Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Countryside Villa

When I was in the hospital, Shu Congxuan used to do things like this for me. Back then, I found him so endearing; I felt it was wonderful to be cared for. But now, with Luo Ange doing these same things for me, I feel nothing at all.

No, that is not true—I feel something. I hate him.

Every day, the doctor would tap something by my ear, while the nurse watched for my reaction and took notes. I showed no reaction at all. I am deaf, after all; what sort of response did they expect?

I began a hunger strike. I did not cry, I did not make a scene, I did not attempt suicide, and I did not become hysterical. I simply stopped eating. After two days, I finally saw Zhu Bang as I had hoped. I felt a spark of hope, but when I saw "Dragon Boy" standing behind him, the fire that had just ignited was instantly extinguished.

Dragon Boy did not care for me. He looked at me askance before turning to speak with Zhu Bang. They seemed to be arguing, and eventually, Dragon Boy shouted something in a fit of rage, grabbing Zhu Bang by the collar as if he intended to kill him. Zhu Bang glanced at me a few times, then nodded with a pained expression.

They brought me outside. As we walked into the courtyard, I suddenly felt afraid. Could they be planning to silence me? Given Dragon Boy’s hostile demeanor, it was entirely possible I would meet a premature end. I looked at Zhu Bang, and he gave me a smile—a rather ugly one.

A car pulled up. Dragon Boy told me to sit in the back, then sat down beside me. As Zhu Bang tried to get in, two men in black restrained him. He shouted something as they dragged him away. Realizing what was happening, I grabbed the car door to get out, but Dragon Boy hauled me back. The car sped off like an arrow from a bow. I struggled, and he roared something at me. Although I could not hear the sound, his sheer intensity frightened me into stillness.

He took out a piece of paper and held it in front of me, signaling me to read. I glanced at it; the gist was that Luo Ange was disappointed in a coarse village girl like me and had decided to send me away. I stared at him, blinking, until it finally dawned on me: Luo Ange was setting me free. I could leave the cage he had built for me; he could no longer threaten me.

Tears of surprise welled up in my eyes, but the next second, every hair on my body stood on end. Dragon Boy had disliked me from the very start. Could he really be so kind as to help me? Should I trust him?

The car drove on and on until it reached a secluded area. I suddenly felt lost; this place was entirely unfamiliar. Just as I wondered where we were, the driver slammed on the brakes. Caught off guard, I lunged forward and hit the back of the seat. Rubbing my forehead, I looked up to see three menacing off-road vehicles blocking our path.

Dragon Boy looked nervous, and I was terrified, assuming we had run into his enemies. I had previously suspected Dragon Boy of wanting to kill me, but the plot had twisted—now his enemies were here, and they would likely kill me along with him, perhaps feed me to the dogs, or worse.

The door of the closest car opened, and when Luo Ange’s face came into view, my heart began to hammer. He did not look well; his face was deathly pale, and he was gasping for breath as he walked, supported by Zhu Bang. As they approached, I searched for a way to escape. The best plan would be to take Dragon Boy hostage, but he was strong and sturdy—I was no match for him. Could I just run for it? But Luo Ange had brought so many men; how could I possibly escape?

Dragon Boy, who had been sitting in the car, suddenly got out and walked toward Luo Ange. He stood in the way, blocking my view of Luo Ange’s expression. However, I saw Dragon Boy holding up two fingers behind his back, making a running motion. He was telling me to run. I suddenly thought he looked much better than the actual "Dragon Boy" on television.

But man proposes, God disposes. Before I could even pull the door open, two men in black had already escorted me to Luo Ange. He turned to face me, but I averted my gaze from his narrow, peach-blossom eyes. Suddenly, I felt something on my face.

He was touching me. I trembled and tried to pull away, but he pulled me into his arms. I struggled, hitting, punching, and kicking him, but he held me in a vice-like grip, refusing to let me escape, all while patting my back.

What is that feeling? It is like being pushed into an abyss, fighting monsters, enduring suffering, and finally finding a vine to climb back up. You climb with frantic joy, day and night, for days on end. You are only a millimeter away from the top when someone appears and slices the rope with a knife.

And so, you fall back into the boundless void. All my efforts, in the face of this pervert, were like a stone sinking into the sea, not causing a single ripple. I truly had no strength left. Having not eaten for days, I had reached my limit. I bit down hard on Luo Ange’s shoulder, venting my resentment; I wanted to tear him to pieces.

He stood perfectly still, just patting my back. When I finished venting, he helped me up and reached to touch my face again, but I dodged him. He smiled weakly. Dragon Boy started to say something, but before he could finish, Luo Ange punched him. Dragon Boy looked utterly wronged, covering his face as he looked at me, not daring to speak.

