Chapter 36
Xiao Meng stood alone by the window of her second-floor bedroom, gazing out with an icy expression.
From this angle, he could look down over the entire front yard. He saw Xiao Zhen holding the baby, the old woman washing vegetables by the kitchen door, a puppy brought by the Tao family tied under a tree, and Rong Xiang holding a bulging paper bag, passing it over the fence.
The recipient of the alms was an old acquaintance, the foreign beggar who had been appearing frequently recently. This time, he had shaved his head and beard, and looked like a normal person. As he took the paper bag, he opened it and said something, making Rongxiang laugh so hard he bent over, his hands gripping the fence.
This was the first time Xiao Meng had seen Rong Xiang laugh heartily since Fu Jingyuan's death. This laugh made him very uncomfortable—in truth, he didn't like Rong Xiang's lively and energetic demeanor; he preferred him to be a sickly beauty—melancholy, weak, and helpless.
He left the window and stood in front of the full-length mirror on the wall.
The person in the mirror has a plain, baby-faced appearance. Even dressed in a black suit, he still looks like a boy.
No one loved him, no one cared about him. Rongxiang couldn't live without him, only because he was the all-powerful Xiao Meng.
He was originally just an orphan with no parents or background. From a young age, Rongxiang beat and scolded him, forcing him to do all sorts of impossible things, completely disregarding his dignity and personality. It was terrible and painful at first, but he got used to it. He could even find a little bit of fun in that kind of life.
He was able to endure any abuse from Rongxiang without complaint.
He only hated one thing: Rongxiang never treated him like a human being.
At dinner, Rongxiang stirred his borscht with a spoon while humming a hoarse tune. He was clearly not hungry; he didn't touch the soup as it cooled from boiling hot to lukewarm.
Xiao Meng glanced at him: "Third Master, would you like something else to eat?"
Rongxiang looked up at him, then suddenly smiled. His clear, bright eyes narrowed, revealing a small, enigmatic world within them. His sharply defined lips pursed, moist and rosy.
“That beggar is really interesting!” He stuck out his pink tongue like a cat and licked the spoon in his hand: “He said he was originally a Russian nobleman who fled to Shanghai after the October Revolution.”
Xiao Meng looked away, deliberately avoiding watching his way of eating—dipping a spoon in the thick soup and then licking it off. Rong Xiang would occasionally lick the candy wrapper or the cream on his hands when eating desserts, which Xiao Meng found very unseemly and unacceptable.
Rongxiang reached out and picked up a small cake with cream filling, took a big bite, and said, "He's fallen to this state, yet he's still living quite happily."
Xiao Meng looked at him expressionlessly, thinking to herself, "I'm going to lick him again."
Sure enough, Rongxiang turned his head and licked the warm cream that had dripped onto his hand into his mouth. Then he stuffed the rest of the cake into his mouth in one gulp. His cheeks were bulging, but he could still manage to speak with his tongue out: "Let him come work as a handyman at home! He can keep me company and chat with me sometimes."
Xiao Meng lowered his head, thinking to himself that it wasn't like this when he was eating with Fu Jingyuan.
"Third Master," he replied dryly, "the servants at home are enough. It's best to avoid getting involved with someone of unknown origin like him."
After Rongxiang swallowed the cake in his mouth, he realized that Xiao Meng had actually refuted his words!
He stared at Xiao Meng, speechless for a moment. Xiao Meng, however, nonchalantly took a napkin, stood up, and bent down to wipe the soup and cream from Rong Xiang's mouth.
Just then, the old woman knocked on the door and came in: "Mr. Rong, there are guests outside."
The guest was not invited inside. Rongxiang, frowning, questioned the visitor through the door, "How did you get here?"
The visitor was dressed in a suit and tie, and even though it was late at night, his slicked-back hair, styled with hair wax, still reflected the afterglow of the setting sun. Rongxiang only knew one person with such a meticulous and modern look: Zhao Hangsen.
