Chapter 121: She Must Save Herself
Xu Jiaming and Xu Jiaxin were leaving today, and they were taking a train?
In this era, civil aviation was just getting started. Many people were afraid to fly, and the accident rate for planes was much higher than in modern times.
So, even some wealthy people didn’t dare to fly.
Xu Jiaming had probably come in person to take Xu Jiaxin back to Shencheng City because he was worried it wasn’t safe for a girl to travel by train alone.
At that moment, more than anything, Su Zhaozhao hoped Xu Jiaming would see her.
She forced her head to turn, fixing her gaze on Xu Jiaming.
She had been drugged, and even making this small movement took all her strength.
The novel had described Xu Jiaming as a very perceptive person.
The female lead’s scent or even a single glance from her could make his blood race with excitement.
Like a puppy, he could always pick out his master in a crowd.
She didn’t know how perceptive he would be toward her. After all, she wasn’t the female lead.
But she had to try.
Being taken away by Zhang Fengxia was a far more terrifying prospect.
The trip from here to Shencheng City would take several days, and the torment along the way was sure to be immense.
She knew she had been ambushed only because she’d let her guard down.
Xie Huaizheng definitely didn’t know she was in danger yet.
By the time he found out, it would be too late.
She couldn’t wait that long.
However, Zhang Fengxia and Su Dashan were walking quickly. In just two seconds, they had already led her past Xu Jiaming and Xu Jiaxin’s soft sleeper compartment.
Xu Jiaming was still talking to Xu Jiaxin, his attention not on her at all.
Su Zhaozhao lowered her eyes. ’Looks like I have to use my last resort. I need to get my strength back on my own.’
She didn’t notice that just as they were about to pass, Xu Jiaming’s gaze suddenly flickered toward the window.
He paused.
’That woman... she looks a little familiar.’
’Where have I seen her before?’
But he’d met countless people, and she was just some coarse-looking woman with a mean face.
He didn’t give it another thought.
Just then, Xu Jiaxin’s words broke him out of his reverie.
"What am I going to do? What am I going to do? I think I bombed my exam. I’m not going to fail, am I? Advanced math is so hard. I knew I should have majored in Chinese literature."
"Don’t worry. Even if you fail, you can take a make-up exam," Xu Jiaming comforted her.
Xu Jiaxin shot him a glare. "If you don’t know how to comfort someone, you can just not talk."
Her face was clouded with worry.
Su Zhaozhao, Zhang Fengxia, and Su Dashan arrived at their seats.
They had bought hard seat tickets, and the three of them were sitting together.
Su Zhaozhao was shoved into the innermost seat.
Zhang Fengxia sat down next to her and immediately cried out in pain, "Ow!"
She immediately reached out and pinched Su Zhaozhao’s arm several times, hissing, "You damn brat. No matter how tough you think you are now, you’d better start listening to me."
’It hurts so damn much!’
’I really want to give her a couple of hard slaps.’
’But I can’t. She won’t be worth as much if her face is ruined.’
’When did this little bitch learn how to fight like that?’
’Good thing I took precautions and had Su Dashan drug Su Zhaozhao. Otherwise, the two of us probably wouldn’t have been a match for her.’
Suddenly, Su Zhaozhao felt the pain from Zhang Fengxia’s pinching intensify a little.
’The drug’s effects are starting to wear off.’
Her hand twitched. She could move it a tiny bit. ’Good.’
Based on her previous experience, these types of drugs usually dissolved into the bloodstream. So, to stay conscious, aside from waiting for her body to metabolize it on its own...
...she could also let some blood to speed up the process.
The only problem was, getting ahold of a knife would be difficult.
Soon, Su Zhaozhao started to feel dizzy again.
It wasn’t because of the drug, but because the train was stuffy and crowded.
The trains of this era didn’t have air conditioning; they all relied on open windows for ventilation.
And right now, Su Zhaozhao’s face was still covered.
She felt it was becoming difficult to breathe.
She could hear her own heartbeat, thumping over and over.
People came and went on the train, but no one noticed anything was wrong with Su Zhaozhao.
She knew that even if someone did notice, Zhang Fengxia and Su Dashan would stop them from looking any closer.
Just then, three people came and sat down in the seats across from them.
But they only cast a fleeting glance in her direction.
One of them, a middle-aged woman, said with concern, "Young lady, it’s so stuffy on this train. Why are you covered up so tightly? Aren’t you suffocating?"
"My daughter isn’t feeling well. She’s sick and can’t be exposed to the cold," Zhang Fengxia said with a sigh, starting to play the part of a good mother again.
’Hmph. It’s all this damn brat’s fault for being so pretty. If I wasn’t afraid her striking looks would attract attention, I couldn’t be bothered to cover her face.’
’Covering her face on such a hot day is bound to draw attention anyway.’
Su Dashan looked at Su Zhaozhao, feeling that something was off about her expression.
His eyes flickered, and he leaned close to Zhang Fengxia’s ear to whisper, "Something feels off about the girl. Do you think I gave her too much of that drug?"
He was worried she might die.
"What’s there to be afraid of?" Zhang Fengxia said. "That drug is harmless. Even if the dose was too high, she would just pass out. See? She’s not unconscious. Stop worrying."
That damn brat had a tenacious hold on life; Zhang Fengxia wasn’t the least bit worried that something might happen to Su Zhaozhao.
Hearing this, Su Dashan didn’t say anything more.
Su Zhaozhao could tell that her father still had a tiny bit of conscience, but not much.
The train began to move. Watching the scenery recede outside the window, Su Zhaozhao felt a chill creep into her heart.
She tried to speak, but she didn’t have a shred of strength.
Just opening her mouth was the absolute limit of her ability.
Her face was still covered by the cloth.
Zhang Fengxia and Su Dashan took out some dry rations from their luggage bag to eat.
"This trip wasn’t a waste after all," Zhang Fengxia said to Su Dashan in the Jiang City dialect.
"Once we sell this girl for a good price, we can get Yaozu a wife so he can have a son."
The Jiang City dialect was very different from Mandarin. Non-locals would have no idea what they were saying.
"Mm," Su Dashan said.
"And don’t you blame me. We originally had the money for Yaozu’s betrothal gift, but this damn brat stole it. She’s probably spent it all by now. If our son can’t get a wife because of this, there will be no one to carry on your family line."
Su Zhaozhao wanted to roll her eyes. ’Carry on the family line? What’s there to inherit? A few pots and pans?’
Her hand finally fumbled its way into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the knife inside.
She didn’t grab the handle; instead, she gripped the blade.
’Good thing the items from the space are high-quality. The knife is very sharp.’
With just a light squeeze, she sliced open her palm.
A sharp pain shot through her hand, and her palm quickly became wet and sticky.
Suddenly, Su Zhaozhao felt her mind clear considerably.
Letting blood really worked. Some strength returned to her body as well.
’If I just wait a little longer, I should be able to speak, right?’
However, Zhang Fengxia was sitting right next to her. She quickly caught the scent of blood and turned to look at Su Zhaozhao.
"You..."
Su Zhaozhao looked back at her, her heart racing. ’Have I been discovered?’
In the next instant, a voice came from the side. "Excuse me, please let me through."
Su Zhaozhao turned her head and saw Xu Jiaming’s pale, handsome face.
His light-tea-colored eyes, holding an obscure glint, were fixed on her.