This person... is very good at bullying people.

Zhuang Mingqi turned his head straight, staring at the side profile of Shen Zhengning who was driving. His temperament was very tranquil, his posture relaxed, and his expression focused, as if the threat just now was merely a casual remark. He was well aware of the power of his words, so there was no need to turn back and look at the explosion.

Zhuang Mingqi hated all forms of coercion. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have jumped out of the car immediately. However, the subtle thing was that he didn't feel any malice in Shen Zhengning's "threat," not even a hint of a lecture. If he had to describe it, it was more like being picked up by the soft scruff of his neck like a kitten, restrained from scratching and biting wildly in a way that wouldn't hurt it.

But if he were to yield so easily and go along with Shen Zhengning's wishes, wouldn't he become that kitten with its scruff being pinched?

Useless self-esteem increased. Zhuang Mingqi leaned deep into his seat. He didn't submit immediately, but he didn't look away either. If looks could be corporeal, he would have already pierced Shen Zhengning's ears.

Shen Zhengning's ability to read people's expressions had clearly reached a state of perfection. He saw Zhuang Mingqi pouting like a reluctant kitten in the rearview mirror and spoke at the right moment, "Aren't you going to try it? That small bread roll."

Zhuang Mingqi: ?

To cater to his fragile, shattered self-esteem, he even had to give him an out. Shen Zhengning cursed himself inwardly while saying, "That's not an ordinary bread roll. It's very special. You'll know once you try it."

How special could a small bread roll from a bag of 10 that costs five yuan be?

Zhuang Mingqi hesitated for two seconds, telling himself that he absolutely wasn't being threatened by Shen Zhengning; he was purely satisfying his curiosity.

He slowly reached out and pulled the small bread roll back from the corner. Speaking of which, that posture also looked very much like a cat pawing at something. Shen Zhengning somewhat suspected that he might get into scratching fights with the Samoyed at home.

A faint rustling of plastic came from the back seat, and the sound of chewing was almost inaudible. Zhuang Mingqi ate the palm-sized bread roll slowly and deliberately, wrapped the packaging in a tissue, and casually stuffed it into his outer coat pocket—he had some basic manners, at least. After his blood sugar rose, the feeling of nausea seemed to have eased a lot. He looked a bit more energetic, no longer like a dull, wilted, frost-bitten bok choy. With an unnoticeable hint of confusion in his tone, he asked, "So what's so special about it?"

The corner of Shen Zhengning's mouth twitched rapidly, but he flattened it with sheer force of will. He feigned surprise and said, "Hm? You didn't taste it? Want to have another one?"

"No, thanks." Zhuang Mingqi concluded coolly, "It's just an ordinary small bread roll."

Shen Zhengning: "Nope."

Zhuang Mingqi met his eyes suspiciously.

A smile rippled like water, finally creating boundless waves in his clear, serene eyes. "Eaten by a particularly stubborn person, this bread roll's texture must be exceptionally soft, don't you think?"

Zhuang Mingqi: "..."

He secretly took a deep breath and retorted coldly, "If you put it that way, all bread would turn into sliced toast by the time it reaches your mouth."

Shen Zhengning dryly added another blow: "Sorry, dear. You can't leave a bad review even if you're not satisfied, because you're hitching a free ride from a kind person."

Zhuang Mingqi: "..."

The long-lost experience of being angered to death—why on earth did he get into Shen Zhengning's car? If he had just obediently waited for a taxi back then, he wouldn't be threatened, teased, and ridiculed by this person now, being led by the nose and then asked why.

"Why."

"Hm?"

"Why did you help me?" Zhuang Mingqi leaned against the cold car window. The winding trails of rainwater were faintly reflected in his eyes, as if a certain sorrow that could not be put into words was flowing within them.

Like most ordinary people, Shen Zhengning had helped others many times, either by offering a hand or being asked. But he had only ever met two people who would ask such a question: one was Yuan Hang, and the other was Zhuang Mingqi.

Shen Zhengning asked in return, "It was no trouble at all. Does that need a reason?"

"You're more familiar with Ye Tongsheng. To you, I'm just a stranger. But back in the farewell hall, you didn't side with the Ye family. Why?"

Shen Zhengning was silent for two seconds, then suddenly remarked with a sigh, "So you do have some self-awareness."

