Chapter 39

Su Louzhi suddenly snatched the glass of orange juice, tipped her head back, and gulped it down in one go, startling both Ji Kailan and Qin Qingyan.

Ji Kailan's brow furrowed. He immediately sensed something was wrong—his Zhizhi wasn't the type to be so rude. This gesture was more like something she'd been forced to do because she couldn't speak.

He reacted swiftly, snatching the cup from Su Louzhi's hand, but there was barely any juice left in it—she'd downed it in just two or three gulps.

Ji Kailan wrapped an arm around her waist, asking with concern, "Zhizhi, are you alright? Is there something wrong with that drink?"

Qin Qingyan also realized something was off and hurried over. "What's wrong, Zhizhi? Did you notice something suspicious?"

Su Louzhi didn't know how to explain. She'd simply recalled the plotlines from those old novels she'd read. Since the System had explicitly told her that Shen Boyang and Qin Qingyan were the male and female leads—that this was a book—then an aristocratic family novel would inevitably have a drugging scene. And today was the System's designated task node. She felt there was a ninety percent chance that orange juice had been spiked.

The waiter panicked at the scene, stammering, "I... I don't know anything..."

Ji Kailan thought back to Su Louzhi's earlier comments about wealthy families and false heirs, and a suspicion formed in his mind. His Zhizhi might have been influenced by the novels she read, but regardless, this wasn't something to make a public scene over. It was all just her speculation for now—if it turned out to be true, then fine. But if they made a fuss and it turned out to be a misunderstanding, others would look down on his Zhizhi.

He spoke calmly, "You may go now."

The waiter fled as if granted amnesty.

The three returned to their private booth. As soon as they sat down, Ji Kailan immediately handed his phone to Su Louzhi and asked gently, "Zhizhi, when you drank that orange juice earlier, did you notice something?"

As expected, Su Louzhi took the phone and typed firmly: [The plots in aristocratic novels are always like this! Someone accidentally drinks a drink handed over by a waiter at a banquet, and then they end up drugged with an aphrodisiac...]

Ji Kailan read the message, and the stone in his heart finally settled. Zhizhi hadn't actually discovered anything—she'd just been influenced by the novels.

This was a banquet hosted by the Shen family, with tight security. It wouldn't be easy for someone to sneak in and cause trouble. Otherwise, where would the Shen family's face be?

Qin Qingyan saw the words on the screen and also breathed a sigh of relief. She gently took Su Louzhi's hand. "Zhizhi, it's fine. Don't worry. I'll take good care of myself and stay alert to everything around me."

Su Louzhi nodded, still worried.

Qin Qingyan glanced at Ji Kailan's hand resting on Su Louzhi's waist—the possessiveness was practically overflowing. She smiled knowingly. "Alright, Zhizhi, you and Ji Young Master enjoy your time. I've eaten my fill too, so I'll head back to my father's side."

Su Louzhi nodded obediently and waved goodbye.

After Qin Qingyan left, Ji Kailan tightened his arm, pulling Su Louzhi from sitting beside him to being held in his embrace.

He looked down at the small, soft bundle in his arms and let out a soft sigh. "Zhizhi, I'm actually quite upset about what happened today."

Su Louzhi looked up, bewildered, her eyes full of confusion.

Ji Kailan looked at that innocent gaze and sighed inwardly, but beneath the sigh was endless worry.

How could his Zhizhi be so naive and adorable? Sometimes he even wondered if he could truly protect her.

He gently kissed her lips, not pulling away, and murmured against them, "Zhizhi, I want you to know that I can't live without you."

"Have you ever thought that if that drink really was spiked, you were putting yourself in danger? If something happened to you, what would I do?"

He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "Besides, if you suspected the drink, you didn't have to snatch it and drink it yourself. You could've just reached out and stopped Qin Qingyan, or knocked the glass away. Why were you so foolish as to grab it and drink it?"

Su Louzhi froze. In that moment, there'd been so little time—she'd only thought of that plot when she saw the waiter pouring the orange juice. By the time it crossed her mind, the waiter had already filled the glass and picked it up, and Qingyan was already reaching out.

She'd had about one second to react.

In that second, she hadn't thought much—she'd just instinctively felt: Qingyan can't drink it. So she snatched it and drank it herself. If she drank it, Qingyan wouldn't have any, and she'd be safe.

But now that she thought about it... Ji Kailan was absolutely right. There were so many other ways, and she'd chosen the dumbest one—and hurt his feelings in the process.

