Feuds of the Wealthy Families

The apologetic voice of the homeroom teacher came from outside the door.

Homeroom teacher Wang Qian walked in front, her face looking a bit tense. As she led the way, she continued to explain, "Mrs. Pei, it really was a sudden situation, we sent her to the infirmary immediately..."

The woman who followed her in looked to be in her early thirties and was exceptionally well-maintained. She wore a perfectly tailored silk dress, carried a wildly luxurious Hermes bag, and had her hair pinned up meticulously.

"Chen Zhi, you go back first," Wang Qian quickly waved her hand upon seeing Chen Zhi still there. "It's fine with the teachers here."

Chen Zhi didn't say much; staying here now would just be asking for trouble. He nodded at Wang Qian, took another look at Pei Ningxue on the hospital bed who was just pulling her hand back, and turned to drag out Lin Wanwan, who was still puffing her cheeks in anger.

"Hey, slow down! My water bottle is still there!" Lin Wanwan stumbled as she was pulled.

"Forget the water, go drink the wind," Chen Zhi lowered his voice. "Couldn't you see the atmosphere was off? When gods fight, us mortals better retreat quickly."

Stepping out of the infirmary, a wave of heat hit them once again.

The two walked along the tree-lined path toward the classroom. Lin Wanwan was still grumbling, kicking a small pebble by the road. "Who was that auntie? She looked so fierce. Even though she was smiling, I felt she was really fake."

"Probably Pei Ningxue's mom," Chen Zhi said casually.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the plaza in front of the teaching building.

It was during the class break, and many students were leaning over the railings looking down. Following everyone's gaze, Chen Zhi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

A Maybach S-Class was parked brazenly right by the flower bed below the teaching building.

In this day and age, a luxury car of this caliber appearing on a junior high school campus had the visual impact of a nuclear bomb.

"Holy crap... whose car is this? That's insane!"

"Is that a Maybach? I've seen it in car magazines, it costs millions!"

The surroundings were filled with gasps and chatter.

Looking at the car, Chen Zhi only sighed inwardly. The Pei family was truly wealthy, and they truly didn't care about the impression they made. With this car parked here, the whole school would know by tomorrow that Pei Ningxue was a mega-rich second-generation heir.

...

Inside the infirmary.

Liu Yi walked to the hospital bed, the expression on her face instantly switching to a perfectly measured look of anxiety and heartache.

"Xiaoxue, how are you? Are you feeling alright?" She reached out, seemingly wanting to touch Pei Ningxue's forehead, her movements as gentle as a loving mother.

Pei Ningxue, however, acted as if startled, subconsciously shrinking back to avoid the hand.

Liu Yi's hand stiffened in mid-air for half a second before naturally retracting. She took the opportunity to tuck in the corners of Pei Ningxue's blanket, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. "You child, why didn't you tell the family earlier when you weren't feeling well? You scared Auntie to death."

Pei Ningxue lowered her head, looking at the white bedsheets, and just nodded gently without saying a word.

She was used to it.

In this family, as long as she didn't speak, she could avoid a lot of trouble.

Seeing that Pei Ningxue didn't respond, Liu Yi turned around, the smile on her face fading a bit as she looked at Wang Qian standing to the side.

"Teacher Wang, it's not that I want to criticize you," Liu Yi's voice rose a few pitches. Although it was still soft and delicate, a condescending sense of oppression instantly emerged. "Shouldn't things like military training also depend on the student's physical condition? Our Xiaoxue has been weak since she was little, and you didn't pay attention. If something really bad happened, who would take responsibility?"

Wang Qian was a responsible teacher, but facing this kind of parent, she could only offer an apologetic smile. "Mrs. Pei, this was our negligence. We really didn't expect the weather to be this hot..."

"Didn't expect it?" Liu Yi chuckled lightly, interrupting Wang Qian. "Teacher Wang, if I remember correctly, the laboratory building and library of this school were just donated by our Lao Pei last year, weren't they? We donated money to give the children a good environment, not for them to suffer."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qian's face instantly flushed red, and she could only bow her head in apology. "I'm sorry, we will be more careful in the future."

Liu Yi knew when to stop and didn't continue to press the issue. She turned to look at Pei Ningxue, her tone becoming incredibly gentle again. "Alright Xiaoxue, we're not doing this military training anymore. Ask the teacher for a leave of absence; Auntie will take you home, and we'll go to the hospital for a proper checkup."

Pei Ningxue still didn't say anything; she just silently threw back the covers and put on her shoes.

When Pei Ningxue followed Liu Yi out of the teaching building and got into that highly conspicuous Maybach, it happened to be exactly when the students of Class Three were returning from their military training.

Li Jiahao had sharp eyes and spotted her instantly.

"Holy crap! Is that Pei Ningxue? She got into that Maybach?" Li Jiahao's eyes almost popped out as he grabbed the boy next to him. "Did you see that? That's Pei Ningxue!"

"I saw it, I saw it! My god, it turns out our class has been hiding a super rich girl!"

"No wonder I don't recognize the shoes she usually wears. They're probably custom-made, right?"

