Volume 1, Chapter 25: Don't Touch Him

Lu Mingxi’s fingertips paused for half a second on the call button of his children’s smartwatch.

After the bad men left, Xinxin let out a sigh of relief. With her strength seemingly drained, she leaned against Lu Mingxi’s shoulder.

"Brother Xiao Xi, will they come back?"

"I don't know."

"Then let's call Uncle right now. If Uncle is here, those bad men won't dare to come back, and they won't dare to hit you again," Xinxin said hurriedly.

"Don't be afraid." Lu Mingxi’s voice was lower than usual; though it still held the soft, milky quality characteristic of a child, it carried an unmistakable steadiness. "Count to one hundred, and the police officers will be here."

Xinxin nodded slightly.

For some reason, she trusted the little boy beside her implicitly at that moment, even though Lu Mingxi was less than a year older than her.

Not long after, the wail of a siren reached them from downstairs. It traveled from afar, drawing closer until it finally stopped outside the building.

Lu Mingxi’s tense nerves relaxed slightly. Just as he was about to tell Xinxin that the police had arrived, he heard the door open.

Shang Linyuan walked in and froze the moment he saw the chaos in the living room. His gaze swept over the maid huddled on the sofa; the bloodstain on her temple had already begun to spread.

"Uncle, you're finally back!" Xinxin ran toward him.

Shang Linyuan held his niece’s hand and looked toward the other small figure. Lu Mingxi looked up, his eyes filled with obvious relief. However, the skin on his neck—which should have been a soft, pale pink—was marred by several savage red marks, as if he had been fiercely scratched by fingernails, the edges already beginning to swell. It looked particularly jarring under the lights.

"Uncle..." His voice was as thin as the hum of a mosquito. His eyes were veiled in moisture, yet he stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

He hadn't cried when the bad men choked and cursed him earlier. He hadn't cried when Xinxin tried to comfort him. But now, seeing Shang Linyuan standing right in front of him, an inexplicable surge of grievance and sadness welled up in his heart.

If only... if only Uncle were his real daddy! Then he would have a daddy to protect him, and those bad men wouldn't dare to hit him or call him a "little bastard" so easily!

Lu Mingxi didn't want Shang Linyuan to see the tears in his eyes, so he quickly lowered his head, his small hands gripping the hem of his shirt tightly.

Shang Linyuan’s heart gave a violent tug, as if gripped by a vice. He had seen the little one’s usual spirited self, his eyes bright as if filled with stars, but now they were as dim as a rain-drenched puppy.

The red marks were like red-hot branding irons, searing his heart with pain. He approached and crouched down, his movements gentle. With his fingertips, he carefully avoided the swollen areas and softly stroked the soft hair at the back of the child's neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Don't be afraid. Uncle is here."

Lu Mingxi was stunned by the gentle gesture. Suddenly, his nose stung, and the tears finally couldn't be held back, rolling down to land on the back of Shang Linyuan’s hand—scalding hot. He buried his face in the man’s embrace, sobbing silently. The red marks on his neck rose and fell with his sobs, a sight that made the chill in Shang Linyuan’s eyes grow heavier.

The police officers entered and began to inquire about the situation. The maid had regained consciousness by then; enduring the pain, she recounted the events and mentioned that the leader was Chu Yutang, the brother of Chu Yan.

Lu Mingxi then handed his smartwatch to the police. "Officer, I recorded the audio."

The officer took the watch and pressed play. The vile insults and the sounds of the struggle immediately filled the room. Shang Linyuan’s gaze fell on the watch in the officer’s hand, his knuckles tightening involuntarily.

When the venomous word "little bastard" struck his ears, the air around him seemed to solidify instantly. His jawline tightened sharply, and his once-gentle features were covered in a layer of frost as a storm surged within his eyes. Especially when he saw the child’s fearful eyes looking up, his heart felt as if it were being repeatedly crushed by a blunt object, leaving him in dull, suffocating pain. The veins on the back of his hand pulsed, but as his gaze swept over Lu Mingxi—who was anxiously twisting his shirt hem—he forced himself to suppress the violent rage rising in his throat.

After listening to the recording, the police conducted a series of inquiries, including questions about the relationship between Lu Mingxi and Shang Linyuan. When they requested to see Lu Xiaoman, Shang Linyuan refused.

"She is still ill and not fit to see you. I am very sorry."

The police expressed understanding. As they left, they said gravely, "Mr. Shang, those people are suspected of illegal trespassing and intentional injury. We will detain them according to the law. We will need you to come to the station to give statements later."

"Understood. We will certainly cooperate with the investigation. Thank you for your hard work."

After seeing the police off, Shang Linyuan had someone bring a medical kit. He crouched down, took out iodine and a cotton swab, and brought it toward Lu Mingxi’s neck. Lu Mingxi shrank back instinctively.

"Don't move." Shang Linyuan paused, his voice lower than usual, his touch even lighter.

As the cold antiseptic touched his skin, Lu Mingxi’s eyelashes fluttered in pain, but he suddenly looked up, his eyes as clear and cold as tempered ice. "Uncle, will you shield them?"

He had heard what the maid told the police earlier—that the bad man was the brother of Uncle’s girlfriend.

Shang Linyuan’s hand froze. The child before him was only five years old, the red marks on his neck like an ugly snake, making the wariness and stubbornness in those eyes look particularly piercing.

His heart felt as if it were being squeezed, aching with a dull throb. He set down the cotton swab, looked straight into Lu Mingxi’s eyes, and said word for word, "I will never shield them."

Lu Mingxi didn't speak; he only gave a soft "mm," but he stopped flinching away from his touch.

***

In the master bedroom on the second floor.

Perhaps it was the millet porridge with lily bulbs, but Lu Xiaoman had been sleeping very soundly. She had a dream where her son was being beaten, covered in blood, screaming, "Mommy, save me!"

She woke up from the nightmare with a start, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, cold sweat soaking her pajamas. The image of her son being pushed to the ground in the dream, crying out for his mother, remained vivid. She scrambled out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor, and rushed downstairs.

The scene in the living room made her breath hitch. Shang Linyuan was half-crouched by the sofa, holding ointment and carefully applying it to Lu Mingxi’s neck. The red mark on his neck was clearly visible under the light, like a thin red cord that tightened her own heart.

Lu Xiaoman’s fingers, gripping the stair railing, tightened; the chill of the wooden banister seeped through her fingertips, clearing her muddled mind. She walked over quickly, without crying out, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor. "Xiao Xi, what happened to your neck?"

Seeing her, Lu Mingxi’s small body stirred, his eyes brimming with moisture. "Mommy."

"Xiaoman, you're awake?" Shang Linyuan paused in his application of the medicine.

Lu Xiaoman’s gaze fell on the red marks on her son’s neck. Her fingertips hovered in mid-air, but she didn't dare to touch them. She asked softly, "Tell Mommy, how did this happen? Does it hurt?"

"Mommy, don't worry. It doesn't hurt," Lu Mingxi said sensibly, shaking his head.

Just then, Lu Xiaoman’s phone rang. It was from the police station; they had recorded her number earlier and were calling to coordinate the giving of statements. Upon learning that Lu Xiaoman was Lu Mingxi’s mother, the officer briefly summarized the situation.

Lu Xiaoman endured her rage as she listened to the call. After hanging up, Shang Linyuan frowned, wanting to explain. He had just started with the word "I," when Lu Xiaoman cut him off.

She stepped forward and pulled Mingxi behind her, an instinctual move to protect her cub, her eyes burning with fire.

"Don't touch him!"