Chapter 129: Thorns All Over
But this time, his silent profile and lowered eyes were like an ice-cold wall, blocking out all her expectations and dependence.
He didn't even look at her.
A chill, colder than the ice spikes in December, suddenly pierced Luo Zhaohan's heart.
She felt dizzy, her legs went weak and she could hardly stand.
She could only bite her lower lip hard, tasting a faint smell of blood, to barely maintain the last bit of her shaky dignity and not burst into tears on the spot.
Old Madam Pei stopped twisting her Buddhist beads, and her eyes swept across Luo Zhaohan's tearful face. She glanced at her son who seemed indifferent, and her brows furrowed even tighter.
Obviously, he was somewhat dissatisfied with Pei Ji's silence.
At this moment, Pei Ji, who had been sitting quietly like an outsider, suddenly raised his head.
His action was not abrupt, but like a stone thrown into stagnant water, it instantly caught everyone's attention.
He didn't look at Luo Zhaohan, nor at his mother. His deep eyes swept across everyone in the hall, finally landing on the butler Pei Zhong.
"Mother, calm down. The loss of a family heirloom is a serious matter. I'm afraid interrogating here alone will yield little results."
"Since the bracelet was lost in the inner courtyard, why not... immediately dispatch someone to thoroughly search every courtyard. All courtyards, including the 'Zhu Yi Xuan' where Zhao Han is temporarily staying, must be treated equally and thoroughly investigated inside and out."
"boom--!"
Pei Ji's words were like a thunderclap, exploding directly in Luo Zhaohan's ears.
Search Zhuyixuan!
Search? Treat everyone equally? Ha! How could this be a search for a bracelet? This was clearly an attempt to prove, in front of everyone in the mansion, that Luo Zhaohan was the suspected thief! They were tearing off the last bit of her dignity and throwing her on the ground for everyone to trample on!
And he, Pei Ji, the person she thought she would rely on, the first person she looked at when she was full of grievances, actually handed over the knife that humiliated her with his own hands!
She suddenly looked up and stared at Pei Ji in disbelief.
Mrs. Pei obviously did not expect her son to make such a ruthless suggestion. She looked at Luo Zhaohan's pale face, frowned even tighter, and stopped twisting the Buddhist beads.
Everyone in the hall even breathed softly, watching their eyes and noses, and the atmosphere was extremely depressing.
At this moment, a large hand with distinct joints, perfectly concealed by the wide sleeves, reached out extremely quickly.
The force was so strong that it even hurt her finger bones.
Luo Zhaohan's whole body trembled violently, as if he was hit by an electric current.
He turned his head slowly and looked in the direction of the hand.
My sight suddenly met a pair of eyes as deep as pools.
Pei Ji still maintained his previous posture, with his side face facing his mother in the main seat. He didn't even look at her, as if the movement under his sleeve had nothing to do with him at all.
However, the moment Luo Zhaohan's gaze met his profile, his eyes turned very slightly towards her.
That look!
Luo Zhaohan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and then began beating wildly.
It was no longer the indifference that she had just shown in the hall, nor was it the cold and cruel look that she had imagined.
There was something extremely complicated surging in those dark eyes.
Why?
What exactly does he want to do?
"Search all the courtyards?" Old Madam Pei spoke slowly, her voice low. "Ji'er, do you know what you're saying? If this gets out, will the Pei family's reputation be ruined?"
She turned her gaze to the pale-faced Luo Zhaohan. Although she was doubtful, she also had a hint of consideration. "After all, Zhaohan is..."
"Mother,"
Pei Ji's voice sounded steady. He leaned slightly, finally looking directly up at his mother, his posture respectful, his eyes firm. "Precisely because this matter involves a Pei family heirloom, and even more so, Zhao Han's reputation, a thorough investigation is necessary, with no room for ambiguity. If we simply interrogate, it will only be a verbal dispute, and it will be difficult to convince the public. Only with irrefutable evidence can we silence the gossips, clear the innocent, and ensure that the person who truly did this has nowhere to hide."
He spoke the last few words very slowly, and his eyes seemed to accidentally sweep over his great aunt Pei Shuqin who was waving a round fan.
Mrs. Pei was choked by his words.
Her son's words were reasonable and powerful, and he even emphasized the word "reputation", which made her unable to refute.
After pondering for a moment, he sighed deeply: "Forget it! Since you insist on doing this..."
She turned to the butler Pei Zhong, who was standing by with his hands hanging down, and said sternly, "Pei Zhong! You must personally lead your men and do this immediately! Start by searching Songhe Hall! Don't leave any place out! And..."
