Chapter 4
Chapter 4
I had never met Gu Pan’s family before. I only knew she had an aunt-a woman who looked to be in her fifties-who sold cotton candy on the snack street in front of the school.
Gu Pan would occasionally take me there and trick me into buying her a stick.
At first, I thought Gu Pan just liked eating cotton candy.
Later, I realized she had been bringing me to meet her family all along.
But after what happened last night, I started to wonder: what kind of man was Gu Pan’s Father, exactly?
The next day, Gu Pan didn’t show up for school.
As a result, I spent the entire morning feeling restless.
I remembered Gu Pan saying several times that she studied hard just to leave this place.
At the time, I thought she was just envious of the prosperity of big cities. Was she actually just trying to escape her father?
At noon, I ran into Auntie Cotton Candy at the school gate.
As soon as she saw me, she asked, “Chen Nian, have you seen Gu Pan?”
I shook my head.
Auntie Cotton Candy said, “Over the years, she’s passed by my stall every day on her way to school, but I didn’t see her this morning. That child wouldn’t skip school for no reason. Something must have happened at home. Chen Nian, you have to go save her. You’re the only one she can rely on from now on.”
Thinking back to what Gu Pan’s Father had said last night, my blood began to boil. I immediately went with Auntie Cotton Candy to Gu Pan’s house.
Under Auntie Cotton Candy’s guidance, I arrived at the building. I told her to wait downstairs, then I picked up a random brick and rushed up.
When I reached the door, I knocked.
A moment later, the door opened. A man in his forties, less than 170 centimeters tall with a buzz cut and a face full of malice, stood there.
He certainly looked like the man I had run into last night.
I said, “Hello, Uncle. Gu Pan didn’t come to school today, so the teacher asked me to check on her.”
The man squinted at me for a while before saying, “Fine. Wait here.”
With that, he turned and went back inside.
Not long after, he suddenly rushed out brandishing a kitchen knife and screaming, “Fuck your mother! You dare show your face here? I’ll hack you to pieces too!”
Without a second thought, I slammed the brick into his face and then kicked the hand holding the knife.
In my past life, the only man under 170 centimeters who had ever dared to be that arrogant with me was my old boss.
I rushed into the house, shouting, “Gu Pan! Gu Pan! Come out, quickly!”
A scratched-up bedroom door opened, and Gu Pan ran out. Her clothes were disheveled, and she was covered in bruises.
That animal!
Gu Pan’s Father clutched his face and reached down to pick up the kitchen knife. I turned and delivered another kick to his stomach, knocking him flat. I picked up the knife and pointed it at him. “Try moving again!”
Gu Pan’s Father lay on the floor, not daring to move. I told Gu Pan to get dressed quickly and head out first.
Once she was outside, Gu Pan’s Father roared, “Fuck your mother! I know who you are now. Just you wait, I’m going to fucking kill you!”
I picked up the brick and gave him another whack. “The man I look down on most in this life is a man who hits women!”
Then I added, “And that goes for my last life, too!”
I led Gu Pan out. When she saw Auntie Cotton Candy waiting downstairs, her eyes suddenly turned red, and she threw herself into the woman’s arms.
Auntie Cotton Candy patted her back and said, “From now on, why don’t you just stay with me? I’ll pay for your schooling.”
Gu Pan began to sob as she listened. “Auntie Cotton Candy, you’re the only one who has always been this good to me since I was little.”
Auntie Cotton Candy said, “The world is a big place. You’ll meet many more people who are willing to be genuinely good to you.”
She glanced at me as she spoke, which suddenly made me feel a bit embarrassed.
I escorted them to Auntie Cotton Candy’s home. We didn’t see Gu Pan’s father chasing after us along the way.
When we reached her door, Auntie Cotton Candy checked the time and told me to hurry home so my parents wouldn’t worry.
I nodded.
But as I walked up to my own building, something felt wrong.
Looking up from below, the lights in both the living room and the bedroom were on.
My mother was usually very frugal. When she was home alone, she only kept the light on in whichever room she was currently in. She would never leave the whole house lit up.
I asked the Old Gatekeeper if anyone had come looking for my mother this afternoon.
The Old Gatekeeper spoke, his breath reeking of alcohol. “Yeah! Little Gu from the Grain Bureau brought some friends over. Said they were looking for your mom! He even gave me a few bottles of booze.”
Shit! I instinctively reached for my phone to call the police, only to remember that I didn’t have one in this era.
I sprinted toward the stairwell. Halfway there, I turned back and shouted to the old man, “Grandpa! If I’m not out in ten minutes, call the police for me! There might be bad people in our house!”
The old man blinked. “Huh? Call the police?”
I didn’t have time to deal with him. I rushed upstairs and fumbled with my keys to open the door.
The living room lights were on, but the space was empty.
I shouted for my mom as I pushed open the bedroom door.
The moment the door swung wide, someone slammed something hard into my face.
My vision went black. I felt my nasal cavity suddenly get blocked by something, followed by a warm flow of liquid running down.
