Youth: You Were My Redemption
Chapter 02: The Madman and The Doll (2)
Having uttered those words, Qin Lou finally withdrew his gaze and turned to descend the stairs.
Click, clack, click, clack…
He seemed to be stepping to a certain rhythm. The quiet of the house punctuated only by the almost cheerful sound of his footsteps on the staircase floor. Along with that rhythm, the Rubik’s cube in his hand spun rapidly.
The only thing that remained constant was the curve of the young man’s lips, which lifted slightly. It was carefree and casual, not serious at all—like any ordinary child of his age, playful and mischievous.
But even the servants downstairs, many of whom were a decade or two older than him, dared not see him as an ordinary child. They remained silent, not daring to utter a word.
Song Shu rarely empathized with others. So among the many people on the first floor, only she felt relaxed.
She knew that the way this young man named Qin Lou looked at her now seemed completely different from how he did outside. But why it was different, she didn’t understand, nor did she care to understand.
Song Shu sat alone in the corner of the sofa.
The servants had already brought in her backpack, containing the sketchbook she always carried with her. Song Shu flipped it open.
One of the servants stole glances at her, unable to hide their surprise.
At the moment Song Shu opened her sketchbook, Qin Lou halted in front of Song Ruyu.
“Click.”
The final layer turned, and the Rubik’s cube was solved.
Qin Lou glanced at his watch, sounding somewhat regretful.
“One minute thirty-five seconds. Not much of a challenge after all.”
“Cousin… Cousin, you’re so… so amazing at solving the Rubik’s cube…”
Song Ruyu didn’t dare to step back, stuttering nervously in front of Qin Lou, suppressing her tears while trying hard to compliment him.
“Oh?”
Qin Lou lazily uttered this single syllable.
He smirked subtly, his gaze shifting to another corner of the sofa.
That syllable sounded too familiar.
If anyone had been unsure whom Qin Lou referred to as his “doll” earlier, by now, everyone in the first floor knew.
Song Ruyu trembled even harder.
“Cousin, I…”
“Shh.”
Qin Lou switched the Rubik’s cube to one hand. Pinching the opposite corners with his thumb and middle finger as the axis, he lightly flicked it with his index finger. The cube spun rapidly between his two fingers.
Then, Qin Lou smiled and looked up.
The blurred Rubik’s cube suddenly aimed towards Song Ruyu’s eyes.
“Don’t!”
“Young Master Qin Lou!!”
The servants shouted in panic.
The Rubik’s cube abruptly stopped.
One extremely sharp corner was pointed directly at Song Ruyu’s eyeball, just half a centimeter away from piercing it.
The room fell into a chilling silence after the scare.
Qin Lou leaned in close, staring at Song Ruyu’s pale face from the closest distance possible.
Then he chuckled, his pupils gleaming coldly.
“You just said, if ‘the doll’ moves in with me… what would happen?”
“…”
Song Ruyu’s lips trembled violently. After several seconds of hesitation and collision, the young girl finally completely broke down.
She burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
In the chaotic room of servants, Qin Lou disinterestedly withdrew. He stepped back and leaned against the back of the sofa, tilting his head to look towards the corner.
The girl lay there, quietly drawing, devoid of expression, sound, emotion, or reaction.
She really resembled a lifelike doll…
The young man’s interest intensified with madness.
The commotion escalated further until Qin Liang and Qin Fujun, father and daughter discussing matters upstairs, were disturbed.
Qin Liang was sharp-witted and stern, his gaze authoritative as he frowned while descending the stairs. “What’s all this noise about? Why is Ruyu crying?”
“…”
Among the servants, the bolder ones stole glances towards Qin Lou, while the more timid ones kept their heads down, motionless.
Qin Fujun followed her father down. Being her own daughter, she couldn’t bear to see Ruyu crying like this and forced a smile.
“Dad, is there even a need to ask? Besides Qin Lou, who else could make Ruyu cry like this?”
Qin Fujun then turned to face forward. “Qin Lou, Ruyu’s your cousin, after all. Try to be nicer to her in the future and not to—”
Qin Lou lazily raised his eyes.
“Are you lecturing me?”
He smirked slightly, turning on the sofa armrest and playing with the sharp-cornered 6×6 Rubik’s cube with one hand.
After tossing it a few times, Qin Lou suddenly hurled the Rubik’s cube towards Qin Fujun.
Qin Fujun took two back two steps in shock.
