Additional Inheritance - Chap 62

Wen Xiaohui was woken up by pain – it was the kind of pain which felt as though his whole face was on fire. He reluctantly pried his eyes open, but he found that they were so swollen that he could only open them by a sliver. His first reaction was that he was disfigured. The word ‘disfigured’ floated repeatedly in front of his eyes. He felt submerged in fear of catastrophic proportions and he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing.

He didn’t expect that once he started crying, his nose would become irritated as he felt bursts of throbbing pain. He couldn’t cry nor could he shout – he felt as if he was going to lose his mind.

“You’d better not shout.” The deep voice of a woman could be heard in the room.

Wen Xiaohui turned his head to see and he could just about make out a middle-aged woman wearing white scrubs in his line of sight. She was clearly a doctor.

The doctor went over to him and dragged his hand away from his face. “Don’t touch, it has just been treated.”

Wen Xiaohui mumbled, “Have I been disfigured? Have I? Where’s the mirror? Give me a mirror.”

“It’s just a fracture of your nasal bridge. It can be realigned, but you might really be disfigured if you keep fiddling with your face.”

Wen Xiaohui’s tears gushed out. His nose. His nose!

The doctor covered his face with a tissue. “Stop crying or it’ll get infected.”

“Mirror. I want to look in the mirror.”

“What’s the point in looking? Your entire face is swollen like a pig’s head. What you need most is an operation.” The doctor crossed her arms over her chest as she glanced at him. “But it’s not suitable to have an operation here.”

Wen Xiaohui forced himself to hold his tears back. He absentmindedly got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. He needed to see his own face – he wanted to know if he’d really been disfigured. After taking a few steps, he felt his right leg stumble and when he lowered his head to check, he noticed that at some point, a metal ring had been added around his ankle. The metal ring was attached to a long metal chain, at the end of which was a solid metal ball weighing dozens of kilos.

The doctor adjusted her glasses upwards. “You need to rest now and don’t touch your face. There are some painkillers beside the bed – take them every four hours. Seek medical attention as soon as you can.”

Wen Xiaohui sat on the floor. He trembled as he covered his face. Despair, like he’d never known, engulfed him and he shivered with fear. His nasal bridge was fractured? His nose was so beautiful… and his face. What about his face? Would he still be the same as before? Was he going to be disfigured? Would he be able to leave in one piece?!

He didn’t want to be disfigured, deformed, or dead! That bastard, Luo Yi and that bastard, Chang Xing. How did this have anything to do with him? Why? Why did he have to be the one to suffer?!

He was too scared to shout or cry, or even move his face vigorously. All he could do was to clutch his head as he trembled. He felt as though an invisible hand was dragging him into the abyss.

Opening the door, the bodyguard came inside and stopped in front of Wen Xiaohui. He crouched down, grabbing him by the chin and forcing him to tilt his head up. A chilling threat poured out of his mouth. “Mr Wen, I’ve already told you to behave and not to make trouble for yourself. If the young master can fulfil his end of the agreement by the specified time, we’ll take you to hospital. Don’t worry, it’s only a minor operation. If he can’t… How about we send him your nose?”

Wen Xiaohui trembled violently. His eyes no longer reflected the ferocity of a small animal and instead, they were only filled with fear. He pushed the bodyguard’s hand away. His legs felt weak at the knees as he took a few steps back and shouted, “He won’t fulfil his end of the agreement. He’s just using me to stall for time!”

The bodyguard stood up. He took out Wen Xiaohui’s mobile phone out of his pocket to take a photo of his face, then his fingers typed quickly on the keyboard. The light from the phone made the bodyguard’s face look even more pale, which seemed sinister and horrifying in Wen Xiaohui’s eyes.

The bodyguard waved the mobile phone. “I sent your photo to Luo Yi. How do you think he’ll react?”

