Xu Hang sneered, “The Qing Dynasty ended long ago. Who still talks about giving people away like gifts? Do you think we’re still living in ancient times?”
Xiao Yan replied smugly, “Don’t believe me? Go ahead and ask him yourself—did the Zhang family not hand him over to me?”
Everyone in the room stared at Shen Jingmo. Even though Shen Jingmo couldn’t see, he knew that he was the focus.
Only now did he realize who the man that had kidnapped him in the alley really was. He asked cautiously, “You’re… you’re that Ghost Master?”
“Yes.”
Shen Jingmo’s face was pale, and his breathing was rapid, as if he was going to faint in the next second. Xu Hang was afraid that he would get angry, so he hurriedly calmed him down: “Teacher Shen!”
Xiao Yan’s expression also changed. He wanted to go forward to take a look, but Xu Hang slapped his hand away.
“Do you want to drive him insane? He’s severely anemic—any intense stimulation could make him faint. Right now, just seeing you terrifies him. If you don’t want him getting hurt, then stay away from him for now!”
“Say it again?” Xiao Yan was dissatisfied with Xu Hang’s attitude.
“You even dare to come to my house to rob people, so you must know exactly who I am. Are you the physician here, or am I? If you want him to survive, then get out. But if you want him to die right here, right now, then go ahead and do as you please!”
Although Xu Hang’s words may sound alarmist, but they are also very effective.
He was actually testing, trying to gauge where Shen Jingmo stood in Ghost Master’s heart. In that moment, he could clearly see the worry in Xiao Yan’s eyes, untainted by anything else. It was evident that Shen Jingmo held a special place for him.
Xiao Yan’s hand froze for a moment. Looking at Shen Jingmo, who was cowering in fear, he could only retract his hand and take two steps back.
“I’ll only give you one hour. You… you need to calm him down.”
After saying that, he led everyone to the corridor to wait, and Duan Yelin followed him out.
With only the two of them left in the room, Shen Jingmo inhaled the familiar scent of medicine emanating from Xu Hang. The comforting smell eased his nerves, calming him and banishing his fear.
Xu Hang patted Shen Jingmo’s back like he was coaxing a child and asked him, “Teacher Shen, is what he said true?”
Shen Jingmo closed his eyes, refusing to answer, as if evading the question. His silence spoke louder than words, offering an answer in itself.
“Is he the person you’ve been afraid of and avoiding?”
He shook his head.
“Then are you afraid of the Zhang family?”
After hesitating for a moment, he nodded.
“What did they do to you?”
Shen Jingmo felt that every needle hole on his body began to hurt again, “I don’t want to say it, Xiao Hang, please don’t force me to say it, alright? Please…”
Xu Hang held his shoulders and said, “I’m not forcing you to speak, but you’re forcing me to ask. Teacher Shen, do you really think that silence will protect you? Even if you hide in Hezhou or Jinyan Tang, that devil will still find you! And just so you know, Zhang Xiuming and Zhang Yinxi are also in Hezhou.”
Shen Jingmo felt a chill down his spine: “They, they also…”
At times, gentle approaches alone aren’t enough to break through someone’s psychological defenses. Maybe using more drastic measures like Xiao Yan would be effective. Xu Hang tried to stimulate him and then comfort him: “Who is your threat? Who is your enemy? You must tell me so that I can know how to protect you. Trust me, okay?”
At the end of the sentence, there was a begging tone.
Xu Hang suddenly pulled a brick out of Shen Jingmo’s heart wall, and fresh air blew in, and then more bricks and stones collapsed by themselves.
He used to be at a loss for words when thinking about it, but now he seems to have the strength to speak. Perhaps it’s because he’s kept it inside for so long and didn’t know where to begin, but now, he has finally sorted through his thoughts.
“Xiao Hang, can you open the window? I don’t like the smell of disinfectant.”
Xu Hang obediently opened the window, and the hot and humid air of the summer night slipped in. People in the hospital hated the stuffiness and bacteria in the summer, but Shen Jingmo found the smell very comfortable.
After taking a few breaths, he began to recall.
“They locked me up for five years, five years and thirteen days.” Shen Jingmo grabbed the bedsheet with his left hand and slowly exerted force. “I remember it was a room like a hospital ward, with white walls, white sheets, the smell of disinfectant… and needles one after another.”
————
Throwback to five years ago.
One night, Shen Jingmo placed the last medical book for Xu Hang on the wall of Qiyuan and then hurriedly left Hezhou with a man.
He had only known that man for a month.
When they first met, the man was a new teacher—gentle, polite, knowledgeable, and a good conversationalist. Over time, the two of them became close.
Shen Jingmo’s mother died early, and he was seldom cared for. He felt that this man was like a father and a brother to him and was deeply moved, and gradually he began to give his sincere heart to him.
Later, the man persuaded him to go to Shanghai to find a job. He was unwilling at first, but the man begged pitifully for a long time, and Shen Jingmo finally agreed.
Shen Jingmo thought to himself that he was actually somewhat moved at that time.
