SVWL Chapter 52.2

CW: off-screen past domestic and child abuse

When they came out of the square, none of the three said a word.

Luo Suo was used to getting along with Shao Ming, he knew that it’s best not to talk to him at this time.

As for Zhu Tong, he didn’t know what to say.

Walking to the exit of the square, Shao Ming suddenly stopped.

Zhu Tong stopped and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shao Ming glanced at a street leading to the homestay. All the stores on the street were already lit up, illuminating the street they were going back to.

Zhu Tong originally thought that he was feeling uncomfortable. But then, Shao Ming leisurely said,  “It’s a pity that I didn’t bring my bike. Young Master, do you want me to carry you back?”

After the recent unpleasant incident, Shao Ming’s tone was very casual, which, under this circumstances, seemed notably peculiar.

Luo Suo became a little worried.

But Zhu Tong cooperated and said, “I have hands and feet; I don’t need any means of transportation. Hurry up.”

Shao Ming smiled again and walked forward.

After walking along for a few minutes, they reached their destination at the 10 minutes mark. When they entered the courtyard of the homestay, it was already completely dark.

The three of them entered the rented suite in silence.

Shao Ming consciously took out a first-aid kit from under the TV cabinet, and skillfully disinfected and applied medicine to his wound.

Zhu Tong wanted to help several times, but he didn’t know how to say it – all he could do was to stare at the wound alongside Luo Suo. 

After applying the medicine, Shao Ming raised his head and sneered, “Why are you looking at it like this? Afraid that blood will suddenly gush out?” 

“…”

“…”

Luo Suo was full of hesitation. “Ming-ge, are you okay?”

Shao Ming replied, “What’s wrong with me?”

Luo Suo couldn’t answer that. 

Shao Ming then added, “Okay, you two go back to school now. Don’t use me as an excuse to skip evening self-study.” 

Luo Suo looked at him, his heart full of complicated emotions. After a while, he sighed. “Alright, I’ll go back and ask for leave first.”

After all, both Luo Suo and Shao Ming of them rean in a hurry, and both of them actually got proper leave permissions. 

As for Zhu Tong, judging from the time he arrived – that is, just in time – it’s easily deduced that he also came here without leave permission. 

When the old teacher entered the classroom and saw three missing students, he figured one of the students might be making calls and searching for them. And at least one of the missing three would eventually go back and ask for leave.

Yes, the usual routine: run away first, then ask for a leave later. 

Luo Suo got up from the sofa, and Zhu Tong instinctively stood up too, saying, “I’ll go see him off.”

Shao Ming, while tidying up the first-aid kit, subtly paused at Zhu Tong’s words, then casually looked up and said, “Sure, go and come back quickly.”

Zhu Tong: “…”

He suddenly realized something.

In such cases, only the owner’s family members need to escort the guest when they leave. Zhu Tong is only temporarily staying here with Shao Ming. 

Inexplicably thinking of what Shao Ming said about “being taken”, he blushed slightly.

But he threw away that line of thoughts and nodded. 

Luo Suo glanced at him and didn’t say “no need” either.

The door at the entrance closed gently, and Shao Ming’s seemingly calm and natural movements slowly stopped.

He placed a bottle of iodine in the first aid kit, leaving it open. He then raised his hand and rubbed his forehead.

Outside the homestay, looking at the person who had already escorted him to the door but showed no intention of leaving, Luo Suo spoke directly, “Ask whatever you want, but let me be clear: I’ll share what I can, but if there’s something I can’t share, I won’t tell you even if you ask.”

Zhu Tong: “…”

He suddenly regretted sending him out.

Even Luo Suo could see the purpose behind his sudden “escort”. It was likely that Shao Ming could see it too.

But what happened today, it was definitely easier to ask Luo Suo than to ask Shao Ming.

Zhu Tong didn’t beat around the bush. After a brief pause, he asked, “The person who went to the milk tea shop today is really Shao Ming’s stepfather?”

Luo Suo was silent for a while, and then confirmed it with a hum. 

Zhu Tong slightly frowned.

At that time, although the lighting was dim, he could barely see the face of that man. Without commenting on his appearance, at that moment, the person’s facial features were twisted, fierce, and detestable. Judging from that facial expression alone, it was clear that the man was not a good individual.

“Why did Auntie marry that man back then?” 

Even if she was unmarried and pregnant, with Shao Yujie’s conditions, she wouldn’t choose such an unbearable person.

Luo Suo didn’t expect him to be so frank. 

Shouldn’t ordinary people try to tactfully conceal their thoughts after they’ve been exposed?

Luo Suo paused for a while, and frowned when he thought of the appearance of Qiu Shaoping he saw today. “What we saw was only how that man looks now after more than a decade. Who knows what he was like over ten years ago?”

“…”

Zhu Tong asked, “What do you mean?”

Luo Suo said, “You can know someone’s face, but not their heart.” 

More than ten years ago, Qiu Shaoping ran a bar by himself and was very popular in the county.

He was not yet forty years old at the time, and he looked quite handsome. People in the town looking for him to talk about marriage might not be wrong in saying that he has crossed the threshold. The reason he has not married all these years was complicated, and there was one reason that cannot be disclosed.

So, he simply never disclosed it. 

