No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Jiang Hua said a lot, then turned her head away emotionally, refusing to look at him. The night was as dark as ink, and the car window was like a mirror, reflecting Pei Zhan's deep features. He was driving, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but she heard Pei Zhan chuckle softly, "Hmm, I understand."

Laugh? He can actually laugh.

His indifferent attitude only fueled Jiang Hua's anger.

Ji Liangchuan no longer poses a threat to Pei Zhan.

Back at Royal Dragon Bay, Jiang Hua got out of the car angrily. Pei Zhan slowly unbuckled his seatbelt before getting out and following behind her.

Xu Qiulan held a bouquet of freshly prepared flowers in her hands. The flowers in the vase were watered with nutrient solution, which would preserve them for a long time. "Miss, you're back."

Jiang Hua stood at the door with a stern face, then suddenly remembered something. "Aunt Xu, where's that sign?"

Aunt Xu didn't immediately recall, "Brand? What brand is Miss referring to?"

Finally, Xu Ma remembered something. She looked at Pei Zhan, who had come back with Jiang Hua, and said, "That plaque has already been put in the warehouse." Seeing Jiang Hua return in this state, Xu Qiulan knew perfectly well that it seemed that Young Master Pei had angered the young lady again.

"Before dawn tomorrow, I want to see an even bigger sign standing outside my door. If I don't, none of you will receive your salaries this month."

Xu Qiulan looked at Pei Zhan with some difficulty.

Pei Zhan made no comment, simply walking past Jiang Hua with one hand in his pocket, saying, "It's alright, just do as I say."

"Ha," Jiang Hua laughed, annoyed by his nonchalant attitude. "This is my house. When did it become your place to speak?"

"Yes, as long as Mrs. Pei is happy."

"I'll take a shower first."

Pei Zhan walked into the entrance hall, took off his coat, which was taken by a maid, and went upstairs alone.

He still pretended.

As soon as Jiang Hua entered the room, she saw fresh flowers placed on the table and in various corners. She had never seen these vases before, and these flowers brought from the island—weren't they supposed to be thrown away by the servants? Why were they still here?

Jiang Hua frowned and asked in a somewhat cold tone, "Didn't you all tell me to throw it away?"

Xu Qiulan explained, "Yes, it was Young Master Pei who instructed us. After the eldest young lady went shopping with Miss Bao'er, Young Master Pei spent the afternoon pruning these flower branches and asked us to put them in a vase in the corner."

An afternoon? Wasn't Pei Zhan with Song Qingran after she left home?

Where does he find the time to do these things?

What time did he leave today?

Xu Qiulan thought for a moment and said, "Young Master Pei took care of these flowers for about two hours before leaving."

Two hours?

Jiang Hua calculated the time in her mind, which meant that Pei Zhan and Song Qingran had only stayed for less than half an hour. After receiving her call, Pei Zhan came to the First City Under Heaven.

What about the call recordings?

He deliberately recorded all the ambiguous things he said to Song Qingran and played them for her. Pei Zhan couldn't possibly be unaware that she would be angry if she heard them.

Jiang Hua was well aware of what he had done during this time. Pei Zhan had gone to great lengths to try and please her. If he were truly having an ambiguous relationship with Song Qingran behind her back, unable to let go of Song Qingran, and unable to forget Zhou Xu, then his act of placing those recordings in front of her was completely unnecessary.

But Jiang Hua was really angry at the time and didn't hear everything. Thinking back to the time he laughed in the car, she realized that it had a deeper meaning. His laughter wasn't inexplicable. She felt that Pei Zhan, this country bumpkin, was laughing at her for being stupid.

Jiang Hua gritted her teeth inwardly. No wonder he was so fearless and indifferent to her words…

Within minutes, a maid arrived carrying a huge sign and placed it at the door. "Young Miss, as you instructed, we have retrieved this sign from the storeroom."

Jiang Hua snapped out of her reverie and glanced at him with a nonchalant look. "Make sure it's set up properly. Place it in a conspicuous spot. If it gets blown away by the wind, I'll deduct 50,000 from your year-end bonus."

"Yes, Miss."

Jiang Hua has always been like this since she was a child. Many servants have left one after another because of her temper. In the end, it was Jiang Weiguo who hired servants with high salaries, otherwise, they really wouldn't have been able to stay.

