Chapter 134

The girl in his arms was crying her heart out, sobbing and asking him what he was hiding. He couldn’t speak; it felt as if a huge hole had been torn open in his heart, howling violently in the wind, leaving it bloody, mangled, and painfully torn apart.

“Soft… soft…”

The breeze blowing in through the window caressed the two of them, carrying the warmth of the afternoon sun. In that instant, the boundaries of time suddenly blurred. Gu Zhizhou closed his eyes, as if he had returned to that afternoon many years ago.

That was the darkest period of his childhood. His twisted and morbid nanny took him away during a period of neglect from his parents, and beat and verbally abused him at will.

“What a handsome little boy! I love eating the cocks of handsome little boys.” The ugly woman smiled foolishly at him, cupping his genitals and taking them into her mouth.

He struggled and resisted, but all he received in return was a woman’s merciless slap.

“Don’t push your luck. Your parents don’t want you anymore. Only I am willing to feed you, provide you with shelter, love you, and pamper you. What are you still making a fuss about?”

The woman had worked hard all year round and was strong and healthy. He was only eight years old at the time and was no match for her at all.

“It’s a pity that although the little boy is good, his penis is soft. My little darling, when will your thing get hard and shoot out your semen for Mommy to eat?”

The woman played with his penis, yet was also annoyed by his inability to get an erection. At night, she would invite men to engage in various forms of pleasure, wanting him to watch. During the day, she would pinch his penis and laugh almost maniacally in front of him.

He was only eight years old and knew nothing about sex, yet he had already been left with an indelible shadow in this regard, so much so that even after he returned home and grew up peacefully into adolescence, he was unable to achieve an erection and ejaculate like a normal boy.

The days passed in such a dark and unbearable way. Gu Zhizhou thought that one day he would not be able to bear it and would die in such terrible humiliation and abuse. But on that day, in the midday sun, he glimpsed the light that belonged to him.

Xiao Tao Ruan appeared that day.

She was wearing a pretty light-colored dress, holding a lollipop, standing at the door. She watched as the wind blew open the door of the cold, damp warehouse, and then ran over to see him.

“Brother, who are you?”

“Brother, why are you sitting here? The ground is so cold. Why are you sitting on the ground?”

“Brother, why are you wearing chains?”

He had tried to call for help before, to the men who slept with those women, and to the village women who occasionally visited his home. He would try to break free and run away to ask for help, but he would be caught by the men in the village and thrown back to the women, who would say, “What are you doing running around like that, you little brat? You have to listen to your mother.”

“She’s not my mom, she’s not…”

He cried out, he pleaded for help, but no one listened to him. Now, in his despair, he saw a glimmer of warmth and kindness. Even though the person was a little girl who looked even younger than him, he still held her hand and begged her for help: “Please help me…”

“How can I help my brother?” The girl looked over blankly, holding a lollipop. Before he could speak, she was swept away by the woman who strode over.

“Xiao Ruan, this is not a place for you.”

“But brother…”

“He made a mistake and disobeyed, that’s why he’s locked up here.”

Little Tao Ruan was taken away, but she would often sneak over to see her, sometimes with freshly baked osmanthus cakes, sometimes with sweet candy in her hand, and always with a silly, sweet smile on her face.

But Gu Zhizhou felt nothing but disgust for her and showed her no kindness whatsoever.

He heard it; the girl was that woman’s niece, a relative of the great demon, and inevitably a little demon aiding and abetting evil.

Of course, this is not the case. Six-year-old Tao Ruan is innocent and kind. Even though she experienced the malice of a hateful bird and a resentful forest from him, she still liked him and was close to him.

“My name is Tao Ruan. Tao is the Tao of ceramics, and Ruan is the Ruan of softness.”

“My mother was sick, very sick, so my aunt took me in.”

“Brother, why does Auntie always lock you up? She’s so good to me, but she’s always mean to you.”

Xiao Tao Ruan comes to talk to her every day, and the affection in her eyes seems genuine. But Gu Zhizhou is so eager to escape. Since being kidnapped to this poor and remote mountain village, he has endured countless acts of malice and has forgotten how to repay the warmth of this little girl.

As he looked at the innocent and beautiful girl in front of him, a terrible thought suddenly arose in his mind.

“Ruan Ruan, Ruan Ruan,” Gu Zhizhou changed his attitude and began to speak gently to Tao Ruan, “Brother is in a lot of pain here every day. You want to help your brother, right?”

Xiao Tao nodded blankly, and actually managed to steal the key to the chain, then took him out to call the police.

That attempt failed; the long dial tone felt like an eternity. When he finally got through, the woman rushed over the moment the call connected, covered his mouth to stop him from speaking, and immediately hung up.

The woman hit him again, and this time Tao Ruan was also affected. But Tao Ruan raised her head and bravely confronted her: “My brother said he doesn’t like staying here, so why are you locking him up?”

Instead of a reply, Tao Ruan received a slap in the face.

Would Gu Zhizhou feel any pity for Tao Ruan looking at her like that?

No, he wouldn’t. The inescapable torment and hatred had twisted him. He saw the girl’s value and would only continue to exploit her.