Although she was convinced that orange juice contained an aphrodisiac, what if it didn't? She'd read some novels where someone, out of resentment, used poison instead.

What if that orange juice had been poisoned? If she were gone, leaving Ji Kailan alone, maybe he wouldn't survive his next pheromone surge.

At that thought, the fear that had been delayed flooded in like a tide. Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes. She clung tightly to Ji Kailan, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Ji Kailan let out a soft sigh and gently held her back. He used the tip of his tongue to kiss away the tears on her face, one by one. "Zhizhi, don't cry," he murmured, his voice low with heartache. "I'm not scolding you. I'm just worried... that I won't be able to protect you."

He watched the tear tracks he'd just licked clean fill again, sighed inwardly, and lowered his voice even more. "When I said I was angry just now, I was actually angry at myself. Zhizhi snatched that cup so fast that I didn't even react. By the time I did and took the cup from your hand, you'd already drunk it."

He tightened his arms, pulling her even closer. "In that moment, I went cold all over. All I could think was—if that orange juice really was spiked, and you'd already drunk it, what could I possibly do to save you?"

Su Louzhi lowered her tear-soaked lashes and buried her face in his chest.

Ji Kailan knew her temperament—she'd need to cry for a little while before she could stop. So he said nothing more, just held her tenderly, patting her back softly, trying to help her slowly relax.

Under such gentle comfort, Su Louzhi quickly stopped crying. Just as she thought she was fine, however, a strange sensation crept through her body.

She felt incredibly hot.

Her heart jolted. So she'd been right after all—that orange juice really had been drugged!

She grabbed the front of Ji Kailan's shirt, wrinkling the fabric. She looked up at him anxiously, then remembered she still had her phone. She quickly typed: [I've been drugged! It's taking effect now!!!]

Ji Kailan had already sensed something was off the moment Su Louzhi moved. He looked down at her—besides the flush from crying, a strange blush was spreading across her face. When he saw what was on the screen, his expression changed drastically.

The next second, he scooped Su Louzhi up in his arms. "I'm taking you to Bo'ai Hospital. Zhizhi, don't be afraid. It'll be quick."

He hadn't even finished speaking before he was striding out of the venue.

Ji Kailan's pace was incredibly fast.

Everyone only saw Ji Kailan suddenly pick up Su Louzhi from their corner booth and swiftly leave the banquet hall.

Shen Boyang was entertaining other guests when he caught a glimpse of the scene from the corner of his eye. He instinctively wanted to chase after them and ask what was going on. But by the time he reacted, Ji Kailan had already hurried out of the hall.

He chased after them, but the corridor was empty.

Perplexed, Shen Boyang pulled out his phone and called Ji Kailan, but no one answered.

This was a banquet hosted by his own family—he still had too many things to handle and too many people to host. Helpless, Shen Boyang could only send a message asking Ji Kailan what had happened, then hurriedly returned to the banquet hall.

After being scooped up, Su Louzhi's chaotic thoughts managed to clear for a brief moment.

Mostly because Ji Kailan was walking so fast. It was the first time she realized that a person's brisk walk could be as fast as someone else's sprint. Before she could process it, she was already in the elevator; in the blink of an eye, they were in the underground parking garage.

She forced herself to grasp a shred of clarity and tried to pull out her phone to warn Qin Qingyan, but Ji Kailan was carrying her in his arms as he hurried toward the car—the position made typing awkward, and the jostling from his steps made it impossible to hold her phone steady. Besides, her consciousness was already blurring, and her vision was slowly fading.

Fortunately, Ji Kailan was quick—the whole process took less than two or three minutes. She found herself in the passenger seat, seatbelt fastened. Using her last shred of reason, she sent a trembling message to Qin Qingyan: [Silent Little Tail: Qingyan, that orange juice really was spiked. I've already been drugged. You must protect yourself. Senior Ji has already taken me away.]

After sending the message, she clutched her phone, staring at the screen.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

No reply.

Qin Qingyan hadn't replied.

Su Louzhi's heart burned with anxiety. Banquet settings weren't convenient for checking phones anyway, but she was terrified Qingyan hadn't seen the message, afraid she might drink something else.

She struggled to organize her already tangled thoughts. Ji Kailan was driving—she couldn't disturb him.

Who else could she contact?

That's right—Shen Boyang!

