Chapter 9: A Man So Fierce He Even Curses Himself

"Very well." Old Master Pei's voice was grave. "I will grant your request. It is the Pei family who has wronged Yunzhuo, and I will make it up to her. But Xiaojin, from this day forth, the Pei family's company has nothing to do with you—not a penny, not a shred. Your name will not appear in the will I am drafting. Can you accept this?"

Hearing this, Xu Jingsi's face turned pale. She shook her head at Pei Jin, pleading, "Xiaojin, listen to your mother. Don't make a scene anymore—do as your grandfather says, won't you? You and Yunzhuo have already met the families. As for that other woman you've found, I will never approve of your being with her."

Pei Jin couldn't even be bothered to respond to Xu Jingsi. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine. I give up this engagement, and I won't take a single cent from the Pei family. I'll earn my own living through hard work. Let my elder brother have everything—what I want is freedom and the right to pursue love."

Old Master Pei regarded him deeply. "Very well. Remember your words today. If you ever come begging at the Pei family's door, I will not help you. Now go."

Pei Jin, relieved, turned to Pei Zhiyuan and Xu Jingsi. "Father, Mother, I'm sorry, but this is the life I want."

Pei Zhiyuan, livid, slapped him across the face. "Get out! The Pei family does not welcome you. Don't ever come back!"

Pei Jin lowered his head. "I'm sorry." And with no hesitation, he turned and walked away.

"Xiaojin, Xiaojin!" Xu Jingsi chased after him.

With that, the farce came to an end. Old Master Pei summoned the butler, visibly tired. "Prepare a generous gift for the Xu family tomorrow. It is we who have wronged that girl."

Grandmother Pei glanced at Xu Yunzhuo, then turned to Old Master Pei. "Now that Xiaojin is gone, we still have A'qiao. Why not substitute him in the marriage?"

"No!" Pei's mother and Old Master Pei spoke in unison.

Old Master Pei shot Pei's mother a look.

Her eyes flustered, she stammered, "That... that wouldn't be proper."

The truth was, she looked down on Xu Yunzhuo's family background.

The real daughter they found later—how much genuine affection could the Xu family have for her? She would hardly be an asset to Pei Qiaonian, more likely a burden.

But these were things she could not say aloud.

Old Master Pei cast a sidelong glance at Xu Yunzhuo. "They're not suitable. If Yunzhuo marries him, she'd only be ruined. I have no wish to bear that guilt."

Xu Yunzhuo fell silent, feeling a strange sense of guilt.

Because tomorrow, Pei Qiaonian would make her sneak out with the household register to get a marriage license.

If these two, who so vehemently opposed the idea, discovered the truth, would they go mad?

She rose gracefully and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. "I've had enough. Please, enjoy your meal."

Pei's mother breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

After Xu Yunzhuo left, she said, "Father, let's let the young people sort out their own affairs. A'qiao didn't say a word just now, which means he has no such intentions. There's no need to force him. I've already begun looking for suitable matches for him."

Old Master Pei rubbed his brow in irritation. "Do as you like. He's your son—however you manage him is your business."

A trace of awkwardness crossed Pei's mother's face as she sat meekly to the side.

Seeing this, Grandmother Pei frowned, unable to bear watching, and took Old Master Pei's arm as they left.

Thus, the dinner ended in quiet dissolution.

Grandmother Pei sighed. "Tell me, how could someone so lacking in manners have raised a genius like A'qiao? It's truly a mystery."

Old Master Pei's expression was inscrutable. "No one can compare to A'qiao's excellence. It's just a pity he didn't grow up with us. Still no news from our eldest?"

When he suddenly mentioned their long-missing eldest son, Grandmother Pei shook her head. "Nothing."

Old Master Pei snorted. "So be it. Perhaps it's for the best—we'd only have to worry that A'qiao might kill him on sight. Enough about that."

Grandmother Pei fell silent.

The subject of Pei Qiaonian's father had nearly become taboo in this household.

Meanwhile, Xu Yunzhuo was lost in the vastness of their absurdly large villa, wandering for half an hour before finally finding her own private building.

The moment she opened the door, she felt a sudden urge to pee.

She stared at the waistband of her trousers in horror.

They had been swapping bodies for a whole day, and she hadn't dared even look at Pei Qiaonian's body. Even when changing clothes, she only put on a suit, leaving the shirt underneath untouched. And now, she actually felt the urge to urinate.

Xu Yunzhuo's face was drained of color as she shakily sent a message to Pei Qiaonian.

Xu Yunzhuo: [There's something I want to tell you.]

Within seconds, he replied.

Irascible Man: [Is the family dinner over? What's going on?]

Xu Yunzhuo hesitated, staring at the chat box, regretting reaching out. She could just go and pee, couldn't she? Did she really need permission for this sort of thing?

Even if she did, Pei Qiaonian wouldn't see anything.

But embarrassment kept her from responding.

Three minutes later, Pei Qiaonian bombarded her with messages.

Irascible Man: [?]

Irascible Man: [Say something!]

Irascible Man: [Are they forcing you into an arranged marriage? Or are they trying to shove that useless Pei Jin into the company?]

Irascible Man: [Can you answer me? I'm standing at your family's gate, waiting for your reply like an idiot.]

Xu Yunzhuo: "..."

He really was the kind of man who, when angry, would even curse himself.

Right now, Pei Qiaonian stood outside the great iron gate of the Xu family villa.

He had been about to go in and face off against the fools inside.

But because of one message from Xu Yunzhuo, he had stood at the gate for ten minutes.

The problem was, she said there was something to say but left him hanging.

Just as he was about to call her with a sneer, Xu Yunzhuo's message finally arrived.

Xu Yunzhuo: [I want to pee.]

Pei Qiaonian's grip on his phone tightened, and his legs instinctively squeezed together.

He glanced down at the prominent chest, then at the long, slender legs.

A flush bloomed on his porcelain-white face, spreading up to his ears.

If she wanted to pee, didn't that mean...

His expression kept shifting.

Xu Yunzhuo messaged again: [Can I? I just wanted your permission, in case you felt I was defiling you. You know, I'm not exactly eager to look either—I'm not interested in men that way.]

His face turned even redder, until finally, he couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

He replied: [Are you disgusted with me?]

Xu Yunzhuo: [??? Don't you think you're missing the point? I said I want to pee.]

He couldn't hold back any longer and sent a voice message, his tone irritable: [Then just go pee! Keep your eyes shut. If you dare look, you're dead.]

On Xu Yunzhuo's end, there was instant, chicken-silent obedience—not even a punctuation mark in reply.

At last, she sent one final message: [I want to squat, but you don't have a squat toilet at home.]

Pei Qiaonian nearly fainted from rage. Gritting his teeth, he sent another voice message: [What man squats to pee? Stand up straight this instant!]

Xu Yunzhuo wanted to say she'd never seen how men used the bathroom, but she couldn't hold it any longer. She found a mask to cover her eyes and made her way to the restroom.

Once no further messages came from Xu Yunzhuo, Pei Qiaonian suddenly felt at peace again.

"Big sister? Are you giving a voice tutorial on how men use the bathroom? My God, when did you become so desperate? If Brother Pei Jin hears of this, would he still want you?"

A woman's startled exclamation rang out behind him.

Pei Qiaonian turned to see four people standing nearby: Father Xu, frowning; Mother Xu, her face barely concealing her distaste; Xu Muning, hands over her mouth in feigned shock; and a man whose face was unfamiliar.