Mess at the dining table

"PEI-XING-CHENG!"

Ruan Suqing spoke Pei Xingcheng's name with evident frustration, enunciating each syllable angrily. Her eyes glared at him intensely, conveying her annoyance.

Pei Xingcheng felt helpless and wanted to cry, but he couldn't shed any tears. Although he tried to express his frustration to Miss Ghost, he refrained, knowing his mother would misunderstand him.

"Mother, I am sorry. I am sorry. I wasn't speaking to you." he apologized sincerely.

Ruan Suqing responded with a cold sneer.

She glanced at her eldest son, who seemed surprised but didn't speak up against Pei Xingcheng when he insulted her in front of everyone. Her heart sank as she realized her son had a stronger bond with Pei Xingcheng than with his biological mother.

She looked at Pei Xingcheng and then at her son, Qinshan. "Qinshan, aren't you going to say something?" she asked, feeling angry.

"Enough! Get lost from here!" Pei Xingcheng's sudden outburst echoed through the room.

His voice was filled with an urgency that startled those around him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and began to panic. He frantically waved his hand in the air, trying to convey his innocence, "No, no, no...Mother, I wasn't talking to you. Trust me. I wasn't talking to you."

He felt his heart racing as he attempted to justify himself, hoping his mother would trust him.

However, she refused to believe him.

"That's enough," she spat out, slamming her fist on the table and rising to her feet with rage etched across her face. She glowered at Pei Xingcheng and then turned to her son, Qinshan. "Are you going to remain silent while he disrespects me in front of everyone? I am your mother!"

Pei Qinshan sighed softly. "Mom, I - "

Pei Xingcheng cut him off before he could finish his sentence. His eyes were filled with fear, and his voice was full of apologies. "Believe me, big brother. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it. I wasn't speaking to her. I wasn't..."

"Then who were you talking to? A ghost?" Ruan Suqing yelled loudly.

Miss Ghost nodded with a huge smile, her face full of pride, as if she had done something to be proud of.

"Ofcourse, he is talking to me," she said, but no one heard her.

Pei Xingcheng glared at her angrily. It was all her fault! For the second time on this day, he regretted letting her stay in her home. She was nothing but a nuisance.

"Mother, I am deeply sorry. I didn't mean it," he apologized.

Pei Qinshan nodded in agreement, attempting to calm the atmosphere. "Yes, mom. Xingcheng's still young. He's a child. Forgive him. He didn't mean it."

"Let's sit down and finish breakfast calmly," he suggested, hoping to redirect their attention.

Unfortunately, Pei Qinshan's stance only intensified her anger.

"He's still young? A child? That wasn't what he meant?" she growled, her eyes narrowing with fury. Her animosity towards him grew stronger with every passing moment that her son defended Pei Xingcheng.

"Mother, I apologize. I didn't mean to hurt you," Pei Xingcheng tried to explain, but Ruan Suqing interrupted him with a cold tone. "Don't speak right now. I don't want to hear your voice, Xingcheng!" she yelled.

Pei Xingcheng looked down with a guilty expression on his face. Pei Qinshan felt bad seeing his brother like that and said, "Mom, Xingcheng didn't mean to disrespect you. He made a mistake and is deeply sorry. Please forgive him and let it go."

Ruan Suqing's eyes turned red as she listened to her son. The more he spoke in defense of Pei Xingcheng, the more she felt hurt. It was as if a thousand daggers were piercing her heart.

"I understand now, Qinshan," she said sadly. "You want Mother to leave too, don't you? I'll go away so you and your brother can have breakfast peacefully."

With those words, she turned and began walking upstairs.

"Mom! Mom!" Qinshan called her from behind, but she didn't stop.

Pei Xingcheng was overwhelmed when he saw his mother leave without finishing her breakfast. His eyes welled up with tears as he apologized to his brother, "I'm sorry, big brother. I never meant to disrespect our mother like that. It's just that..."

Pei Qinshan gently interrupted him with a reassuring smile, "I understand; there's no need to apologize to me."

However, Pei Xingcheng's anxiety didn't dissipate as he looked up the stairs, worried about their mother. "But, she didn't finish her breakfast..."

"Don't worry," reassured Pei Qinshan, "I will take care of her. You can sit down and have breakfast for now."

Pei Xingcheng nodded and took a seat at the table. However, he couldn't help but glare at Miss Ghost, as she was the one who caused this entire situation. She had caused his mother to misunderstand him and become angry.

Feeling his glare, Miss Ghost shrugged carelessly. "Don't glare at me. I didn't do anything," she said.

Pei Xingcheng's intense glare conveyed his frustration. Having learned from his previous mistake, he refrained from speaking, but his eyes spoke volumes, blaming Miss Ghost for the situation.

'It's all your fault,' his eyes said.

Miss Ghost responded with a light chuckle. "Geez! Why are you so upset? That woman deserves it."

Who knows, maybe she's the one who caused your accident?" Miss Ghost added, "Perhaps she is the one who hired that assassin to kill you after all; deep down, she wants you dead."

Given how much Pei Xingcheng's stepmother despised him, this was a distinct possibility. Last night, she listed everyone who hated Pei Xingcheng or had a grudge against him. His mother was at the top of the list.

Pei Xingcheng's face turned grim, and a painful ache overwhelmed his heart.

Mother? Was it really her?

Did she hire an assassin to murder him?

He was always aware that his mother disliked him, assuming he was here to take everything from his big brother. However, all he truly desired was her affection and acceptance as a member of their family.

Sadly, he knew that his dream would never become a reality.