to remain standing.

Standing behind him, Pei Huan could have caught him in time, but at the critical moment, he suddenly had a wicked thought but had no time to reflect on it.

Turning to one side, Pei Huan pretended to be too late to steady him, and let Old Mr. Pei fall onto the coffee table and then to the ground.

Everything had happened too fast, too suddenly.

Pei Huan watched as Old Mr. Pei had an accident, and it was too late for regrets!

Thus, he could only take advantage of Yan Cen and the others rushing over to secretly push everything onto Li Yuan.

Presently, Pei Huan’s mind was like a machine running at high speed, and countless thoughts emerged.

Surveillance?

Why didn’t he notice it beforehand?

What if the surveillance captured him stepping back?

No, if there was video evidence, why would Li Yuan be so worried?

“……”

Pei Yi stared at the subtle changes that came over Pei Huan in just a few seconds, and knew there must be something wrong. “Lie!”

The lounge was monitored, but the angle might not have been able to capture everything.

The reason he brought up “surveillance” was to deceive Pei Huan into reacting. No matter how well the other party hid it, his fearful reaction to the unknown evidence was still there.

At this moment, everyone’s eyes were on Pei Huan.

Pei Huan took a tight breath and argued loudly, “I didn’t! How could I be lying?”

Qin Yishun’s unfathomable eyes shifted from Pei Yi’s face to look at Pei Huan. He had seen through the latter’s character earlier than anyone present, and asked in a deep voice, “Then why do you look guilty?”

Pei Huan’s body went rigid, and his voice quivered, “Da-ge! I know you prefer Xiao Yi, but how can you doubt me because of his illegible accusation?”

“I have always seen you and Grandpa as family, what good does this accident do me? I don’t have any blood relationship with you, so I deserve to be blamed?”

Pei Huan was red-eyed and unwilling, as if he had been greatly wronged. 

“As family?”

Qin Yishun could hear Pei Huan sneakily changing conceptions, and wasn’t fooled at all. “When you pushed Pei Yi down the stairs when you were young, did you ever think of him as family?”

“……”

Pushed him down the stairs?

Learning this for the first time, Pei Yi’s eyes shifted slightly, and a terrible guess flashed through his mind.

Qin Yishun continued to speak, “When you colluded with Bo Guancheng to bring Pei Yi to Sun Yelong’s room, did you ever think of him as family?”

“Pei Huan, you have been raised to be ruthless and ungrateful since you were a child, and you only know how to please the old man and look good on the surface!”

“The old man’s accident doesn’t do you any good, but you blame all these trumped up charges on Li Yuan? Why should he carry the pot?”

Qin Yishun questioned him calmly and forcefully, leaving Pei Huan speechless.

Pei Yi’s eyes brightened slightly, and he wished he could jump up and applaud—

Sure enough, this was the “brother-con” that fans of the original text unanimously recognized. When it came to related incidents, his fighting power was simply off the charts!

“…….”

Pei Huan’s breathing was a little disordered, and he subconsciously cast a helpless look at An Yang.

Listening in a daze, An Yang felt the child call to her for help for the first time, and her heart fluttered.

She hastened agitatedly to Pei Huan’s side. “What was it you said, Mr. Yan? There is a high probability that the old man has a heart problem. What matters here is Old Mr. Pei’s situation, why are you making nonsense accusations?”

Deng Xiuya also defended automatically, “Yes, ah, Xiao Huan is the child we raised, he wouldn’t hurt the old man.”

Li Yuan’s heart was completely chilled by these words, and he laughed out loud. “Whether he doubted me intentionally or unintentionally just now, have you trusted me or stood up to say a word for me?”

“Xiao An.”

“Yuan.”

An Yang and Deng Xiuya spoke in unison, the former feeling guilty, and the latter blaming herself.

Li Yuan looked at his friend standing guard in front of him, and his cold heart regained a little warmth.

He patted Pei Yi on the shoulder, and took the initiative to step forward and face the wind and rain. “Whether you believe it or not, I didn’t push the old man, and I’ve never thought of hurting him!”

“Also, while everyone is here, I’ll say something for the last time—I don’t want to know whose son I am at all, and I don’t want to become some family’s young master with a false reputation!”

“Mr. Pei, Mrs. Pei, I can’t afford to pay for the birthday party you specially prepared for Pei Huan. If I didn’t have this blood relationship, I would still be a worthless, nameless child in your eyes.”

