SPMW 19 - Yin Hao: The Evil that Grew From the Side of Bravery

Yin Hao once again returned to his room and smashed an exquisite set of tea cups. Even so, it did not appease his anger. He gazed at the scenery outside the window with his gloomy eyes as he sorted his thoughts out in his mind. No matter how he looked at it, he was not willing to swallow that setback. If there was no He Changning in the first place, things would not have gotten into the situation today. It was all He Changning’s fault. If he had obediently agreed to be married into the Shang family, the Yin family would have been the biggest winner. If that was the case, Yin Hao wouldn’t mind acknowledging that he had such a half-brother that had to marry someone as a male wife. But He Changning was too proud for that; not only did he ask the Yin family for compensation, he had even gotten in cahoots with the Shang family to defraud Yin Est. of its money.

If Shang Yushang knew that Yin Est. had illegally altered the evaluation report, even if he had not pursued further because of that little bastard He Changning, there was no guarantee that Shang Yushang would not take revenge on Yin Est. in the future. Shang Est.’s status in the business circle and Shang Yushang’s way of doing things was something that neither Yin Est. nor the Yin family could handle. When that time came, the Yin family would only be at the losing end and benefit that opinionated bastard.

No, he would not allow that brat to gain any benefits from this. He must find a way to bring He Changning under his control. Or he could simply get a hold of some information that could be used against He Changning and force time to listen to his orders as a last chip for the Yin family to bargain with.

After Yin Hao had set his mind on taking action, he made a phone call to someone and left the house.

Changning was still in his room as he feverishly indulged himself in his work. He was still unaware that a malicious conspiracy was approaching him silently, as the person planned to ruin him.

For those few days, Shang Yushang was caught up with work. He wanted to settle his company matters as soon as possible so that he could have more time and energy to put towards the wedding. Of course, more than ever, he wished that he could be at Changning’s side so that they could get to know each other more and improve their relationship so it would stabilize the foundation of their lives from now on.

Aside from working every day, Shang Yushang would set aside some time to make phone calls to Changning. It was mostly minor questions like asking what the other person was doing, how was work, did he have a good meal or if he had adequate rest, etc. Of course, he always remembered to remind Changning to be wary of the Yin family members, and that should anything happen, Changning should contact him immediately so that he could get someone to watch over him.

Every time he received a call from Shang Yushang, it was no doubt Changning’s happiest moment. He would smile as he reported his daily activities to Yushang, like how he was feeling good and eating well and that everything was fine. Changning would also remind him to get enough rest and not overwork himself at work etc. The two people were like a husband and wife that had been together for years, worrying and concerned for one another.

Whenever Changning answered Yushang’s call, Aunt Qin would always think how great it was that this child was finally smiling so happily. She was glad that Changning had someone to pamper him, love him and protect him. Finally, Minglan, who was in heaven, could rest in peace.

The person who came to inform him that the wedding date had been set was the Shang family’s senior butler. He was considered one of the eldest and most respected in-charge staff in the Shang family and old Madam Shang had nothing but high praises for him. Even Shang Yushang treated him respectfully. The butler’s surname was Liao, which was why everyone in the family called him Uncle Liao.

Uncle Liao arrived at the Yin residence and directly requested to meet Changning. He politely introduced himself, “Young master Ning, I am the butler from the old Shang mansion. If you don’t mind, just calling me Uncle Liao would do.”

Changning bowed slightly with respect, “You’re welcome, Uncle Liao. Just calling me Changning would do.”

Uncle Liao maintained his courteousness as he replied, “Thank you for your approval, young master Ning. But I’m afraid not, with all due respect.”

Changning rubbed his nose thinking that big families sure had tons of rules. He was feeling a bit fearful at this stage, he wondered how it would be once he had entered the Shang family. Would he need to act the same way as this old butler, to react according to the person’s status? If that was the case, then how tiring it would be, “I’ll respect your wishes.”