Then she stopped, realizing the situation, her eyes showing embarrassment and resentment. Qin Lou shook the Rubik’s cube still in his hand and smirked boldly at her.
“Besides being a few decades older than me, what else makes you qualified?”
Qin Fujun’s face turned purple.
She clenched her fists as if ready to explode, but after freezing for a few seconds, she turned to Qin Liang with a plaintive voice, “Dad, look at Qin Lou…”
Qin Liang glanced disapprovingly at Qin Lou. “Show some respect to your aunt.”
“Pfft.”
Qin Lou turned his head away mockingly.
Song Ruyu was scared out of her wits; neither her grandfather nor her mother could stop her crying. Qin Liang was annoyed by the disturbance, waving his hand to have the servants take her and the equally frightened Song Shuai upstairs.
Only then did the first floor quiet down.
The servants dispersed hastily. In a corner of the sofa, Song Shu’s drawing was almost finished. Throughout the entire uproar, she hadn’t spoken a word or moved.
Qin Liang had observed Song Shu more than once and understood her well. In his view, this young girl was the complete opposite of his grandson—perhaps it was for this reason that he had considered sending Song Shu to live permanently at Qin Lou’s mansion.
But considering the recent chaos, Qin Lou’s temperament might not be suitable for interacting with others…
Qin Liang pondered for a moment before speaking up, “Qin Lou, this is Song Shu, the daughter of your Aunt Bai.”
“Song… Shu.” Qin Lou pronounced slowly, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Alright.”
“She’ll be attending No. 2 Middle School later. When you meet at school, don’t bully her.”
Qin Lou stopped tossing the Rubik’s cube in his hand.
Turning back, his smile faded and his brows furrowed.
“Wasn’t ‘the doll’ supposed to be sent to me?”
Qin Liang frowned. “What’s with your tone?”
“Is she?” Qin Lou persisted.
“I did consider it, but since you’re not fond of socializing, I thought it best for her to stay at the main house—”
“Who says I’m not fond of it?”
“…”
Qin Liang was taken aback. Behind him, Qin Fujun, wearing an unpleasant expression, also looked surprised at Qin Lou’s unexpected response.
The young man jumped down from the sofa armrest.
“This year’s birthday gift,” he smirked, “I want her.”
Qin Liang snapped back to attention, scrutinizing Qin Lou with concern. “Song Shu is younger than you. How do you address her?”
“She doesn’t mind.”
“… You really want to live with her?”
“Yes.”
“Let me make it clear—if you dare to bully her, I’ll break one of your legs for Aunt Bai!”
“Send her to me, and I’ll let you break both,” Qin Lou replied with a smirk, eyes lowered.
Qin Liang got his “promise” and continued discussing business with Qin Fujun before leaving.
Once they were gone, in the corner of the sofa, Song Shu finished her drawing, eyes lowered as she tidied up her scattered pens and sketchbook. Her delicate face showed no expression.
Breaking one leg or two… he didn’t care.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sitting on the terrace railing like that.
“Are you drawing my Rubik’s cube?”
A voice suddenly appeared overhead.
Song Shu paused, then looked down at the half-closed sketchbook. On the newly drawn page was indeed the Rubik’s cube from outside the mansion, shattered into pieces and put back together by her.
The pencil-shaded cracks on the paper stood out starkly.
A few seconds later, the gray Rubik’s cube on the paper was obscured by a colorful three-dimensional version—on Song Shu’s sketchbook, a new six-layer Rubik’s cube was placed down, her long-fingered hand withdrawing.
From above her head came a voice tinged with amusement.
“Why draw it? You’re much more interesting than it.”
Song Shu finally reacted. She tilted her head back, her expressionless face turning towards Qin Lou standing beside her.
Meeting her hollow gaze, Qin Lou’s smile grew more reckless, his eyes hinting at a touch of madness.
“Didn’t you say you were looking forward to it?”
The young man bent down. This time, unlike outside, he leaned down close to her, right in front of her.
The distance was minimal. Close enough for Song Shu to see his pupils clearly, and the reflection of herself deep within those pupils.
Black flames threatened to engulf her, while the boy grinned recklessly.
“I’m looking forward to it too—how long will it take for me to get tired of my new toy this time?”
Song Shu remained silent.
A few seconds later, she lowered her head to pack up her sketchbook and pencils into her backpack. Finally, she picked up the Rubik’s cube.
The girl paused expressionlessly for a moment.
“Thank you.”
The Rubik’s cube was also packed into the backpack.
