Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 68

Huai En woke up to find himself lying in the dungeon of the Unified Sect.

His strength was completely drained, his wounds had been treated but were still painfully numbing. However, he didn't care about these pains; he had never hated his own incompetence as much as he did now. In his world, pain and death were the deserved punishments for the weak; not being strong enough was an undeniable fault.

Soon after he opened his eyes, Zong Zheng Yuzhan arrived as expected.

Huai En's hands and feet were bound by heavy chains, and with his severe injuries, it was inconvenient to move, but he still struggled to sit up from the bed.

The accompanying person swiftly opened the dungeon door, and Zong Zheng Yuzhan stepped in, inspecting Huai En's body and said indifferently, "You didn't injure your bones or tendons, but you won't be able to move for a while."

Huai En closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, "What are you planning exactly?"

"Father just wants you to calm down for a while. I can overlook your willfulness and tantrums, but you must stop the nonsense. You're still young; what maturity could you have? It's just a novelty for you, and that Jin Xiao Bao has nothing extraordinary about him. You were merely bewitched by him..."

"When did you become so nagging? If that's all you're going to say, you might as well leave," Huai En said, eyes still closed, but his expression was impatient.

Zong Zheng Yuzhan did not blink an eye but signaled to someone beside him. Soon, a rustling sound of footsteps echoed, and then it stopped next to Huai En.

Huai En was puzzled and opened his eyes. To his surprise, seven or eight young men stood before him, each with delicate features and slender figures, their submissive demeanor quite charming. Huai En frowned and glared at Zong Zheng Yuzhan.

"These are all prepared by father for you. It doesn't matter if you don't like girls; choose anyone you like… or keep them all. You are at that age now; it's my negligence for not teaching you about such matters earlier. If you had experienced such things, you wouldn't have been easily enchanted by Jin Xiao Bao. How about it? You can take them back to your villa now."

Huai En snorted coldly, "Zong Zheng Yuzhan, you have become weak, even starting to resort to such despicable methods against me."

Zong Zheng Yuzhan narrowed his eyes, "Are you truly intending to oppose me to the end?"

"Either let me starve in this dungeon or let me go."

"Then stay here!" Zong Zheng Yuzhan left with a flick of his sleeve.

Huai En sighed, causing a sharp cough due to his lung movement, and he had to slowly lie back down.

He hadn't expected to end up being confined for three months.

Three months were enough for his body, stronger than average, to fully recover, but it seemed as though there was a wound in his heart, growing larger and larger.

In the dark, sunless dungeon, the world to him was nothing but cold and gray. The brief time he spent with Xiao Bao was like a dream. When the only narrow skylight alternated between day and night, everything seemed surreal and unreal. Sometimes, he couldn't even remember what Xiao Bao looked like, how he laughed, cried, acted spoilt, the warmth of holding him, how it felt, those words that made his ears tingle, the smiles he couldn't get enough of, the intense warmth wrapped inside him, which seemed to merge into his body as the energy of life, yet dripped away with time, unable to be grasped no matter how hard he tried.

Although he often doubted whether the dream was real, the deep longing etched into his marrow was so genuine and urgent. His mind replayed scenes of Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao. Watching his father struggle and suffer over the years, he never thought he'd one day experience the same agony. Just yearning for someone simply was enough to drive one mad. It turned out that longing for someone you couldn't see or touch was so painful.

In his barren life, looking back, only Xiao Bao had color and was the only thing worth stopping to watch. Huai En even felt that if he could just see Xiao Bao now, he would do anything.

During that time, Zong Zheng Yuzhan visited a few times, along with several hall masters and shadows, all trying to persuade him. Huai En kept his eyes closed, as if entering a state of self-transcendence.

The three months of house arrest forced both to compromise.

"Huai En, you are as stubborn as you were when you were little. Alright, do one last thing for father, and afterwards, you

're free to do as you please, and I won't interfere anymore."

Huai En finally opened his eyes, slowly saying, "Speak."

"The Fu Run Commerce Guild has hidden a large amount of assets. Now that the other families have been executed, only the Jin family survives. Find those assets for father, and I won't make things difficult for you anymore."

Huai En glared, "You think I would harm Xiao Bao for you?" Despite his reluctance to admit it, he regretted and feared the things he had done in the past, questioning in the dark of night whether Xiao Bao would blame him, always without an answer. He desperately wanted to see Xiao Bao, yet feared that seeing him would make it even harder to bear. He could only hope that Xiao Bao's affection for him was deep enough; he still had some leeway.

Zong Zheng Yuzhan shook his head, "This isn't for me; it's for you. Do you know where Jin Xiao Bao is?"

Huai En suppressed his anxious heart and asked without showing any emotion, "Where?"

"In Dali, under the domain of my Imperial Uncle, the Prince of Li. His grandson, the young master of the Su family, has set up a residence for him there. I know everything about Jin Xiao Bao. Do you understand what I mean? It's effortless for the Unified Sect to take someone's life."

Huai En's eyes filled with murderous intent, his fists clenched tightly, the chains on his wrists clanking.

"Even if the Su family's young master can protect him temporarily, can he protect him for a lifetime? Even if you escape from here, can you protect him every day from the Unified Sect's pursuit? Huai En, father has compromised and given you the best option. Don't be greedy. Find the hidden treasures of the Fu Run Commerce Guild for me, and you are free."

Huai En took a deep breath, suppressing his violent emotions, and after a moment of contemplation, said coldly, "Fine, I agree. Once this is done, we go our separate ways, never to meet again.”