Chapter 3

Zhao Xing watched with his own eyes as the last glimmer of light in Luo Mingshan's eyes went out after he said that.

"Brother! You're right not to meddle. That's smart!" Zhang Sheng chuckled, draping his thick, tattoo-covered arm around Luo Mingshan's shoulders.

Luo Mingshan did not struggle again. He stared blankly at Zhao Xing, his eyes dark and clouded, with no light penetrating them, as though he had become a beautiful doll.

Zhang Sheng's coarse hand slid over Luo Mingshan's arm, and a lewd chuckle came from his throat.

It was truly an eyesore.

Zhao Xing looked away and waved a hand impatiently. "Go do it outside. Don't disturb my sleep."

"Of course, of course." Zhang Sheng dragged Luo Mingshan toward the door.

Luo Mingshan seemed to suddenly come to his senses and began struggling futilely.

He clung desperately to the doorframe and cried out, nearly in despair, "Brother A-Xing, Brother A-Xing, save me—"

Zhang Sheng covered his mouth and forcibly dragged him away.

Zhao Xing lay back down and pulled the covers over his head to continue sleeping.

Once they left Room 1502, the beautiful, long-haired youth in Zhang Sheng's grasp, who looked like an elf, suddenly became expressionless.

Even his steps took on a hint of languid ease.

But Zhang Sheng paid no mind to such things. At the thought of the wonderful things that were about to happen, his blood raced through his veins.

Luo Mingshan had only arrived the day before yesterday, and Zhang Sheng had fallen for him at first sight. For some reason, Zhang Sheng had clearly felt that the youth stood somewhere lofty and distant, beyond anyone's reach. But today... it was as if he had suddenly fallen from that height.

At the thought that he would soon have this exquisite prize, Zhang Sheng's heart began thumping, and sweat dampened his palms.

Grinning happily, he pushed the boy into a dim, concealed storage room at the stairwell corner, one without surveillance.

Luo Mingshan lowered his head and obediently walked in.

Click. Luo Mingshan locked the door for Zhang Sheng.

Zhang Sheng suddenly felt that something was off.

There were no lights in the storage room, but a small pane of frosted glass in the door allowed a faint wash of light from outside to seep in, making the room dim and suggestive.

"You came too early."

A voice cold as broken ice sounded slowly. There was no telling whether it was pleased or displeased, yet it somehow made Zhang Sheng's heart tighten.

It took Zhang Sheng a moment to realize that Luo Mingshan had actually said it.

In an instant, he felt both baffled and terrified.

...How had Luo Mingshan suddenly become a different person?

A nameless danger gripped Zhang Sheng, and he wanted to flee.

The dim light fell behind the long-haired man, edging his figure in a faint glow. With his head slightly lowered, he elegantly and calmly put on a pair of gloves he had somehow produced. His expression was indifferent, and he seemed like an untouchable god.

For the first time, Zhang Sheng realized this person did not seem to be a frail youth at all—he was half a head taller than Zhang Sheng, practically as tall as the vicious Zhao Xing.

Yet his beautiful face and fragile air seemed to have made everyone overlook his build.

Now, that extra half head of height was nearly enough to crush the breath from Zhang Sheng's lungs.

Zhang Sheng could not help backing away, but the moment he took a step, a gloved hand closed around his neck and lifted him up.

The glove was strange—so cold it chilled him to the core, as though it had metal embedded in it.

Luo Mingshan spoke unhurriedly. "You should have waited a few more days before coming for me. I haven't had time to cultivate my feelings with Brother A-Xing yet, and you came after me, so Brother A-Xing wouldn't save me. It's all your fault."

His tone was languid and indifferent. As his fingers tightened, his movements took on a hint of bloodthirsty brutality. Yet he called out "Brother A-Xing" like a child and said, "It's all your fault," irrationally placing every bit of blame on Zhang Sheng. It was eerie and chilling.