She slung her backpack over her shoulders and quietly left the living room.
Qin Lou was momentarily stunned. After a while, he watched her slender figure leave and couldn’t help but smile, excitement barely contained in his dark eyes.
“You’re welcome, doll.”
~
Qin Liang was perhaps too familiar with his grandson’s bad tendencies, so he didn’t entirely trust Qin Lou’s assurances.
After careful consideration, he arranged for the two of them to stay in the main house for a week first.
Upon hearing this news, the servants’ looks towards Song Shu were filled with sympathy. Naturally, it was all thanks to Qin Lou.
“Shu Shu, for now, this is your room.” The servant led Song Shu into a corner bedroom on the second floor that had been prepared for her. “Take a look around and let me know if there’s anything missing, you can ask Auntie anytime.”
Song Shu put down her backpack and shook her head.
“If there’s anything you need, knock on the door of the room across the hallway. Even if Auntie isn’t around, you can ask someone else for help, alright?”
“Hmm.” The girl’s voice revealed no emotional fluctuations.
The servant was slightly displeased, though she didn’t let it show in her words. “Then you should rest for now… Oh, right.” She suddenly remembered something as she walked towards the door, turning back to remind her, “Shu Shu, the third floor belongs to Young Master Qin Lou. No one in the house is allowed up there, so you can go anywhere else, but do not go to the third floor — remember that, okay?”
“…”
Song Shu recalled the earlier warning about “breaking legs and stuffing them in the swimming pool” from outside the house and nodded silently.
The servant left.
Song Shu placed her backpack on a short cabinet beside the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed. The room had excellent soundproofing, so it was quiet to the point where she couldn’t hear any sound at all.
The silence left her feeling somewhat bewildered.
For the first time, Song Shu realized that she wasn’t as indifferent to everything and everyone as she had thought. Being away from her own home and in such a completely unfamiliar and cold place, she felt lost, much like any other child her age might. The only difference was that other children might cry or throw tantrums, but she remained quiet, as if she didn’t exist.
So, no one saw her, and no one heard her.
The central air conditioning made Song Shu feel a bit cold. She pulled back the covers and lay down, slowly curling herself up.
The room remained quiet for a long while.
A fair hand emerged from under the covers. It hooked onto the backpack at the head of the bed, then slipped inside and retrieved a Rubik’s Cube.
~
At dinner time, Song Shu was led out of her room by a servant.
The dining room was on the first floor, requiring a walk past the foyer and living room after descending the stairs. As Song Shu came down to the first floor, before her foot could even touch the wooden stairs, she heard the sound of the door opening in the foyer.
Someone said something.
“Mr. Song is back? Welcome back, how was your trip?”
“Dad!”
A few meters ahead of Song Shu, Song Ruyu jumped up from the sofa in the living room and ran straight towards the foyer. Her footsteps echoed on the floor, and a figure appeared at the junction between the foyer and the living room — a man with open arms bent down and hugged Song Ruyu as she rushed into his embrace, lifting her up and laughing heartily.
“Oh, my precious daughter! How was your day at Grandpa’s? Did you miss Daddy?”
“I did…”
“Oh? Why are your eyes so red?” The man’s laughter ceased, his voice turning serious. “Have you been crying? Did someone bully you?”
“Yes, it’s…”
Song Ruyu choked up, unable to muster the courage to utter Qin Lou’s name. She nestled into Song Chengjun’s embrace, and as she turned her head, she happened to spot Song Shu standing at the foot of the stairs.
A flash of resentment flickered in Song Ruyu’s eyes. “It’s Song Shu! She came to Grandpa’s house again today and bullied me!”
At the mention of this name, Song Chengjun paused for a moment. Then he furrowed his brow and turned to the nearby servant, whispering, “Song Shu is here?”
“Yes, Mr. Song.”
“Is she still in the house?”
“Mr. Qin arranged for her to stay on the second floor—oh, look at the staircase, she just came down.”
Upon the servant’s reminder, Song Chengjun turned his head and finally noticed the quiet girl standing at the staircase landing.
Song Chengjun’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Dad!” Song Ruyu called out to him plaintively.
“Yes?” Song Chengjun quickly turned back, leaning down to her level, gently resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t cry, my darling. Daddy has brought you a gift today. Don’t be upset over such trivial matters, alright?”
“What… what gift? I have to like it. If I don’t, you have to buy me another one!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll listen to my precious daughter. If you don’t like it, Daddy will buy you another one…”
The man carried the little girl in his arms, soothing her as they walked towards the dining room. His figure grew distant, and soon his voice faded away.