Zhao Hangsen was refused entry at the gate by Rong Xiang, but he remained calm: "Xiao Xiang, you've made me search for ages. I looked for four whole days, and finally found the Tao family over there. I asked if there was a northerner named Rong who had moved here, and guess what their gatekeeper said? He said he'd never heard of anyone named Rong. The neighbor was also a new northerner who had moved in, but his surname was Meng. At first, I was puzzled, thinking I'd made another mistake, but then I realized, isn't Xiao Meng's surname Meng? He's been running around like a headless chicken with you every day, so people probably know him, but they've never seen you before!"
"What do you want from me? Do you want me to practice my marksmanship?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, I knew you'd bring this up again—I'm just wondering, you're usually not a scared person, so why were you so terrified last time? I think if this happened in Fengtian..."
Rongxiang put his hands in his pockets: "Don't mention Fengtian!"
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything. Xiao Xiang, go back and put on a coat, then I'll treat you to dinner as an apology for what happened last time, okay? I'll treat you to the Hua Mao Hotel, and we'll have a good time tonight."
Rongxiang was about to refuse instinctively, but then he felt a sudden warmth and a cold voice came from behind: "Third Master, put some on."
Rong Xiang hadn't expected Xiao Meng to appear so silently. He wasn't startled by him, but remembering how Xiao Meng had rejected him earlier, he felt a bit uneasy. This kind of thing might seem trivial, but when the person involved was Xiao Meng, it took on a completely different meaning.
He slipped his arm into his sleeve and habitually turned around to let Xiao Meng button it up for him. But he replied, "Fine. If you cause any more trouble this time, I won't wait for anyone else; I'll kill you first!"
This dinner went very peacefully.
After leaving the Hua Mao Hotel, Zhao Hangsen warmly invited Rong Xiang to visit his place. Sitting in Zhao Hangsen's latest Ford coupe, Rong Xiang closed his eyes, feeling tipsy. He hadn't had alcohol in a long time; even a little whiskey made him dizzy. Zhao Hangsen, however, was in high spirits, continuing his long-winded speech from the dinner table as he drove: "That's why I felt so stifled living at my second sister's house... My sister is good to me, but my brother-in-law doesn't even give me a second glance. Luckily, my sister is strong-willed, otherwise, he wouldn't have let me stay there! Take last time, for example, when I was beaten up like that, my sister and fifth brother were heartbroken and cried. My sister told him to go find that guy surnamed Su to get revenge for me, and he actually went to find him, bringing gifts—using the excuse of apologizing to that guy surnamed Su on my behalf, but he actually went to curry favor with him. It turns out he'd wanted to befriend that thug for a long time, but the guy thought he wasn't high enough in rank and didn't bother with him; now look what happened, I got a beating, and he got what he wanted. Damn it!"
Rongxiang had come out in a hurry, wearing black trousers and leather shoes, but only a dark blue satin mandarin jacket with a longevity character pattern on top. Wearing a mandarin jacket without a long robe made him feel somewhat out of place. The buttons on his jacket were fastened tightly by Xiao Meng; he was drenched in sweat in the car and struggled to unbutton just one button, his fingertips turning red from the effort. He didn't hear a word of Zhao Hangsen's rambling.
"...My second sister doesn't like the fifth brother. She always feels that he comes from a lowly background and blames me for bringing him along. But he gave birth to my child. If I don't bring him along, what will happen to my son..."
Rongxiang unbuttoned his white shirt, then grabbed a magazine from the back seat and started fanning himself drowsily. He could hear Zhao Hangsen talking incessantly. Suddenly, the car braked abruptly, catching him completely off guard; he nearly crashed headfirst into the windshield.
"arrive."
Rong Xiang rubbed his eyes, and while buttoning his collar, he got out of the car with Zhao Hangsen. To his surprise, the buttons on his inner shirt were fine, but the small, bean-shaped fabric buttons on his outer jacket just wouldn't go up. He had to call Zhao Hangsen for help. Zhao Hangsen pulled him under a streetlamp, squinting as he fiddled with the buttons, complaining, "How did you manage to unbutton it? It's really not a big deal, haven't you met my second sister before?"
Rongxiang tilted his head back and said, "Shut up!"