Before I could react, someone grabbed my clothes and yanked me forward with all their might. I lost my footing, and my leg slammed hard against the bed frame.
That was when I saw them-three men standing in the bedroom.
My mom’s mouth was sealed with duct tape, and her hands and feet were bound. Her wrists were tied to the headboard.
When she saw me, her eyes turned bloodshot.
Fuck!
I struggled to crawl up, only to be kicked back down. I lifted my head and saw Gu Pan’s Father, that animal, standing right in front of me.
The two men beside him hauled me up and forced me to my knees by the bed.
He leaned his face close to mine; there was still a red mark on it from where I’d hit him with the brick.
“Look at the mess you made this morning, you little shit,” he said, before backhanding me across the face.
“Goddamn it, weren’t you acting all tough?”
On the bed, my mom kicked her bound legs with all her might, let out hoarse whimpers through her gagged mouth.
The man continued, “I’ve been waiting for you, you little brat. You laid a finger on my daughter, so I’m going to fuck your mother right in front of you. Then we’ll be even.”
He stepped toward the bed, reaching a hand out toward my mother.
“Don’t you fucking touch her!”
I screamed and twisted my head, sinking my teeth into the arm of the man holding me. I bit down with everything I had, wanting to tear the flesh right off his bone.
He let go with a cry of pain and started cursing. Still half-kneeling, I took advantage of my free hand and swung a fist hard into the animal’s crotch.
“Fuck! Kill him! Beat him to death!”
The bastard roared, clutching his crotch.
A heavy kick landed on my back, slamming me flat against the floor.
The two men behind me began to kick me mercilessly.
“Wait!” Gu Pan’s Father ordered them to haul me up again.
Then, he grabbed the desk lamp from the nightstand and slammed the heavy base into my head.
Once, twice… I felt my head growing heavier and heavier, and something warm began to trickle down my face.
I saw my mom crying, her throat working as she tried to scream without a voice.
I’m sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t have chosen to come back with you.
I’m sorry…
Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I heard the door burst open.
The police rushed in.
Breaking and entering, false imprisonment, intentional assault…
Gu Pan’s Father was locked up. What awaited him was likely several years behind bars.
It was only then that I learned Gu Pan’s Father was actually named Gu Chunliang.
The name was truly ironic.
My dad rushed over from Shanghai. He took a long leave of absence from his company to stay and take care of my mom.
From the looks of it, the two of them seemed to be on the verge of reconciling.
After the incident, Gu Pan stayed with Auntie Cotton Candy and resumed her schooling.
I still accompanied her to evening self-study every night, and Gu Pan helped me review the exam material.
I don’t know if getting hit in the head had somehow knocked my brain into gear, but even though I had forgotten almost everything, I made rapid progress in those final few months.
In the blink of an eye, the Gaokao ended on a sweltering summer day.
That night, I took Gu Pan out on my bicycle, riding wildly through the small city. We ended up at a supermarket and bought every type of beer they had.
I originally wanted to take her to the lakeside outside of town, where my uncle had built a small wooden cabin.
But Gu Pan whispered to me, “There’s no one at my house right now.”
We slipped into her empty home, prepared to drink until we dropped.
That must have been Gu Pan’s first time drinking; after three bottles of beer, she was already completely wasted.
“Chen Nian, Chen Nian…”
Her face was flushed red as she leaned against my chest and spoke softly.
My heart gave a little flutter.
I helped Gu Pan up, my mind already drifting toward the “indescribable” things that were about to happen.
Then I realized the girl had actually fallen fast asleep.
Whatever. A gentleman doesn’t take advantage of someone in that state. There would be plenty of time in the future.
I carried Gu Pan to the bed in her room and lay down beside her. Listening to her steady breathing, I gradually grew drowsy myself.
In my daze, I heard the sound of a lock turning outside. It sounded like someone had come in!
I nudged Gu Pan, but she was out cold.
Right then, a dark shadow appeared before me.
“Who are…”
Before I could finish, a voice snarled, “You little brat, go to hell!”
A fruit knife was raised high, then plunged toward me!
I was so terrified I instantly sobered up. By reflex, I threw up my arm to block. The knife stabbed straight into my forearm.
The man yanked the knife out. Blood sprayed everywhere, and a piercing pain shot through me.
I glanced at Gu Pan and saw she was still sleeping.
The man swung the knife at me again. I punched him in the face, jumped off the bed, and used all my strength to ram my body into him, knocking him out of the bedroom.
Bang!
I slammed the door shut, locked it, and leaned against it, panting heavily.
Gu Pan’s Father had actually been released.
How was that possible?
Blood was still flowing. I needed to find something to stop the bleeding quickly, but when I tried to take a step forward, I found I couldn’t even stand steady.
The man roared from outside, “You two little shits, you really thought you could send me away just like that? I have connections! You fucking try calling the police on me again!”
Then he began to frantically smash at the door with something metallic.
