CITM - 42

After leaving the village, Bai Wenfu had deliberately kept his distance from Ye Yun. It wasn’t until they reached the county town that he finally took her hand.

His palm was broad, and her slender fingers disappeared into his grip as though ensnared in an inescapable net. She couldn’t pull away even if she tried.

She glanced at him. His face was tense, his brows heavy with exhaustion from their journey.

She averted her gaze and lowered her head. “You should have taken care of his matters first. I could’ve stayed home a little longer—it would’ve been fine.”

A complex mix of emotions flickered across Bai Wenfu’s deep-set eyes, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he tightened his hold on her fingers ever so slightly.

Home wasn’t a place where she could stay indefinitely. A few days’ visit was acceptable, but any longer would invite gossip. People always assumed the worst. Ye Yun understood this, and Bai Wenfu surely did too.

Once they boarded the bus, its jolting ride made Ye Yun drowsy again. Her body hadn’t fully recovered yet; though her fever had broken that morning, she still felt weak and unsteady, her head throbbing faintly.

Bai Wenfu removed his jacket and draped it over her, pulling her close to sleep in his arms. She lay awkwardly on her side, shifting restlessly every so often.

After some time, when the bus stopped for passengers to disembark, Bai Wenfu gently woke Ye Yun. He stood up and moved to the back, exchanging seats with two passengers after giving them a small sum of money.

When he returned, he leaned down and whispered to her, “Let’s move to the back.”

With three consecutive seats now available, there was just enough space for Ye Yun’s petite frame to lie down with her head resting on his lap.

Still half-asleep, she followed Bai Wenfu’s lead. As soon as she lay down, she closed her eyes and remained motionless. Bai Wenfu reached out to feel her forehead, sensing that she still had a slight fever.

Once settled, Ye Yun finally fell into a deep sleep. For the remainder of the journey, she was completely unaware, curled up peacefully in her cocoon of warmth.

Bai Wenfu touched her flushed cheek tenderly, unwilling to disturb her. But by the time they reached their destination, his right leg had gone completely numb all the way to the thigh, leaving him unable to stand for a while. Passengers began filing off the bus, and Ye Yun stirred awake, disoriented. She glanced out the window groggily and asked Bai Wenfu, “Are we here?”

At the moment she sat up, Bai Wenfu clenched his fist against his right leg, suppressing any trace of discomfort in his voice. “Not yet. Let the others get off first.”

It wasn’t until everyone else had left that Bai Wenfu finally regained feeling in his leg. He stood up and helped Ye Yun disembark.

The cool night breeze brought her some clarity. After wandering around, she was back again. The oppressive weight of her emotions pressed down on her once more as she breathed in the air of this city.

Bai Wenfu’s motorcycle was parked near the long-distance bus station. He placed the cloth bag at the back and let Ye Yun sit on the front crossbar.

As she gazed at the familiar yet desolate streets, her drowsiness faded. Her almond-shaped eyes remained guarded, wary of every sight and sound.

As they neared Erwei Alley, Ye Yun turned her head and buried her face in Bai Wenfu’s chest, clutching his shirt tightly. Her inner resistance made her dread returning to the place she’d lived in for nearly two years.

Suddenly, the motorcycle veered off course, and the scenery around them changed entirely. Peering over Bai Wenfu’s shoulder, Ye Yun saw narrow alleyways lined with low-rise houses. This wasn’t the route back to the tube-shaped apartment building.

She lifted her head and asked, “Where are we going?”

“It’s not far. We’ll be there soon.”

Ye Yun looked ahead again as the motorcycle entered a shantytown area. Rows of tiled roofs and brick walls stretched out before them, tangled wires crisscrossed overhead, and piles of discarded bricks and firewood cluttered the space. Though not far from Erwei Alley, Ye Yun had never been here before.

The motorcycle came to a stop in front of an old door. A small, unkempt courtyard surrounded the entrance, overrun with dry grass and weeds.

Bai Wenfu got off the bike, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. Inside was a modest room no larger than 20 square meters, with a cement floor and green-painted walls halfway up. There was a bed, a table, and nothing else—thankfully, it was clean.

