Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 139: Violence
“I-I need to use the restroom.” Kuang Jinxin lied for the first time, facing the “concerned” look of Chi Yingxue’s father.
A voice, both familiar and strange, gathered slowly in his heart, constantly telling him—run, Xiao Sijin. Run quickly!
The sweet scent of oranges returned.
“The restroom? Of course.” Chi Yingxue’s father turned back and took Kuang Jinxin’s hand. His eyes were gentle, with kindly wrinkles at the corners. “There’s one in the room ahead. You sit there, and I’ll go call Chi Yingxue for you.”
Without waiting for Kuang Jinxin to speak again, he strode forward, firmly leading him towards a room around the corner.
His hands were large and powerful, firmly holding Kuang Jinxin’s hands. At first glance, it was like what was sung in a family animation: big hands leading small hands, conveying a kind of familial warmth.
But only Kuang Jinxin could feel the oppressive force in that grip, almost forcibly guiding him to the room. When he tried to subtly pull his hand away, the grip only tightened.
“Uncle Chi… Uncle Chi, you don’t need to do this. I can just follow you…” Kuang Jinxin hinted politely for the man to let go, but the man, looking straight ahead, seemed to ignore his words.
The dim moonlight cast a shadow over his face, giving him an unavoidably gloomy appearance, even without a frown.
Kuang Jinxin thought of his primary school second-grade teacher.
She was a woman with a short fuse, unable to control her emotions, which would often explode over trivial matters. The students, who didn’t understand these nuances, simply knew that anything could trigger her rage, and so they nicknamed her “Explosive Barrel”.
When “Explosive Barrel” exploded, some students would inevitably suffer—either standing in the corridor as punishment, being slapped with a notebook, or even being hit with a ruler or cane.
Kuang Jinxin, always obedient and mistake-free, never suffered punishment and hence wasn’t afraid of her. Back then, they didn’t understand concepts like corporal punishment, believing that teachers were absolute authorities and that those who erred deserved punishment.
Until once, he brought a small pack of tea leaves to school. He had helped his grandparents roast the tea and brought some to school. One day, caught by “Explosive Barrel” for being distracted, she dragged him to the corridor, threw the tea leaves at his face, and screamed at him when he tried to pick them up. She then slapped him several times, pinching him wherever it hurt.
That was the first time Kuang Jinxin felt real fear—more terrifying than any childhood monster. He still remembered her red nail polish.
There were so many beautiful reds in his childhood—flowers, maple leaves, colored pencils, hawthorn cakes… but the one that truly left an imprint was this shade.
The sound of the door being pushed open brought Kuang Jinxin back to the present.
Chi Yingxue’s father had brought him into a room that resembled the front courtyard’s reception room. The room had a sofa and coffee table in the center, some green plants in the corner, a bookshelf, and a cabinet against the wall.
The dim light made every piece of furniture look like mere outlines. But upon closer inspection, Kuang Jinxin noticed the black leather sofa, the modern stone coffee table, and the traditional Chinese rosewood bookshelf and cabinet, creating an eerie and disjointed atmosphere.
“Sit.” Chi Yingxue’s father finally let go of his hand, politely asking Kuang Jinxin to sit.
Kuang Jinxin stood by the door, not moving. He looked at the other party blankly and asked, “Where is the restroom?”
Chi Yingxue’s father had mentioned there was a restroom in the room, but Kuang Jinxin couldn’t see any door that might lead to a restroom.
The man, as if not hearing his question, repeated, “Sit.”
This time, his tone had shifted from polite to a subtle command.
Kuang Jinxin felt a tightness in his throat, and panic was setting in. The overwhelming pressure made him almost afraid to meet the man’s gaze again.
He couldn’t describe the feeling—it was like being under a high-voltage electric net, intimidating and coercing him to follow a set path.
Swallowing hard, he steeled himself to walk over to the sofa and slowly sat down.
“That’s right.” The man smiled satisfactorily. “Good children should listen to adults.”
“I’ll go find Chi Yingxue.” The man turned and walked to the door. Before closing it, he reminded in a low voice, “Stay here and don’t wander off.”
