Ji Shenyu fell to the ground, sweating profusely from the pain.

His vision quickly blurred, so much so that he didn't even see the figure flash in. It was only when the sounds of fists and feet rang out beside him, and the two hooligans started begging for mercy and wailing, that he understood someone had finally come to help.

"Senior Brother..." The sound he made was incredibly faint.

Ding Hanbai was only pinning down and beating one hooligan, as the other had already been lying on the ground groaning for a while. After hearing what Ji Shenyu said, he had no time for anything else and rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulders to help him up.

Ji Shenyu let out a pained cry, his body tilted, and he fell down again. Ding Hanbai half-squatted and asked anxiously, "Where are you hurt?! Are you bleeding?!"

He supported Ji Shenyu's lower back with force, managing to get him on his feet. But even standing, Ji Shenyu remained hunched over, swaying as if he were about to fall again.

Ding Hanbai turned his back. "Get on, I'll carry you."

Ji Shenyu gritted his teeth in pain. "I can't... my leg..."

Ding Hanbai immediately felt for his leg. "Is it broken?" He felt Ji Shenyu's legs pressed tightly together, trembling uncontrollably. Moving his hand upwards, he realized Ji Shenyu was clutching tightly between his legs.

"Damn..." He panicked now, no longer caring if the two hooligans recovered and ran off. He directly swept Ji Shenyu up into his arms and charged toward the entrance of the alley.

The three who had gone for a late-night snack were walking back side-by-side. Jiang Ting'en had even packed a serving of chicken soup with rice for Ji Shenyu. Before they reached the alley entrance, they saw Ding Hanbai running out, carrying a person with long, flowing hair.

Ding Hanbai turned his head and saw them. "Second Brother, get the car! Third and Fourth, go catch those two!"

The shout, combined with Ding Hanbai's terrifying expression, stunned the three of them. Ding Erhe reacted instantly, rushing to open the car door, while Ding Keyu and Jiang Ting'en immediately ran into the alley.

Ding Hanbai got into the back seat carrying Ji Shenyu. The slightest movement made Ji Shenyu let out a strangled cry of pain, so Ding Hanbai didn't dare to move, and could only hold him on his lap. Ji Shenyu trembled uncontrollably, curled up in his arms like a cooked shrimp. The cold sweat from his head and face dampened Ding Hanbai's shirt, and then, feeling a warmth on his neck, he was startled to realize that Ji Shenyu was biting his lip and crying.

He hadn't even cried when burning paper offerings for Ji Fangxu. Just how much pain must he be in right now.

Ding Hanbai was both anxious and angry. He yelled at Ding Erhe, "Whose rotten idea was this?!"

Ding Erhe's palms were sweating. "We planned it together." His grip on the steering wheel slipped, and another car overtook them the moment he answered. Ding Hanbai wanted to kick the driver's seat. "Do you fucking know how to drive!"

His chest heaved. Only when he looked down did he clearly see what Ji Shenyu was wearing. The dress was torn to shreds, the wig was a mess, and several buttons had popped off his shirt... What the hell was all this!

Before his anger could erupt, Ji Shenyu cried against him, "Am I going to be ruined... I'm scared..."

Ding Hanbai was furious. "You're scared? Weren't you scared when you dressed up as a girl to seduce hooligans? Luckily, those two weren't indiscriminate about gender, otherwise your backside would hurt just as much as your front!"

After his outburst, he urged Ding Erhe to speed up. Then, he took off Ji Shenyu's torn dress and wig, removed his own jacket to wrap around him, and said in a low voice, "We're almost at the hospital. The doctor will take a look and it won't hurt anymore. Wipe your tears."

Ji Shenyu didn't move, perhaps because his voice was too low. But it couldn't be helped. One could shout when scolding someone, but it was embarrassing to speak loudly when trying to comfort them.

Ding Hanbai had no choice but to raise a hand and wipe Ji Shenyu's tears, but the more he wiped, the more they flowed. It was as if he could empathize with that 'man's greatest pain'. They finally reached the hospital, and he carried Ji Shenyu to the emergency room. When the doctor asked what had happened, he, for once, stuttered.

"R-ran into a pervert," he said. After speaking, he ducked out and sent Ding Erhe to get money, just in case surgery or a hospital stay was needed.

