CITM - 40

The terrifying pounding on the door hit Ye Yun’s heart like a sledgehammer. Immediately, Wenbin’s voice echoed from outside: “Big Brother, open the door!”

“Open the door!”

Another punch slammed against the door, its violent impact reverberating through the room. Wenbin shouted accusingly, “Is Ye Yun inside?”

Tong Mingfang rushed into the house in a panic and grabbed Wenbin, trying to calm him down. “Lao Er (Second Son), don’t make trouble. Talk nicely… please don’t act out…”

Wenbin shoved her aside, his last thread of control snapping. He roared at the door, “You’re all hiding things from me! You think I’m a fool, don’t you? Open the door! Is Ye Yun inside?”

Each time she heard her name called, icy fear spread like venom through her spine. Ye Yun trembled uncontrollably, her flushed face turning deathly pale. Her wide eyes were glued to the violently shaking wooden door, terrified it would burst open at any moment. Her breathing grew shallow, and she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

“Come out!”

“You come out!”

“All of you, get out here! Big Brother, you come out.”

More and more people were drawn by the commotion at the Bai household, pushing open the front door to peek inside.

A dense fog clouded Bai Wenfu’s eyes as he stood up, leaving Ye Yun’s side. Her hair scattered across the bed, and her dazed gaze followed him as he tidied his clothes.

He bent down, pulling the blanket over her to cover every inch of her exposed skin. Looking at her, he said firmly, “No matter what happens outside, don’t come out.”

Seeing him about to leave, Ye Yun clung to his arm in sheer terror and despair, tears streaming down her face like rain. “Don’t go…”

Bai Wenfu gently patted her head. “Don’t be afraid. This is something we have to settle sooner or later.”

With those words, he straightened up. The moment he let go, Ye Yun buried her head under the blanket, clutching it tightly with trembling hands.

Bai Wenfu cracked the door open slightly, and the forceful impact of Wenbin’s anguished cries flooded in: “Let me in! Don’t stop me! Ye Yun, Ye Yun, come out! Let me see her—I need to see her right now…”

Thud. The door slammed shut, and Bai Wenfu disappeared from the doorway.

Blocked outside, Wenbin was wild with rage, looking as though he might lose his mind. He grabbed Bai Wenfu’s collar, his bloodshot eyes burning with fury. “Did you touch her?”

“Tell me!”

“Did you dare touch her?”

Bai Wenfu’s cold, hard gaze bore into him. His towering figure stood like an impenetrable wall before the door, refusing to let Wenbin take even a single step closer. He didn’t answer—didn’t want to confirm it and provoke Wenbin further—but neither did he deny it.

In an instant, Wenbin’s face twisted in anguish. How could he forget Ye Yun’s delicate, fair body? He had fantasized about her countless times, intoxicated by the thought of possessing her. If only she hadn’t been inconvenient before he left home, she would already have been his. How could he possibly accept that his own brother had touched her, defiled the woman who belonged to him?

Wenbin’s eyes turned cruel as he bellowed at Bai Wenfu, “She’s my wife! How could you dare touch her?”

His vision blurred with rage, and he brutally slammed Bai Wenfu’s body against the door, kneeing him viciously.

Yet Bai Wenfu remained steadfast at the doorway, unmoving. With controlled precision, he countered Wenbin’s attacks, rendering most of them ineffective. When it came to fighting, Wenbin had never been a match for Bai Wenfu. In the past, when Wenbin lost his temper, Bai Wenfu would deliberately let him land a few punches. But if he chose not to allow it, Wenbin couldn’t lay a finger on him.

This realization only drove Wenbin further into hysteria.

Tong Mingfang, horrified, tried to intervene but was harshly shoved aside by Wenbin. She nearly fell, but Bai Wenfu caught her just in time. He warned her calmly, “Stay back. Don’t interfere.”

A chilling, bloodthirsty smirk played on Bai Wenfu’s lips as he straightened up and advanced steadily toward Wenbin.

Under the overwhelming pressure of Bai Wenfu’s dominant presence, Wenbin’s raised hand trembled violently. Pointing at him, he snarled, “Call Ye Yun out here. Let her come out so I can ask her myself.”

Bai Wenfu glanced at Wenbin’s violently shaking arm and frowned. “Don’t put her through this. If you’re angry, direct it at me.”

“What do you mean, ‘put her through this’?” Wenbin spat bitterly. “She promised to wait for me to return. She promised to spend her life with me. She even promised to bear my children! Call her out here. Let her speak for herself. Ask her if these aren’t the promises she made to me.”

Inside the room, Ye Yun sat huddled in the corner, her face devoid of color. Pressed against the wall, she sobbed uncontrollably, tears pouring down her cheeks.

“Bring her out,” Wenbin’s voice grew increasingly desperate and shrill, repeating the same phrase over and over. His agonized tone carried a horrifying, decaying despair. “Give her back to me… Step aside…”

Bai Wenfu gripped Wenbin’s shoulders, his voice icy and cutting. “I’ll give you anything you want—your future, women, money. I can arrange everything. You can take whatever I have, but there’s one thing I won’t give you: Xiaoyun.”

