Volume 1, Chapter 42: I Was Only Following the Eldest Young Master's Orders

Could Uncle Qi have been delayed by something?!

Seeing that the suitcase was about to be handed over to the burly man, Tang Ruan grew anxious. She snatched a thick tree branch from the nearby bushes, rushed out, and shouted, "Stop right there!"

Lin Xuefeng was startled.

When did Tang Ruan follow them here?!

With no time to think, he pushed Lin Wen, who was standing next to him, and ordered, "Stop her!"

Lin Wen spread his arms and stammered, "Ruanruan..."

"Get lost!"

Tang Ruan brandished the branch, her expression fierce like a fiend crawling up from the underworld.

"Ruanruan, you are no match for them," Lin Wen tried to persuade her.

With Tang Ruan's slender arms and legs, how could she possibly contend with those two bodyguards?

Tang Ruan struck down with the branch, her voice cold and stern, "Lin Wen, I truly look down on you!"

Selling out his own sister for personal gain was bad enough the first time, yet he wanted to do it a second time.

She must have been truly blind in the past!

Lin Wen wore a look of profound sorrow.

Lin Xuefeng never expected that Tang Ruan would actually dare to resort to violence. He shrieked, "Tang Ruan, what are you doing?!"

"Hitting you."

Dropping those two cold words, she swung the branch again, striking Lin Xuefeng squarely on the arm.

Lin Xuefeng clutched his arm and sucked in a sharp breath.

Who would have thought that such a delicate-looking girl possessed so much strength?!

Fearing complications, Lin Xuefeng turned his head and yelled at the bodyguards, "Take her away, quickly!"

As long as the vehicle drove off, he refused to believe Tang Ruan could chase after it.

One bodyguard hoisted the suitcase toward the trunk, while the other hurried to the driver's seat.

"Put that suitcase down!" Tang Ruan swung the branch, intending to strike the bodyguard carrying the suitcase.

However, she had underestimated the bodyguard's reflexes.

Before the branch could even come close, the man caught it with a backhanded sweep.

With a slight tug, he snatched the branch right out of her grasp.

A burning sensation flared across Tang Ruan's palms.

With a flick of the bodyguard's wrist, the branch flew far away.

He looked down at Tang Ruan and warned, "Miss Tang, we have no desire to hurt you, so please do not interfere."

"When all is said and done, this is a family matter, and you have no standing to meddle."

Since both her biological father and brother had given their consent, what standing did a mere friend have to stop them?

Tang Ruan knew all too well the disparity in physical strength between men and women; going head-to-head was hardly the best strategy.

Her only option was to buy as much time as possible, dragging it out until Uncle Qi arrived.

Once Uncle Qi got here, not a single one of these people would be able to leave!

"Since you know who I am, put her down, and I will ensure you leave South City safely."

The bodyguard chuckled, piercing her bluff without a shred of mercy. "Miss Tang, stop trying to buy time."

Could he possibly fail to see through Tang Ruan's intentions?

Wasn't she just trying to stall!

Unfortunately... she had calculated wrongly.

Her people were currently being delayed by their associates and wouldn't be able to make it in time.

The bodyguard raised his hand and shoved the suitcase into the trunk.

Tang Ruan reached out to pull it back, only to be pushed away by the bodyguard.

The man possessed immense strength; Tang Ruan stumbled under the force and fell hard onto the ground.

The distinct sound of tearing fabric echoed sharply.

A large, palm-sized tear ripped open at the lower back of her evening gown, exposing her fair and delicate skin completely.

Lin Wen glanced at it once, quickly averted his gaze, and shrugged off his suit jacket to drape it over Tang Ruan.

The bodyguard slammed the trunk shut and climbed into the front passenger seat.

The engine roared to life, and the vehicle sped away, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Miss Tang, I know you and Xiaojie are close, but after all, this is a family affair of the Lin family. You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Lin Xuefeng grumbled, shaking his head in dissatisfaction.

If not for Tang Ruan, the Wang family would have already injected capital to help the Lin family. Perhaps by now, the Lin family would have weathered the crisis and returned to smooth sailing.

At this thought, Lin Xuefeng's gaze toward Tang Ruan grew increasingly resentful.

"A family affair? A family affair built on selling your daughter?!"

"Tang Ruan, you—"

Lin Xuefeng's remaining words were cut short by a commotion not far away.

A car suddenly swerved out from the side, blocking the path of the truck and forcing it to a sudden stop.

