PART 72

After a few minutes, Eros and Ebisu arrived at the basement where Liying, Troy, and Darren were being held. As they stepped out of the car, hesitation was clearly visible on Ebisu’s face. Eros smiled at him and gently took his hand.

"I'm here. This time, you won’t have to face them alone," Wang Yibo said softly, giving Xiao Zhan’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Xiao Zhan smiled back at him.

“Thank you,” Xiao Zhan whispered, but Yibo heard it loud and clear.

“I love you,” Yibo replied before placing a tender kiss on Xiao Zhan’s forehead.

“Let’s go,” he said, inviting Xiao Zhan to move forward. Zhan took a deep breath before taking his first step. The fear that had been gripping him moments earlier was suddenly replaced with courage—perhaps because of the comforting presence of the person he loved.

Meanwhile, Liying was shouting, demanding that they remove her blindfold. But instead of complying, Jiyang placed tape over her mouth. Troy and Darren stayed silent the whole time.

“Xiao Zhan, once I get out of here, I’ll kill you myself,” Liying muttered under her breath.

Everyone fell silent when they heard footsteps approaching. Haoxuan and Jiyang smiled when they saw who had arrived. “Finally, you're here. Your sister’s been dying to see you,” Jiyang said with a grin.

Zhan gave a small smile in return, but it quickly vanished when his eyes landed on the two men tied to chairs a short distance from where Liying was seated. Yibo noticed and gently squeezed Zhan’s hand again. “It’s okay. I’m here,” Yibo said, reassuring him that he wasn’t alone. Zhan took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. He let go of Yibo’s hand and stepped forward toward Liying. He stopped right in front of her and removed her blindfold. Liying immediately shot him a glare.

“Mmmmmmmm!” was all she could say with the tape still covering her mouth. Without a word, Zhan grabbed her hair—so tightly she felt like her neck might snap from the force. “What should I do to you first?” Zhan mused aloud, as if deep in thought. Before Liying could recover from the pain of nearly having her scalp ripped off, she let out a scream as Zhan suddenly yanked the tape from her mouth.

“Xiao Zhan, you who/re!! When I get out of here, I’ll kill you myself!” she screamed.

Zhan laughed, then held her cheek in one hand. “Alright. But before that, let me give you a tour of hell,” he said with a wicked grin. “Yang, where’s the hot iron?” he asked, not moving his hand from her cheek. Liying’s eyes widened in fear upon hearing Zhan’s words. Jiyang eagerly came over and handed him the red-hot iron.

“No, no, no! Zhanzhan—I’m still your sister!” she stammered, trembling.

On the other side, Yibo turned to Haoxuan and asked which of the two was Troy.

“The one sitting on the right,” Haoxuan replied.

“Thanks,” Yibo said, gripping the hammer in his hand as he stepped toward Troy. Once he stood in front of him, Yibo removed Troy’s blindfold.

“Why can’t I see his face? I want to see how scared he gets… how much it hurts,” Yibo muttered to himself. But even though he couldn’t fully see Troy’s expression, he leaned in closer.

“What are you going to do?” Troy asked fearfully as Yibo moved the ropes tying his hands to the front.

“"I’m going to take back, one by one, everything you’ve laid on my husband. And every single body part you used—I’ll be the one to tear it off myself,” Yibo whispered, just loud enough for Troy to hear.

Troy instantly broke into a cold sweat after hearing those words. But he quickly pretended not to be afraid. "No matter what you say—" Yibo didn’t let him finish. He struck Troy with a hammer, sending two of his teeth flying and blo/od pouring from his mouth.

On the other side, Zhan paused just as he was about to press the hot iron against Liying’s hand. He had heard Troy’s scream. His eyes widened when he saw Troy’s condition. But just a few seconds later, a wicked grin replaced the shock, and he pressed the scorching iron down on Liying’s skin.

“Ahhhhhh! Xiao Zhan!!!” Liying screamed in agony, but instead of pulling the iron away, Zhan pressed it down harder—so much that it started to smoke.

“I’m just getting started, my sister,” he whispered, finally pulling the iron away. Liying’s tears flowed freely. “Xiao Zhan, please stop. I’m still your sister,” she sobbed.

Zhan laughed—like a madman. “What did you do when I was the one begging you?” he asked coldly. Then he pressed the iron back against her hand. He gave her no time to recover, branding her repeatedly, ignoring her screams and cries.

Meanwhile. “Don’t speak unless I tell you to,” Yibo warned, then slam/med Troy’s head again, forcing another scream out of him—only for Yibo to shove a cloth in his mouth, muffling the pain. And he didn’t stop there. He went for all ten fingers—one by one—relentlessly. Troy was shaking, on the verge of tears, but the blood kept spilling. Yibo finally pulled the cloth from his mouth and reached for a knife on the table.