Driven by anguish, Wen Xiaohui broke out into laughter – laughing made his whole face hurt so much that he wanted to cry. “What kind of reaction would he have? Don’t you think he expected this when he tricked me into coming here? There’s no point in keeping me prisoner because Luo Yi doesn’t care. He simply doesn’t care.”

The bodyguard narrowed his eyes as he stared at the mobile phone as if he was waiting for it to respond.

Wen Xiaohui’s gaze also fell on the mobile phone. If Luo Yi had a conscience at all…

Unfortunately, the phone didn’t respond after waiting for a total of five minutes. Wen Xiaohui clenched his fists, slowly closing his eyes.

The bodyguard slipped the phone back into his pocket. “Rest well.” Once he finished speaking, he escorted the doctor out of the room.

Wen Xiaohui’s body swayed as he stood up and he used all his strength to pick up the dead heavy metal ball. He walked a step at a time to the bathroom. When he got to the bathroom door, he hesitated briefly, but in the end, his unwavering determination drove him to take a step inside.

The bathroom mirror reflected a battered and exhausted face – his whole face was so red and swollen that it wasn’t possible to tell what he looked like before. His eyes looked like two narrow crevices. There was a massive piece of gauze on his nose and bandages were wrapped around his face twice to fix it in place. On his cheeks were a few purple bruises and tear tracks that had yet to dry. He really couldn’t accept that the person reflected in the mirror was himself. The thing he loved most in his entire life was his face. How much did Luo Yi want to take away from him?!

Without any outlet to vent his sadness and hatred, he clenched his fists tightly. The ache in his heart far exceeded the physical pain in his body – it was like thousands of ants gnawing on his heart and ravaging his willpower to the point where there was barely anything left. He felt as if the metal ball tied to his right ankle was dragging him into eternal hell.

The efficacy of the painkillers was insufficient to completely relieve him of pain. He dozed off after taking them, but it didn’t take long for the pain to wake him up again. He knew that he didn’t have much time left. Once the deadline of three days passed, it might not be just his face that was ruined, but he didn’t have any strength left. Only at that moment did he realise that in times of despair, people couldn’t even summon the energy to be afraid or angry. He lay on the bed like a dying man awaiting his ‘judgement’.

——————————-

That night, the door suddenly opened while he was asleep and a few people ran in. Wen Xiaohui sat up. From a glance, he could see the bodyguard in charge. The bodyguard opened the chain on his ankle with a key, dragging him off the bed and outside.

Wen Xiaohui didn’t want to waste his breath by asking where they were going – he was already scared to bits!

What were they doing?!

The bodyguard dragged him out of the villa, shoving him into a car. The black Mercedes quickly slipped into the dim lights of the night and sped away.

Feeling terrified, Wen Xiaohui looked out the window. Only then was he able to confirm that he was on a mountain. The car quickly reached the winding mountain roads where the only source of light came from the headlights. Despite the narrow and pitch-black roads the car raced through, it maintained its speed even though visibility was poor. Wen Xiaohui’s heart rose to his throat as he couldn’t stop imagining the car veering off.

He held his head in his arms as he tucked himself into the corner, not wanting to look anymore.

The bodyguard suddenly pulled his hand as he passed him his mobile phone. He said in a commanding manner, “Phone Luo Yi.”

Wen Xiaohui took the mobile phone. A film of moisture appeared in his eyes.

Displeased, the bodyguard said, “Call Luo Yi! Put it on speaker.”

Wen Xiaohui’s shaky hands typed Luo Yi’s number and put it on speaker. In the quiet compartment, the dial tone sounded again and again – each sound was like a heavy blow to Wen Xiaohui’s heart.

The dial tone echoed seven times. Wen Xiaohui felt like he’d suffered seven slashes from the death of a thousand cuts1.

Eventually, the call was connected. Wen Xiaohui clenched his phone as he failed to contain the trembling of his body.

A slight crackling noise could be heard from the other end, but no one said anything.

