The Real Young Master is Entangled by the Paranoid Fake Young Master - Chapter 37

Zhaoqing arrived near Yunxi Pool exactly as Tao Jiang had demanded. He knew that Tao Jiang was likely watching his every move from the shadows.

Although Zhaoqing hadn’t brought any communication devices, he had secretly carried a small vial of specialized white sand. This sand had been soaked in a chemical solution; once scattered at night, it would emit a faint, shimmering fluorescence for up to half an hour. He had found it in a large crate sent by Fang Yang. At the time, he thought it was a novelty, so he had packed it along with several small, lightweight self-defense weapons before coming to the resort.

Earlier, Zhaoqing had unpicked a few stitches in his trouser pocket and filled it with the sand. The grains would trickle out of his pant leg bit by bit, leaving a trail that Tao Jiang wouldn’t notice.

“Tao Jiang, I know you’re there. Stop hiding and come out,” Zhaoqing shouted into the empty air.

“You’re quite interesting, Young Master Song. You’re much more intriguing and a bit braver than I imagined…”

“But how can you be so sure I’ll release that guy? Maybe I won’t.”

“You will.” Since Zhaoqing had dared to come, he wasn’t afraid of a broken promise.

Even though Zhaoqing was blindfolded upon reaching the site, his hands were still free. His hearing was exceptionally keen; he could feel Tao Jiang’s footsteps approaching.

One step, two steps, three. Suddenly, a small knife was pressed against Zhaoqing’s throat. It was actually the most portable weapon from the collection of self-defense tools he had brought to the resort.

The sharp blade broke a thin red line across Zhaoqing’s skin, and droplets of blood fell like a necklace of red coral. Yet, he remained fearless, appearing as though he couldn’t even feel the pain.

“What are you doing?!” Tao Jiang hadn’t expected him to do this. Taken aback by the boy’s resolve, he hesitated to step closer.

“A living Song Zhaoqing is useful to you. What use is a dead one?”

“If I die, you won’t get any money, you won’t escape, and you’ll face the wrath of both the Song and Xie families. If you let him go, I’ll stop seeking death. You’re in this for the money, aren’t you? The Songs are wealthy enough to satisfy you; why cling to Xie Chengxuan?” Every word Zhaoqing spoke was forceful, striking at Tao Jiang’s psychological defenses.

“Besides… the Xie family’s assets span the globe. Your grudge is with the Songs. It’s not worth making an enemy of another powerful clan. And are you certain that with two great families hunting you down, you’ll be safe from retaliation even if you take the money and flee abroad?”

Tao Jiang fell silent for a long time. Zhaoqing, seemingly impatient, pressed the knife deeper until it was nearly at his artery.

“Fine! I’ll keep my word. You come with me, and I’ll let him go.”

Zhaoqing heard a thud, the sound of someone hitting the ground. From the noise, he deduced that Tao Jiang had kept Xie Chengxuan gagged and tied to a tree trunk this whole time.

Tao Jiang untied the ropes, letting Xie Chengxuan drop to the earth, and then walked toward Zhaoqing. “There, are you satisfied, Young Master Song?”

Tao Jiang reached out to touch Zhaoqing’s face, but the boy dodged. Zhaoqing took a step back, the dagger still at his own neck. He demanded that Xie Chengxuan be allowed to leave first before he would move.

Tao Jiang turned and roared at Xie Chengxuan in annoyance, “Get lost, already!”

Though he couldn’t see, Zhaoqing tilted his chin toward the distant tree where Xie Chengxuan was. “Remember, you owe me your life. If the chance arises, you must repay me.”

Go then, Zhaoqing thought. Go and make a scene. Tell everyone of my great sacrifice. The louder you shout, the more people will know I saved you, and the higher the moral debt you’ll have to pay later.

He realized that over the years, he had changed. He was no longer that purely fearless, innocent Song Zhaoqing.

The Water Dungeon

Blindfolded and with his hands bound, Zhaoqing was led to a new location. It was damp and cold, and a breeze carried the briny scent of the sea.

Zhaoqing had a rough idea of where he was. Behind these mountains lay the cliffs of the West Sea. The area was ill-suited for fishing due to the jagged hidden reefs. Before the resort was developed, impoverished villagers would risk their lives here as “sea women” (divers). When the resort opened, the villagers were trained as staff or moved to the city, leaving the small shacks used by the divers abandoned.

Suddenly, Zhaoqing felt a harsh kick to his waist. He tumbled into a foul, icy pit. The water was deep enough to reach his chest, crude water dungeon. It was likely a tank where the divers once temporarily stored their catch.

Tao Jiang’s hatred for the Songs ran deep to devise such a punishment. The water was filthy, and he was still bound by hemp ropes. If he couldn’t get out within three days, the skin beneath the ropes would surely rot. If Zhaoqing were a normal seventeen-year-old, he would have been scared half to death.

But Zhaoqing remained calm. He had left a trail for Song Yuening. If they moved quickly, they should find him within an hour.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a fishy sea breeze rushed in. A familiar voice followed, causing Zhaoqing to shudder with a sudden, dark premonition.

“Sis! You’re here! I’ve got to hand it to you; you actually managed to bring the other one out.”

“This one looks even better. Tsk tsk, look at him, like a fairy out of a painting. Those Song bastards are animals, but their kids have some looks!” Hearing Tao Jiang’s commentary, Zhaoqing’s mind went blank for a moment.

