Before Zhi Yao could regain her composure, Pei Chiyao pulled her into his embrace.
The young girl looked up at him with a bewildered expression. Before she could speak, Pei Chiyao anxiously asked, "Yao Yao, are you alright?"
Zhi Yao shook her head and rubbed her stomach, saying with a hint of melancholy, "I might have eaten something bad this morning."
However... the timing of her nausea was uncanny. It always seemed to occur during these unexpected situations, while at other times she felt perfectly fine...
It was almost as if... it was deliberately helping her.
"Are you still feeling unwell?"
Hearing this, Pei Chiyao grew even more concerned.
"I'm fine now," the young girl shook her head.
She truly didn't feel unwell anymore. Apart from a slight fatigue, she felt perfectly fine.
Nearby, Tian Ruoyi took a wet wipe from a bodyguard and cleaned herself up. She then looked up at Pei Chiyao and Zhi Yao, her chest heaving with anger. "Pei Chiyao, you bastard! How dare you think you can rise above me?!"
Pei Chiyao didn't react at all to her words. He calmly signaled to the bodyguard beside him, and soon several men in black rushed out towards Tian Ruoyi.
Tian Ruoyi's bodyguards tried to intervene but were easily pushed aside by the men in black. The force was so great that it left them stunned.
Tian Ruoyi immediately sensed trouble. She looked at Pei Chiyao and the men in black in panic, saying, "What... what are you going to do? Useless! You useless lot! Am I paying you monthly wages for charity? Go on! Stop them!"
She was both furious and trembling with fear.
Hearing this, Tian Ruoyi's bodyguards finally reacted and collectively moved forward to intervene.
To their surprise, they were effortlessly lifted and thrown out by the men in black.
Now, Tian Ruoyi was completely out of options. She looked at Pei Chiyao in disbelief and said, "Pei Chiyao, you dare to touch me? Are you sure you want to do this?"
Pei Chiyao ignored her completely and only looked at Zhi Yao, asking, "Did she hurt you anywhere just now?"
Zhi Yao shook her head, "No."
Tian Ruoyi had just been about to act when she vomited...
Pei Chiyao carefully examined Zhi Yao's body, and only after confirming that the young girl wasn't injured did he look away.
"Let's go home. I'll call the family doctor to examine you."
He bent down to lift Zhi Yao, but before he could, she dodged away. "Pei Chiyao, don't. I'm really fine. Don't carry me, I can walk by myself."
She wasn't the lazy little fox she used to be anymore; she could feel embarrassed now.
As they were talking, Tian Ruoyi had already been picked up by the men in black like a little chick, and they were about to unceremoniously throw her out the main door.
Zhi Yao quickly called out, "Wait!"
The men in black turned to look at Zhi Yao, pausing their actions.
She quickly walked up to Tian Ruoyi and said, "Apologize to Pei Chiyao."
The young girl's voice was soft and sweet, but her tone and expression were unprecedentedly firm.
Tian Ruoyi was stunned. When she finally reacted, she jerked her head up defiantly. "Huh, dream on!"
"Are you sure?" Zhi Yao's tone suddenly turned cold, her gaze carrying a subtle pressure. When Tian Ruoyi met Zhi Yao's golden eyes, she felt goosebumps rising all over her body, her hair standing on end.
"I... I..." She suddenly lost her confidence and didn't dare to look Zhi Yao in the eye.
Zhi Yao curved her lips in a cold smile. "Apologize!" She suddenly raised her voice. She wouldn't allow anyone to insult Pei Chiyao in front of her.
Tian Ruoyi was startled, feeling as if the woman before her had transformed into a different person. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Tian Ruoyi didn't want to apologize to Pei Chiyao, but... but...
"If you don't apologize, don't blame me for being impolite."
Zhi Yao snapped her fingers, and Alice quickly appeared behind her.
Alice had been protecting Zhi Yao all along; Zhi Yao just hadn't let her come out earlier.
"Alice, teach her a good lesson, okay?"
The young girl tossed out these words lightly and returned to Pei Chiyao's side, crossing her arms, looking very much like she was ready to enjoy the show.
Tian Ruoyi looked at the woman in front of her, whose arm was thicker than her thigh, and her fear reached its peak. She hurriedly said, "I'm from the Tian family! If you hit me, think about the consequences!"
Pei Chiyao also stood by, watching coldly. Although he didn't take Tian Ruoyi's words to heart, seeing the young girl defend him so fiercely made him feel quite pleased.
"Consequences?" He casually played with Zhi Yao's long hair that reached her back. The young girl's hair quality was excellent, as soft as her fur had been. He could hardly let go.
"A mere Tian family isn't even on my radar. At worst... I'll just acquire all your family's companies. Do you think... I have the financial power to do that?"
"You!" Tian Ruoyi panicked completely. She knew that Pei Chiyao wasn't favored in the Pei family, but he now controlled the family's economic lifeline. Although the Tian family held a high status, they had been on a downward trend for many years and were no match for the Pei family.
She gritted her teeth as she looked at the tall and strong Alice.
Alice was stretching her joints, her fingers making cracking sounds.
Tian Ruoyi was still being held by the men in black, swaying like a punching bag in the wind. Clearly, Alice was the boxer.
Her fist was larger than both of Tian Ruoyi's hands combined. If it landed on her face... she would probably... probably be disfigured!
It's worth noting that Tian Ruoyi's face was her most precious asset.
As she hesitated, she found a shadow looming over her.
Alice's cold eyes were fixed on her unblinkingly, that gaze seeming to tell her she was nothing but a dead object.
This pressure terrified Tian Ruoyi, who hurriedly screamed, "Ah— No! I'll apologize, I'll apologize! I'm sorry, Pei Chiyao!"
She trembled in fear.
Zhi Yao took a photo of her in this state with satisfaction, saying, "If you dare mention Pei Chiyao again, I'll have this video of yours playing on a loop on the tallest building in the city."
She waved her hand contentedly, signaling Alice to leave.
Only then did Alice take a few steps back.
At that moment, the men in black released Tian Ruoyi. She immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping for air in terror.
She was scared to death... absolutely terrified.
When she finally came to her senses, she saw Pei Chiyao sweep Zhi Yao up into his arms.
The man gazed tenderly at the girl in his embrace and said softly, "Are you satisfied now, my little troublemaker?"