She immediately reopened her phone and messaged him: [Silent Little Tail: Senior Shen, I drank a glass of orange juice at the banquet just now and got drugged. Senior Ji has already taken me away. Can you keep an eye on Qingyan for me? I'm really worried about her, because that orange juice was meant for her.]

Shen Boyang had been full of confusion—Ji Kailan had suddenly carried Su Louzhi off, and when he called, no one picked up. He'd been clutching his phone waiting for a reply. When it vibrated, he unlocked it immediately.

Seeing Su Louzhi's message, his heart jolted.

Qingyan?!

He immediately looked up and scanned the room for Qin Qingyan.

In the banquet hall, glasses clinked and figures moved in a blur.

He swept his gaze across every corner, every face—

Nothing.

Nowhere.

Shen Boyang broke out in a cold sweat.

To avoid worrying Su Louzhi, he replied to her first: [Shining Over the World: Understood, Senior Su. I'm going to find Qingyan right now and keep her by my side.]

Su Louzhi saw the reply, and the stone hanging over her heart finally dropped. The moment she relaxed, the chaos in her mind completely drowned her.

—

Meanwhile, after replying to Su Louzhi, Shen Boyang immediately began searching the banquet hall in a panic.

Nothing.

Qin Qingyan was nowhere in the entire hall.

He even called over a waitress to check the restroom, but still nothing.

Shen Boyang made a decisive call. He immediately found the Heavenly Land manager and headed to the surveillance room together, while having his father's assistant relay the matter to his father.

Heavenly Land was the most prestigious venue for aristocratic banquets in the capital, backed by another immensely powerful family—the Helian family. With something like this happening, the manager's face was grim, vowing to find the culprit and report it thoroughly to the family head.

Heavenly Land's team was extremely professional and quick. They rapidly pinpointed Qin Qingyan's whereabouts.

The surveillance footage showed that after bidding farewell to Ji Kailan and Su Louzhi, Qin Qingyan returned to her father's side. Not long after, another waiter handed her a glass of juice. Without suspicion, Qin Qingyan took it and drank.

About ten minutes later, Qin Qingyan seemed to want to use the restroom and left the hall.

The restroom surveillance clearly recorded: shortly after Qin Qingyan entered, Qin Ya followed her in. Then Qin Ya supported Qin Qingyan out of the restroom and headed toward the hotel rooms upstairs.

Shen Boyang's eyes nearly split with rage.

Fortunately, the manager had acted decisively, assigning multiple staff members to monitor different screens. Almost the next second, someone shouted, "Found her! Miss Qin was taken to Room 1419!"

The moment Shen Boyang heard "1419," he bolted out of the surveillance room. He lunged for the elevator, but it was still in use. His heart burning like fire, he didn't hesitate—he charged into the stairwell and sprinted up to the fourteenth floor.

When he reached Room 1419, Shen Boyang didn't pause for even a second. With all his strength, he kicked the door.

As an S+ class alpha, when Shen Boyang unleashed his full power, what door could possibly stop him? Even though the doors at Heavenly Land were reinforced, his kick still sent it flying open.

When he saw the scene inside, his heart shattered.

Qin Ya was on top of Qin Qingyan. Fortunately, Qin Qingyan was still conscious, desperately pushing her away.

Shen Boyang charged forward without hesitation, his fist smashing into Qin Ya's face. Qin Ya flew backward, and he pounced on her like a beast that had lost its mind, straddling her and slamming punch after punch into her face.

Once. Twice. Three times. He kept pounding until Qin Ya's consciousness faded.

The manager who'd followed with the security team arrived at Room 1419 right after. By the time they got there, Qin Ya had been beaten unconscious, blood streaming from her face and nose, her face swollen beyond recognition.

The manager rushed forward to pull Shen Boyang back, urging urgently, "Young Master Shen, calm down! Keep hitting and you might kill her!"

The word "kill" didn't jolt Shen Boyang, but it did jolt Qin Qingyan. She struggled to sit up, staggered over to Shen Boyang, and threw her arms around him from behind, her voice weak: "Boyang... take me away."

Shen Boyang's fist suddenly stopped.

The next second, he turned and pulled her tightly into his arms, scooping her up. He looked at the manager, his gaze cold enough to freeze. "Keep an eye on Qin Ya. Even if the Qin family comes to demand her release, don't give her up. This isn't over between her and me." With that, he strode off, carrying Qin Qingyan.

Shen Boyang carried Qin Qingyan out of Room 1419.

