When Su Ling opened his eyes again, he found pitch black before him, only a few vertical iron bars. He seemed to be back in that cage again?
‘But why? Is it because I wasn’t obedient enough?’
Su Ling lowered his head. His body had recovered quite a bit. Though he still felt somewhat weak, he could still manage some movement.
He reached out a hand and tried to slap the iron bars, wanting to make some noise. He wanted to know, wanted to know if those two youths were still here.
The iron bars let out a few dull thuds when struck. The sound was not loud but could clearly travel throughout the room. From the dark environment came a few rustling sounds, then fell into silence.
There was no sound that Su Ling had hoped for.
‘They’re not here?’
Su Ling tried a few more times, and after still getting no response, he dejectedly gave up.
‘Where did they go? Could something have happened?’
Su Ling was anxious, but there was nothing he could do, not even leave this cage.
Tap, tap, tap!!!
Suddenly, the sound of unhurried footsteps came. Su Ling looked in that direction, but everything was pitch black; he couldn’t see anything. He only hoped that woman would appear, so he could ask her where those two youths had gone.
After a moment of waiting, the woman appeared, but right behind her came that guy—the one who had sent him here!
The moment he saw him, a strange sense of guilt flashed through his heart.
‘I betrayed her…’
Thinking of this, fear surged in Su Ling’s heart.
‘I betrayed her… I didn’t want to… I… I wasn’t willing.’
Su Ling lowered his head, burying it deep in his arms, not daring to look at her. He tried to justify himself in his mind, but the more he justified, the deeper his panic grew!
‘No matter what I say, no matter how I make excuses, I really did betray her…’
“Look at me.”
Su Ling didn’t dare to look. His body trembled with fear. He only hoped she would leave quickly.
“Tch! You—!” Gu Qingyuan was furious. This little thing was disobedient again. “Give me a room. Take him to the room!”
“Alright, I’ll have someone take you to the room to wait. I’ll send him over later!” the woman said, as if this were a perfectly ordinary matter. Gu Qingyuan noticed nothing unusual and was led away.
Only after Gu Qingyuan had completely left did the woman unhurriedly approach Su Ling.
“Did you hear what I just said? In a little while, I’ll send you over. I think you know what to say and what not to say. Otherwise, those two little things will be in for a very hard time!”
“Don’t worry. After she leaves, I’ll take you to see those two little things. Nothing happened to them. They’re fine now. But if you disobey and do something that displeases me, then they’ll become very much not fine!”
Su Ling looked up, held back his tears, and nodded.
The woman reached through the bars and patted Su Ling’s head.
‘I was right. This little cripple is really too kind for his own good! But kindness is the stupidest thing in the world. Just like now, I only need to use his kindness to completely tie him down, so he’ll give everything for those two youths who are basically strangers to him!’
Su Ling tidied himself up a bit. A chain was attached to his neck, and he was brought to the room by crawling.
When Gu Qingyuan saw him enter like this, she was momentarily stunned, then a dark glint flickered in her eyes.
“Come here!”
Su Ling didn’t move. He firmly remembered what the woman had said: don’t listen to anyone except her.
‘I’m sorry, “Master.'”
This little thing! Gu Qingyuan clenched her fists. She told herself again and again: calm down, you must calm down.
“I said, come here!”
Su Ling bit his lip hard, his mind blank, completely at a loss.
Seeing the little thing still disobeying, Gu Qingyuan could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. She took a step forward!
Tap!
Her high heels slammed down heavily, making a dull sound.
Su Ling’s breath caught. He instinctively wanted to escape, but that only enraged Gu Qingyuan further. She took a few quick steps and kicked out directly. She had originally intended to kick him in the back, but because Su Ling tried to dodge, the kick landed squarely on his broken leg!
A sharp, intense pain hit him. Su Ling’s eyes flew wide open. He covered the spot where he was kicked, and tears instantly streamed down. Gu Qingyuan’s heart tightened. She instinctively crouched down to check, but Su Ling flinched away in fear. She froze for a moment, then grew even angrier!
“Slap!”
Su Ling finally looked up, his eyes brimming with tears, filled with endless grievance.
Gu Qingyuan stared straight at him. At this moment, her heart was full of violent impulses; she couldn’t see Su Ling’s grievance at all. The little thing’s disobedience, even his attempt to escape, infuriated her. She wanted to punish him well, to make him know what was what.
Su Ling was violently pressed to the ground. He didn’t resist. He only looked at her with eyes full of pain. His collarbone was bitten, the soft flesh of his waist was pinched—still he didn’t resist. The physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. In the end, he had wronged her, betrayed her. It was only natural for her to vent her anger on him.
Su Ling was like a toy. He gave up all struggle and let her do whatever she wanted. Only his eyes, filled with pain and numbness, stared at the ceiling.
Huff—huff—huff—
Gu Qingyuan gasped for breath. This time, she had really let loose, throwing all restraint aside. Even after the little thing passed out, she didn’t stop. He had come to and fainted several times over, and now he was still unconscious.
She lovingly stroked Su Ling’s cheek. The soft, pale cheek was covered with tear tracks. She wanted to wipe them away, but the tracks were too many and too old; no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get rid of them.
Gu Qingyuan helplessly withdrew her hand.
‘I wish I didn’t have to hit him. But every time he disobeys or tries to escape, I get so mad I can’t control myself.’
‘Maybe I should admit it: I’ve fallen for this little thing. In the past, I never felt any pity for anyone—I tormented them however I wanted, with no hesitation or even guilt. But now, every time I hit him or bully him, guilt surges up in my heart.’
‘That’s never happened before. I’ve made up my mind. Once that woman disciplines the little thing into obedience, I’ll take him back. I believe by then I won’t hit him anymore, right?’
The moment Su Ling opened his eyes, he felt pain all over his body.
‘Why does it hurt so much?’
It hadn’t hurt this much when he was asleep. The pain was there while he slept, but it hadn’t felt deep—he’d thought it was only minor. But now it was this painful?! So painful he didn’t want to live, he wanted to die!
“You’re awake?”
“Here, take your medicine.”
Gu Qingyuan helped Su Ling sit up, leaning him against the bed. When Su Ling couldn’t move, Gu Qingyuan pried open his mouth, placed the pill inside, and poured in some water. Su Ling swallowed with difficulty, then looked at her dazed.
‘Why hasn’t she left yet? I don’t want to see her. Seeing her makes me feel guilty, brings up bad things.’
“This is painkillers. I know you’re in pain, so I’ll stay with you for a while. Once you’re better, I’ll leave.” As Gu Qingyuan spoke, she placed a kiss on Su Ling’s forehead.
Su Ling froze, filled with confusion.
Gu Qingyuan smiled. “Oh, I forgot. You have amnesia.” She took Su Ling’s small hand and gently placed it on her own belly. “I’m carrying your child here. I found out before your amnesia; it’s been almost a month. I want you to spend more time with the baby, too.”
“In a little while, I’ll take you back home. The three of us—let’s really live together.”
“But before that, you must, must learn to be obedient. When you’re disobedient, it makes me angry, and when I’m angry, I hit you. I don’t want to hit you, but I can’t control myself. So you have to be obedient, understand?”
Su Ling stared blankly at her belly. He didn’t take in a single word after that. Only one thought echoed in his mind:
‘He has a child?’