The curtain was drawn, and only the doctor's silhouette could be seen standing by the bed. There was the brief sound of a zipper as Ji Shenyu's pants were removed, followed by the doctor sucking in a sharp breath and telling Ji Shenyu not to hold back, to just go ahead and cry.

Eavesdropping, Ding Hanbai couldn't help but call out, "Doctor, he's not... ruined, is he?"

The doctor didn't reply, but Ji Shenyu's crying grew louder. Agitated, Ding Hanbai channeled all his brotherly affection and humanitarian spirit and called out again, "Doctor, he's not even seventeen yet! You have to cure him, money is no object!"

The crying gradually subsided into hitches. 'When young eunuchs were castrated before entering the palace in ancient times, it was probably a scene just like this,' Ding Hanbai thought. Before he could finish his thought, the doctor lifted the curtain and came out, glaring at him through his glasses.

"Doctor, just tell me. I can take it."

"It wasn't your parts that were injured, what is there for you to take?"

Ding Hanbai took the prescription, trying hard to decipher the handwriting. Seeing that it required hospitalization for observation and medication, he was overjoyed. "So there's no serious injury?!" The doctor said there was no permanent damage; it was just that the area was naturally fragile and therefore especially painful. Also, the kid seemed to have a very low pain tolerance.

Ding Hanbai went behind the curtain and was surprised to find Ji Shenyu hadn't put his pants back on yet. His legs were bent, and the area between them was bruised a deep red. He stepped forward to help, making sure Ji Shenyu didn't move too much. Once his pants were on, they waited for a nurse to finish treating his other wounds before they left.

It was already past two in the morning, and the hallway was empty. Ding Hanbai carried Ji Shenyu in his arms and walked slowly. He didn't scold, nor did he comfort; he just walked in silence.

Ji Shenyu's speech was slurred from the pain. "Are you tired?"

Ding Hanbai could carve for over ten hours without a break; carrying a person in his arms for a short while was nothing. He didn't feel tired, but he said, "How could I not be? One of these days when I'm sick, you can be the one to carry me."

Ji Shenyu said nothing, just hitched a breath and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again. "I'm not staying in the hospital." It was too humiliating; he couldn't bear it.

Ding Hanbai didn't insist and carried him out. On the way home, the spotlight by the spirit screen at the house was lit again, as if left on for them. Ding Hanbai carried Ji Shenyu back to the small courtyard, placed him carefully on the bed, and gave him a painkiller.

Ji Shenyu's clothes were soaked with cold sweat, but he was in no state to change. He waited for the pain to subside and drifted off into a drowsy sleep.

It was now the middle of the night. Ding Hanbai knew no one in the family was asleep, but since everyone wanted the others to rest well, no one came out to ask questions. He circled back to the Front Courtyard, went to the guest room, and hauled out Jiang Ting'en to demand an explanation.

Jiang Ting'en had a habit of confessing without being pressed, and he thoroughly explained what had happened that night.

"What about those two hooligans? Did you and Third Brother catch them?"

"One ran away. The one who stayed was bleeding a lot. Ji Shenyu slashed him with a carving knife from his chest to his navel, all in one smooth motion. It was deep and long..."

Ding Hanbai remembered the two screams. The hooligan's had been short and sharp, but the wound was so long. Ji Shenyu's technique was truly swift and clean. After he finished asking, he stared at Jiang Ting'en, who became so frightened by his gaze that he couldn't stop begging for mercy and making promises.

"Alright, you good-for-nothing," he said. "Ji Shenyu is injured. You can atone by taking care of him. If you don't know how, then just keep him company."

Jiang Ting'en nodded his head like a pestle pounding garlic. "Eldest Brother, what about Second and Third Brother! Do they have to serve him too?"

Ding Hanbai ignored him and left. He turned off the lights at the entrance to the corridor, plunging the path into darkness as he walked all the way to the East Courtyard. Ding Houkang heard the commotion and came out, a coat draped over his shoulders. He didn't try to shoo Ding Hanbai away, likely feeling guilty on behalf of his sons.

Ding Hanbai said, "Second Uncle, you should go back inside and sleep."

He headed straight for Ding Keyu's bedroom, kicked the door open, dragged him out from under the covers, and threw him to the floor, landing a few kicks. Ding Keyu's howls brought Ding Erhe over. Perfect. Ding Hanbai dealt with Ding Erhe at the same time.

Two of the three brothers were down. Ding Houkang paced anxiously in the courtyard, shouting, "Hanbai, those are your actual cousins!"