Qin Qingyan had already lost consciousness. She only felt an unbearable heat all over. When she'd first sensed something was wrong, she'd been desperately holding onto her sanity. But now she knew Shen Boyang was here and she was safe, and that taut string had snapped completely.

He was carrying her in his arms, which conveniently allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck and nibble and bite at his face and neck, her voice coquettish and seductive: "Boyang... I'm so hot... help me..."

Shen Boyang gritted his teeth, feeling his own body heat rise. He looked down at Qin Qingyan—her face flushed, her eyes seductive, every inch of her expression begging and pleading.

His Adam's apple bobbed hard. He rasped, "Qingyan, we're almost there."

A high-end establishment like Heavenly Land naturally kept special rooms for people of status. Shen Boyang had a dedicated room here. He carried Qin Qingyan quickly to it.

The door closed.

Kisses rained down like a storm.

—

Su Louzhi, upon seeing Shen Boyang's reply, finally relaxed. The taut string loosened, and the last shred of consciousness she had completely dissolved.

She felt unbearably hot, as if countless ants were crawling through her veins. She instinctively reached for the fabric at her chest, trying to ease the heat seeping from deep within her bones.

Ji Kailan was driving, and from the corner of his eye he caught her movement. He immediately stopped her: "Zhizhi, you're wearing an evening gown today. Pulling at it like that will expose you."

His voice was like a bucket of cold water, barely pulling Su Louzhi back to a sliver of reason. Her hand froze at her chest, no longer pulling at the fabric. But her body couldn't stop writhing, like a fish out of water, suffering terribly.

Seeing this, Ji Kailan's heart clenched painfully. He softened his voice, soothing her as gently as he could: "Don't be afraid, Zhizhi. We're almost there. I've already told Zhang Ze—he and his team are waiting in the parking lot. Don't be scared. We'll test what kind of drug it is and see if we can counteract it, okay?"

He paused, then added, "Heavenly Land is very close to Bo'ai Hospital. Less than ten minutes away."

Su Louzhi's mind cleared slightly. She understood what Ji Kailan was saying. She stopped writhing and used all her remaining willpower to endure the surging wave of desire.

When Ji Kailan said it would be quick, he meant it.

In less than ten minutes, the car pulled into the underground parking lot of Bo'ai Hospital.

The moment the car stopped, Ji Kailan was already out of the driver's seat. He opened the passenger door and unbuckled Su Louzhi's seatbelt. Zhang Ze and the nursing team were already there with a gurney.

Ji Kailan gently placed Su Louzhi onto the gurney and pushed her quickly toward the elevator while rapidly explaining the situation to Zhang Ze: "Zhizhi drank a glass of orange juice at the banquet. I suspect it was drugged. She started showing symptoms about twenty minutes ago. Current symptoms are feverish heat, confused consciousness, and attempts to disrobe."

Zhang Ze reacted quickly. "Draw blood for testing. The symptoms sound like a common aphrodisiac."

Zhang Ze's team worked efficiently. As soon as they reached the examination room, they drew a vial of Su Louzhi's blood and sent it for testing. The lab gave the fastest possible results.

Zhang Ze looked at the report and told Ji Kailan, "Just a common aphrodisiac. There are two options now: gastric lavage, or helping her relieve it. I recommend the second. Gastric lavage is painful."

Ji Kailan didn't hesitate. He scooped Su Louzhi back into his arms and headed out. "Fine, I'll take the second. I came here because I was worried the drug had other ingredients that could harm her. Since it's just a common one, that's easy to handle."

He carried Su Louzhi quickly out of the hospital, put her back in the car, and sped off toward Minghua Yuan.

Su Louzhi had endured for far too long. By now, she had no coherent consciousness left.

Ji Kailan drove at the absolute limit of what safety allowed, racing back to Minghua Yuan.

The moment the car stopped, Su Louzhi was desperately trying to unbuckle her seatbelt and throw herself at him. But she'd lost her mind entirely, and her fingers couldn't find the latch, making her whimper in frustration.

Ji Kailan chuckled softly. "Alright, Zhizhi," he said, his voice low and husky. "Don't rush. I'm coming."

He got out quickly, circled to the passenger side, unbuckled her seatbelt, and scooped her out.

The moment she fell into his arms, she tilted her head back, mouth open, seeking a kiss. Ji Kailan simply bent down and kissed those endlessly parting lips, his long legs striding quickly into the elevator.