This was the beginning of his own trap.
On the boat, the man said, “When we get to Shanghai, where there are a lot of cars and people, tall buildings, and many blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners, I will buy you a new harmonica, alright?”
Shen Jingmo even started to look forward to it.
The first step he took onto the beach of Shanghai, before he could see how prosperous Shanghai was, a group of people suddenly emerged from the dock, held his arms, and took him to an exquisite manor.
There, he reunited with his biological father and met his half-siblings for the first time.
“Is this the grandson that Grandma talks about every day? Tsk…”
The person who said this was Zhang Xiuming.
Ever since Zhang Yaochen abandoned his wife, they had severed their father-son relationship. Shen Jingmo was still young at that time, so they didn’t have much affection for each other.
But Grandma Zhang liked Shen Jingmo’s mother very much and was very dissatisfied with Zhang Yaochen, not to mention Zhang Yaochen’s later wife and the Zhang brother and sister. Due to Grandma Zhang’s insistence, the position of the eldest son in the Zhang family lineage was to be granted to Shen Jingmo, even though he had not been raised under her care.
In such an awkward reunion, the first thing Zhang Yaochen said was, “Your sister is not in good health and needs your blood. Jingmo, you are the eldest brother, you won’t be unwilling, right?”
Shen Jingmo looked up, bewildered, and saw his pale sister sitting on a velvet chair. She wore a dress adorned with layers of lace, and around her neck was an agate necklace. The turquoise anklets she wore were the most luxurious pieces he had ever seen.
Not to mention the house’s stained glass windows, coral jade ornaments, feather-like floor mats, white porcelain, and imported sofa chairs that can accommodate two or three people.
This is probably what rich people are like in Shanghai. The wealth here far exceeds anything Hezhou could ever compare to.
Only he, in his coarse linen clothes, looks so out of place.
“You… tricked me into coming here?”
He raised his head and looked directly at the man who had coaxed him over. The man turned his face away, embarrassed, and said, “I’m sorry, Jingmo, our family needs the help of the Chief of Staff. You… just consider it as doing a good deed.”
It was as if Shen Jingmo had just met this person for the first time. It was incredible, and he couldn’t understand every word he said.
“You lied to me from the beginning?”
“I’m sorry.”
Zhang Yaochen appeared so aloof, not like a father, but more like a master rewarding his servant: “Jingmo, don’t worry. As long as Xiao Xi is fine, I’ll give you a large sum of money and let you return to Hezhou to live a good life.”
Shen Jingmo didn’t know whether he should be heartbroken or disappointed and replied with an aggrieved sentence: “What if I don’t want to?”
Whether he is willing or not, it is not his choice.
He was immediately locked in the white ward, and doctors in white coats and masks came in one after another, tied him to the bed, poked a needle into his skin, and took a whole bag of blood.
He struggled, but his two fists were no match for a dozen hands. Helpless, he had no choice but to submit, like a fish stranded on land.
The feeling of blood flowing out of the body was so obvious, as if the soul was gradually being sucked out.
Lying prone on the bed, his blood was taken without dignity. He looked up in horror and saw several figures at the door: Zhang Xiuming, watching with amusement; Zhang Yinxi, looking down on him; Zhang Yaochen, putting on a facade of concern; and the man, who seemed unable to bear witnessing it but remained indifferent.
Each of them ignored his pleas and resistance and forced him to accept such torture.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that no one in this manor treated him as a human being.
That night, his hands and feet were shackled, and he was trapped in bed. When he looked at the ceiling, he thought of his mother.
His mother always knew about his rare blood type and how easily it could be compromised. Every time he had to bleed, she would be deeply distressed, making large amounts of red jujube soup for him to drink
If his mother were still alive, she would be heartbroken knowing his current state.
From then on, every few days, at a certain time, someone would come to take his blood.
Gradually, he also learned that Zhang Yinxi was seriously ill and often vomited blood and needed blood transfusions to survive and receive treatment. Zhang Yaochen, unwilling to let Zhang Xiuming endure this, naturally decided to send his unfortunate son instead.
It can only be Shen Jingmo.
Because Zhang Yaochen has a special blood type, all his children take after him, and it is extremely difficult to find a matching blood relative. It is for this reason that Shen Jingmo, his son whom he had forgotten about, was brought up again.
As for sending someone to deceive him, it was probably because they were afraid that they would be arrested in Hezhou and something might happen on the way, which would not be worth the loss.
Bags of blood were carried out, and Shen Jingmo initially struggled, then gave up, only to instinctively resist again, yet the outcome remained unchanged.
Every day, he felt constantly fatigued from anemia, with aches in his muscles and internal organs. He dared not express too many emotions, as even the slightest agitation could trigger convulsions or shock.
Zhang Yinxi gradually recovered, but Shen Jingmo’s health gradually weakened.
What does it feel like to stay in a room for five years?
Shen Jingmo often felt as though he were losing his mind or teetering on the edge of madness. The room was empty, and no one came near unless they were there to take his blood. He could do nothing but sit on the bed, staring at the skylight.
