The sky was dim, and standing at the front gate, everything inside the courtyard was dark with no lights on, making it hard to see anything.

“Do we go in?” Li Wenshui’s mind flashed to the malicious expression of Liang Xuxing.

“Let’s not go in yet. We need to make sure Grandpa sees the evidence with his own eyes,” Liang Jin said. Li Wenshui looked up at the wall in front of him, which was more than two meters high. The wall was smooth and flat, difficult to climb. If they didn’t go through the door, were they supposed to scale the wall? While Li Wenshui was still wondering, Liang Jin moved forward again, guiding him around the wall to the back courtyard. The intermittent mewing of the cat became clearer, and the cat’s location was now much closer.

Li Wenshui noticed that there were many indentations on this section of the wall, like holes that had been forcibly made. Stepping on these indents made it easy to climb over.

“My cousin, when he was young, didn’t want to copy scriptures, so he smashed the wall and climbed out to play. He was quite clever, but never used his smartness the right way,” Liang Jin said, easily climbing the wall. He extended his hand to Li Wenshui. “Come.”

Li Wenshui looked up. Liang Jin sat high on the wall, the dark red sky behind him. His eyes sparkled like stars, his face as handsome as the moon. Li Wenshui couldn’t help but look at him a little longer. He didn’t need Liang Jin to pull him up, as he wasn’t the delicate type, and climbing the wall wasn’t difficult for him.

Once on top of the wall, the view was wide. Li Wenshui quickly saw the courtyard below, where two cats, an orange one and a tabby, were lying lifelessly on the ground under the eaves. He didn’t see the wild cat that had destroyed their vegetables. Maybe the wild cat had gone elsewhere, or maybe it had already met a tragic end at the hands of Liang Xuxing. Liang Xuxing was in a corner, digging a hole, seemingly intending to bury the cats alive.

Li Wenshui’s nails dug into the wall, his face turning pale. The sight of the two powerless cats struggling reminded him of his past self.

Liang Jin patted Li Wenshui, pulling him back from his tense emotions. “Grandpa hates animal abuse the most. If we catch him in the act before he can move them, I’ll go get Grandpa. What about you? Do you want to stay here, or come with me?”

Li Wenshui’s heart pounded heavily. He couldn’t bear to see Liang Xuxing hurting the cats; it tortured him mentally. But he couldn’t move forward. What if something went wrong when Liang Jin went to find Grandpa, and Liang Xuxing managed to move the cats? They would then be blamed for slandering him. If there was no evidence, it would be hard to make Liang Xuxing lose his qualification for the test.

“I…” Li Wenshui hesitated. “How about I stay here and record a video?”

His clenched fist trembled slightly. He couldn’t pretend to be fearless. He thought that if Liang Jin were more insistent and took him with him, or if he urged him that it wasn’t safe here, he might have wavered and gone with Liang Jin.

“Alright,” Liang Jin said, taking out his phone and opening the camera. He handed it to Li Wenshui. “Use my phone. Your phone has poor resolution. Give me your phone, and if anything changes, contact me right away. I’ll be back soon.”

Liang Jin agreed without hesitation, not showing any signs of panic. Li Wenshui felt a little disappointed—he had hoped that Liang Jin would notice his unease.

Li Wenshui took Liang Jin’s phone, handing over his own old phone, lowering his eyes. “Okay.”

Liang Jin was about to jump down and leave when Li Wenshui hurriedly whispered, “You… hurry up.”

Liang Jin reached out and patted Li Wenshui’s little raised rear end: “Don’t let him see you; you’ll be safe.”

