Suddenly, the box that HuLü Yan had hidden deep within his memory was flung open, and countless images rushed forward like an unstoppable tide.

All those images were from events that had truly happened.

And the main character in every single scene was the same—a woman with stunning beauty. The woman lay on the bed, and as the scenes shifted, the man on top of her changed, while her long, unbound black hair spread across the pillow.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her brows furrowed, and her beautiful face displayed a mix of pain and humiliation. Yet, despite this, soft moans still escaped intermittently from her lips.

At that time, HuLü Yan was just a small child, easily small enough to hide in the wooden cabinet across from the bed.

The cabinet door didn’t fully close, leaving a thin crack.

Through that crack, he could see everything that happened on the bed he usually shared with the woman.

One time, one of the men noticed his presence, but instead of being angry, the man smiled and pulled him out of the cabinet.

“Well, well, who would’ve thought there was a little treasure hidden in this cabinet?” The man lifted HuLü Yan’s chin with his index finger, as if inspecting a piece of merchandise on display.

HuLü Yan was terrified, his small body trembling like a leaf.

He didn’t dare struggle, didn’t dare resist, his face pale as he cast a helpless glance toward the woman lying on the bed.

When the woman felt his gaze, she slowly turned her body, pulling the thin blanket up to her chest. Then, propping her head up with one hand, she looked at him coldly.

Despite her indifferent expression, the voice that came from her lips was seductive and mocking: “What treasure? Just a pesky little beggar.”

“Oh?” The man raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the woman. “Isn’t he your son?”

Meeting the man’s gaze, the woman’s earlier coldness melted away. She smiled sweetly and playfully scolded him: “Oh, my lord, you must be joking. How could I possibly have a son?”

“If he’s not your son…” The man’s tone became teasing, and his hand shifted from lifting HuLü Yan’s chin to pinching it. He chuckled darkly, “Then let’s keep him here to play with us.”

HuLü Yan, though young, understood the meaning behind the words. His already pale face turned a shade whiter, consumed by an indescribable panic. He made a move to run, but the man gripped his arm tightly with his other hand.

The man seemed to enjoy the cat-and-mouse game, laughing gleefully. “Little boy, why don’t you play with us for a while? I’ll give you ten taels of silver.”

HuLü Yan frantically shook his head. “I don’t want it!”

“Kids should listen to adults,” the man said with a smile, effortlessly pulling HuLü Yan closer and reaching out to unbutton his clothes. “And besides, it’s not up to you.”

Just as the man’s fingers touched HuLü Yan’s clothes, something suddenly whizzed past his ear.

It crashed against the wooden cabinet with a crisp sound, shattering on the floor.

It was the vase from the bedside.

The woman, who had been lying on the bed, had sat up, her face contorted with rage. She grabbed another vase, glaring at HuLü Yan with a nearly crazed expression. “Little beggar, who let you in here? Get out!”

HuLü Yan snapped out of his daze, and in an instant, he sank his teeth into the man’s arm.

He bit hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood even through the fabric.

The man, caught off guard, cried out in pain.

“Get out!” The woman, her hair wild, looked like a madwoman. She screamed in her sharpest voice, “Little beggar, you dare come into my room? Do you want to die?!”

Amidst her hysterical cursing, HuLü Yan released his grip and bolted.

The man cursed and tried to give chase, but the woman grabbed him from behind, holding him back.

What happened afterward became a blur, lost in the deliberate forgetting HuLü Yan forced upon himself.

He had tried to forget more than just that. There were many things he wanted to forget.

But at this moment, he vividly remembered the woman’s face.

And the sound of her voice.

Just like Xiao Zhen’s voice—soft, weak, fake, and utterly nauseating.

A soft touch climbed from his arm to his chest. He grabbed the hand resting on his chest.

With no clothes in the way, the skin beneath his fingers felt smooth like freshly woven silk, just like that woman’s.

But HuLü Yan felt only disgust.

It was as though he had fallen into a filthy mire, with the mud trapping his legs and the slimy sensation creeping up his skin inch by inch.

He felt sick to his stomach, as if he was about to vomit.

His grip tightened.

Only when he heard Xiao Zhen’s sobbing pleas did he snap out of that horrifying state. He quickly realized he had crushed Xiao Zhen’s wrist.

Xiao Zhen sobbed uncontrollably, his body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind. It was hard to tell if he was crying from pain or fear. “Young Master, I was wrong… I was momentarily possessed and did this terrible thing. Please, have mercy on me.”

HuLü Yan tossed Xiao Zhen’s hand away in disgust. “Was this your goal?”

Xiao Zhen, too cold to care about clothing, shivered as he crawled on the ground, his voice hoarse from crying. “I truly admire the Young Master, but the Young Master’s gaze is always fixed on the Elder Young Master. I grew desperate and had no choice but to take this risk. I had no other purpose. I just want to stay by your side.”

The commotion was too much, and Mi Lu, who had been pretending to sleep, could no longer keep up the act.

