She pulled his arm and helped him up.
Peng Fei looked down at the fingers of his uninjured left hand, rubbing them nervously.
“No need, it doesn’t hurt. I’ll wrap it when we get back. The egg custard got dirty, and you haven’t eaten yet. I’ll make you another bowl.”
Zhan Jingchun grew even angrier.
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Your hands are covered in blood. Who would eat anything you make? You’re not allowed!”
“Then I’ll ask the auntie to help…”
“Do you think this is your home? Am I some starving ghost who’s never eaten enough?!”
“Huh? You were never full when you were at my place?”
When it came to past events, they looked at each other and suddenly realized they shouldn't bring it up, falling into silence.
After a moment, Zhan Jingchun broke the silence, looking away.
“Let’s not talk about those messy things anymore, especially your family matters. Don’t mention them in front of me. I’m not hungry and I don’t need your egg custard. Go, wrap your hand.”
But Peng Fei was still worried, “I heard the auntie say you’re in a bad mood every day and don’t eat properly…”
“It’s not because of you. Don’t flatter yourself.”
But Peng Fei still wanted to persuade her, “Chun Chun, you are truly beautiful, with great skin and a perfect figure. You don’t need to lose weight.”
Zhan Jingchun glared, “Who said I’m trying to lose weight? Do you believe that idiot Xiang Si Yuan?”
“Then why aren’t you eating?”
In their eyes, no matter how big the problem, a good night's sleep would fix it; mental health issues didn't exist.
He couldn't understand Zhan Jingchun's psychological state, and Zhan Jingchun didn't expect him to.
“It’s none of your business. I eat when I want to eat and don’t eat when I don’t. Do I need to report to you? Are you leaving or not? If you don’t, I’ll call someone up here!”
Peng Fei was at a loss and could only retreat slowly.
“Are you not feeling hungry? Before… ah, no, let’s not talk about before. I mean, if there’s anything you want to eat, you can tell me. Anytime, and I can make it for you.”
After speaking, he patted his pocket, wanting to leave his contact information for Zhan Jingchun, but he was afraid she would say he wasn't worthy.
Zhan Jingchun watched him go downstairs, looking back repeatedly, and then looked at the bowl on the floor, the paper with bloodstains wiped clean but not thrown away. She felt a mix of emotions.
Peng Fei returned to the Chen family with the children. After eating and drinking, it was time to get to work.
The young masters took off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and under his direction, cleaned up all the messy garbage that had been burned and mopped the floor clean.
Everyone ended up with smudged faces like wildcats.
Peng Fei told everyone to take a bath while he picked up his phone and started planning.
Xiang Si Yuan came out of the shower and saw him diligently calculating accounts. Curious, he walked over and peeked.
“What are you doing?”
Peng Fei looked up at him and didn’t answer.
“Think you’re done mopping and have nothing else to do? Did you do your homework today?”
Xiang Si Yuan felt bored. He didn’t dare tell Peng Fei that he had burned his homework, so he dejectedly went to the side.
One after another, everyone came out, all crowding around Xiang Si Yuan aimlessly.
Peng Fei, thinking they wanted to play on their phones, reprimanded them.
“Don’t you all have homework to do? Since you’re all so idle, come out and exercise with me!”
The older ones pouted and said nothing. The youngest, whose homework had been burned, worried about how he would explain things when he returned home, meekly said to Peng Fei.
“Instructor Peng, my homework was burned in the fire. I can’t write it.”
“What? Homework burned in a fire? You weren’t doing homework in that room, how did it get burned?”
Looking at everyone’s expressions, he realized.
“So you burned it all? You mean you set the room on fire because you were burning homework? Very good. Double the exercise.”
Everyone exclaimed, “Ah?”
“Not satisfied? Then double it.”
Saying this, he stood up and shouted, “Stand at attention!”
Everyone quickly assumed a military stance and followed him to the lawn.
They lined up by height and he led them in running around the yard. After three laps, they couldn’t take it anymore.
They were all panting, bent over, and hunched.
Peng Fei loudly reprimanded them, and when some still didn’t listen, he started kicking them, creating a lively scene.
Zhan Jingchun, who had nothing to do, heard the commotion next door and was curious. She leaned out the window to look.
Seeing Peng Fei acting like an instructor, bullying the brats to their heart’s content, she felt both annoyed and amused.
She couldn’t quite figure him out. Sometimes he was timid, and other times he was imposing. He was truly odd.
The exercise lasted nearly two hours before ending. Everyone was exhausted and collapsed back into the house, lying around the living room in disarray.
Peng Fei checked the time. It was still early. He couldn't let them not do homework indefinitely. He had to buy them their homework and go to the building materials market to see if there was any suitable paint. He needed to tidy up the house as soon as possible.
So he instructed them.
“Write down the homework you need. I’m going out.”
“After I leave, if anyone dares to cause trouble, I’ll cripple you when I get back.”
“Especially you, Xiang Si Yuan. I haven’t forgotten about this morning’s incident. Don’t think that just because I didn’t say anything, it means it’s over. I’m keeping track of it all. If you cause trouble again, you’ll be the first one I cripple when I return.”
He went to the wall again, and as he jumped over the wall, he ran into the nanny auntie and Zhan Jingchun who were going out.
Suddenly, someone dropped from the sky, startling both of them.
The nanny auntie, in particular, clutched her chest and cried out that she was scared to death.
“It’s you! Oh my, you scared me! I thought… you’re right here, why are you climbing over the wall instead of using the door?”
Peng Fei was surprised to meet them again so soon, and while happy, he also felt a bit embarrassed.
He explained Chen Jiaojiao’s purpose in sending them here, his plans, and then said he was going out to buy books.
The nanny auntie’s face flashed with a hint of joy at his words.
“Going to buy books? What a coincidence, Chun Chun’s paints and drawing paper are out, she also needs to go to the bookstore…”
She knew Peng Fei didn’t have a car and the villa area was remote, making trips to the city difficult. She wanted to invite him to ride with them.
But she was just a nanny and swallowed her words.
Zhan Jingchun clearly understood her thoughts and wondered if Peng Fei was that good, already wanting to help him after just meeting him?
Peng Fei also caught the auntie’s intention, but similarly, he knew he couldn’t ride in the same car as Zhan Jingchun, and said tactfully.
“Oh, since you have things to do, I won’t disturb you. Goodbye.”
He turned to leave. Zhan Jingchun saw the bloodstains on the hem of his sweater and frowned, calling him back.
“Why aren’t you changing your clothes when they have bloodstains on them?”
Peng Fei: “Ah?”
“And your hand, didn’t you say you’d wrap it when we got back? Why haven’t you?”
“…”
“I didn’t intentionally cause you to get injured. Go back, change your clothes, wrap your hand, and I’ll give you a ride. I know you’re in a hurry, but there’s no need to be so anxious, is there? People would think you’re careless about your own injury, or that I’m terribly cruel and deliberately bullying you.”