Jealousy

Shen Muwen had actually been right. That group's next target really was Pei Song'an.

Promote a harmonious society-they taught that in elementary school politics class!

Danger, danger, danger!

Li Shu stood directly beneath the security camera, his handsome, fair face turned toward the sunlight, his lips pale. He looked down at his phone, then quickly grew inexplicably wary and turned his head to look around.

Zhaocai copied Li Shu and swung his head around too, only to shake it twice so hard that he lost his balance, his body tilting as his little head rammed into Li Shu's calf.

For a moment, the puppy's yapping mingled with Li Shu's cries of "Ow, ow!"

Shen Muwen watched Li Shu with interest. Every child who grew up in the Pei family was shrewd enough to practically dissect every syllable of every word in a sentence, so naturally, he soon noticed something was off.

"Who messaged you?"

Li Shu turned his head, not wanting to tell him at all. "No one!"

Shen Muwen wasn't annoyed. Instead, his tone shifted. "Has Pei Song'an always been like this?"

Li Shu said, "Like what?"

Shen Muwen suddenly fell silent, his dark gaze carrying a probing scrutiny that was hard to read.

Normally, when Pei Song'an came up out of nowhere, most people would say, "Why bring him up?" rather than continue the conversation.

Seeing Shen Muwen's expression, Li Shu immediately realized he'd been baited. He narrowed his eyes, looking displeased. "I really can't beat you Pei family people at your games. I've got things to do. Go drop dead."

But the moment he turned around, his phone rang.

He had nothing to hide, so he answered readily. "Pei Song'an, are you done over there already? I'm walking over with Zhaocai. We'll be there soon."

Sitting in his car, Pei Song'an watched Li Xiaoshu walking the puppy across the road, a trace of forcefulness in his voice. "Why didn't you answer my messages?"

"Ha! You can't blame me this time." Li Shu looked thoroughly proud of himself. "I just did something big."

Pei Song'an took it upon himself to put himself first. "Really? What could be so big that you forgot about me?"

*???*

What was this guy talking about?

A little strange. Better keep listening.

At a loss, Li Shu didn't know what to say. Just as he was about to make some noncommittal sound, Shen Muwen's voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Is that my big brother? Big brother, Li Shu just saved me out of his strong sense of justice. I'd be dead without him."

Li Shu waved Shen Muwen away in utter disdain.

Shoo, shoo, shoo.

What's this got to do with you?

Pei Song'an automatically ignored Shen Muwen's antics. "I'm right across the road. Wait for me to come get you."

Li Shu replied naturally, "No need. It's two steps away. I could get there with my eyes closed."

That was what Li Shu thought at first, but he really hadn't expected Shen Muwen to have the nerve to tag along. Especially when the two brothers appeared in his line of sight, one cold-faced and the other smiling, all Li Shu could do was fold his arms and look at the sky.

Fortunately, Shen Muwen didn't say anything else. "Big brother, can you give me a lift?"

Pei Song'an's gaze lingered briefly on the wound on Shen Muwen's face. "Sit in the back with the dog."

Shen Muwen smiled, but there was little warmth in his eyes.

The brothers, whom he'd expected to clash immediately, were surprisingly harmonious instead. Sitting in the passenger seat, Li Shu rubbed his eyes and had just let his guard down-

"Does this count as stealing someone's love, big brother? I heard you were so eager to get closer to Li Shu that you rushed to become his big brother. By that logic, Li Shu has to call me big brother too!"

"If it were anyone else, I'd certainly have to think it over, but not Li Xiaoshu. He saved my life. Even if he wanted to be called Pei Xiaoshu, I'd agree."

Shen Muwen was as flippant as ever, speaking as though he might not live to see tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Pei Song'an neither answered nor expressed an opinion, treating him as though he were invisible.

Li Shu couldn't help marveling to the system, "The male lead really is something else. All hell's breaking loose over there, and he's still perfectly composed here. Such poise! I'm truly impressed!"

The system glanced at the slightly bulging vein at Pei Song'an's temple and hesitated to speak.

After a few remarks, Shen Muwen lost interest and stopped talking. Turning away, he tickled the puppy's nose with a blade of grass he'd produced from who knew where. Zhaocai sneezed several times, then angrily bit two holes in Shen Muwen's cuff.

Only after Shen Muwen got out did the strange atmosphere in the car slowly ease a little.

"So Shen Muwen was the reason you didn't answer my messages."

Pei Song'an sounded certain, his voice flat as he passed a death sentence without warning.

Li Shu said, "No, I..."

Fine, fine, fine. The atmosphere had eased, but Pei Song'an clearly had no intention of letting him off.

"Why did you save him?" Pei Song'an pressed relentlessly. "Is saving him part of your code of conduct too?"

"Of course not!"

"I only stuck my nose in because he's your brother!"

Pleased by Li Shu's decisive, affirmative answer, Pei Song'an let the corners of his tense lips curve upward slightly. "So can I take that to mean you saved him for me?"

Li Shu said, "?"

Huh? Was that what he'd been thinking when he saved him?

His gaze settled on Pei Song'an's taut profile. Those narrow, deep-set eyes always seemed to betray a faint air of coldness and distance.

According to Pei Song'an himself, his parents had neglected him as he grew up. His craving for touch and his constant need to confirm Li Shu's intentions were really indirect ways of looking for proof that someone was giving something to him.

At that thought, Li Shu sucked in a cold breath.

With a sensitive status like the Crown Prince's, the people around him were surely much like those in the dramas his mother watched, with money-grubbing snobs as numerous as ants.

So was Pei Song'an treating him so well because he thought he, Li Xiaoshu, was simple and dependable!?

But when Li Shu thought of the system he carried, his heart sank again.

He was no different. If Pei Song'an eventually found out he was no good either, would he be terribly disappointed...?

Those two seconds of Li Shu's wandering thoughts sent the Crown Prince's defenses crumbling on the spot.

"Is it that hard to answer?" Pei Song'an gave a self-mocking laugh. "I was flattering myself."

Li Shu's little radar immediately kicked in. Thinking of the important plot point the system had alerted him to, he hurriedly said, "Of course I did it for you. Besides, think about it. That group cornered Shen Muwen today. Tomorrow, it could be you. Pei Song'an, you really have to be careful."

Pei Song'an said, "Oh. Got it."

Seeing that he wasn't taking it seriously, Li Shu reached out and patted his shoulder. "What do you mean, 'oh'? I'm talking about that group who beat up Shen Muwen..."

Pei Song'an stopped the car. "Does the name Shen Muwen roll off your tongue that easily?"

Li Shu didn't understand, but answered politely, "Not as easily as Pei Song'an."

Satisfied, Pei Song'an said, "Mm. Get out."

Only when he pushed open the car door did Li Shu realize that Pei Song'an had just been sulking. He slapped his forehead, a little speechless.

"Come on, big brother. Which of us is the baby here?"

Pei Song'an's eyes darkened slightly, showing none of the shame or embarrassment an adult should have had. "You're the baby. A good baby."

Li Shu said, "..."

Ahaha. He'd lost it.

Pei Song'an really was a bit of a freak...