A chain locked away scenes unknown to the public, where a frail man, covered in whip marks, with no good skin left, his beautiful face unscathed but without a hint of color, his lips cracked, seemed to be on the verge of death. From the backyard, traces of terrifying blood flowed out, trailing down the snowy white thighs, and dripping onto the cold floor… “I said, if you behave well, you won’t have to suffer like this. How about it, are you willing to behave?” The madam, holding a long whip, sneered seductively. The whip, long and thick, was already stained with blood, a vivid red, very bright, one could not tell how many beautiful souls had perished under this whip. “…” Not a single spot on his body was unharmed; he had been beaten unconscious repeatedly by that thick whip, who knows how many times he had been doused with saltwater, only to be awakened by even more piercing pain each time he passed out. “Tonight, after you lose your virginity, I’ll see how you keep your stubborn mouth shut, the rice will be cooked.” With that, another whip was struck. His delicate face was flushed, seemingly due to some drug. “Xiao Erzi, take him down and apply the ‘Duanyu Ointment.'” “Yes, Madam Feng, don’t worry, I’ll do it right away, no need to get angry, he’s the one who doesn’t know how to appreciate kindness.” A short man with a rat-like face complied. The man dragged Shui Shui to the back courtyard and applied the ‘Duanyu Ointment.’ “Hmph, what kind of character do you have? Madam Feng favors your face, otherwise, you wouldn’t be worth dying a hundred times.” The man named Xiao Erzi said viciously, showing no mercy as he applied the ointment. The young men auctioned off that day weren’t deflowered immediately; “Zuixiang Pavilion” would train them according to the buyer’s preferences, so before that, each coerced man would undergo torture, with only their faces shown on auction day, the tortures they endured unknown to anyone. “…” Those once bright eyes had now become hollow and lifeless. As night fell, “Zuixiang Pavilion” was even more bustling, with countless people coming to indulge in pleasure, and officials and nobles were not uncommon. “Madam Feng, I heard tonight’s new boy is a rare gem.” “Oh, listen to what you’re saying, every boy in our house is a gem, and you know it best, don’t you?” Madam Feng gave a suggestive smile. “Yes, yes, the boys in Madam Feng’s house are truly enchanting, I wonder if I’ll be lucky enough to win the bid tonight.” “Don’t rush, we have our house rules, ‘the highest bidder wins,’ right?” Madam Feng said with a flirtatious smile. On the stage, covered with bright red carpets, sat an exceptionally beautiful man, half-exposed shoulders, slender fingers plucking the strings of a zither, the beautiful notes flowing from his fingertips. Unfortunately, such heavenly music went unappreciated, as fiery gazes seemed to want to burn his clothes to ashes. He was the top courtesan of “Zuixiang Pavilion,” known as “Ruyue,” a man as ethereal as a waning moon… “Gentlemen, today we have something truly special, a rare gem among men.” Madam Feng stepped onto the stage and said. “Is he as beautiful as Ruyue?” someone shouted, stirring up the crowd. “Indeed, how does he compare to Ruyue’s skills?” This comment drew lewd laughter. “Whether he’s beautiful or not, just look and you’ll know.” With that, Shui Shui, wrapped like a zongzi, was brought up, wearing sheer white fabric, revealing a pair of delicate feet sprinkled with fluorescent powder, glowing faintly under the moonlight. Madam Feng lifted the fabric, revealing a face of stunning beauty, adorable yet alluring, weak yet handsome, truly a celestial beauty. Everyone in the audience gasped. Many eager patrons reached into their pockets, throwing stacks of silver notes onto the table, ready to bid. “Alright, the bidding starts at five thousand taels,” Madam Feng announced. “What? Even more expensive than Ruyue, who was only four thousand.” Someone complained. “Well, the appearance is good, but we don’t know about his skills.” “Six thousand taels.” “Eight thousand taels.” “Ten thousand taels.” “…” The bidding was lively downstairs. “Ruyue, I told you, how long can you keep your pride?” A man in red said. “…Better than you, you only fetched a thousand taels back then,” the man in white replied calmly. “You, you… Humph, you won’t be proud for long.” The red-clad man left in anger. Ruyue, looking at the full moon, smiled with a bloodthirsty edge. “I bid one hundred thousand taels.” A woman in silver, her head covered with a veil, holding a thick stack of silver notes, stepped onto the stage. “Miss, are you sure?” Madam Feng looked at the thick stack of notes in disbelief. “I’m buying his person.” The silver-clad woman said indifferently. “Oh, that won’t do.” This was her moneymaker, how could she just sell him off? “How much do you want then?” The silver-clad woman’s gaze lingered on Shui Shui, her complex expression hidden behind the veil. “Not for sale.” “Then I won’t buy.” “I must take this person away, but you’ll have to take responsibility for what you’ve done.” “Hahaha, what responsibility do I have?” Madam Feng laughed, not believing a young girl could do anything. “Wait, I’ll make you take responsibility. I’m taking him away.” As soon as she finished speaking, by the time everyone came to their senses, both the silver-clad woman and the boy about to be deflowered had vanished. “Shui Shui, Xiaotu is here, Shui Shui, wake up.” Xiaotu called out anxiously; Shui Shui’s eyes were tightly shut, his face flushed, and his breathing rapid. When the curtain of white fabric was opened, the sight was heart-wrenching; his body was covered in whip marks, seemingly treated with ointment to stop the bleeding. Seeing this, Xiaotu’s eyes welled up with tears. What had Shui Shui gone through? Physical wounds could be healed, but the scars on the heart were much harder to mend…
Chapter Twenty-Six: Hand in Hand
“Shui Shui, eat quickly, there’s a whole lot more, eat more.” Xiaotu, sitting by the bed with a plate of pastries, forced Shui Shui to eat one after another. “Alright, I’ll eat.” His delicate face looked slightly pale, but it was full of happiness, eating the pastries she handed him one by one, although he was already full, he still ate the sweet, cloying treats clean, seeing her anxious look. “Girl, do you know how much he has eaten?” Baihua, who had been standing nearby for a while, finally spoke. “Not much, just a plate, I think.” Xiaotu blinked her innocent eyes in response. “Don’t you know that sick people should eat something light?” Her tone was helpless, yet filled with indulgence. “The pastries are light, not much sugar added.” Xiaotu was puzzled. “Sick people need to eat something easy to digest.” “Aren’t pastries digestible?” Xiaotu didn’t understand; she had never had any trouble eating pastries. “…”
Baihua was speechless. He finally understood that her thought process was different from ordinary people. In her mind, “desserts” were always impeccable. Three days had passed, and Shui Shui’s physical wounds had healed, but no one knew if the wounds in his heart could truly be forgotten. No one asked what had happened to him over the past six months; they just hoped he could walk out of it on his own and forget this “nightmarish half-year.” Xiaotu felt guilty, watching him sitting alone under the cherry blossom tree, just staring into space as cherry blossoms fluttered around like tears. Xiaotu’s heart ached; only when facing her would his face light up with that dazzling smile, and his eyes would fill with affection. Why must such a beautiful soul now be so melancholy?
“Xiaotu, Shui Shui has lost all his powers.” After much hesitation, Baihua finally decided to tell Xiaotu.