As the two were whispering amongst themselves, two cars slowly pulled up and stopped behind Zhao Hangsen's Ford. Someone jumped out of the front seat and opened the car door, the occupants laughing and talking loudly, instantly making the road lively. Zhao Hangsen turned around and looked, then whispered, "Who did my second brother-in-law invite back this time? I haven't heard my second sister mention it today!"
Rongxiang said fiercely, "Can you even button this up?"
Zhao Hangsen waved his hand: "What kind of clothes are these?! Why did you have to wear this of all things?"
"What I wear is none of your business..."
The two started bickering. Zhao Hangsen ignored his brother-in-law. Although his second brother-in-law got a headache just seeing him, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and greet him, "Hangsen, why don't you go inside?" for fear that he would gossip about him to his wife.
Zhao Hangsen didn't even turn his head: "I'm busy with something!"
Rongxiang slapped his hand away: "You fucking pinched me!"
"I know you have delicate skin, but you're not that fragile, are you? I didn't mean it! Oh... why don't you just take it off? If you're cold, I'll find you a coat!"
Rong Xiang was about to retort when suddenly a man strode over and laughed loudly, "Hey! Isn't this the sharpshooter from that day? Rong something?"
It was dark, and Rong Xiang couldn't make out the newcomer's face; he just felt the person was completely unfamiliar. Zhao Hangsen, however, was particularly bold because it was in front of his own house. He turned around, rolled his eyes, and said, "Mr. Su, you're not here to cause trouble in front of my house, are you?"
Rong Xiang suddenly realized that the person who came was Su Banyao, the hooligan who had beaten Zhao Hangsen in the Paramount. Su Banyao was completely devoid of the fierceness of that day, and replied in a very amiable manner: "Brother Zhao, you misunderstand. I was just admiring your friend's marksmanship."
At this moment, Zhao Hangsen's second brother-in-law, Min Deren, also came over. He had previously worked in Fengtian, so he had long admired Rong Xiang and heard that Rong Xiang had suffered a terrible fate in Xi'an, being utterly defeated by a local military officer and disappearing without a trace. So, seeing him now, he was quite surprised, but since they were not acquainted, he didn't dare to greet him rashly. He simply said to Zhao Hangsen, "Why don't you take Mr. Rong inside and have a seat? What are you doing standing outside?"
Zhao Hangsen remained arrogant, his shirt unbuttoned, and he pulled Rongxiang along as they walked into the courtyard.
The Min residence was very spacious, with Zhao Hangsen's family occupying almost half of the building. After meeting his second sister and exchanging a few words, his fifth wife suddenly rushed over anxiously, saying that the child was complaining of a stomachache and probably needed to be taken to the hospital. Upon hearing this, Zhao Hangsen immediately got up to leave. Rong Xiang also stood up, thinking, "If this kid runs away, what will I be left here alone!" But in front of everyone, he couldn't very well stop him from taking the child to the doctor.
Fortunately, Zhao Hangsen was sensible this time and said to Rong Xiang, "You can wait for me here—or you can get in the car with me. I'll take the child to the hospital first, and then I'll take you home."
Rongxiang had no choice: "Then I'll go to the hospital with you."
However, Min Deren accompanied Su Banyao in. When the Fifth Madam saw the strangers, she quickly went upstairs to hide. But the Second Sister of the Zhao family did not shy away and stood up to greet them in a graceful manner.
After exchanging a few words with Madam Min, Su Banyao casually asked, "When I came in just now, I heard that you were going to the hospital or something. Is someone in your household sick?"
"No, it's my little nephew who has a stomachache. Hangsen is taking him to the hospital and also dropping Mr. Rong off at home."
Su Banyao took a puff of her cigar, then, like a monster, slowly exhaled two puffs of white smoke from her nostrils: "Why bother with all that? I'm fine, I'll see Mr. Rong off."
The room fell silent, an eerie stillness. Rong Xiang hesitated for a moment before declining, saying, "No need to trouble Mr. Su, I'm not in a hurry."
