Chapter 113: The Outer District (2) part 1
“Fuck! This shitty place is weird, and the people are weird too. You clearly saved her.”
Shi Ye kicked the fat pig on the ground. “No, seriously, you saved her and gave her so much money, yet she dared to bite the hand that fed her?”
Although Wen Rong was somewhat perplexed, he calmly reminded Shi Ye, “Don’t just stand there, go pull her back quickly.”
Shi Ye choked, then bolted out the door.
A professional athlete’s speed was fast; before Xiaochun could even see anyone, she was grabbed, her mouth covered and neck held in a chokehold, and hauled back.
Xiaochun was scared out of her wits. No matter what Wen Rong said to her, she couldn’t listen. Left with no choice, the two had to tie her up, stuff a cloth in her mouth, and anxiously wait for the doctor to return.
The doctor had ridden a small tricycle to the hospital to buy medicine and didn’t return to the house until it was completely dark.
As soon as she entered, she smelled the thick scent of blood. Thinking Wen Rong’s stitches had burst, she rushed into the inner room.
“Careful.”
Wen Rong warned her, but it was a step too late. She stepped onto flesh, realized something was wrong, and quickly turned on the light.
Two fleshy corpses lay on the floor. Xiaochun was tied to a chair, a cloth stuffed in her mouth, making muffled sounds.
“Um…” Wen Rong tried to be as gentle as possible to avoid scaring Dr. Li like they had scared Xiaochun.
Dr. Li retreated in panic. “Don’t, don’t, don’t… kill me.”
“Listen to my explanation.”
Wen Rong pulled Shi Ye to stand as far away from Dr. Li as possible and described what had happened.
Only after listening did Dr. Li calm down. She then walked over and patted Xiaochun. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. They killed those people to save you. Auntie is here; they won’t kill you.”
Xiaochun looked at Dr. Li and cried incessantly through her gag. Helpless, Dr. Li had to pull Wen Rong and Shi Ye to the outer room first.
She had specifically gone to the hospital to buy anti-inflammatory drugs and some medicine for external injuries to prevent Wen Rong’s wound from worsening.
While enduring the pain of the medicine being applied, Wen Rong thanked her sincerely. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Dr. Li added, “Don’t blame Xiaochun. Poor kids are just like this. Knowledge has never given back to them, so they abandoned knowledge. Conscience has never given back to them, so they abandoned conscience. They live in a muddle, cowardly and afraid of trouble, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and without a firm stance. In short, they aren’t noble people.”
Just as Wen Rong was about to say he didn’t blame Xiaochun, Dr. Li continued, “Look at this place. Ten bucks is enough to make a woman open her legs. Pregnant, give birth, give birth and get pregnant again. If those men aren’t happy, beating them to death isn’t even considered a crime.”
“Every part of this place is helping you torture Xiaochun.”
Word by word, it poured into his ears, constricting his heart. The sour ache was unbearable, making it hard to even breathe.
Wen Rong subconsciously glanced at Shi Ye, who was also silenced by these words.
It shouldn’t be like this. He didn’t want to be in this state of helplessness right now.
Wen Rong asked, “Dr. Li, why don’t you and she want to go to the Inner District with me? I can help you go through the formal procedures.”
The wind blew in, causing the light bulb hanging overhead to sway on its wire, making a creaking sound.
“Ha.”
Dr. Li lowered her head and laughed, breaking the silence.
“Although there’s no internet in the Outer District, I occasionally hear them discussing you when I go to the hospital.”
Wen Rong: “They discuss me?”
“Not anything good. They say,”
“Mn.”
Probably similar to what the two men had discussed, Wen Rong thought.
“Wen Rong, you are too capable. Not everyone possesses such amazing talent as yours. Me, Xiaochun, we are all ordinary people. We grew up in a place like this since childhood. In the Inner District, we have no connections, no one to rely on, and haven’t learned their social skills. Even if we forcefully go there, we simply can’t integrate and will only fall into a huge disparity. Can you understand?”
