His Bone of His Bone, Flesh of His Flesh
Until Zhang Lu felt like he was suffocating, Jin Yuan only then abruptly pulled back.
For a moment, both of them were breathing heavily.
Their chaotic breaths intertwined within the tight space, scorching and hot.
The lingering fishy sweetness left between their lips and teeth left Zhang Lu in a daze.
Jin Yuan did not release his grip on the hand holding him, keeping him pinned against his body. With his forehead pressed against Zhang Lu’s sweat-dampened brow, the violence in the depths of his eyes faded for the most part, leaving only an intense, unresolvable darkness.
He gently pressed the tip of his tongue against his bitten corner of the mouth, tasting a trace of light blood. Instead of anger, he let out a low chuckle.
“You fucking pervert!”
Zhang Lu had originally intended to roar, but his disordered breathing shattered the ferocity in his words.
He did not struggle forcefully again, firstly because he truly had no strength left, and secondly out of fear of hurting his stomach.
To be precise, the thing inside his stomach.
That moving little gadget.
“You are too.” Jin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a half-smile playing on his face.
One of his hands reached out to rest gently upon Zhang Lu’s lower abdomen, covering it lightly.
Zhang Lu was choked with anger.
Ultimately refusing to resign himself, he demanded, “You are even more of a pervert. If you want a child, why do you not go find a woman?”
Jin Yuan smiled, his lips parting slightly to capture Zhang Lu’s earlobe: “You know why. This is revenge.”
Zhang Lu could not help shuddering, trying to draw back, but Jin Yuan pinned him firmly by the small of his back:
“You obediently stay here. Once Xiao Xiao is born, you can watch it grow up.”
Such a future turned Zhang Lu’s vision dark, and he grabbed Jin Yuan’s wrist: “Are you crazy? What are you talking about?”
Revenge.
Fine, if this revenge meant completely stripping away his pride and dignity as a man, forcing him to endure physical and mental suffering he should never have had to bear, then Xiao Xiao, to Jin Yuan, was nothing more than a tool.
Did a tool hold any weight for someone like Jin Yuan?
What Zhang Lu thought was this: give birth to it, and take it away.
No matter whether this child was a symbol of disgrace, since he gave birth to it, it was his.
His bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh—he claimed it.
Jin Yuan stared at him and smiled.
His black eyes grew increasingly deep, resembling a cold pool in late autumn.
“I am saying that Xiao Xiao, and you, will both stay here.”
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, curving into an intensely mocking arc: “You surely do not think you can still run away, do you?”
Zhang Lu opened his mouth and said nothing, though he shook his head.
Yet at the same time, a fire ignited within his chest in an instant.
No.
He had to leave.
He must never let Xiao Xiao stay in a place like this, growing up beside a madman like Jin Yuan.
Whether it was Jin Yuan or the person his younger brother chose, they were all unfeeling monsters—monsters who could harm and plunder others without a single shred of hesitation.
At the thought of his younger brother, a sharp pain pierced Zhang Lu’s heart.
He had failed to protect his brother well, and now…
“Let us continue reading the story.” Jin Yuan let go of Zhang Lu and reached out to pick up the picture book.
Zhang Lu gritted his teeth. He had made up his mind; no matter how much his scalp tingled, he had to endure.
Stammering, he started over: “You are the most precious given by the forest…”
His voice trailed off abruptly.
With his fingers gripping the edge of the paper page, Zhang Lu froze.
The word that followed stood before his eyes like a deep ravine, its strokes intersecting in a complex web—something whose very outline he was unfamiliar with.
The tips of his ears burned a blazing red, rushing all the way up to the back of his neck, making the hairs on his nape stand on end.
“Tribute.”
Jin Yuan’s voice sounded flatly, repeating once more:
“You are the most precious tribute given to me by the forest, the most beautiful miracle in my dreams.”
Zhang Lu lowered his head, and a heavy droplet of sweat smashed hard onto the page of the picture book.
He forced himself to steady his mind, compelling his gaze to fall back onto the words. Starting from the two characters for tribute, word by word and at a slow pace, he continued reading downward.
Whenever he encountered a word he did not recognize, he would stop.
And every time his voice paused, Jin Yuan would softly speak up, clearly and patiently reading out that character for him.
There was no mockery and no deliberate difficulty; he simply helped him connect the dots quietly, allowing him to stumble through the words and sentences of the picture book until he finished.
It felt as though all the strength in Zhang Lu’s body had been drained away. Releasing the picture book casually, he leaned backward and breathed heavily, his chest heaving violently while the pain in his abdomen seemed to genuinely ease a little.
He closed his eyes. Before he could recover his breath, he abruptly felt a warm sensation on his temple.
Opening his eyes, Jin Yuan was leaning down, pressing a kiss onto his sweat-slicked skin.
Zhang Lu’s throat tightened, but Jin Yuan had already pulled away, his voice calm: “You did very well. Get some rest first.”
With that, he stood up, turned to fetch water and a towel for him, and took a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe, placing them together by the bedside.