When Jiang Weiguo returned from outside, Wang Qi followed behind him and immediately noticed the sign standing at the entrance: "Pei Zhan and dogs are not allowed." The words were prominently displayed.

"They argue every other day, and their relationship has only just started to improve." Jiang Weiguo shook his head helplessly.

Jiang Hua returned to her room upstairs, where her favorite bouquet of lavender had been placed. Combined with the floral essential oil, the room was filled with the scent of lavender. The sound of a man showering could be heard from the bathroom. Jiang Hua picked up a book from the bedside table and left the room.

When Pei Zhan came out, he was wearing pajamas and drying his still-wet hair. He didn't see anyone in the room, and his eyes were deep. He glanced at the study, then went to open the door, but she was still not there.

Where did she go?

Pei Zhan walked out of the room and saw a maid who happened to be passing by. Hearing the noise, the maid was startled when she met Pei Zhan's cold gaze. "Young Master Pei."

Where is Huahua?

The maid was taken aback. "I...I didn't see Miss! Didn't Miss already go back to her room?"

Pei Zhan dialed Jiang Hua's number, heard one ring, and then the call was disconnected.

Back in his study, Pei Zhan checked Jiang Hua's location and found that she was in Yulong Bay and hadn't left, but he just couldn't find her.

They asked the other servants who were always in the hall, but none of them had seen Jiang Hua go out, yet they just couldn't find her.

Xu Qiulan even went to Jiang Weiguo's study to ask about it. Jiang Weiguo's tone was unhurried as he looked at the documents and waited until Xu Qiulan left the study.

Jiang Weiguo looked at the sofa on the side and said, "If we don't get out soon, Pei Zhan is going to tear down Yulong Bay."

Jiang Hua lay flat on the sofa, holding a book in her hand. "Let him flip it over. Who told him to be so capable? Even Aunt Xu has to watch her face. After he flips it over, he can go find his Xiao Ran." She finished speaking in a nonchalant tone and turned another page of the book.

"dad."

Jiang Weiguo: "Hmm?"

Do you think I'm smart?

Jiang Weiguo paused for a moment, then said with amusement, "Why would you ask such a question out of the blue?"

Jiang Hua held the book to her chest and looked at the ceiling above her head. "I think Pei Zhan laughed at me today." She told Pei Zhan everything that had happened between them before she came back, including the contents of the recording.

Jiang Weiguo is now semi-retired, with nothing much to do but occasionally handle company matters. However, he never inquires too much about Pei Zhan's affairs. Such a person is extremely secretive, and Huahua is indeed somewhat inferior in front of him. He knows his own daughter well; she is straightforward, quick to anger, and rarely thinks things through.

Pei Zhan is different. Even if a smart person thinks three steps ahead for every one step they take, Pei Zhan thinks ten steps ahead for every one step he takes. Even after taking ten steps, what he wants will never escape his control. He is good at scheming and using everything around him to achieve his goals.

As for Huahua… perhaps when Pei Zhan was meticulously planning and taking steps to get closer to the Jiang family for the sake of the Zhou family, Huahua had already become his prey, a pawn in his game, as had Jiang Weiguo himself…

But no one expected that his daughter, just as he was about to devise a plan to get rid of Jiang Hua, had unknowingly become an uncontrollable variable.

It succeeded; the only path that deviated from his control.

Some things are better left unsaid for the rest of our lives.

"When you throw a tantrum, you act recklessly, just like your mother. It's hereditary, and I can't blame you for not being able to change it. As for whether you're smart or not... it depends on where you focus your attention. Pei Zhan is quick-witted and good at business. You... at least you inherited your mother's jewelry restoration skills. Although you're not as good as Pei Zhan, you're not bad either."

"I'll remind Aunt Xu when I get back that no matter how beneficial Pei Zhan is to the Jiang family, she can't forget that you'll be the master of this house from now on."

"He went to see Song Qingran alone and said these ambiguous things. In his opinion, it must have been for no reason. If he really didn't care about you, he wouldn't have honestly told you about those conversations."

“Actually, Dad has told you many times that losing your temper won’t solve anything.”

"We can take this opportunity to ask Pei Zhan about his purpose, just in case... he has something he wants to tell you."

Jiang Hua: "Did your mother hit Pei Zhan like I did? Did she ever hit you?"

