The white walls were instantly stained with blood. Peng Fei's first reaction wasn't to look at his hand, but to clean the wall.
"I'm sorry, I stained your wall."
Fortunately, the Zhan family was wealthy, and the paint used was high-end, with a smooth, glossy finish that turned out to be scratch-resistant.
The dirt stuck to it and came off with a light wipe of his hand.
Zhan Jingchun then noticed his hand was bleeding.
Strange, she hadn't used that much force, just a touch, how did his hand start bleeding?
Could it be that he got injured while saving someone from the fire?
She wasn't concerned about him, but as a normal person, she instinctively asked.
"What happened to your hand?"
Peng Fei didn't want her to see the wound and hid his hand behind his back, but too much blood was flowing, and his sweater wasn't stain-resistant. The blood accidentally smeared onto his sweater, looking glaringly obvious.
Zhan Jingchun hated him for acting like this.
He wouldn't say anything when he should, and when he shouldn't, every word was more piercing than the last.
"I only pushed you lightly, it shouldn't have injured your hand from impact, right? Don't think about extorting me."
Peng Fei: "...No, how could it, it has nothing to do with you."
Zhan Jingchun snorted and glanced at his sweater again, involuntarily thinking of something else.
"Did your girlfriend buy you that sweater?"
Given Peng Fei's taste and income, he couldn't afford such high-quality clothes.
She had noticed it the moment he walked in. All the clothes he was wearing were of very good quality, completely unlike him to spend money on such things.
Before, Zhan Jingchun had naively thought that he had earned money and perhaps, with gritted teeth, could afford to buy something for himself.
Now, it seemed, it was from another woman!
He really was infinitely charming.
Peng Fei was stunned by her question.
"Girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend."
Zhan Jingchun sneered: "You've learned to do something and not admit it? You think that by denying her existence, you can have something with me again? How ridiculous."
"Don't say I'm not interested in you, even if I were, I despise Chen Shimei the most. Stop disgusting me with this."
The hand injury didn't make Peng Fei feel bad, nor did Zhan Jingchun's aversion to his saliva contaminating the food.
But when she called him Chen Shimei and said he had another girlfriend, Peng Fei couldn't take it.
"Why would you think that? I told you I don't have a girlfriend, and you're the only one on my mind, don't you believe me?"
Seeing him still trying to argue, Zhan Jingchun exposed him.
"Don't think I didn't hear what you said to Auntie. You were just describing your girlfriend vividly, and now you deny it, with your mind only on me? Peng Fei, do you take me for an idiot?"
Peng Fei recalled what he had said in the kitchen and finally understood what Zhan Jingchun was referring to.
Coupled with her series of reactions, he suddenly felt relieved.
He even happily began to fantasize if she was jealous.
"Chunchun..."
"Chun your head! I told you you're not worthy of calling me by my name, get out quickly!"
"Don't forget what you did to me before. I'm magnanimous and won't argue with you, yet you're showing your true colors in front of me? Be careful, if I get angry, I can easily frame you with a charge that will keep you locked up for life!"
Peng Fei knew she had the ability to do so, but even if she sent him to jail, he had to explain.
"I don't have a girlfriend, I really don't. Auntie was just saying she wanted to introduce me to a girlfriend, so I had no choice but to make something up. If you don't believe me, go check! Go ask at the factory where I used to work!"
Zhan Jingchun's eyebrows shot up, and she paused for a few seconds.
"What factory? Working in a factory? You're working in a factory?"
Peng Fei seized the opportunity and quickly recounted some of the events that had happened since she left.
Zhan Jingchun looked him up and down with disdain.
"Participating in a model competition? Just because someone complimented your figure, you really think you're a model? Don't you know your own level? Are you planning to stay in Nancheng?"
Peng Fei could never feel confident in front of her and blushed from her insults.
"I wasn't told my figure was good, I just wanted to earn more money. I know you're not short of money, but I couldn't think of a better way to compensate you. Once I earn money, I'll give it all to you."
Knowing you're not short of money and still wanting to give me money?
Zhan Jingchun couldn't be bothered with him: "If you really have that intention, take it back to develop your hometown. Let more children go to school, provide more job opportunities for the villagers, let them see the vast world outside, and abandon all those ugly customs. That would be a way to atone for your past actions. Don't mention these things to me again. Anyway, I will never forgive you."
Peng Fei listened with guilt: "I know. No matter what I do or say, you won't forgive me. I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I deserve this. But if you're not short of money, can you tell me what you lack, so I can at least do something for you? Otherwise, my conscience won't be at peace."
Zhan Jingchun said: "If you do all the things I just mentioned, then you'll at least be a human being."
Peng Fei eagerly pledged: "I definitely will! Even if I have to risk my life, I will work hard and do as you say!"
Zhan Jingchun disliked seeing him like this: "Alright, alright, you act so powerful and presentable in front of them, why do you act like a coward in front of me? Don't think this will make me pity you. Let me tell you, no woman likes a weakling. Human nature is to admire strength, especially women. The more you act like this, the more I will dislike you."
Peng Fei felt so belittled by her that he wanted to burrow into the ground. He bit his lip and stopped talking.
His hands were clenched into fists, and the wounds split wider, dripping blood onto the floor.
At least she knew he didn't have a girlfriend, and after scolding him again, the tension in the air had eased considerably. Zhan Jingchun felt much better and was about to return to her room when she saw the floor behind him was red.
"What exactly happened to your hand? Why is it bleeding so much? Look at my floor."
Peng Fei looked down and showed an embarrassed expression again.
"I'm sorry, I'll wipe it for you."
He was actually going to wipe it with his bare hands.
Zhan Jingchun was truly exasperated: "Stop, stop, stop! Aren't you disgusted by the dirt? Don't move, I'll get some paper!"
She quickly ran into the room, grabbed a box of tissues, and pulled out a stack of paper.
Peng Fei was reluctant to let her dirty her hands, so he took it to wipe. Zhan Jingchun then saw that three of his fingers had deep cuts.
"It doesn't look like a burn, what exactly happened? How did you get like this? They're so consistent, were they cut by a knife? Did Xiang Siyuan cut you?"
Peng Fei didn't explain, his ears were red from the scolding he had just received.
Watching him squatting there diligently wiping the floor, and not speaking again, Zhan Jingchun was so angry she wanted to hit him again.
"I'm asking you, are you mute? How did your hand get injured?"
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the kick she delivered at the kitchen door.
Peng Fei was cutting vegetables at the time, could it be that...
Zhan Jingchun's ears also turned red.
"You pig! You injured your hand and didn't say anything, yet you still cooked for them, aren't you afraid of getting it into the food and disgusting people?"
"Get up, stop wiping! Auntie will clean it later, hurry and wrap your hand!"