After a pause, his gaze finally landed on Luo Zhaohan, with a complex and indescribable emotion, "Be careful over there at Zhu Yixuan as well, don't disturb the young lady, but don't miss any places that need to be checked!"
"Yes! Madam!" Pei Zhong was startled and quickly bowed in response, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
The round fan in Pei Shuqin's hand tapped lightly against the armrest of the chair with a "click".
Her eyebrows raised slightly, and she pursed her red lips, as if she wanted to say something, but when her eyes met Pei Ji's cold and calm face, she swallowed her words back and just tightened her fingers silently on the fan handle.
The air in the hall seemed to have been sucked out.
Pei Zhong, along with a few trusted stewards and servants, retreated cautiously. The heavy footsteps gradually faded away, and every step seemed to be stepping on the heart of the people.
Those who stayed behind, whether they were masters or servants, held their breath and concentrated.
Luo Zhaohan stood there, feeling as if his soul had been pulled out of his body.
She didn't know how to react. Should she cry? Should she argue? Should she get angry? All her emotions seemed to be trapped within her body by the hand that still held her tightly.
Pei Ji.
What was he waiting for? The results of the search? Or...
Time has never felt so long and unbearable.
At this moment, a burst of hurried and slightly messy footsteps came from afar, breaking the silence and heading straight for the flower hall.
Everyone in the hall's gaze was instantly drawn towards the door as if drawn by a magnet.
Even Madam Pei suddenly opened her eyes, and a sharp light shot out from her cloudy eyes.
Butler Pei Zhong appeared at the door, his steps hurried, his expression peculiar. He even forgot to greet her, his voice trembling with breathlessness as he hurriedly reported, "Madam! Second Master! We've searched Songhe Hall, but nothing! We also searched Eldest Aunt's 'Tingyu Pavilion,' but nothing!"
He took a breath and quickly glanced at Pei Shuqin, whose expression instantly turned extremely ugly. Then, as if mustering up a huge amount of courage, he turned his gaze to Luo Zhaohan and continued in a difficult voice, "Finally... we searched Zhu Yixuan..."
Luo Zhaohan's heart suddenly rose to his throat, and the hand that Pei Ji was holding subconsciously clenched back, his nails almost digging into his palm.
She could even feel Pei Ji's fingers moving slightly under her force, but he still didn't let go.
Pei Zhong swallowed his saliva and, despite the immense pressure, finally revealed the earth-shattering result: "In the outer courtyard of Zhuyi Pavilion, under the mattress of Xiaoju, the maid who was in charge of sweeping and cleaning... I found it!"
"Found it?" Madam Pei sat up straight in her armchair, her voice rising in disbelief. "Under a maid's mattress?"
"Yes, old lady!" Pei Zhong bowed hurriedly, sweat pouring down his forehead. "I saw it with my own eyes! The bracelet was wrapped in a piece of coarse cloth and stuffed right at the bottom. We caught her red-handed! Xiaoju is paralyzed with fear, and the maids are watching her!"
"You bastard!" Old Madam Pei was furious. She slammed the Buddhist beads in her hand on the small rosewood table next to her, making a crisp "pa" sound.
"A servant girl? How could she get into the inner room? How did she know where the bracelet was? Where did she get the courage?" A series of angry scoldings fell like hail, and her eyes were like a poisoned knife, shooting fiercely at the shaky Pei Shuqin!
The suspicion and anger in his eyes could almost see through people!
The moment Mrs. Pei's poisonous gaze came at Pei Shuqin, she felt as if she was hit hard by an invisible hammer and suddenly jumped up from the chair.
"Mother! Why are you looking at me like that?" Her voice was sharp and shrill, filled with fear and cowardice. "Do you suspect I was the one who ordered it? I...how could I do such a thing? That's my Pei family's heirloom! Am I crazy?"
She waved her arms in panic, trying to explain, but her eyes darted around like a frightened rabbit, and she didn't dare to meet Madam Pei's sharp gaze.
Mrs. Pei didn't speak immediately, but just stared at her coldly. The air in the hall seemed frozen, and even her breath was filled with icy particles.
At this moment, Pei Ji, who had been silent all the time, finally moved.
He turned around. The hand that had been tightly gripping Luo Zhaohan loosened very naturally under the cover of his sleeve.
Luo Zhaohan felt her hands go empty, and the warm power that had supported her for a long time suddenly disappeared, making her heart feel empty as well. She subconsciously looked up at him.
Pei Ji's gaze did not fall on his sister who had lost her composure, nor did he look at his angry mother, but fell directly on Luo Zhaohan's face.
