With a resounding “snap,” Tan Yue’s pen was slammed into the glass coffee table, its nib unable to withstand the force and bending. Fine cracks immediately spread across the glass.
The entire villa fell into absolute silence, where even the sound of a falling pin could be heard. The people present didn’t dare to breathe loudly, except for Butler Liu, who hurriedly fetched a new pen from the study and handed it to Tan Yue.
Time ticked away.
At the 19-minute mark, Cheng Bin messaged that they had locked onto Tan Gan’s car, but they didn’t dare to get too close, fearing they would startle him. They had a drone tracking him instead.
With determination, Tan Yue signed his name on the document.
Upon hearing Tan Yue’s signature, Tan Gan laughed again. “It seems this little companion of yours is indeed quite important to you. Well, I will now bring him back to you unharmed.”
With that, Tan Gan abruptly hung up the phone.
When Tan Yue tried to call again, the other party directly hang up.
“Boss, his car is going back.” Cheng Bin reported to Tan Yue through the headset.
Tan Yue walked out, got into the car parked at the gate of the courtyard, and said, “Follow, don’t startle the snake, he will honestly send the person back and stay put.”
Although Tang Gan obtained what he wanted and most likely won’t harm Song Linchu, Tang Yue knew that when pushed, he would become desperate. So at this moment, his men should not appear, and he should let Tang Gan bring the person back on his own.
“Alright.”
As Tang Yue had expected, Tang Gan, no matter how crazy he was, could still discern the situation. The car obediently drove towards the city without any further trouble.
Halfway through, Tang Gan got out of the car. He definitely wouldn’t dare to meet Tang Yue, so he instructed the driver to send Song Linchu back instead.
Tang Yue knew that Tang Gan must have a backup plan so he didn’t want his men to touch him. There was plenty of time to deal with him, so he only instructed Cheng Bin to find a way to stop the car carrying Song Linchu and bring him out first.
Cheng Bin and his companions were worried about being discovered while tracking, so they kept a distance of about 300 meters and relied on the drone to follow. Now, upon hearing Tang Yue’s instructions, they immediately accelerated to catch up.
However, during the pursuit, they noticed that the direction the driver was taking was not quite right—he was heading out of the city!
Tan Gan and a few bodyguards had gotten out of the car.
Song Linchu breathed a sigh of relief but suddenly realized that his lips were dry, his throat felt tight, and his back was soaked with sweat.
Although this kidnapping wasn’t as thrilling as in TV dramas, it was still a dangerous experience. The knife had actually cut his neck, and Song Linchu was genuinely frightened.
However, before he could fully relax, he noticed that the surrounding scenery was becoming increasingly desolate. He belatedly sensed that something was wrong and asked the driver warily, “Where are you taking me?”
The bodyguard who had changed sits and was now sitting beside him smiled and replied, “We’re taking you home.”
“My home is not in this direction.”
“Mr. Tan said to delay you a bit and take you to a safe place before you can return home. I can only take a detour.”
Song Linchu didn’t quite believe this explanation and said, “We’ve been detouring for quite a while now. Shouldn’t we be going back?”
The bodyguard smiled but didn’t say anything, and the car continued driving towards the outskirts.
Song Linchu knew that the bodyguard and the driver were not friendly, so he thought Tan Gan had obtained what he wanted and felt that letting him go so easily was too lenient. So he wanted to show make some extra moves.
After all, Tang Yue shouldn’t have it easy.
These two men were tall and strong, and Song Linchu was no match for them. As he quickly pondered what to do, the driver suddenly spat and said, “Someone is following us from behind!”
“It’s Tang Yue’s men! Damn it, that was fast!”
As the bodyguard cursed, he looked back. He didn’t think much of Song Linchu, so he didn’t expect that in the split second when he turned around, Song Linchu would abruptly lunge forward, grabbing the steering wheel.
He didn’t believe that these two individuals would be willing to die together with him. So he firmly held onto the steering wheel, causing the car to immediately veer off its original path.
The driver was startled by his action, quickly gripping the steering wheel with one hand and reaching for Song Linchu’s hand with the other. Song Linchu held on tightly even as he felt a sudden pain in his scalp.
The bodyguard realized what was happening and had grabbed his hair, trying to pull him away.
Song Linchu felt like his scalp was about to be torn off. With the driver holding onto the steering wheel, he couldn’t move it. In a desperate moment, he followed the driver’s force and forcefully turned the steering wheel in that direction.
Their combined force caused the steering wheel to turn sharply, and the car spun around, heading towards a tree by the side of the road.
