CH 36

The next morning, Lin Yuxing was awakened early by his alarm clock.

He reached out beside the bed, but couldn’t find his phone.

Lately, he had been too tired, and perhaps due to drowsiness, he couldn’t remember where he had placed his phone before going to sleep. With a dry mouth, Lin Yuxing rubbed his face.

The small room had no regular windows, only a small ventilation window. Light filtered through it, gradually dispelling Lin Yuxing’s drowsiness.

Feeling exhausted, Lin Yuxing put on a turtleneck sweater and prepared to go out to freshen up. He gripped the doorknob with his right hand, twisted it, but it didn’t open. He twisted it again, but it remained locked.

Having just woken up, his reaction was clearly slow.

Only after trying several times did he realize that the door had been locked from the outside.

Lin Yuxing panicked and forcefully pounded on the door twice, calling out to the only person in that house who might help him, “Shaohua! Shaohua, are you there?!”

After shouting repeatedly, there was no sign of Cheng Shaohua’s voice outside the room.

Lin Yuxing helplessly pounded on the door, even attempting to ram into it. However, the old wooden door that usually looked worn-out was as solid as a rock that day. Lin Yuxing’s arms turned red from the impact, but it didn’t budge.

He turned around to search for his phone, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

Faint crying sounds could be heard from outside, seemingly coming from the living room but also not quite.

“Shaohua?” Lin Yuxing pressed his ear against the door, calling out again, “Shaohua, is that you? Shaohua—”

Cheng Shaohua’s crying grew fainter until it disappeared.

“Shaohua! Shaohua, come and open the door for me!” he yelled until his voice became hoarse, as if his throat was filled with gravel.

A dull pain surged through Lin Yuxing’s arms, and his heart sank. Anxiously, he paced back and forth within the limited space.

He had guessed something, but he dared not confirm it.

He forced himself to calm down, locking the door from the inside.

Then, Lin Yuxing’s gaze slowly fell upon a glass on the table. He walked over, tightly gripping it in his hand. Feeling that it wasn’t enough, he hurriedly searched and found a moldy rolling pin in a box.

He firmly held those two items in his hands, waiting alone with endless fear.

That residential building in the small town had only a few floors, and their family lived on the most damp ground floor.

Cheng Rong dragged Cheng Shaohua by the ear, moving slowly, and brought him to the neighbor’s house. The elderly woman inside understood without words and brought out a piece of candy, stopping Cheng Shaohua’s crying.

The old woman in her seventies unwrapped several candies, coaxing him, “Xiaohua, be good. There will be plenty more candies later.”

Beside her, Lin Xiufeng was tied to an armchair, her mouth stuffed with a cloth.

She muffled her cries, sweat streaming down her forehead.

Cheng Shaohua, upon seeing his mother being treated that way, pursed his lips again, looking as if he was about to cry.

Cheng Rong, feeling annoyed as he looked at Cheng Shaohua, didn’t want to hit him but gave his head a pat and scolded, “You little beast, who do you think your father is doing this for? Isn’t it all for you?”

He glared at Cheng Shaohua with disappointment.

That foolish son was his only offspring. How could he afford to lose him?

He glanced at Lin Xiufeng, who was still struggling desperately, and impatiently said, “Shut up!”

As he finished speaking, an Alpha man carrying pork returned. He appeared to be in his forties, with a dark and intimidating face, wearing two large gold rings on his fingers.

The old woman greeted him happily, “Ashan is back! Perfect timing, I’ll make braised pork. Everyone will have lunch here later.” She took the meat and happily walked towards the kitchen.

Upon seeing Ashan, Lin Xiufeng went mad, moving frantically, tears and snot running down her face, and her cries filled with despair. She pleaded with her husband, but Cheng Rong remained indifferent.

Cheng Shaohua sat shivering on a small stool, looking around, but he didn’t dare to eat any of the candy in his hand.

Ashan disdainfully glanced at Cheng Shaohua and took out a cigarette.

Cheng Rong hurriedly flattered Ashan and lit the cigarette for him, handing it to him along with a bunch of keys, marking one of them: “From now on, we’re family.”