He went even further, continuing to coax and entice, as if possessed, his mind filled only with a frenzied desire for revenge.

“Ruanruan, your aunt is sick. Only by killing her can we all be free.”

“Kill…kill her?”

“Yes, kill her.”

Gu Zhizhou couldn’t recall what he was feeling when he coaxed a six-year-old girl into committing murder. Later, when questioned by Tao Ruan’s seriously ill biological mother, he trembled and could only say, “I thought it wouldn’t succeed… I thought it wouldn’t…”

Just like the help call he failed to make, just like the night he was caught halfway through his escape, Tao Ruan was only six years old at the time. Who could have imagined that she would kill a strong and sturdy adult woman?

But fate always plays tricks on people.

That day, Xiao Tao Ruan, covered in blood, rushed towards him, crying sadly and fearfully: “I…I did it…while Auntie was asleep, I used…using the method my brother taught me…Waaah…But…will Auntie’s illness really get better this way?Waaah…will you be happy this way, brother? Waaah…I…I should be happy, right? But…brother, I’m so scared…I’m so scared…”

Later, the police arrived, and he finally escaped that cage. The demon that imprisoned him was no longer there. His parents found him, took good care of him, and helped him resolve everything.

The almost impossible murder was ruled a home invasion by bandits and became an unsolved case. He was innocent, and even his past of being kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured was completely erased.

He has the unparalleled love of his parents, a dazzling family background, a bright and promising future, and a long and wonderful life ahead of him.

Aside from having a phobia of women and experiencing a physiological aversion to being touched by them, there don’t seem to be any other aftereffects.

He went to see Tao Ruan.

Tao Ruan’s seriously ill mother had to get out of her hospital bed to take care of her daughter again. But Tao Ruan seemed to finally understand the meaning of blood and murder. She refused to eat or drink, cried her heart out, and choked up whenever she saw him, constantly murmuring, “I killed my aunt… I killed my aunt…”

Tao Ruan began to fall ill, suffering from recurring fevers and trapped in inescapable nightmares. Each time he visited her, her condition worsened and became increasingly difficult.

Tao Ruan’s mother, dragging her ailing body, came to stop him, her eyes filled with heartbreaking sorrow.

“Xiaozhou, I know you’re a good kid. Thank you for the help your family has given me and Xiaoruan. My days are numbered, and I don’t have any relatives around me. I’m afraid I’ll have to entrust Xiaoruan to your care.”

Little Gu Zhizhou straightened his back and assured her, “I will, I will take good care of her.”

“Don’t hate her. It was her aunt’s mistake that had nothing to do with her.”

Gu Zhizhou said, “How could I possibly hate her?”

“Whenever Xiaoruan sees you, she will think of that mistake and fall into endless pain. Xiaozhou, if you don’t hate her, then don’t come looking for her anymore. With your family’s abilities, you can definitely find her a good adoptive family. When that happens, stay far away from her and never see her again in this lifetime.”

Gu Zhizhou’s tears fell to the ground. He lowered his head and promised, “Okay.”

Two days later, Tao Ruan’s mother passed away. The expensive medical equipment and top-notch medical team could not save her, and she eventually left Tao Ruan forever.

Tao Ruan was still running a high fever and having recurring nightmares. After Gu Zhizhou refrained from visiting her, she did improve. After being sick on and off for another half a month, Tao Ruan finally recovered completely.

When she woke up, she forgot the nightmare, forgot everything that happened that summer, forgot the woman, and forgot Gu Zhizhou.

“Little friend, what do you think?”

“How did I get here… Who am I?”

Through the door, Gu Zhizhou listened to Tao Ruan’s conversation with the doctor. The girl had forgotten everything, as if this was the best arrangement.

Later, Tao Ruan gradually remembered some things, such as that her name was Tao Ruan, her mother’s surname was Bai, and that she had passed away from a serious illness not long ago. Her home was in a small town in the north where poplar trees formed a forest, with snow in winter and lush green trees in summer.

Later, Gu Zhizhou did not go to see Tao Ruan. His family found a suitable family for Tao Ruan. The man’s surname was Tao, his family was from the north, and he had good character and personality. His deceased wife’s surname was also Bai. His new girlfriend was gentle and virtuous and would be a good mother.

Tao Ruan went to her new home, and her life was free of pain and gloom, beginning a brand new and bright life.

Gu Zhizhou, however, did not forget her.

As a child, his thoughts were not about love, but about an unspeakable sense of guilt and longing. He remembered his promise to Tao Ruan’s mother. He didn’t go to Tao Ruan’s side or meet her, but he kept secretly observing her life. At that time, he simply hoped that Tao Ruan was doing well.

Later, the girl grew into a beautiful and graceful young woman. He didn’t know when he fell in love with her, and by the time he realized it, he could no longer take his eyes off her.

They agreed never to see each other again, but he still used tricks to bring the girl to the city where he lived. He said he would stay away from her, but he couldn’t help but appear in front of her, approach her, hug her, and pin her down, completely possessing her.

He couldn’t let go.

…

“Ruan Ruan,” on this afternoon many years later, Gu Zhizhou held the crying girl in his arms, his heart filled with countless emotions, but he still only said to her, “I’m sorry… I love you.”