After Liang Jin left, Li Wenshui raised Liang Jin’s phone, recording every move of Liang Xuxing. The video was clear, capturing Liang Xuxing’s face even in the dim light. Expensive phones were truly superior; if he had used his own phone, the pixels would have probably blurred everything. After a while, Liang Xuxing had almost finished digging the hole. He tossed the shovel aside and walked over to the two struggling cats, gripping their necks. The cats, which had barely any strength left, suddenly began to struggle desperately. Their long claws scraped the ground, making a “creaking” sound, and their tails thrashed against the ground. Li Wenshui widened his eyes, his heart tightening. Suddenly, a black wild cat jumped down from the other side of the wall. It was sleek and black, walking stealthily up to Liang Xuxing and mewing. This was the same cat that had destroyed their vegetables. Clearly, this black cat had been tamed by Liang Xuxing, as it still sought his affection despite him abusing its kind. The appearance of the black cat caused Liang Xuxing to release the other two cats, picking up the black cat instead. It lazily stretched out in his arms as he sniffed its paw and petted its head in an almost encouraging manner.

Then, without warning, Liang Xuxing lifted the black cat high and threw it to the ground. The action was so sudden that Li Wenshui didn’t react in time, much less the cat, which was unprepared for its owner’s cruelty. The black cat let out a painful scream as it tried to rise and flee, but Liang Xuxing grabbed its tail and pressed its neck to the ground. The cat trembled in terror as it looked at the human who had hurt it.

Liang Xuxing chuckled darkly, not saying a word throughout. The setting sun was only half visible at the horizon, and the sky grew darker by the second. The faintest light flickered on in the backyard. Watching the once lively cats almost being suffocated, Li Wenshui’s breath became rapid. Hearing that cruel laugh, it felt as if the hand around the cat’s neck was choking his own. His breath grew more erratic. He remembered what Liang Yuting had said today—that she had felt guilty for not helping when she saw him being bullied. Now, witnessing three helpless cats dying in front of him, what would Li Wenshui feel? Li Wenshui didn’t know.

The cats whimpered, their limbs growing weaker as they thrashed like abandoned cat toys. Li Wenshui’s reaction came without thought—he didn’t consider the consequences, nor did he think about fear. The years of resentment toward Liang Xuxing had built up to the point where he could no longer contain it. All his emotions surged, and without thinking, he yelled: “Are you even human?! You’re torturing cats! Aren’t you afraid of retribution?!”

Liang Xuxing suddenly released his grip and looked up, noticing the recording of Li Wenshui on the wall. His expression darkened, his dark eyes filled with suppressed, frightening anger. Li Wenshui shivered under his gaze and instinctively wanted to retreat, but Liang Xuxing suddenly rushed toward him, pulling him down, and the phone hit the ground hard. Liang Xuxing grabbed Li Wenshui’s collar with one hand and reached for the phone. Li Wenshui was quicker, snatching the phone and throwing it over the wall. Gritting his teeth, he broke free from Liang Xuxing’s hold and stared into his eyes.

“I’ve already recorded the evidence,” he said.

To prevent Liang Xuxing from destroying the evidence, he didn’t mention that Liang Jin was going to find Grandpa.

“You—” Liang Xuxing suddenly grabbed Li Wenshui by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

The sensation of suffocation hit, and Li Wenshui closed his eyes, his mind flooded with the memories of Liang Xuxing bullying him in the past. Each scene flashed before him like a slide show, but soon, he thought of Liang Jin’s words: ‘Wait for me to come back.’ At least Liang Jin would protect him, right?

He should, right? Liang Jin must also hate Liang Xuxing. The vegetable patch trial was Liang Jin’s, and this was his way of standing up for Liang Jin, wasn’t it? Li Wenshui suddenly opened his eyes. As Liang Xuxing turned to look at the cats, he bit down hard on his arm. The taste of blood spread in his mouth. Liang Xuxing, in pain, flung him off. “Are you a dog? How dare you bite me?”

Li Wenshui quickly picked up a wooden stick from the ground to defend himself. His legs trembled slightly, and cold sweat ran down his back, but he told himself he was no longer the same. He couldn’t spend his whole life being oppressed by Liang Xuxing. “You pig, you’re worse than a dog,” Li Wenshui counted the time—Liang Jin should be coming soon, so he became bolder. “You waste food, you abuse animals. If you can’t live, just die and stop causing trouble for society.”