Su Banyao took the cigar from her mouth and pointed it at him: "You're too kind! Mr. Rong, don't be so polite! We hit it off immediately, and I'd love to have a go at marksmanship with you sometime!"
Rong Xiang eventually got into Su Banyao's car, as Su Banyao relentlessly urged him to come along in an unquestionable tone. Zhao Hangsen, preoccupied with his son, couldn't care less about anything else and just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Rong Xiang sat in Su Banyao's Duesenberg classic car, rolled down the window, and looked at Zhao Hangsen with a half-smile.
Zhao Hangsen cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, his face full of helplessness. Rong Xiang remained silent, watching him as he rolled up the car window. Zhao Hangsen knew Rong Xiang was truly enraged this time. Turning around and seeing Fifth Madam standing to the side, he roared, "Get in the car now! Do you want to die here?"
After starting the car, Rongxiang discovered a major problem.
He didn't even know the way home!
Su Banyao sat beside him, puffing out clouds of smoke, as if she could smoke a cigar forever. He broke out in a sweat again, and since he didn't have a handkerchief, he could only wipe his forehead with his hand.
Su Banyao glanced at him sideways and smiled slightly, "Mr. Rong doesn't seem to go out much, does he?"
Rongxiang reached up to fumble for his collar button: "Oh... I rarely go out. So... I don't really know the way."
"It's alright." Su Banyao slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke. "Take your time looking. I'm not in a hurry, and neither should you."
"I'm so sorry."
"You're too kind, Mr. Rong!"
Rongxiang lowered his hand, but the collar button was still not fastened, and the bottom two buttons had come undone.
"I wonder where Mr. Rong is working now?"
"Oh...unemployed...at home."
"Oh? That's a pity. A young talent like Mr. Rong should have a bright future ahead of him."
"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it."
"Humble! Oh, by the way, I still don't know your name."
"Rongxiang".
"Su Banyao".
The two shook hands for thirty seconds, and then Su Banyao patted Rong Xiang's hand and said, "We are destined to meet, we can chat often in the future."
Rongxiang hummed in agreement, feeling that he had no chance of having anything to do with such a guy.
The driver in front had already turned several corners and was at his wit's end, so he had no choice but to turn around and ask, "Mr. Rong, which way do I go?"
Rongxiang was so anxious he almost cried; he had never missed Xiaomeng so much.
The three continued to explore. Su Banyao leaned against the car door, her gaze piercing through the thin smoke. The more she looked at the man, the more beautiful she found him. His figure and face were like a meticulously painted portrait, each stroke carefully outlined to create a delicate and slender silhouette.
He rolled down the car window and spat out the cigar from his mouth with a "pfft".
That was incredibly loud. Rong Xiang was concentrating on figuring out the route when the sudden noise startled him. Su Banyao's next action made him so uncomfortable that he almost wanted to jump out of the car.
Su Banyao leaned over and placed her hand on his forehead: "Why are you sweating so much? Are you hot?"
Rongxiang shifted back slightly: "It's alright."
Unexpectedly, Su Banyao followed suit, her hand slowly sliding from her forehead to her cheek, and gently pinched it.
Rong Xiang was truly taken aback this time. He shoved Su Banyao's hand away and asked, "What are you doing?"
Su Banyao burst into laughter, and in the light of the streetlights outside, you could see the gold teeth flashing in his mouth.
"You're not a little girl anymore, why are you shy?"
Rong Xiang never expected to be teased by such a person, and he felt both angry and amused: "Stop talking."
Unexpectedly, Su Banyao leaned her whole body closer: "You're right, talking without doing is a waste of time!" As soon as she finished speaking, she opened her arms and pulled Rong Xiang into her embrace.
Then, with a loud "smack," he received a slap from Rongxiang.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Rongxiang snapped angrily, pushing him as he shouted fiercely, "I want to get off the bus!"
Su Banyao covered her face with one hand: "Ha! You've got some nerve, daring to fight me."
Rong Xiang used all his strength to pull his other hand off his body as well: "Mr. Su, we are complete strangers, please have some self-respect!"