Gu Pan woke up. She sat up, rubbing her head, looking at me with blurry eyes. She didn’t seem to have processed what was happening yet.
“Get the hell out here!”
Gu Pan’s Father roared!
Gu Pan realized exactly who was outside.
“Not coming out, huh? Just you wait.”
The man turned and walked toward another room. Shortly after, I heard him return, shaking a bottle of liquid vigorously outside the bedroom door.
“Still not coming out? Fine! If you don’t come out, I’ll pour this whole bottle of gasoline and torch the place. I’ll let you both fucking die in there! Damn it, are you coming out or not? I’m starting the countdown! Don’t push me!”
I heard the constant sloshing of the bottle.
Seeing my injured arm, Gu Pan stumbled off the bed.
She found a shirt in the wardrobe and hurriedly wrapped it around my wound.
“Is there a phone in the room?” I asked.
Gu Pan shook her head. After finishing the crude bandage, she rushed to the window and screamed, “Is anyone there? Help us! Please, save us!”
I watched the frantic Gu Pan, my mind racing to find a solution.
“Panpan, stop shouting.”
I spoke softly.
At this point, even if someone came to save us, what would it change?
Weibo wouldn’t appear for another year.
There was only one way to get rid of this lunatic for good.
I bent down and picked up the fruit knife that Gu Pan’s Father had dropped. Memories of my cowardly past life flickered back into my mind, one by one.
The feel of the handle made me realize the meaning of why the heavens let me return. It was to let me live-to live like a man for once.
I gripped the fruit knife in my left hand and reached for the doorknob with my injured right hand.
I’m sorry, Gu Pan. I can’t stay with you anymore.
I can’t let this animal remain a nightmare that haunts you for the rest of your life!
Just then, a dull thud echoed from outside the door.
It was followed by a sharp howl of pain from Gu Pan’s Father.
Who was it?
Cursing erupted from Gu Pan’s Father, followed by the sound of a violent struggle.
Gu Pan turned her head and looked at me in confusion. I signaled for her to stay quiet.
Beer cans on the table were knocked over with a clatter.
I heard heavy breathing; it sounded like a woman had entered.
Was it Gu Pan’s mother?
Then, the woman let out a groan and collapsed with a heavy thud.
Next, I heard Gu Pan’s Father flip on the light in the living room, muttering curses.
“Damn it, where did this old hag come from?”
Oh no! Could it be Auntie Cotton Candy?
I told Gu Pan not to come out under any circumstances, then I pushed the door open and charged into the living room.
Gu Pan’s Father was panting as he looked at me, a bloody wrench in his hand.
Behind him, Auntie Cotton Candy was slumped over the coffee table, blood gushing from her head.
“Damn it, you little brat, did you bring this old hag here?”
He looked at me with a mocking glint in his eyes.
“Go to hell!”
I roared, lunging at Gu Pan’s Father with the knife.
He swung the wrench at me in response.
The wrench had the longer reach; it slammed hard against my left shoulder. The agonizing pain nearly made me drop the knife.
Gritting my teeth and acting on pure instinct, I plunged the knife into his right arm.
He screamed and recoiled, glaring at me with pure malice. “You’re dead. You’re fucking dead tonight!”
I didn’t dare hesitate. I rushed him again, grabbing his right hand with my left, trying to wrestle the wrench away.
But the moment I applied pressure, a piercing pain shot through my left shoulder again!
He kicked me to the ground and switched the wrench to his other hand.
“Little brat, have you ever even used a knife? You think you can play tough with me? I’m going to slaughter you all tonight. Afterward, I’ll just say you broke into my house and I acted in self-defense!”
He tapped the wrench against the TV cabinet, a look of triumph on his face.
Behind him, however, Auntie Cotton Candy actually wobbled as she pushed herself up from the coffee table.
Gu Pan’s Father never expected the old woman behind him to get back up, let alone pull the fruit knife out of his arm and plunge it straight into his neck.
He turned around in shock, staring at Auntie Cotton Candy.
I heard Auntie Cotton Candy let out a soft sigh.
Then, both of their bodies collapsed to the floor almost simultaneously.
By the time Gu Pan came out, Auntie Cotton Candy was leaning against the coffee table.
She pushed the corpse of Gu Pan’s Father aside and smiled at us. Blood was still flowing from the wound on her head where the wrench had struck her.
Gu Pan cried as she searched the drawers for gauze, trying to stop the bleeding.
But Auntie Cotton Candy waved her hand.
“I’m just a bag of old bones,” she said. “There’s no need for any rescue.”
Then she beckoned me over.
I leaned in close and heard her whisper, “Little Stone, you and Gu Pan must live well together. Live happily.”
Little Stone?
Why do you call me Little Stone, too?
“Auntie Cotton Candy!”
Gu Pan and I called out to her together.
But she could no longer hear us. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep amidst our cries.
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Chapter 4
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Meeting You in Another World
When I was six years old, I first discovered I could see things that didn’t belong to this world.
My grandfather passed away that year, and we moved into his home in the Grain Bureau...