Chapter 39: Generously Choosing Not to Hold It Against You

Pei Baoyuan was jolted awake by a frantic knocking at her door. Confused, she noticed the deep night outside; a quick glance at her phone confirmed it was well past midnight. Who could possibly be knocking at this hour? She shook her head, trying to clear the fog, and walked toward the door.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

"Boss? Boss, are you in there?"

Pei Baoyuan flung the door open, leaving the person outside with his hand frozen in mid-air, looking rather awkward.

"May I ask who you are?" Pei Baoyuan asked.

The man took a step back, scratched the back of his head, and said, "Miss Pei, hello. My name is Xun Feng. I’m one of the Boss’s subordinates—oh, my boss is Ke Xianbai. Something sudden happened over in Hong Kong City, and I couldn't get through on his phone. Dr. Xu mentioned he might be here, so I apologize for the intrusion."

Pei Baoyuan understood immediately, then said with regret, "He went out tonight. I don't know where he is right now."

Xun Feng looked embarrassed. "Would it be too much trouble if you tried calling him, Miss Pei?"

Pei Baoyuan didn't understand why Xun Feng thought she would have better luck than him—as if Ke Xianbai would definitely pick up just because she was the one calling. Nevertheless, she gestured for him to come in while she went to the bedroom to retrieve her phone.

Xun Feng stood in the living room, feeling a bit restless. He had thought Dr. Xu was joking, but it turned out the Boss really was staying at Miss Pei’s place. It seemed the Boss’s years of unrequited love were finally about to bear fruit.

When Pei Baoyuan returned, she found Xun Feng standing stiffly in the living room, a cryptic, slightly smug smile on his face. He looked rather roguish. *Like boss, like subordinate,* she thought.

Not expecting him to answer, she dialed the number and put it on speaker. To her surprise, the phone was picked up after only a single ring, as if Ke Xianbai had been hovering right beside it. Noticing the knowing look in Xun Feng’s eyes, Pei Baoyuan felt a wave of irritation.

She remained silent, and Ke Xianbai sounded anxious on the other end. "Yuanbao? What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

Pei Baoyuan glanced at Xun Feng, feeling a bit self-conscious, and turned off the speakerphone. "Your subordinate couldn't reach you, so he found his way to my place. You can talk to him yourself." She handed the phone to Xun Feng and retreated to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Ke Xianbai kept many secrets. Since he didn't want her involved, she decided it was better to steer clear. As she leaned against the kitchen island, the muffled, disjointed sound of Xun Feng and Ke Xianbai’s conversation drifted toward her.

Though the details were unclear, Pei Baoyuan possessed a unique advantage: the "bullet comments" that appeared in her mind.

*Ke Yichen was attacked and shot twice. Old Man Ke has been hanging on by a thread with nutritional fluids for years. Is the battle for the Ke family inheritance in Hong Kong City going to start early?*

*Ke Yichen is purely a thief crying "stop thief." He can't reach his hands into the Imperial Capital, so he’s forcing Ke Xianbai to go back, hoping to catch him in a trap.*

*Actually, I’d rather watch the Hong Kong City plotline. These melodramatic romantic entanglements in the capital are so boring.*

*Oh my god, is Ke Xianbai going back? I just stopped being a fan of the male lead falling for the male supporting character—don’t go back to Hong Kong City just to be killed by your big brother!*

*It’s not necessarily his big brother. There are four children in the Ke family; they probably all wish the others were dead.*

After the call, Xun Feng respectfully placed the phone on the island. "Thank you, Miss Pei. I’ll take my leave now. Sorry to have bothered you."

"Wait," Pei Baoyuan asked, "Are you going to find Ke Xianbai now?"

Xun Feng nodded.

Pei Baoyuan said, "Wait a moment. Let me change, and I’ll go with you."

Xun Feng replied, "…Very well."

...

Half an hour later, Xun Feng drove Pei Baoyuan to one of the trendiest bars in the Imperial Capital. The neon lights outside were so dazzling they made her squint, and the world inside was even more dizzying—a sea of people, drinks, and hedonism. The thumping electronic music made her ears ring.

Xun Feng led her through the chaotic main hall and pushed open a secret door in the corner. Pei Baoyuan realized then that the bar held a hidden world. A single door cut off the roar of the music.

"The Boss is just ahead, Miss Pei, please," Xun Feng said.

Pei Baoyuan followed him.

*I knew Ke Xianbai had influence in the capital. In this book, all the men except the male lead are incredibly capable.*

*Hahaha, that’s true. Let me shed a tear for the male lead first.*

Xun Feng opened a door to reveal a room full of people. Through the crowd, Pei Baoyuan spotted Ke Xianbai immediately.

"Boss, I brought Miss Pei," Xun Feng announced. Everyone in the room had heard of her name and turned to look at her with curiosity.

Feeling uncomfortable under so many gazes, Pei Baoyuan said, "Well... Xun Feng said he was coming to find you, and I was worried your wounds might have reopened. I just... I was afraid that Coco wouldn't be able to see you again, so I..."

Ke Xianbai pulled her behind Xun Feng and said softly, "I know. I promise to take good care of my wounds."

Pei Baoyuan nodded. There were too many people; it was awkward.

Ke Xianbai chuckled and patted her head. "I’ll have Zhuiyun take you to the side to rest."

Seeing they still had business to discuss, Pei Baoyuan followed a girl dressed in leather to a side area. It was partitioned by screens, and if she wanted to, she could hear everything they were saying.

Zhuiyun, the short-haired, spirited girl, brought her some snacks. "You're... Zhuiyun?" Pei Baoyuan asked.

Zhuiyun nodded. "Xun Feng is my brother. We were both picked up by the Boss when we were kids." Seeing the shock in Pei Baoyuan’s eyes, she added, "Most of the people here were helped by the Boss. He gave us a place to live and a purpose, so we all serve him willingly."

Ke Xianbai wasn't much older than her, yet he had lived through far more. Pei Baoyuan remembered seeing the scars on his back when she helped him change his dressings. "Was he... often injured in the past?"

"Yes. Hong Kong City is not like the capital. The Boss had several siblings there who were like hungry wolves. Sometimes he’d face several assassination attempts in a single day. He was surrounded by predators. He had no choice before, but once he came of age, he spent more time in the mainland."

"On one hand, the reach of those in Hong Kong City couldn't stretch this far; on the other, it gave the Boss a chance to breathe and build his own power."

Hearing this, Pei Baoyuan felt as if she were meeting Ke Xianbai for the first time. So, his childhood in Hong Kong City had been that arduous. So, the "Little Crown Prince" of Hong Kong City, whom everyone envied, had faced so many things he couldn't control.

"What are you talking about?" Ke Xianbai’s voice broke her reverie.

Zhuiyun stood up. "Boss, I was just telling Miss Pei how kind you are for giving my brother and me a home."

Ke Xianbai glanced at her, and Zhuiyun silently retreated.

"I... I thought you were angry with me earlier," Ke Xianbai said, referring to their tense parting at home.

Pei Baoyuan felt a sense of helplessness toward him, but she couldn't bring herself to be harsh. "I’m just being generous since you’re injured, so I won't hold it against you."