Volume One, Chapter 69: Invasion

Chu Xingzhi watched as Pei Jingmo drained his glass, a triumphant smile flickering at the corner of his lips. He rose, staggering, and went off in search of Song Qingyu.

No sooner had he left than Fu Linhan could no longer sit still. He pointed at Pei Jingmo’s nose and hissed, “Are you insane? You knew there was something in the drink and still went ahead and drank it.”

Fu Linhan was no stranger to nightclubs, and such petty tricks could never escape his notice. The moment the drink was served, he sensed something was amiss. He glanced at Pei Jingmo and knew, with Pei’s sharp instincts, he must have detected the anomaly as well. Yet Pei, unfazed, drank the glass down with gleaming, clear eyes.

Pei Jingmo spun the now-empty glass in his hand, a cold smile curving his lips. “Young Master Chu went to such lengths to create an opportunity for me. If I refuse to cooperate, wouldn’t I be wasting his efforts?”

Fu Linhan instantly understood, his eyes widening. “Damn! You’re planning to use this chance to force things with Song Qingyu, aren’t you?”

Pei Jingmo said nothing, but his expression spoke volumes.

Fu Linhan gave him a thumbs-up. “Alright, alright, you’re impressive, so aloof, using your rival to catch your wife.”

He’d been worried about Pei while he drank, only to find the man was playing a high-level game. With such deep and terrifying cunning, how could Chu Xingzhi possibly outmatch this old fox?

“What’s your plan next?” he asked.

The drug had already taken effect; Pei Jingmo’s breathing grew rapid, his grip on the glass fierce, his gaze alarmingly intense. “Go along with the scheme.”

With that, he rose shakily to his feet. He barely made it a few steps before a waiter came to steady him. “Sir, you’re drunk. Let me help you to a place to rest.”

Pei Jingmo nodded. “Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Song Qingyu emerged from the restroom, about to return to the main hall, when she spotted Chu Xingzhi leaning against a wall. His head hung low, his whole body limp, as if he’d had too much to drink. Song Qingyu glanced at him but had no intention of approaching.

She had barely walked a couple of steps when suddenly, someone hugged her from behind.

“Qingyu... my Qingyu... You’re mine! Mine alone!”

“Let go!” Song Qingyu struggled with a cold expression.

“I won’t let go! I can’t let you leave!”

He clung to her fiercely, as though he wanted to fuse her into his very being.

So fragrant!

It was the scent that belonged to Qingyu.

So soft!

It was his Qingyu!

“Chu Xingzhi! Let go of me! If you keep this up, I’ll—” Before she could finish, Song Qingyu felt a tear drop onto the back of her neck.

Chu Xingzhi’s body trembled, his voice breaking as he spoke near her ear. “Do you know what I was thinking when I watched Liu Mengyi and He Wenxuan’s wedding?”

“I thought, if I hadn’t made mistakes, we would have been married long ago.”

“I would vow to love you forever before friends and family, slip a ring onto your finger, and kiss you amidst cheers and blessings.”

“Baby Qingyu, I really know I was wrong. Please, just give me another chance to make it right, won’t you?”

“No!” Song Qingyu struggled in anger. “Let go of me first! Today is Senior Sister’s wedding; do you want to make a scene and ruin everyone’s happiness—”

She stopped abruptly, catching sight of Pei Jingmo at the end of the corridor. He clung to the wall, clearly suffering. Though the distance obscured his expression, the depth of his black eyes pierced through; even without seeing clearly, Song Qingyu sensed his pain.

He simply watched, silent, without interfering, and after two or three seconds, turned away with difficulty and left.

In that instant, Song Qingyu’s mind held only one thought:

Pei Jingmo misunderstood!

“Pei Jingmo!” Song Qingyu cried out in anxiety, stomping hard on Chu Xingzhi’s foot. Even in pain, he refused to release her. She struggled with all her strength, shoved him away, and slapped him hard across the face. “You make me more certain than ever that leaving you was the best decision of my life!”

Chu Xingzhi, rubbing his stinging cheek, watched as Song Qingyu chased after Pei Jingmo, wiped his tears, and smiled with a sinister edge.

“If Pei Jingmo sleeps with another woman, will you still want him?”

“Pei Jingmo—”

By the time Song Qingyu rushed over, Pei Jingmo had vanished. When he left just now, his state was obviously abnormal, leaving her uneasy.

Suddenly, she saw Fu Linhan approaching and hurried over to ask, “Young Master Fu, did you see Pei Jingmo?”

“I did. He seemed quite drunk, stumbling off that way. I think he was looking for you,” Fu Linhan replied, feigning ignorance. “Hey, why are you here? Did something happen?”

“...It’s nothing. I’ll go find him first.”

Following Fu Linhan’s direction, Song Qingyu searched along the corridor. At last, in a guest room with its door ajar, she glimpsed the tie and suit she’d helped Pei Jingmo put on that morning, lying on the floor.

“Pei Jingmo…”

She rushed inside, but found no one in the room. Just as she was about to leave and search elsewhere, she heard pained groans from the bathroom.

He was in the bathroom!

Without another thought, she dashed in—and froze, stunned by the scene before her.

He sat in the bathtub, water pouring over his head. His white shirt was soaked, clinging damply to his body and outlining his figure: the hint of well-defined abs and a balanced chest. Several buttons had been torn off, and as he tilted his head back, his throat revealed a seductive Adam’s apple.

His jaw was clenched, muffled groans escaping between his teeth, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he gasped for breath, his body rising and falling with each breath.

Song Qingyu had never witnessed such a heart-racing, blush-inducing scene. She stood frozen for a long moment before regaining her senses and rushing to the bathtub. “Pei Jingmo, what’s wrong?”

His face was flushed unnaturally, his body burning with heat, so intense she could feel it just by getting close. How could someone be perfectly fine one moment and like this the next?

Suddenly, Song Qingyu realized something.

“You... were you drugged?”

Pei Jingmo’s eyes snapped open, fixing her with a hawk-like gaze full of aggression and possessiveness. Song Qingyu was startled.

Soon, Pei Jingmo averted his eyes, hugging himself like a wounded beast. “Leave.”

It was the first time Pei Jingmo had told her to go. Song Qingyu felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart.

“How can I leave when you’re like this?”

She was facing this situation for the first time, and the only solution she could think of was: “I’ll call an ambulance.”

She’d heard from Zhengzheng that people who are drugged suffer greatly, and if not dealt with in time, it could be life-threatening. Especially for men—there’s no telling what might happen afterward.

Song Qingyu took out her phone, punched in the first “1”, when Pei Jingmo grabbed her hand in a sudden, fierce grip. Her hand shook and the phone tumbled into the bathtub.

“Don’t call. I’m not going to the hospital…”

He was likely enduring so much pain his hand was trembling, veins bulging, looking frightening.

“But... but you can’t just—what if something happens to you—”

“I... I’ll figure it out myself. Go, now. If you don’t, you won’t be able to leave.”

Their eyes met, and Song Qingyu found herself staring into Pei Jingmo’s dark, invasive gaze—a look she had never seen in him before. She couldn’t say she was afraid, but anxiety gnawed at her.