Song Xing Jia did not blame him, nor did he show anger or impatience. Instead, he said calmly, "What exactly happened? Tell me slowly."
Under his comforting words, Song Yan took a breath and said, "It's like this. This afternoon, I took Miss Ji to the pier. Who knew we'd run into the third son of the Pei family. While I went to buy a bottle of water, Miss Ji disappeared! When I returned and inquired, I found out that the third son took a fancy to Miss Ji and took her away!"
Everyone in Port City knew the third son of the Pei family; he was the epitome of an unaccomplished individual.
He indulged in drinking, eating, womanizing, and gambling; there was nothing he didn't partake in.
But his father was the biggest gambler in Port City, and his mother was the king's most beloved concubine, making him even more reckless.
It was unexpected that he would set his sights on Miss Ji this time!
Song Xing Jia frowned and immediately made a decision: "Arrange a meeting with the Gambling King for me."
Song Yan: "Yes."
Meanwhile.
Ji Lan Ruo was truly infuriated. She was actually quite skilled in combat, but she hadn't expected this spoiled brat to bring so many people.
Pei Sheng lifted Ji Lan Ruo's chin: "She's truly a gem of a beauty."
Ji Lan Ruo slapped his hand away. "Disgusting."
"Oh, I didn't expect you to be such a feisty one," Pei Sheng chuckled, pleased rather than angered.
He was used to women throwing themselves at him, so someone like Ji Lan Ruo was exactly to his taste.
Ji Lan Ruo said with a cold face, "I advise you to let me go."
"What will you do if I don't?"
"I am not like those disreputable women you associate with," Ji Lan Ruo said proudly, raising her chin. "I am the eldest daughter of the Ji family."
She attempted to intimidate Pei Sheng with her status.
But Pei Sheng only cared about indulging in pleasures and had no interest in such matters.
Even if he knew, Pei Sheng wouldn't be intimidated.
What was the Ji family to him? The emperor was too far away; he would enjoy himself first.
Pei Sheng nodded perfunctorily. "Yes, you are not only the eldest daughter of the Ji family but also my little darling."
Ji Lan Ruo was almost nauseated. She had never met such a repulsive man in her life.
She calculated in her mind. By now, Song Yan should have found Song Xing Jia, right?
As long as she held on, Song Xing Jia would come to her rescue soon.
Seeing her lost in thought, Pei Sheng reached out and caressed her cheek. "By the way, your name is Ruo Ruo, right? I'll call you that from now on, okay?"
Ji Lan Ruo turned her head to avoid his touch, her disgust evident. "Not okay."
"Fine," Pei Sheng nodded. "We'll talk about it when we get home."
He took Ji Lan Ruo to a private villa he owned.
He rubbed his hands together. "Wife, I'll take a bath and come to pamper you later. Don't rush."
Ji Lan Ruo wished he would die in the shower.
She suppressed her disgust and forced a smile. "Then you must wash well, make sure you're clean."
Pei Sheng thought he had been accepted and quickly agreed. "No problem!"
He knew it himself; no woman could resist him.
After he left, Ji Lan Ruo sat on the sofa.
Pei Sheng had left four men to guard her.
Ji Lan Ruo cursed inwardly and began to ponder.
She was unfamiliar with the place, and even if she could escape, she wouldn't get far.
It was better for her to wait patiently for Song Xing Jia to rescue her.
Pei Sheng finished his bath quickly; he had always been impatient.
The thought of a beauty waiting for him made him even more eager.
He came out quickly. "Ruo Ruo, my darling, I've washed."
Ji Lan Ruo smiled slightly. "But I haven't washed yet."
"Darling, you're clean even without washing."
Ji Lan Ruo was about to vomit.
Pei Sheng waved his hand. "You all go down and wait outside."
The bodyguards complied and left.
Pei Sheng stripped himself in a few moves and then squinted at Ji Lan Ruo. "Do you want to do it yourself, or should I help you?"
"Never mind, I'll do it myself." With that, Pei Sheng lunged at her.
