After Running Away From Her Wedding, The Tsundere Young Lady Went Crazy - Chapter 3

“If You Can Do It, We’ll Get Married”

Ji Songshu spent the entire night searching for her earring but found nothing. Even while attending classes the next morning, it remained on her mind. She planned to visit the Sinus Amoris restaurant in the afternoon to inquire about it, but then she remembered Pei Jiyue’s phone call. The thought of a swarm of people coming over to discuss marriage arrangements made her even more troubled.

Why did Pei Jiyue want her to go? It was Pei Jiyue getting married, not her!

The text message from the hospital arrived silently.

It took Ji Songshu quite a while to notice it. She scanned it briefly; the gist was that her physical examination indicators were qualified, her blood quality met the standards, and she could go to the hospital to donate blood that afternoon.

She breathed a small sigh of relief. She knew this was her most important value to the Pei family.

Both she and Pei Jiyue possessed the rare p-blood type. This blood type was so scarce that there were no more than ten recorded cases in the entire country; even the “Panda Blood” (Rh-negative) was fifty times more common.

The Pei family kept her—or rather, her aunt was willing to raise her—ten percent because of kinship, and ninety percent to keep a “mobile blood bag” for Pei Jiyue.

In exchange for the payment of her younger sister’s medical expenses, she needed to undergo a whole blood draw every five or six months.

Ji Songshu was nineteen years old this year and had donated blood several times, yet she still feared the sensation of the needle piercing her skin and puncturing the vein.

The hospital walls were so white that it was hard to find a focal point. Sitting in the blood donation area, she could hear heart-wrenching cries coming from outside the emergency room in the distance.

“Speak up immediately if you feel any discomfort,” the nurse said to Ji Songshu.

Ji Songshu nodded. Seeing the sharp, cold glint of the needle about to enter her arm, she looked away.

After a sharp sting, time seemed to slow down. Ji Songshu felt as if she were gradually withering away in that stagnant time; her head felt heavy and dizzy.

“All done.”

Ji Songshu regained her senses and stared at the tube of blood in the nurse’s hand—it was red to the point of appearing black. Her lips moved slightly.

The nurse seemed to sense what she wanted to ask and explained that while the original plan was to draw 400cc, they only took 300cc because her complexion looked poor.

“Thank you,” Ji Songshu whispered, standing up to leave. As she walked out, she saw a curled-up reflection of herself in the glass.

Her phone buzzed with a vibration. Pei Jiyue had sent a message: [Shang Keyu is almost here. Why aren’t you back yet?]

Her vision darkened in waves. Ji Songshu drooped her eyelids and stared at the text for a long time before she could decipher the meaning.

She didn’t want to go. She absolutely would not go!

What did Pei Jiyue’s marriage have to do with her? Right now, she only wanted to find a place to have a good sleep.

The nearest place where she could rest for free was the Municipal Library, only a kilometer away. Ji Songshu decided to walk there.

The autumn wind was biting. She wrapped her clothes tightly around her and walked forward slowly. The fallen leaves crunched under her feet, and her shadow stretched long behind her.

After passing an unknown number of corners, the “Thinker” statue in front of the library finally came into view. Just as Ji Songshu felt a surge of joy, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Her vision went black, and she fell forward uncontrollably.

The expected pain of hitting the concrete never came; instead, she fell into an embrace.

“Miss, are you alright?”

A gentle voice sounded above Ji Songshu’s head.

Ji Songshu first thought the voice sounded quite pleasant, and then slowly remembered she ought to answer the question.

She wanted to say she was fine, but her whole body felt limp and lacked strength. She could only lean into the stranger’s embrace, lifting her head with great effort to whisper a soft “Thank you.”

When the person saw her face, however, they were slightly stunned.

Shang Keyu had not expected to pick up her own fiancée on the side of the road.

—Well, not a fiancée just yet, at least not until she finished negotiating terms with the Pei family.

“I’ll take you home.”

Ji Songshu nodded in a daze.

Xiao Tang, the driver who had just stepped out of the car, waved her hand awkwardly in the air.

Just a moment ago, the Eldest Miss had suddenly shouted for her to stop. She had slammed on the brakes, and as soon as the car settled, the Miss had dashed out.

She had thought her driving skills were so poor that she’d made the Miss motion sick, but when she got out of the car in fear, she saw the Miss holding a beautiful girl with a face full of concern.

“Eldest Miss, should we reroute to the hospital?” she asked cautiously.

“No, we’re still going to the Pei residence. This is Miss Pei.”

Shang Keyu carried the eyes-closed Ji Songshu into the car, carefully settling her in the back seat. She called “Miss Pei” a few times, but there was no response.

“Xiao Tang, why would a person suddenly faint on the street?”

“Perhaps it’s low blood sugar.”

Hearing this, Shang Keyu pulled a candy from her pocket, peeled off the wrapper, and brought it to Ji Songshu’s lips. “Ah—”

Ji Songshu did not move. In the darkness, she only felt a finger brush against her lips, followed by a sweetness spreading from the tip of her tongue.