He was well-dressed in front of others and has a sanctimonious appearance, but as the saying goes, don’t judge the book by its cover. He might look like a distinguished gentleman upfront, but he was a complete monster behind closed door.

Shao Yujie met Qiu Shaoping when she was applying for a waiter job in his bar. At that time, Qiu Shaoping was very kind to her. Even though he knew she was pregnant with someone else’s child, he was still willing to be kind to her – even offered to take care of her and marry her.

This kind of gentle trap was always difficult to resist. When Shao Yujie was abandoned by her friends and family, a person who rescued her from the sea of ​​misery said that he would take care of her – he even took the initiative to confess his physical flaws¹it’s not stated outright, but it’s probably erectile dysfunction.. 

He was frank and sincere, and it didn’t take long for Shao Yujie to agree to date and marry him. 

However, beautiful things are always fragile.

After getting married, Qiu Shaoping completely changed. He was jealous, irritable, over-cautious, and full of suspicion. It was to the point of him feeling that Shao Yujie was betraying him by talking to men in his bar, as if she looked down on his flaws and was not content.

At first it was physical beatings and scolding. But gradually, as if he had discovered some kind of fun, the abuse began to escalate. He began torturing Shao Yujie and even Shao Ming in different ways.

When Luo Suo’s uncle took Shao Yujie to examine her injuries in order to collect evidence, they could not see any trauma on her body, but she was already mentally scarred.

“My uncle told me that to avoid gossip, Qiu Shaoping used methods that wouldn’t leave visible injuries. If, by chance, Auntie did end up with visible injuries, he would lock her up at home until she healed before allowing her to go outside.” 

Zhu Tong: “…”

While Luo Suo delivered his explanation with a relatively flat tone, the content itself was suffocating. 

Zhu Tong’s voice sounded hoarse as he asked, “Methods that won’t leave external injuries… What does that mean?”

Luo Suo said, “I don’t know… it is said that he found them online, and there are plenty of results when you search for them.”

“…”

Searched for it on the Internet… people could search such things to be used for torturing women and children? 

Zhu Tong shuddered. He wanted to curse. 

Scumbag! 

Zhu Tong frowned. “Why didn’t they think about moving out?”

Luo Suo gave a wry smile. “Move out? To where? Ming-ge’s maternal grandparents are still alive; they can’t just abandon them, can they? There’s no such thing as airtight security, even if they try to hide, there’s no guarantee of absolute safety. Besides, Ming-ge’s family only started to improve a bit in the last two years.”

“…”

After Zhu Tong heard this, he only felt powerless. 

He looked down at the ground.

Luo Suo looked at him for a while, but he still didn’t tell everything directly.

Helping others became a favor when someone was willing to be helped, but it’s just a matter of duty when they don’t. He has no right to speak on behalf of Shao Ming.

In the dark of night, Luo Suo sighed lightly, “Don’t say it, I’ll go back to school first, you… you can come back later.”

Zhu Tong did not worry about leaving Shao Ming alone, and nodded lightly.

When he returned to the homestay, he couldn’t help but think, ‘Shao Ming’s stepfather is a scumbag, what about his biological father?’

During that altercation, when he was still outside the crowd, he seemed to hear Qiu Shaoping say “dreaming to become a wealthy man’s wife”. So, he knows who Shao Ming’s biological father is? Does Shao Ming know that?

Why doesn’t he go look for him? Why doesn’t his biological father take care of Shao Ming?

He was distracted as he walked, he didn’t even know how he entered the door. When he snapped out of it, he was already standing outside Shao Ming’s door.

Shao Ming was not in the living room.

‘What is he doing in his room? What is he thinking now?’

As he was musing of this, Zhu Tong raised his hand, he knocked on the closed door in front of him.

The door opened quickly, revealing Shao Ming’s face – a calm mask, preventing him from seeing his true emotions. 

“You came back?”

“…Mn.” 

Shao Ming said softly, “Escorting him out took you so long?” 

“…”

Zhu Tong originally wanted to find an excuse, but couldn’t find one. 

There was no need to deliberately lie about what the other knew very well.

But he also didn’t want to tell the truth.

There was a difference between knowing in his heart and saying it with his mouth. He didn’t want to bring up Shao Ming’s bad memories.

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Shao Ming didn’t ask any further questions. He looked down at him for a while, and suddenly asked, “Did you see me beating that man in the square?” 

Zhu Tong: “…”

Of course he saw it.

Many people in the square saw it.

He nodded.

Shao Ming’s eyes darkened. “Are you afraid?”

Zhu Tong thought about it for a while and said honestly, “A little bit.”

At that moment, Shao Ming seemed like an emotionless kicking machine, and the ground was covered in blood. The onlookers watching nearby had a terrified expression on their face.

When he rushed up, he was worried that he would not be able to persuade Shao Ming to stop.

Just as he was thinking about it, the light in front of him suddenly dimmed. His shoulders sank slightly, and he felt a firm grip on his waist. He leaned forward and buried himself in the arms of the youth in front of him.

Shao Ming hugged him, buried his head in his ear and said, “Don’t be afraid of me.”

If you can, please support me by donating on my ko-fi~ For every 2 ko-fis, I’ll release an additional chapter ^^

• 1
  it’s not stated outright, but it’s probably erectile dysfunction.