By the door sat a large bag. After closing the door, Bai Wenfu crouched down and retrieved bedding and pillowcases from the bag. As he made the bed, he said to Ye Yun, “The sheets and pillowcases are new. I’ll fetch water to wash your things later.”

Ye Yun stepped forward and picked up a pillow to help him arrange the bed. Together, they held opposite corners of the blanket and shook it open, releasing the comforting scent of sun-dried fabric.

The night was chilly, and Ye Yun’s frail body needed warmth. Bai Wenfu instructed her to remove her outer clothes and slip under the covers while he went to heat water.

Feeling lightheaded and unsteady, Ye Yun obeyed, taking off her outerwear and lying beneath the blankets to wait for him.

When Bai Wenfu returned with a basin of warm water, he carefully wiped her face, dried her hair, cleaned her hands, and then washed her feet.

Ye Yun clutched the blanket, her clear, watery eyes fixed on his moving figure. Her heart sank into a sea of softness, enveloped by tenderness.

After tucking her in snugly, Bai Wenfu spoke in a hoarse voice, “We’ll find a better place soon and move. This is humble, but please bear with it for now.”

Ye Yun shook her head. She didn’t feel wronged; instead, she felt a sense of relief. This place was quieter than the apartment building, and no one knew her. As long as she didn’t return to that tube-shaped building, anywhere else was fine.

“How is he?” Ye Yun finally asked, breaking the silence.

Since returning from Qingxi Village, neither of them had mentioned that name again. It had become a forbidden topic, a ticking time bomb threatening the fragile balance of their relationship.

Shadows fell over Bai Wenfu’s lashes, concealing the turbulent emotions in his eyes.

“He’s home now. He’s fine,” he replied tersely.

He carried the basin outside, and when he reentered, he bent down beside the bed and gently patted her head. “I’m stepping out for a bit. You rest.”

Ye Yun didn’t ask where he was going. She simply nodded obediently.

After locking the door behind him, Bai Wenfu hopped onto his motorcycle and headed home.

That day marked the first time Bai Wenfu witnessed Wen Bin having an episode. To be precise, it was his first encounter with such a condition.

When afflicted, the person seemed possessed by a malevolent spirit, trapped within invisible confines. He was no longer the brother Bai Wenfu knew. His personality became unrecognizable—paranoid, agitated, and irrational.

No matter how much Bai Wenfu tried to reason with him, Wen Bin wouldn’t listen. Cognitive distortions and thought disorders had taken root in him, trapping him in a self-imposed cycle of delusion.

Ye Yun’s betrayal, his older brother’s treachery, his mother’s deceit, and his best friend’s concealment—all of it made him feel like a laughingstock.

The two people he trusted most—the elder brother he revered and the woman he loved—had crowned him with the ultimate humiliation. Everyone mocked him, trampling his dignity as a man beneath their feet.

Unable to control his emotions, he even entertained thoughts of ending his life. Lei Zi was powerless to calm him, but Bai Wenfu managed to restrain him, ensuring he didn’t harm others or himself that night.

However, Bai Wenfu didn’t share these details with Ye Yun. She was different from him. He had endured the darkest moments of life, his body scarred and hardened through bloodshed. How could her fragile frame withstand the endless, winding road ahead?

When Bai Wenfu returned home, Wen Bin had already fallen asleep. The illness had drained him significantly, leaving him far weaker than before. His earlier outburst had exhausted both Bai Wenfu and himself, forcing him to collapse into temporary stillness.

Just as Bai Wenfu prepared to leave, Tong Mingfang heard the commotion and rushed out, pulling him aside. “Did you find Ye Yun?”

Bai Wenfu’s face remained cold as he shot her a chilling glance, saying nothing as he turned to leave.

Tong Mingfang grabbed his arm. “Where are you going? What am I supposed to do if you leave?”

Bai Wenfu gripped her wrist and shoved her off. “What do you mean, what are you supposed to do?”

Tong Mingfang glanced furtively toward Wen Bin’s room. “What if your brother takes a knife to me…?”

A cold, sardonic smile curved Bai Wenfu’s lips. “And why wouldn’t I take a knife to you?”