He didn’t have to wonder for long. Another female voice harsh and uncharacteristically panicked rang out.

“You were too reckless!”

It was Butler Yu! Zhaoqing’s breathing hitched. He couldn’t be mistaken.

So, in both his past life and this one, the mole who helped Tao Jiang was her! No wonder Song Shicheng could never find the culprit in the previous life. Back then, the Songs had fired a mass of servants after the kidnapping, and Butler Yu had taken the opportunity to “retire.”

Who would have guessed that the woman who had served Old Mrs. Song since her wedding day was the biggest traitor of all?

Connecting the dots, the reasons became clear. In this life, Xie Chengxuan was the variable. Originally, they had planned to kidnap Song Yuening and Song Lili, as Butler Yu knew their lives were worth far more to the Songs than Zhaoqing’s.

But Xie Chengxuan’s accidental phone call had exposed Tao Jiang early. They had to settle for Zhaoqing as a secondary prize.

The Relapse

“You still dare to call me ‘Sis’?” Butler Yu hissed venomously. “This is all your fault, you idiot! What did I tell you? I told you to be patient! Why did you kidnap Song Zhaoqing on your own? We were supposed to move at midnight the day after tomorrow!”

“If you want to die, don’t drag me with you! You grabbed this boy, but you didn’t realize he tricked you into notifying Song Yuening. If I hadn’t intercepted Yuening before he could gather men to search the mountain—taking advantage of his weakness because he hadn’t taken his special medicine, you’d be dead by now!”

Zhaoqing’s heart sank. In the darkness, he fixated on one detail: The medicine.

What was this special medicine? Why had he known nothing about it in his past life? What kind of illness made a body so weak without medication?

He sensed a secret hidden within the Song family, one known only to Shicheng, the Old Matron, and Yuening himself. In his past life, after Yuening became the powerful Mr. Francis, he had used the most ruthless means to dismantle the Song family’s assets. Zhaoqing used to think Yuening was simply greedy, but now he wondered, did that hatred stem from this “illness” and the “medicine”?

“Hehe, Sis, I was wrong,” Tao Jiang said shamelessly. “But I have you, don’t I? Is there anything you can’t handle? Both of these boys are so handsome…”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Butler Yu snapped. “Give up on those ideas.” She knew her brother was a lecherous beast. With the unconscious Song Yuening lying there defenseless, she had to warn him.

“Master Yuening is frail. If something happens to him, we won’t get a cent from the Songs. If you have urges you can’t suppress, use that little brat instead!”

Butler Yu walked to the edge of the pit, knelt, and ripped the blindfold off Zhaoqing. She looked at him with malicious mockery.

“He’s a lowly thing anyway, raised in those slums. He’s probably already filthy.”

Recalling the mockery Zhaoqing had given her months ago, Butler Yu’s rage burned. She was used to being the power behind the throne as the Matron’s confidante; Zhaoqing’s refusal to respect her had earned him her eternal spite.

“Sis, you’re right. This one is pretty, too,” Tao Jiang said, rubbing his hands together. “His skin is so pale and smooth, I bet he’d be a delight to be served by.”

“Enough. I have to leave,” Butler Yu said. “I can’t stay with the Songs anymore. If anything happens, find me at the old family house. I need to hide for a while and leave the country once I have the money. And don’t you dare try to stiff me don’t forget, you need my daughter-in-law’s connections to sneak out of the country!”

“How could I, Sis!” Tao Jiang pledged his loyalty. “Once we get the money, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Butler Yu didn’t care. After years of enduring the Songs’ tempers, her malice was fully unleashed. She no longer cared if Zhaoqing or Yuening lived or died.

The Memory of a Past Life

As they plotted, Zhaoqing was already searching for an escape. If it were just him and Tao Jiang, he was confident he could get away. But with Song Yuening unconscious, saving both of them would be difficult.

He wondered if Xie Chengxuan had reached the resort. Song Zhiyuan would be frantic to save Yuening. Lin Qi would notify his true master, Fu Lansheng, who also wouldn’t want Yuening dead.

For a moment, Zhaoqing hesitated. He could escape on his own and leave Yuening’s life to be saved by the others…

But he couldn’t help but remember the kidnapping from his previous life. Back then, it hadn’t happened at the resort, but in a warehouse rented by one of Tao Jiang’s associates. They had been held with a mute middle-aged man who was greedy and cowardly.

In that life, Zhaoqing had found a “dog hole” hidden behind a pile of heavy cargo. He had bitten through his ropes and spent hours moving the heavy crates until his fingernails bled, eventually pushing Song Lili and Yuening out through the gap.

Even when they were discovered by the mute guard, Yuening had remained chillingly calm. He had given the man Lili’s ruby hairclip and convinced him, with a voice as gentle as a teacher’s, that Tao Jiang was cheating him. He told the man that while Tao Jiang was asking for a hundred million, he was only giving the guard three thousand. He painted a picture of a hundred million being enough to buy three hundred warehouses full of meat and jewels.

They had convinced the guard to take them away on his old electric scooter. But the scooter could only carry two passengers. Someone had to stay behind to distract Tao Jiang.

In that life, Zhaoqing had chosen to stay. He had run toward a path of death so that Lili and Yuening could find a path to life.