“Your eyes…” Liang Xuxing saw the stubborn, defiant look in Li Wenshui’s eyes and suddenly understood. He waved the blood from his hand. “No wonder you look familiar. I remember now. You’re Li Wenshui from Class 2 of Senior Year, right? It’s been years, you’re bolder now, your mouth is sharper. When we bullied you before, you didn’t say a word. You were like a gourd with its mouth sawed off.”

Li Wenshui gripped the stick tightly, pointing it at him. “People improve, but you’re just getting worse.”

“Worse? I’m the young master of this family now, while you’re just cleaning up in a funeral Ancestral Home. Can’t you see who’s more pathetic?”

Li Wenshui bit his lip tightly. He really wasn’t living as well as Liang Xuxing. Not just Liang Xuxing, but also Li Qun, who had abandoned him, his first boyfriend, Yu Zizhuo, and Li Liyan—one by one, they were all doing better than him. He even began to believe that maybe being a little bad would lead to a better life.

“Hey, so why did you drop out of high school? I never really did anything to you. I only beat you a few times, let the classmates laugh at you. But weren’t those jokes true? You were poor and had no mother!” Liang Xuxing laughed, his eyes glinting with a chilling light in the dimness.

Li Wenshui stood tall, forcing himself to respond: “I may have no mother, but at least I’m better off than you, someone who has a life but no guidance. I heard you’re an illegitimate child?” Li Wenshui’s voice rose higher and sharper, hitting Liang Xuxing’s sore spot. Liang Xuxing’s face twisted in fury, and he grabbed the stick from Li Wenshui’s hand. Just as Li Wenshui tried to dodge, Liang Xuxing grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the wall.

The impact made Li Wenshui dizzy, and tears uncontrollably welled up in his eyes. Liang Xuxing yanked his hair, his voice low and menacing: “Who are you calling an illegitimate child? I see you haven’t had enough of a beating. Today, in this yard, I’ll cripple you, and I won’t face any consequences!” Liang Xuxing, enraged, picked up the stick.

Just then, the back door slammed open with a loud bang, and security rushed in, restraining Liang Xuxing. It was only then that Liang Xuxing realized why Li Wenshui had been provoking him. He had planned this from the start.

Grandpa Liang looked at the scene in the yard, his face dark with anger. Liang Jin walked over first to Li Wenshui, who was leaning against the wall. He turned him over, noticing the blood on his forehead. Liang Jin gently pressed a clean tissue to Li Wenshui’s wound. Li Wenshui shrank back in pain, and Liang Jin’s expression grew colder.

Li Wenshui’s eyes were red with anger. He whispered at Liang Jin, his tone a mixture of reproach and frustration: “Why did you take so long to get here?” Liang Jin had come as quickly as he could, but he hadn’t expected Li Wenshui, who usually avoided conflict, to actively provoke Liang Xuxing.

Liang Yuting, holding a cat, squatted by the pit that Liang Xuxing had dug, tears falling from her eyes. She accused, “No wonder my cats always go missing. It was you all along!”

The old house had many stray cats. Occasionally, a few would run around, or some cats would fight, sometimes getting injured and making strange noises. This was considered normal, and no one paid much attention to it.

Now that he thought about it, it was very likely that the cat’s cries were its way of desperately seeking help. Liang Yuting trembled all over. “Liang Xuxing, when you were in school, you bullied classmates, and now you’re abusing animals. In a few years, will you start killing people?” She didn’t mention how Liang Xuxing had bullied Li Wenshui before. In her memory, Li Wenshui was proud and had a strong sense of dignity, so he probably wouldn’t want her to expose his embarrassing past in front of so many people.

Grandpa Liang’s face turned ashen. He had always been a man who valued good deeds and sought to ensure the stability of his family. How did he end up raising such a cold-blooded, brutal grandson?

“Liang Xuxing,” Grandpa Liang, who had been silent until now, spoke, his tone unyielding. “From now on, you’re not allowed to come to the old house anymore.”