“Babe, do you want to do it? Or should I?” he asked, holding the knife.

Zhan smirked, stood up. “I won’t be at peace as long as I see his hands still intact,” he muttered as he walked toward Yibo. Once beside him, he took the kni/fe, knelt in front of Troy, and stared into his sweat-drenched face.

Zhan swallowed hard, his hands trembling.“Didn’t you enjoy what we did back then?” Troy asked meaningfully, trying to catch his breath. “I still have a video of us. Want me to send it to your husband?” Troy grinned, watching Zhan’s face pale in fear. The shock in Zhan’s eyes only made Troy smile wider.

“He’ll—AAAHHHHH!" Troy never got to finish his sentence. Zhan screamed as he chopped off Troy’s fingers. Still not satisfied, Zhan slashed Troy’s face four times, each cut a memory of the pain this man had once caused him.

Troy’s pleas were like echoes in his ears. “I’ll kill you,” Zhan growled and stabbed Troy in the stomach. “Babe, don’t kill him too fast,” Yibo interrupted, grabbing Zhan’s arm before he could stab again.

“He doesn’t deserve a quick death,” Yibo said. Zhan paused. Seeing tears forming in Zhan’s eyes, Yibo pulled him into a tight hug. “I love you, I love you Xiao Zhan,” Yibo whispered, holding him close.

Jiyang rushed over to the unconscious Troy and checked for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief—he was still alive.

-----

After a few minutes, Zhan calmed down and returned to where Liying was. She had seen everything—what Zhan had done to Troy—and the moment she saw the rage in his eyes, she nearly peed herself in fear.

“Zhanzhan…” she called out.

Zhan shot her a cold glare. “Don’t you dare call me that. I cut ties with you sixteen years ago,” he snapped. He took out a cigarette and lit it right in front of her. "What do you think the world will say when the face you flaunt is no longer yours to show?" he asked. Liying, terrified, turned to Yibo, silently begging for help. But Yibo looked away.

“Yibo… do you really not care about what we had?” she asked him desperately. Zhan chuckled.“Even if you kil/led yourself right in front of him, he wouldn’t give a damn,” he said, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time," Zhan said, giving Liying no chance to react as he shoved the burning cigarette into her cheek. She screamed, and he held it there until the fire went out.

“My dear sister… this is just the beginning,” Zhan said darkly, grabbing the hot iron again. “Zhan, please stop! Do you think our parents would be proud if they saw you like this?” Liying cried. The mention of their parents made him grip the iron tighter.

Then he remembered—how their parents found out Liying had feelings for his husband. Without a word, he pressed the iron against her exposed back. The gown she wore was backless, and she felt every inch of the bur/ning metal.

“Xiao Zhan, please! I won’t ever do it again!” she sobbed. But Zhan just smiled and kept branding her, again and again—exactly where she had burn/ed him before. Only when he was satisfied did he stop and pick up his phone. “Come in,” he said and ended the call.

Yibo looked at him, confused, but Zhan only smiled. “My dear sister… because I love you so much and I’m such a kind sibling—I have a gift for you,” he said sweetly. “Since you couldn’t have what you wanted from MY HUSBAND…”—he made sure to emphasize those words—“I have something else for you.”

Four broad-shouldered men stepped into the room, their presence suffocating. Liying shook her head desperately, eyes wide with fear, pleading with Zhan not to go through with it.

“I almost kissed your feet begging you before, remember? And what did you do? You let them do it,” Zhan screamed, grab/bing her hair. “Do whatever you want with her. Just make sure she doesn’t die. Have fun,” Zhan ordered. "And him,” he added, pointing at Darren. “Take off his blindfold. Make sure he sees everything you do to her. Then when you're done with her—he’s next.”

Jiyang, Haoxuan, and Yibo were stunned—but that quickly turned into a smirk. Zhan looked at Liying again.

“Be a good girl, my dear sister. Do everything they ask and maybe—just maybe—you’ll walk out of here alive,” he said with a chilling smile, as if none of the horrors just happened. He turned to Yibo. “Love, let’s go. We’ve got a long trip ahead,” he said, wrapping his arm around Yibo’s.

Yibo smiled at him. “Let’s go,” Yibo replied. Jiyang and Haoxuan simply nodded—they knew what to do next.

----

After a few hours on the road, Yibo, Zhan, and A-Yuan finally arrived at the village where Yibo had a small house. They originally planned to go somewhere by the sea, but because of Yibo’s condition, they decided against traveling farther. Instead, they chose to spend some quiet family time in this small village before Yibo’s upcoming surgery.

---

A-Yuan eagerly helped carry their things. Zhan couldn’t stop smiling, especially seeing how happy his husband and their child looked.