“So, you’re my uncle?” Ashan laughed contemptuously, spitting out a smoke ring, exuding the aura of a rogue.

The old woman peeked out from the kitchen, “Ashan, why are you talking like that?” She smiled at Cheng Rong, “Please don’t mind him.”

Cheng Rong nodded and fawned over Ashan, saying, “I’ve locked the person in the room. As you said, no restraints…”

“Good, I like it wild. It’s no fun if they’re too obedient.”

Ashan was satisfied with this. He patted Cheng Rong’s shoulder and didn’t waste any more words. After putting out his cigarette, he turned around with the keys and went swaggering to the opposite door.

At that moment, Cheng Shaohua suddenly rushed forward and pushed Ashan, mumbling, “No, Mom said no! You can’t bully my brother!”

Ashan stumbled back and then punched him, “Who the hell are you?! You damn idiot, dare to push me?!” He spouted a few vulgarities and raised his fist again.

Cheng Shaohua cried loudly, begging for mercy while crouching on the ground.

Cheng Rong hastily held onto Ashan’s strong arm. “Please, no, today is a good day. He’s stupid, a fool. You don’t need to punish him!”

Ashan shook off Cheng Rong’s hand and cast a malicious glance at Cheng Shaohua. Seeing Cheng Shaohua gasping for breath, frightened out of his wits, he sneered, chuckled, and let it go.

The keys in his hand jingled, resembling a haunting bell.

Cheng Rong sat back at the table, still holding Cheng Shaohua’s ear.

Cheng Shaohua, in pain from being hit, trembled uncontrollably, his eyes occasionally glancing at the half-opened door across the room. Soon, he heard a few shouts from inside, as well as the sound of things being smashed. It was just as terrifying as the last time when people came to collect debts at home.

His teeth chattered, and he crouched on the ground once again, hugging his head.

Lin Xiufeng’s wrists were marked with bloodstains from the ropes, and she continuously bumped the back of her head against the chair.

Cheng Rong, helpless, removed the cloth from her mouth.

Lin Xiufeng spat in his face, “Have you gone crazy?! You promised me last time that you won’t go through with it!”

Cheng Rong exploded, “I think you’re the one who’s gone crazy!”

The old woman came out from the kitchen and scolded Lin Xiufeng, who didn’t know what was good for her, with a disapproving look, “A-Feng, why can’t you see clearly? You asked for 180,000 yuan, but I won’t fail on a single penny.”

“No one wants your money.” Lin Xiufeng wanted to seek help from her foolish son, but Cheng Shaohua had long been scared.

She felt extreme despair and didn’t know what to say, “You, you are committing a crime!”

“A crime? Don’t forget, you already took the money. Besides, aren’t parental decisions regarding their children’s marriage made by us elders? What crime is there?”

Lin Xiufeng spat in the direction of the old woman.

The old woman who had already paid the money, turned to Cheng Rong and sternly said, “Silence her mouth! She keeps making noise. If she shouts and the neighbors hear, how can Yu Xing continue to live in my house? If it weren’t for Yu Xing’s stubborn personality, Ah Shan wouldn’t have needed to make a move so soon, right?”

Someone like her son, who had been to jail several times, was notorious in the town, and no one dared to marry him. Now he was able to marry an Omega studying at C University. It was such a glorious thing.

“By the way, don’t think that Ah Shan is climbing high by marrying Yu Xing. I’m not ignorant. With that ugly mark on the back of his neck, no Alpha would want him. Ah, it’s hard for my son…”

The old woman pretended to be at a loss, but was inwardly satisfied with Lin Yu Xing.

Lin Xiufeng’s heart shattered. She was tied up in a position that directly faced the door of the old woman’s house. She stared intently at the door across from her, as if trying to see through it.

Her tears were about to dry up.

Cheng Rong couldn’t bear it anymore. The orange he had just put in his mouth turned sour. He was afraid that Lin Xiufeng’s behavior would make the old woman change her mind. After all, the money hadn’t all reached his hands yet.

“Don’t act so rigid,” Cheng Rong said, “This is 180,000 yuan we are talking about, that money could save our lives!”

