Volume One, Chapter 18: The Little Mute's Surprisingly Sharp Tongue

“If you’re afraid of the pain, hold the ice pack yourself.”

Wen Yang didn’t make a fuss. She took the ice pack silently, pressing it against her face, casually wiping away the tears she had just shed, her lips pressed tightly together.

Pei Yanchuan noticed the redness at the corners of her eyes. He turned toward the shelves and came back with a box of fruit candies.

He unwrapped one and gently pressed it against her tightly pursed lips.

Caught between opening her mouth or keeping it shut, she leaned back to avoid it and started to protest, “What are you—”

Before she could finish, the candy was already in her mouth.

The sweet flavor spread across her lips, and she stared at him in bewilderment.

Pei Yanchuan peeled one for himself too. The emotion in his eyes softened, and his usual carefree demeanor returned.

He explained seriously, “When the police arrive, if they see you crying like this next to me, they might think I’m the one who hit you.”

“If they take me in instead, wouldn’t that be unfair?”

Wen Yang was speechless.

For the rest of the time, the two sat quietly, neither speaking again.

The police arrived quickly. After Officer Xiao Yuan reported the incident, he called the nearby precinct chief responsible for local security to give a heads-up.

When the officers escorted the five thugs from the underground garage, Wen Yang and Pei Yanchuan stepped out of the convenience store and headed that way.

The blond thug was clearly beaten badly, hunched over and barely able to walk with the help of two officers.

Seeing the man who had caused his injuries only made his pain in his hands and stomach worse.

He started accusing Pei Yanchuan loudly, “Officer, he’s the one who beat me like this! You have to arrest him too!”

Wen Yang instinctively turned to look when he shouted at Pei Yanchuan.

The man himself remained nonchalant, hands in his pockets, neither denying nor responding, just crunching the candy in his mouth.

One female officer noticed the thug’s fingers were swollen, bruised, and pus-filled—a clear sign of a broken bone.

She glanced at the tall, handsome man standing before her, fearless and composed.

Unable to hold back, she asked, “Did you really do this to him?”

Wen Yang saw Pei Yanchuan make no denial. Given his nature, it was quite possible he was the culprit.

She stepped forward instinctively, placing herself between Pei Yanchuan and the officers.

Showing her bruised face and adopting a soft, wronged tone, she said, “Officer, I was the one who called the police. These thugs attacked me unprovoked in the underground parking. The gentleman behind me is just a good citizen standing up for justice.”

The female officer, naturally sympathetic to a woman, couldn’t help but feel pity when she saw the shocking injuries on Wen Yang’s face. “Alright, I understand. You both need to come to the station to give statements.”

The officers restraining the thugs tightened their grip, not allowing the troublemakers to cause any more commotion, pushing them directly into the police car.

Pei Yanchuan, hailed as the “good citizen who stood up for justice,” lowered his eyes to look at Wen Yang standing in front of him, his gaze lingering on her silky, thick hair.

Whether amused by the title or intrigued by this new side of her acting skills, he raised an eyebrow and leaned toward her ear, speaking sincerely as if praising her, “Seems the little mute is quite articulate after all.”

…

“Master Pei, your water.”

Director Song sat in the interrogation room with a smiling face, careful not to offend the young master before him.

He had been nearly scared to death when he received a call late at night saying that the young master of the Pei family had been taken to the police station.

The Pei family’s status was such that when they stamped their feet in Xuancheng, even this small precinct would tremble.

Fortunately, the trouble was not caused by the young master. After investigation, it turned out those thugs had provoked trouble first.

These men had been arrested not long ago for causing disturbances, and now that they were out, they were causing problems again. Naturally, they would be held longer and had nothing to do with the young master.

Wen Yang sat to the side while the police station’s medical staff treated her wounds. After icing, the ointment made her face feel much better.

But though her face felt better, her heart did not.

She glanced silently at the young master, who sat with one leg crossed, leisurely sipping tea.

She should have known his backing was strong, yet she had still confronted him in a show of defiance.

Noticing her gaze, Pei Yanchuan looked at her meaningfully, then smirked and drawled, “Director Song, as a good citizen who stood up for justice, may I leave now?”

Director Song wiped the sweat from his face and replied with certainty, “Of course. You cooperated fully with our investigation, so you’re free to go.”

Wen Yang was speechless.

Once her facial wounds were mostly treated, Pei Yanchuan stood and left. He waited outside the interrogation room for a long time but Wen Yang didn’t follow.

“Thank you, doctor,” Wen Yang said as she stood and expressed her gratitude.

Noticing that the young master had already left, she didn’t rush to leave. Instead, she approached the officer compiling the record. “Excuse me, did you find my phone on any of them?”

The officer shook his head.

Only then did Pei Yanchuan remember he still had a phone in his pocket. He put his hands in his pockets and was about to call her back in.

But before he could, Wen Yang continued, “My phone has photos and a recording. My brother secretly installed surveillance in the bathroom at home.”

“I was so angry I hit him. To retaliate, he sent those thugs today to bully me.”

“If I get my phone back and report this, would this evidence be enough to put him in jail?”

The officer seemed surprised by this backstory and looked at her with some sympathy. “It depends on the situation. If the evidence is solid, he might be detained or face criminal charges.”

Pei Yanchuan stopped in his tracks, having listened to the entire explanation. His usual lazy demeanor shifted, and the hand clutching the phone in his pocket tightened unconsciously.