After all, he had been hit because of me. How could I stand by? Luo Ange was being too much. I punched him in the chest, pointed at Dragon Boy, and let out a few sounds, then began to cry again. Luo Ange frowned. Zhu Bang and Dragon Boy tried to pull me away, but he raised his hand to stop them. I didn't even think about the fact that I had just hurt him; I just kept pounding my fists against his chest, crying all the while.

Finally, Dragon Boy held my shoulders, and I saw a faint stain of blood on Luo Ange’s chest. I thought I would feel vindicated seeing him like this—what was this minor injury compared to what I had suffered? But for some reason, I felt no joy, only a heavy blockage in my heart.

I shook off Dragon Boy and turned to leave, but after two steps, I was caught from behind. Luo Ange turned me around. Seeing me unable to stop crying, he said nothing, just gently wiped my tears and held me as we got into the car.

Once inside his sleek off-road vehicle, I sat by the window in a huff, ignoring him. He shamelessly pulled me into his arms, pressing his head against mine so I could not avoid him. I huffed in anger, realizing that this pervert not only loved to threaten me but also loved to break his promises. He had clearly told Dragon Boy to send me away, yet here he was, dragging me back. What a sinister, wicked villain.

Someone knocked on the window—it was Dragon Boy. He looked at us and said something, but Luo Ange didn't even glance at him, waving his hand for the driver to move. The driver sped off so quickly that if Dragon Boy hadn’t jumped aside, he would have been hit.

Exhausted, hungry, and in pain, I soon fell asleep in Luo Ange’s arms. His scent crept into my nose like tiny insects, making me feel ticklish, so I turned away from him. He pulled me back. I struggled, filled with hatred for him. After a few moments of resistance, he pinned me to the seat. The moment his lips pressed down on mine, every pore in my body shivered with terror.

I remembered that day at Lakeview Garden, when he forced me to do that disgusting thing. I felt sick. I tried to push him away, but he grabbed my hands, pinned my knees, and bit my tongue until it bled. I was left with no strength, forced to submit to his whims.

When we arrived at that vast estate, Luo Ange insisted on carrying me out of the car. At first, I feared he might reopen his wounds, but then I thought, he had made me suffer so much—what did it matter if he carried me? But when he actually held me, I regretted it. It wasn't the sight of the sweat on his forehead or his stoic expression that made me regret it; it was the line of servants at the entrance.

I could guess what they were thinking. Even I despised myself. *Yi Lanshan, didn’t you say you hated him? Didn’t you say you wanted to kill him? Didn’t you say you’d rather die than stay? Why are you being carried back without a shred of resistance? Tell me, are you pathetic?*

Luo Ange carried me straight upstairs. He placed me on the bed, and when I tried to sit up, he pushed me back down. Zhu Bang brought in some food. Seeing that bowl of Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, my tears started to flow again. I remembered saying once that I wanted to marry a man willing to travel mountains and rivers to bring me the most authentic Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles from Yunnan every day.

What a cruel joke.

Luo Ange picked up the bowl, but I kept my mouth shut, refusing to eat. He seemed to be talking to me, and a moment later, Zhu Bang held up a sign for me to read. It said: "Shu Congxuan is safe."

He was the person I cared about most. Knowing he was safe, I began to sob. After such a long, arduous ordeal, knowing he was unharmed made everything feel worth it.

Luo Ange set the bowl down, and Dragon Boy walked in. He approached me with a sheepish smile, but when Luo Ange glared at him, he immediately retracted the smile and bowed to me, likely as an apology. Zhu Bang wrote a note for me: Long Jue had acted on his own initiative to send me away; it was not Luo Ange’s wish.

So, the "Dragon Boy" was named Long Jue. I glanced at the pervert. *Hmph, do you really think I believe that?*

Perhaps sensing that someone was in the way, Luo Ange waved his hand, and Long Jue and Zhu Bang left. I was too exhausted and collapsed onto the bed to sleep, but the pervert grabbed me again. He said two words: "Take a bath."

Oh, right. For the past few days, I hadn't just been on a hunger strike; I had been on a "bath strike" too. After all this, covered in sweat, I must have been reeking.

I wrote on the paper: "Tell the servants to help me."

The pervert had no interest in bickering with me. He hoisted me up and carried me into the bathroom. My wounds had not yet healed; some were scarred, while others were still raw—especially the one on my forehead, which looked particularly hideous. They say that once a wound leaves a scar, it is hard to heal. Those were the visible ones, but who, other than me, knew anything about the scars on my heart?

The "bath" consisted of me sitting in the tub while Luo Ange wiped me down with a hot towel. Even though we had been intimate and he had bathed me before, in our current relationship, I felt awkward. He was very careful not to touch my wounds. After he finished wiping me down, he washed my hair, carried me back to bed, and dried it for me.

My stomach growled. I curled up under the covers, lacking even the strength to speak. He got up and left, returning shortly with a bowl of Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles. When he fed me, I stopped being difficult; I had to fill my stomach if I wanted to continue fighting him.