Ji Lan Ruo slapped him across the face. When had she, the eldest daughter of the Ji family, ever suffered such humiliation?
Struck unexpectedly, Pei Sheng clutched his aching cheek. "You refuse a toast and prefer a punishment, do you? In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless."
He grabbed Ji Lan Ruo's hands and held them above her head, a wicked smile on his face. "I advise you to comply obediently, or no matter if you are Miss Ji or Master Ji, you won't get away with it!"
In Port City, he always acted with impunity; he feared no one.
A mere woman like her was nothing in his eyes.
Ji Lan Ruo kneed him in the groin, her face cold. "Bastard! If you dare do anything to me, my brother will not let you off!"
Pei Sheng had anticipated this move and easily dodged it. He tore at her clothes with his large hand and chuckled. "This time, even if the King of Heaven descended, he couldn't save you!"
...
South Bay Villa.
Pei Qian Shan sat in front of the sofa, a servant bowing as he poured him tea.
He exhaled a ring of smoke. Song Xing Jia's visit surprised him, and even more so that Song Xing Jia had come to him for a woman.
Pei Qian Shan said calmly, "I understand Mr. Song's intentions, but I still wish to ask, what is the relationship between this girl and Mr. Song? Ordinary people are not worth Mr. Song's personal intervention."
Song Xing Jia knew that Pei Qian Shan was testing him.
If he couldn't provide a convincing enough reason, Pei Qian Shan would have no need to displease his most favored youngest son for him.
In their eyes, she was just a woman.
Moreover, in Port City, the Gambling King had long been accustomed to wielding absolute power.
With connections in both the underworld and the legitimate world, who would dare to offend him easily?
Time ticked by.
Pei Qian Shan's gaze fell on Song Xing Jia's face.
Song Xing Jia's face showed an appropriate level of anxiety. "To be honest with the Gambling King, she is my fiancée. She is from the capital and came here for a holiday. I didn't expect your son..."
As soon as he said this, Pei Qian Shan was enraged. "This unfilial son! He dares to lay a hand on anyone! He truly has no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth. Don't worry, I will severely punish him for this matter!"
Such words were to be heard and dismissed.
Song Xing Jia didn't believe them and didn't press the issue. The priority was to retrieve Ji Lan Ruo.
"Please contact the third son as soon as possible, Your Excellency, otherwise, it might be too late for anything."
...
As long as there were no bodyguards, Pei Sheng was no match for Ji Lan Ruo.
Pei Sheng was not merely a pretty face; he had some martial skills.
Seeing Ji Lan Ruo's fierce resistance, he was not in a hurry.
Ji Lan Ruo felt something was amiss until she saw Pei Sheng's smug smile and her own increasingly hazy vision.
Ji Lan Ruo's gaze fell on the candle on the table. "Did you drug me?"
Pei Sheng readily admitted, "It's for foreplay. Alright, I've played with you for long enough. It's time."
"Now, it's time to enjoy my main course!"
Ji Lan Ruo's body felt weak. She wanted to hold her breath, but it was too late.
Having already inhaled a good amount of the fragrant mist in the air, her body went limp and collapsed onto the bed. "Despicable!"
As long as his goal was achieved, Pei Sheng didn't care what she said.
There were plenty of people who disliked him; she was just one more.
He pressed Ji Lan Ruo down on him and was about to proceed when a bodyguard rushed in with a phone.
Pei Sheng frowned. "Get lost! Don't you see I'm busy with important matters?"
The bodyguard said cautiously, "It's your father's call."
He couldn't really refuse this.
Pei Sheng had no choice but to get off Ji Lan Ruo and answer the phone. "What? I won't do it!"
After finally getting his hands on a beauty, he was now being asked to send her back? Only a fool would make such a losing deal.
On the other end, Pei Qian Shan also roared with anger. "Whether you do it or not, you have to! Send the person back immediately, or I'll beat you to death when you return!"
With that, he hung up.
