Gu Xiyan's kick made Luo Qingtian bend down, slow to recover, and let out a series of mournful cries. At this moment, the fierce fire in Luo Qingtian's eyes had diminished by several degrees, replaced by an obvious look of pain.

  Taking advantage of this great opportunity, Gu Xiyan was going to the elevator again. Her hands were tied up and her legs still ached from cramping. Gu Xiyan could only roll her body towards the elevator.

  An inexplicable exhaustion and desolation all over her body. Gu Xiyan's mind is now focused on a single thought. Escape.

  Lu Jing Tian's whole body was filled with an increasingly fierce and sinister aura, his eyes turned a deep red. He arched his back, bared his teeth, and half-ran, half-walked to get behind Gu Xi Yan. Seeing that Gu Xi Yan was struggling to reach the elevator's open button, he sneered, his mouth curling up in a cruel smile. With a swift motion, he grabbed Gu Xi Yan's hair and pulled her head back with great force.

  Gu Xiyan's scalp was in agony, the pain was so intense that it felt numb. She fell to the ground once again. This time, her limbs were soft and weak, without any strength left. Her hair was scattered all over the floor. Due to the pain, her tightly pursed lips had lost all color. Her hands were tied behind her back, and the position of her body made her hands feel cramped and sore.

  "Die! You still dare to escape? You damn... How dare you kick me... Are you tired of living? If you want to die, I'll let you die under my feet..." Unable to conceal the flames of anger after being kicked in a vital spot, Luo Qingtian unleashed all the filthy language he knew, scolding until his voice was hoarse. Not satisfied yet, he raised one foot and was about to stomp on Gu Xiyuan's abdomen.

  That kick was going to hit its mark. Gu Xiyan estimated that even if she didn't die, she would lose half her life. Perhaps it was the shadow of death that triggered her survival instincts. Gu Xiyan, whose body had already turned into a pile of scattered sand, miraculously flipped over and dodged the rapidly falling foot just in time.

  "You will get what's coming to you. My husband won't let you off the hook." Gu Xiyan's face was pressed against the ground, her voice weak but firm. "You're a scum of a person, and death would be too good for you."

  You're not going to die a good death, are you? You have too many sins to atone for! Luo Qing Tian had never seen such an unscrupulous woman before. He slowly crouched down and grasped Gu Xi Yan's chin with one hand. "It seems that you lack discipline. Alright, I'll help your husband discipline you properly."

  "With the surname Luo, I guarantee that if you touch a single hair on my head today, within days, news of the collapse of the Luo Corporation will be reported and you will die without a burial ground. You'd better take back your hand now..." Gu Xiyan's forehead was covered in cold sweat as she struggled to maintain her composure. At this moment, a ridiculous thought suddenly appeared in her mind - if there was a hero who came to rescue the beauty like in TV dramas, how great would that be? Even though she knew her current state couldn't be considered beautiful, if there really was a hero who came to save her, she would try to fall in love with him. No matter who that person was."

  Gu Xiyan didn't think about what would happen if a beauty came to save her. Perhaps she had a kind of attachment in her heart. She hoped that the one who would rescue her from her current situation would be Shang Shi, her nominal husband, or Wei Zhe, the person who still said he loved her without complaint after more than seven years.

  Gu Xiyan couldn't finish her sentence. Her curses made Luo Qingtian's anger burn even fiercer. Suddenly, he violently untied the belt that was strangling Gu Xiyan. Luo Qingtian still couldn't stand up straight, his waist bent into an arc shape. He raised his hand, accompanied by a 'whooshing' sound. The belt whipped down onto Gu Xiyan's back with a loud 'piu'.

  The cramp in her foot had eased a bit, but then she didn't expect to be struck by a whip on her back. Gu Xiyan wanted to get far away from this place. But how could she run? Why did she have to encounter such a thing?

  Another one. A scorching pain. My back must be red by now. I wonder if it's bleeding too. Gu Xiyan thought to herself, self-deprecatingly, fantasizing that doing so could shift some of the pain.

  "Again and again......I don't know how many times already. Gu Xiyan has become numb. The tears at the corner of her eyes have dried up. Crying, what's the use?"

  So this is what it feels like to be abandoned by the whole world. She's only just realized now. The day she broke up with Wei Zhe, she was still able to meet someone who was willing to save her. But this time... none of you want me anymore... is that right?

  The corners of her mouth curved up in a faint, transparent and desolate smile. Gu Xiyan suddenly thought that if she gently closed her eyes and quietly fell asleep, would the world forget about her existence?

  Forgot it. Just forget...it then. Who cares anyway. Who...cares anyway.

  I'm so sleepy now. Don't want to move anymore.

  "Ahah, you're ticklish. People say that women who are ticklish will pamper their husbands. You'll definitely be very good to me in the future, wife. I'm really happy..."

  "Go away, stinky beauty. Who is your wife? Who wants to be your wife?"

  "Isn't it you? Who said they wouldn't marry anyone but me? Let me think... Did I remember wrong? That person with the surname Gu, named Gu Xiyuan... The one with a bad temper who loves to pick fights with me for no reason. Isn't that you? Oh, what's your name again?"

  "Get lost. Dare to laugh at me? You stand still for me..."