Song Shu stood by the stairs, motionless and silent.
When his figure had completely disappeared from view, she slowly lowered her eyes. From beginning to end, the man who was also her father had only glanced at her once. And he had furrowed his brow.
It was like he was looking at something abandoned that had returned on its own, something that was tiresome to deal with.
Being disliked was a terrifying thing for a child. Because when they weren’t mature enough to understand, they would think being disliked was their own fault.
Clearly, it wasn’t.
Clearly, it wasn’t.
~
The Qin family’s dining table was usually quiet. Today, with an additional “outsider,” the silence took on a subtle tension.
At the long dining table, Qin Liang sat at the head. Next to him on his right were Song Chengjun and Qin Fujun, husband and wife. In the middle sat Song Ruyu and her younger brother Song Shuai. As a guest, Song Shu sat alone on the left side.
She had heard from the servants that Young Master Qin Lou didn’t like eating at the same table with others. His meals were always prepared and delivered by a dedicated person to the dining room on the third floor.
The differences with Qin Lou in the Qin family were clearly more than just the titles the servants used.
With Qin Liang present, dinner proceeded quietly and blandly. No matter how much Song Ruyu wanted to trouble Song Shu, she didn’t dare cause trouble in front of her grandfather.
The family ate in silence, suppressing their displeasure or other emotions, treating her as if she were invisible.
After eating a little, Song Shu put down her chopsticks. She quietly looked up at Qin Liang and didn’t speak. Her eyes, devoid of much emotion, looked quite beautiful under the light, their pupils soft.
Qin Liang met her gaze and managed to smile slightly.
“Finished already?”
Song Shu nodded.
“Need someone to escort you back to your room?”
She shook her head, pushed her chair back, and walked towards the staircase.
Watching her leave, Song Ruyu forcefully chewed and muttered under her breath, “So rude, not a bit of manners!”
“How many times do I have to remind you? Don’t be strict with others and lenient with yourself. About what happened this afternoon, do you really think no one would mention it to me?”
Song Ruyu was startled, glanced anxiously at her parents, then quickly lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Grandfather… I was wrong.”
“If there’s another time, I’ll have someone send you to live with your cousin for a month.”
Song Ruyu’s face turned pale immediately. “Dad…” Qin Fujun hurriedly spoke up to protect her daughter.
“Dad what? If Ruyu develops a domineering personality in the future, it’ll be because you’ve spoiled her rotten,” Qin Liang retorted.
Qin Fujun opened her mouth but in the end, she held back her words and swallowed them. She cast a resentful glance towards the direction of the staircase.
Song Shu’s room on the second floor was a partial suite without a separate bath. There were two shared bathrooms on either side of the second floor.
After dinner, as the voices of the servants outside gradually quieted down, Song Shu finally left her room and headed towards the bathroom near the staircase.
Soon after she emerged from the bathroom, just as she reached the corner near the staircase, she heard the approaching voices ahead.
“Bai Song originally had shares in the company. Now Qin Lou is getting close to her daughter. How can I not worry?”
“What’s the big deal? They’re just two kids.”
“Kids? Huh, you didn’t see Qin Lou’s attitude towards me today!”
“Why bother with an 11-year-old kid? It’s so pointless.”
“You don’t understand. It’s not about me versus him! His parents died so early, and now Qin’s family only has him as the sole heir. Moreover, my father already feels guilty about his son and daughter-in-law’s death… In the future, most of the Qin family’s assets will surely fall into the hands of this little madman! Now he’s getting close to Song Shu, do you think I can just ignore it?”
The voices grew nearer.
It was Qin Fujun and Song Chengjun’s voices.
Song Shu’s feet, stepping softly on the long corridor’s plush carpet, paused. She returned to the staircase.
Hesitating for a second between up and down, Song Shu stepped onto the stairs leading to the third floor, then walked into the shadow of the central platform.
Song Shu didn’t want to run into them, so she could only wait for them to pass.
The voices of the two conversing became clearer.
Then she heard her father’s voice.
The first time so close to her.
“Fujun, don’t overthink it. I heard from the household servants about what happened during the day. Qin Lou treats her like a mere toy; once he loses interest, he’ll get tired of her—hasn’t he always been like this?”
“But I still can’t shake this unease.”