The driver probably didn’t expect him to be so ruthless. He slammed on the brakes, but the car still crashed into the tree. The front of the car was deformed, and the driver let out a scream, probably from an injury.
The airbags deployed, and Song Linchu was fortunate enough to have his head hit the airbag, but the tremendous impact still left him dizzy.
Before he could recover, he was pulled up by someone, and a sharp knife was pressed against his neck—it was the bodyguard.
Holding him hostage, the bodyguard kicked open the car door and dragged Song Linchu out, leaned against the car and menacingly warned the people who were approaching, “Don’t move, or I’ll kill him!”
The knife pressed against Song Linchu’s throat with force, and traces of blood seeped from the blade.
Compared to the previous courtesy with Tang Gan, this was true kidnapping.
It was late at night, in a desolate area with only the gathered car lights illuminating the barren place.
The sharp object against his throat quickly brought Song Linchu back to full alertness. He opened his eyes and saw Cheng Bin, Ah Yong, and three others surrounding them.
The bodyguard repeated fiercely, “Don’t move, or I’ll kill him!”
On seeing the blood on Song Linchu’s neck and his disheveled appearance, Cheng Bin’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
He cautiously placed his hand down, trying to calm down the driver who was clearly in a stressed state. “Alright, we won’t move. Don’t harm him. You can state your conditions, and we’ll do our best to meet them.”
The bodyguard’s grip didn’t waver, and he sneered, “Who doesn’t know Tan Yue’s methods? Even if I don’t confess tonight, he has the ability to make me spend the rest of my life in prison.”
“No, I promise that as long as you release him, Mr. Tan will definitely not pursue this matter.”
“Hmph, I won’t believe someone who can harm their own kin. If you want to blame someone, blame Tan Yue for pushing me to this point!”
As he spoke, he exerted force. He disregarded everything and got ready to take action.
The sharp blade immediately cut through the tender skin. The man’s face was filled with malice, clearly not playing games. Cheng Bin’s pupils contracted, and Song Linchu had a feeling that in the next second, he would be breathing his last breath.
But the expected pain did not come. Song Linchu opened his eyes in astonishment and saw that Tang Yue, who appeared out of nowhere, had grabbed the blade barehanded, preventing it from inching any further.
The bodyguard trembled reflexively upon seeing him. Song Linchu seized the opportunity, lowered his head, and bit down on his wrist.
Tan Yue had confirmed his biting skills firsthand. The bodyguard loosened his grip slightly from the pain.
Tan Yue kicked him away and, ignoring the blood flowing from his own hand, protected Song Linchu in his arms, blocking the knife the other man had suddenly thrust out.
“Gege!” Song Linchu’s heart almost stopped when he saw the knife piercing him.
Tang Yue let out a low groan as Cheng Bin and Ah Yong rushed forward, restraining the bodyguard.
…
…
When Song Linchu woke up from his bed, the lighting outside was dim, whether it was early morning or evening was unclear.
“Little Lin, you’re awake.”
Butler Liu, who was standing by the side, stood up when he saw him open his eyes. “Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Would you like some water?”
Song Linchu didn’t say anything. He reached out his hand and struggled to lean forward, grabbing onto Butler Liu’s sleeve, his voice hoarse. “Gege… where’s gege!”
After Tan Yue took the blow for him and bled profusely, Song Linchu’s heart nearly stopped.
He was not as afraid when he was being kidnapped. But after the ordeal and fright, his nerves were stretched again, and his body had reached its limit. He couldn’t hold on any longer.
But he was afraid that if he rested, Tan Yue would leave him like his mother, forever. So he tightly held onto Tan Yue’s sleeve, determined to protect him.
However, an unscrupulous doctor took advantage of his vulnerability and injected him with a sedative, and he fell asleep immediately.
This one sleep lasted for a whole day, and now the sun had already set.
“Master is fine, don’t worry,” Butler Liu said in a panic when he saw Song Linchu’s reaction. “He ate something just an hour ago, really, please don’t be anxious. I’ll take you to see him right now.”
Butler Liu supported Song Linchu, whose steps were still weak, and led him to the adjacent ward. Tan Yue was injured on his back near the armpit. Fortunately, in his haste, he didn’t use the side near the heart to block the attack, so it looked dangerous but wasn’t serious.
When Song Linchu approached, Tan Yue was already asleep. His face was pale due to excessive blood loss, and his hand was wrapped in thick bandages.
Song Linchu’s neck wound was not deep, only covered with a piece of gauze, but he knew how sharp that knife was. He couldn’t imagine how painful it must have been for Tan Yue to catch it barehanded.