Su Banyao looked at him with a grin: "You look so refined, but you're actually quite capable. That's good, that's what makes it interesting."
Rongxiang frowned: "Don't fucking talk nonsense!"
At midnight, Rongxiang finally arrived home.
Xiao Meng, who had been pacing back and forth in the courtyard, saw him return and came over to open the gate: "Third Master, you're back."
Rongxiang slipped into the courtyard and quickly went into the house without looking back. Seeing a car slowly starting to move outside, Xiao Meng turned around and followed Rongxiang.
He saw Rongxiang in the bedroom on the second floor. Rongxiang was frantically taking off his clothes.
"Does Third Master want to take a bath?"
Rongxiang slammed his blue jacket to the ground: "I'm back so late, and you don't even ask me what I've been doing?"
"You weren't going with Mr. Zhao..."
"If Zhao Hangsen comes again in the future, just yell at him and kick him out!"
"yes."
"What is it?! Aren't you going to ask why?"
Xiao Meng knew Rong Xiang was looking for trouble: "Third Master, why?"
Rongxiang threw his shirt on the ground, then angrily unbuckled his belt and stripped naked: "I see you don't care about me much anymore. The day I die out there, you'll be free, won't you?!"
Seeing him standing on the ground, looking bright and clean, Xiao Meng quickly went over and drew the curtains.
"I'm not some damn young lady, I'm not afraid of people looking at me!"
Xiao Meng didn't say anything, and went to the bathroom to run a hot water bath. After a while, he came out and said, "Third Master, you can take a bath now."
Rongxiang sat on the bed wrapped in a bathrobe, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Xiao Meng said softly, "Third Master, the doctor said smoking is bad for your health!"
Rongxiang rolled his eyes.
He was so angry and refused to sleep, so Xiao Meng stood by his side to keep him company. Both of them had their own thoughts and worries, so they weren't lonely or bored.
Rong Xiang was full of complaints, but had no one to confide in. At this moment, he missed Fu Jingyuan terribly. How long had Fu Jingyuan been dead? He had been keeping track of the days, but now he wasn't quite sure. It felt like it had all happened a long time ago, almost like a past life.
Actually, if he thought back carefully, he remembered all those past events one by one. When his morphine use was at its worst, Fu Jingyuan had beaten him. He forgot why, but he was beaten very badly. He had also been scolded many times, but those didn't matter. He knew that Fu Jingyuan genuinely liked him—he simply couldn't understand this stubborn and blind love, because he knew he wasn't good enough.
Xiao Meng quietly pushed open the door and went out. Even though he was the only one in the corridor, he still walked along the side with light steps until he reached the restaurant downstairs.
There was cold milk in the restaurant's refrigerator. He heated some up on the electric stove and poured it into a glass, then took a small paper packet out of his suit pocket.
The paper packet contained white powder that had already clumped together, so after pouring it into the milk, it needed to be stirred with a spoon to ensure it dissolved completely.
Rongxiang pulled the blanket over his legs, then rolled over onto his stomach on the bed and picked up a magazine to read.
Suddenly the door opened, and Xiao Meng stood in the dark doorway, his voice seemingly drifting from afar, light and distant as if it had nothing to do with him: "Third Master, would you like some milk?"
Rongxiang, who couldn't sleep, said, "Give it to me."
A warm, tall glass was handed to him. He took a sip, frowned, and said, "Don't put milk in the refrigerator anymore; it will taste weird."
"yes."
Rongxiang took two more sips and placed the cup on the low wooden cabinet by the bedside: "It really doesn't taste good, take it away."
Xiao Meng walked to the bedside and quietly squatted down: "There's only half a cup left, please finish it."
Rongxiang coughed, suddenly feeling a discomfort in his throat. He thought he must have talked too much today and was exhausted. He turned to a magazine page and said to the Western-dressed beauty in the picture, "No, take it away. I want some water."
Xiao Meng slowly extended one hand to grasp the cup, while gently placing the other hand on Rong Xiang's shoulder.
Rongxiang paid no attention; he was engrossed in examining the beautiful women in the book.