"..." Zhuang Mingqi said coolly, "My apologies, I'm a pain in the neck."

He really was cut from the same cloth as Yuan Hang. He'd hold up a falling sky with his mouth, hide all his secrets in his heart, and assume he would be disliked. Therefore, he didn't expect help, nor did he actively ask for it. Even after being lent a hand, he would still ask silly questions that sounded ungrateful.

Shen Zhengning, fated to deal with stubborn mules, felt a little like sighing.

The act of deduction and analysis might sound impressive, but when it actually happens to you, not everyone can accept it—or rather, most people don't want to be the subject of deduction. Because an unauthorized analysis is, in essence, an offense. Yuan Hang was young and naive at the time and didn't feel it so strongly. But for a type as overly wary as Zhuang Mingqi, Shen Zhengning had already pissed him off with a single sentence just now. He was afraid that if he said too much, the guy would jump out of the car and flee on the spot.

"I didn't hear what you said to them. I was on the other side taking a call." Shen Zhengning thought for a moment and found a noncommittal explanation. "Later, I wanted to go over and greet the family, but they suddenly got physical, so I just instinctively helped steady you."

"In any case, getting into a brawl at a funeral is quite unsightly. I wasn't trying to help you, I was doing it for Ye Tongsheng's dignity... even though he's already gone."

This sentence was like hitting the mute button. The atmosphere in the car suddenly fell deathly silent. The temperature around Zhuang Mingqi seemed to drop three degrees out of thin air. His expression was like the coming of a harsh winter as he let out a soft, sarcastic sneer. "Is that so? How considerate."

Patience brings peace. Shen Zhengning persuaded himself internally. Moodiness is a standard feature for this breed of person. His lack of proper socialization isn't society's problem. There's no need to stoop to his level.

"In your eyes, the living and the dead are both less important than the invisible 'face'." His weary tone seemed to carry a trace of deeply hidden disappointment. "I am also a part of your 'kindness'—"

"That's not it." Shen Zhengning suddenly cut him off. "You're the retribution for me not checking the almanac before leaving home today."

The rain suddenly grew heavier, drumming a pitter-patter of fragmented sounds against the car window.

"Don't arbitrarily place expectations on others and then get disappointed on your own. You scratched me with your claws for no reason, and now it's my fault?"

Zhuang Mingqi: "..."

He was like a cat startled by a harsh tone. It took him a good while to refute in a low voice, "Who scratched you? Don't just slander people."

Shen Zhengning said coldly, "I know what you want to ask."

Zhuang Mingqi raised his clear, glass-like amber eyes, waiting unblinkingly for him to continue.

"Eat the other bread roll too."

"What?"

"Eat the other bread roll too," Shen Zhengning repeated steadily. "I'll tell you after you finish."

Zhuang Mingqi stared at him incredulously, but because he was too good-looking, the glare had no killing power. Shen Zhengning even considerately asked if he wanted water, saying he could get a bottle from the trunk himself if he was thirsty.

"I'm not hungry." Zhuang Mingqi refused flatly. "One is enough."

The roads became a bit congested after entering the city. Shen Zhengning was stuck in a long line of traffic and finally had a moment to turn back and look at him with a smile. "You know, if I posted about your appetite on Xiaohongshu, netizens would tell you to get lost with your baby bowl."

Zhuang Mingqi: ?

Shen Zhengning said in a tone used to coax a child, "Go on, eat. We'll be stuck in traffic for a while. If you unfortunately faint from low blood sugar, the traffic conditions might delay your rescue."

Zhuang Mingqi: "..."

At first, Zhuang Mingqi only thought he was a good-looking passerby. Later, he judged him to be a shrewd good person. Now, he finally realized that Shen Zhengning was playing with him with one hand tied behind his back. Humans were doomed to utter defeat before a monster who could see into people's hearts.

"Don't secretly demonize me in your heart." Shen Zhengning spoke at the right moment. "I just observe carefully and make reasonable deductions. I don't have X-ray vision, nor can I read minds."

No matter how he explained, he wouldn't believe it anymore. Zhuang Mingqi tore open the packaging and slowly consumed the small bread roll, listening as Shen Zhengning said, "I have a classmate who's a police officer, and he happened to be involved in Ye Tongsheng's case. So I happen to know a little about the conflict between Ye Tongsheng and his parents. Not much, but enough."

