Chapter Twenty-Five: Not a Kidnapping

On the leisurely walk home, as he passed the Prosperity Tea House, he once again saw Zhang Ya and her mother. The two had just exited the tea house; her mother’s face was dark with displeasure, and Zhang Ya seemed frightened, treading carefully.

“There you are again!” The moment Zhang Ya caught sight of Jiang Xiwen, she ignored her mother’s presence and snapped angrily, “Have you been waiting downstairs all this time? What exactly are you trying to do? Don’t think that just because you’re the only one in the whole school to qualify for the computer competition, I’ll forgive your past mistakes. Who knows how you managed to get that spot—little delinquent!” Clearly, all the resentment she felt from her mother’s scolding was being vented on Jiang Xiwen.

“Heh, beautiful class leader, I’m sorry for what I did to you. I’ll take responsibility, don’t worry—” Jiang Xiwen had barely begun his sentence when he saw the wrathful expression of Zhang Ya’s mother descend, and at that moment, the screech of brakes pierced the air, nearly rupturing their eardrums. Passersby turned to look; a white van came to a sharp halt in front of the Prosperity Tea House.

The van door slammed open, and two men jumped out.

The setting had changed, but the scene was eerily familiar. One of the men was the seventh brother Zhao Fei had mentioned, while the other was a new face—a dark, thin man. Perhaps, as Gong Xiang had said, the previous man whom Jiang Xiwen had kicked had been put out of commission and was now lying in a hospital.

This time, their target was Zhang Ya and her mother.

The thin man rushed to Zhang Ya, and before she could react, he hoisted her up. The seventh brother lunged at Zhang Ya’s mother, but Jiang Xiwen was closer; he stepped in and kicked at the seventh brother’s shin. The seventh brother dodged to the side, just as he had before, and barked, “Why is it you again…” The word “you” barely left his lips before it turned into a howl of pain—his shinbone had been struck by Jiang Xiwen’s foot. Jiang Xiwen knew the man was tough, so his first move was a feint, waiting for the opening when the man dodged, then delivering a real blow. Though Jiang Xiwen didn’t have much experience in real fights, his sparring with Wang Wu had already made him adept at applying the six moves he’d learned.

Crowds gathered. The seventh brother cursed, “Damn!” and abandoned Zhang Ya’s mother, gritting his teeth as he limped back toward the van.

It was only then that Zhang Ya’s mother snapped out of her fright, shouting in panic, “Xiao Ya, Xiao Ya, help me save my daughter!”

“Mom, Mom…” Zhang Ya was so terrified she could only sob, clinging to the thin man’s shoulder. Her voice shook, and before she could finish her cry, she was tossed forcefully into the van. The thin man ducked in after her.

“Auntie, call the police!” Jiang Xiwen shouted. In a split second, as the van door was about to close, he leaped inside. The door slammed shut, and the van sped off, leaving behind a crowd of onlookers and Zhang Ya’s mother frantically searching for a phone.

Once inside, Jiang Xiwen barely had time to react before he was pinned down and tied up securely. A foul rag was stuffed into his mouth.

He glanced around; Zhang Ya was being treated roughly as well. There were three men in the van: the seventh brother, the dark thin man, and the driver, whose face remained hidden as he handled the van with abrupt stops.

The seventh brother shot Jiang Xiwen a look and slapped him. “Damn, what are you staring at? You’ve ruined my plans twice—still feeling cocky now?”

Damn it, Jiang Xiwen cursed inwardly. Once he was free, he’d beat this guy until he was crippled. But on his face, he made a show of fear, while his mind raced for an escape plan.

The thin man ogled Zhang Ya, chuckling, “Hey, seventh brother, this girl’s not bad!”

Zhang Ya whimpered, unable even to cry, her eyes full of terror.

“Seventh brother, Blackie, can you two stop messing around? What’s the point of picking on kids?” The driver finally spoke up.

Blackie quickly muttered, “Yes, boss, I was just talking. No matter how pretty she is, I know better than to touch her.”

So the driver was the leader, Jiang Xiwen thought. Judging by Zhang Ya and her mother’s attire and manner, their family must be wealthy. As the saying goes, the first school is for locals, the second is for expats, and the third is for delinquents. Even an average student from the second school could have a family background impressive enough to shock anyone—though there were also families like Jiang Xiwen’s and Gong Xiang’s, with parents working as ordinary civil servants.

These men had kidnapped Zhang Ya, but why take her mother too? Jiang Xiwen couldn’t figure it out. Last week, they’d tried to kidnap Gong Xiang. According to his memories from his previous life, after Gong Xiang was kidnapped, he disappeared completely. Had his actions changed the past and now drawn Zhang Ya into danger?

“I saw this girl riding in an Audi. Why don’t we just go straight for ransom, instead of all this trouble?” the seventh brother grumbled.

Before the driver could reply, Blackie retorted, “Are you an idiot? How many times have we been told—kidnapping is for bandits. We’re supposed to be doing legitimate business…”

“Shut up!” the driver ordered, and Blackie fell silent.

“Bad people never admit they’re bad,” Zhang Ya thought, bound hand and foot, lying on the floor. “Mom was right. Just like Jiang Xiwen—he looks innocent, but he’s a real delinquent inside!”

That’s how little girls are. In her eyes, Blackie and the seventh brother were powerful, and her pride had long been smothered by fear. Jiang Xiwen, in her mind, was always weak, so it was easy to shift blame onto him. At this moment, she didn’t even consider why Jiang Xiwen had been tied up and brought along.

But if this wasn’t a kidnapping, then what was it? Jiang Xiwen didn’t share Zhang Ya’s thoughts. Though he didn’t know why these men had grabbed Zhang Ya, he was certain of one thing: as long as he and Zhang Ya behaved, they would be safe.

“Move over!” The seventh brother complained about the cramped seat and shoved Jiang Xiwen, who rolled and bumped into Zhang Ya. The two ended up pressed together, wedged in the narrow space, unable to move.

Dizzy from the collision, Jiang Xiwen cursed the seventh brother’s entire family. As he regained his senses and opened his eyes, he realized the foul rag had slipped from his mouth, but he still couldn’t speak—his mouth was pressed against a pair of soft lips, which belonged to Zhang Ya.

The beautiful class leader’s eyes were tightly shut, brows furrowed, her face a blend of anger and blush, unique and striking. Unfortunately, Jiang Xiwen was pressed so close that he couldn’t even appreciate her expression.