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墨書 Inktalez
He was indeed good-looking, as the maids and young servants in the manor said. I had always looked down on such comments. But today, why did my heart race when I looked at that face? Am I unwell...?
He turned my head towards him, his hand cradling my face. The warm morning sun enveloped him, and the fine hair on his face was clearly visible. His brows resembled blooming spring flowers, his eyes like melting winter snow, his nose akin to autumn leaves scattered on the ground, and his lips reminiscent of a summer sun.
This person was truly handsome. His pair of eyes seemed capable of captivating souls and haunting dreams. No wonder many young ladies were infatuated with him; thinking of this made my heart inexplicably uneasy.
He playfully rubbed my face, pulling my thoughts back to reality. With a gentle smile, he said, "What's wrong? Is your brother too handsome that it has left Ashi mesmerized?"
I pretended to hit him, but he stood up and dodged, still saying, "Ashi, don’t be upset. It’s all because your brother is too good-looking; I’m truly embarrassed."
I shot him a glare; he was so childish, I didn’t like him at all. Or did I?
I liked his looks, liked his physique, liked his eloquence, liked his demeanor. Even when he teased and bullied me, I should have liked that too.
The Pear Blossom in the courtyard bloomed and withered repeatedly, year after year; I was now sixteen.
Sixteen-year-old boys always enjoyed doing what others were forbidden to do, saying what others couldn’t say, and acting in ways others wouldn’t dare to act. I was no different.
That day, I made plans with several young masters from prominent families to visit the most famous brothel in the capital to see the world.
I found the brothel uninteresting; however, the young masters were quite enthusiastic and summoned several girls to attend to them. Those girls wore very little clothing. A few thin veils draped over their bodies revealed their forms just enough to entice countless men to linger, but it only made me feel bored and irritated. So I bid farewell to my companions and returned home alone.
Upon arriving at the manor, I saw Duan Qinnan standing at the entrance with a gloomy expression watching me. My heart skipped a beat; I felt a bit scared.
But then I thought about how my whereabouts had nothing to do with him, so I straightened up and mustered my courage to walk towards him.
As soon as I got close, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into his residence. His grip was frighteningly strong, as if he wanted to crush my bones. My nose tinged with bitterness, and tears threatened to fall.
He seemed to hear my sobs and turned to look at me, saying coldly, "Why are you crying?" His tone was harsh. I pouted and choked out, "It hurts..."
He shot me a glance and said, "Pretentious." Yet the force in his grip lightened considerably.
"Father is back," he suddenly said. I was taken aback, and his next words chilled my heart completely, "I know you went to a brothel and said he wants to break your legs."
I called him brother in a flattering tone, hoping he would say something nice about me in front of Father and spare me this time.
But he ignored me, and with my heart racing in fear, I was reluctantly dragged to the punishment hall. I saw Father, whom I hadn't seen in a long time; if it weren't for the punishment stick in his hand, I would have been quite happy.
I walked up to Father and knelt down instinctively. Father showed no mercy as he struck me repeatedly with the stick on my flesh; it hurt as if my bones were breaking, and my vision blurred.
Father said, "Your mother dislikes men who go to brothels; how dare you? As the legitimate son of my general's household, you dare to seek pleasure in a brothel? Today I will beat you to death to give an account to the ancestors of the Duan family."
I then heard Duan Qinnan say, "General, that's enough."
Then the stick stopped coming down. But I couldn't hold on any longer; darkness enveloped my vision.
In that moment of fainting, I thought about how Father listened to him so obediently; once he said not to hit me, he really didn't.
I felt as if I were soaring like an enlightened being towards the heavens before suddenly plummeting back to earth, feeling a chill on my back followed by a slight sting, forcing myself to open my eyes.
It was Duan Qinnan, that annoying pest; he was applying medicine on me.
I recalled Father's cold indifference while he was hitting me and felt a surge of anger rise within me. I struggled to evade him, refusing to let him treat my wounds.
He gently patted my backside once, signaling me not to move.
I was momentarily stunned by his touch; my rear felt slightly itchy now. I wanted to break free from him—Father had been ruthless when hitting me, and after that came to apply medicine; who needed that?
He seemed to sense my reluctance and sighed, saying, "Are you angry with me? Do you resent me for not speaking up for you?"
I ignored him; a wave of bitterness washed over me, and tears flowed down uncontrollably.
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