Stiff all over, Zhang Lu endured Jin Yuan’s care, his thoughts tangled in a chaotic mess with a hundred mixed emotions blocking his chest.
When the warm towel touched his face, Zhang Lu turned his head away and grabbed Jin Yuan’s wrist, his voice hoarse: “I can do it myself.”
Jin Yuan smoothly let go.
Zhang Lu wiped his face indiscriminately with the towel, borrowing the cooling sensation from the evaporating moisture. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke up: “I never went to much school.”
“Mm.”
Not a shred of surprise could be heard in Jin Yuan’s tone.
Yet Zhang Lu felt an even greater lump in his throat, finding it unbearable not to speak: “I never studied many books either.”
“I know.” Jin Yuan handed the warm water to Zhang Lu’s lips. “Here, drink a little.”
Taking a sip, Zhang Lu licked his lips and stared at Jin Yuan: “Why do you not laugh at me?”
Jin Yuan placed the water glass on the bedside table and turned to look at Zhang Lu: “Laugh at you for what?”
“For not knowing characters.”
As he spoke, his hand involuntarily reached out to stroke his lower abdomen again.
“So what is there for me to laugh at?” Jin Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Laugh at you for having no chance to learn? Then congratulations, you will have plenty of opportunities in the future.”
“I am not reading that damn book!” Zhang Lu reacted quickly.
“For Xiao Xiao.” Jin Yuan’s lips curved upward slightly. “You read it, and it will hear it more clearly.”
Zhang Lu clenched the towel in his hand: “Jin Yuan.”
The handsome man’s eyes flickered slightly, but he did not answer.
“Are you not afraid,” Zhang Lu forced down a swallow of saliva, “that the child will hate you?”
“Then kill it.” Jin Yuan answered cleanly and decisively, his tone so cold it left Zhang Lu speechless in an instant.
A light laugh floated up, and cool fingertips drifted across Zhang Lu’s lips with teasing seduction: “What is wrong? Wasn’t it you who said back then that you wanted to choke my abomination to death? With this look you have now, are your heartstrings being tugged?”
His voice dropped extremely low, and his warm breath vibrated against Zhang Lu’s heart—soft-hearted now, hmm?
“Pervert!” Zhang Lu threw the towel in his hand right at Jin Yuan’s face and retreated deep into the bed.
Jin Yuan raised a hand to catch it, tossed it casually onto the bedside table, straightened up, smoothed his clothes slightly, and resumed his usual calm tone: “I have to go out for a while later. Be a good boy, stay put, eat on time, and rest well.”
Pausing, his gaze swept over Zhang Lu’s taut profile, and his tone softened by a fraction: “You can also go outside to walk in the courtyard. If you need anything, just call out, and someone will naturally come to answer you.”
“Get lost!” Zhang Lu closed his eyes tightly. He was truly exhausted, and sleepiness was practically overwhelming him.
Listening to the footsteps gradually fade away, he was finally mentally and physically spent, unable to hold on any longer, and sank into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, the light inside the room had grown significantly dimmer.
The room was quiet, without a single soul in sight.
The hunger of an empty stomach crept out bit by bit, mixed with the lingering soreness throughout his body, leaving him completely devoid of energy.
Recalling what Jin Yuan had said before leaving, Zhang Lu stood on ceremony, pulling himself up and shouting roughly toward outside the door: “Hey, I want food!”
Before long, a servant pushed the door open on tiptoe, silently setting up a small table by the bedside, placing a bowl of steaming porridge gently before him.
Seeing the servant standing respectfully to one side with no intention of leaving, Zhang Lu waved his hand impatiently: “Go away!”
With Jin Yuan absent, it was a rare moment for him to dine alone.
The servant bowed and tactfully retreated.
The porridge had been cooked down until thick and glossy, a thick layer of rice oil wrapping around the grains, with finely minced lean meat and tender, soft yam cubes hidden inside.
It smelled wonderful.
Zhang Lu took a sip; the dense porridge slid down his throat, neither too hot nor too cold, hitting the exact right temperature.
Yet after just two or three mouthfuls, the bottom of the bowl was already visible.
Irritated, he put down the bowl, and the fire in his heart flared up again.
Lately, his meals consisted almost entirely of various liquid diets. That was fine; after all, the porridge genuinely tasted good, and the varieties changed, so he couldn’t call it mistreated.
Yet the portion was pitifully small, making it seem stingy even for a bird.
Didn’t they always say pregnant people needed to strengthen their nutrition? Needed to eat and drink well?
That pervert did the exact opposite, refusing to even let him eat a full meal.
An indescribable fear washed over him once again. The little Xiao Xiao inside his belly was probably truly nothing more than a tool for Jin Yuan’s revenge.
Or perhaps, a cruel experimental subject.
At this thought, his eye sockets suddenly grew hot.
This startled Zhang Lu. What was wrong with him?
Why had he suddenly grown so sentimental? Why would he start caring about Jin Yuan’s attitude toward Xiao Xiao?