The door slowly closed.
There was no sound of footsteps outside.
Kuang Jinxin sat on the sofa, breathing shallowly. His palms were sweaty, and his back was stiff. He dared not move.
After a while, footsteps finally sounded, gradually fading until they disappeared.
Kuang Jinxin relaxed, feeling as if he had just run a marathon, completely drained.
But soon, he gathered his energy again, listening carefully to ensure there was no sound outside before quietly getting up and tiptoeing to the door.
He had to run. Why? He didn’t know. He just knew that if there were a hundred ways to find Chi Yingxue, going through his father was definitely not a good one.
Without clear reasons but willing to trust his sixth sense, he cautiously peeked through the door crack. The corridor was empty.
The clouds seemed to have thinned, and the moonlight shone brighter on the columns.
Kuang Jinxin touched the door, gently and carefully pushing it open so quietly that the hinges made no sound.
He carefully controlled the speed until the door was open about 30 degrees, wide enough for a person to pass through. Then, holding his breath, he sidestepped through the threshold.
He didn’t dare to move too fast or too large, moving in slow motion as if in a movie, until he was completely outside. Then he gently closed the door.
Exhaling a long, silent breath against the door, he gathered his strength, turned around, and was about to run when…
“Where are you going?”
The gentle, almost doting question froze Kuang Jinxin in his tracks, halting his movement.
Chi Yingxue’s father stood right in front of him, appearing out of nowhere. He wasn’t there when the door was opened, but in the brief moment of turning around to close it, he appeared, silent and ghostlike. Against the moonlight, his face was shrouded in shadows, with only a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, chillingly real.
“I told you to wait here and not to wander off.” The man lowered his head slightly and stared at Kuang Jinxin. The warmth in his voice didn’t reach his cold eyes.
“I came out… out to find the restroom.” Kuang Jinxin couldn’t think of anything else to say. His mind was in turmoil—panic and fear mingling with an indescribable sense of oppression, causing his thoughts to short-circuit.
“Shh.” Chi Yingxue’s father gently shook his head. “Don’t make excuses for your mistake.”
“Wait, Uncle Chi… This-this is too strange,” Kuang Jinxin forced a stiff smile. “I am a guest in your house, aren’t I? Since when do you punish guests…”
Chi Ying Xue’s father’s smile gradually faded, and soon, even the slight pretense of gentleness dissipated.
“Mistakes must be punished,” he stated firmly, as if announcing an unchallengeable edict. “Talking back to adults or making excuses adds to the offense.”
Kuang Jinxin looked at his face turning sinister in the moonlight and finally understood that further words were futile.
He suddenly pushed the middle-aged man with all his might!
Taking advantage of the man’s momentary unpreparedness, Kuang Jinxin turned and ran to the left!
He didn’t know where the corridor on the left led; only that, it seemed endless, surely far enough for him to escape the danger zone!
But after just two steps, he felt a sharp pain on his scalp—someone had grabbed his hair tightly, brutally and fiercely!
The next second, he was yanked back by an immense force!
Chi Yingxue’s father, still holding his hair, forced him to raise his face, and with his other hand, he slapped Kuang Jinxin hard across the face!
Kuang Jinxin’s head buzzed, and his vision blurred.
This sudden violence seemed without reason, yet not unexpected. At that moment, he felt as if he were back in the corridor of his second-grade primary school.
His teacher slapped him while he cried and admitted his mistake, not daring to move.
The man slapped him a second time.
The force was unreserved, as if intending to kill him with the blows.
However, paradoxically, this slap woke Kuang Jinxin up.
He was grateful that he was no longer a child; he had grown up. He was no longer frail and would never cry and admit fault while forgetting to resist!
As the third slap came with a fierce wind, Kuang Jinxin suddenly grabbed the man’s hand and bit hard into the base of his thumb!
In such a situation, he couldn’t even think about using stationery; it was a desperate struggle!
“Ah!” The man inhaled sharply in pain, pulling back his hand, and as he did, his other hand holding Kuang Jinxin’s hair loosened.