Tong Mingfang froze. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’m serious! Your brother kept demanding I bring Ye Yun out. Where was I supposed to find her? It’s not like I hid her!”

“Is that so?” Bai Wenfu lowered his gaze, his tone dismissive.

Tong Mingfang scrambled to defend herself. “Don’t tell me you think I hid her too? That girl… that night when neither of you were home, I saw her looking perfectly fine, quiet and calm. How could she just disappear without a word, without—”

Bai Wenfu cut her off sharply. “Why should she stay and endure your judgment, worry about Wen Bin’s condition, and face gossip from others? Why should she suffer that indignity?”

Tong Mingfang was left speechless.

“I’ll tell you why. Because she considered herself part of this family. Did you ever treat her as one of us? When I took Wen Bin out, did you spare a thought for her situation? Or did you say something you shouldn’t have?”

Tong Mingfang’s face stiffened, and she looked away. “What could I possibly say about her…”

Bai Wenfu’s voice was low, his weariness making him appear even colder.

“Given Wen Bin’s current state, I can’t abandon him. Xiao Yun is the woman I’ve chosen, and her safety directly concerns me. I don’t expect you to help, but at the very least, don’t make things worse.”

Tong Mingfang pleaded anxiously, “You have to tell me where you’re going! What if your brother has another episode? How will I handle him?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Bai Wenfu said curtly before leaving.

...

Perhaps because she’d slept so much on the way back, Ye Yun couldn’t fall deeply asleep after Bai Wenfu left. Though her eyes were closed, her consciousness remained hazy. It wasn’t until she felt herself enveloped by the warmth of his chest and his familiar scent that she fully awakened.

Bai Wenfu pressed against her, kissing her delicate neck. She let out a soft moan.

The intoxicating sounds dispelled her fatigue. He held her slender waist, showing no patience for adjustment, and plunged into her without hesitation.

Ye Yun trembled violently, as if struck by electricity. The sensation coursed through her tailbone, spreading uncontrollably. She clutched the blanket tightly, curling up instinctively.

“Too much?”

She bit her lip. “Mm…”

“Remember this lesson: next time, don’t disappear without a word. Understand?”

Her mind blanked momentarily, only to be overwhelmed again. Her heart plummeted, and an involuntary, seductive whimper escaped her lips.

Ye Yun leaned forward, but he pulled her back.

“I understand,” she murmured, surrendering to his strength.

Only then did he soften toward her, drawing her deeper into the swirling abyss, sinking her further and further.

When it ended, he gently turned her limp, boneless body over.

Ye Yun tentatively brushed against his right leg. Sensing her touch, Bai Wenfu flinched away.

Every other time they were together, he had been relentless. But tonight, he maintained this position throughout, and Ye Yun noticed something was off.

Slipping her smooth body under the covers, she moved closer to his right leg. Bai Wenfu’s breath hitched slightly. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll massage it for you. Don’t move.”

Bai Wenfu’s right leg had once been broken, causing severe muscle atrophy. He had nearly lost the ability to walk and worked tirelessly to regain function. Though he had improved, his muscle strength remained significantly diminished. Prolonged strain or fatigue caused discomfort.

Having grown accustomed to the old injury, he usually gritted his teeth and bore it, believing it wasn’t a major issue. But when her skilled hands began soothing the meridians, he realized that what he had dismissed as minor pain stemmed from no one ever caring enough to notice.

Ye Yun massaged him gently, and the relaxing sensation lulled Bai Wenfu into closing his eyes.

After a long while, when Ye Yun noticed he hadn’t moved, she reached down and traced the ugly scar running along his calf. It was long, spanning the entire length of his leg. She lightly caressed the uneven texture, wanting to examine it closely, but Bai Wenfu suddenly lifted her by the waist.

He pulled her onto him, spreading her legs and gripping her pelvic bone, pressing her down forcefully.

Ye Yun gasped sharply, losing her breath. Her long hair cascaded like vines entwined in the night. She reached out, lifting his shirt to reveal fresh wounds layered over old scars, brutally tearing apart his body.

Tears mingled with sorrow slid down her cheeks, dripping onto his scar. Bai Wenfu gripped her waist, sending her soaring to the peak, erasing all worries.