Chapter 30: Am I Not as Good as the Wild Men Outside?
Shen Yuan ran, gasping for breath. His cheeks were flushed crimson, his legs felt like jelly, and his throat burned as if it had been scorched by fire.
The manor was massive. Relying on his memory, he navigated past the rows of villas, sprinting for a full thirty minutes.
Usually, walking through the manor alone felt like being in a maze where he could never find the exit. But today, for some reason, he was able to identify the correct direction at a glance.
Perhaps it was because he wanted to escape this agonizing life so desperately that he was no longer as dull as before. He knew that taking the small paths was the safest and quickest way to flee.
These were things he had secretly observed on television, and the little fool had kept them firmly etched in his mind.
Just as Shen Yuan escaped the residential area and prepared to run toward the main gate, two servants carrying hedge shears suddenly walked toward him. Greatly alarmed, he immediately skidded to a halt.
If he were discovered running toward the gate, he would be finished! The servants would definitely go and report it to Mister Yu!
Two years ago, Yu Xiuqing had ordered all the servants in the manor never to let him near the main gate.
Shen Yuan was so anxious he was on the verge of tears. His clear eyes reflected the two servants who were chatting and laughing up ahead.
Trembling all over in fear, he turned his head to scan his surroundings, desperately hoping to find a hiding place.
Suddenly, he spotted a cluster of thick flower bushes a few steps away. Although the branches and leaves were dense and a bit cramped, they could still provide a meager hiding spot.
Without hesitation, he rushed over, his small frame carefully burrowing into the mass of tangled weeds and shrubs.
Just as he hid himself, the two servants reached the spot where he had been standing moments before.
Shen Yuan held his breath, covering his mouth with his small hands. He didn’t dare breathe, and his palms were slick with cold sweat from the tension.
He could even hear the frantic, irregular thumping of his own heart.
If he were found, it would undoubtedly mean certain death!
Xiansheng would definitely not let him off!
At the thought of this, Shen Yuan didn’t dare move an inch. His body was stiff, and tears swirled in his eyes.
He prayed that the two servants would leave quickly.
But heaven did not grant his wish. Through the dense branches, Shen Yuan could see those two pairs of shoes stop right in front of the bushes, only centimeters away from him!
He felt as if his heart was going to leap out of his throat!
The servants did not discover Shen Yuan’s presence.
Clearly, they were here to prune the bushes.
“Did you hear? Yu Shao’s true white moonlight has already moved into the manor. They’re so affectionate. Yu Shao even gave Su Xiansheng a sea-view villa worth millions!”
One of the voices exclaimed in surprise.
The other servant chimed in, “Is that substitute, Shen Yuan, being discarded now? I told you, Yu Shao was just playing around with something he bought. That fool even acted arrogant because of the favor he received. He’s learning how hard the fall is now, isn’t he?”
Hearing these words, Shen Yuan felt a wave of bitterness. His nose tingled, and he lowered his eyes dejectedly.
He hadn’t acted arrogant… they were spreading rumors…
He had always been very good, very obedient…
Suddenly, a “snip” from the bushes above pulled him back from his messy thoughts of sadness.
The little fool had almost forgotten that he was still hiding in the bushes. If the servants pruned everything away, he would definitely be seen!
What should he do?!
In his anxiety, his nose suddenly felt itchy. Some falling pollen drifted straight into his nostrils, and an urge to sneeze surged into his head.
Shen Yuan covered his mouth tightly, struggling with all his might to restrain it. His small face turned beet red, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
It was over…
He couldn’t hold it in much longer…
Was his first escape attempt going to fail like this…
Just as he was about to sneeze, Butler Wu’s furious voice suddenly rang out from outside the bushes: “Have you seen where that fool ran off to?! He’s missing!”
“Missing?!” the servants asked in shock.
They knew all too well that if Shen Yuan escaped, they would be tortured to death by the cold-blooded Yu Shao!
Uncle Wu was sweating profusely from anxiety. “What are you standing around for? Go look for him! Do you want to die?!”
The servants immediately dropped their shears and ran to find him.
Shen Yuan could still see those black leather shoes pacing back and forth outside. Uncle Wu hadn’t left yet and was cursing incessantly:
“He must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall! That dead idiot actually dared to slip away while I wasn’t looking! Just wait until I catch him—I’ll strangle him!”
Shen Yuan’s pupils shrank. He bit his tongue hard, not daring to make a single sound, feeling utterly hopeless.
Fortunately, the butler did not linger. He failed to notice the slightly shivering bushes and hurried away.
Hearing the footsteps fading into the distance, Shen Yuan finally reached his limit.
He quickly crawled out of the bushes, collapsing onto the ground from sheer fright. He sneezed one after another; though the sounds were soft, they left him dizzy and lightheaded.
To prevent Uncle Wu from returning, Shen Yuan didn’t dare linger. He patted his trousers with his small hands and stood up, hunching over.
He couldn’t care about his messy hair or the leaves and grass stuck to his head. His eyes were fixed only on the open main gate in the distance. He moved his trembling legs and ran with all his might.
Because it was his first time escaping, the little fool was so nervous that he forgot the rabbit doll he had retrieved from the trash was still abandoned in the storage room.