“If you’re really worried, tomorrow I’ll talk to Dad. I’ll say Song Shu doesn’t want to live with Qinzhou and suggest sending her to boarding school—then you won’t have to see her again. That should work, right?” “Will Dad believe that?”
“Song Shu is my daughter. Why wouldn’t Dad believe me?”
“…Are you just trying to comfort me with pretty words? What you said is right, after all, Song Shu is also your daughter. Who knows if you secretly pity her?”
“Fujun, after so many years of marriage, you still don’t trust me? In my heart, only Ruyu and Xiao Shuai count as my children.”
“What about Song Shu?”
“Song Shu? If it weren’t for Dad favoring Bai Song, I wouldn’t even want to see the mother and daughter duo—”
Bang!
On the low table of the rest area, the vase at the edge was accidentally knocked off by the girl who had unconsciously stepped back into the shadows, rolling all the way to the wall.
Crash.
The vase shattered and scattered across the floor. The expressions of the two people at the stairway entrance changed.
Song Chengjun sternly demanded, “Who?!”
“…” In the darkness, Song Shu slowly stepped back, her hands clenched tightly, fingertips icy cold.
Song Chengjun stepped onto the stairs, his face darkening. “If you don’t come out now, I…”
Bang!!
Suddenly, from the shadow in the rest area, another vase flew out diagonally and smashed fiercely against the stairwell wall underneath the rest platform.
Qin Fujun screamed in fright. Song Chengjun’s expression also turned grim.
Then they heard the mischievous laughter from the shadow upstairs—
“Get… out… of… my… sight.”
“Qin… Qin Lou?”
Qin Fujun’s face went pale. She quickly grabbed Song Chengjun, who was about to erupt in anger, and hurried away.
The air fell silent.
The curtains of the landing’s French windows were pulled open by the youth, and moonlight poured in.
Under the moonlight.
His other hand tightly covered the girl’s mouth, pinning her against the low table.
Once he was sure they were alone, the youth turned his head back and lowered his gaze. A smirk tugged at his lips as he mockingly leaned down to meet the girl’s eyes.
“You can’t even eavesdrop properly. Are you made of elm wood, a foreign doll?”
“…,” Song Shu remained silent.
Qin Lou released her hand. In truth, it made no difference whether he covered her mouth or not; she wouldn’t speak or struggle either way. The girl was as quiet as she appeared during the day, her pupils nearby equally vacant, resembling nothing more than an emotionless puppet.
But there was a difference.
Within that emptiness now lay the coldest and yet the hottest ember, dormant. No one had ignited it yet. So it burned silently, alone, without a stir, without anyone noticing, without exploding. But he knew where the fuse was.
Qin Lou chuckled, lowering his eyes, the reckless madness suppressing his voice.
“Hey, doll, did your dad throw you away? Like throwing out garbage. He wishes you and your mom would die outside, never to be seen by him again.”
“…”
“He’s not even that disgusted with garbage, right? Clearly, I’ve seen how well he treats Song Ruyu. Or maybe… you’re not really his biological daughter after all?”
“…”
“I think this question is best left for your mom to answer. Bai Song, Aunt Bai, right? Let me see… I should be able to find someone who has her phone number and ask her opinion on this matter.”
“…”
“Since you have no objections, I’ll go ahead and ask.”
Qin Lou straightened up as if to leave.
Suddenly, Song Shu, who had been silent all along, moved.
She grabbed his wrist forcefully and bit down hard, viciously.
“Hiss.”
Qin Lou winced in pain, taking in a sharp breath.
But there was no surprise in those pitch-black eyes of hers.
In fact, they were filled with a sense of accomplishment.
The taste of blood that rushed into his nostrils triggered Song Shu’s rationality all at once.
For the first time, panic flickered in her eyes.
Instinctively, Song Shu tried to pull away, but the youth leaned over, pressing her against the table. She continued to bite his wrist, feeling the warm, metallic sweetness of blood filling her mouth.
He paid it no mind, holding her trembling, icy-cold body from behind.
He chuckled mockingly and lowered his head.
“Haven’t had dinner, doll? Can’t you put up a bit more strength?”
Sansukini: And that’s where the original title, Bite Marks, comes from. It’s so sad how a father can act so callously to his daughter. Another scum dad and stepmother. Both our ML and FL have some problems with their psychology caused by trauma and will come to depend on each other. And why is everyone afraid of Qin Lou? Aside from his madness and violent behavior, it’s also the power of patriarchy. Grandpa gives him all the power, and no one can resist.
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