Past
People are always willing to face pain, but when happiness comes, they panic and run away.
Wen Xubai lived in unease from a young age.
As a child, I was afraid of going hungry, but even more afraid of my "mother" being unhappy. Because whenever my mother was unhappy, I would be beaten and locked in a dark room, waiting for my "mother" to remember me and let me out.
Sometimes, however, the "mother" might not remember.
After three days and three nights of hunger and cold, the forgotten Xiao Wenxubai huddled in a dark corner, shivering. His expensive clothes were completely soiled by the dust on the ground, but he was too weak to get up or even call out.
The small body tried to find even a trace of warmth. Xiao Wenxubai reached out his hand towards the window, but it had already been nailed shut with wood, and it was not something a seven-year-old child could open with his strength.
Her small, dust-covered hands fell limply to her sides, and her remaining consciousness was slowly fading away.
A bone-chilling coldness washed over him, the chill seeping in from the ground and penetrating almost every vein. His throat was hoarse and painful, half his cheek was swollen and red, and the spot where Qin Yalin had kicked him was still throbbing with pain…
In a daze, Xiao Wenxu thought: The adults said this clothing costs a lot of money... but why does such an expensive garment... still not keep me warm...? It seems no different from the inexpensive clothes I used to wear...
Even colder...
Suddenly, a loud "bang" was heard, and the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open. Blinding light poured down from the crack in the door and shone on the child's face.
Eyes accustomed to prolonged darkness could not adapt to light instantly. Instinctively, Xiao Wenxubai covered his stinging eyes with his small hands. Almost subconsciously, he trembled all over, using his last bit of strength to shrink into the corner of the wall, wishing he could turn into a wisp of white smoke and disappear into it.
"Is Mother angry again?" Xiao Wenxu wondered anxiously.
What are we going to get this time? A wooden stick? A whip? Or a rattan cane?
The pain etched deep in my heart surged through my entire body in an instant; just thinking about it made it feel as if I had already experienced it all over again…
His body was shaking more and more violently. He had initially covered his eyes to avoid the sunlight, but now he tightly covered his eyes and didn't even dare to look at the person who came to him.
He was burying his head in the sand, thinking: They can't see me... they can't see me...
Whether the prayers had worked or not, the door opened only briefly before being quickly slammed shut. The sound of the wooden door scraping against the ground echoed in my ears, followed by a muffled groan, and then it rang out again.
The last glimmer of light vanished instantly. Xiao Wenxu still dared not open his eyes, afraid that if he did, he would see his "mother's" sinister and狰狞 face...
"Don't be afraid."
A childish yet familiar voice rang in his ears.
Xiao Wenxu was stunned. He slowly opened his fingers in disbelief and saw the familiar figure through the narrow gaps. However, the room was too dark, and his eyes, which had just been stimulated by the light, had not yet returned to normal, so he could not see the person's face clearly.
Until the small figure slowly got up from the ground, limped over to sit down beside him, hugged his stiff body, and whispered, "It's me."
His anxious nerves were instantly soothed, and Xiao Wenxu burst into tears, hugging the small figure in front of him tightly, wailing, "Second Brother—!"
"Second brother is here." The small figure sighed helplessly and gently patted his back to comfort him.
After a long while, once his breathing had calmed down a bit, he slowly took out something he had been carefully protecting from his clothes—a thing wrapped in a tissue—and placed it in Wen Xubai's hand, saying softly, "Xiaobai, are you hungry? Eat up."
The thing was still greasy, and the yellowish stains soaked through the white tissue. Xiao Wenxu held it heavily in his hands, his big eyes filled with shock: "It's a pie?!"
“Yes.” In the darkness, Xiao Wenxu nodded weakly, seemingly tired. He leaned his head against the wall behind him, panting slightly as he tried to calm himself.
Xiao Wenxu was truly starving; his eyes suddenly lit up, and he devoured the pie in no time. He even licked his greasy fingers afterward, clearly still wanting more.
Feeling a bit stronger, Xiao Wenxubai slowly moved towards the only "heat source" in the room and asked in a low voice, "Second Brother, why did you come in too? Did you 'make a mistake' as well?"
Children are always sensitive and can keenly sense when something is wrong with the people around them.
Sure enough, after a long silence, Xiao Wenxu finally said, slightly out of breath, "I accidentally broke the vase..."
"Ah..." Xiao Wenxu was somewhat surprised.
Only then, in the dim light from the window, did he see clearly that the boy, slightly larger than him, was covered in whip marks. Blood seeped through his tattered shirt and gradually spread.
Xiao Wenxu's eyes were already closed, his face was tightly furrowed, and his gentle face was deathly pale. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. The boy placed his hands together over his heart and fell straight forward.
Xiao Wenxu was terrified. Her small body struggled to support the boy's weight as she screamed in panic, "Second Brother! Second Brother, what's wrong?! Second Brother!"
Whether God heard his call or not, the long-silent door opened again, and accompanied by an anxious urging, a servant appeared before Xiao Wenxubai.
The maid, who was still holding the key, froze on the spot the moment the door opened.
He suddenly met the little boy's terrified gaze, his pupils contracting sharply, clearly also frightened by the scene before him.
An impatient voice came from behind, growing louder as it approached: "What are you doing? Why are you taking them away??? The master will be back soon, hurry up and give them a bath and change their clothes! What will we do if the master sees them...?"
The man with the thick beard suddenly froze, and the hand that was patting Tongbu's shoulder abruptly stopped.