Uncle Liao may be old, but he could perfectly see through a person. His initial impression of the young man before him was that Changning was a refined and earnest person. The only downside was his young age that made him show all his feelings on the surface. Despite that, he could see that Changning was a straightforward and kind-natured person, which complemented their young master’s personality.

Old Madam Shang sure had sharp sights to choose such an outstanding child to be their young master’s wife. Not only was he a pleasant looking person but Changning also had good personality. Hm, not that bad after all.

As they sat down with Elder Yin for some casual greetings, Uncle Liao then went straight to the main topic, “Young master Ning, old Madam Shang has ordered me to inform you that the wedding date for you and young master Shang had been decided. It will be on the twenty-eighth of this month, that would be twenty days from today. Although the wedding date may seem rushed, old Madam Shang wants to reassure you that everything that is required will not be missed. Also, the family members from our main family branch have already arrived, and all necessary arrangement have been put into place. The only thing left for you to do was to wait for young master Shang to pick you up.”

After taking another sip of water, Uncle Liao continued, “Old Madam Shang also reminded me to ask if young master Ning has anything you need. You may directly inform us, and old Madam Shang will definitely satisfy your request.”

“There’s nothing I would need. I’ll leave everything for old Madam Shang to arrange. Please convey my regards to old Madam Shang, and that I appreciate her arrangement and thank her for everything.”

“You’re welcome, young master Ning. I’ll be sure to pass your message to old Madam Shang. Young Master is still busy with the company matters these few days. Once everything has been settled, he will come and pick young Master Ning up. After which, both you and young Master would need to pick out the suits and accessories required for the wedding. Old Madam Shang has already arranged to for a renowned photographer to take the wedding photos. Until then, we will let you and young master decide on a suitable destination for the photography.”

“Sure, Yushang and I will look into it afterwards.”

After relaying some minor instructions, Uncle Liao subsequently left the Yin’s residence. Elder Yin and Congmin, who were treated like they were invisible, were frustrated beyond words as they returned to their rooms sullenly.

These few days, Elder Yin and Congmin had been living cautiously and annoyed. On one hand, they feared that Shang Yushang would take revenge on Yin Est. for altering the evaluation report, yet on the other hand, now that He Changning’s wedding date had been set, the Shang family merely sent a butler to inform the details and nothing else. Plus, that butler not only talked nicely to He Changning but also treated the two ladies like they were invisible. That made them really upset as they felt that they had been treated lightly.  Wanting to show that they had the upper hand, the two women used the excuse of visiting their relatives and left the house, claiming that they would be back before the wedding.

(T/N: In case you wondered why the two women did that, in most Chinese weddings, the bride’s family should be with the bride and settle the details on her behalf before the actual wedding. So, by leaving the bride to herself before the wedding, it’s a very rude action like saying the bride is nothing to them and that they don’t respect the groom’s family either. So yeah, darn bitches.)

He Changning didn’t even bother about them. But not Aunt Qin as she nagged away, saying how heartless and evil the Yin family members were, how none of them had good intentions, that they simply wanted to watch drama unfold, that they did not have the demeanor of an adult in the family and were acting far too rude.

With regards to that, Changning did not get himself concerned with them, he allowed them to do whatever they want and simply focused on his work.

—

This day, Yin Zhinian had business dealings and was not at home. That spendthrift Yin Jun had gone out to find entertainment, leaving the house with only Changning and Yin Hao. Hence, Yin Hao, who had planned the right timing, made a call and invited a person to their residence for a visit.

As that person arrived, Yin Hao purposely distracted Aunt Qin’s attention and added something into the glass of milk that Changning usually drank. As Yin Hao chatted nonchalantly with that friend, his eyes continued to look out for Aunt Qin’s action as he watched if she had brought the glass of milk up for Changning to drink.

Just like he had expected, Aunt Qin took that drink upstairs unknowingly.

Yin Hao’s gloomy expression stared at Changning’s door like a venomous snake; he turned to the person beside him and said, “Bro Dao, you may go upstairs in ten minutes. Do remember to record everything. I’ll treat you well after the deal’s done.”

