Chapter 63: Then Just Keep Hating Me
Amidst his irritation, a soft murmur suddenly reached his ears: “Don’t be afraid… I’ll pull you up… The seawater is so deep, so dark… I can barely see…”
He mumbled brokenly, his voice so faint it was nearly inaudible, but Ji Songting caught it clearly.
What did he mean by that?
Ji Songting couldn’t help but turn his head to look at him. Lowering his voice, he probed, “Pull who up?”
“Pull…”
The air seemed to freeze, and time appeared to stand still. Only the sound of his own breathing remained.
The delirious Jian An uttered another word:
“Him.”
“Who is he?”
Ji Songting asked tirelessly, feeling an inexplicable surge of tension and curiosity about this phrase. He listened quietly, but the person resting against his shoulder didn’t speak another word.
He furrowed his brows slightly, realizing that he was actually taking an interest in someone’s sleep-talking. It felt somewhat degrading and pathetic.
In the driver’s seat, Xiao Wang habitually shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror. What he saw shocked him to the core! For a moment, he was so stunned he began to doubt reality.
That boss of his—who was a severe germaphobe and hated people getting close to him—was actually allowing Jian An to lean on him?!
Not to mention, this was the person he loathed the most!
How did the relationship between these two change so drastically all of a sudden? Something was wrong, very wrong!
He instinctively blinked his eyes hard to ensure he wasn’t seeing things. When he looked up to sneak another peek, his eyes collided directly with Ji Songting’s intensely oppressive glare.
Their eyes met. Xiao Wang’s body went rigid, cold sweat drenching his back. It felt as if a biting winter wind had pierced through his body, causing every muscle to tense up.
He swore he would never sneak a peek again…
He coughed symbolically a few times to cover his awkwardness, hit the brakes to stop the car, and said: “Ahem, President… President Ji, we’ve arrived at our destination. We can get out now.”
“Mn, alright.”
Ji Songting massaged his temples. He then reached over to grab the suit jacket draped over the youth, shook it out, and gave his shoulder a slight nudge, raising his voice:
“Hey, can you get up now?”
The sudden brake jolted Jian An from his groggy state. He slowly opened his eyes, only to realize that the place he had been resting his head on was somewhat soft…
He hurriedly sat up straight in a panic. Turning his head, he saw the man so close to him, his gaze instinctively dropping to the slightly wrinkled fabric on Ji Songting’s shoulder.
Could it be that while he was half-asleep, he had been resting on his shoulder…?!
Just what was going on?!
Jian An looked at the person next to him in sheer panic, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. His heart pounded wildly as he tried to shrink back, only to hit the car door.
He swallowed dryly, his expression shifting unsteadily. He looked back at the car window behind him, then stared at the man, his words stumbling out incoherently:
“I… why was I leaning on you? I was clearly leaning against the window just a moment ago…!”
Ji Songting maintained a forced composure, an aloof calmness radiating from his expression. He raised a hand to brush off his shoulder, then stood up and opened the car door. His voice was completely flat, without the slightest ripple:
“You can get out now.”
Hearing those words, Jian An instantly stopped agonizing over how he had ended up on the man’s shoulder. Right now, his mind was entirely consumed with the thought of saving his mother. Dragging his heavy body, he hobbled out of the car.
The moment he stepped out, a blast of warm air—unlike the heat inside the car—mixed with a heavy, nauseating stench, hit him square in the face.
Jian An covered his stomach with one hand and his nose and mouth with the other. Looking up, he realized he was standing in front of a building that resembled a nightclub.
Apart from the building in front of them, which faintly emitted flashing red and green lights, the surroundings were pitch black, so dark you couldn’t see your own fingers. Even the air carried a rotten, moldy stench that made it incredibly oppressive to breathe.
Even the faint light quickly vanished into the darkness, making the entire world feel as if it were shrouded in black.
How could a place like this be fit for humans?
Jian An’s body couldn’t stop shivering. A chill rose from the soles of his feet, freezing his very blood.
His instinctual fear of the dark made him involuntarily want to step back, but it felt as if one foot were trapped in a swamp; no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t move an inch.
Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder from behind, causing his body to flinch. Then, a deep, magnetic baritone voice spoke unhurriedly by his ear:
“What? Scared?”
“What do I have to be scared of.”
Jian An quickly composed himself, suppressing the panic on his face deep within his heart. With clear eyes, he looked directly at the man without evasion and asked with feigned composure:
“Just where exactly is this place? How could my mom possibly be in a remote place like this?”
Hearing this, Ji Songting seemed to find it amusing. A slight arc curled upon his lips in the shadows, and he let out a cold snort:
“This is the underground casino in the remote suburbs of Yao City. Tell me, would your mother show up here or not?”
“Underground casino…”
Jian An murmured these four words almost soundlessly, his brows furrowing tightly. He had always despised places like this; they were no different from those dens of debauchery and vice.
But no matter how repulsed he felt, he still unsteadily moved his legs, forcing his weak body forward. He hadn’t even taken two steps before someone grabbed his arm from behind with considerable force.