But having finally made it this far, he really didn’t dare turn back. He would be beaten even more severely!
Uncle Wu had just said he was going to strangle him…
Shen Yuan’s face was ashen, his eyes brimming with tears. He could only keep apologizing to the little rabbit in his heart.
Terrified that someone would notice his escape, he kept looking behind him, his nerves stretched to the breaking point.
The next second, because he wasn’t paying attention, Shen Yuan crashed head-on into a solid, broad chest!
A familiar scent of cold fir wood suddenly hit his nose. Before he could react, he landed on his bottom on the hard ground, his pink nose aching from the impact.
“Hiss…”
The youth clutched his forehead, bracing his hands on the ground.
He was clearly dazed by the sudden pain. His obsidian-like eyes revealed a trace of confusion and innocence, looking as harmless and adorable as a newborn baby.
Then, a cold, deep voice drifted down from above: “Hmm? Where are you trying to run to?”
Shen Yuan’s heart jolted violently, and a more intense fear rose within him. He tremblingly looked up, his gaze landing on the man’s sharp-angled face, which was thick with suppressed rage.
It… it was Mister Yu!
His eyes were filled with terror, and his cherry lips parted slightly, but he couldn’t say a single word. The arms supporting him on the ground shook uncontrollably.
Yu Xiuqing slowly turned his thumb ring, bending his long legs as his combat boot stepped down beside the youth.
He propped one elbow on his knee, leaning down to look at the deathly pale little bundle. His deep, narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a dangerous aura. He spoke coldly:
“I said you were not permitted to approach the gate.”
Having been caught red-handed by the man while escaping, Shen Yuan buried his head very low. He shrunk his body in panic and stammered, “I… I… didn’t…”
He could feel his cheeks burning, and his heart was thumping so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
This tense atmosphere made him feel like he was about to suffocate!
Yu Xiuqing used his other hand to pinch the youth’s chin, forcing him to look up. He asked in a sinister tone:
“Does Yuanyuan want to run away? Or rather, does Yuanyuan want to find that man named Zhou Xuyan to sleep with?”
He looked down indifferently at the youth collapsed before him. His gaze was deep and dark, like an ancient well—terrifyingly calm, yet faintly emitting a ghastly murderous intent.
In Shen Yuan’s eyes, this scene looked like the end of the world. It made him shiver all over, and he even forgot how to cry.
The man’s lips were pressed into a tight line, his thin, cold features taut with rage. He spoke word by word: “Answer me!”
Shen Yuan flinched in fright, his jaw aching from the pinch. Shivering words were squeezed through his teeth: “No… it’s not like that… I… I only want to leave this place…”
“Leave?”
Yu Xiuqing let out a soft sneer, his smile full of mockery. The veins on the hand pinching the youth’s chin bulged, and a mad, distorted look flashed in his eyes. He said deeply:
“You are a thing I bought with money. Even if you die, your corpse will always be mine. Without my permission, don’t dream of taking a single step out of this manor for the rest of your life.”
Hearing that he would have to endure torture here for a lifetime, Shen Yuan felt as if a giant boulder had crashed onto his chest. His heart turned to ash, and broken tears shimmered in his eyes.
His lips were deathly white. Shaking his head in disbelief, he lifted fingers still stained with dried blood and grabbed the man’s trouser leg. He could no longer restrain his weeping; all his emotions erupted in an instant.
“No, don’t! Xiansheng, I beg you… I beg you, let me go, let me go… I don’t want to be bullied here! I’m in so much pain… I want to leave…”
The youth cried heart-wrenchingly, looking like a piteous, helpless little kitten.
Yu Xiuqing couldn’t help but reach out, gently stroking the youth’s tear-streaked cheek, yet no heartache could be seen in his expression.
A slight curve appeared on his lips, like a king in control of everything. His military-green trench coat rustled in the wind, but his gaze revealed a thick sadness as he said:
“Be good. Why are you crying? Am I not good enough to you? Am I really not as good as those wild men outside? You would even risk being discovered by me just to elope with a man secretly. I am so jealous, Shen Yuan. You’ve truly broken my heart.”
Shen Yuan’s body went rigid for a moment. He stopped sobbing, nearly becoming bewitched by the man’s unpredictable emotions. But he immediately glared at him fiercely, saying angrily:
“You… you aren’t the Mister Yu who was good to me anymore! Go away! I don’t want you anymore!”
He blurted out the sentence in one breath. Even though he raised his voice to bolster his courage, he couldn’t hide the cowardice and grievance in his watery eyes.
Seeing that the youth seemed to have returned to that easily-provoked state from two years ago, Yu Xiuqing’s expression turned displeased. He had no mood or patience to continue “taming” him.
“It’s not up to you.”
Yu Xiuqing coldly spat out those words. With one hand, he directly hoisted the youth up, slung him over his shoulder, and walked toward the villa.
“Ah!”
The sudden suspension made Shen Yuan scream. He instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around the man’s neck, but his legs still kicked wildly in mid-air as he wailed:
“Let… let me down, waah … Xi… Xiansheng, I’m afraid of heights, I really am! I’m going to fall, waah …”
“Move again, and I’ll shatter your internal organs!”
The man warned in an impatient, cold voice.
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