Liang Xuxing stared at Grandpa Liang in disbelief. Being banned from the old house meant he would completely lose his eligibility to inherit the Liang family legacy. “Is it really necessary? Grandpa, I just killed a few animals!”

Grandpa Liang’s anger intensified. How could his grandson, who had been raised on scriptures since childhood, not understand his intentions? He placed his hands behind his back and coldly said, “I remember there’s a new branch opening in the northwest. I’ll talk to your father and have you sent there to toughen up. As for the cats, they’re Yuting’s. You’ll have to give her an explanation. You also need to apologize to the staff you’ve hurt in the house.”

It was already certain that Liang Xuxing would be punished. Liang Jin helped Li Wenshui outside, while Liang Xuxing, held by security, was unable to move. He looked shocked and confused, like a mad dog ready to bite anyone it came across. Most of the time, he wouldn’t confront Liang Jin directly. According to family hierarchy, Liang Jin was the eldest grandson, with the most power among the younger generation. Even the family’s longtime butler had to show respect toward him. But Liang Xuxing refused to accept this, gritting his teeth as he glared at Liang Jin. “What’s he doing behind the scenes that’s cleaner than what I’ve done? How did Yu Zizhuo get his leg injured?”

Liang Jin suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing with coldness. His tone was light, but chilling. “His leg got injured? I didn’t know. Cousin, you can’t just bite people without proof. Do you have evidence?”

“How could you leave evidence?” Liang Xuxing snapped.

Liang Jin thought for a moment and slowly said, “Why don’t you call Yu Zizhuo in front of everyone, put it on speaker, and ask him if it was me?”

Liang Xuxing’s face turned red, his forehead veins bulging, his expression terrifying. “Liang Jin, you—”

Liang Jin, uninterested, ignored him and helped Li Wenshui into the car. As the car started moving, Liang Jin glanced at Li Wenshui, who looked like a deflated balloon, holding his head in silence. He smiled and said, “Not many in the family dare to mention that he’s an illegitimate child. You spoke so loudly that we could hear it outside the door. I should give you a brave ‘rescue-the-cat’ flag.”

“I don’t want that,” Li Wenshui muttered, not knowing if the three little cats that Liang Yuting tried to save were still alive. He looked down at the dried blood on his fingers. “Do you think… Liang Xuxing will get back at me?”

“You’re only thinking about that now? Why were you so impulsive when you provoked him?” Liang Jin wanted to say more, cautioning Li Wenshui not to act so rashly, but then he noticed the panic in Li Wenshui’s eyes. He retracted his words. “Well… let’s just say this works in our favor. My grandpa saw him hitting you, and he’ll be even angrier. The fact that he abuses cats will be even more convincing.”

Li Wenshui was now truly afraid. What if Liang Jin didn’t protect him? Liang Xuxing definitely wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“Stop overthinking. He won’t do anything to you.”

“Really?”

Liang Jin’s gaze softened. “Really.”

His promise felt like a sedative, and Li Wenshui suddenly felt much more at ease. He closed his eyes, and once again, the image of Liang Xuxing hitting him appeared in his mind. But this time, he realized he wasn’t as frightened or helpless anymore. The car drove away from the old house, heading toward the city.

“Where are we going now?” Li Wenshui opened his eyes and asked.

“To the hospital to bandage your wound.”

At the mention of the hospital, Li Wenshui instinctively recoiled. “Can we not go? I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

Liang Jin looked at Li Wenshui’s swollen forehead, his pitiful appearance. “Do you want to sleep with it swollen?”

“It’s just a superficial injury. A little medicine and a spray will be fine.”

“I didn’t know you’ve ever worked as a part-time doctor. You know more than the doctors?” Li Wenshui grabbed Liang Jin’s sleeve, pleading urgently. “Don’t go, it’s so expensive to see a doctor!”

Liang Jin was both amused and helpless, wondering if Li Wenshui’s mind was filled with money. “You don’t need to pay.”

Li Wenshui lowered his eyes, speaking softly, “Still, I don’t want to go.”