He let out a muffled groan of pain and turned his head. Ji Songting was holding him, his expression unusually stern.
Jian An struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. Shock flashed in his eyes as he demanded with desperate urgency, “Ji Songting, what are you doing? Are you backing out? Are you not going to save my mom?! How could you do this!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Songting wordlessly shoved him toward Xiao Wang. He draped his suit jacket over his back, quickly put it on, and lowered his gaze slightly to button it up. He reiterated:
“I told you, I won’t break my word. Besides, do you think an underground casino is a place you can just stroll into?”
Jian An paused, asking in confusion: “What… what do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
Ji Songting finished adjusting his clothes and looked toward the underground building hidden in the darkness. His expression was cold and stern. A strange look flashed in his deep eyes as he issued a frigid warning:
“When we go inside later, you will follow behind me. No wandering off, and no looking around. I can’t guarantee what the people inside might do to you. Do you understand?”
Hearing this, an ominous premonition swelled in Jian An’s heart. He didn’t argue, just nodded lightly and responded:
“Mn…”
Ji Songting cast him a sidelong glance, his face expressionless, and then took the lead, striding into the building.
The three of them took the elevator all the way up to the casino floor. When the elevator doors opened, a hostess in a uniform was already waiting by the entrance.
She gestured “please” toward the front, bowed slightly with a faint smile, and said politely:
“Please follow me, gentlemen.”
Jian An took a few quick steps to walk beside Ji Songting. His expression was somewhat angry, his anxious tone carrying a hint of probing: “She knows where my mom is? Or… was this all arranged by you just to toy with me?”
“Shut up.”
Ji Songting shoved him back and signaled Xiao Wang with his eyes to keep an eye on him, saying impatiently: “What are you in such a rush for? You’ll see your beloved mother in a moment.”
“You better not be lying to me.”
Jian An’s gaze turned forbearing and restrained. His eyes were already bloodshot as he practically gritted out:
“If anything happens to my mom, I will never forgive you in this lifetime. I will hate you to the core.”
Hearing those resolute words, Ji Songting’s eyes darkened. He pursed his lips tightly. An inexplicable pang of pain and panic struck his heart, and his fingers clenched into fists.
From the moment they met, to their marriage, and throughout the three-plus years Jian An had been in the Ji family, he had never spoken a single hateful word to him, not even a single “I hate you.”
Yet today, for the sake of a mother who was worse than a dog, Jian An was telling him he hated him. This made him feel incredibly displeased.
“Then just keep hating me. Suit yourself.”
His thin lips parted, and a voice as cold as ice spilled from his mouth. His tone was perfectly calm, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, as if the turmoil in his heart a moment ago had never existed.
Jian An couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He kept walking, following closely behind the man, but his eyes couldn’t stop darting around. Even his palms were sweating cold sweat.
The air was thick with the heavy stench of smoke. Rows of gambling tables were encircled by crowds, mostly filled with nervous, wide-eyed, and grim-faced gamblers.
Suddenly, a customer looked up and met his gaze perfectly. The man’s expression shifted from anger to something vile; he actually puckered his lips and blew a kiss at him.
Jian An immediately turned his head away, not daring to look again. A chill ran down his spine, and the nausea in his stomach—which he had just emptied—surged back.
He swore he would never set foot in a place like this again.
They followed the hostess all the way to a private room on the other side of the casino. This area was mostly reserved for higher-end clientele.
Just as they approached the private room, a wave of agonizing screams and curses—crying for parents and calling upon the heavens—erupted from within. The sound was enough to make anyone shudder in fear.
Jian An instantly recognized the voice as Zhou Manxiang’s. He rushed forward in a panic, pounding fiercely on the private room door. Pressing his ear against it, he screamed:
“Mom! Are you in there?! I’m here! Mom!”
In the next second, he was yanked back by Ji Songting. The man’s gaze held a sharp glint, yet his tone remained unhurried:
“What are you rushing for?”
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Jian An turned to glare at him. His eyes brimmed with tears and hatred. “She’s not your mom! Of course you’re not in a rush!”
Ji Songting froze slightly, then smirked. His tone was indifferent, its meaning unclear: “You’re right. I’m not in a rush at all. That’s exactly what you thought back then, wasn’t it?”
Hearing this, Jian An stopped pounding on the door. He naturally knew what the other party was implying.
It was about Lin Qiuwan…
He grabbed the man’s arm, his eyes fixed on the private room door. Countless times he had told himself not to grovel before this man anymore, but every time, it was useless. He could only plead:
“Could you please put our past grudges aside for now and go in to save my mom? After that, however you want to exact your revenge, I won’t fight back…”
Translator’s Note: Welcome back! The angst just keeps piling on. Underground casinos (地下赌场) in Chinese novels are notoriously dangerous, unregulated places run by vicious loan sharks. You definitely don’t want to owe them money, as Zhou Manxiang is about to find out.
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