Zhang Sheng could not say a word. Beyond the pressure around his neck, he could clearly feel a strange current entering his body, leaving him cold and aching as his strength ebbed away bit by bit.

His eyes widened in terror. His whole body shook, and he sank into an indescribable fear, as if he had encountered the god of death.

Just as darkness spread across Zhang Sheng's vision and his heart was about to stop, Luo Mingshan suddenly froze, then released him.

Zhang Sheng saw that he had suddenly become cheerful, a brilliant smile gradually blooming over his face, ravishing beyond words.

But Zhang Sheng had no mind to admire his beauty. He slid weakly down to sit on the floor, shaking all over, his face pale.

Luo Mingshan switched places with him, then quickly mussed up his hair and tugged at his collar.

Then he lightly tapped the center of Zhang Sheng's forehead. In an instant, a surging force flooded Zhang Sheng's body, as strange as the current that had nearly taken his life moments ago.

Zhang Sheng even felt his face flush with vigor and strength return to his limbs.

He felt every organ in his body being pulled back from the brink of death. Then he heard footsteps approaching.

The sound of combat boots striking the floor.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Rhythmic and steady.

Zhang Sheng looked up and discovered that Luo Mingshan, who had seemed like death incarnate moments before, had already removed those strange shock gloves. His hair was disheveled as he knelt quietly and vulnerably on the floor, looking as though he had been thoroughly violated.

He even rubbed his eyes. The porcelain-white skin at the corners quickly pinked, as if he had just been crying.

Zhang Sheng: "..."

Have you no shame at all?

Bang!

The storage-room door was kicked open. A tall, handsome young man stood backlit in the doorway. He switched on a flashlight and swept it over the scene before settling his gaze on Zhang Sheng—his face flushed, eager, but plainly shaken.

He narrowed his eyes, his expression full of impatience and fury.

It was Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing had not meant to come.

He was not some masochist. Why should he come rescue Luo Mingshan?

Luo Mingshan had ruined his life once. And now he was being dragged off, entirely unable to resist, to be humiliated.

It was immensely satisfying.

But even lying in bed beneath the covers, Zhao Xing seemed able to hear Luo Mingshan crying out. Even with his eyes closed, he seemed able to see Luo Mingshan's tear-streaked face.

Half asleep, he found himself thinking of something from a very, very long time ago.

Little Luoluo had been pretty since childhood, exquisitely cute, with pale skin, big eyes, and soft, fine hair that was a little too long. At first glance, one could not tell whether he was a boy or a girl. He was more adorable than any doll in a movie and drew attention wherever he went.

Once, Zhao Xing took him out "exploring" and accidentally ran into a perverted pedophile in the male prisoners' section.

While Zhao Xing was squatting on the ground playing with mud, Luo Mingshan ate the candy that creepy man gave him and called loudly, "Brother A-Xing, this uncle says there's lots more candy in that little room ahead. Let's go eat some together, okay?"

Only then did the male prisoner notice Zhao Xing.

Little Zhao Xing had a crew cut and was covered in mud spots, looking dirty and unruly. He frowned, his eyes alert like a little wolf's. He was nowhere near as clean and cute as Luo Mingshan.

The prisoner had no interest in him, but he still forced a smile. "Sure. You come with Uncle to get candy too."

Zhao Xing only learned later that the man had been sent here for molesting children.

But even though he had understood nothing at the time, he knew he could not go with him.

Because his mother, Lan Yan, had said countless times—

"Everyone locked in this prison is garbage, rotten trash. There isn't one good person here, not one person you can trust."

And that man's smile was lecherous, especially when he smiled at Luo Mingshan.

It was disgusting.

So Zhao Xing walked over and took Luo Mingshan's hand. "Luoluo, come with gege. It's time to go back."

Naturally, the male prisoner did not want to let him go.

How did they get away in the end?

