Chapter Twenty-Four: Poisoned (In the midst of a dramatic outbreak...)

As soon as Long Fei entered the small grove, a foul stench assaulted his senses, and it was clear the smell came from more than one spot. He covered his nose, thinking to himself that the waste left behind by beautiful women was hardly any better than anyone else’s. Carefully weaving through the trees, he called out Ye Qian’s name while searching intently.

Long Fei felt somewhat puzzled. Just how much croton did that little demon put in there? Could it really be this potent? It seemed she truly bore a grudge against him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have used such a heavy dose.

But there was no time to dwell on that now. After shaking her a few times without success, he had no choice but to grumble as he took out tissues, cleaned Ye Qian, and helped her put her underwear back on. The dim light made it impossible for his curious eyes to get a clear look at her, much to his regret.

Fortunately, perhaps the effects of the croton had worn off. After Long Fei carried Ye Qian to the car, she didn’t make any more messes, for which he was immensely grateful. He nearly wanted to light incense and thank the gods; had there been any more mishaps, the car would have been unusable, and he feared the fumes might have knocked him out inside.

Ye Qian still showed no sign of waking. Long Fei checked her pulse, immediately frowning. She appeared to be poisoned, and although the toxicity wasn’t intense, she had no martial training and little resistance. If the poison wasn’t expelled in time, the consequences could be dire.

But this puzzled Long Fei even more. How had she been poisoned? She’d said herself that the croton was meant for him, and croton alone wouldn’t have this effect. Remembering her sudden scream earlier, he guessed most of the poison had been contracted in the grove. But what kind of poison, and how had it entered her body?

To answer these questions, he needed Ye Qian awake. Not daring to delay, he struck several pressure points to halt the spread of the toxin, then channeled a surge of pure yang inner energy, injecting it into her spirit platform acupoint.

Guiding the energy to protect her heart, Long Fei finally relaxed a little. He tapped a few more points along her back, then pressed firmly on the philtrum. With a loud gasp, Ye Qian finally cried out.

Ye Qian was confused at first, but as she recalled the events, her cheeks flushed crimson and her eyes filled with anger as she glared at Long Fei.

“What did you just do to me?” Her voice was weak, her breathing labored.

Long Fei frowned, speaking earnestly, “What could I have done? I just dressed you and brought you back to the car. Now, tell me—why did you scream earlier? What happened to you?”

“I... I was bitten by something!” Ye Qian had never seen Long Fei so serious, and the tone scared her enough to stop playing around, especially since her body seemed paralyzed.

“Where were you bitten?” Long Fei pressed urgently, suspecting his guess was correct. Given the season, snakes seemed the likely culprit.

Ye Qian blushed even deeper and hung her head in silence.

Long Fei grew harsher. “Do you want to live or not? I’m telling you, it was likely a venomous snake. Are you feeling weak all over, with pressure in your chest? That’s poisoning. If you don’t tell me where the wound is and let me draw out the venom, you’ll die here!”

His words were harsh, but he meant well. He could already guess why she was so reluctant, so he pressed her relentlessly.

Ye Qian trembled in fear, but for all her stammering, she couldn’t get a word out.

“Fine, don’t tell me. But this isn’t ordinary poison. If you say it now, there’s still a chance. Wait a few more minutes and I can’t guarantee your survival.” Long Fei lit a cigarette, feigning indifference as he watched her.

Ye Qian finally caved. “You... can you really save me?”

Long Fei nodded. “I can, but only if you stop wasting time.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you—but you must promise not to tell anyone what happened today!” Even at such a moment, she worried about her reputation, which exasperated Long Fei.

“Now’s hardly the time for pride, Miss Ye. If you die, I’ll be implicated too. Just say it, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Alright, alright! It’s... my butt!” Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and her voice became almost inaudible. She’d wanted to take revenge on Long Fei, but now the tables had turned. Was this karma? And she had to admit something so humiliating to him—her dignity was in tatters.

Ye Qian truly regretted her actions. If only she hadn’t tried to prank Long Fei, she wouldn’t have ended up being the one tricked, nor would she have gone into the grove, been bitten, and found herself in such an awkward, helpless situation.

But there’s no medicine for regret. No matter how sorry she felt, it was too late. Long Fei scooped her up and turned her over in one swift motion. Suddenly, she felt a chill—her skirt and underwear were pulled down. She shrieked, “Long Fei, what are you doing? You pervert! I won’t let you get away with this!”

She tried to struggle, but her entire body was limp, her only movements in her head and voice.

Long Fei paused, sneering, “You think I’d take advantage of you? Don’t flatter yourself. Not only am I not that despicable, but even if I were, I’d be picky about my targets. Girls like you aren’t my type at all.”

“Then why are you taking off my clothes, you hypocrite, you beast—I’ll kill you for this!” Ye Qian was on the verge of tears. Never in her life had another man seen her like this, and she’d already forgotten Long Fei had cleaned her only moments before.

“Please. If not for saving your life, do you think I’d want to pull down your clothes?” Long Fei was getting irritated. This girl was far too stubborn, even now.

“You’re saving me? As if! I don’t want your help—just take me to the hospital!”

“The hospital? Sure! But by the time we get there, the venom will have spread to your organs. Maybe the doctors there can pull you back from the gates of hell, but I wouldn’t count on it!” He finally found the bite, just a few centimeters from her most private spot. His eyes inadvertently lingered for a moment, and he felt a sudden heat rise within him. Good heavens, it wasn't on purpose, but that spot really was tender and lovely.

“I don’t want you to save me! Let me go! If I die, I’ll haunt you forever!” Ye Qian’s spirit was unbroken.

Long Fei forced himself to suppress the urge stirring in him and said coldly, “Miss Ye, if you keep yelling, don’t blame me for being rough. You have two choices: one, I seal your acupoints so you can’t make a sound, and then I really could violate you. Two, you can scream all you want, and I’ll still violate you. But if you cooperate, I have no interest in you. Honestly, if you hadn’t been poisoned, even if you paid me, even if you begged, I wouldn’t do this.”

At last, Ye Qian fell silent, frightened into submission. She finally realized she was at Long Fei’s mercy—if he wanted to harm her, she had no power to resist. For her own sake, it was better to cooperate.

Suddenly, a saying she’d once read online came to mind: “Life is like being forced—you might as well lie back and enjoy it if you can’t fight back.”