However, almost in that instant, Xiao Meng suddenly exerted force, turning his body around, then got up and pressed his leg down on Rong Xiang's lower body. His movements were too fast; Rong Xiang was pressed onto the bed with a skillful technique, and then Xiao Meng forced the half-glass of milk into his mouth.
Rongxiang swallowed the milk in his mouth. Xiao Meng had indeed served him for a long time; even with such a rough and quick method of force-feeding, he didn't choke at all.
He was stunned for a moment before he reacted, too shocked to even get angry: "What are you doing?"
Xiao Meng let go of him and took a step back.
Rongxiang sat up, wiped his mouth, and after confirming that the milk had indeed flowed into his stomach, he angrily questioned again, "What's wrong with you?"
Xiao Meng didn't answer, but tilted her head and stared at him.
Rongxiang coughed again, frowned, and stretched his legs out to find his slippers, presumably to get a drink of water. But instead of standing up immediately, he covered his mouth with his hand and made a gagging sound.
He was probably stunned by the sudden pain, choking back sobs as he slowly slid from the bed onto the carpet. At this moment, he struggled to turn his head to look at Xiao Meng. He couldn't speak, but his eyes were filled with fear and helplessness. His lips moved, and from the shape of his mouth, he seemed to be saying "pain." After repeating the word "pain" two or three times, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Xiao Meng slowly walked up to him, pulled a snow-white handkerchief from her pocket, and then bent down to wipe the blood from his mouth.
"Third Master, don't be afraid. It won't hurt for long."
His voice was like a river in early spring, clear and crisp, with shards of ice inside.
Rongxiang's posture immediately froze.
He opened his mouth slightly, then suddenly twitched, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth onto his milky-white bathrobe.
You, Xiao Meng, want to kill me?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he grabbed Xiao Meng's collar. Although he was weak, he still pulled and tugged desperately, as if he wanted to confront him and get to the bottom of things. Xiao Meng, however, lowered his head in response to his strength, his gaze calmly meeting his eyes.
"Third Master, you won't die, you just can't speak anymore."
Rong Xiang seemed to have lost the ability to understand the meaning of words, and just stared at him fiercely, hissing sounds coming from deep in his throat.
Xiao Meng squatted down, opened her arms and pulled him into her embrace: "Third Master, I'm sorry."
Rong Xiang shoved him away abruptly, his body trembling violently. His expression was one of confusion and despair, as if it wasn't Xiao Meng who was going mad, but himself. He understood that Xiao Meng had ruined him, but why? He didn't know.
Xiao Meng knelt before him and suddenly smiled. Such an expression on such a baby face was undeniably adorable, almost childlike.
"Third Master, you only need me, you don't need anyone else."
"Third Master, I can serve you for the rest of my life, until you die. I'll take care of the baby too. I can do anything, please trust me."
"Third Master, if you're angry, then hit me or punish me, just don't kill me."
Rong Xiang looked as if he had seen a ghost. The color drained from his face, and under the bright spotlight, he looked like a lifeless jade statue.
Without warning, Xiao Meng suddenly knelt down and kowtowed forcefully. His forehead struck the carpet with a heavy thud. When he raised his head again, the joy on his face was clearly visible.
Rongxiang was terrified by him.
He wasn't a coward; back then, he wasn't even afraid of death. But now, gripped by extreme terror, he didn't even have the strength to get up. The situation was too bizarre; his closest loved one had suddenly become a completely different person, making him feel as if he were experiencing a nightmare firsthand—or perhaps he had just woken up in the middle of the night and finally seen the true nature of his surroundings. This feeling of the truth being revealed was truly chilling. He seemed to vaguely understand a reason, but if that really was a reason, it only made everything more terrifying and disgusting.
He quietly took a deep breath, supported himself on the bed to stand up, and walked around Xiao Meng kneeling on the ground. He had to leave this room, or he would definitely go crazy. However, just as his fingers touched the golden doorknob, Xiao Meng's voice rang out behind him: "Third Master, where are you going?"