Mi Lu feigned just waking up, rubbing his eyes in confusion. “What’s going on?”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhen hurriedly crawled over to Mi Lu. “Elder Young Master, it’s all my fault! I’m too fond of the Young Master, I’ve held back for so many days, but I couldn’t control myself anymore…”

Sobbing, Xiao Zhen buried his head in the snow, whimpering miserably.

Mi Lu was silent for a moment, then sighed. “He’s only fourteen. How could you?”

“Fourteen is exactly the right age for marriage, isn’t it?” Xiao Zhen whimpered. “I was just worried the Young Master was feeling lonely.”

Mi Lu replied, “I think it’s you who’s feeling lonely.”

“Elder Young Master, I was wrong. Please, help me plead with him.” Xiao Zhen begged, his tone pitiful. “I’ll never do anything like this again.”

Xiao Zhen wore only a thin pair of underpants, shivering in the freezing snow. If this continued, he’d certainly freeze to death.

But he didn’t dare to dress himself. He knew just how fearsome HuLü Yan was—if he so much as touched a corner of his clothes, he might die here in the snow.

Mi Lu got up, picking up his discarded coat and throwing it onto Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen hurriedly wrapped himself in the coat.

However, Mi Lu made no move to speak on Xiao Zhen’s behalf. He merely said, as an observer, “This is between the two of you. How you resolve it is up to you. It’s none of my business.”

Xiao Zhen had thought Mi Lu would take pity on him and agree to help, but after hearing Mi Lu’s words, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his last glimmer of hope. “Elder Young Master…”

Mi Lu ignored him and climbed back into his blankets, even pulling the covers over his head, making it clear he didn’t want to be involved.

Outside, all was quiet.

It seemed like a long time had passed, and Mi Lu, still awake, couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer. He peeked out from under the blankets.

But there was no one left in sight.

Xiao Zhen was gone.

HuLü Yan was gone too.

Feeling bored, Mi Lu waited for a while until HuLü Yan returned, alone.

Mi Lu had a guess, but he asked anyway, “Where’s Xiao Zhen?”

HuLü Yan answered, “I threw him away.”

“Threw him where?”

“Somewhere far.”

Mi Lu made a small sound of acknowledgment and noticed that Xiao Zhen’s discarded clothes were still lying on the ground. Clearly, Xiao Zhen had only taken the coat HuLü Yan had tossed at him.

The snow was falling harder, and the air was getting colder. Mi Lu wondered if Xiao Zhen would be able to make it out of the forest on his own.

After all, Xiao Zhen was a cultivator, even if only at the Qi Refining stage. It wasn’t entirely impossible for him to make it out of the forest.

Whatever happened next was up to fate.

What Mi Lu didn’t know was that, while HuLü Yan had indeed let Xiao Zhen go, he had first broken all four of his limbs. A person with crippled limbs, left in the depths of the forest, would have nothing to await but a slow and inevitable death.

The night was deep, and dawn was still far away.

After the farce ended, they had no choice but to continue resting and wait for daylight before resuming their journey.

Mi Lu soon fell asleep.

However, HuLü Yan, leaning against the tree trunk, couldn’t sleep.

His mind was filled with chaotic thoughts—from the past, the present, and even the future—all swirling together with the sound of the night wind, creating a rustling noise.

“HuLü Yan!” He heard Mi Lu calling his name.

Following the voice, he walked forward.

After some distance, he found himself stepping out of the darkness that had haunted him for so long.

He saw an endless expanse of green grass.

A gentle breeze stirred the grass, creating ripples that spread toward the distant blue sky.

The sunlight was dazzling.

He opened his eyes, and a few tears slipped out from the corners, stung by the brightness.

“HuLü Yan!” Mi Lu called again, his cheerful voice full of laughter. “What are you dawdling for? Hurry up!”

“I’m coming,” he replied instinctively.

Soon, a figure came into view, bathed in sunlight, glowing golden and indistinct.

HuLü Yan knew it was Mi Lu.

He walked over and knelt on the grass, his hand naturally reaching out to caress Mi Lu’s cheek.

Mi Lu’s face was small, fitting entirely in the palm of his hand. Mi Lu’s skin was smooth, like the tofu HuLü Yan had touched as a child.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, HuLü Yan couldn’t make out Mi Lu’s face.

It was as if a thin veil of mist covered it. He tried to wipe the mist away, but it was all in vain.

But Mi Lu’s laughter was crystal clear, as clear and pleasant as the sound of wind chimes.

Then, Mi Lu lifted his arms and wrapped them around HuLü Yan’s neck, his warm body clinging to him like vines.

“HuLü Yan,” Mi Lu said softly, “I’ve waited for you for so long.”

HuLü Yan lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on Mi Lu’s flushed neck.

He couldn’t control himself and bent down, his breath hot and heavy, falling in scattered droplets onto Mi Lu’s collarbone.

His kisses trailed downward.

The person lying in the grass let out a helpless whimper, as if they couldn’t find their footing and had no choice but to cling tightly to him. “HuLü Yan… HuLü Yan…”

Author’s Note:

Fourteen is exactly the age to start waking up to certain things (lighting a cigarette).