Chapter 55
Tan Zheng's heart ached as the ropes binding Song Ni were undone. Song Ni shifted her feet. As she stood up, her body felt numb from sitting too long, and she almost fell. Fortunately, Tan Zheng reacted quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist and lowering his head to examine her closely. "Are you injured anywhere else?" His voice was chillingly cold. Song Ni shook her head. "Just numb." The man's brows furrowed. Without a word, he bent down and scooped Song Ni into his arms. Just then, Qin Dang, Song Jing, and Lu Fang also arrived. Qin Dang scanned the room, then stepped forward and cuffed Liu Sheng. Song Jing looked up at Song Ni in Tan Zheng's arms. Song Ni shook her head. "I'm fine." Song Jing's fists, which had been hanging by his side, clenched and then relaxed. He stepped forward, wanting to take Song Ni from Tan Zheng's embrace, but remembering their relationship, he retracted his hand. "You were too careless," he chided, but his eyes conveyed more worry than blame. Tan Zheng looked at the man before him, whose eyebrows bore a resemblance to Song Ni's, and understood. He nodded in acknowledgment. Song Jing had heard from Lu Fang that Tan Zheng had returned to the country today and had likely rushed here straight from the airport. Seeing firsthand how attentive he was to Song Ni, Song Jing felt relieved. "You take Ni Ni to the hospital to get her injuries treated first. I'll handle things here." With that, Song Jing stopped Qin Dang, who was about to escort Liu Sheng out. Anyone who dared to kidnap someone from his Song family would face the Song family's wrath. Tan Zheng nodded, cradling Song Ni, and strode out. Lu Fang followed behind, relieved to see Song Ni was not seriously injured. Along the way, he had also learned the full story. Liu Sheng's girlfriend had been involved in the incident where Song Ni's bar was in a fight. He had shown no mercy and blacklisted them. Their lives had not been prosperous, even difficult, and pursuing the path of influencers was their only option. However, this blackout had shattered their dreams. Furthermore, two days prior, during promotional activities for a film crew, Chang Zi had posted a video of Lu Hao Ting's training on Song Ni's account. Another person present at the bar that day had also posted a video explaining the entire incident. Consequently, Song Ni's reputation had improved significantly, and her follower count had surged. However, Song Ni had been immersed in scriptwork and acting studies during this period and had left all social media management to Chang Zi. Liu Sheng, likely unable to bear the pressure, had resorted to this foolish act. Lu Fang felt a lingering fear. In a way, this incident was also his responsibility. If anything had happened to Song Ni, he wouldn't know how to face Song Jing, nor how to explain it to Tan Zheng. The car door opened, and Tan Zheng sat in the back with Song Ni, while Lu Fang voluntarily offered to drive. Song Ni sat on Tan Zheng's lap, feeling his firmness and warmth, her face flushing. "You can put me down now," she said. Her legs had just been numb; she had only been unable to stand for a moment. Tan Zheng looked down at her. Her once fair and tender face was now swollen, with streaks of blood at the corners of her mouth. Her delicate wrists were broken and bleeding, and her ankles were bruised and even purplish from being bound for so long. Having been doted upon since childhood, her skin was delicate. Even minor injuries on her body looked jarring. Tan Zheng's large hand rested on Song Ni's waist, not loosening its grip. He ignored her words and held her firmly on his lap. Song Ni was already feeling uncomfortable, and after this ordeal, she was truly exhausted. She didn't bother to struggle anymore and leaned against the man's warm, sturdy chest. After closing her eyes and resting for a while, Song Ni finally asked, "When did you get back?" Tan Zheng sensed Song Ni's discomfort and, uncharacteristically, softened his voice. "If you don't feel well, get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get to the hospital." Song Ni shook her head. Her head ached, and sleeping wouldn't be comfortable. Seeing this, Tan Zheng glanced at Lu Fang in the front seat. Lu Fang, understanding, sped up. "Just now." Song Ni froze and looked up at the bloodshot eyes of the man, understanding the meaning of his answer. It was Lu Fang, speaking for his less articulate brother, who explained, "Brother Tan rushed here right after he landed. The airport is close to here, so he arrived quickly. As soon as Chang Zi noticed the account was logged in from an unknown device, she called me, and that's how we found out the specific location." Lu Fang paused. "Sister-in-law, you are very smart." Knowing she had been kidnapped, she was still able to calmly devise a way to send them a signal. Lu Fang had to admire this. Song Ni wanted to smile, but the movement of her lips pulled at the wound on her face. The girl who had remained silent moments ago now winced in pain, biting back a cry. Tan Zheng looked down, his facial features tightening. He raised his hand and gently wiped Song Ni's lips. "Does it hurt?" Song Ni choked out a reply. It hurt, but not unbearably; she could endure it. However, upon hearing that Tan Zheng had rushed over immediately after landing, a wave of inexplicable grievance washed over her. Perhaps it was due to her sensitive and fragile nerves from being sick. Perhaps it was the warmth of the man's chest that made her feel comforted and relaxed. As the tension in Song Ni's shoulders finally eased, her ingrained habit of acting spoiled surfaced. A proud and stubborn Persian cat, when it began to act spoiled with its large, blinking eyes, possessed immense charm for a man. Tan Zheng tightened his arm around Song Ni. Unlike Song Ni's feigned pain earlier, the pain in her eyes now was genuine. The man was unsure how to handle the situation. The girl who had remained silent with bloodied palms after a fight was now nestled in his arms, softly speaking of her pain. Tan Zheng's brows furrowed. He swallowed with a dry throat, his voice hoarse. "Did he hurt you anywhere else?" He gently wiped the little girl's face with a wet wipe handed by Lu Fang, afraid that his movements would be too rough and hurt her. Song Ni looked at the man's cautious demeanor and felt like smiling. From their recent interactions, she knew Tan Zheng was a rather rough and casual person, but whenever it came to her, he tried his best to be meticulous. She couldn't say if this was Tan Zheng's respect for his future wife, but she did appreciate this special treatment from him. "My teeth hurt." The assailant had struck hard and heavy; she had taken three slaps. Tan Zheng's hand, which was wiping her face, paused. Clumsily and stiffly, his fingers gently stroked Song Ni's swollen cheek, but it was a futile attempt at comfort. "We'll be at the hospital soon." He then lowered his head and pressed his lips to Song Ni's forehead, trying to ease her pain and quell the pang of heartache that had begun to surface in his heart with this simple act of affection. Upon arriving at the hospital, the man still didn't release Song Ni, carrying her all the way to the consultation room. He carefully placed Song Ni on the chair and even cautioned the doctor. "Be gentle with your hands."
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(End of this chapter)