“I…”
Wen Rong was tongue-tied.
In this moment, he suddenly understood what that lingering feeling in his heart was.
—Helplessness.
Senior Lin Qizheng and Senior Zhang Lin making new friends.
President Zhou being destined to die.
The pairs of eyes outside the wire fence.
They all made him feel helpless.
This helplessness was more of a compromise with fate.
This helplessness was particularly evident in Dr. Li.
While realizing this, he also felt a sting. Dr. Li might not have accused him of arrogance in her words, but Xiaochun’s life had fallen to this state; her thinking, her abilities had long been deeply affected by the harsh environment. When he persuaded Xiaochun to go to the Inner District, he unintentionally revealed an arrogance he wasn’t even aware of. Xiaochun must have seen him as the “why not eat meat porridge” fool mentioned in history books.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Wen Rong couldn’t help asking.
“Settle the remaining balance of the twenty thousand.”
“…”
“…”
The dim light fell on Wen Rong’s face, leaving a blurred shadow.
His unfocused eyes gathered light for the first time, like a light bulb reflected in water.
Shi Ye couldn’t help raising his hand to press on his shoulder, patting it in silent comfort, then said to Dr. Li, “Give me your transfer machine.”
Dr. Li took the transfer machine out of the drawer and handed it to Shi Ye. “Give me an extra five thousand, because I specifically borrowed a tricycle. Later, after the power cuts, you can ride it to the orphanage.”
Shi Ye paused in his actions. Dr. Li seemed to understand his thoughts and added, “The Mayor is still looking for you. Staying here too long isn’t good for me and Xiaochun either.”
“Those two people…”
“Leave them to me. As the only professional doctor within a hundred miles, I still have the right to dispose of two people.”
The night was so quiet only insects chirped. A flashlight hung on the handlebars of the tricycle, its weak light guiding their slow progress through the darkness.
There were no maps here; they relied entirely on the route Dr. Li described verbally. The two went the wrong way several times and had to circle back.
The wheels rolled over a stone, and Wen Rong pitched forward unexpectedly.
Water smeared across his face. He looked up at the sky in surprise. “Is it raining?”
“Is it?” Shi Ye asked too.
Wen Rong realized belatedly and reached out to touch Shi Ye’s back. Sure enough, his hand came away covered in sweat.
“Shi Ye, take a break.”
Shi Ye asked nervously, “What’s wrong? Does your wound hurt?”
You’re too tired.
Wen Rong lowered his head and rested it against Shi Ye’s back, trying his best to suppress the surging tears. “I should have just told you to go back to school.”
The tricycle stopped abruptly.
Shi Ye fumbled in the dark for a long time until he touched Wen Rong’s chin and cupped it. “Are you crying?”
Wen Rong sniffled, unable to speak yet. His mouth was bitten first, leaving two teeth marks on his lips.
In an instant, the danger, pain, and helplessness encountered over two consecutive days dissolved between their lips and teeth. Like eating a piece of candy, it prompted the body to synthesize dopamine, temporarily soothing the depressed mood.
But this was brief.
Shi Ye parted from his lips, pressed his forehead against the tip of Wen Rong’s nose, and apologized, “Sorry, I knew it wasn’t the time, but I still…”
Wen Rong took the initiative to kiss him. His wet, hot breath contained his voice, pushing into the lips and teeth. “There is no time more suitable than now.”
Shi Ye responded to him. Sweat stuck to his clothes, rubbing wetly against his skin. The subtle sound of friction was like the morning bell of Floriman Academy—pigeons flying, leisurely and relaxed sunlight falling into every corner.
His body warmed up, creating an illusion that only the two of them were left alive in the world, snuggling together.
After a long time, Wen Rong finally retrieved his undestroyed rationality from the intimate contact. He pulled away from Shi Ye, a silver thread hooking on his lips, dangling and tickling.
Just as he wanted to wipe it off, a wet and hot thing licked along his chin to that spot, taking away the slight discomfort.
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