He would stare at the spiderweb on the skylight for long periods, his eyes eventually filling with tears as he gazed at it.
It’s not that he hadn’t thought about escaping. He tried once, but he was stopped before he could even leave the manor. He was dragged back to the room, where his arm was broken and then reattached.
He had thought about ending his life, too. He secretly hid a piece of broken glass and tried to cut his wrist, but before he could even lose consciousness, he was discovered. During that time, he was tied to the bed every day, unable to control anything—his eating, drinking, or even basic bodily functions. He lost all sense of dignity.
At times, when the blood was drawn too forcefully, his body would spasm uncontrollably. In those moments, he couldn’t help but wish that they would just take more blood, hoping it would be enough to end his suffering.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
By the fifth year, blood draws were less frequent.
One day, when Zhang Yinxi was able to stand in front of Shen Jingmo with a rosy face, the first thing she did was to slap Shen Jingmo in the face.
“You insignificant wretch, you actually hold the title of the eldest son of the Zhang family? It’s because of you that my brother is forced to settle for second place, and I can only be the Third Young Lady Zhang. If you weren’t still of some use, Father would have sent you to join your short-lived mother long ago!”
These words actually came from a girl who could only survive because of his blood.
Shen Jingmo did not say anything or fight back. If he really did that, he would be the one who would suffer in the end.
Zhang Yinxi slapped him and complained that her hand hurt. She snorted, “I don’t need your blood anymore. The doctor said I’m already cured. Just thinking about your blood flowing through my veins makes me sick. You’ve really made me hate myself!”
As she spoke, she took out her hand and wiped the hand that had just hit Shen Jingmo, then threw the handkerchief in front of him.
Shen Jingmo took a look and found that the handkerchief was made of much better material than the clothes he was wearing.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat felt stiff and unused, like it had rusted from too much silence. “Then… can I… leave?”
Zhang Yaochen said that once Zhang Yinxi recovered, he could leave.
“Of course,” Zhang Xiuming who was walking in from the outside replied.
Five years had made him look taller. He walked up to Shen Jingmo and stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to touch this poor thing. Shen Jingmo subconsciously dodged. Zhang Xiuming smiled when he saw his frightened look. “Don’t worry, I will personally take you out soon.”
Zhang Xiuming did not lie, he really sent Shen Jingmo out.
However, all that changed was the location—Shen Jingmo was simply transferred from one prison to another. As a pawn, he was used to replace Zhang Xiuming and was handed over to the Yan Gang as a hostage.
Fearing that he would escape and cause trouble, Zhang Yinxi put drugs in his food. That’s how his eyes gradually lost their luster.
On the first day he lost his sight, he was merely disoriented. He could still distinguish between light and darkness, but a persistent white haze clouded his vision, impossible to clear away.
He was terrified, stumbling after just two steps and falling to the ground. Panicked, he groped around blindly, as if sinking deeper into darkness with no escape in sight.
“My eyes… why can’t I see… why…”
He fell and made a fool of himself, and in return, those people burst into unrestrained laughter, mocking him openly and without mercy.
“Look, he’s so stupid, he fell again.”
“Hahaha…”
“Does it look like a shaman performance? Hey, try to trip him and see how it goes!”
“Hahaha, what an ugly fall!”
“Do you think that if the Ghost Master saw such an idiot, he would be so angry that he would just shoot him?”
“Ghost Master has such a bad temper, he won’t keep him. But now that he’s blind, he’s actually more entertaining than when he was barely alive, don’t you think?”
The swords and sabers stabbed Shen Jingmo’s wounds with every blow. He felt like a clown on the stage, wearing a mask, forced to perform, forced to amuse, and no one cared how he cried behind the mask.
It was because of this that they relaxed their vigilance against him, and one rainy night, when they were on their way to send him to the Yan Gang, Shen Jingmo found an opportunity and escaped.
By chance, he had stumbled into a cargo box in a daze and ended up being loaded onto a ship—Xiao Yan’s ship, which just so happened to be heading back to Hezhou City.
No one knew how he got off the boat, nor how he managed to crawl his way back to Hezhou City, looking no different from a pitiful beggar. It can only be said that the only mercy God showed him was that he collapsed at the door of Heming Medical Hall.
For Shen Jingmo, those five years were like a festering wound from a tiny needle prick—whether touched or left alone, the pain was constant.
He would rather die in the street than go back to that horrible manor.
“Whoosh…” Shen Jingmo exhaled slowly after finishing his story, and somehow, the sharp scent of disinfectant in the air had completely faded away.
Xu Hang’s grip on the bedside railing tightened for a moment before slowly loosening, and his face alternated between pale and flushed.
Shen Jingmo smiled palely: “Do you think I’m unlucky?”
“Yes, it was you in the past.” Xu Hang gently placed his hand over the back of Shen Jingmo’s. “But in the future, the ones who’ll suffer misfortune will be those scum.”
