Chapter 21: Drugging

Inside the Jiang family villa, the downstairs hall was filled with a lively atmosphere, while upstairs, Jiang Tao helped Shen Kai into the bedroom. Whether at the Jiang residence or the Shen residence, both had their own designated bedrooms—a reflection of the high status they held in both families.

"What's happening to me?" Shen Kai’s head felt heavy, and his entire body lacked the slightest bit of strength. If not for the support of Jiang Tao and her brother, Jiang Shi, he would have already slumped to the floor.

"He must not have rested well tonight and caught a cold. Brother, call Dr. Zheng over to take a look." Jiang Tao shot a glance at Jiang Shi. Jiang Shi understood immediately, responded with a nod, and after laying Shen Kai onto the bed, headed downstairs.

Dr. Zheng was the Jiang family’s personal physician, usually called upon whenever anyone in the house fell ill. But in today’s situation, Dr. Zheng was certainly not needed. Jiang Shi had known all along that his sister would make her move today, and their mother had even spoken to him about it—why would he actually go fetch the doctor? This was merely a performance for the benefit of Shen Kai, who had not yet completely succumbed to the drug.

Dizzy, blurred, and weak, Shen Kai naturally did not suspect a thing; he was well-acquainted with Dr. Zheng.

However, when a sensation he was no longer unfamiliar with began to stir—a feeling of intense, scorching heat and restless urges—Shen Kai seemed to realize something. "I never expected you to use such base methods to deal with your own husband."

Jiang Tao giggled, "This is your good fortune!" Wasn't it his luck to marry her, Jiang Tao? It was a pity that this man was so unappreciative of his blessings! With no other choice, she had to resort to special measures; once he tasted her, he would finally understand just how wonderful she really was.

She turned around, stripped off all her clothing, and walked toward him with a charming laugh. "Look, what a beautiful body. Now, it is yours."

Shen Kai closed his eyes. The surging tide within his body made him afraid to look directly at her form. Her body was indeed beautiful, but why was the heart hidden inside so tainted? This was a "blessing" he could not bring himself to enjoy.

Was this all he could take? If he were to experience her extraordinary skills in bed later, who knew how he would react? Jiang Tao pressed her breasts against Shen Kai, rubbing and fanning the flames, stimulating him until he gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with fire.

"Darling, I am going to cherish you well." Jiang Tao whispered against his ear. How could there be such a handsome person in the world? He was clearly more beautiful than any woman, yet he carried not a trace of feminine air. His eyes were naturally elegant without trying, and his mouth was gentle even when not smiling. It was precisely that subtle, intangible gentleness that had caused Jiang Tao to fall so deeply, unable to extricate herself. Even when his face was cold as ice, she could still find a hint of softness at the corners of his lips.

Jiang Tao greedily inhaled the faint, clean scent radiating from Shen Kai. Was this his natural body scent? She had never seen him wear cologne; this was him! She could not identify the specific fragrance, but it was intoxicating. With her keen sense of smell, Jiang Tao realized that the faint aroma did not belong to any perfume she knew—it was unique to Shen Kai.

"Get out!" Shen Kai gathered all his remaining strength and pushed Jiang Tao, who was leaning against him, away by a fraction.

He could not allow this woman to defile him. If she truly succeeded, he would have no hope of returning to Mu Tong’s side. Although Mu Tong had refused to marry him, she had said that as long as he had not been touched by another woman, she was still willing to live with him.

Shen Kai gave a bitter laugh. Why had he been so obsessed with that piece of marriage paperwork? Like him and Jiang Tao, what did a marriage certificate matter? They were together in name only, devoid of any marital sweetness. Thinking of the tender moments with Mu Tong, Shen Kai wanted to scold himself. If they didn't marry, they could just live together forever; wouldn't it be perfect to live in a world of just the two of them without children?

Alas, there was no turning back—never again! One wrong step had led to a series of mistakes. Watching the devilish claws reaching for him, two tears welled up in the corners of Shen Kai’s eyes, sliding down his cheeks and reaching the stud in his earlobe.

The flash of light from the earring went unnoticed by the two in the room: one was drowning in secret sorrow, and the other was consumed by lust, intent on devouring the beautiful man before her.

After the light faded, Shen Kai gradually gave up his resistance, and his dizzy, muddled mind began to clear significantly. His weak body seemed to gather a sliver of strength.

With a loud *thwack*, Jiang Tao was propelled backward by the recovered strength of Shen Kai. She flew through the air, crashed heavily onto the floor, and lost consciousness.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Kai stumbled out of the bedroom. Looking at the deserted hallway and listening to the sounds of laughter downstairs, he headed toward the back courtyard; there was a back door there, and he could escape through it.

If he didn't leave, he didn't know if Jiang Tao would try to force herself on him again once she woke up. If it happened again, he couldn't guarantee he would have the strength or the presence of mind to push her away. His head was starting to spin again, and he had to run while he still possessed a shred of reason.

Where would he run? He didn't know. He couldn't go to Mu Tong’s home; he was afraid of bringing her more trouble, as he currently lacked the power to confront the Shen and Jiang families. Regardless, he had to get out first.

Just as he entered the back courtyard, Mrs. Jiang arrived outside the bedroom. Still uneasy about her daughter, she had come to listen for any activity.

The wide-open door gave Mrs. Jiang an ominous feeling. Upon entering, she saw her daughter lying naked on the floor, unconscious, while Shen Kai was nowhere to be seen. Something had gone wrong! Mrs. Jiang trembled with rage. How incompetent was her daughter? The man had already been drugged, and it had taken effect—how could it have ended in such an ugly situation?

She waved her hand to cover her daughter with a soft quilt and summoned a group of servants and bodyguards. "Go! Find Shen Kai and bring him back to me!" She refused to believe he could run to the ends of the earth.

Just as he opened the back gate, Shen Kai was spotted by one of the Jiang family servants. "The young master-in-law is here! The young master-in-law is here!"

Seeing figures rushing toward him, Shen Kai gritted his teeth and dashed through the gate.

On the road leading to the East District, a man with a picturesque appearance ran with all his might, while a crowd chased behind: "Young master-in-law, come back!" Others shouted for the "young master" to return, leaving everyone who witnessed the scene confused about what was happening.

Subconsciously, Shen Kai had run toward the road to the East District. His Mu Tong lived in a residential complex there. As his head began to spin again, Shen Kai rushed toward the place he felt could offer him safety and warmth.

Unfortunately, the drug took hold again, making him feel increasingly weak. He could see his pursuers closing the distance.

Biting his tongue hard, Shen Kai ignored the blood spilling from his mouth and accelerated to dash across the road.

"No! Young master!"

"Young master-in-law..."

The pursuers watched in horror as a car, just finishing a turn, struck Shen Kai as he crossed the road. Heavens, how would they explain this? How could they report that the young master had met with an accident?

"You! How are you driving?" One of the pursuers grabbed the driver who had pulled over to check on the situation. "Didn't you see someone on the road?" They couldn't let this person off; they needed a scapegoat for the young master's accident. Though he understood perfectly well that with the sharp turn and the sudden appearance of the young master on the road, an accident was inevitable unless no cars were passing at that moment.

How could this be his fault? With such a sharp turn and someone suddenly running across the road, who could have known that someone would ignore traffic rules on the other side? The driver was frustrated but had no way to argue. There were too many of them, and they all looked ready to kill. If he said too much, he would likely be beaten severely. A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him; when the traffic police arrived, justice would be served.