His thin lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just looked at her deeply.
That glance seemed to contain thousands of words, but also seemed to be just a silent confirmation of her existence.
…
Amidst the buzzing and whimpering sounds, Pei Ji frowned, stretched out his big hand, and pulled his little Luo Zhaohan, whose face had turned pale with fear, behind him to protect him.
His movements were fast and steady, and Luo Zhaohan was hidden in his tall back like a light leaf.
In an instant, I felt that the chaotic noise outside had subsided a lot.
But Pei Ji protected the person, but his eyes were like hooks, and they were fixed on Liu Yueli in the corner.
Liu Yueli was just standing there, as if nothing had happened.
All around were the screams of gambling clerks who had been knocked down, tables, chairs and benches toppled over, broken porcelain pieces scattered all over the floor, and the air was filled with the stench of sour wine and snacks mixed with the smell of blood, which was very choking.
The scene looked as if the place had just been robbed by bandits.
But Liu Yueli was standing just a little to the side of the center of the chaos, holding a half-eaten piece of plum cake in her hand, with a little white powdered sugar on her fingertips.
She was wearing a half-new lilac shirt, the color of which was almost washed out. Standing next to Luo Zhaohan, who was dressed in silk and satin, and Pei Ji, who had an imposing aura, she looked even more shabby.
But the strange thing was that there was no fear on her face at all.
When Pei Ji's eyes came over, Liu Yueli not only did not dodge, but raised her eyelids and met them indifferently.
"Have you seen enough, Young Master Pei?" Liu Yueli's voice was clear and cold, like a piece of ice falling to the ground, and it actually created a small piece of silence in the midst of the noise.
"I don't have the word 'troublemaker' written on my face. You're glaring at me like that. Are you planning to hide me behind you, too, or are you just an eyesore for me standing here?"
Pei Ji said nothing.
His face was already cold, and now it looked more like it was covered with frost.
Luo Zhaohan quietly poked half of his head out from behind him and looked at Liu Yueli, his face full of worry and confusion: "Sister Yueli, are you okay? I was scared to death just now..."
"What could possibly happen to me?" Liu Yueli twitched the corners of her mouth, as if she wanted to laugh, but she couldn't really laugh. Looking at Luo Zhaohan's frightened look, she swallowed the words back and said lightly, "Thanks to your future husband, you're standing here with all your strength and even got a free piece of the fun. It's a good deal."
Pei Ji's brows knitted even tighter. This woman's mouth was still as unforgiving as ever, and every word was full of thorns.
It is only natural for him to protect Luo Zhaohan.
But that critical scene just now.
A few gamblers who were desperate after losing money and wanted to cause trouble by relying on their numbers drew their weapons and rushed towards their table. When the tip of one of the knives almost glanced at the corner of Luo Zhaohan's clothes, who suddenly stretched out his foot to trip the leg of a chair that fell from the side, causing the heavy rosewood chair to change direction and hit the back of another gangster who was rushing towards them?
It’s Liu Yueli.
Her movements were so quick that it seemed as if she did it casually. Her facial expression did not change as she continued to nibble on her plum cake.
He even caught a glimpse of her holding half a piece of cake in her hand, her fingertips flicking slightly, and a small stone accurately hit the broken porcelain piece that was brushing against her cheek.
That technique revealed a sharpness and ruthlessness that ordinary girls in the boudoir would never possess.
She didn't need his protection at all.
This was what made Pei Ji most uncomfortable. This woman was clearly full of secrets and was full of thorns.
But she happens to be known as the "adopted daughter of the Luo family" and sticks to the simple and weak Zhao Han like an inconspicuous shadow. No matter how you look at her, she seems to be a huge hidden danger.
"Why are you here?" Pei Ji finally spoke, his voice low and questioning, "And you brought Zhao Han to a place like this? This is a mixed bag, is this the right place for her?"
Luo Zhaohan became anxious when she heard this, and quickly explained: "Brother Ji, don't blame Sister Yueli! It was me who insisted on going out to play. I heard that the dim sum at the newly opened Hongyunfang is delicious, so I had to try it. Sister Yueli couldn't persuade me, so she came with me!" As she spoke, her eyes turned red, and her little hands tightly grasped Pei Ji's sleeves. She was really scared and felt really guilty.
Pei Ji's eyes softened for a moment, and he patted the back of her hand to comfort her, but his gaze remained fixed on Liu Yueli. His meaning was clear: Even if Zhao Han was being willful, shouldn't you, Liu Yueli, stop him? Shouldn't you have some sense of propriety?
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