Lin Xiufeng closed her eyes.

“Ah Feng, I know I’m at fault for gambling and loosing money. Can’t you forgive me? Haven’t I found a way to solve it? Are you still not satisfied with me?”

Cheng Rong calculated and summed it all up for Lin Xiufeng, “I’ve thought about it. After we pay back the remaining 100,000 yuan, we’ll use the rest to find a well-behaved and obedient nanny for Shao Hua.”

“…”

“After all, Yu Xing isn’t really a member of this family. He has seen the world in the city and looks down on us! Are you counting on him to take care of Shao Hua for you? Counting on him to support us in our old age? That’s just a dream!”

That night, Cheng Rong had clearly heard the conversation about Lin Yu Xing divorcing Lin Xiufeng.

He sneered, “Besides, I didn’t sell off Yu Xing. Ah Shan might help him pursue a master’s or doctorate degree in the future. Don’t you think so?”

Unexpectedly, as soon as Cheng Rong finished his triumphant words, a voice full of anger resounded behind him.

“Where is Lin Yu Xing?”

Gu Zhongyi’s face was cold, as if he was in a bottomless abyss. His anger surged in his chest, suppressing the few shreds of rationality. It felt as if in the next second, it would burst forth and shatter the body of the Alpha before him.

Without waiting for Cheng Rong’s answer, Gu Zhongyi stepped forward and grabbed Cheng Rong’s collar. His anger reached its peak, and the veins on his fists bulged.

Gu Zhongyi’s pheromones were not as sweet and bitter as Lin Yu Xing had smelled them before. The superior Alpha genes allowed him to intimidate both Alphas in the room.

Cheng Shao Hua was scared to the point of wetting his pants and curled up on the ground.

Even the Omega women in the room were frightened, let alone the Alphas.

Gu Zhongyi’s teeth were clenched, making a grinding sound. He angrily shouted again, “Where is Lin Yu Xing?”

Cheng Rong’s legs went weak. He, who had always tyrannized his family at home, began to stutter.

Finally, it was Cheng Shao Hua, the most timid among them, who held his head with one hand and pointed to the door, saying with a crying voice, “Brother… brother is over there…”

Cheng Shao Hua pointed to the half-closed door across the hallway.

Without hesitation, Gu Zhongyi immediately pushed Cheng Rong away as if he were throwing away trash. His heart was tightly clenched, and many unwanted scenes quickly flashed through his mind. For a moment, he even had the determination to kill the person who had tried to harm Lin Yu Xing.

He kicked open the opposite door.

Because of the excessive force, the door crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Relying on intuition, Gu Zhongyi came to the smallest room. Like the front door, the wooden door of that room was also kicked down.

But the scene in front of him left Gu Zhongyi bewildered. His anger disappeared, leaving only astonishment—

On a bed about 1.2 meters long, a tall Alpha hung his head, unconscious and bound tightly with torn bed sheets. His mouth was stuffed with several socks, and his face was covered in bruises and bloodstains.

Looking at the bed, there was a scene of struggle and chaos. Near the messy cardboard boxes, there was a broken glass and a large rolling pin, both stained with blood.

In addition, there was a pair of Lin Yu Xing’s sneakers on the floor.

Gu Zhongyi didn’t have time to deal with that injured Alpha. He turned and left the room, urgently searching in all directions.

“Yu Xing?”

“Yu Xing—”

He wasn’t sure if Lin Yu Xing was still in that house.

Judging from the chaos in the room earlier, Gu Zhongyi suspected that Lin Yu Xing was injured. He couldn’t act blindly anymore; he tried to calm himself down and perceive.

He was certain that Lin Yu Xing, who had returned to the small town, would no longer continue taking suppressants to save money.

Gu Zhongyi closed his eyes and relied on the 77% compatibility he had with Lin Yu Xing. He soon sensed a faint citrus pheromone in the room. It was bitter, and when it penetrated his senses, it even caused a stinging sensation.

That was the pain Lin Yu Xing was enduring.

It came from the bloodstains on the small kitchen window. It was Lin Yu Xing’s blood.

Lin Yu Xing had successfully escaped through the window.