Tw: children abuse
Zhou's father didn't hear her come in.
Following the sound, He Chuan Zhou reached the doorway of the side bedroom. She saw a burly man in a white
vest standing by the bed, trapping Zhou Tuoxing between the wall and the bed, relentlessly whipping him with
a belt while shouting incoherent, violent words.
The air reeked of alcohol and a suffocating mustiness. He Chuan Zhou took a couple of breaths, feeling a
surreal disorientation.
Everything seemed distant. The man's grotesque, contorted figure loomed menacingly, almost surreal.
She couldn't recall his exact appearance or his specific curses; she only remembered his madness, strength,
and the fear he instilled.
He Chuan Zhou realized the immense disparity in strength. A boy not yet fifteen was as powerless as an ant
against a violent adult man.
Not everyone was as gentle and kind as He Xu.
Zhou Tuoxing could only curl up, shielding his head with his hands. The belt's tail snapped through the air,
striking his body with sharp cracks.
Despite trembling with each blow, Zhou Tuoxing glared defiantly through the gaps in his arms at his
attacker.
Perhaps his defiant gaze irritated Zhou's father, who felt his authority challenged. Furious, he roared,
"How dare you look at me like that?"
He grabbed Zhou Tuoxing's hair and smashed his head against the wall.
Seeing this, He Chuan Zhou screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping to attract the neighbors' attention.
Without hesitation, she grabbed a nearby item—possibly a pen holder or a glass ornament—and hurled it at the
man.
The object had little effect, lightly falling to the ground. Zhou's father turned, slightly bewildered, and
saw He Chuan Zhou reaching for another item. He let go of Zhou Tuoxing's hair and took a couple of steps
toward her.
He Chuan Zhou, holding a thick dictionary, backed away. Her nervousness affected her aim, and Zhou's father
easily dodged her swing.
He was about to curse when Zhou Tuoxing, mustering all his strength, lunged at him, biting his wrist
savagely.
Zhou's father cried out in pain and slapped Zhou Tuoxing hard, the loud crack making He Chuan Zhou flinch.
Zhou Tuoxing, dazed and bleeding from the mouth, staggered and fell to the floor.
Zhou's father, looking at the bite mark on his arm, angrily yanked Zhou Tuoxing up by his shirt and slammed
him against the window.
The old glass shattered immediately. The shards fell onto a small platform outside, reflecting the harsh
afternoon sunlight.
Zhou Tuoxing's body was pressed against the window frame, sharp glass piercing his back. He struggled
desperately, but his father, red-eyed and out of control, kept pushing him, shouting, "You dare hit me? I'll
show you!"
He Chuan Zhou, her mind buzzing, acted on instinct. She rushed to the kitchen, frantically searching for a
weapon. Finding only a small fruit knife, she grabbed an empty beer bottle in desperation and ran back.
She smashed the bottle on Zhou's father's back, but it had little effect. He ignored her, determined to
punish Zhou Tuoxing.
Holding the broken bottle, He Chuan Zhou trembled and shouted, "Let him go!"
Zhou's father ignored her, so she closed her eyes and lunged forward. The glass only made a shallow cut, but
it was enough to make him release Zhou Tuoxing, who slid down from the window ledge.
Grabbing a large shard of glass, Zhou Tuoxing squeezed it tightly, blood dripping from his hand. As his
father approached He Chuan Zhou, Zhou Tuoxing, summoning all his courage, charged at him.
The dull glass only made a small cut on his father, tearing his vest. Zhou Tuoxing, exhausted, collapsed.
Neighbors, alerted by the noise, rushed in and restrained Zhou's father.
The chaotic scene was filled with shouts and accusations, overwhelming everyone's senses. He Chuan Zhou, in
a daze, watched as Zhou Tuoxing, terrified and confused, sat helplessly.
She dragged him to a safer corner, noticing his empty stare and trembling body. Unsure what to do, she knelt
beside him, holding his hand.
Soon, neighbors helped rush them to the hospital. Zhou Tuoxing, with glass shards in his back, sat dazed in
the ER hallway.
Though silent, he managed to make some responses, like turning to look at He Chuan Zhou.
Sitting beside him, she watched his clenched fists, feeling an unspoken connection. She had many things to
say but couldn't find the words.
The narrow, dim hospital hallway was filled with weary and pained faces passing by, unnoticed.
Moving closer to offer some warmth, she sensed Zhou Tuoxing's slight reaction.
Fifteen minutes later, He Xu arrived in a hurry. Zhou Tuoxing's face showed a flicker of emotion, though not
entirely positive.
He Xu quickly assessed their injuries, focusing on Zhou Tuoxing's wounds.
His chin, neck, forehead, and back were treated, looking particularly menacing despite not being deep.
Zhou Tuoxing stood up and looked up at He Xu. His first words were cautious, trying to explain, "He Chuan
Zhou is fine..."
He Xu raised his hand, and Zhou Tuoxing thought he was going to be hit. He instinctively lifted his arm to
protect his head but quickly lowered it, pressing his lips together and closing his eyes.
He Xu knelt down slightly, moving gently to avoid Zhou Tuoxing's wounds, and pulled him into a tight
embrace.
He held him close, speaking softly with immense relief, repeatedly saying, "I'm just glad you're okay. You
scared me to death."
Tears immediately welled up in Zhou Tuoxing's eyes.
He Xu, thinking he was frightened, said, "Don't be scared. It's okay. You did great."
Zhou Tuoxing tried to hold back his sobs, but He Xu's tender reassurance broke down his last bit of
resistance. He collapsed into He Xu's arms, crying freely.
He Chuan Zhou remembered the look in his eyes back then, layered with heavy tears that shone brilliantly in
the light.
People in the hallway slowed their steps, and the world seemed to move quietly and slowly.
Despite the terrifying and chaotic experience, Zhou Tuoxing's presence had a calming effect on He Chuan
Zhou’s heart, which had been unsettled by Jiang Zhaolin.
Since that day, she had a deeper trust in Zhou Tuoxing. Even after more than ten years of separation and the
unfamiliar environments they had faced, she still felt closest to him.
He would always stand by her side, even if it meant facing danger empty-handed.
He Chuan Zhou turned her gaze from the dark window back to Zhou Tuoxing and asked, "What were you thinking
back then?"
Zhou Tuoxing looked at her deeply, closed his eyes briefly, understanding her question. As he leaned closer,
a gentle smile curved his lips.
He once had a normal childhood before his parents divorced.
His father would buy him things, and his mother cared about his life.
But it all vanished so quickly. The collapse of love had no reason. His mother's affection shifted to her
new child, and his father's energy was drained by a miserable life.
Zhou Tuoxing felt incredibly unlucky, as if he were destined to be abandoned from birth.
His world was like the sea beneath a deep night sky, where starlight barely reached and the moon couldn't
reflect its color. Only the cold wind moved between the waves and tides, stirring unnoticed ripples.
Then, one day, like a regular day, great fortune suddenly arrived. The unnoticed sea surface was lit up
again, now with different, beautiful colors.
There was a tender warmth in his voice.
"I wanted to become family with you."