Xiao Wenxubai's face was streaked with tears. The moment he saw the two of them, he couldn't help but flinch, his beautiful eyes filled with unease. But it only lasted a second before fear overwhelmed him. Xiao Wenxubai reached out his hand and cried out in terror, "Save my second brother! Please, save my second brother!"
The two men exchanged a glance, and the next second, they simultaneously took steps, one of them separating the two, and then ran straight towards the door.
The moment Xiao Wenxu was put on a ventilator and pushed into the ambulance, the boy weakly opened his eyes, looked at Xiao Wenxu with teary eyes one last time, and slightly opened his mouth through the transparent mask.
He said, "Don't be afraid..."
The next second, the tightly clenched hands were suddenly separated by an external force.
"Second Brother—" Little Wen Xubai was still unaware of what had happened. His bare little feet sank into the rough ground, and he didn't care about the wounds all over his body. He chased after the enemy while crying loudly, "No, don't leave Xiaobai behind!"
But she hadn't run more than a few steps when she was grabbed by the servant behind her.
Many years later, Wen Xubai learned that Wen Xushi had not done anything wrong that day; he had deliberately broken the vase to bring food to Wen Xubai.
Many years later, Wen Xubai learned that Wen Xushi had suffered a sudden heart attack due to external stimuli that day and almost did not survive. After being rescued, Wen Tingyi almost abandoned him.
What Wen Tingyi needs is a useful "tool" for himself, not a "defective product" that can collapse at any time.
Gazing at his father's tall figure, little Wen Xushi, lying on the hospital bed, trembled as he reached out his hand, a barely audible, broken voice escaping his throat, "Dad... Dad..."
The child, tormented by illness, humbly begs for even the slightest bit of his father's love, even if it's just for a moment.
But the man outside the glass window never once looked at him; he was just talking to the doctor in front of him and didn't spare him a single glance.
"Dad... Dad..." Tears streamed down her face, soaking the pillow. Xiao Wenxu struggled to move, but was held back by the pile of testing equipment on her body, and could only tremble helplessly.
Just then, the man outside the window seemed to have finally heard his call. He turned his handsome profile and his sharp, hawk-like gaze fell on him. His dark, deep eyes were devoid of any emotion.
The boy was overjoyed and was about to speak when he saw the man's lips move. He froze on the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Wen Tingyi said, "Let's pull it out."
After saying that, he strode away, leaving only a cold, indifferent back view, completely forgetting about him.
"Dad...! Dad...!" The boy, whose limbs were being held down, screamed in despair, but in the end, a pair of merciless hands reached out and deprived him of his only breathing space.
An overwhelming feeling of suffocation washed over him, and the boy's eyes widened suddenly. He arched his body and then slumped back onto the hospital bed.
The instrument, a symbol of vital signs, emitted a long beep. The boy's eyelashes, still wet with tears, trembled slightly, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Staff members in white coats and nurses' uniforms stood in a circle around the bedside, heads bowed, hands clasped together in front of their chests. This was a gesture of respect for the departed life, and also a sincere and devout repentance for their sins…
The next second, a "beep-beep" sound suddenly came. The doctor in the lead opened his eyes abruptly and looked incredulously at the monitor that had started to fluctuate again. Each beat showed that the child's fragile little heart was still beating stubbornly.
He wanted to live.
At the same time, Wen Tingyi, who had just stepped out of the hospital with his subordinates, stopped in his tracks. A little boy with fair skin, as cute as a rabbit, was pitifully wiping away his tears. His once porcelain-like face was now marred by several glaring wounds.
Wen Tingyi felt that the child looked familiar. He tilted his head and thought for a long time before his subordinate reminded him: Oh, this is the child he adopted after the car accident.
"What is he here for?" Wen Tingyi asked, frowning.
The woman holding the child then noticed the sudden appearance of her boss. She quickly shielded the child to her chest and said nervously, "Master...Master, the third young master keeps crying and says he wants to see the second young master, so I...I'm sorry! I...I'll take him back right now!"
Just then, Wen Tingyi's phone rang, bringing news that Wen Xushi was still alive.
Wen Tingyi raised an eyebrow, then suddenly raised his hand to stop the man's movement, and said in a deep voice, "No need."
Zhang Xiu turned around with difficulty, her whole body trembling with fear. She hadn't expected to run into Wen Tingyi at the door...
The man, however, did not seem angry. Instead, he slowly bent down, pinched the child's soft, white cheek, and chuckled, "Do you remember me?"
Xiao Wenxu shrank into Zhang Xiu's arms in fear, his big eyes filled with the wetness and unease of a fawn. He shook his head honestly, the redness and swelling on one side of his face had not completely subsided, and his face was covered with scars that were impossible to hide, making it clear at a glance that he had been through something.
Wen Tingyi didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, he chuckled and muttered to himself, "Its vitality is quite tenacious."
Xiao Wenxu was confused and tilted his head in bewilderment.
Wen Tingyi straightened up, waved to Zhang Xiu, and looked at Wen Xubai, saying, "Go up, that child... is still waiting for you."
"Big Brother?" his subordinate asked from behind.
Wen Tingyi waved his hand, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Keep them. Just think of them as two little pets. It'll be quite interesting to watch their 'brotherly love' drama unfold."
It's funny to think about it now. I never imagined that such "brotherly love" would happen between two children who are not related by blood. It's really... very interesting.
"Yes..." The subordinate finally gave up and obediently retreated.
As the sun set, it cast a long shadow of the man, which, like a demon, clung to the hospital's outer wall, stretching out like a menacing claw, and stopped right on the floor where the two children were staying.
They will eventually be unable to escape their own control.
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