Zhan Jingchun also thought she was hallucinating, her mind going blank.
She closed her eyes in disbelief, blinked hard, and opened them again.
Peng Fei was still there.
He was like a ghost, not only haunting her in her dreams but actually following her here!
When had he found her?
When had he infiltrated this place?
What did he want?
Did he want to take her back?
In mere seconds, countless thoughts flashed through Zhan Jingchun's mind.
Then, an involuntary chill spread through her, and she began to tremble.
She looked at Peng Fei with wide-eyed terror, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight, and stumbled backward.
"This is impossible, this is impossible..."
The butler and the nanny, seeing Xiang Siyuan tied to the ground, were equally startled.
Assuming Peng Fei was some kind of villain who had stormed in and tied up Young Master Xiang, they quickly pulled Zhan Jingchun behind them, protecting her like a mother hen shielding her chick.
"Who are you? How did you get here? What happened to Young Master Xiang? What do you want?"
"In broad daylight, you dare to set a fire and kidnap someone? We're calling the police!"
Seeing rescuers, the children ran towards the nanny and butler.
"Help, help! This man is crazy, a pervert! He's going to kill us! Let us out, we want to go home! Help!"
Peng Fei's entire attention was focused on Zhan Jingchun's face.
He saw her fear and rejection, and his heart felt as if it had been pierced by countless holes. He felt utterly dejected and miserable.
Ever since Zhan Jingchun had left, he had anticipated this day for nearly four months.
Such a rare reunion, and it was ruined before a single word was spoken.
He felt so miserable that he didn't know how to express the words churning in his gut.
A group of people stared at him as if he were a monstrous flood.
Seeing Zhan Jingchun hiding behind others, he felt as if he saw their future. His strength drained from him, and he slumped to the ground, supporting his head with his fists.
Xiang Siyuan, seeing this, wriggled like a silkworm cocoon and shouted at Zhan Jingchun.
"Quick, save me! Sister Chun Chun! This guy is bullying me! He actually hit me! I'm not done with him! Hurry and call my mom, fire him immediately! Save me!"
Zhan Jingchun heard another meaning in his words.
Fire him?
What did that mean?
Could it be that Peng Fei was a hired servant in their household?
After all, the house had just caught fire. Even if she were to call, she needed to understand the situation first.
Zhan Jingchun grabbed a boy nearby and asked for an explanation. The boy stammered out the story.
Although his words described Peng Fei as extremely wicked, like a devil, Zhan Jingchun was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
"To get rid of him, you people set fire to the house?"
"Xiang Siyuan, it's one thing for you to act out and throw tantrums at home. You're 18 years old, about to be a university student, and you're still this childish?"
"No, calling you childish is too kind. You should be called stupid! Don't you think you're ridiculous?"
"Although he made a mistake, did you consider the consequences of your actions? What if it had affected the neighbors, injured or killed someone? You would have ruined your mother's career, your father's reputation. Did you think about any of that?"
Chen Jiaojiao had been close with Jiang Nan Fang, and Xiang Siyuan was close in age to Zhan Jingchun. They had often played together as children.
Therefore, he was convinced by her scolding.
"Sister Chun Chun, I know I was wrong. If he hadn't pushed me to this point, I wouldn't have done it!"
"Let me up first. We can talk later. My arm is about to break!"
Zhan Jingchun feared that the children might escape in the chaos, causing her more trouble. She asked the butler to lock the door, then stepped out from behind the nanny.
Gathering her courage, she looked at Peng Fei and said, "Let him go first."
Her gaze towards him no longer held the same fear as before.
Moreover, seeing the huge trouble she had caused, she hadn't mocked him but had spoken up for him?
Peng Fei's dejected heart instantly rekindled, and he obediently stood up.
Xiang Siyuan, now free, rubbed his sore arms and legs and then bolted towards Zhan Jingchun.
The nearly 1.9-meter-tall man hugged her, burying his face in her shoulder, and began to cry.
"I'm so wronged, Sister Chun Chun. What did I do to deserve this? This guy didn't give me food, locked me in the room, and beat me. My life these past two days has been worse than a prisoner's!"
"He's a pervert, twisted in the head, sob, sob! You have to testify for me, make sure my mom fires him, Sister Chun Chun!"
"I promise I'll be good from now on and won't talk back to my dad anymore. Hurry and call my mom!"
Zhan Jingchun's fifth brother, Zhan Jingchen, had been a willful and overbearing little tyrant since childhood, full of mischievous ideas and pranks.
Having seen her brother's tricks, she knew Xiang Siyuan was the same type and wouldn't easily admit his mistakes, so she didn't believe his crocodile tears.
When he had finished crying, she gently pushed him away and said,
"You all go to my place first, wash off the dirt, calm down, and don't wander off. I need to talk to him."
"What is there to talk about with him? He's so dangerous, what if he harms you? Listen to me, hurry and call my mom!"
Zhan Jingchun grew impatient. "You're not leaving? Fine, then I'll leave, and you can sort it out yourself."
Xiang Siyuan had no choice but to obey. He led the children with the nanny and butler to Zhan Jingchun's house.
Before leaving, the butler seemed rather worried.
"Chun Chun, you don't know him. What if..."
Zhan Jingchun said, "I trust Aunt Jiaojiao's judgment. Since she personally chose him and entrusted seven children to him, nothing bad will happen."
The butler was persuaded and left, looking back repeatedly.
Finally, with only the two of them left, Peng Fei was overjoyed but dared not take a step closer to her.
He looked down at his feet; his shoes were as black as if he had just climbed out of a coal mine. Looking at his arms and palms, they were terrifyingly black.
Figuring his face was the same, he buried his head deeply in shame, wishing he could sink into the ground.
Seeing that he was still the Peng Fei of old, always non-aggressive when facing her, Zhan Jingchun's earlier worries subsided.
After standing there for a few seconds, she walked closer to him.
"Why are you here? Are you perhaps looking for me?"
Finally being able to speak with her again, her voice was so beautiful. Peng Fei felt a tingling sensation all over his body, filled with satisfaction.
But it also deepened his inferiority complex. Why was she so perfect, so wonderful?
He dared not lie to her and spoke the truth.
"The reason I came to Nan Cheng was indeed for you. I wanted to apologize."
"But I didn't know where to find you, so I started looking for work first. I never expected to meet you here, nor did I intend to bother you or ask you to come back with me. Please don't be afraid."
"I know I wronged you greatly in the past, and so did my mother. We made grave mistakes, I..."