Chapter Two / Section One: Painkillers
In the bustling crowd, only a hazy figure stood out. That person had been seen as the only cure for her pain. After she left, he returned like a substitute, filling the void she left behind. But fate was unkind; a sudden downpour began.
Haiyang stood motionless in the rain, as if lost in thought, letting the rain soak him completely. Yan Xinhe tugged at his sleeve, but was helpless against his stubbornness and massive size.
"Ocean, are you crazy? Why would you willingly get soaked in the rain?" Yan Xinhe questioned.
“I’m sorry, I have to go find Xiong Yingguang,” he replied firmly.
The Xiong Yingguang he kept talking about, although her body had been defiled, was merely a substitute for his sister and had no blood relation to her.
Yan Xinhe watched Haiyang run in the rain, sweat mingling with the rain, soaking his heart. She knew that the rain had not only wet his clothes, but also his heart.
“You’re hopeless,” she sighed.
Yan Xinhe once thought that by replacing her sister, she could steal that love, but now she understands that some things are irreplaceable. Holding a mirror in her hands, her eyes filled with tears, she misses her sister; those happy times can only turn into eternal pain.
"Do you need any help?" Cang Ruoxi asked with concern.
Yan Xinhe's eyes widened in surprise at the reappearance of an acquaintance from many years ago.
"Yan..."
"You've mistaken me for someone else," Yan Xinhe replied coldly.
That familiar voice was deafening, and that silhouette was etched into her very being. Once, the silhouette she deeply admired now filled her with dread.
"Yan Xinhe, why don't you dare to turn around and look at me?" Cang Ruoxi pressed.
"What's there to see? I'm just a sinner," Yan Xinhe replied softly.
“You didn’t kill your sister, so why are you so unwilling to explain to those around you? You know perfectly well that she is not dead.” Cang Ruoxi tried to untangle her knot in her heart.
Yan Xinhe turned her back to Cang Ruoxi, tears streaming silently down her face. She couldn't bear to face her, because she knew that Cang Ruoxi had once been her sister's best friend.
"Maybe you're the only one in the whole world who wouldn't see me as a sinner, why is it you of all people..." she murmured to herself.
Tears soaked Yan Xinhe's chest, and sorrow overwhelmed her heart like a tidal wave. She knew this sorrow would leave her heartbroken, but she lacked the courage to suppress it. But the appearance of Cang Ruoxi instantly transformed her sorrow into a glimmer of joy.
"I promised your sister I would stay by your side," Cang Ruoxi said softly.
“I’m the one who killed my sister, don’t try to comfort me with nice words. She’s gone, what more do you want?” Yan Xinhe retorted painfully.
"Your sister's only wish is for you to love the ocean in her place. She knows the ocean will be obsessed and she knows she doesn't have long to live, so she's asking you, her older sister, to take care of her, isn't that right?" Cang Ruoxi revealed the truth.
"You're lying!" Yan Xinhe cried out as she fled.
In the torrential rain, the ocean raced along the path of the firefly, its steps tireless. It could not stop, for if it did, the firefly's value would vanish. Though her body was tainted, it would not allow her heart to be tarnished as well.
Meanwhile, Xiong Yingguang, unaware of pain, was constantly abused by Jing Tongyu.
"You bitch, you think someone will come to save you? From now on, you will be trapped here forever, suffering pain that no ordinary person can bear," Jing Tongyu said viciously.
There was no pain in Xiong Yingguang's eyes. She knew she was a monster, rejected by everyone, and despised like trash.
Jing Tongyu dripped wax onto every inch of her skin, even burning it, cutting her body, and whipping everything about her. Though she felt no pain, the wounds on her body continued to deepen.
"Uncle, torture this monster who can't feel pain to death. She stole Jing Mo Ran's heart from me, this green tea bitch deserves to suffer like this," the niece incited from the side.
"Don't worry, niece. Jing Moran only listens to me. I will let her know what unbearable pain is." Jing Tongyu replied cruelly.
Xiong Yingguang bled profusely, covered in wounds, yet remained silent and expressionless, allowing himself to be slaughtered as if he were merely a plaything to be vented on.
She was waiting for him. Would he appear? No matter how much she suffered, as long as she could see him, everything would be alright. After all, she was just a monster without pain; it didn't matter what they did to her. She just hoped he wouldn't get caught up in it.
Mu Xinghe picked up the scorching hot branding iron rod and mercilessly branded every inch of Xiong Yingguang's skin.
"You filthy bitch, now is not the time to rest! You're tied to this stone pillar and you still want to sleep? Shout out in pain, you monster who can't feel pain!" he roared.
The brand read "I am a whore" and was printed on his palms, arms, thighs, calves, abdomen, back, and shoulders, but Xiong Yingguang remained unfazed.
“I’m not in pain!” Xiong Yingguang retorted.
“I’ll let everyone know you’re a whore, a vixen, so no one will want you anymore. Come on, let me brand you with the name of a vixen. Behave yourself, you’re just a monster, nobody will want you.” Mu Xinghe continued his assault.
He was merely her painkiller, relieving her pain temporarily but not permanently. She, on the other hand, became his precious treasure. Mu Xinghe envied her immensely, envying her unconditional love. He wanted her to endure pain beyond what ordinary people could bear, without ever experiencing it himself.
"You monster who feels no pain, I'm going to disfigure you so you'll never be a match for Jing Mozhan again. Soon, you'll know what real pain is," Mu Xinghe threatened.
"Mu Xinghe, I beg you, I don't care about anything else except disfigurement," Xiong Yingguang pleaded.
"Are you begging me? Unfortunately, I have no intention of accepting it. Look closely, this is sulfuric acid. From now on, Jing Moran's face, which you are so proud of, will no longer exist, and he will belong entirely to me."
The other person's voice was filled with cold mockery, as if everything was under their control. Xiong Yingguang let out a weak "No...", her voice filled with despair and fear.
"Don't want what? Anyway, you've never experienced real pain. Soon, you'll be 'completely transformed' and become a true monster." The man pressed on relentlessly, his words like knives, piercing Xiong Yingguang's heart.
Xiong Yingguang's body resisted violently. She knew that her appearance was the only precious thing she had, and she could not bear the fate of being disfigured. That fear was like a dark abyss, tightly binding her.
He couldn't forget her tenderness, nor could he accept the heavy price he had to pay for it. Since he couldn't have her, he could only choose to spend the rest of his life in painless days, becoming her solace. However, she could not be his salvation. Because he, this monster who couldn't feel pain, didn't need anyone to alleviate his suffering. All physical pain was like an illusion to him; only the pain in his heart, ever-present and irresistible, became an eternal torment deep within his soul.
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