The person called Dao had a wretched face as he almost drooled over what was going to happen soon, “Relax, I’ll settle everything smoothly. As for the treats, we’ll talk about that later. That little brother of yours looked delicious, I won’t be satisfied for only one time. Don’t you want to have something that could control him? So long as I’ve got him under me, you don’t have to worry about all that.”

Aunt Qin had gone upstairs with that glass of milk and placed the drink beside Changning’s hand, “Changning, you’ve been staying up all night lately. Your body won’t be able to handle all that fatigue.”

“I understand, Aunt Qin. It’ll be done soon, just one more night and my work will be finished.”

Aunt Qin nagged again, “What a silly child, how could you be this careless when it comes to your work. Your health is more important. Quick, finish up the milk.”

“Okay, I’ll drink it in a while. You should go have a rest. I’ll be done soon.”

After Aunt Qin reminded Changning to drink up and rest early, she yawned as she returned to her own room. Now that age was catching up to her, she had difficulties staying awake for long hours as well.

Changning felt warm hearted as he watched Aunt Qin’s nagging back leave his view. It felt really good to have someone who cared about and loved you. A certain image of a person appeared in Changning’s mind. That person was gentle and caring to him as well – he would make constant reminders during every phone call. The thought of him made Changning’s heart fill with sweetness. There was less than twenty days left before he would be able to spend his daily life with that person. To be honest, he was quite looking forward to it.

Shocked by his own embarrassing thought, Changning shook his head as he focused on his job again. He then conveniently picked up the glass of milk to drink. He gulped a mouthful of the drink then set the glass aside and continued working on his task at hand.

The time continued to slip past. Slowly, Changning felt that the screen in front of him was becoming blur. He shook his head hard, but his mind was in a mess. He started losing his focus as he felt the entire room turning in circles.

Using his barely conscious mind, Changning knew that something was amiss. He might have consumed something that he shouldn’t have or was drugged by someone else. With no time to think of who was the suspect, Changning had to save himself while he still could. So Changning stood up with difficulty. Ignoring the swaying surroundings, he stumbled towards the balcony’s railing and used his last bit of strength to shout for help, “Xiao Wu.”

Although it did not sound real, as a professional bodyguard, he had to make sure that he was responsible for all his actions. Xiao Wu swiftly leaped over the railings and ran towards the ground below the second floor where Changning’s room was, climbed barehanded along the drain pipes and appeared at Changning’s room’s balcony.

When Xiao Wu saw Changning lying on the floor, his eyes went wide as he quickly held Changning up, “Young Master Ning, what happened to you?”

Changning’s face was pale as cold sweat rolled down his forehead. His voice was soft and weak as he replied, “Find, Yushang… d-don’t alert, Yin family…” and the next moment, Changning was unconscious.

Xiao Wu held Changning in his arms as he called out towards the windows. Two men appeared at the window very quickly. Seeing that Changning was lying on the floor, Xiao Qi placed his fingers on Changning’s wrist, “Young Master Ning had been drugged.”

The trio could feel the chill down their spine. Now that something had happened to Young Master Ning, none of them could get away easily.

Xiao Wu immediately make his judgement call, “Xiao Qi, inform Young Master immediately. Remember Young Master Ning’s instruction not to alert the Yin family. Shi Er, the person who gave him the drug must still be in the house. Take him down no matter what method you use. And knock out all Yin family members. Go.”

Shi Er nodded. “Take care of Young Master Ning.” With that, he disappeared with Xiao Qi to carry out the instructions.

Shang Yushang, who was still busy with work in his office, felt frustrated all of a sudden. There were too many things to handle lately, plus he had been constantly thinking of Changning, hence his temper had been getting worse as the days went by. Everyone in the company was on their toes as they were afraid that they might unknowingly offend their terrifying big boss. Losing their job might not be the worst thing that could happen, but they might end up getting their colleagues and families into trouble.

The moment that a particular ringtone rang, Yushang’s senses immediately tense up. That ringtone was meant for those bodyguards who were with Changning. If they had called now, it only meant that something had happened to Changning.