"During your time abroad, your mother's emotions were extremely unstable. It was only after she got married that she gradually calmed down. She was also very intelligent. During her time studying abroad, she had an almost photographic memory for words." Jiang Weiguo seemed to recall some memories, those beautiful memories surfacing in his mind.

“When I was pregnant with you, your mother and I both thought about your future and hoped that you could have an easier life.”

"I still remember your mother's requirements from back then. The first was that he had to be good-looking, with features that matched yours. The second was whether he could be a good match for Jiang Hua and provide you with excellent conditions, including his character."

"What about his character? Didn't Mom even consider his character?!"

"What if he's a scoundrel? Didn't Mom think about that?"

"Hmm...you know what," Jiang Weiguo chuckled again, "later, all the previous requirements were changed..."

"What did you change it to?" Jiang Hua stood up, resting her chin on the edge of the sofa, her hands draped over her shoulders, like a lazy cat, with what looked like a tail wagging behind her.

"It's not important. I can only say that your father has fulfilled your mother's request."

"Pei Zhan's treatment of you is at least commendable."

"It's better than Dad."

“Who said that…” Jiang Hua got off the sofa and hugged her father’s neck. “Pei Zhan is no match for Dad. When Dad was young, he was much better looking than Pei Zhan.”

"It's even prettier than Ye Bai."

"Mom likes you, which means Mom has excellent taste." And that Huo Tingshan, he's not even as good as one of his fingers. With so many women around him, whoever is with him is truly unlucky.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go back and get some rest."

"After reading these documents, Dad should go to sleep."

"Then I'll stay here with you." She didn't want to see him right now, so Jiang Hua walked to the sofa and continued reading the book she hadn't finished.

Just as Jiang Hua sat down, the study door was suddenly opened, and the person who barged in immediately locked onto her with sharp eyes.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Jiang."

Jiang Weiguo: "You came faster than I expected."

"What are you doing! What are you doing!"

Pei Zhan grabbed Jiang Hua's hand, and seeing her resistance, he simply picked her up and carried her back to his bedroom.

Pei Zhan placed her on the bed and made her sit up. The two were locked in a stalemate for a while, but in the end, Pei Zhan gave in. He knelt down on one knee in front of her and said, "Kagher went to the accident site and found that the phone was crushed and the recordings were not backed up. I can only recover the previous information."

"You can look at it." Pei Zhan handed the new phone to her.

Jiang Hua scoffed, "No way, I wouldn't dare go through President Pei's phone. What if I don't find anything and you laugh at me again?"

"I'm not as smart as your Xiao Ran."

"I went to take a shower."

As Jiang Hua stood up, still feeling resentful, she kicked him in the back. The man swayed, lost his balance, and fell to his knees. Jiang Hua leaned forward and put her arm around his shoulder. "Honey, I think... you look much cooler kneeling than standing."

Jiang Hua's voice, unusually gentle towards Pei Zhan, was sharp as a blade in every word.

When Jiang Hua came out of the bathroom, Pei Zhan was still in the same position. Jiang Hua sat in front of the dressing table, leisurely applying a face mask. Remembering something, she picked up her phone, took a picture of herself, and made a peace sign with her hand next to her face. In the corner of the photo, Pei Zhan's shadow was faintly visible; apart from not being able to see his face clearly, anyone would know it was him.

Jiang Hua rested her head on her hand, as if she were typing. After she finished, she walked to the bedside, sat down, crossed her legs, and kicked his chest with her toe. "Pei Zhan, are you used to being treated like a dog in my house? Why are you so obedient!"

"Mrs. Pei is the best at taming people."

"Do you like it?" The man's deep voice carried an overwhelming aura. He curled his lips into a smile, but his entire being exuded aggression.

Jiang Hua saw the danger in his eyes. Her gaze darted away, and she put her leg down to get up. "This is boring."

Just as she was about to run away, a hand swiftly pulled her back, and the face mask that Jiang Hua had just applied for two minutes fell off immediately.

The two tossed and turned in bed all night, and Jiang Hua was almost half dead. Her hands were too weak to support her on the edge of the bed, and she slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.

He seemed refreshed and got up early.

In the afternoon, Jiang Hua was taken to the First City Under Heaven by him again. She thought Pei Zhan wanted to teach her those magic tricks, but unexpectedly, Pei Zhan took her to the shooting range...