"Although I don't know what you said exactly, it was clearly aimed at Ye Tongsheng's father. You hate him, right? Because he made a mistake but has no intention of repenting in the slightest. He's a violent, paranoid, and hypocritical control freak who is also very good at playing the victim in front of outsiders."

Zhuang Mingqi suddenly regretted not sitting in the passenger seat. He rarely had the thought of "getting closer" to others, but at this moment, he very much wanted to see this person clearly.

His eyes clearly said, "And you say you can't read minds?"

"What's with that look?" Shen Zhengning laughed for a moment, then his expression turned serious. "I know Ye Tongsheng ran away from home in high school and was forcibly locked at home by his father when he returned half a year ago. He had many old injuries on his body from when his father beat him as a child."

"In his statement to the police, his father did his utmost to hide what he had done and exaggerated Ye Tongsheng's rebelliousness. He must usually say the same thing to relatives and friends. He's already very skilled with this rhetoric, using it effortlessly anytime, anywhere, shaping himself into a pitiful parent who can't handle their child, thereby arousing the sympathy of those around him. Otherwise, Ye Tongsheng wouldn't have been persuaded by 'well-meaning people' to go back and reconcile with his family as soon as he returned to his hometown."

Zhuang Mingqi's chewing paused slightly. A familiar feeling of nausea surged up his throat, as if an invisible hand had clenched his stomach.

He remembered the middle-aged man hiding behind the crowd. He looked so sad and haggard, so pitiful, so convincing. Everyone sympathized with him, so they couldn't hear the distant screams and cries of pain from the shadows behind him.

"Ye Tongsheng and I were colleagues for several years. I don't remember if he ever wore pants that exposed his calves, but he did wear short sleeves in the summer, that much should be correct." Shen Zhengning tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "The number of old injuries on his body was so high that even the police found it abnormal, but the limbs that were exposed were clean. It's too much of a coincidence, which makes it seem deliberate. It shows that the abuser was meticulous, specifically choosing to hit places that clothes could cover. This doesn't quite match the 'helplessness' he displayed in front of others."

"So when you provoked his parents at the funeral, it wasn't because you were oblivious to the occasion and didn't know how to speak. You were intentionally picking a fight because you hate them and were speaking up for Ye Tongsheng. That's why I sided with you—how about it, does this answer satisfy you?"

The faint feeling of nausea silently subsided, and the sweetness of the bread returned to his taste buds.

Their gazes met inadvertently. Zhuang Mingqi quickly looked away as if he'd been stung by a bee, letting out a vague "mhm."

Shen Zhengning didn't comment on his grunt, apparently letting him off the hook.

The red light turned green. The long line of cars began to move slowly, and the car drove off smoothly.

His soothed emotions told him that there was no need to ask any more questions. Sharp insight, swift and precise judgment, and an analysis as sharp as a scalpel that went straight to the heart of the matter—these things formed the core temperament of Shen Zhengning. That sense of stability was unreasonably powerful, almost enough to smooth over nightmares that had lasted for years.

It turned out his intuition hadn't been wrong after all. That's why he had felt an awkward sense of being fooled when his expectations weren't met.

Neither of them spoke for a while. The car was quiet for a long time. When Shen Zhengning remembered to glance over, he discovered that Zhuang Mingqi had actually fallen asleep, leaning against the window with his head lowered and his brow furrowed.

What kind of habit is this...

His gaze only lingered for two more seconds, and the vertical line between Zhuang Mingqi's brows deepened a fraction. Shen Zhengning looked away, and the relaxed expression he had deliberately maintained gradually quieted, turning into focused contemplation.

Ye Tongsheng's father hadn't specifically fabricated any elaborate lies. He just concealed, whitewashed, and put on a performance. It was normal that the middle-aged and elderly people of his generation, as well as parents who had a rougher approach to raising children, couldn't see through it. But for people who were sensitive to certain rhetoric, especially children who had been hurt by their original families, it was easy to discern the violent lies hidden under the guise of "familial love."

He looked at the sleeping beauty in the back seat through the reflective surface of the mirror and thought probingly, 'And what kind of curse are you under?'