Wen Xi’s eyes widened in panic, and a chilling coldness spread from her back through her entire body.
Jiang Songde hesitated. “This… isn’t very appropriate, is it?”
Shao Kunye tilted his head and looked at him with a smile. “Then should we use your daughter instead?”
Fan Xuezhen’s expression changed. She quietly tugged at Jiang Songde’s arm. “Are you crazy? What does Wen Xi’s life or death have to do with you? Are you really going to risk our daughter?”
Jiang Tinglu panicked even more. “Dad, I don’t want to!”
She had seen that drug used on others before. The people who tried it became like animals, unbearably desperate and lustful. She absolutely did not want to test that drug herself.
Naturally, Jiang Songde would never risk his own biological daughter. Besides, Wen Xi was just an outsider. There was no need to offend Shao Kunye for her sake.
Moreover, with Wen Xi testing the drug, he would even save himself the trouble of finding someone else.
Jiang Songde weighed the pros and cons in only a moment. “Since Young Master Shao has spoken, then let her test the drug.”
Wen Xi suddenly lifted her head, her heart turning cold. “Uncle Jiang…”
Perhaps the despair on her face was too obvious, so Jiang Songde added another sentence, “Young Master Shao, she’s still young. Please don’t go too far. I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.”
Shao Kunye smiled faintly. “President Jiang is really generous. For the sake of cooperation, you’re even giving me your adopted daughter.”
Jiang Songde naturally understood the mockery in Shao Kunye’s words and gave an awkward smile.
Shao Kunye stood up and stopped wasting words. “Han Tao, take her away.”
Seeing Han Tao walking toward her, Wen Xi finally remembered to run. However, before she could even step out the door, her slender wrist was caught by Han Tao. Without much effort, he hoisted her over his shoulder.
His first thought was that Wen Xi was very light—light as a feather.
Like a frightened little animal, Wen Xi struggled in panic.
“Don’t! Let me go!”
“Uncle Jiang, save me!”
Jiang Songde turned his back and pretended he didn’t hear anything.
At that moment, Wen Liyang suddenly rushed out from somewhere. “Bad guy! You’re not allowed to bully Mom!”
He ran over and tried to bite Shao Kunye, but just as he opened his mouth, Shao Kunye caught his jaw firmly with his hand.
“Mm—”
Wen Liyang glared angrily at Shao Kunye, muffled sounds coming from his mouth.
Wen Xi’s heart leapt into her throat. “Liyang!”
Shao Kunye lifted Wen Liyang up and waved him in front of Wen Xi. “Testing the drug alone is too boring. How about bringing your son along?”
Wen Xi shook her head in terror. “No…”
She looked as though she might cry at any moment. “He’s so little. He can’t test the drug. He’ll die…”
Shao Kunye sneered. “Wouldn’t it be perfect if he died? After all, he’s just a bastard.”
With tears in her eyes, Wen Xi pleaded, “I beg you… don’t touch Liyang. I’ll go with you. Just let him go…”
“Hear that?” Shao Kunye bent down and spoke into Wen Liyang’s ear. “For the sake of you being my son, I’ll let you off this time.”
Like he was carrying a chick, he casually grabbed Wen Liyang and tossed him to Jiang Songde before striding out of the villa.
“Mom!”
Wen Liyang struggled to chase after her, but Jiang Songde held him down. “Stop making trouble. Young Master Shao took your mother out because he has something important to do.”
Wen Liyang fumed. “Let me go! You’re in league with that bad guy!”
It was only when he turned his head that Jiang Songde suddenly noticed something with surprise—this child looked extremely similar to Shao Kunye.
Rather than simply similar, it was more like they had been carved from the same mold.
No wonder he had always felt that Wen Liyang looked familiar before, yet could never remember where he had seen that face.
Jiang Songde exchanged a glance with Fan Xuezhen. Both of them had shock in their eyes.
Was it just a coincidence, or did Wen Liyang have some connection with Shao Kunye?
Jiang Tinglu didn’t notice her parents’ strange reaction. Her attention was entirely fixed on Shao Kunye’s retreating figure, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms.
Shao Kunye would rather sleep with Wen Xi than sleep with her!
Even without drugging him, she could have served Shao Kunye very well!
Shao Kunye had Han Tao book a room at the nearest hotel. Wen Xi was dragged all the way into the room and roughly thrown onto the bed.
Wen Xi instinctively curled into the corner. She trembled constantly, like a little rabbit shaking on a chopping board.
Shao Kunye’s tall figure stood beside the bed, almost blocking out most of the light.
The muscles beneath his shirt were firm and powerful, radiating an indescribable sense of strength.
Wen Xi held back for a long time before finally forcing out a sentence. “I… I don’t want to test the drug.”
Shao Kunye sat down on the edge of the bed. “That depends on how cooperative you are.”
Looking at Wen Xi’s confused eyes, Shao Kunye spoke directly. “Tell me. Who told you to drug me?”