Amidst Wenbin’s heart-wrenching screams, the sounds of objects being smashed, glass shattering, fists colliding, and curses ringing out shook the entire building.

The entrance to the Bai household was now surrounded by onlookers. Tong Mingfang pressed her body desperately against the main door, crying out, “Your brother has disabilities! You can’t treat him like this…”

Ye Yun hastily pulled on her clothes, jumping off the bed barefoot. But ultimately, she could only cling to the door, trembling violently. Bai Wenfu had told her not to come out no matter what happened outside. If she did, Wenbin’s focus would shift entirely to her, and the situation would spiral completely out of control.

She no longer heard Bai Wenfu’s voice—only Wenbin’s relentless rage and madness.

When it came to fighting, Wenbin had never been a match for Bai Wenfu. There was only one possibility: Bai Wenfu had chosen not to resist.

The first time this happened was years ago, when Bai Wenfu left home to earn money. After being away for several years, Wenbin resented him for breaking his promise and leaving without a word. In his anger, Wenbin threw punches, but Bai Wenfu didn’t retaliate, allowing his younger brother to vent his frustration.

This incident created a rift between the brothers, straining their relationship for years. It remained a painful memory for Bai Wenfu even now.

Today, years later, fratricidal conflict erupted once again, and this time, it was over Ye Yun.

He had touched Ye Yun, claiming the woman originally intended for Wenbin as his own. Even now, despite everything that had transpired, he had no intention of backing down. If he owed Wenbin anything, if letting him vent or giving him an outlet for his anger would make him relent, Bai Wenfu was willing to endure it all. Whatever Wenbin wanted, so be it.

Ye Yun couldn’t bring herself to step out of the door, but every sound from outside pierced her soul like a blade, dragging her into an abyss of unbearable despair. Tears flowed silently, unrelenting.

Wenbin charged forward in a frenzy, grabbing a kitchen knife and lunging at Bai Wenfu. He had lost all reason, his eyes bloodshot and crazed with murderous intent.

Bai Wenfu stood drenched in blood, staring at his younger brother in disbelief. The chill in his heart rose to his face. He simply stood there, unmoving, neither dodging nor resisting, until Wenbin, consumed by a sickening obsession, swung the knife toward Bai Wenfu’s neck. Only then did Bai Wenfu raise his hand to seize Wenbin’s wrist, his eyes instantly turning cold and vicious.

The sight of brother against brother, blades drawn, shattered Tong Mingfang completely. She rushed forward recklessly, attempting to stop her sons. Lei Zi also burst in from outside. To prevent the situation from escalating further, everyone scrambled to wrestle the dangerous kitchen knife away.

From Wenbin’s chest came a terrifying, bestial roar. He repeatedly rammed his body into Bai Wenfu. As he swung the knife wildly, its flat side struck Tong Mingfang in the face, sending her collapsing to the ground, her spirit seemingly drained.

In a surge of fury, Bai Wenfu seized Wenbin by the throat and slammed him against the wall. “Haven’t you had enough?!”

Wenbin stared at his trembling mother, who lay crumpled on the floor, his chest heaving violently, as though he had lost all sense of reality.

Bai Wenfu tightened his grip on Wenbin’s neck and flung him toward Lei Zi. “Take him downstairs and wait for me.”

Lei Zi wasted no time, hauling Wenbin away. The doorway was packed with people—so crowded that not even water could pass through. Not just the entire corridor building, but many from nearby Er Wei Alley had gathered upon hearing rumors, craning their necks to peer up at the Bai household.

Bai Wenfu stepped to the entrance, his overwhelming presence radiating outward. With a fierce glare at the onlookers, he growled, “Get out.” Then he slammed the door shut with a thunderous bang.

The house plunged into darkness. He bent down to help Tong Mingfang off the floor and settled her onto a chair. Opening the bedroom door, he saw Ye Yun sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

She was fragile, timid, and fearful by nature, but she had never been one to cry in response to difficulties.

During the time when news of Wenbin’s misfortune reached the household, she hadn’t spent her days weeping.

Even when Tong Mingfang tormented her with endless criticism and harshness, she hadn’t shed a tear.

Even when injured and cornered with nowhere to turn, she had left home resolutely, braving the snowstorm without running to him in tears.

But today, she cried out all the tears she had held back since coming to the Bai household. Watching the blood trickle down Bai Wenfu’s arm, her voice trembled, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Where… where are you hurt? Are you okay?”

Bai Wenfu moved aside the blood-soaked arm, careful not to stain her. He raised his other hand to gently touch her face, wiping away her tears. His breathing was heavy. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. Wenbin isn’t himself right now. I’ll take him out.”

With Wenbin’s violent tendencies and both Tong Mingfang and Ye Yun still inside, staying in the corridor building was no longer safe. Knowing Lei Zi alone couldn’t handle Wenbin, Bai Wenfu quickly left after delivering these words.