  ……

  "Xianyan, we don't have money at home. Xianglang needs to go to college and Xianran is going to high school too. You know the situation at home. If it's really not possible, then just stop studying. Go find a job outside first, it's also good for supporting the family. Your dad and I raised you until now, it's time for you to repay us a bit. As a woman, this lifetime is all about finding a good man, knowledge doesn't matter at all. Don't think that mom is being biased, your dad and I have done our best for you too. We've raised you for so many years, even crows know how to repay their parents. This simple logic, you shouldn't not understand it, right?"

  "I know... I'll earn money myself to pay for school fees from now on. I won't take a single cent from home. You can rest assured."

  "You're right to think that way. Kids, after all, need to learn to be independent to be likable. Old Gu, have you thought about what Xiǎo Rǎn said last time about buying a bookshelf? I saw several good ones at the market today."

  "Don't worry unnecessarily. I've already taken a look. Just wait for Xiuran to come home this weekend and make her own decision."

  "Old Guo, today let's go out to eat. The kids are not at home and I haven't bought any groceries."

  "If you want to go, then go. It just so happens that I got paid today."

  "Dad... Mom..." She murmured.

  I will never be your child. Right?

  ……

  "It's so beautiful. This is my first time seeing the dawn and dusk. The colors are so vibrant and blue. I didn't know there were such beautiful colors in this world."

  "Girl, is this your first time taking an airplane?"

  "Yes indeed. There was no chance before." She lowered her voice.

  "Girl, what's your name."

  "You don't even have the freedom to introduce yourself... big... uncle..." She sneered maliciously.

  "Really? I'm that old. How did I remember I was only 21?" He deliberately lowered his head.

  "No... actually you're not so..." She had a kind of uneasy feeling as if she had done something wrong.

  "So what."

  "My name is Xiyan. And you?"

  "Business starts."

  "Altogether. Are we together altogether?"

  "What do you think?"

  "The plane has crossed the morning and evening line. Look quickly, it's daytime now. Can you smell the scent of light?" She excitedly grabbed his big hand.

  "Does brightness have a taste?" He rubbed his forehead and sighed helplessly.

  "Yes, indeed. The taste of brightness is warmth, happiness... " She said the last word with a sudden pang on her face.

  "Alright, go to sleep quickly. Everyone's been crazy all night. Goodnight."

  "Just sleep then. Who's crazy and who's being unreasonable?"

  "Is anyone else here?"

  "Hmmph."

  ……

  "Ma...ma..." The one-year-old little girl called out this title for the first time, and she was happy for half a day. At that moment, she truly realized that she had become a mother of a child. This child would call her "mommy". She would watch the little guy grow up bit by bit. She would give all the love and care that she didn't get when she was young to this little one.

  "Baby, it's mommy. Mommy..."

  "Ma... Mi..." The little guy insisted on his own views.

  "Okay, let's get started then. Baby, Mommy will teach you to call out... Daddy... where's Daddy..."

  Hemp... rice...

  "Baby...Dad..."

  Hemp... rice...

  "Baby, what if Daddy doesn't give you a name?" She gently poked the little baby's cheek.

  "Dad......Dad......"

  "Baby, you're too fierce." She smiled with joy, looking more like a kid than the little one in her arms.

  "Xian. I'm giving this to you." The man who returned home handed her a bunch of fragrant lilies and carefully took the little one from her arms.

  "Why did you give me flowers?" She wondered.

  "Mother's Day."

  "Why is it lily on Mother's Day."

  "You don't like it?" He paused and added: "I thought carnations should be given to older women, for example my mother. What do you think."

  "Oh." She nodded blankly. Seeing the man teasing the little guy, she smiled brightly: "Baby can call people today. I'll let her call you."

  Hurry up and put in the flowers. She returned to the two people, one big and one small. "Baby, call Daddy."

  Hemp... rice...

  "Baby, call Daddy. Daddy will give you a beautiful name." She coaxed.

  "Dad......Dad......"

  "See? You'd better give her a name quickly." She excitedly shook the man's arm, then remembered that the little girl was still in his arms. She stuck out her tongue and looked embarrassed yet expectant.

  "What would you like to name the little girl?" He asked for her opinion.

  "It's better if you decide on this matter." She suddenly thought of something and nervously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, muttering to herself: "A long time ago, I thought that if I had a daughter in the future, I would want to name her Yanran. I wanted to tell her... This world is very beautiful, Beautiful Yanran." Yanran, Wei Yanran.

  "Call Yan'er, is it okay?" he asked.

  "Good." She smiled slightly.

  "Ma... Mi. Bao." The little girl kicked her arms and legs in the man's embrace.

  "It seems she likes you more. Aren't all daughters close to their fathers?" The man was at a loss, and could only hand the child back to her arms.

  "Xiao Yan'er. This is your name, oh. Do you like it?" A few of her fingers were being grasped and played with by the little guy in the palm of his hand.

  "Mom... rice... dad... dad..."

  ……

  A whip lash struck her cheek. She couldn't dodge it. Couldn't dodge anymore.

  Forget it. It's like this. This is good. I'm tired. I want to sleep for a bit. Just for a moment. After Gu Xiyan told herself this in her heart, her eyelids slowly closed. Really. Just for a moment. That's good. That's good.

  "You're going to die." In a daze, she thought. She must have misheard. Otherwise, how could it be... that person's voice?

  I've gone crazy.

  Author's Notes