The implication was that the one surnamed Ji was just an outsider.

Ding Hanbai still hadn't changed his clothes. Covered in dust from rushing about, he blended in with the dark night. He stopped in the middle of the doorway, his voice a little hoarse. "Second Uncle, wrong is wrong. It has nothing to do with who is family and who isn't. This is a small mistake; a beating and we can turn the page. If one day they were to make a huge mistake, it wouldn't be over so easily."

He went back to sleep. He was exhausted and fell into a dream the moment his head hit the pillow.

After a restless night, Ji Shenyu was woken by the pain at the crack of dawn. Beads of sweat dripped down, soaking his forehead and temples. He lay on his back, not daring to move. It hurt to tense his body, and it hurt to relax. That damnable spot felt like it was broken, the pain spreading through his entire body until his lips and cheeks turned deathly pale.

He endured the pain until broad daylight, when Jiang Caiwei came to knock on his door and ask how he was doing.

Ji Shenyu lied and said he was fine, terrified that Jiang Caiwei would come in; he felt he'd rather slit his wrists and die. After Jiang Caiwei left, Jiang Ting'en arrived, carrying a basin and a kettle to help him wash up.

With the door locked, they washed him up and changed his clothes. Jiang Ting'en was very honest. "Did you know? Last night Eldest Brother beat up Second and Third Brother, but he didn't beat me."

Ji Shenyu asked, "Why didn't he beat you?"

Jiang Ting'en said urgently, "I was just an accomplice! Besides, aren't I here taking care of you now? Please don't hate me."

Actually, Ji Shenyu felt there was nothing wrong with the plan itself, just that an accident had happened during its execution. But that accident did indeed prove that no one really cared much about him. He could understand that. Why should they care about an outsider who just showed up out of the blue?

He put on a short-sleeved shirt and swallowed another painkiller. "Can you help me wash my hair?"

Although Jiang Ting'en's work was shoddy, he was at least willing and uncomplaining. He had Ji Shenyu rest his head on the edge of the bed and held a basin underneath to wash his hair. A large patch of the bedsheet got wet, and halfway through, the kettle ran out of water. He hurriedly took the kettle to go get more hot water.

He ran into Jiang Shuliu, who asked about Ji Shenyu's condition. He answered her as he followed her into the large living room. Then he saw that breakfast was ready, so he put the kettle down to get breakfast for Ji Shenyu. Only after he had the food did he remember that he hadn't finished washing the hair.

Ji Shenyu waited miserably, water dripping from his hair. Footsteps drew near, but they were too steady to be Jiang Ting'en's.

Ding Hanbai had just gotten up. "What a huge puddle. I thought you'd wet the bed from the pain."

As he spoke, he walked over, bent down to support the back of Ji Shenyu's head, squeezed out some shampoo, and worked it into a lather. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he temporarily took over Jiang Ting'en's job. Ji Shenyu looked up at him upside down and asked, "Senior Brother, did you hit Second and Third Brother last night?"

Ding Hanbai grunted an "Mhm" and wiped some foam on the other's face. "It wasn't wrong of them to want to catch the hooligans, but it's also true they took the chance to bully you. I didn't beat them just to let you vent your anger, it was also..."

Ji Shenyu asked, "Also what?"

Ding Hanbai thought for a moment. "To set the family conduct straight."

The lather grew and grew, and Jiang Ting'en finally returned with the hot water. After his hair was washed, Ji Shenyu slowly sat up, at a loss on the wide, damp patch of the bedsheet.

Ding Hanbai leaned down and carried him out, leaving Jiang Ting'en behind to change the sheets and wipe the floor.

They stood under the eaves of the corridor, watching a magpie land on the stone table and peck away a mouthful of breakfast.

Ding Hanbai said, "I've been alive for twenty years and have never even held my own wife, yet here I am, holding you over and over."

There was no response from his arms. Ji Shenyu had actually fallen asleep against his shoulder. He probably hadn't slept well all night, and drowsiness had overcome him once the pain subsided. Later, Ding Hanbai settled him down, then accompanied Jiang Caiwei to the District Police Station to give a statement, only returning after the matter with the hooligan was handled.

The magpie, its belly full, seemed to like this place and began to sing from its perch on a branch.

It attracted sparrows and gray doves, who joined in a chorus from the tree.