Song Xing Jia, overhearing this, furrowed his brows slightly. "Perhaps you could tell me where the third son is now? I can go and fetch him myself."
Seeing that his anxiety was genuine, Pei Qian Shan readily gave the address his son frequented.
By the time Song Xing Jia arrived, Ji Lan Ruo had already lost most of her consciousness.
In her blurred vision, Song Xing Jia descended like a divine being from the heavens.
"It's alright... it's alright..." the man whispered, comforting her.
A tear rolled down Ji Lan Ruo's cheek as she completely lost consciousness.
Pei Sheng stood behind, his face contorted as he looked at the group of people who had suddenly burst in. "Scoundrels, who gave you permission to enter?"
The bodyguard said sheepishly, "Third Young Master, these are people brought by your father."
Song Xing Jia, holding Ji Lan Ruo, for the first time, abandoned his usual dignified demeanor and pushed past Pei Sheng without regard for etiquette.
He cared nothing for face or manners at this point.
Pei Sheng stood rooted to the spot, staring intently at Song Xing Jia's retreating back. "The Song family, is it!"
He remembered! He would settle this score!
The bodyguard bowed. "Young Master, your father is on the phone."
Reluctantly, he took the phone. Pei Qian Shan's booming voice came through. "Are you cursing your old man in your heart again?"
Pei Sheng chuckled. "How could I dare? You are my most, most brilliant father!"
His pent-up desire was unfulfilled; who was he supposed to complain to?
"It's best if you aren't! Get back here immediately!"
...
Hospital.
Ji Lan Ruo slowly regained consciousness.
Song Xing Jia straightened up, his eyes full of concern. "You're awake?"
The events before she fainted were still vivid in her mind. Ji Lan Ruo bit her lip, full of regret.
They spoke at the same time:
"Did I cause you trouble?"
"Don't worry, nothing happened."
As soon as they finished speaking, they both froze.
Song Xing Jia was the first to pour her a glass of water. "Calm yourself first. The third son of the Pei family is not a good person. Don't worry, someone will teach him a lesson for this matter."
Ji Lan Ruo nodded. For some reason, with Song Xing Jia present, she felt much more at ease.
It was as if his appearance could solve any difficulty.
Song Xing Jia spoke again. "I apologize for this matter. It was my lack of care that frightened you. Rest well, and when you have recovered, I will invite you out to see Port City properly."
Ji Lan Ruo remained silent for a moment.
This was clearly not his fault, yet he took all the responsibility upon himself.
She saw the exhaustion on Song Xing Jia's face.
It seemed he had spent a lot of time by her side.
Ji Lan Ruo's cheeks flushed slightly, and she agreed obediently. "I understand."
"Then you rest well. I need to go out for a bit. Song Yan will stay here to take care of you."
Song Xing Jia got up and left the room.
Song Yan walked in from outside, his face full of guilt. "Miss Ji, this really scared me to death. Thankfully, you're alright."
He still remembered how President Song had wrapped Miss Ji in his trench coat when he came out, and the look on his face...
It was the first time he had seen the usually dignified President Song act so ungraciously.
This time, there was a scare but no harm. For Ji Lan Ruo, there was more anger.
She looked up. "Please sit first and tell me about that scoundrel's background."
Song Yan sat down. "Him? He's the son of the Port City Gambling King. Worthless, a complete scumbag. However, his father is a prominent figure in Port City."
Ji Lan Ruo frowned. "Then yesterday, how did you find me?"
"President Song contacted Old Pei. He told the Gambling King that you were his fiancée, otherwise he wouldn't have released you."
Song Yan was bursting with guilt. He had made a mistake and hadn't dared to speak in front of Song Xing Jia.
Now that Ji Lan Ruo asked him, it gave him a chance to vent.
Ji Lan Ruo's eyes widened, her small hands clutching the bedsheet. "What did you say?"
Song Yan scratched his head, thinking she was angry. "You shouldn't blame President Song for this, Miss Ji. It was for your own good. Otherwise, that old fox wouldn't have let you go."