Late Bloomer Brings The Light

Chapter 5

Jiang Ying drifts in and out of awareness for what feels like a few hours before he fully regains consciousness, his need for warmth finally forcing him to take action. He sits up on the cold stone floor and is immediately struck by a searing pain at the back of his neck. His hands fly up to cover the spot instinctively, and he groans in pain. In an attempt to control some of the pain, he breathes in and out deeply for a few minutes. He really starts to regret not having learned to defend himself.

After a while, the throbbing in his head dissipates slightly, so he opens his eyes and looks around at his surroundings.

He is in a sparsely furnished room with only one hard-looking bed, which his kidnappers couldn't even be bothered to put him on. "Who are these people, anyway? Why did they kidnap me? Is it for ransom, or do they have some other motive? Whatever it is, I'm sure I have no time to figure it out." He walks to the door and peers through a peephole to see a wide hallway illuminated with dim light. "Whose place is this?"

He is jolted out of his thoughts when he hears a crash from somewhere in the hallway. He tenses up, his heart racing as he looks through the peephole again to catch a glimpse of his captor. What he doesn't expect to see is a timid man around his age standing in front of him.

The man shakes his head and whispers, "I'm sorry."

Jiang Ying is confused. "Why would you be sorry? Did I mistakenly get kidnapped by you, or are you just playing with me?"

A much louder crash than before echoes through the hallway, and the man scurries away. Jiang Ying doesn't understand what is happening, but he feels the need to do something. Quickly dropping back onto the floor, he pretends to be asleep as he hears the sound of keys jingling and the door creaking open. He intends to maintain his sleeping façade as multiple footsteps draw closer, but a swift kick to his stomach forces his eyes open, and a groan of pain escapes his lips.

"Did you really think you could pretend to be asleep? I guess you're dumber than the rumors claim," mocks the voice above him.

Jiang Ying clutches his stomach and looks up. Standing above him is the former finance minister, Wen Ruohan, who was expelled from the court for treason. He has never really had a conversation with him, but he has definitely seen him at a few courts he attended with his father.

"Why am I here?" Jiang Ying manages to ask, a groan escaping his lips.

Wen Ruohan lets out an ear-grating laugh. "Because you don't want to marry the prince, who is a shame to call himself a purebred alpha when he hasn't even had time to attend his engagement party. If he is this unreliable, how can you trust him to take care of you? You deserve someone who is committed and responsible, not just someone with a fancy title."

"What?" Jiang Ying struggles to sit up, his head spinning not only from the blow but also from the words.

"Take one useless boy, and the court collapses. Even a late bloomer doesn't see the prince as worthy of his mate, so how can he be trusted to rule over the empire? It brings shame to the imperial family and causes chaos. I will use the distraction to hold hands with enemies and take down the imperial family to become the new emperor." Wen Ruohan's eyes glint with malice as he leans in closer, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry. I will take you as my concubine and satisfy you."

Jiang Ying feels a chill coursing through his body. He still has some pride left, so he spits in Wen Ruohan's direction, the saliva landing on his captor's cheek. "My family won't stop looking for me," he warns. "Just wait until I tell them everything. You can say goodbye to your dreams and stay in prison forever."

Wen Ruohan wipes his face and forcefully pulls Jiang Ying's hair, bringing him up to eye level. "You're too confident. After a meeting with my friend, I will ensure that no one can recognize you. Not that anyone is looking for you anyway. The letter we planted in your room claimed you abandoned your family, not that you were kidnapped."

Jiang Ying's face pales as he hears that no one is looking for him. He has no idea if that is a lie or not, and there is really no way for him to know, but he still feels the need to defend his family. "My family won't fall to scum like you. Dream on!"

Wen Ruohan laughs until his eyes narrow, his amusement turning into a dangerous glint. He produces a potion and pours it forcefully into Jiang Ying's throat before letting go of his hair, causing his head to hit the stone floor with a thud. He steps a foot on Jiang Ying's face, pressing his cheek against the hard surface below. "You have quite the mouth on you. I will ruin it when it calls for me to devour you and begs for me to claim you. After that, you won't be able to speak. Your life will end within these four walls, so savor the little time you have left."

He removes his dirty foot from the side of Jiang Ying's face and leaves the room, guards following him diligently. Only after the footsteps have gone silent does Jiang Ying allow himself to groan in pain. His head is pounding, and his body aches all over. He tries not to cry, but he can't stop the few tears that escape his eyes.

A sense of impending doom hangs heavily over him. "So, this is it. This is how I'm going to die, and no one will even know of the suffering I'm about to endure," he whispers, his voice trembling with fear. But deep down, a small glimmer of hope flickers. He shakes his head and wipes the tears from his cheeks. "Don't cry, Jiang Ying. Mother never fails you. You're her precious gem, and she will never lose you. She will come and whip that bastard to take you away. Be strong..." His words trail off as he feels a reaction happening in his stomach.

Putting a hand on his stomach, he curls up in a ball on the cold stone floor and tries to control his breathing. The pain radiates from his abdomen, pulsing with each heartbeat. His mind races with thoughts of escape, of finding a way out of this nightmare. But his emotional and physical turmoil exhausts him. As darkness consumes him, he prays for a miracle to come and save him from the cruel fate that awaits.