Chapter 27: She Is My Sister, My Own Flesh and Blood

Ke Xianbai accompanied Pei Baoyuan back to her hospital room after her physical examination, yet she continued to clutch his sleeve tightly. He said nothing, pulling a chair to the bedside to stay with her. The ordeal in the elevator had exhausted her, and she soon drifted into a deep sleep. Only after confirming she was asleep did Ke Xianbai carefully pry her fingers from his sleeve and step out.

Outside the room, everyone in the Pei family was present, except for Pei Jianguo, who was away on business. Song Xuanling asked anxiously, "Xianbai, how is Yuanbao?"

"Aunt Ling, please don't worry. Yuan... she is asleep now."

Song Xuanli chimed in, "Sister, look, I told you Yuanbao is a resilient child. The doctors said there’s nothing seriously wrong."

Pei Zongnian let out a sigh of relief and patted Ke Xianbai on the shoulder. "Thanks."

"It's nothing," Ke Xianbai replied, glancing back at the hospital bed. "Have you sent anyone to investigate?"

"We sent people as soon as it happened," Pei Zongnian said. "That elevator was under maintenance, and there was a sign at the entrance. Before Yuanbao got on, the sign had been moved. The person responsible claimed they were in a rush and kicked it over by accident. We checked the surveillance footage, and on the surface, it matches her story perfectly."

Ke Xianbai nodded, still uneasy as he looked at Pei Baoyuan. "I have some things to attend to. I’ll leave her in your care. Take good care of her."

"..." Pei Zongnian smiled, knowing the young man wasn't bothering to hide his feelings anymore. "She’s my sister, my own flesh and blood."

Ke Xianbai: "..."

...

Pei Baoyuan’s accident caused a massive stir at the studio, as many had seen her being carried out of the elevator. The program was delayed by an hour, but filming still had to proceed.

Song Yiren sighed with feigned regret, "If Miss Pei hadn't left so quickly and stayed to have milk tea with us, this wouldn't have happened."

"Thanks for the tea, Yiren," one of Pei Baoyuan’s colleagues said. "It’s just bad luck on her part, knowing that elevator was under maintenance and getting on it anyway. Hope she gets well soon."

It was already night when Song Yiren finished recording. Her assistant and driver dropped her off at her residence. Before getting out of the car, Song Yiren warned, "Remember what I told you."

"Don't worry," the assistant replied. "I'll keep it in mind. When people came to ask me this afternoon, I didn't say a word."

Song Yiren was satisfied with her assistant's obedience, her swaying gait revealing her excellent mood. Pei Baoyuan, oh Pei Baoyuan—what does a good family background matter? As long as I have your greatest weakness in my hands, there is no reason I can't bring you down. Song Yiren clenched her fists; no one would stand in her way.

...

After dropping Song Yiren off, the young assistant arrived at her own apartment complex. She felt anxious, the image of Pei Baoyuan being carried out of the elevator in a near-death state playing on a loop in her mind. She had thought that locking her in the elevator would just be a scare and that nothing would happen, but seeing Pei Baoyuan’s condition firsthand made her fearful. What if Pei Baoyuan had a heart condition? What if she had been scared to death?

Would Pei Baoyuan die? The group of people who came to question her that afternoon seemed powerful and influential; she was just someone earning five thousand a month and could never afford to cross them.

As she unlocked her door, feeling like a ghost, she reached to close it, but a hand suddenly gripped the handle from the outside, forcing the door open. The assistant jumped in shock. Standing outside were two burly men in suits, and the blue-haired man in the middle appeared to be their boss. She stepped back, stammering, "Who... who are you?"

Ke Xianbai stepped into her apartment first, followed closely by the two men. Watching Ke Xianbai sit down in a chair and make himself at home, the assistant screamed, "Who are you people? This is trespassing! Be careful, or I’ll call the police!"

Before she could even reach for her phone, one of the men snatched it away. She looked helplessly at Ke Xianbai, who sat with his legs crossed. Ke Xianbai waved a hand, and the man produced a video. In it, Song Yiren was seen whispering something to the assistant. Later, the assistant walked out, bumped into the sign in front of the elevator, and instead of picking it up, she kicked it into a corner before hurrying away.

Realizing why Ke Xianbai had broken into her home, the assistant’s face turned pale. "I already explained this afternoon," she stammered. "I was just in too much of a rush. If it's necessary, I can apologize to Miss Pei."

Ke Xianbai stared at her without blinking, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. His sharp gaze, hiding unknown dangers, made the assistant tremble. After a long silence, Ke Xianbai asked, "I want to know what Song Yiren whispered in your ear."

"..."

Before the assistant could speak, Ke Xianbai added, "Think carefully. Don't try to fool me with that nonsense about getting a blanket. If it was just a blanket, why did you shake your head and refuse?"

The assistant looked at the two burly men standing by the door, her body shaking like a leaf.

"I... I'll tell you."

She swallowed hard, then suddenly bolted for the door. The moment her hand touched the handle, she was grabbed by the collar and thrown to the floor.

"Trying to run?"

Ke Xianbai stood and walked toward her, his voice devoid of warmth. "Zhang Xue, 25 years old, graduated from Liancheng Vocational and Technical College, phone number 137XXXX1234, father Zhang Long, mother Zhao Xiaoli, home address at 1205 Wenshin Garden, Liancheng."

He lowered his eyes, looking down at Zhang Xue like a whispering demon: "Where do you think you're going?"

Hearing him recite her phone number, Zhang Xue knew there was no escaping today. "I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!" She scrambled to grab his pant leg, but he kicked her away with disgust and stepped back.

"It was... it was Song Yiren! It was all her! She told me to use the excuse of getting her a blanket, and when I passed the elevator, I had to find a way to get rid of that sign. Afterward, she pretended to treat the studio staff to milk tea and let everyone order for themselves, so that only Miss Pei would be left to leave..."

Zhang Xue finished and looked trembling at Ke Xianbai. "I've told you everything I know. Can... can you let me go?"

Ke Xianbai gave her a cold look and told the two men to handle it before leaving.

Night shrouded the capital. Ke Xianbai looked up at the sky, lost in thought. Suddenly, his phone rang. The caller ID read: *Yuanbao.*

He picked up, and immediately heard Pei Baoyuan’s panicked voice: "Ke Xianbai, where are you?"

Before Ke Xianbai had arrived at the hospital, Huo Yanzhi, who had just heard the news, had rushed over. As he stepped into Pei Baoyuan’s room, he was greeted by a pillow flying toward his face.

Huo Yanzhi was stunned by the impact.

"Get out!" Pei Baoyuan roared.

Huo Yanzhi: "..."

He looked at Pei’s mother, looking innocent. Song Xuanling sighed, "Little Huo, Yuanbao is in a bad state of mind right now. Perhaps you should leave for a while."

Huo Yanzhi was desperate to explain: "Yuanyuan, I just heard about this. I’ve already sent people to ask around. Song Yiren’s assistant didn't do it on purp—"

He was met with another pillow from the bed.