“No, Y-Yuan!”

Deng Xiuya waved her hands in a panic, wanting to touch him, but afraid of making him unhappy. “My emotions were unreasonable that day, and I didn’t speak well. Don’t…..”

Halfway through the excuses, she was stopped by the indifference in Li Yuan’s eyes. 

Li Yuan looked at An Yang, who was protecting Pei Huan again, and the last trace of nostalgia in his heart vanished completely. 

“You too, without this blood relationship, I would be worthless in your eyes.”

Identical sentences extended different meanings.

“As early as sophomore year, when you gave Pei Huan my competition proposal, you had already chosen to abandon me.”

“Since this is the case, let’s settle the accounts thoroughly. I will return Dawn Games to you, so that you can have something to give to your precious son.”

“Xiao An?”

An Yang stepped forward in a panic, and Li Yuan simply retreated. “Don’t worry, Dawn Games is in a much better state now than when I first took over. In any case, you can give it away.”

For four full years, Li Yuan felt that he had done his best! An Yang was the one who didn’t want him now!

Li Yuan gave Pei Huan a cold look, and for the first time, didn’t hide his disgust. “Pei Huan, from the day you took away my bidding proposal, you were doomed to be a despicable thief!”

“You have never been the victim of this farce! No matter how much they love and defend you, I, Li Yuan, will always hate what you have done!”

After Li Yuan said what was in his heart, he turned around and left.

Pei Yi watched his friend’s free and easy back as he left, and was sincerely happy for his disengagement.

After waiting for so long, the day of truth finally came!

“Is the competition plan he mentioned just now what I think it is?” The silent Yan Cen took two steps forward and looked at Pei Huan. “Was Yuan the real owner of that account?”

The gaze under those lenses had lost the tenderness it once had.

Pei Huan’s heart tightened, and he didn’t know how to answer. “S-Senior.”

“Don’t call me that, I can’t shoulder this address of yours!”

“…….”

Pei Huan’s face paled. He really had a crush on Yan Cen, and didn’t expect that there would come a day when he would be exposed!

Yan Cen recalled his initial admiration for the person before him, and now only found it extremely ironic. “Taking the achievements of others and discussing them with me? Blushing and talking about how hard you worked?”

Those lenses reflected a cold ruthlessness.

Yan Cen was angry at being deceived, but also annoyed at not being able to perceive people clearly.

Seeing Yan Cen’s attitude, An Yang’s heart beat like a drum. “M-Mr. Yan, was that investment competition so important?”

Yan Cen felt it was necessary for An Yang to understand how terrible this behavior was. “With Mr. Li’s ability, the spectacular content of that competition was enough for him to create ten times or a hundred times more achievements than ‘Dawn Games’ in the circle after graduation!”

Pei Ruzhang and Deng Xiuya looked at each other in blank dismay. They were completely unaware that such an incident had happened back then!

They had always thought that Pei Huan was excellent in university, but didn’t expect that his excellence came from stealing the efforts and achievements of their own son?

“Ms. An, you nearly ruined his life and his future, but now you ask him to accept everything calmly? Is this possible?”

Yan Cen threw down this heavy rhetorical question, then quickly chased after Li Yuan.

“…….”

The emergency room lights were still a blinding red, and it remained silent outside in the corridor, with an invisible pressure quietly spreading.

Bo Yueming didn’t want to stay here any longer and waste time with this bunch of irrelevant people.

He lowered his head imperceptibly and bit his kitten’s ear. “Shall we leave too?”

Warm, numbing breath entered that ear instantly.

Pei Yi unconsciously remembered the love activities before going out that morning, and his heart pounded. He even wanted to raise his head and ask for a kiss from Bo Yueming.

It was a pity that the occasion was wrong, and he still had an uncertain suspicion to voice.

Pei Yi lightly rubbed Bo Yueming’s wrist twice with his fingertips, signaling to his lover to remain calm. He walked steadily up to Pei Huan, and slowly pulled out the remaining truth from that year—

“It was you……who pushed me?”

Pei Huan’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

Qin Yishun suddenly realized that something was wrong, and quickly walked up behind his little brother. “Xiao Yi, what did you say?”

Pei Yi stared straight at Pei Huan, and affirmed his guess, “Swimming pool, he pushed.”

Back then, when the original owner fell into the swimming pool at ten years old, it was probably not an accident!