The chirping continued all day, and by evening, a new voice had joined the chorus. When Ding Hanbai came out of the machine room, the sounds of three birds and one person gave him a headache. He trudged to the window of the North House and asked the bedridden Ji Shenyu, "If you need something, just call out. What are you whimpering for?"

Ji Shenyu's cheeks were bright red. "My stomach hurts."

The painkiller had long since worn off, and the pain from the injury had spread to his lower abdomen, a pulling, twisting agony. He had been tensing his legs to endure it for a long time, the severe pain forcing unconscious groans from him. Ding Hanbai came in, and when his large hand covered and rubbed his abdomen, he almost cried out.

"Have you peed today?" Ding Hanbai asked.

Ji Shenyu shook his head. Forget peeing, he couldn't even get out of bed. Besides, it was so red and swollen down there, how could he possibly pee... Ding Hanbai picked him up and carried him to the bathroom, shouting across the courtyard, "You won't die from the pain, but you'll die from holding it in! Last night and all of today, aren't you afraid you'll burst and flood the whole place?"

Ji Shenyu's face was still red, shame mingling with his suffering. Ding Hanbai set him down in front of the toilet but didn't leave, instead taking two steps back to wait for him to finish. It was excruciating. As he relaxed his lower abdomen and a trickle of urine came out, the pain was so intense he couldn't stay on his feet. His vision went white, and he almost fainted.

That night, Ding Hanbai hung a small bronze bell on the window, with a thin string extending to the side of the pillow. All Ji Shenyu had to do was pull it if he needed anything.

The first half of the night was calm and uneventful, and Ding Hanbai was fast asleep. But around four in the morning, the bell suddenly rang, startling a treeful of birds into flight. He rolled over, lying still for a moment before remembering what the bell meant. He climbed out from under the covers, shirtless, and rushed next door before his eyes were even fully open.

Ji Shenyu had held it in all night again and had reached his limit. After being carried to the bathroom and back, Ding Hanbai collapsed onto his bed. "I'm not leaving. I'll have to get up to wash my face and brush my teeth at dawn anyway. I'm gonna get some more sleep..."

Ji Shenyu covered him with the blanket, feeling extremely sorry.

They shared the bed until dawn. Ding Hanbai slept fitfully and woke up early. He saw Ji Shenyu lying with his eyes wide open, his brow furrowed, and figured the pain had kept him from sleeping at all. "Need to pee again?" The other shook his head. Ding Hanbai chuckled, "You're wearing me out. Time for your ointment?"

Ji Shenyu shook his head again. "After applying it, I have to let it air out. I can't wear pants."

Ding Hanbai was baffled. "Then just let it air out." After saying that, he realized the issue and said with great disdain, "Are you afraid I'll look? Do I not have one of my own? Who cares about seeing your bright red one?"

Ji Shenyu was so embarrassed by his words he wished the earth would swallow him whole. He turned his face away and carefully removed his pants. At that moment, Ding Hanbai got out of bed to fetch a hot towel and the ointment for him. As he applied them under the covers, his embarrassment made him forget the pain for a moment.

Ding Hanbai lay back down. One pillow wasn't enough, so he bossily pulled it toward himself. His hand touched something hard and cool. He pulled it out and saw it was a small carving knife. "Hiding a knife under the pillow," he said in surprise. "Who are you guarding against?"

Before the other could explain, he continued, "That night, you slashed that hooligan from his chest to his navel, right down the middle."

Ji Shenyu said, ridiculously, "I wanted him to be axially symmetrical..."

The knife was held before his eyes. Ding Hanbai leaned closer. "And this one? You want to give me a symmetrical cut, too?"

Ding Hanbai was bare-chested, and Ji Shenyu was bare from the waist down; under a single blanket, each had their own charm. Their eyes met. Accompanied by the chirping of the birds outside, neither of them felt sleepy anymore, despite not having slept well.

Ji Shenyu took out a Chicken-Blood Stone from beside his pillow. It was perfectly square, mottled with blood-red and milky-white, and on top was a passionate cluster of red and white roses.

He had been in too much pain to sleep, so he had stayed up all night, carving all night.

Even unpolished, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Ding Hanbai stared, stunned. Ji Shenyu asked, "Do you like red roses, or white roses?"

Ding Hanbai snatched it and gripped it tightly. "I like lilacs."

Ji Shenyu didn't speak, but it was as if something had just fallen flat.