Chapter 076 Do Not Touch Her

The shouts jolted He Yunqing awake.

He struggled to lift his eyelids, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“Awake?” Zeng Qiwen’s face twisted with malice. He looked at He Yunqing with a taunting glare. “You like this woman? I hope you enjoy the show that’s about to begin.”

With that, he seized Jiang Yao’s chin in a vise-like grip.

“Xiaoqing, it’s been ten years, and you still have that intoxicating scent,” Zeng Qiwen leaned down, his large hand slowly gliding through Jiang Yao’s waterfall of hair. “And this hair—I’ve dreamed of it countless times over these years.”

He was like a venomous snake, hissing threats in Jiang Yao’s ear.

“You beast,” Jiang Yao’s eyes were defiant as she stared at him. “You’ll regret this.”

“Will I? But do you regret it? Do you regret running away from me all those years ago?” Zeng Qiwen’s tone was sharp. “If you’d behaved yourself then, your teacher Chen would still be alive. Your friend Cheng Yanchi could still be playing e-sports. Your mother would still be alive.”

“I regret not killing you myself back then,” Jiang Yao spat through gritted teeth.

A cold laugh escaped Zeng Qiwen as he yanked at Jiang Yao’s collar.

Two buttons popped off instantly, exposing Jiang Yao’s pale skin.

“Too bad. You won’t get another chance.”

Jiang Yao trembled all over, those terrifying memories washing over her once more.

Just like every time, ten years ago.

She told herself: Jiang Yao, you’re not a child anymore. Now you have the power to face all of this, the strength to fight back.

But her body froze involuntarily, as if she had returned to that most helpless moment, becoming her weakest self again.

Trapped in darkness, unable to escape.

“No!” she screamed in agony.

Tears streamed down Jiang Yao’s face. She longed to ask the heavens—what must she do to be granted redemption?

In the corner, He Yunqing suddenly rose to his feet and charged straight at Zeng Qiwen, slamming him aside.

Zeng Qiwen staggered, stunned for a moment. “After drinking the special water I prepared just for you, you can still stand and fight? I really underestimated you.”

He glanced at the ropes scattered on the ground.

“How did you untie them?”

“Don’t touch her,” He Yunqing forced himself upright, his voice cold.

“I want to see how much longer you can hold out.” Zeng Qiwen stepped forward, raising his belt, ready to bring it down on Jiang Yao.

But before it could strike, a large hand caught the belt in mid-air.

Sweat from He Yunqing’s brow dripped onto Jiang Yao as he stared firmly at Zeng Qiwen. “Don’t touch her.”

Zeng Qiwen jerked his belt back and swung his fist at He Yunqing. “Interfere again and you’ll die!”

He Yunqing narrowly dodged, countering with his own punch.

He put all his strength into that blow, but the drugged water had weakened him; by the time his fist landed, only a fraction of his strength remained.

Even so, it was enough to split Zeng Qiwen’s lip.

It only enraged Zeng Qiwen further.

He attacked He Yunqing with even greater fury. “Overestimating yourself!”

Jiang Yao watched the two figures locked in combat. In her daze, she seemed to see Teacher Chen’s face.

He smiled at her.

“Jiang Xiaoqing, be brave. This is not your fault.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Jiang Xiaoqing. I never blamed you.”

“Don’t run away, Jiang Xiaoqing, or I’ll truly be angry.”

“Teacher Chen…” Jiang Yao murmured, a hot tear sliding down her cheek. “I won’t be afraid anymore. I won’t run away…”

But the drugged water had taken its toll. He Yunqing started to falter.

Zeng Qiwen struck He Yunqing in the stomach, knocking him to the ground before turning back toward Jiang Yao.

But suddenly, a pair of arms latched onto his legs.

He Yunqing clung to Zeng Qiwen with all his remaining strength, voice hoarse and stubborn. “Don’t touch her.”

Zeng Qiwen’s eyes were devoid of warmth as he glared back, now completely enraged. He raised his fist and hammered it down on He Yunqing. “That’s for meddling!”

Another punch. And another.

“For getting in my way!”

Blow after blow.

But He Yunqing held onto Zeng Qiwen and refused to let go, no matter what.

Zeng Qiwen kept beating him. “Go to hell.”

But this punch never landed.

Instead, Zeng Qiwen’s body stiffened, his vision went dark.

He slowly turned to look behind him. Jiang Yao stood there, a red brick in her hand, her young face taut and her eyes icy as she stared at him.

“You…” Zeng Qiwen raised a hand to his head, then looked at the blood on his fingers in disbelief, staring at Jiang Yao.

“You’re the one who deserves to die,” Jiang Yao said coldly.

And with that, she struck him again with the brick.

Zeng Qiwen crashed to the ground, trying to push himself up, still incredulous. “How is this possible?”

Jiang Yao turned her hand, revealing a sharp half-blade pinched between her fingers.

“Remember this half-blade?” Her gaze was unwavering. “All those years ago, I used this very blade to cut my own wrist.”

She pulled off her wristband, exposing the ugly scar beneath.

“For all these years, I’ve kept this half-blade with me. Every so often, I have to sharpen it,” Jiang Yao said, walking slowly to Zeng Qiwen’s side and looking down at him. “Just to remind myself—never forget how much it hurt.”

“How much did it hurt? You’re about to find out.” Her eyes were shot with red as she mercilessly slashed his leg with the blade.

Zeng Qiwen howled in pain.

He couldn’t believe that this was the same woman who had once begged him for mercy—now she had turned the blade on him without hesitation.

“This half-blade cut the rope for me earlier. And now, it’ll send you straight to hell,” Jiang Yao said, blood seeping from her own hand as she gripped the blade, but she didn’t seem to feel it. A resolute smile lit her face. “Surprised? Do you know how much I hated not being able to finish you off myself when you were sent to prison? Ten years can’t bring Teacher Chen back. Scum like you deserve to be ground to dust!”

Zeng Qiwen stared at Jiang Yao in terror. “You’re insane, you’re completely insane.”

Jiang Yao leaned in. “To defeat a madman like you, I have to be even madder. Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? Ten years. Not a single moment passed when I wasn’t waiting for you to come after me.”

Jiang Yao didn’t know, after gazing into the abyss for so long, if she herself had become the abyss.

Perhaps she didn’t even understand herself anymore.

Sometimes, people are far more terrifying than they ever imagined…