CHAPTER 121: XIAOBAO’S LIFE 1

AN: Taking a break tomorrow. I will be back the day after. Happy reading.

Jian Ci sighed, the excitement of the long weekend gone. He didn’t even feel like going shopping anymore, though he had planned to take Yu Xi. He turned toward the dorm, intending on finding Yu Xi. His steps were steady, his mind already drifting toward how he was going to sulk when he finds him, when a voice called out behind him.

"Team leader, are you heading home already?" Alarna’s breathless tone carried as she jogged up to him.

Jian Ci paused, his expression unreadable. "Not sure yet," he replied.

Alarna smiled, seizing the moment. "I didn’t know that Yu Xi had such a pretty girlfriend."

She thought she had found her opening. Yu Xi wasn’t glued to Jian Ci’s side for once, and she believed this was her chance. What she didn’t realize was that it was Jian Ci who clung to Yu Xi, not the other way around.

"Do you need something?" Jian Ci asked, his voice cool.

Alarna hesitated, realizing she had touched a nerve. Yu Xi was Jian Ci’s bottom line, and mentioning him was dangerous. She quickly shifted. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Jian Ci didn’t even register the words. "No. I’m going home," he said flatly. He added, "Have a nice weekend," before walking away without looking back.

It wasn’t the first time someone had pursued him, and it wasn’t the first time he had said no. For Jian Ci, such encounters were routine, and his refusal was as natural as breathing.

Alarna stood frozen, her eyes wide at his abrupt dismissal. Jian Ci’s reputation preceded him, he was infamous for being cold-hearted when it came to people pursuing him. Still, she hadn’t expected him to be this heartless.

Yet, instead of discouraging her, Alarna smiled faintly. This was exactly the kind of man she wanted. Jian Ci didn’t have wandering eyes, and though he was cold, she knew that once he fell in love, he would be utterly devoted. Why would she quit now? She was just getting started.

Meanwhile, Jian Ci had no idea he was being plotted against. He rushed into the dorm room, opening the door with a sense of urgency. "Little Xi?" he called out, his voice echoing softly. But Yu Xi wasn’t there.

Jian Ci sighed, his disappointment weighing on him. He sat down on Yu Xi’s bed, folding his arms across his chest before lying back. His whisper was almost inaudible. "Where are you?"

Far away, Yu Xi sat in a luxurious condo on the elite side of the city. The polished floors and towering windows reflected wealth and power. He turned to Xiaobao, his expression serious. "Xiaobao, tell me what’s going on."

Xiaobao’s voice was soft but insistent. "Brother, take a seat. Don’t act like a stranger, this is our home." She moved quickly, placing a chilled glass in front of him. The faint sweetness of peach iced tea filled the air. "You said Mum liked this, and that one day you wanted to try it."

Yu Xi accepted the drink, his fingers brushing against the cool glass before he sat down. The taste was delicate, almost nostalgic, though he had never tried it before. Xiaobao settled beside him, her eyes searching his face. "Xi-ge... did he hurt you?"

Yu Xi didn’t need her to name him. He knew exactly who she meant. Gander. The tormentor who had tortured him every day, leaving scars that still marked his body. The pain had been tremendous, unbearable at times, but Yu Xi would endure it all again if it meant Xiaobao remained safe.

"He did nothing he had never done before," Yu Xi said quietly.

Xiaobao’s eyes filled with tears. "Xi-ge, don’t lie to me."

Yu Xi stroked her hair gently, his voice steady. "That’s all in the past."

She leaned against his shoulder, her gaze drifting into the distance. She could only imagine the suffering he had endured.

Yu Xi’s tone shifted, heavy with concern. "What happened when you left the tunnels?"

At the memory, Xiaobao’s tears spilled uncontrollably, her body trembling as the weight of those days pressed down on her once more.

***

Back then, Xiaobao crawled out of the tunnels, his body battered and bruised. His skinny legs trembled beneath him, barely able to hold his weight. Every scrape and cut burned, but he couldn’t afford to stop. He couldn’t let his brother’s sacrifice be wasted.

The city above was filthy, run down, its streets littered with broken glass and shadows that seemed alive. Xiaobao forced himself forward, running as fast as his frail body would allow.

He darted through alleys, hid in corners, and crawled when his legs gave out. His father’s men were hunting him, he could feel their presence like wolves circling prey.

Eventually, his body failed him. Exhausted, Xiaobao collapsed into a pile of garbage, the stench overwhelming but offering cover. Rain began to pour, heavy and relentless, soaking him through. He hugged his knees tightly, tears streaming down his face.

In his hands, he clutched the pendant Yu Xi had given him. His brother’s voice echoed in his mind: This will get you rescued. But was it true? Was he far enough?

After agonizing hesitation, Xiaobao bit his finger until blood welled up, dripping onto the pendant. His heart raced with excitement and fear. If it worked, maybe he could return, maybe he could help Yu Xi.

But nothing happened. The pendant remained cold, lifeless. Xiaobao’s hope crumbled. Alone, trembling, and crying, he thought bitterly that their mother had lied to Yu Xi just to give him hope that one day they could escape that hell. And now, he was left with nothing but despair and the storm’s cruel embrace.

Xiaobao didn’t know how he survived the next few days. His stomach twisted with hunger, his lips cracked from thirst, and the high radiation sun scorched his skin until it felt like fire. Each step was agony, but he kept moving, driven only by the thought of his brother’s sacrifice. Somehow, through begging and hitchhiking, he managed to reach a small town.

The streets were cruel. He begged for food, but instead of kindness, fists and insults met him. He was beaten until his body was black and blue, spat on, and called names that cut deeper than the blows. At last, when he thought he would die there on the street, a shadow fell over him.

A tall woman stood before him, her long silver hair gleaming, lashes thick and dark. She wore a flowing white robe, and in Xiaobao’s delirium, she looked like the angel his brother had once described. Trembling, he reached out to her hand.