Chapter Seventy-Eight: Kidnapping

I stepped onto the lawn and walked toward the young girl, calling out, “Xu Xin! Why have you run out again? This is too much. Your brother is searching everywhere for you. Are you only happy when everyone else is restless? Come home, now!”

Xu Xin grinned mischievously, then turned and dashed away. I shouted, “Hey! Stop! You came to see me, so why are you running?” She didn’t answer, only ran further and further away. It had been hard enough to run into her again; if she slipped away now, I wouldn’t know where to look for her next time.

Helpless, I broke into a sprint, quickly chasing her out of the neighborhood. I saw her dart across the street into a narrow alley. I felt a surge of delight—this alley was a dead end, and once you went in, there was no way out. Where could she possibly escape to? Up into the sky?

I took my time, strolling in after her. I thought, this time, once I catch her, I’ll call Xu Jian immediately and have him take her away tonight. She’s certainly doomed; she’ll probably get a beating, maybe even be locked up at home for ten days or half a month, unable to go anywhere. With her restless, playful nature, that would surely drive her half mad.

After only a few steps, I saw that little demon Xu Xin had stopped running. She turned to look at me, smiling. As I approached, I pulled out my phone and said, “No more bargaining this time. I’m calling your brother right now so he can come pick you up. Then you’ll wait quietly at my place—no tricks, or I’ll smack your bottom.”

Xu Xin giggled lightly and replied, “Who’s going to smack whom this time? That’s still up in the air!”

I laughed, surprised, “Hey! You’ve got some nerve now. Fine, I’m calling him.” I raised my phone and began to dial. Seeing this, Xu Xin suddenly called out, “Brother Tang Qian!”

I paused, “What’s the matter? Are you scared? Afraid of this phone call—” Before I could finish, I heard a rush of air behind me, followed by a heavy blow. Pain exploded in the back of my head, and darkness swept over my vision. In my last sliver of consciousness, I wanted to turn and see what happened, but my head felt impossibly heavy, unable to move. Then, I lost all sense—everything faded to nothing.

I don’t know how long it was before I finally came to. As consciousness returned, the pain in the back of my head threatened to split it open. My vision was blurry, and even my thoughts struggled to form. I tried to reach up and touch the back of my head to find where it hurt, but my hand wouldn’t lift.

A shock ran through me—were my arms and legs paralyzed? Gradually, sensation returned to my body. I tried harder to move my arms, and discovered both wrists were bound behind me, tied tight with something that made movement impossible.

Minute by minute, my awareness sharpened, and my eyes slowly began to see a faint glimmer of light. But I realized something else—my legs wouldn’t budge either. Then my hearing returned, and I caught someone saying, “Xin, he’s awake. Look, his feet are moving.”

Then Xu Xin’s voice sounded, “I see. All right, you guys go now. Don’t come back until I call you. Here’s a thousand yuan—find somewhere to eat well.”

“Thanks, Xin. Really, you only need to say the word if you need something, no need to be so polite.”

“We’ll head out, then. Are you okay here alone?”

“Go, go, stop fussing!”

At that moment, all my senses returned. I saw Xu Xin, the little demon, turn toward me, smiling sweetly. I also realized my hands and feet were firmly bound with hemp ropes, utterly powerless to move. Worst of all, my head throbbed terribly—the blow earlier must have been fierce, and now the pain at the back of my skull burned and cut like fire and knives, making me gasp for breath.

The little demon came before me, squatted down with a smile. Her angelic face twisted with mischief, and I burst out angrily, “Xu Xin! What are you doing? Let me go!”

Xu Xin laughed softly, reaching out to tug my ear—not too hard, but not gently either. “Do you think that’s possible?”

I jerked my head to break free, and spoke to her sternly, “Xu Xin! Do you know what you’re doing? You’re breaking the law now—kidnapping is a serious crime, punishable by law!”

Xu Xin pinched my nose and snorted, “Punished? That depends on who. I’m Xu Dahai’s daughter—who would dare punish me? As long as I don’t commit murder or arson, isn’t everything else easy to handle?”

I jerked my head again to escape her fingers, furious. “This is outrageous! You’re too much. I warn you, let me go now or I won’t be so polite!”

Xu Xin burst out laughing, “Tang Qian, you’re hilarious. Tied up like this and still… still threatening me?”

I was so angry I couldn’t think straight. Threatening this little demon in such a situation was obviously useless. I took a deep breath and tried to speak to her calmly, “Xu Xin, I’ve never wronged you. Why are you doing this to me? I swore to you I wouldn’t betray you, and it was your brother who came to my house—I never told him you were here.”

The little demon said, “I know. My brother told me afterward.”

I paused, then flared up again, “You know? Then why did you knock me out and tie me up? Do you think this is funny?” I struggled desperately, trying to break free from the ropes.