Wen Xiaohui bit his lip. He thought he was going to face Luo Yi and would have to show off the most malicious language that he’d ever learned, but he simply didn’t know what to say.

After some time, Luo Yi’s calm voice came from the other end of the line. “Say something or I’ll hang up.”

The bodyguard grabbed the phone off him. “Luo Yi, there’s only six hours left until stock markets open and you’re up to no good.”

“How am I up to no good? I’ve been acting in accordance with the plan.”

“Stop pretending, it was you who called the police.”

Luo Yi became momentarily silent. “Wen Xiaohui lost contact for more than 60 hours. It’s not unusual for his family to inform the police.”

“Without guidance, the police wouldn’t have found the last CCTV image of him before his disappearance so soon. Do you think we’re idiots? That photo now is just a little warning. If we don’t see the outcome of your pledge after the stock market opens today, don’t expect to see Wen Xiaohui ever again.”

Luo Yi laughed softly – his voice was charming and pleasant to the ear, but it also made people’s scalp feel numb. He used a lethargic tone to respond: “Fine.”

The bodyguard’s face paled, the veins on his forehead protruded. “Luo Yi, do you really not care whether he lives or not?”

Luo Yi smiled as he replied, “He’s my favourite plaything, but he’s still just a plaything.”

Wen Xiaohui felt as though the blood in his body had frozen, his mind went blank and he couldn’t think anymore.

The bodyguard wasn’t angry and on the contrary, he laughed. “I’m curious if you really don’t care at all. Wen Xiaohui, do you want to say a few words to your lover?” The bodyguard violently put the phone to Wen Xiaohui’s ear.

Wen Xiaohui stared absentmindedly at the dark motorway ahead. It seemed as though the car was being swallowed by a black hole. He was dumbfounded and didn’t respond.

The bodyguard commanded, “Speak!”

Wen Xiaohui opened his mouth and said softly, “Luo Yi, you’re a bastard.”

The other end of the line became silent, then hung up without mercy.

Wen Xiaohui lowered his head as if he was on auto-pilot, like his soul had been taken from him. Not a single trace of life could be found.

The car drove down the mountain. They reached the city prior to daybreak, then changed into a taxi.

Wen Xiaohui was bewildered as he followed along and got into the car and then out again. He was shoved into an ordinary-looking apartment in an old neighbourhood. He saw Chang Xing again in the apartment.

Chang Xing looked at Wen Xiaohui’s face and said to the bodyguard: “Nasal injuries can lead to cranial sepsis. You should change the location.”

The bodyguard replied respectfully, “Yes, President Chang.”

“How many hours is it until markets open?”

“Four hours.”

Chang Xing nodded and he stood up. “I’m heading to the company. Make sure you keep an eye on him.”

“Yes.”

The bodyguard pushed Wen Xiaohui onto the sofa, using rope to tie his hands and feet. Wen Xiaohui looked vacantly around the room – there were two other people in the apartment besides the bodyguard – one person who he didn’t recognise and the other was the chauffeur he stabbed with the toothbrush who glared at him.

Wen Xiaohui lowered his head. Luo Yi’s cold words echoed in his mind: He’s my favourite plaything, but he’s still just a plaything. As it turned out, Luo Yi’s phrasing was very precise and it was worthy of him being a genius. Wen Xiaohui was a ‘plaything’ – a plaything that Luo Yi could make use of and even if he was Luo Yi’s favourite, he was a plaything nonetheless.

So that’s how it was…

The images of him and Luo Yi together in the past seemed as though they’d occurred in another world. No one would be able to accept that their gentle and perfect lover actually concealed a venomous heart and was purposely pushing them into the abyss. The colour had faded from those happy memories, turning them into miserable black and cruel white. It was no surprise that Luo Yaya was frightened of him nor was it surprisingly that she called him a ‘monster’. Wen Xiaohui once placed the most vicious scorpion by his pillow-side and he wasn’t even aware of it. Most people couldn’t bear the fear of having the tip of a blade against their necks.

