Her head throbbed with a splitting pain, but more terrifying than the agony were those eyes, gleaming like a wolf’s, saturated with malice and sheer wickedness. The sensation of sheer dread was almost enough to drive her insane! “Sister—save me—!” Xiao Cheng struggled, trembling, his tears of terror splattering onto her face.

Ah, her Xiao Cheng, her Xiao Cheng! In a frenzy of fear, she clung to him with all her might, wildly flailing one arm, fruitlessly attempting to ward off the dark youth who was assaulting Xiao Cheng with vile intentions.

Danger must not come any closer to Xiao Cheng! She had to protect him! He was all she had left in this world! Xiao Cheng, whom she had managed to pull back from the very brink of death! He hadn't even fully recovered; how could he withstand such a terrifying ordeal! But… she couldn't stop them! Couldn't stop them from violently kissing and molesting Xiao Cheng, couldn't stop them from dragging him away! In her ears were the sickening sounds of their violation of Xiao Cheng, his cries and struggles fading as he was pulled away by their grip, and her vision filled with a maddening, absolute darkness! Half of Xiao Cheng was already gone, her right arm left empty. Sister—save me—, Xiao Cheng, her only kin in the entire world! In the darkness, her hand closed around something cold and hard—“CRACK—!!!!!!” Amidst the darkness and chaos, she brought the hard object down with crushing force onto that head which had been emitting a wickedly insane laugh! It sounded as if something had shattered… and then—everything fell into a terrifying silence… Drip… drip… Thick, fetid blood fell drop by drop onto her face, and the darkness before her eyes slowly receded, tinged with the red of a setting sun, the color of blood, deep, deep crimson…………………… “Sister…” “Sister…” Yin Cheng’s anxious, concerned calls gradually pulled her from the haunting depths of the past nightmare.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through, clear yet hazy. She stared blankly at Xiao Cheng’s face, wondering why his features remained so pale and fragile, just like six years ago, so delicate he seemed like an untouchable bubble, liable to shatter with the slightest breath.

If only the Ou Corporation hadn't been so relentlessly aggressive then, Xiao Cheng wouldn't have been rushed out of the hospital. If she hadn't been arrested and locked away later, Xiao Cheng wouldn't have been left unconscious outside the Ou family villa, drenched by a whole night of rain. Perhaps then he could have recuperated properly, and wouldn't be this weak now… She hadn't protected Xiao Cheng well enough; she was useless, having never managed to keep him healthy and happy… “Sister…” Yin Cheng was startled by the vacancy in her eyes and couldn't help but gently shake her shoulder. It was this exact look that had terrified him years ago when she first emerged from that dark, terrible place.

“I won’t!” Ou Chen’s deep, resonant voice dragged her back from that suffocating darkness.

He looked at her with resolute determination in his eyes.

Although what exactly had transpired was still unclear from her few scattered words, he… under no circumstances, regardless of amnesia or not, would ever do anything to harm her! “If you truly have forgotten, then such a trivial matter isn't worth wasting energy to recall.”

Yin Xia Mo closed her eyes, her expression gradually smoothing out from its trance-like vacancy. “I’m sorry, I'm very tired. I need to go back.”

She took Xiao Cheng’s hand and slowly walked toward the exit of the lounge, seemingly oblivious to Butler Shen’s stunned and frozen silhouette. She quietly led Xiao Cheng out of the lounge, out of the main house.

Watching her receding figure, a wave of chill suddenly engulfed Ou Chen from head to toe! Just like that agonizing, nightmare-like night six years ago… She didn't look back, without a shred of lingering attachment or hesitation, her cold form vanishing into the darkness… Summer of Bubbles III