Xu Xin watched me with a smile, unmoved. “It’s useless. The rope is strong, and you’re tied tight. How could a weak scholar like you break free? You’d best save your strength.”

I twisted and fought for ages, until my face was red, my limbs numb, and still couldn’t move an inch. Finally, I gave up, panting heavily.

Xu Xin watched, still smiling, and said, “See? Didn’t I tell you it’s useless? Why are you so distrustful? Maybe you think I’m just a kid and never take me seriously? Like I said—I’ll make you pay, make you regret.”

I paused to catch my breath, then thought, “You ran away from home a second time, hired people to knock me out and tie me up, just because I spanked you twice and you want revenge?”

The little demon’s smile vanished, replaced by a vicious glare. “My nickname is Little Demon. I’ve always been the one bullying others—when have I ever suffered such humiliation? If I don’t get my revenge, how can I ease my anger?”

Now I finally understood what people meant when they called her Little Demon. This girl was truly a terrifying devil—a wicked heart behind a beautiful angelic face. Mischief didn’t begin to describe her; she was a genuine villain!

I said, “Your brother is my friend. After what you’ve done today, how will you explain it to him?”

The little demon waved her hand, sneering, “Don’t mention my brother. If it weren’t for sharing the same dad, I’d have messed with him long ago. He’s always lecturing me—who does he think he is?”

I looked at her with pity and sighed, “I really feel sorry for you, and for your parents and teachers. They failed to raise you well. So young and already so cruel, disrespecting law and elders—what difference is there between you and a degenerate?”

The little demon flew into a rage, grabbing my collar and shouting, “What did you say? You dare call me a degenerate? Don’t you realize you’re in my hands now? I can torment you however I like. Are you looking for death?”

I replied, “Do you dare kill me?” and gave her a cold smile.

Xu Xin’s eyes flashed, her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came. After a moment, she released my collar and let me slump back onto the floor, then strode out of the room.

I took the opportunity to look around. I was in a room I’d never seen before—furniture battered and broken, the window pitch-black outside, impossible to tell my location. I lay on the ground, hands and feet bound, unable to move except for meaningless writhing. The pain at the back of my head remained fierce; whoever struck me before had done so with vicious force, and maybe my scalp was torn and bleeding. I ground my teeth in hatred, thinking I’d truly encountered the worst luck in my life meeting this insane demon. Who knows what she planned to do to me? However crazy she was, I doubted she’d actually kill me—after all, we had no irreconcilable hatred. But as long as I had breath left, whatever suffering she inflicted tonight would one day be repaid.

As I thought, I looked around for anything I could use to cut the ropes. At that moment, the door opened and the little demon returned, holding a bamboo strip about four feet long in her hand. She waved it before me, grinning, “Look, I found something nice. It’ll really hurt when I use this to hit you, won’t it?”

I was shocked and furious, shouting, “Xu Xin! What are you doing? Don’t do something you’ll regret!”

Xu Xin swung the bamboo in the air, making it whistle. Then she said viciously, “Now is the time for you to regret. I’ll show you the consequences of spanking a girl!”

She set the bamboo down and dragged me by the collar to a filthy little bed in the corner. Despite being a girl and young, she was surprisingly strong. I sensed danger—she was about to do something cruel. In desperation I cried, “Xu Xin, all our previous squabbles were ordinary things. But now, if you hit me in this situation, it’s a serious assault, and you’ll be legally responsible. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—don’t end up in jail because of this!”

Xu Xin hoisted me onto the bed, found another hemp rope underneath, wrapped it around my back twice, then threaded it through the bed and pulled it tight, fixing me face-down onto the mattress.

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I struggled desperately, but escape was impossible. I shouted, “Xu Xin! Are you done with your madness? Stop now, or I’ll really turn against you—I won’t be polite anymore!”

Xu Xin tied the knots with shining eyes, full of excitement. When she finished, she hopped onto the bed, straddling my waist. She leaned down, her long hair falling over my face, her lips close to my ear as she laughed, then whispered, “Brother Tang Qian, you must bear it bravely. I won’t hold back—I’ll use all my strength.”

I was furious and helpless, not knowing what to do. In anger, I jerked my head, trying to slam it into her face. But the little demon was faster—she dodged, and my attempt failed.

She clamped my body between her legs, inching backward little by little. Still smiling, she said, “Close call. Good thing I was ready, or you’d have caught me off guard. Enough games—now the real show begins.”

She settled her weight on my calves, slipped her hands between my thighs and the mattress, searching for the buckle of my belt.

Cold sweat poured down my back. I shouted, “What… what are you doing?”

Xu Xin giggled, “I’m taking off your pants. They’re so thick—if I try to spank you with them on, it won’t hurt at all. Where’s the fun in that? Ah, but don’t get any funny ideas!”