But he was already numb.

Was he going to die or be disfigured? He couldn’t begin to imagine how sad his mother and Luo Rui would be. As a result of his own stupidity, he let those who didn’t seem to care about him benefit while those who truly loved him grieved. He really did deserve to die.

——————————–

The sky gradually became brighter. An illusion appeared before his eyes as the white rays penetrated his pupils – it seemed as though the whole apartment had been stripped of its colours, becoming a chilling white. It was the colour of death. His heart trembled.

With the passing of every second and every minute, eventually, noises sounded from outside the apartment. A new day had dawned.

Since the beginning, Wen Xiaohui stayed in the same position even though the pain had begun to distort his vision.

When it got to 9.30am, trading started on the stock exchange. The bodyguard stared at his phone, his complexion looked more and more unsightly.

Wen Xiaohui stared at the bodyguard’s face and in the short space of a few minutes, he seemed to have witnessed himself being pushed onto the path of no return.

At that moment, the phone rang and the bodyguard answered. He only said the word ‘okay’ quietly before hanging up. He took his dagger out and walked over to Wen Xiaohui with a frosty look on his face.

Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened in terror as he backed away.

All of a sudden, the chauffeur took a gun out hidden in his clothes and took a shot at the bodyguard without hesitating. After the ‘whizz,’ the pupils of the bodyguard’s eyes contracted vigorously, then he fell to the floor with a thud. Half of his body seemed paralysed even though there was no blood at the gunshot wound. It was a tranquiliser gun!

The other person finally came back to their senses and turned to run to the door. The chauffeur fired a shot towards his back, knocking him to the ground.

The sequence of events happened so quickly that Wen Xiaohui didn’t have time to react and he just stared at them with a blank look on his face.

The chauffeur approached him and put another shot into the bodyguard. Afterwards, he dug out the dagger and looked at Wen Xiaohui impassively. “Mr Wen, which hand did he use to hurt you?”

Wen Xiaohui was dumbstruck, as if he were a wooden chicken, and he hadn’t got over it yet.

The chauffeur turned the bodyguard’s left wrist over, using one hand to cover his mouth and the other to stab the dagger through his wrist.

The bodyguard’s body became rigid like a dying fish and he started to spasm violently. After the dagger pierced through his flesh, he rotated the blade and severed the wrist tendon.

The chauffeur wiped the dagger on the bodyguard’s clothing. He stood up. “It must be the left hand because he’s left handed.” He walked over as he spoke, slicing through the ropes that bound Wen Xiaohui.

Wen Xiaohui was shocked and scared. “You’re…”

The chauffeur didn’t waste any words on him, dragging him out of the apartment. They sped down the stairs and rushed out of the neighbourhood. A black car happened to drive over to them, the chauffeur pushed him into the car.

Wen Xiaohui’s brain recovered, he replayed what had just happened and he broke out in a cold sweat. “W-Who are you?”

The chauffeur replied expressionlessly, “I’m the person responsible for your safety. You wouldn’t be hurt if you hadn’t acted independently.”

“Did Luo Yi send you?”

The chauffeur nodded.

“Where are you taking me?” Wen Xiaohui suddenly shouted, “I don’t want to see him!” His shouting was so forceful that it affected the wound on his nose. It was so painful that he burst into tears.

The chauffeur looked at him. “We’re going to hospital.”

Wen Xiaohui clenched his fists. He leant against the seat as all the strength left his body.

In the end, the car drove to the hospital. The medical staff, who were already waiting, carried Wen Xiaohui into the operating theatre. As he was put under general anaesthetic, he felt drowsy and in the lingering moments of clarity, he realised that he’d finally escaped.

Footnotes:

Also known as lingchi, a method of execution in ancient China. Follow the Wikipedia link if you want to find out more.