Yushang quickly hit the answer button, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Qi’s anxious voice came from the other end, “Young Master, something happened to Young Master Ning. He has been drugged.”

Shang Yushang stood up abruptly as his anger was rising fast, “What?”

Xiao Qi trembled as he heard his young master’s chilling tone, “Young Master, fret not, Young Master Ning is not in any danger at the moment. He merely passed out.”

Yushang grabbed his car keys in one hand as he instructed Xiao Qi, “Gather our men immediately and surround the Yin residence. Don’t let any of them escape.”

Xiao Qi replied softly, “Young Master, before Young Master Ning passed out, he mentioned to us to remind you not to alert the Yin family.”

Shang Yushang thought of Changning’s words, knowing that there must be some reason why Changning did not want to alert the Yin family, so he answered, “Get our men to monitor every move of the Yin family members. Contact Bai Mo immediately and get him to reach the Yin residence in ten minutes. Tell Shi Er to get that person who drugged Changning regardless of what method he uses.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Xiao Qi immediately carried out the instructions given and called Dr. Bai Mo, then went to meet Shi Er to ‘take care’ of the Yin family people. Just as they were done, Shang Yushang’s car arrived. Xiao Qi immediately ran up to open the door for his boss.

Shang Yushang took big strides towards the second level, completely ignoring the unconscious people near the staircase. When he entered the room, he dashed towards the bed and held Changning’s hands in his. His gaze was filled with heartbreak and even a tinge of fear could be seen in his eyes. Yushang watched the person who was supposed to be calm and outstanding, now lying on the bed unconscious with his face as pale as the sheets. Yushang felt so heartbroken, it was to the point that he almost could not breathe properly, he could only call out the name of the person before him, “Changning, Changning… it’s me, wake up. I’m here. Changning, Changning…” Yushang’s hands trembled as he feared that he would lose someone important to him. He was heartbroken and it felt like his soul was being devoured; it was so painful that he couldn’t breathe normally.

Yushang turned his bloodshot stare towards Xiao Wu and Shi Er who just entered the room, “Why weren’t any of you at his side? If anything was to happen to him, how many lives do you have to compensate me?” His deep voice went straight into their mind.

The two bodyguards couldn’t help but shiver from the threatening tone as they felt a chill going straight down their spine. It was true that it was due to their negligence that Young Master Ning was in such a dangerous situation. No matter how Shang Yushang punished them, they would not complain at all. Xiao Wu and Shi Er had their heads lowered silently without trying to justify themselves.

That was the scene that Bai Mo saw when he arrived. Without further ado, he quickly examined Changning’s condition.

Moments later, Bai Mo diagnosed, “He was drugged with double dose of knockout drops that were mixed with a heavy dose of hallucinogens.”

Shang Yushang clenched his fists as his knuckles cracked from the force. His usually stern expression became even colder than before, and his anger could be felt by everyone in the room. Yushang could feel his nerves popping green, and his last sliver of rationality was barely suppressing the raging fire within himself, “Medicate him right away. I want you to assure that Changning would not have any residual effects.”

“Relax, I can promise that he’ll be fine. Keep your rationale under control, he’s the most important thing right now, isn’t he? You can settle everything else when he gets up.”

Bai Mo’s words made Shang Yushang calmed down temporarily. Yushang then turned to his men, “Shi Er, you got the person?”

“Yes, Young Master. We got the guy, he’s downstairs.”

“Take him away, instruct Da Zhou to entertain him well. I want to know who the mastermind is.”

“Yes, Young Master. How about the people in the Yin residence?”

“Throw them all into their rooms. Wait till Changning’s awake, and then we’ll see.”

By then, Bai Mo had already set up an IV for Changning, allowing the transparent liquid to flow into his body.

Shang Yushang sat at the side of the bed as he held Changning’s hand. He continued to stare at the younger man, fearing that Changning might disappear with the next blink.

—

T/N: Hi all! I’ve posted this chapter early because I just realized that I won’t be around for the weekend due to work. D; So yeah, enjoy the early update and cliffhanger! xD See you next Sunday! -iamfeiii