Whether in this life or the last, Song Jiyun had gotten drunk before.
But being drunk was not like this.
And it had never happened so quickly.
She knew she had been tricked.
Yet she didn’t know whether it was the wine or the silver fungus soup that was problematic.
It could even be possible that the tea she had drank earlier was the issue.
Not to mention figuring out who was behind this.
She could do nothing but keep her composure, numb the person who had targeted her, and find a way to notify Zheng Quan.
Song Jiyun forced her eyes wide open.
Her vision slowly started to clear.
She took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain her usual serene expression, and signaled to the servant boy attending to her. In a low voice, she told the waiting servant boy, "Please go and tell my attendant, Zheng Quan, to drink less and to remember to pack a red bean pastry to take back later."
This was the code she and Zheng Quan had agreed upon beforehand—if she encountered danger, she would have someone convey this message to him.
The servant boy respectfully complied and left.
Old Master Yan beside her even showed concern with a smile, saying, "Whom are you planning to take this back for? The desserts at West Ridge Villa are decent, but they can’t compare to Xi Ji from Hangzhou that recently opened here in Liang County. Their mung bean and red bean pastries are especially delicious. If you have spare time, you should have someone buy a box to try."
Song Jiyun was frantic inside, yet she dared not let any of it show on her face as she cordially exchanged pleasantries with Old Master Yan.
However, after waiting for about the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Zheng Quan was nowhere to be seen, and she was feeling more and more uncomfortable. The objects in her vision began blurring again, and blood seemed to rush to her head, making her face burn, and her heart felt like it had been doused in oil and set ablaze.
Song Jiyun’s heart sank.
The longer she waited here, the more disadvantageous the situation became for her.
She couldn’t afford to keep up pretenses with these people; she simply lowered her voice and said to Old Master Yan in a plea for help, "I, I need to go to the study, please cover for me."
Although Old Master Yan found her request somewhat impolite, considering her young age, lack of elder’s protection, and that it was her first time attending such a banquet, he thought an oversight was normal and promised, "Just go, I’ll take care of it!"
Song Jiyun quickly got up and walked out.
Li Zixiu’s voice came from behind, "Where is Owner Song going to do what?"
Old Master Yan intervened, "What’s with you, Great Master, paying so much attention to a young lady? Come, come, let’s have a drink. I remember that during the toast earlier, a lot of the wine spilled from your cup..."
Song Jiyun’s heart eased a bit.
She stepped out of the Main Hall and was blinded by the midday sunlight.
Her head spun, and she instinctively closed her eyes.
But in that blink, someone approached her, grabbed her arm firmly, and laughed, "Oh my, isn’t this Owner Song? I didn’t expect you to have such low tolerance. It’s fortunate that the villa’s Main Hall has private rooms. Let me help you to a room to rest."
Song Jiyun knew something was wrong as soon as she heard this. While struggling, she said, "No need, I’ll just wait here for my attendant."
But the struggle made her realize she was as limp as a cooked noodle, her body weak and her voice inexplicably muffled—not clear unless one listened closely.
The one seizing her was an old woman, and at such closeness, she could hardly see her face clearly. She only vaguely felt that the woman was robust and strong, easily supporting her half leaning, half holding, without any effort, quickly leading her to the side corridor with crossed hands.
She could feel that they passed doorways guarded by servant boys, but those people ignored their presence, either because they had been ordered to or because her current state was nothing out of the ordinary.
Song Jiyun’s heart kept sinking.
She began to prepare for the worst.
Plotting against her in this way, it was either for money or lust.
If it was for money, that was easy to deal with; as long as she was alive, resources could be reclaimed. She could just give in and find an opportunity later to get back at them. But if it was for lust... it felt like a knife had pierced her heart.
Though she had lived through two lifetimes, for various reasons, she had never been in love.
If she were taken advantage of in such a manner, the mere thought of it made her as sick as if she had swallowed a fly.
No matter the cost, the most pressing thing she needed to do was to stay alert. Even if she was taken advantage of, she had to gather as much information about that bastard as possible, so that once she got out of danger, she would make sure he regretted it...
While she was pondering, the old woman led her to a secluded spot where a man was waiting outside a side room for them.
Upon seeing them, he immediately came forward and whispered a complaint to the old woman, "Why are you only just arriving? Did you encounter anyone on the way?"
The old woman hurriedly replied, "No, no. Everyone thinks Miss Song is drunk."
The man stepped forward and scrutinized Song Jiyun carefully.
Song Jiyun relaxed her body and leaned on the old woman.
After a few glances, the man turned and opened the door to the side room, helping the old woman escort Song Jiyun in and lay her on the bed. He also reminded the old woman, "Stay here and guard. Follow the plan."
The old woman nodded submissively.
Song Jiyun inwardly cursed, "Damn it."
She lay on the bed, feeling as though she was on the clouds, her entire body involuntarily relaxing, and waves of sleepiness kept surging over her.
This was absolutely not the time to fall asleep!
She bit her own tongue.
The pain made her mind a little clearer.
Then she noticed the old woman was undressing her.
It seemed that what she feared most was happening.
A chill ran through Song Jiyun’s heart.
Struggling at this point would only arouse unnecessary suspicion from others.
She pretended to already be unconscious, letting the old woman do as she pleased.
The old woman muttered to herself, "Miss Song, don’t blame me for being heartless; I have no other choice. If you want to blame someone, blame your own beauty..."
Song Jiyun, enduring her discomfort, listened intently.
Unfortunately, the old woman just repeated the same few lines, revealing no additional information.
Soon, footsteps approached from outside, and a voice, lowering its pitch, called into the room, "Someone’s coming!"
Hearing this, the old woman immediately dropped Song Jiyun and hurried out the door.
Song Jiyun instantly opened her eyes.
Her vision was still somewhat blurry, as if she had a high fever that dried her out, leaving her extremely thirsty.
She rolled off the bed right away.
Ancient buildings shared common features. This side room was one that had a main and a secondary suite; the inner chamber wasn’t equipped with a back window, but the main hall of the suite surely had a back door or a back window. And for such secretive matters, the hall’s door was certainly only latched.
She stumbled toward the hall.
There was no one in the hall.
Without a second thought, she immediately rushed to the Main Hall. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
The Main Hall didn’t have a door; it was a window.
Without hesitation, she pushed the window with all her might and climbed out.
She didn’t know what kind of flowers or trees were planted outside the window, but their branches hit her face, the pricking pain making her even more alert.
She dared not look for Zheng Quan.
She feared that Zheng Quan’s situation had also been compromised.
Her mind raced, and she decided to figure out a way to quietly leave West Ridge Villa first.
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