As if catching sight of a glimmer of hope, Tang Ruan brushed off the suit jacket draped over her shoulders and broke into a run.

Though she had no idea whose car had suddenly appeared, forcing the truck to halt was undoubtedly aiding her.

She had to seize this opportunity!

"Eldest Miss?" Uncle Qi had arrived.

Tang Ruan's voice was hoarse and strained. "Uncle Qi, quickly, stop that truck!"

Uncle Qi nodded, handed his coat to Tang Ruan, and sprinted toward the driver's side of the truck in a few powerful strides. He gripped the door handle and yanked—

The entire door was torn straight off its hinges.

With a flick of his wrist, Uncle Qi tossed the door aside, grabbed Bodyguard A by the collar, and hauled him bodily out of the vehicle.

The burly and muscular Bodyguard A was as helpless in Uncle Qi's grip as a newly hatched, fragile chick, utterly devoid of the ability to fight back.

Bodyguard A's eyes bulged like copper bells, filled with utter disbelief.

???

What on earth just happened?

His body weight of nearly two hundred pounds had just been effortlessly hoisted away by the scruff of his neck?!

Bodyguard A felt profoundly humiliated.

Regaining his senses, he resolved to retaliate, struggling desperately to grab Uncle Qi.

With a swift chop of his hand, Uncle Qi struck Bodyguard A, and the robust man collapsed limply to the ground.

Bodyguard B was similarly subdued by the people who had alighted from the other car.

Tang Ruan flung open the back of the truck and unzipped the suitcase, revealing an unconscious Lin Jie trapped inside.

A pair of hands reached out to check Lin Jie's pulse at her wrist, then gently parted her eyelids to inspect her eyes before delivering a verdict: "Don't worry, she's merely drugged with a sedative and will wake up in a few hours."

It was the person who had intercepted the truck earlier.

Tang Ruan looked over and saw a young man.

She had never laid eyes on this face anywhere in South City.

"Who are you?"

Li Feng smiled and introduced himself, "I am Eldest Young Master Huo's chief assistant. Miss Tang may call me Li Feng."

Eldest Young Master Huo's chief assistant...

Tang Ruan's expression turned slightly unnatural, but realizing that the truck would have long since escaped without his intervention, she said, "Thank you, Assistant Li."

"You are too kind, Miss Tang. I was merely following orders from the Eldest Young Master."

Tang Ruan paused mid-motion.

Li Feng's intervention had been at Huo Yu's bidding?

Li Feng cast a glance at Lin Xuefeng and his son not far away, lowering his voice, "Miss Tang, the Eldest Young Master's position has not been easy these past few years. I hope you can overlook any past grievances."

His position hasn't been easy?

That made sense. Over the years, the Huo family outwardly acknowledged only Huo Yunchuan as their eldest grandson, clearly never intending to recognize Huo Yu.

If not for Huo Yunchuan currently being plagued by endless scandals and deemed unfit to be the future head of the family, Huo Yu would never have been summoned back.

He had always been kept in exile, recalled only when the Huo family had need of him.

"I see," Tang Ruan murmured.

"Miss Tang, how about we first help your friend rest at the Eldest Young Master's courtyard? Conveniently, his courtyard is not far from here," Li Feng suggested.

Noticing Tang Ruan's hesitation, Li Feng pressed on, "Rest assured, Miss Tang. I studied medicine in university, and your friend is in no serious danger."

As the internationally renowned medical genius Dr. S, dealing with something as minor as a sedative was completely akin to using a butcher's cleaver to slaughter a chicken.

"Very well, thank you for the trouble."

Flanking Lin Jie on either side, she and Uncle Qi supported her and followed behind Li Feng.

As for Lin Xuefeng and Lin Wen, the moment Uncle Qi had appeared, Lin Xuefeng had grabbed Lin Wen and fled.

Gazing at the increasingly familiar scenery, Tang Ruan unconsciously knitted her brows.

Li Feng, who kept glancing back at Tang Ruan, acutely sensed the shift in her mood and asked, "Is something wrong, Miss Tang?"

She had been fine moments ago; why were her brows furrowed tighter the further they walked?

Could it be that Tang Ruan disliked this route?

If so, he would definitely have to mention it to Huo Yu later.

"It's nothing," Tang Ruan shook her head, then asked, "Is that Eldest Young Master Huo's courtyard ahead?"

"Yes, the Old Master specifically allocated that courtyard to the Eldest Young Master."