The door closed. Su Louzhi seemed to realize this was safe territory and urgently began tearing at his clothes.

But once they were home, Ji Kailan's earlier urgency vanished, replaced by sudden coldness. He set Su Louzhi down on the sofa, straightened up, and looked down at her from above.

Su Louzhi had no strength left. She slumped back on the sofa, trying to pull off her own clothes, but the evening gown was fastened tightly to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions—she couldn't budge it. She reached out instead for Ji Kailan's clothes, but he suddenly stepped back, moving out of her reach.

Su Louzhi's lust-clouded eyes glistened with tears as she stared at Ji Kailan in bewilderment. She didn't understand—why was he backing away? Hadn't he always indulged her?

Ji Kailan watched Su Louzhi in her current state—her skin flushed pink, her face red, tears at the corners of her eyes, looking at him with a mix of confusion and allure. He felt the fire of desire inside him burn even hotter, but he had to endure it.

He needed to give her a lesson she wouldn't forget. He had to make her understand that she couldn't gamble with her own safety.

Even now, he couldn't forget the panic that had seized him when Su Louzhi told him she'd been drugged. How he regretted not being more vigilant when she'd said she suspected the orange juice based on the novels, not staying alert and taking her to the hospital right away.

He knew that if she'd merely been hit with an aphrodisiac, all he needed to do was have sex with her.

He was absolutely certain that even without using his full strength, just going through the motions casually, Su Louzhi wouldn't be able to handle him. She'd be weeping and trembling beneath him, completely undone.

In fact, that was what he'd always done.

Although Su Louzhi always felt it wasn't easy to take him, every time he'd held back. Even when his pheromones were out of control, he'd kept a shred of reason, simply because he was worried she'd truly get hurt.

Otherwise, how could his Zhizhi, in her virginal state, have truly endured the plundering of a top-tier enigma like him?

Ji Kailan looked down at Su Louzhi with an expressionless face, having made up his mind: this time, she had to learn her lesson.

Su Louzhi stared at Ji Kailan in confusion. Her scrambled thoughts left her unable to process what was happening. She didn't understand why the Ji Kailan who always indulged her had suddenly stopped responding. Why had the man who always looked at her so gently, who always smiled at her, suddenly turned so expressionless, looking at her with such cold eyes?

Su Louzhi suddenly burst into heartbreaking tears. She remembered that her father and mother hadn't wanted her. Was Ji Kailan like this now... because he was preparing to abandon her too?

No!

She was so scared.

She was terrified of being left behind again.

Maybe Ji Kailan didn't like seeing her act so wanton? If he didn't like it, then she wouldn't be wanton anymore. She'd suppress her desires...

Could Ji Kailan please not abandon her?

Ji Kailan watched the bewilderment in Su Louzhi's eyes suddenly spill over into tears. She cried inconsolably, seemingly forgetting even the desire raging in her body. She just curled into a ball, like a baby in the womb, weeping silent tears.

The look on her face was one of utter despair and panic.

He'd only wanted to scare her a little, but she'd made such a heartbreaking expression.

Ji Kailan's heart ached.

He was defeated almost immediately. With a sigh, he knelt down, wrapped his arms around her gently, patted her back softly, and murmured, "Don't cry, Zhizhi. It's all my fault. I made Zhizhi sad. I won't scare Zhizhi anymore, okay?"

He sighed inwardly. He'd been too aggressive. If he wanted to teach her a lesson, there were plenty of ways—why did he have to scare her?

Besides, even if she never learned the lesson, that was fine. He could just be more careful, pay more attention in the future. Why did he have to frighten her and make her look so devastated?

He patted her back with one hand while gently wiping away her tears with the other, and kissed her lips tenderly, coaxing her softly: "Zhizhi, it's all my fault. I scared Zhizhi. I won't do it again. Zhizhi, don't cry."

Seeing that Ji Kailan seemed to have returned to the gentle version of himself from before, Su Louzhi used all her remaining strength to wrap her arms around him, trembling uncontrollably, curling into his embrace.

Feeling the trembling in his arms, Ji Kailan's heart ached with regret. He'd already guessed why Su Louzhi was crying so miserably. She was an orphan—perhaps she'd thought that if he was angry, he'd abandon her, and that was why she was so sad and frightened.

Ji Kailan sighed inwardly for what felt like the hundredth time.

He wasn't usually an irrational person. How had he lost all reason when it came to Zhizhi?