Moonlight falls into my arms

After taking his medicine, Jiang Yuci was helped by Ruan Li to sit on the sofa in the study. His expression gradually softened, but he held Ruan Li's hand tightly.

Ruan Li felt a little pain from his tight grip, and she gently stroked the back of his hand with her palm to comfort him, "It's okay now."

Jiang Yuci held onto Ruan Li's waist tightly, refusing to let go, "Ruan Li..."

He leaned on Ruan Li's neck, his breath coming in shallow and deep gasps.

"I am here."

Ruan Li lowered her head, kissed the center of his forehead with the corner of her lips, and placed her palm on the back of his head.

"Is your mouth still bitter?" Ruan Li asked.

Jiang Yuci moved his lips slightly, "It's not bitter anymore."

The sugar in my lips gradually melted, and its sweet taste filled my mouth and enveloped my taste buds.

Ruan Li sat on the sofa with Jiang Yuci in her arms for a while before asking him why he had suddenly fainted.

"I was so scared! I came back and saw that the lights weren't on. I thought you weren't home. But when I walked in, I saw you lying on the floor. I was completely stunned."

Ruan Li rubbed his face, looked at him with wide eyes and asked, "Tell me, is it because of what happened when you were a child... that's why?"

After hearing what Xiao Lan said, Ruan Li couldn't wait a second before returning to find Jiang Yu Ci.

Seeing him lying on the ground holding me, I felt heartbroken.

"Didn't you ask me before why it was you?"

Ruan Li was lost in thought. Back in school, she sat in her old seat and looked out the window at Jiang Yuci, and she really couldn't understand it.

Why did Jiang Yuci notice her?

She looked up: "Why?"

Jiang Yuci hooked his fingertip around Ruan Li's little finger, their body heat rubbing against each other.

Jiang Yuci slid his index finger across Ruan Li's palm.

The tickling was so gentle that Ruan Li couldn't help but pull her hand away.

"It itches..." Ruan Li looked at the slender finger in her palm and asked, "What did you write on my palm?"

Jiang Yu continued writing.

Ruan Li recognized the last two characters.

Destined.

He meant it was destined.

Destined?

Ruan Li squeezed his hand, "Ah, I understand, it must be that God wanted to bring us together, which is why I traveled ten years to meet you."

If it weren't for this incident, Ruan Li probably wouldn't have had any interaction with Jiang Yuci.

“It was destined long ago.” Jiang Yuci’s dry, warm palm enveloped Ruan Li’s hand.

"long time ago?"

"Yes, without you, I will never speak again."

Ruan Li's expression suddenly froze as she recalled what Xiao Lan had said: after Jiang Yuci was kidnapped and sent back, he was unable to speak for quite some time.

Do you remember that you used to read your lessons aloud at night?

Ruan Li was stunned. How did Jiang Yuci know about her habit of reading aloud from her textbooks?

Ruan Li wasn't particularly bright; she had to put in a lot of effort to barely rank high.

They are not like those geniuses who are admitted to universities through special admission programs.

It takes her a long time to memorize an article.

Every day after I get home and finish my homework, I start reading aloud and memorizing the English essays I've compiled and the texts from my Chinese textbook that I'll be tested on, over and over again.

How could Jiang Yuci know all this?

"I've had this habit since elementary school, and it was my mom who instilled this habit in me. How did you know?"

“Because I’ve heard it, I’ve heard you read it.” Jiang Yuci’s fingers trembled slightly as she thought of those memories buried deep within.

There was nothing in the bottomless, dark house.

Apart from the damp, musty smell at the tip of my nose, I couldn't perceive anything else.

The only sound that could be heard was the childish voice reading the text aloud from across the wall.

The room was so dark that it was impossible to see the light of day, and even day and night were indistinguishable.

Jiang Yuci had no idea how long he had been there.

Every minute felt like an eternity.

That voice gave him his only hope.

Every time Jiang Yuci heard that voice, she knew it was getting dark.

When her voice stopped, Jiang Yuci knew it was time to go to sleep.

-

"Mom, didn't you say a new neighbor moved in next door? I've never seen them before."

Ruan Li ate the fruit her mother brought to her room, flipped through her textbook, and asked questions as she looked at it.

"Ah, that seems to be the case. Maybe they don't like socializing. These peaches are so sweet and crisp today, have some more."

"Hmm... I'll eat two more pieces. I need to memorize two essays today, and I also need to memorize the key points that the teacher highlighted in Chinese class."

"Don't speak so loudly. Didn't the last tenant say that?"

Ruan Li pouted: "He hasn't said anything yet, so maybe he doesn't care. I didn't read it very loudly either, since this house isn't soundproof."

The little girl ate two more crunchy peaches while holding the fruit plate, then handed the plate back, saying, "Okay, I'm not eating anymore."

She picked up the copied essay and began to read it aloud, translating its meaning in her mind as she did so.

Knowing how to translate makes memorizing much easier.

Sudden.

A loud bang came from the wall next to us.

Ruan Li paused.

She blinked. Could it be that her neighbor couldn't stand her anymore and was smashing the wall?

Ruan Li looked at the composition paper, then at the empty wall, and bit her lip. Should she read it or not?

Ruan Li hesitated for a moment, then decided to continue reading.

If the noise from the neighbor's wall continues, she will ask if it's disturbing him, and if so...

Then she stopped studying.

But even after Ruan Li had memorized her first essay, there was still no sound from next door.

Ruan Li frowned and leaned closer to listen.

There were faint sounds of people talking, but it was impossible to make out what they were saying.

I guess that bumping into the wall was an accident.

And next door.

A burly man, his entire face covered by a black mask, grabbed the boy who had just made a noise and threatened him menacingly in a low voice:

“If you dare to make another sound, I’ll chop your brother up and throw him to the dogs.”

The boy, his hands and feet bound, stared wide-eyed in terror at the horrifying figure before him, his eyes bloodshot.

The sealed mouth emitted a very soft whimper.

Shaking her head, tears streamed down her cheeks, and a large, thick swelling appeared on her dirty little face.

She was hit by the man from earlier.

It doesn't make a loud noise when you punch it, but it hurts.

He had been locked up here and was too weak to move. The only sound he could hear was the reading coming from next door.

This is enough to tell that the people living next door are probably normal people.

He wanted to make a commotion while the man was away, so that the neighbors would notice him.

Who knew that the man who had just left would return and discover that he had made a commotion.

"You're quite clever, humph." The man pulled out a thick hemp rope and tied it around his neck.

Keep him in the middle of the room, preventing him from touching the walls.

Jiang Yuci braced himself on the ground with both hands. The ground looked like it had never been swept; it was covered in dust.

He raised his hand and grabbed his trouser leg.

"Don't worry, as long as your parents are willing to give you the money, you won't die."

"Waaah..." The faint sobs were muffled and blocked from her mouth.

"But if... you don't pay to ransom them, I'll cut off pieces of your and your brother's flesh and feed them to the dogs."