Was it because he had truly and clearly realized that what resided inside his body was a real, living little life?
An innocent little life.
Much like his younger brother back then.
If he stayed here, Xiao Xiao would forever remain nothing more than the abomination in Jin Yuan’s words.
Never allowed to see the normal light of day.
Zhang Lu clenched his fists, absolute determination sinking deep into his heart.
No matter how heavily guarded this place was, and no matter how ruthless Jin Yuan’s methods were, he had to escape.
With Xiao Xiao, fleeing out with every ounce of strength he had.
The further away from this madman, the better; the further away from this cage, the better.
Even if he had to suffer hardships and exhaustion in the future, it was still better than letting his child live under this terrifying shadow, manipulated at the whim of others.
In the future, he would still use this physical strength to earn an honest living and send his child to school.
He would let the child completely leave behind this muddled and foul existence.
If necessary, he could even teach himself to recognize characters and read books. Most importantly, by his side, Xiao Xiao would never be any tool of revenge, but someone he would protect with his life.
A bowl of warm porridge went down, finally bringing back a bit of strength into his body.
Supporting himself against the bedside, he slowly got out of bed. After standing steadily, he felt that the muscle soreness and lower abdominal dragging pain had eased quite a bit, so he shuffled step by step toward the bedroom door.
Since Jin Yuan did not forbid it, he intended to walk outside for a bit, taking the opportunity to check out the layout of the place to gather more clues for his eventual escape.
In the courtyard, full bloom was everywhere one looked, and fragrance swept past mixed with the warm breeze.
He strolled casually along the stone-paved path, though his eyes could not help scanning everywhere.
A place that looked like a blooming cluster of flowers faintly revealed the outline of tall walls.
Zhang Lu sighed inwardly, feeling his steps grow even softer.
Rounding a clump of dense floral branches, his footsteps halted involuntarily.
Between the leaves and branches, a patch of black material was exposed.
He carefully crouched down, reached out to push the branches aside, and touched it—it was actually a thick rubber garden watering hose.
At the end of the hose, a heavy brass sprinkler nozzle was attached.
Zhang Lu’s eyes lit up. He swept his gaze quickly around; no one was in sight.
Without hesitation, he quietly coiled the hose with its brass sprinkler nozzle around his wrist, wrapping it twice.
The clothes Jin Yuan provided were already loose, and the long sleeves draped down, perfectly concealing the hose and nozzle without leaving a trace.
Then, moving even slower than when he had crouched down, he rose gradually and turned to walk back.
Just as he was about to reach the doorway, out of nowhere, someone walked straight toward him from the front.
A jolt of panic hit Zhang Lu’s heart, and he instinctively gripped his sleeve tight, terrified that the hose might expose itself.
Looking closely, it was a young man he had never seen before.
The man wore a well-fitted suit. Vague contours similar to Jin Yuan’s could be discerned between his brows, though he少了 Jin Yuan’s restrained composure and oppressive aura, possessing instead an overt, sharp edge and hostility.
His gaze was direct and evaluative, sweeping up and down over Zhang Lu and finally landing on his slightly protruding lower abdomen, showing an unconcealed look of astonishment.
It was Zhang Lu’s first time being stared at by an outsider in such a state, and the fellow’s gaze ignited his anger. Blocking his lower abdomen with his hand, he stared right back at the man without blinking.
“You,” the young man spoke, his voice crisper, carrying a hint of sinister amusement, “are you the beauty hidden in a golden house my older cousin keeps?”
“Who are you?” Zhang Lu raised an eyebrow.
“Who am I?” The young man sneered, taking a step forward with even greater provocation in his tone, “I am from the Jin family, of the same generation as Jin Yuan. But you—why are you here?”
His gaze swept down toward Zhang Lu’s lower abdomen once more: “Because you can bear a child? But you look like a man. Could it be that he actually pulled it off? How did they do it? Did they castrate you and install a woman’s gear inside?”
Zhang Lu’s expression darkened: “I do not care who you are. Get lost from my sight!”
“Get lost?” The young man chuckled as if hearing the biggest joke in the world, laughing further and escalating his taunts: “Did I hit the nail on the head? That monster Jin Yuan, ignoring all the women in the world, chose a man to bear his child! That makes sense, a monster like that has to spawn a little monster, ha!”
Before his laughter could fade, Zhang Lu abruptly yanked the coiled hose out from his sleeve. Gripping the end with the brass sprinkler nozzle tightly, he used every ounce of strength in his body and smashed it hard toward the young man’s forehead!
Lacking sufficient strength nowadays, this blow only made the fellow let out a muffled groan of pain, stumbling backward two steps while blood instantly welled up from his temple, though he did not fall to the ground.
Clutching the hose, Zhang Lu retreated two steps as well to widen the distance, his gaze still locked fiercely onto the young man.
An abnormal movement stirred within his lower abdomen once again, as if Xiao Xiao sensed his fury.
“If you dare say the word monster one more time, I will rip your mouth apart!”