He truly…
Song Linchu looked at the man’s pale face, his heart twisted into a knot.
The discomfort felt like a dense array of needles stabbing at the softest part of his heart.
Butler Liu helped him sit down on a chair, and seeing that his heart and eyes were filled with Tan Yue, he sighed, then closed the door to the ward and left.
Due to the pain in his body, Tan Yue didn’t sleep deeply. When Song Linchu and Butler Liu entered, he sensed their presence but thought it was the doctor, so he tried to go back to sleep.
It was only when that person sat by his bedside and held his uninjured hand that he realized it was Song Linchu.
Cool fingertips gripped his hand, and then warmth spread through his palm. The young man pressed his hand against his face.
Tan Yue wasn’t a sound sleeper to begin with, and being disturbed like this, he immediately woke up.
He opened his eyes and met the young man’s reddened eyes.
“Are you crying?” he asked hoarsely, his hand naturally caressing the young man’s face.
“Of course not,” murmured Song Linchu, his voice muffled.
“I’m fine,” Tan Yue reassured him, “Don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried about you,” Song Linchu turned his head away, but tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.
He knew he couldn’t blame Tan Yue, after all, Tan Yue had taken the knife for him.
If it weren’t for Tan Yue, he might have been dead by now.
That person truly wanted to kill him.
But…
Song Linchu’s voice choked with emotion, “You know what I fear the most…you know…”
Tan Yue knew that his greatest fear was losing loved ones. He had experienced the departure of both parents, especially the death of his mother, who was his sole companion, leaving him with a profound psychological trauma.
So, when Song Linchu became angry and upset last time he fell unconscious due to exhaustion, it was because of this fear.
Tan Yue couldn’t bear seeing him in such a state, he wiped away the tears from the young man’s face and said, “It won’t happen again, I promise.”
“You said the same thing last time.”
“Yes, last time I didn’t consider everything,” Tan Yue’s voice was weak but carried a touch of determination, “Once I deal with them…”
Song Linchu took a tissue and wiped his face haphazardly, asking, “Why did your brother change his mind again and come after me? Didn’t all the efforts before go to waste?”
Tan Gan had kidnapped him only to force Tan Yue to sign those two agreements.
And yet, after Tan Yue had signed them, he had changed his mind and ordered the bodyguards to go after him without any reason.
Even if Tan Yue had signed the documents, if anything happened to him, Tan Yue would exact a hundredfold revenge. Not only would he lose the benefits stated in the agreements, but Tan Yue would also make him spit out whatever was in his stomach.
The ferocity of that bodyguard’s attack showed that he was a desperate individual and he was not just trying to intimidate them.
Tan Yue’s voice turned icy, “It indicates there’s someone else behind the scenes.”
Song Linchu’s eyes widened, “Who… who could it be? Why would they target me like this?”
He was just an ordinary university student!
Why did these people not only kidnap him but also want him dead?
Tan Yue said, “I can only make an educated guess for now. I’ll inform you when I have concrete evidence.”
The bodyguard was tight-lipped, and the driver was merely an accomplice who didn’t know who was behind the bodyguard.
One thing was certain: the bodyguard truly wanted to kill Song Linchu.
According to the driver’s confession, their plan was to take Song Linchu to the riverside outside the city, knock him unconscious, drive the car into the river, and leave with someone’s help.
Little did they know that Tan Yue’s people had been following them all along.
However, Tan Yue had few enemies, and even if the bodyguard didn’t speak, he would find a way to uncover the truth.
“So mysterious,” Song Linchu murmured, casting a slight disdainful glance.
Tan Yue lifted his hand and ruffled his hair, weakly smiling and saying, “I’m not sure for now. It would be embarrassing if I guess the wrong person.”
Song Linchu snorted.
Tan Yue’s hand traced from his head to his face, then to his neck, and his fingers brushed against the gauze there. He asked, “Does it hurt?”
“Just a superficial wound.”
Tan Yue had already learned from the driver how Song Linchu had forced the car to stop. He pinched his face lightly and said, “Next time, don’t grab the steering wheel. Understand?”
“I had carefully thought about my actions,” Song Linchu said confidently, “I knew they wouldn’t want to risk their own lives.”
Tan Yue looked serious. “But it’s dangerous. What if the driver got scared and forgot to hit the brakes?”
“…” Song Linchu stuck out his tongue.
He held his head, “I’m feeling really dizzy, gege. I’m going back to rest.”
As Song Linchu spoke, he turned around and tried to run, but Tan Yue grabbed his hand.
Tan Yue patted the side of his bed and said, “Sleep here.”
