Pei Cheng let Mother Pei lose her temper for a long while before he finally raised his eyes and said calmly, "This is the Jiang household. Has Mother forgotten that walls have ears?"
Mother Pei reflexively covered her mouth. After she came to her senses, she awkwardly released her hand, pretended nothing had happened, and said with forced calm, "Your father has not received any reply from you. These past few days he has been in a thundering rage at home. If I had not held him back, he likely would have come with me to the Jiang family today to look for you."
Knowing that Pei Cheng had been afraid of Father Pei since childhood, Mother Pei deliberately brought up Father Pei in front of him.
Pei Cheng gave a cold "Oh."
Pei Cheng's even colder attitude made Mother Pei all the more disappointed. She tried hard to conceal the incomprehension and doubt in her eyes. "Cheng'er, why did you not bring Yanzhi to see me?"
The turmoil in Pei Cheng's heart had already completely returned to calm. Mother Pei's behavior had thoroughly extinguished the last bit of hope remaining in the depths of his heart.
"It is still inconvenient for Yanzhi to meet you right now." Pei Cheng lowered his eyes and said perfunctorily, "The Second Master called for me earlier. If Mother has no other business, I…"
Before Pei Cheng finished speaking, he heard Mother Pei interrupt him impatiently: "What could that sickly weakling possibly need you to do? Pei Cheng, can it be that after marrying into the Jiang family, you truly intend to ignore the Pei family completely?"
Pei Cheng could not control himself and stood up, his body leaning slightly forward, the whites of his eyes tinged with blood. But in the next second, he released the hand that had been tightly gripping the chair. His tone carried fury as he shouted low, "When Mother urged me to agree to the Jiang family's marriage proposal, it was not so that I would help the Pei family!"
Mother Pei felt no guilt; instead, she looked at Pei Cheng reproachfully. "Is this the answer you give me? Pei Cheng, you have disappointed me—and the Pei family—too much."
Pei Cheng was so angry he could not speak.
What else could he say?
From the moment he was born, he had been destined never to be favored with his father's high hopes like his eldest brother, nor to be cherished in his mother's palms like his little sister.
Pei Cheng lowered his head. The fine strands of hair at his forehead hid the look in his eyes. His already fair complexion, for some reason, seemed a little deathly pale.
Seeing this, Mother Pei thought Pei Cheng was afraid. She gave a cold snort, finally salvaging a bit of face.
The tightly closed room door was lightly knocked from outside. Mother Pei and Pei Cheng instinctively looked toward the door. Pei Cheng said, "Who is it?"
Through the door, Qiuyi said, "Second Young Madam, Madam Pei, it is almost time for the midday meal. Where would the two of you like to dine?"
Pei Cheng did not make a sound. He currently had no desire to continue facing Mother Pei; he needed to be alone and quiet for a while.
Perhaps Mother Pei saw what Pei Cheng was thinking, for she said irritably, "You are, after all, a child who came out of the Pei family. In ordinary days, if you have nothing to do, come home and visit from time to time. As a person, you should not forget your roots."
Pei Cheng was unwilling to continue arguing with her, so he gave an assent.
Mother Pei thought he was afraid of her and said with satisfaction, "I will go back first. Think it over carefully these next few days. Also, next time you come back, remember to bring Yanzhi to visit. Your father has not yet seen Yanzhi."
The corners of Pei Cheng's mouth curled into a cold, mocking smile. "True. Yanzhi is already four years old, and he still has not met my father or my elder brother. If people heard, it would be shameful."
Mother Pei fell silent in that instant.
"Think about it more these next few days. I am going back." Perhaps because Pei Cheng's words had stirred a bit of guilt in her, Mother Pei said nothing more and hurriedly left after dropping that one sentence.
After Mother Pei left, Pei Cheng soon left the room as well.
Qiuyi, standing at the door, bowed. "Second Young Madam."
Pei Cheng glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Go back and tell Hu Xiayun: next time, do not stretch her hand too far."
The smile hanging on Qiuyi's face froze.