She gradually fell asleep in the stable environment. After an unknown amount of time, a voice urged her to wake up.

“Wake up, we’ve arrived.”

Ji Songshu opened her eyes. At such close range, she could clearly see a face that was vivid and breathtakingly beautiful.

“Who… who are you?” Ji Songshu stammered slightly.

“You don’t recognize me?”

Ji Songshu shook her head.

“Then you must at least recognize this place.”

Ji Songshu looked out the window. The style of the residential buildings was very familiar; this was downstairs from Pei Jiyue’s home.

“I’m sorry, I don’t plan on going back tonight. Thank you for bringing me here,” Ji Songshu said, intending to push the door open and exit the car.

Her wrist was seized. Shang Keyu stared at her intently.

“Does this mean you don’t plan on seeing me tonight?”

“See you? Why would I see you?” As the words left her mouth, Ji Songshu suddenly realized something. She looked at the person before her: the wine-red coat, the two radiant gemstone rings on her right index and middle fingers, and the expensive-looking boots.

“Miss Shang?” Ji Songshu asked tentatively.

Seeing the other party nod, a wave of panic surged in her heart. Recalling what Pei Jiyue had said, she mumbled a muffled “Sister-in-law.”

Shang Keyu didn’t hear her clearly. She simply grabbed Ji Songshu’s wrist and walked forward with large strides, giving her no chance to refuse.

The enclosed elevator rose continuously. Ji Songshu stared at the increasing floor numbers, her anxiety growing.

Compared to her cousin Pei Jiyue, she dreaded facing her aunt and uncle even more.

She glanced at Shang Keyu again. This person was looking straight ahead with a blank expression, as if studying some profound theory. But following Shang Keyu’s gaze, she only saw her own dazed face in the mirror-like surface of the elevator doors.

“Are you wearing contact lenses?” Shang Keyu asked out of the blue.

“Yes,” Ji Songshu replied subconsciously. In her heart, she prayed that Shang Keyu wouldn’t speak to her anymore; she hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with her aunt.

The elevator doors opened. The door to Pei Jiyue’s home was within reach. Ji Songshu spent a second considering the possibility of hitting the “close” button and escaping downstairs immediately, but ultimately followed Shang Keyu out.

Shang Keyu stood still, seemingly waiting for her to open the door. Ji Songshu closed her eyes in agony.

At the same time, behind the wall, inside the Pei residence.

A woman was holding her daughter’s hand with a jubilant expression. “Our Yueyue is truly becoming more and more beautiful. You managed to capture her interest with just one meeting.”

This was Pei Jiyue’s mother, the sister of Ji Songshu’s mother, Ji Lan.

Sitting beside her was her husband, Pei Xiaoming, who sprayed saliva as soon as he opened his mouth: “That green girl from the Shen family is sensible enough to know that our Pei family is not to be trifled with.”

Just as the words fell, the door opened.

Shang Keyu stood at the doorway, with Ji Songshu hiding behind her, hoping no one would see her.

However, the eyes of Pei Jiyue and her aunt and uncle were fixed on her. Their gazes felt like poisoned thorns, and she couldn’t help but shrink further behind Shang Keyu.

In the silence, Shang Keyu spoke first.

“Auntie, Uncle, hello. I happened to run into Miss Pei on the road, so I brought her back.” As she spoke, she pulled Ji Songshu out from behind her like pulling a mushroom.

These words were like a bolt of lightning. The aunt, uncle, and cousin all widened their eyes, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

Ji Songshu herself was shocked. She tugged at Shang Keyu’s sleeve and whispered, “That… you seem to have made a mistak—”

“What?” Shang Keyu turned her head to look at her. There was a smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with a threatening look that said, “You can try to run if you want.”

Ji Songshu hurriedly swallowed her words.

Anything she said now would be wrong. It would be bad if they thought she brought Shang Keyu back to flaunt her power. It was better to find an excuse to retreat from the battlefield first.

“I’ll go make some tea. You all talk first.”

Just as she took a step, Pei Jiyue stood up aggressively and roared at her, “You shameless girl, explain yourself!”

Ji Songshu paused and turned back to look at her.

Pei Jiyue showed no sign of restraint. With her hands on her hips, she became even more clamorous: “How dare you use my nam—”

She suddenly went silent because Shang Keyu gave her a cold sweep of her eyes. That look was like a freshly sharpened blade, flashing with a chilling light.

The room fell instantly silent.

Ji Lan’s gaze moved back and forth between several people. Seeing the situation, she pulled Pei Jiyue to her side and spoke sternly, “Go back to your room first.”

“Why should I!” Facing her mother, Pei Jiyue regained her strength, nearly screaming those words.

“What kind of attitude is that!” The uncle roared as he stood up, raising his hand as if to slap her.

Pei Jiyue gave a cold sneer, dodged the blow, and rushed back to her room, slamming the door with a “bang.”

The uncle immediately retracted his anger, forcing a somewhat cramped smile as he bowed slightly to Shang Keyu. “I’m sorry, Miss Shang, for making you witness such a scene.”

“I didn’t realize the Pei family had such a crude servant,” Shang Keyu smiled.