Kuang Jinxin seized the opportunity, ducking and using his head to forcefully hit the man’s chest!
The man’s face changed color for a moment, and his body was uncontrollably staggering backward.
Kuang Jinxin took the chance to run toward the left corridor, into the depths!
This time, he succeeded, running dozens of meters without being stopped!
He didn’t dare to look back; he just ran as fast as he could, almost out of breath with a metallic taste still in his mouth!
But he didn’t slow down, even picking up speed!
Ahead, a new room appeared, its door slightly ajar, leaving about an inch of dark gap.
In a split second, Kuang Jinxin had to choose between “simply passing by” and “hiding in the room”—he refused any static space, feeling safe only while running!
As he passed by the door, unexpectedly, something white, like a line, shot out from the gap, wrapping tightly around his neck in a flash!
Kuang Jinxin felt a sharp pain in his neck, as if strangled by a steel wire. Continuing to run would surely decapitate him!
He braked urgently, nearly losing balance. Just as he steadied himself, he immediately reached for the white line in the door gap!
It wasn’t wire or rope, but plastic, like the strapping bands used in stores or factories. Unlike rope, once the sharp end of these bands passed through the small square slot, it was irrevocably locked, only tightening further—impossible to loosen!
Kuang Jinxin, gritting his teeth, struggled against the force pulling from inside the room, desperately searching for stationery to cut it. But before he could find one, a strong pull from inside sent him crashing through the door!
Before he could get up and see the pitch-black room, his arm was grabbed and twisted behind his back!
Kuang Jinxin felt excruciating pain in his shoulder, and the next moment, he heard the tightening sound of the strapping band—his hands were bound behind his back.
Then his feet were bound too.
The plastic bands were tightly wrapped around his ankles, almost cutting into his flesh.
Once he was completely immobilized, the person behind him finally stopped.
Kuang Jinxin struggled to look back and saw Chi Yingxue’s father.
The man’s face was no longer masked by a pretense of kindness; it was cold as ice, a stark contrast to his violent actions.
His voice was calm, and it was quite chilling. “I won’t criticize you, because criticism is useless.” His gaze suddenly softened to a cruel tenderness. “Mistakes must be reflected upon by oneself.”
After speaking, he grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s hair and dragged him to the wall. With a forceful push, a small section of the wall slid open to reveal a tiny space, like a secret cupboard too small for even two blankets, resembling a hidden nook.
Kuang Jinxin didn’t know what he intended; he only sensed imminent danger. “You can’t do this. It’s illegal!”
The man laughed, genuinely this time, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.
“How is educating my son illegal?” His retort was innocent yet self-evident.
Kuang Jinxin froze, then realized. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your son…”
Before he could finish, he was forcefully stuffed into the nook!
The space was so small that Kuang Jinxin was contorted, while the man was still pushing his legs inside, causing excruciating pain.
Finally, he was completely inside, like a helpless pig crammed into a slaughter pen.
The man dusted off his suit, straightened the wrinkles, and adjusted his expensive cufflinks before turning back to Kuang Jinxin, casually announcing the rules. “You can come out once you’ve reflected enough.”
“I know I was wrong!” Kuang Jinxin immediately conceded, resisting when necessary but knowing confrontation wasn’t wise in this situation. “I know I was wrong. I am deeply reflecting, really!”
The man remained unmoved, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority. “I will decide when you have reflected enough.”
“Click!”
The nook was mercilessly closed.
Kuang Jinxin, with keen ears, caught the tiny “click” of the lock engaging.
The world went completely dark.
The suffocating darkness in this tiny space with barely a crack engulfed Kuang Jinxin like a flood.
He wasn’t afraid of the dark.
But having experienced fear, violence, and pain, this enclosed darkness could easily be the last straw to break him.
Of course, he wouldn’t break. He had companions, friends, family, and classmates; he knew it was just a challenge and that all the darkness and pain would eventually pass with time.
But what about Chi Yingxue?
What about the young, helpless Chi Yingxue, who had only his family to rely on?
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