Seven-year-old Zhao Xing clamped his teeth into that pervert's arm and would not let go. He was slapped away, but pounced back again and again, gritting his teeth, bleeding, and shouting, "Fire! Fire!" until he finally seized the chaos to escape with Luo Mingshan.

Only when they made it back somewhere safe did Luo Mingshan seem to regain his senses. Huge tears rolled down his face. He clung to Zhao Xing with all his strength and sobbed, "Brother A-Xing, don't die. Brother A-Xing, don't die..."

Zhao Xing was in so much pain his teeth were clenched, but he still had to soothe him. With his bloody hand, he wiped Luo Mingshan's tears and promised quietly, "Gege won't die. Gege still has to protect Luoluo!"

............

Twelve years passed in the blink of an eye.

Twelve years ago, he had protected Luo Mingshan at the risk of his life.

Twelve years later, he watched Luo Mingshan cry and scream as someone dragged him away.

...Fuck.

Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

Anger, irritation, and unwillingness filled his chest. He sat up and kicked over the stool beside his bed.

Face dark, he left the dorm.

Zhao Xing thought—

I'm not a masochist. I don't want to save him.

It's just that this is fucking disgusting.

If Luo Mingshan had been dragged away for a beating instead of that kind of thing, I definitely wouldn't have gotten involved. I'd have stood there clapping and cheering.

And besides... if I don't do anything now, didn't I get beaten for nothing twelve years ago?

Fuck, is something wrong with Luo Mingshan? Why does he attract freaks so easily?

Zhao Xing looked coldly at Luo Mingshan in the corner of the storage room.

His clothing was disheveled. He knelt on the floor and looked up at Zhao Xing, tears glimmering in his eyes.

The bandage on his forehead was already soaked through with blood. A bright-red drop ran down and hung at the corner of his eye like a bloody tear, lending a touch of vivid color to his snowy face.

Despair and hope mingled on his exquisite, artlike features. He was like a pure white rose rooted in mud and blood, yet blooming unsullied by the dust.

He really was... extraordinarily beautiful.

Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes.

His annoyance and anger from before slowly intertwined into something strange.

Why wasn't he crying?

That mere glimmer of tears in his eyes was nowhere near enough.

Wouldn't he be even prettier if he truly broke down and cried?

The instant Zhao Xing realized what he was thinking, he froze.

Then the corner of his lips slowly curled upward.

He admitted that he had changed.

Once, if he saw Luo Mingshan crying, he could not help wanting to wipe away his tears.

Now, seeing Luo Mingshan's tearful eyes, he could not help wanting to make him cry even harder.

Good.

He was not softhearted, nor was he a masochist, and he would never forgive Luo Mingshan for what he had done like some idiot.

It was just that, compared with watching someone else bully Luo Mingshan, he seemed to prefer making him cry himself.

Zhao Xing calmly accepted this change in himself.

So what if he had become a little more of a pervert?

After all, Zhao Xing had accepted that he was a bad kid when he was eight years old.

Zhang Sheng noticed Zhao Xing too, but before he could get out a word, Zhao Xing smashed the flashlight into the back of his head and knocked him out.

There were no cameras here, and no AI to monitor his conduct or deduct his points, so Zhao Xing had no reason to hold back.

After knocking him out, he kicked him into the corner.

Then Zhao Xing slowly, step by step, walked over to Luo Mingshan and lowered himself onto one knee beside him.

He tipped up Luo Mingshan's chin with the flashlight and wiped the tear tracks from his face with slightly rough fingers. "Scared?"

"I-I'm scared."

Zhao Xing said, "Did he bully you?"

Luo Mingshan nodded, then shook his head. "Luckily, gege came to save me."

Zhao Xing laughed.

"Save you? Do you think I came here to save you?"

Zhao Xing lowered the flashlight. His right hand held Luo Mingshan's chin with neither too much nor too little force. He leaned in toward Luo Mingshan's ear, his low voice threaded with malicious amusement—

"Gege came to bully you himself."