A trace of guilt flashed across Wen Xi’s face. She turned her head away. “I really don’t know…”
Shao Kunye was very tall. Even while sitting on the bed, he was still much taller than Wen Xi. When he looked down at her, an invisible pressure filled the air.
“This is your last chance,” he said. “If you don’t speak, I have other ways to make you talk.”
Wen Xi bit her lip until faint teeth marks appeared, clearly refusing to confess.
Even at this point, she was still trying to hide the person behind the scenes.
She really had backbone.
Shao Kunye smiled. “Fine. I hope that mouth of yours will still be this stubborn later.”
He extended his hand, and Han Tao handed him the drug—the “Liaoyuan” that Jiang Songde had just sent.
Under Wen Xi’s terrified gaze, Shao Kunye poured out three pills from the bottle.
Han Tao paused. “Young Master Shao, Jiang Songde said one pill is enough. Any more might be too much to bear.”
Shao Kunye smiled. “Her mouth is so stubborn. How could one pill be enough?”
Realizing what it was, despair slowly filled Wen Xi’s eyes. She shook her head while trying to crawl off the bed, but Shao Kunye grabbed her ankle and dragged her back.
“No! I won’t take that drug!”
Her voice trembled violently, tinged with helpless sobs.
Only when Shao Kunye grabbed her did he realize how thin her ankle was—his palm could easily wrap around it with space to spare.
Tears filled Wen Xi’s eyes. “Please… don’t treat me like this. I don’t want to…”
Shao Kunye didn’t bother wasting words. His fingers clamped her jaw open as he forced it apart, about to stuff the pills into her mouth.
The thought of becoming shameless after taking that drug finally shattered Wen Xi’s mental defenses. Terrified, she shouted, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
Shao Kunye’s hand paused slightly.
Tears rolled down Wen Xi’s cheeks. She looked pitiful as she choked out, “It… it was Uncle Jiang who told me to drug you.”
Hearing this answer, there wasn’t the slightest surprise on Shao Kunye’s face.
From the moment he learned that Wen Xi was connected to Jiang Songde, he had already known the answer.
Shao Kunye held her ankle in a vaguely ambiguous way. The woman beneath him trembled even more violently.
“The reason?”
Wen Xi’s voice was as soft as the buzzing of a fly. “At that time, Uncle Jiang wanted to cooperate with an uncle surnamed Ji. But you wouldn’t allow Uncle Jiang to participate. Uncle Jiang was very angry, so he had me drug you…”
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, as if she had realized how excessive her actions had been. Her head also drooped.
Her reminder seemed to make Shao Kunye recall the matter.
Five years ago, when Shao Kunye came to this city to discuss business with a pharmaceutical dealer, he had heard that someone surnamed Jiang also wanted to participate. Shao Kunye had kicked him out of the deal.
Someone without money or connections still wanted a share of the profits.
So that person had been Jiang Songde.
Wen Xi cautiously glanced at Shao Kunye’s expression, then quickly lowered her head again. Carefully, she said, “Uncle Jiang said that if I didn’t help him deliver the wine, he would send me away.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have drugged you.”
Han Tao’s heart stirred slightly as he looked at Shao Kunye.
So the drugging had been planned by Jiang Songde, and Wen Xi was also a victim.
Back then she had been so young—she had no ability to resist at all.
Shao Kunye sneered and grabbed Wen Xi’s chin, forcing her to look up. “Do you think saying sorry can make up for what you did back then?”
Wen Xi protested softly, “But you… you also did that to me.”
Shao Kunye raised an eyebrow. “Did what?”
Wen Xi’s face flushed red. Her fingers tightly twisted the corner of her clothes.
Kindly, Shao Kunye finished the rest of her sentence for her. “You think that because you were a virgin, letting me sleep with you was a big loss?”
Wen Xi didn’t say it aloud, but that was exactly what she thought.
She had never even had a boyfriend before, yet her first night had been taken by him.
Shao Kunye seemed to see through her thoughts. He used a little force with his hand, forcing her to raise her head. “Someone like you who doesn’t even know how to serve a man wouldn’t fetch a price even if you were thrown out to be sold.”
Wen Xi felt ashamed. She didn’t want to continue discussing such matters with Shao Kunye. Sniffling softly, she said in a small voice, “I… I told you everything. Can you let me go back now?”
Shao Kunye smiled faintly. “Who told you that being honest means nothing will happen? You’re quite the dreamer.”
Wen Xi’s eyes widened in shock, as if she had been tricked. “You… you lied!”
Shao Kunye laughed. “Did I ever promise that if you talked, I would let you go?”
Wen Xi’s face turned pale.
He really had never said that.
Seeing Wen Xi looking as though the sky had collapsed on her, Shao Kunye kicked a box of wine at her feet.
“You want to leave?”
“Drink all this wine, and I’ll let you go.”