Chapter 40#
Jian Yunchen. Don’t be afraid.#
The sound of water gradually ceased, Qin Mu turned off the faucet and shook the water droplets from his hands.
77, who had been forced into the small dark room, reappeared:
[Host! The villain is faking it; no one drugged him. This is all his own doing.]
Qin Mu pulled out a tissue, the remaining water droplets soaked the tissue. He glanced at 77 and replied indifferently, “I know.”
[…]
77’s blue light flashed, and it dutifully reminded: [According to the original plot, after the villain is recognized, he will begin to seduce the male lead. Host, you must be careful not to be misled by the villain.]
Qin Mu walked out. A faint light from the bathroom made the room a little more visible. A figure was curled up by the bed, hidden under a milky white quilt.
He listened to 77’s emotionless words and let out a deep “oh.”
“You can go back now.”
77:?
[Go where?]
Qin Mu glanced at it indifferently, reached into the quilt, and grabbed the ankle of the person underneath. Jian Yunchen shivered and almost kicked him.
“The small dark room,” he replied.
[…]
“What do you want!” Jian Yunchen poked his head out of the quilt. His face was still red, but his eyes were much clearer. He reprimanded Qin Mu’s actions in a hoarse voice.
His pants, being dirty, were thrown on the floor. Qin Mu moved his hand up from the ankle, grasping his knee. “Why didn’t you wash up?”
Jian Yunchen’s face flushed, and he glared at Qin Mu: “I’ll go wash. You can leave.”
“You haven’t even put on your pants and you’re already disowning me?”
These words sounded very familiar.
The hand on his knee was not behaving. Jian Yunchen was tickled and couldn’t help but push his foot against Qin Mu’s shoulder, wanting him to move away: “Take your hand off, it tickles.”
“Oh…”
Qin Mu agreed readily, but his actions didn’t restrain at all; he even moved further up. Jian Yunchen’s knees were forced to curl up. His whole body was soft, and his legs were still weak. That vague memory constantly assaulted his self-esteem. Shame belatedly surged up. He assumed Qin Mu hadn’t had enough fun and spoke rudely: “Even if your whole heart is set on Jiang Yunhan, it’s useless. He won’t like you at all.”
Qin Mu pinched him, and the soft flesh on his thigh overflowed from between his fingers. He responded indifferently, his hand continuing to slide upwards.
Jian Yunchen quickly struggled, but Qin Mu bypassed him, his fingertips exploring his lower back.
That small patch of skin on his waist was rubbed red. The moment it was touched, the familiar warmth and sensation quickly ignited Jian Yunchen’s memories, and he involuntarily shivered.
Qin Mu didn’t linger, his fingertips continued to explore upwards.
Jian Yunchen’s expression froze, and the heat in his body began to cool.
The fingertips, still damp from the water, carried a slight chill as they traced his spine, touching the deepest scar.
Only then did Jian Yunchen understand the other’s intention.
He trembled all over, incredulous, and with an unknown surge of strength, began to struggle.
But he was held tightly in Qin Mu’s arms, enveloped in a warm and firm embrace. His vision was covered, and only Qin Mu’s scent surrounded him. Qin Mu lay beside him, holding him tightly, his hand still slowly sliding down that scar.
It was deep and long, and he didn’t know how it had formed or how much time had passed to make it look the way it did now.
Jian Yunchen began to tremble. He huddled in Qin Mu’s arms, his fingertips clutching the fabric on Qin Mu’s back until his knuckles turned white. His voice trembled, his words incoherent, rambling “no"s.
Qin Mu’s eyes deepened, and his gentle tone was like a soothing whisper: “Don’t be afraid. Tell me, how did this happen?”
“Don’t…” Jian Yunchen pleaded, burying himself in Qin Mu’s embrace. Memories began to resurface with the touch. He felt like he was thrown back to his childhood, only able to helplessly cling to the person in front of him.
“Be good. Tell me.” Qin Mu coaxed softly, gently stroking the deepest scar on his back.
“Qin Mu… Qin Mu…” Jian Yunchen’s voice was already tinged with a sob. He clung to Qin Mu as if to a life raft, not even considering that escaping Qin Mu would free him from confronting those unbearable memories.
Qin Mu sighed softly. With his other hand, he cupped Jian Yunchen’s face, his thumb wiping away the dampness from the corner of his eye. He lowered his head slightly, his lips brushing Jian Yunchen’s slightly warm eyelids. He lifted his face, his eyes quietly looking at him, “Jian Yunchen.”
Jian Yunchen slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry, tears streaming down and wetting Qin Mu’s hand.
“Don’t be afraid, tell me.”
“He hit me…”
“Qin Mu, it hurts so much…”
Jian Yunchen burrowed back into Qin Mu’s embrace, sobbing softly.
Jian Xin was initially very good to him, truly very good.
Although their family wasn’t wealthy, she still gave Jian Yunchen everything within their means.
When he received praise from his teacher, she would gently stroke his head and happily say, “Tonight we’re having KFC.”
And when Jian Yunchen fought with his classmates, she would stand up for him.
Afterward, when asked why, Jian Yunchen replied that his classmates called him a fatherless bastard.
Jian Xin would righteously tell him.
“You’re not without a father. Your father loved you very much, but due to some unavoidable reasons, he couldn’t love you anymore.”
Little Jian Yunchen didn’t understand what “unavoidable” meant, so he asked, “Why?”
Jian Xin replied, “Because he died.”
Jian Yunchen was sad for a while but quickly accepted this explanation. His father was dead, but he still had his mother.
But later, his mother changed.
It started when his uncle from the countryside came to the city to live with her. Jian Jinbao was the only son in the family, spoiled by his parents and indulged by his sister since childhood, which made him the way he was now.
He came to the city, didn’t work properly, and relied on Jian Xin to support him. He met a group of shady friends somewhere and brought them home.
That person took a liking to his mother.
Later, somehow, he drugged Jian Xin’s water.
And so, Jian Xin naturally became addicted.
As for that scar.
One time, when Jian Xin was having withdrawals, Jian Yunchen cried and took all the money from home, wanting to take her to the hospital, but Jian Jinbao found out.
It didn’t take much strength to deal with a child. One cane strike, and Jian Yunchen immediately knelt on the ground, bleeding profusely.
After that, Jian Xin rarely had clear moments, always oscillating between addiction and madness. To help her quit, Jian Yunchen tried many methods, all of which failed and left him with many more injuries.
Even Jian Xin became a reason for him to be bullied. The news of his mother’s addiction spread in high school, and children at that age could often express malice directly and fiercely. Seeing an excellent peer with an indelible stain, their laughter was malicious.
Even telling the teachers wouldn’t help.
Even adults knew that addiction was wrong.
Until later, he saw Jiang Yunhan.
Only then did he realize that the childhood phrase “he died” was just a joke.
He had a father.
He just didn’t love him.