C19 The Incident at the Ktv

At that moment, Jiang Xueer watched Ling Yifei share laughs with Han Yuxuan, her gaze filled with complex emotions. Despite having nothing, he always seemed to have a beautiful woman by his side, each one no less attractive than her, sometimes even making her feel inferior.

"Hmph, I didn't expect this kid to have such luck. I was hoping to see him embarrass himself," Situ Yun muttered resentfully to himself.

The song had ended, and the mood was mixed; joy for some, sorrow for others. The expressions varied as the night grew late, signaling it was time to head out. The group exited the private room, only to be met by another crowd approaching them.

Ling Yifei picked up on a hint of danger and instinctively moved closer to Han Yuxuan. The young girl sensed it too, but misunderstanding the situation, she bashfully lowered her head.

As they were passing by the group, someone deliberately bumped into one of Ling Yifei's classmates in an obvious act of provocation.

"Hey, are you blind? You bumped into me!" a burly man barked at the male student.

The student, full of youthful bravado and not wanting to lose face in front of the girls, retorted, "You clearly bumped into me. Why are you asking me?"

"Oh, students these days are so bold, huh?" the man sneered, pulling a knife from his bag and brandishing it for all to see. The sight of the knife sent the pampered youths scurrying back in fear.

Ling Yifei alone remained composed, standing his ground with legs braced, ready to act if the man made a move. Han Yuxuan, terrified, clung to Ling Yifei's sleeve. He cast her a reassuring glance.

"Hey, do you have any idea who I am? You're bullying my classmate!" Jiang Xueer, always assertive, couldn't stand by and watch the bullying.

"My mother is Zhao Yuqin, the chairwoman of Yi'an Group. If you cause any trouble today, I won't let you get away with it!" No sooner had Jiang Xueer spoken than one of the men roughly seized her, pressing a knife to her throat.

Ling Yifei inwardly cursed the moment he revealed his identity, but he was too far from Jiang Xueer to do anything. With his cultivation reduced to the Initial Spirit Realm, it was impossible for him to cover the distance instantly.

"Haha, the heiress of Yi'an Group, your mother is quite wealthy. Now that you've announced yourself, it would be a shame not to take advantage of that!" The kidnapper gloated, while Jiang Xueer, terrified by the abrupt turn of events, stared at the knife at her throat, frozen with fear.

In the crowd, a bespectacled man suddenly glanced at Ling Yifei, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to place where he'd seen him before.

"Kids, you can go now. Haha, run along and tell the chairman of Yi'an Group that her daughter is with me. If she wants her safe, she'd better pay up," the burly man said, waving his hand dismissively.

At that moment, the bonds of school camaraderie were forgotten as everyone scattered in terror. Situ Yun had thought about revealing his own background, but seeing the desperadoes' ruthlessness, he realized he'd likely end up a hostage too. After a brief glance at Jiang Xueer, he bolted without a backward glance.

Jiang Xueer witnessed it all. Ling Yifei had insisted that Han Yuxuan leave first. She initially stood her ground, but after much coaxing, she relented, urging Ling Yifei to return safely and promising to call the police before she, too, ran off with the other students.

"Kid, why aren't you running? You looking to die here?" one of the thugs asked, eyeing Ling Yifei, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Release her, and I'll be your hostage," Ling Yifei declared, stunning Jiang Xueer.

She had always been tough on him, often cold and dismissive, yet here he was, ready to risk himself for her. A wave of remorse washed over her as Ling Yifei concentrated his vital energy at his fingertips, cautious not to act hastily.

Ling Yifei's mastery of the Vital Spirit was far from perfect at the Initial Stage. If he accidentally injured Jiaang Xueer, he wouldn't know how to face Mrs. Zhao.

As one problem subsided, another emerged. "I remember now, you're Ling Zhiyu's son!" a man in the crowd exclaimed, recognizing Ling Yifei. He had a nagging feeling that he'd seen him before, and it finally clicked.

Lee Quan had disappeared after going to collect money, clearly having met with foul play—a situation not unconnected to Ling Yifei. "Boss, this kid is sly. It was him who took down Lee Quan," the bespectacled man accused, pointing at Ling Yifei.

The ringleader's eyes darkened with lethal intent as he gazed at Ling Yifei. Anticipating that the students would soon alert the police, he resolved to take drastic action and advanced on Ling Yifei with a knife in hand.

"Run! Get out of here!" Jiaang Xueer screamed, desperate to prevent Ling Yifei from sacrificing himself for her, but he showed no sign of fleeing.

With no other option, Ling Yifei decided to feign death. Given that Jiaang Xueer was their captive, any counterattack from him could endanger her. As the leader closed in, Ling Yifei concentrated his Vital Spirit energy.

"Kid, since you've killed Lee Quan, your life is forfeit," the leader declared, moving in on Ling Yifei.

A smirk crossed Ling Yifei's face. This gamble had paid off. These men were connected to Lee Quan, and by extension, to Chen Xinghai. Following their trail might lead to valuable clues. With that thought, a flicker of murderous resolve sparked in Ling Yifei's eyes.

With a swift "crack," the leader struck Ling Yifei's neck, rendering him unconscious. Killing someone here would make escape impossible, so the leader, cunning as he was, ordered his henchmen to load the unconscious Ling Yifei and the sobbing Jiaang Xueer into a vehicle.

Meanwhile, the police had received a distressing call about a kidnapping involving the heiress of the Yi'an Group. The gravity of the situation and the complexity of the case prompted the immediate formation of a special task force dedicated to orchestrating a rescue operation.

When Ling Yifei regained consciousness, he found himself in a dilapidated factory, completely alone, with his hands and feet bound.

"Kid, you're awake!" A man burst through the door, loosened the ropes around Ling Yifei's ankles, and escorted him to the main hall. There, a middle-aged man, puffing on a cigarette and glancing at his wristwatch, saw Ling Yifei being escorted in and gestured for his henchman to secure him to a column.

Across from Ling Yifei, Jiaang Xueer was also bound, her mouth gagged, her eyes wide with panic as she looked at him. Despite her typically odd temperament, in that moment, she was nothing more than a defenseless woman, utterly powerless.

The leader approached Ling Yifei, knife in hand, and demanded, "Kid, did you kill Lee Quan?" He toyed with the knife as he awaited an answer.