Woo!~
Su Ling cried, shaking his head like a rattle, his eyes filled with pleading.
“Be good, don’t be afraid. It’ll be quick. I’ll find the sharpest knife, and in an instant, I can cut off your legs.” Gu Qingyuan spoke with the gentlest tone, uttering the cruelest words, even wiping away the little fellow’s tears.
Su Ling’s heart filled with even more fear. He shook his head faster.
“Stop shaking. It’s annoying! Be good and clear everything off the dining table, then lie down. Don’t make me say it twice. Be obedient, and I’ll take care of you from now on.”
No, no, it’s all a lie! Su Ling’s body trembled even more violently. Begging was useless. No matter how he begged, it was useless. His legs were going to be chopped off. That “I’ll take care of you from now on” was all a lie. Even his sister had abandoned him. Once he was disabled, she would definitely abandon him too. What should I do? What should I do? Su Ling asked himself over and over.
Suddenly, the corner of his eye caught the doorway. The door was still wide open, and he could vaguely see the outside scenery.
Gulp!~
Su Ling swallowed hard, his breathing growing rapid. He stumbled forward a step.
He had to run. Run. He had to run! He couldn’t let them cut off his legs. No! Blood once again flowed from his broken knees. His legs were weak, and he fell to the ground after just a few steps. But it was as if he couldn’t feel the pain. He got up again and stumbled forward. Every few steps, he fell, but the fear in his heart drove him to keep running. This time, he didn’t take any detours. He ran straight along the path he had come from. Soon, he reached the Iron Door. Staring at freedom so close at hand, Su Ling reached out a trembling hand.
Gu Qingyuan arrived at the most hidden corner on the first floor. She opened a hidden door, revealing a passage leading downward. She walked inside unhurriedly, as if she wasn’t worried at all about the little thing escaping. After all, she had electrified the outer walls of the manor. There was no possibility of escape. If the little thing tried to flee, he’d first get a taste of being electrocuted!
Su Ling lay on the ground, his body twitching—whether from the shock or from fear, he couldn’t tell. He couldn’t escape. And since Gu Qingyuan had discovered his intent to run again, she would only be angrier. This is it. I’m finished this time.
Su Ling struggled to get up from the ground. If he went back now and acted pitiful, maybe she wouldn’t realize he’d tried to escape again. But his body was numb from the electric shock, and he couldn’t move fast. His knees were broken and bleeding heavily. Every step was agony. Still, he pressed on. When he couldn’t walk, he crawled. The hard ground scraped against his body—painful, so painful.
But no pain could outweigh the fear in his heart. As the door came into view, a smile finally spread across Su Ling’s face. But it didn’t last long, because standing in the doorway was Gu Qingyuan. She held a chopping knife, leaning against the doorframe, her eyes fixed coldly on him.
No… Su Ling’s body trembled uncontrollably. He slowly shook his head and backed away, but the pain in his legs made him collapse instantly.
“Mmph!”
“Where are you running off to?”
Gu Qingyuan stepped lightly, slowly walking over to the little thing. She gently stroked his tear-streaked face. “Since you’re so scared, let’s do it tomorrow. For now, go to sleep, okay?”
Su Ling didn’t answer. His body kept trembling. Gu Qingyuan frowned slightly but still tenderly hugged the little fellow. She knew he was terrified of her now and wasn’t in the right state for punishment. It was better to let the little thing rest and deal with it tomorrow.
Su Ling was carried back to the room and laid on the soft bed, but his body still shook. Gu Qingyuan could only hold him tightly, hoping to comfort him this way. Maybe it worked, or maybe Su Ling recovered on his own, but he slowly stopped trembling. Gu Qingyuan pulled him closer again. Feeling the warmth of her embrace, Su Ling turned around and buried his head deep into her chest, tears flowing endlessly.
“There, there. Don’t be scared. I won’t cut off your legs now. Just get a good night’s sleep.”
Su Ling lifted his head, bit his lip, and struggled out of her embrace. Sobbing softly, he picked up the pen and notebook on the nightstand and wrote: “I’ll be good from now on. You can bully me however you want. I won’t fight back anymore. Please, please don’t cut off my legs, okay? I’ll be your obedient little cat…” Tears dripped onto the notebook. He wrote everything he could think of.
Gu Qingyuan only glanced at it before tossing it aside. “Little thing, I said go to sleep now. We’ll talk about everything else tomorrow, okay?”
Su Ling pursed his lips and slowly lay down, reaching out to hug her. He knew Gu Qingyuan was angry now and shouldn’t provoke her. He could only hope she would give up on cutting off his legs tomorrow.
Once the little fellow fell asleep, Gu Qingyuan picked up a bracelet-like device from the nightstand and slipped it onto his wrist. Then she took the chain around Su Ling’s neck and connected it to the bracelet. Satisfied, she closed her eyes, holding the little thing close.
Su Ling didn’t sleep well. He had a nightmare. In it, she really cut off his legs. He could do nothing. Every day, he lay in bed, unable to go anywhere. She did nothing but bully and hit him. Slowly, he got used to that life. But then, one day, she disappeared. He couldn’t find her anywhere. He was abandoned. He couldn’t go anywhere, forced to stay there forever. Then, one day, his sister suddenly appeared. He thought she had come to save him, but she just glanced at him and left. He wanted to cry but couldn’t make a sound. He wanted to chase after her, but his legs were gone. He could only watch helplessly as his sister walked away, unable to do anything.
Then he woke up. Realizing it was all a dream, he smiled. He knew his sister wouldn’t abandon him. That was all a dream. Mom always said dreams were the opposite. His sister would never abandon him. Never!
“Don’t move. Let me sleep a little longer!”
Su Ling’s smile froze. He looked at the person beside him. He almost forgot. He wasn’t with his sister now. He was with this… Su Ling didn’t dare call her “this person” anymore. A certain title was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit his lip…