If he could make a sound, he would definitely be screaming now. Fortunately, he wasn't stupid. Although his blood seemed to have frozen, he quickly opened the door and ran outside barefoot.
There were only two dim wall lamps in the corridor, and the staircase ahead was completely dark. The servants were probably fast asleep in their living quarters in the side building. The quiet in this building was unsettling.
He was chased down the middle of the corridor by Xiao Meng, who forcefully pinned him to the ground. At that moment, one of the wall lamps went out, and he struggled desperately in the thin darkness, trying to make a sound to attract attention. But his Xiao Meng, the Xiao Meng he had personally trained and tormented, quickly bound him up with the sash of his bathrobe.
"Xiao Meng!" He tried his best to call his name, but in the end, he could only make a sound like panting.
Xiao Meng locked him in a storage room at the far end of the second floor.
This was a major design flaw in the house. The room at the far end was of moderate size, with a small bathroom, white walls on all four sides, but no windows, and could only be lit by electric lights. After Rongxiang moved in, since he didn't have much luggage or furniture and nothing to store, he left the room empty.
Xiao Meng unscrewed the light bulb from the wall lamp, then closed the door and left.
Rongxiang stood on the cold wooden floor, where it was so dark he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. He almost suspected that the drug had blinded him.
However, Xiao Meng returned quickly, carrying a quilt. After entering the room, he skillfully kicked the door shut.
He quietly spread out the mattress in the darkness, then stopped, listened carefully, got up, and accurately pulled Rongxiang, who was standing in the corner, over and pressed him down to lie down. Then a large cotton quilt was spread over his head and covered him completely.
"Third Master..." Xiao Meng reached under the covers and quickly untied the sash.
"Third Master, please...please..."
He forcefully pried Rongxiang's hands off his neck: "Third Master, please don't kill me..." He threw himself onto the quilt and pressed Rongxiang down beneath him: "Third Master, I didn't harm you, I did it for your own good."
Rongxiang was so tightly wrapped in the quilt that he couldn't move, so he simply stopped resisting.
"Beast..." He tried his best, but could only utter a whisper-like sound, thankfully his tongue was still intact.
Xiao Meng buried his face in Rong Xiang's chest, first smiling, then gradually bursting into laughter. The suppressed ecstasy made his body tremble.
What time is it now?
Rongxiang crawled out of bed, pressed himself against the wall, and groped his way forward.
He didn't realize there was a door behind him, so he carefully turned three corners before finally reaching it.
The door was locked.
He then searched the wall near the door for the wall lamp switch, one by one.
He searched for a long time, but because he was aimless, he couldn't find it. Suddenly, he remembered that Xiao Meng had unscrewed the light bulb and taken it away.
He pressed himself against the wall, this time looking for the restroom.
The bathroom was separated by a rough and simple Japanese-style wooden sliding door. When it was pulled open, it made a creaking sound. At first, this startled him, and he thought it was a mouse squeaking.
In the bathroom, he bumped his head on a metal clothes hook on the wall. The pain made him clutch his wound for a long time, unable to straighten up. His hands were sticky and wet, probably from bleeding.
It took him a long time to find the tap. After turning it on and letting the water run for a while, he bent down, brought his mouth close, and took a sip. Then he used both hands to wash his face with the water.
The icy water flowed down his throat, and he knew he was truly unable to speak.
This didn't terrify him too much; he simply avoided the clothes hook, then pressed himself against the wall and crawled back into bed.
"Xiao Meng has gone mad," he thought.
"Perhaps he's been a madman from the very beginning, I just didn't realize it. Jingyuan said he had no humanity, and it seems that's true. But I raised him for over ten years, how could he treat me like this?"
Rongxiang pulled the blanket up over himself. It was too dark here, without a single ray of light. For a conscious person, it was a suffocating place.
He started to feel hungry, got up, reached for the door, and knocked on it a few times.
He made a loud noise, and he figured that if he made such a loud noise, someone would eventually hear it.
But after waiting for a while, no one came to open the door.
He became anxious and, as usual, started banging away in a fit of temper.
After knocking for a while, he curled up by the door and fell asleep from exhaustion.
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