“Babe, we’ve got this. Go rest inside,” Zhan said gently, noticing how pale Yibo had become. Yibo had been nursing a headache for a while, but he didn’t tell Zhan, thinking it would pass soon. He didn’t want to worry him. But as time went on, the pain only grew worse. He wanted to help unpack, but it felt like his head was being split in two.

“I’m sorry, love. I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered softly, then quietly made his way inside. Once in the house, he headed straight to the bathroom—he didn’t want his husband and son to worry. They were here to enjoy themselves.

As soon as he entered the bathroom, Yibo sank to the floor, clutching his head as if pulling at his hair would somehow ease the pain. “Please, not now… I beg you,” he whispered, gently hitting his head against the wall in desperation. "My family just came together. Don't take this moment away from me," he said, his lips trembling.

Outside, Zhan watched them unload and grew more concerned. Yibo’s pale face from earlier lingered in his mind. “Baby radish, go check on your Dad inside, okay? I’ll take care of everything out here,” Zhan said.

“Okay, Nana,” A-Yuan replied cheerfully, dragging his small suitcase behind him. When he stepped inside, he didn’t see Yibo anywhere.

“Dad?” he called out, but there was no response. He was about to go back outside to tell Zhan when he heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. “Oh… okay,” A-Yuan mumbled to himself and walked back out.

“Is your Daddy okay?” Zhan asked immediately, the concern written all over his face.

“He’s in the bathroom, Nana,” A-Yuan answered as Zhan helped him with his things.

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Yibo had heard A-Yuan’s voice. With what little strength he had, he crawled toward the faucet and turned it on so A-Yuan wouldn’t hear what was really happening inside.

“I love you so much, Xiao Zhan… and A-Yuan too,” Yibo whispered as his tears streamed down his cheeks. In that moment, fear gripped his heart. He was terrified that something might happen to him—and the “what ifs” in his mind just kept growing.

----

After a few minutes, it was as if someone had heard Yibo’s silent plea—his headache finally started to ease. Once he had taken his medicine, he fixed himself up and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Zhan asked with concern, noticing Yibo’s puffy eyes from crying. Instead of answering, Yibo took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Zhan. "Thank you for giving me the chance to fix our family... and I’m sorry for neglecting everything before," he whispered, still hugging him. Zhan hugged him back but didn’t say a word. They just stayed like that, holding each other in silence.

"I want a sibling!" A-yuan suddenly said as he walked into the room, a grin spreading on his face as he looked at his parents. Yibo and Zhan immediately pulled away from their embrace.

"Aren’t you embarrassed to want a sibling?" Yibo teased, while Zhan pretended to be busy fixing the bed. A-yuan looked at Zhan, who still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Why would I be embarrassed if they’re my sibling? Besides, it would be fun to have someone to play with—even if I’m already big, I never got to experience that," he said, the smile slowly fading from his lips.

This time, Zhan looked at him—then glanced over at Yibo. A-yuan noticed the sudden silence between them and scratched his head awkwardly, chuckling nervously. "But you don’t have to, Nana and Dad," he added with a shy smile.

To break the awkwardness—or to change the topic entirely—Yibo invited A-yuan to help him bring in the rest of their things. Zhan just stood there, watching the backs of his son and husband slowly disappear from his sight.

Once they were out, Zhan pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his eyes fixed on the window. "Sorry, baby radish... I didn’t get a chance to give you happy childhood memories," he whispered as he exhaled smoke.

Meanwhile, outside, A-yuan walked up to Yibo. "Dad, I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I just want you to know—I never once blamed you for what happened in the past," he said sincerely.

Yibo slung an arm over his son’s shoulders. He couldn’t see his son’s face, but he could feel the sadness in him. Sometimes, he was grateful he couldn’t see people's faces—because that way, he didn’t have to see their emotions. Just like now.

"You don’t have to say sorry. I should be the one apologizing... because I failed you as a father in so many ways," Yibo replied.

----

It was as if both Yibo and A-yuan knew that Zhan wanted to be alone, so the two of them stayed close by each other while A-yuan shared stories about his life—things he wanted Yibo to know. As Yibo listened, he felt a strange mix of joy and sadness. A-yuan talked about everything, from sports and hobbies to his favorite foods. Then, Yibo playfully teased him.

“But tell me the truth—do you really want a sibling?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

A-yuan's face instantly turned red. He wasn’t shy earlier, but suddenly, embarrassment crept in. Still, he gave a small nod. It seemed that wasn’t enough for Yibo, who leaned in and said again, now grinning even wider, “Say it so I can hear it.”

A-yuan covered his face with his hands and finally blurted out, “Yes, I want a sibling! I don’t mind if it’s a boy or a girl!”

Yibo’s grin grew even wider as he stepped closer. “In that case, help me talk to Nana—” Before Yibo could even finish his sentence, a voice suddenly called out sharply.

“Wang Yibo!”

THANK YOU FOR READING IT 🥰