Chapter 25: Who the Hell Loves Him?

"What do you want to say? Just say it here. I don't think we have anything to talk about," Fang Yun said, her face cold as she rejected his request for a private conversation.

"There are too many eyes and ears here. Let's go outside," Chen Yuanlin replied, unfazed, even attempting to persuade her.

Fang Yun was about to refuse again, but it suddenly occurred to her that this was a perfect opportunity to get away. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded in agreement.

She followed Chen Yuanlin out of the tent. Outside, the frigid wind was howling, a stark contrast to the warmth inside.

There hadn't been any wind when she arrived; why had it started so suddenly?

Watching the snow being whipped up in the distance, she saw the air shrouded in a white, hazy veil that made everything look blurred. Before she could appreciate the scenery, a hand holding a white cloth suddenly clamped over her nose and mouth from behind. She began to struggle, but a pungent odor rushed straight to her brain. Her vision went black, and then she knew nothing more.

Something had gone wrong with Fang Yun, yet no one noticed.

Inside the tent, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively as time passed, as if the earlier confrontation between Li Wangcheng and Ma Qibo had never happened.

It wasn't just Li Wangcheng who was being cornered; besides Fang Yun, all three of his subordinates were being occupied by different people.

Shang Xingbing stood firmly by Li Wangcheng’s side. Protecting his safety was one thing, but he also had the duty of shielding him from drinks. He had always been a heavy drinker, and Li Wangcheng was no slouch either, but he didn't drink just anything from anyone.

For instance, Ma Zhen, who had joined the group at some point, kept offering drinks to Li Wangcheng with eyes full of greed. It was because of her that when Shang Xingbing caught a glimpse of something unusual on Fang Yun’s side, he didn't have a chance to think it through and missed the warning signs entirely.

Fang Yun didn't know how long she had been asleep. When her consciousness returned, her mind felt chaotic. She couldn't open her eyes or control her body.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Chen Yuanlin’s voice suddenly rang in her ears.

Whether it was because her senses were still dulled or because he was indeed some distance away, his voice sounded faint and unreal.

"It’s almost time," another voice replied, making it even harder for Fang Yun to discern the situation.

"Once she wakes up, she’ll be hard to control. Don't let her hurt Master Ma. Use this medicine while she's still unconscious and feed it to her."

"What kind of medicine is this?" There was a hint of resistance and doubt in Chen Yuanlin's voice.

"Hmph, a good one," the man scoffed. Silence followed.

A long while passed, and as Fang Yun felt the minutes dragging like years, her consciousness gradually began to sharpen. Before she could feel any relief, she heard footsteps approaching.

Having shared a bed with Chen Yuanlin for years, she recognized his gait instantly.

Confirming that he was alone, Fang Yun’s tension eased slightly. Dealing with him alone was better than facing two people, and based on the man's words, he was clearly one of Ma Qibo’s henchmen. To survive under Ma Qibo, one’s combat skills were undoubtedly formidable. She could find a way to handle Chen Yuanlin, but she stood no chance against a dangerous stranger.

Chen Yuanlin walked to the bedside. Looking at Fang Yun, who lay there senseless, a complex expression flickered across his face. He subconsciously clenched his hand into a fist, only to be reminded by the porcelain bottle he was holding. He snapped back to reality.

He lowered his head, staring at the medicine of unknown effect. He didn't need to ask; he knew exactly what kind of drugs were used to make a woman obedient.

"Xiao Yun, I'm sorry. But the Chen family cannot fall like this. You love me so much, you wouldn't want to see me die, right? I promise you, when I have the chance to make it up to you later, I will treat you well."

Fang Yun felt like vomiting upon hearing his words. Who the hell loved him? Could he have any self-awareness? Hadn't her disdain been obvious enough? So, just because she had given him a slightly better look recently, he narcissistically assumed she still had feelings for him?

It was disgusting. If she had known, she should have crippled this pathetic man long ago.

No matter how much she cursed him in her mind, she couldn't stop Chen Yuanlin’s actions. She struggled, but could barely move a single finger. Chen Yuanlin pried her mouth open and poured the unknown liquid down her throat.

The sweet, cloying liquid slid down her throat. Within a minute, she felt a wave of intense heat rising within her. If she hadn't been unable to control her body, she would have stabbed Chen Yuanlin without hesitation.

She would never forget this sensation or the taste. In her past life, she had been forced to take this drug countless times while under Ma Qibo’s control. It was this very substance that allowed him to manipulate and destroy her, leaving her like a walking corpse until the day she died.

Reborn into this life, she thought she could escape it all. Yet, after everything, was she back at square one?

She refused to accept it!

"Xiao Yun, don't blame me."

Seeing the two spots of crimson flush onto Fang Yun’s porcelain-white face and watching her brow furrow in discomfort, Chen Yuanlin’s own expression turned sour. He muttered those words, then scrambled to his feet in a panic and turned to leave.

The moment he turned, Fang Yun, who had been frowning, suddenly snapped her eyes open.

For a split second, she was stunned, but her gaze quickly locked onto the back that hadn't yet moved away.

Chen Yuanlin!

Fang Yun’s eyes blazed with fury as she glared at his fleeing, panicked back.

"007, help me swap places with Chen Yuanlin."

[Swap successful!]

The system gave its feedback, and Fang Yun let out a sigh of relief. Before the breath had even left her lungs, the heat inside her vanished, replaced by a mind that was clearer than ever.

As soon as she recovered, she sprang from the bed, filled with murderous intent, ready to settle the score. Just as she pulled a knife from her space, Chen Yuanlin, who had reached the door, heard the movement behind him and stopped to turn around.

Before he could fully turn, his legs gave way, and he slumped to the floor.

Fang Yun paused, then walked over quickly to see Chen Yuanlin with his eyes tightly shut, his face flushed, and his body twitching on the ground. The sedative that had knocked her out was still in his system; perhaps because he had a better physique than her, the effect wasn't as potent, allowing him to move slightly.

She stared at him for a long time, then kicked him hard several times. Still feeling unsatisfied, her peripheral vision caught a flash of cold light. She looked down at the knife in her hand, and a voice screamed in her mind:

"Kill him. Kill him."

The humiliating memories of her past life flooded back. Fang Yun’s eyes turned bloodshot as she slowly looked down at Chen Yuanlin, who was still writhing on the ground in a stupor.

She stared at him for two seconds, then slowly raised the hand holding the knife high above her head.

The next second, the blade sliced through the air, plunging straight toward his vital point.