She sat down on the sofa.

“She isn’t…” Ji Songshu started to explain, but was stopped by a look from Shang Keyu.

“Miss Shang, you’ve misunderstood. She isn’t a servant; she is my adopted daughter,” Ji Lan explained in a gentle voice.

Ji Songshu was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood her aunt’s intention: they were going to play along with the mistake.

Shang Keyu’s expression softened slightly. She patted the empty seat beside her, signaling for Ji Songshu to sit.

Ji Songshu did not move.

The current situation was that her aunt and uncle were standing to apologize while Shang Keyu sat composed. She couldn’t possibly sit down as well!

She looked at Shang Keyu, then at her aunt and uncle. Her aunt gave her a pointed look.

Ji Songshu caught the cue and explained:

“I’m sorry, Miss Shang. My younger sister has a bit of a temper. We usually play around like this.”

“You don’t need to worry; I don’t blame you,” Shang Keyu smiled. “A family like this is lucky to have a daughter like you. But luck won’t always favor the Pei family, wouldn’t you agree, Chairman Pei?” She looked toward the uncle.

“Miss Shang, our Pei Group is a well-known enterprise in this city. I give you some face, but acting like this… isn’t it a bit too condescending?”

“You must be joking. It must be tiring to keep your heads bowed while talking to me. Please, sit,” Shang Keyu laughed.

She spoke as if she were the master of the house.

The aunt and uncle exchanged glances and sat down hesitantly.

“Go brew a few cups of tea,” Shang Keyu said, looking at Ji Songshu.

Ji Songshu felt as if she had received a great pardon and hurried to escape the scene.

Having sent the person away, Shang Keyu said unhurriedly, “I heard the Pei family is fighting for the patent rights to cell therapy?”

The uncle snorted through his nose and didn’t reply. The aunt quickly nodded for him. “Yes, yes.”

“I’m sorry then; I’m afraid you won’t have the chance.”

The uncle sneered. “That patent isn’t in your hands. You’re just talking big.”

“Haven’t you received the news? I have already reached a cooperation agreement with Barrid Bio,” Shang Keyu put on an act of surprise. “If you two can’t get internal news, take a look at the headlines; it’s already been reported.”

—This was news she had released just twenty minutes ago.

“You!” Pei Xiaoming’s teeth chattered with rage, his face turning pale.

The aunt was still smiling. “Miss Shang, the theme of our conversation today should be the marriage between you and my daughter. Does this mean there is no need to talk?”

“Auntie, you’re overstating things. I never said I was canceling the engagement,” Shang Keyu said. “As you know, I’ve just taken over the family business and am just starting out in this field. While I cannot yield on the cell therapy patent, in the subsequent clinical implementation, the Pei family is the most competitive among all potential partners.”

The aunt and uncle could not help but show looks of joy.

They talked for a long time. Ji Songshu’s legs felt numb from standing in the kitchen, and when she came out carrying the teapot, she happened to hear the keywords.

She had heard of cell therapy—this technology could completely cure her sister’s legs! She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

After a moment of thought, she walked over with the tea.

Shang Keyu noticed her immediately. Her eyes held a smile, like a collector looking at her most exquisite and satisfying acquisition. “Your daughter is truly outstanding.”

Ji Songshu remained expressionless as she poured the tea. Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed. Her hand shook, and a few drops of tea splashed out.

“I hope to cultivate feelings with Miss Pei for a year first. If we are a good fit after the adjustment period, we will get married. By then, we will be one family, and the matter of cell therapy can be officially settled.”

“Good, good, good,” the aunt and uncle agreed hastily, fearing Shang Keyu would change her mind.

But Ji Songshu had her own plans. She slowly and firmly gripped Shang Keyu’s hand back.

As soon as she spoke, everyone focused their attention on her.

“A year is too long. I can’t wait that long. Let’s make it three months.”

In another year, there was no telling how much her sister’s condition would deteriorate. She couldn’t afford the gamble.

“So much confidence in yourself?” Shang Keyu’s eyes held curiosity and admiration.

“Since you’ve praised me so much, I naturally have to live up to it,” Ji Songshu said calmly. “However, ‘cultivating feelings’ is too vague a concept. I want a more definite goal. You set it.”

Shang Keyu studied Ji Songshu for a long while. Then, her eyebrows arched, revealing a look of absolute confidence as she said:

“Within three months, regardless of the time or place, make me confess my love to you once.”

“If you can do it, we’ll get married.”

Shang Keyu admitted that this girl’s appearance made it hard not to feel attracted to her, and she indeed had no intention of letting her go. But behind her was the Pei family—a greedy, restless Pei family—and Shang Keyu never allowed herself to be in a passive position.

What was a confession?

It was a loud declaration of one’s own downfall. It was telling the other person: I offer you my loyalty; you may freely dispose of, plunder, and dominate me as if I were a prisoner.

Who would be so foolish?

Shang Keyu knew she would never do such a thing.

She wore a smile that predicted victory.

And then, she heard the girl’s crisp, resolute response:

“It’s a deal.”