Chapter 17: He Is Someone Loved

“Can you accept Wei Xifeng’s kindness toward you? Then can you accept him hurting you?”

Jiang Liwu felt inexplicably unsett. “So what exactly do you mean?”

Qiao Yiran took a deep breath and said steadily, “I want you to leave Wei Xifeng, to leave here.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid you’re competing with me for Wei Xifeng, nor that I want to deliberately exclude you. Please don’t misunderstand me.” Qiao Yiran hurriedly added, waving her hands anxiously to distance herself from Wei Xifeng and express her earnest wish. “If it’s possible, I’d rather be the one to leave Wei Xifeng and leave this place.”

“But I can’t leave. You can. You should go while there’s still time.” Qiao Yiran looked at Jiang Liwu desperately, gripping both her hands tightly. “Miss Jiang, please trust me. I only want what’s best for you. I would never harm you.” Her eyes were full of sincerity.

Jiang Liwu’s brows twitched slightly as she looked silently at the agitated Qiao Yiran.

Seeing no objection from Jiang Liwu, Qiao Yiran took it as hesitation and pressed on, “You don’t even know what kind of hellish prison this place is. You don’t understand what kind of man Wei Xifeng really is.”

Jiang Liwu smiled faintly, “So you know him very well?”

Qiao Yiran nodded. “I’ve been by his side for three years. No one knows Wei Xifeng better than I do.”

Jiang Liwu’s smile turned ambiguous. “Then what kind of man is he in your eyes?”

Biting her lip, Qiao Yiran said, “He’s not human; he’s a monster. Not just in my eyes, but in everyone’s. No one who loses control turns into a beast, makes beast-like sounds, or has terrifying, demon-like red eyes.”

“No one likes monsters, falls in love with monsters, or wants to stay with monsters.”

“Miss Jiang, I don’t want you to suffer the same fate as me, trapped beside a monster.” Tears welled in Qiao Yiran’s eyes. She looked fragile, hurt, and helpless.

“You probably don’t know you’re my substitute. I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to be deceived.”

Jiang Liwu’s expression was unreadable now, her thick lashes caressing her eyes, her dark pupils like jade stones cooled in a lake.

Qiao Yiran thought Jiang Liwu was too shocked to respond, so she hurried to comfort her, “Don’t be too sad. Now that you know the truth, you can break free early.”

Jiang Liwu pulled her hands away.

Qiao Yiran froze.

“Qiao Yiran, who gave you permission to spout nonsense here?”

Wei Xifeng’s cold, sinister voice came from behind. Qiao Yiran’s entire body stiffened instantly; her eyes widened uncontrollably, pupils shrinking sharply, her expression panicked and utterly lost.

How could Wei Xifeng be here? Did he hear everything she said?

From this angle, Jiang Liwu could see Wei Xifeng behind her, yet she hadn’t warned her.

Qiao Yiran bit her lip, looking at Jiang Liwu with a mixture of resentment and surprise at her cunning.

***

“Who told you she’s a substitute?” Wei Xifeng grabbed Qiao Yiran’s wrist fiercely, a raging storm swirling in his eyes.

More than half her arm was twisted; she cried out in pain, but fear overwhelmed the pain. “I, I…”

“Stop flattering yourself and pretending to be noble. Look at yourself—do you even deserve it?” Wei Xifeng’s contempt was blatant, his eyes mocking as if watching a clown.

Qiao Yiran’s face drained of color, trembling from humiliation.

“Listen carefully. She is no one’s substitute.”

Tears poured down uncontrollably. Qiao Yiran was utterly humiliated.

While Qiao Yiran was enduring Wei Xifeng’s judgment, Wei Xifeng himself was also being judged by Jiang Liwu.

He dared not look at Jiang Liwu; he heard everything Qiao Yiran said about her wanting to leave him.

In fact, Qiao Yiran was right—he was a monster, feared by all. No one liked him, no one wanted to stay by his side.

Love was an unattainable luxury.

The teacher had just returned and had witnessed his episodes of madness and loss of control. Did she really not mind? Did she find him troublesome?

If the teacher decided to leave, could he stop her?

Jiang Liwu placed her hand gently on Wei Xifeng’s forearm, signaling him to release Qiao Yiran.

Wei Xifeng’s breath caught as he loosened his grip.

He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

“No matter how many people, to me, Wei Xifeng has never been a monster.”

“I don’t want to hear anyone call him a monster again.”

Wei Xifeng opened his eyes; light pierced the darkness once more.

“Even if he truly is a monster, I love him.” Jiang Liwu stood before Wei Xifeng, speaking each word with deliberate care.

Wei Xifeng’s head snapped up, eyes wide, lashes trembling violently.

Qiao Yiran stopped crying in stunned silence.

Wei Xifeng’s mind was shaken. He grabbed Jiang Liwu’s hand and ran; he didn’t know where to take her, only that he wanted to find a place with no one else.

A place with only the two of them.

***

“Teacher, what you said just now…”

Wei Xifeng stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed and full of hope.

“It’s sincere. We are family, and of course I love you. No matter what others say or think, you must remember—you still have me.”

Wei Xifeng’s eyes reddened instantly, his nose tingling with emotion.

Jiang Liwu looked at him with tenderness. “I should have said this to you twenty years ago. Little Feng, you’ve had a hard time all these years.”

Wei Xifeng couldn’t help but pout and weep, clutching Jiang Liwu tightly, resting his head on her shoulder in quiet anguish.

“Teacher, stepmother…”

Jiang Liwu gently patted his back, her thoughts filled with worry over his episodes of uncontrollable fury like a wild beast. “Don’t worry. With me here, you will get better.”

Wei Xifeng nodded repeatedly. He had never imagined there was someone in this world who truly loved him.

Someone had loved him since he was a child, twenty years ago.

Wei Xifeng held onto this love tightly, his eyes full of obsession and possessiveness.

Baal padded over with a piece of meat in its mouth—the last piece it hadn’t eaten.

Ignoring Wei Xifeng’s presence, the large, fluffy head nudged Jiang Liwu repeatedly.

Jiang Liwu found it hard not to be distracted. “What is it?”

Baal stretched its neck long, its golden eyes pure and blazing like the sun, filled with earnestness. A rumbling sound came from its throat, its tail wagging incessantly.

“Did you save this piece of meat just for me?” Jiang Liwu immediately understood.

Baal nodded.

Wei Xifeng looked slightly surprised. Baal’s protective nature over its food was well known to him—even he couldn’t snatch food from Baal’s jaws.

This was the first time since Baal’s birth that it had willingly shared its food.

“What should we do? It’s raw.”