This hospital bed was larger than usual, it could accommodate two people without any problem.
“No,” Song Linchu’s face turned slightly red, “What if the doctor or nurse comes in later? It would be so embarrassing if they saw the two of us cuddling on one bed.”
“Yanyan,” Tan Yue suddenly called him by his nickname, “my wound hurts.”
His voice was deep, tinged with vulnerability. When a strong man showed vulnerability, it was the most irresistible thing. Song Linchu’s feet seemed to be stuck in glue, and he couldn’t move.
After hesitating for a second, he took off his shoes and climbed onto Tan Yue’s bed.
Song Linchu remembered that Tan Yue had mentioned not sleeping well. Although he didn’t admit it himself, he was afraid of accidentally touching Tan Yue’s wound while sleeping, so he didn’t sleep deeply.
However, every time he woke up, he found himself snuggled up against Tan Yue!
He had to apply for a Guinness record if he ever slept well!
The next day came in a blink of an eye.
Between being kidnapped twice in one night, Song Linchu was more scared than physically injured. Being young and with a good physical foundation, he had already recovered quite well after a day of rest. After a night of recuperation, he was lively and energetic again.
Tan Yue, on the other hand, wasn’t doing so well. As we all know, the pain on the first day of a wound isn’t as intense, but after a night of rest, it swells up and becomes the most unbearable throbbing pain.
He felt as if he were partially Paralyzed, unable to move. Every movement seemed to tug at the nerves of his whole body, causing excruciating pain.
Even though Tan Yue had a higher pain tolerance than the average person, the pain still made him frown. The painkillers had limited effect, only providing relief for a few hours, and he couldn’t take too many.
Song Linchu took leave and stayed with Tan Yue in the hospital. Seeing him in such discomfort made him distressed.
Tan Yue looked at his small, furrowed face filled with concern, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.
“Actually, there’s a way to alleviate the pain,” Tan Yue spoke up.
Song Linchu’s eyes lit up. “What is it?”
The man remained silent, instead raising his hand and pressing it against his mouth in a suggestive manner.
“…” A blush immediately crept up on Song Linchu’s ears.
Tan Yue assumed that with the young man’s thin-skinned nature, he would surely refuse.
As expected, Song Linchu stood up and quickly ran towards the door.
As he watched the young man’s figure recede, Tan Yue shook his head. He was too thin skinned.
Unexpectedly, Song Linchu only locked the door to the ward, and returned with a flushed face.
Today, the wind was blowing, swirling playfully against the window sill, emitting a faint tapping sound.
The window was slightly ajar, allowing the spring breeze to seep in through a narrow gap. It carried a refreshing coolness, yet failed to disperse the gradually rising heat inside the room.
Although their relationship had become more intimate, Song Linchu still felt the burning heat on his face, as if he had never experienced such intimacy before.
He sat down by the bed.
Tan Yue’s eyes were half-lowered, his gaze fixated on Song Linchu’s earlobe that was now redder than blood.
Song Linchu turned his head slightly, their breaths intertwined through the parting of their lips, forming an entangled dance.
To divert Tan Yue’s attention, Song Linchu took the initiative in this kiss, despite his limited experience. Nevertheless, it stirred Tan Yue’s breath into disarray, as blood rushed through his veins.
Song Linchu keenly sensed the change in him and this time, he didn’t shy away. He proactively placed his hand on Tan Yue’s belt, saying, “Let me help you.”
Tan Yue was taken aback by this favor.
After freeing his belt with a blush, Tan Yue heard Song Linchu take several deep breaths and felt he was probably embarrassed.
Although they had engaged in more intimate activities, assisting him in this way was truly a first.
The young man lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling ever so gently.
Each flutter felt like a feather lightly tickling Tan Yue’s heart, even the belt seemed to have been affected, increasingly highlighting its presence.
The warm spring sunlight gently bathed the floor, reflecting onto Song Linchu’s body and tenderly enveloping him.
An ambiguous and supportive atmosphere enveloped them, as if something were about to break through the surface but remained stagnant, refusing to progress further.
Tab Yue thought he couldn’t make up his mind byt just as he was about to urge him to forget it, Song Linchu suddenly leaned down and kissed his belt.
Tan Yue’s breath hitched, and his entire nervous system tensed as if it had been stimulated by a shock. Although it was just a single kiss, it was more exhilarating than any sensation. The psychological gratification alone threatened to break Tan Yue’s composure.
At this point, even lying in a coffin wouldn’t stop Tan Yue from climbing out.
Some people, once they take the initiative, are deadly.