"Was that woman just now her mom? She looks so young. That bag she's carrying is a Hermes, isn't it?"

Chen Zhi stood at the back of the crowd, watching the Maybach slowly drive out of the school gates. The windows were tinted with a dark anti-glare film, making it impossible to see inside.

"Let's go, what are you looking at? Staring won't make it yours." Chen Zhi patted the dazed Li Jiahao. "Hurry back to the classroom, you reek."

...

On the way home, the interior of the car was terrifyingly quiet.

Driver Lao Zhang drove attentively, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Liu Yi sat in the boss's seat behind the passenger side, holding a bottle of Evian water, and handed it to Pei Ningxue next to her. "Drink some water, moisten your throat. Were you scared just now?"

Pei Ningxue took the water, softly said thank you, and then turned her head toward the window, watching the street scenes rapidly receding outside.

Liu Yi didn't feel awkward and continued on her own, "If your dad knew you fainted, he'd definitely be heartbroken. I've already messaged him; he said he'll try to come back early tonight to have dinner with you."

"Mhm," Pei Ningxue replied.

"Also, that military training is too exhausting. I've already spoken to the school, so you don't need to go for the next few days. Just rest well at home," Liu Yi continued to chatter. "It just so happens that Ji Ming has been talking about missing his sister these past two days, so you can keep him company at home."

Hearing the name "Ji Ming," Pei Ningxue's fingers resting on her lap curled slightly.

Pei Jiming, her half-brother, was only six years old this year.

He was also this woman's biological son.

The car drove all the way into a luxurious villa district located in the city center.

The gates slowly opened. As soon as the car came to a steady stop, a sturdy little boy rushed out of the house.

"Sister! Sister, you're back!"

Pei Jiming trotted over to the car door.

Pei Ningxue got out of the car. Looking at the innocent-faced little boy before her, her originally cold and hard heart softened slightly. A child was innocent after all. Pei Jiming had clung to her since he was little. Even though she truly disliked this blended family, she found it hard to put on a cold face for this younger brother.

"Yeah, I'm back." Pei Ningxue forced a smile and reached out to pat Pei Jiming's head. "Were you a good boy today?"

"I was super good!" Pei Jiming looked up, his face practically begging for praise. "I finished practicing all my piano pieces today!"

"Alright, alright, stop pestering your sister." Liu Yi walked over and pulled Pei Jiming away. Though her words sounded like a scolding, her actions were full of doting affection. "Your sister isn't feeling well. She just got back from the hospital, so let her go to her room and rest. Don't bother her."

Pei Jiming blinked his big eyes, looking utterly confused. "Mom, didn't you tell me to be nicer to my sister and play with her more?"

Liu Yi's expression instantly froze.

She subconsciously glanced at Pei Ningxue, who was just about to head upstairs.

Pei Ningxue's retreating figure paused for a moment, but she didn't look back. She simply continued walking up the stairs.

It wasn't until Pei Ningxue's silhouette disappeared around the corner of the staircase that Liu Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She crouched down, adjusted her son's collar, and lowered her voice.

"Silly boy, there's a reason Mom tells you to be nice to her."

Liu Yi glanced up at the tightly shut doors on the second floor, a cold sneer curling the corners of her lips. "You are the only male heir of the Pei family. Sooner or later, this massive family estate will be yours. If you treat your sister well now, your father will think our family is harmonious and see how sensible you are. Only then will your father leave everything to you in the future, understand?"

Pei Jiming nodded, only half-understanding, still clutching a Transformer toy in his hand. "So that means, as long as I'm nice to my sister, Dad will buy me more toys?"

"Yes, and not just toys, but everything." Liu Yi caressed her son's cheek. "Alright, go play now."

Up in the second-floor hallway.

Pei Ningxue hadn't actually returned to her room.

She stood quietly in the shadows at the top of the stairs, her hand gripping the solid wood handrail so tightly that her knuckles had turned a faint white.

The conversation downstairs had drilled into her ears, missing not a single word.

Even though she had known for a long time that this stepmother of hers had a sweet face but a bitter heart, and even though she was already used to the hypocritical warmth of this household, hearing those words with her own ears still made her chest ache with a dense, prickling pain, as if it were being repeatedly stabbed by needles.

Less than half a year after her mother passed away, her father had brought this woman home, her belly already pregnant with Pei Jiming.

At the time, her father had said, "Xiaoxue, this is Auntie Liu. From now on, she will take care of you just like your mother did."

Heh.

Just like her mother?

Pei Ningxue closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcefully swallowing back the warm tears welling up in her eyes.

She released her grip on the handrail, turned around, walked into her room, and locked the door behind her.

The room was spacious and decorated in a very pastel pink, entirely arranged by Liu Yi to fit the style of a so-called "little princess." Yet, it only made Pei Ningxue feel incredibly suffocated.

She walked over to the desk, pulled open the drawer, and took out a somewhat worn photo frame from the very back. In the photograph, her young and gentle mother was holding a much smaller version of herself, smiling so radiantly.

"Mom..."

Pei Ningxue's fingers gently brushed across the photograph, her voice sounding especially lonely in the empty room.