As they departed, the torn space fell into an eerie silence. The crowd that had dispersed slowly regathered outside the Bai household. The entire corridor building became a grotesque cage.

Countless piercing whispers assaulted them from all directions, seeping through the thin windows and invading the house. Some said she had been caught in bed with the older brother by the younger. Others claimed she was shameless, playing both brothers. Still others branded her a femme fatale.

Each word cut deeper than a blade, landing in Ye Yun’s ears like the final straw that broke her.

The unbearable cacophony finally drove Tong Mingfang to open the door, unleashing a torrent of curses. Summoning every foul word she knew, she dragged her aging body forward, fighting desperately to preserve the last shred of dignity for the Bai family.

Fang Lizhen, unable to bear the spectacle, descended from upstairs and addressed the crowd: “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”

Chundi and Lei Zi’s wife helped disperse the onlookers, and the Bai household finally fell silent.

From day to night, the house was eerily quiet. Every minute, every second spent here felt like torture to Ye Yun. Breathing itself became excruciating. A searing pain gnawed at her insides, her bones, her flesh, overwhelming her completely.

After night fully fell, Lei Zi came to report safety. From the room, Ye Yun heard him tell Tong Mingfang, “Fu Ge asked me to let you know. He’s taken Wenbin out. They won’t return tonight. Don’t worry.”

Not long after Lei Zi left, Ye Yun opened the door. The scene before her kept assaulting her senses. The house was in ruins—four stools, three shattered beyond repair; a lopsided table barely propped upright by Tong Mingfang. She sat on the only remaining intact chair, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

Broken bowls, smashed bamboo shelves, flattened enamel cups, shattered water jugs—all lay scattered across the floor. Bloodstains and water pooled everywhere.

Seeing the aftermath of the brothers’ clash, Ye Yun’s pupils contracted sharply. Her heart shattered into fragments under the weight of anguish. Time seemed to stand still as the tension gripping her body suddenly loosened. Her pupils began to glaze over, unfocused.

Without a word, Ye Yun prepared a bowl of noodles for Tong Mingfang and placed it before her. Turning around, she picked up a broom and swept up the debris, straightening overturned furniture. She wrung out a damp cloth, knelt on the floor, and painstakingly wiped away the bloodstains.

Tong Mingfang hadn’t eaten all day. Since that morning, when Wenbin suddenly turned back halfway, she had known something terrible was about to happen. Despite chasing after them, she hadn’t managed to stop the brothers.

With a deep sigh, she picked up the bowl of noodles, unsure whether she was speaking to Ye Yun or herself.

“It’s all my fault. I was possessed by some foolish notion to keep you here. If you had gone back then, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault. Why did I insist on keeping you? I should’ve let you go sooner…”

Ye Yun scrubbed the floor with increasing force. Just as she managed to clean a patch of dried blood, her tears wet the surface again, blurring everything.

She sank deeper into the quagmire, her thoughts spiraling downward. She even began to believe the accusations from outside—that perhaps she truly was a femme fatale.

The two brothers, the entire family, had turned against each other because of her. This outcome was the last thing anyone wanted to see.

From this point onward, there was no way she could continue living in this corridor building, in this home.

By late night, the house had been restored to cleanliness, though what was broken could never be mended.

Tong Mingfang dragged her weary body to rest. Ye Yun gazed at the crescent moon outside the window, her eyes hollow and dim.

She sat motionless through the night. Before dawn broke, she quietly opened the door. Like the night she first arrived at the Bai household, she stepped into the darkness—the silent corridor, the quiet building. A small cloth bag had brought her here, and now it carried her away once more.

The distance from Er Wei Alley to the long-distance bus station had once seemed an unreachable endpoint. Back then, she didn’t know the way, had no money, and every unfamiliar street and strange face filled her with fear and unease.

Now, walking out of Er Wei Alley again, reaching the bus station, buying a ticket, and boarding the earliest bus to Fengshui, she realized—it wasn’t so difficult after all. She already knew the way, had saved enough for the fare, and learned to survive on her own. But because of lingering attachments, she had stayed.

She didn’t know if her departure would bring relief to everyone, perhaps even temporary peace. All she knew was that she had to leave. The cacophony of voices, the tangled emotions, nearly two years of struggle—they had pushed her to the brink of collapse.

She was human, made of flesh and blood, with finite strength. Eventually, there would come a day when she could no longer hold on.

Even so, after enduring an entire day and night, exhausted beyond measure, she still didn’t dare sleep, fearing she’d miss her stop. Upon arriving in Fengshui, she transferred back to Qingxi Village. By the time she was dropped off at the village entrance, evening had fallen. Unable to notify her family to pick her up, she trudged home through muddy paths, one uneven step after another.

The fields of swaying rice paddies greeted her, bathed in the orange-red glow of the setting sun. The world stretched endlessly, warm and serene. The tension in her expression gradually softened.

A gentle breeze blew, rippling the wheat fields. Finally… she was home.