Good Night, Mr. Ghost - Chapter 52
Jiang Chenyi rushed up to the second floor, glancing around.
From one of the doors came a sound, like the crack of a whip striking something.
The young man pushed the door open abruptly, shouting, “Madam!”
Inside, he saw a small figure kneeling on the ground and a woman wielding a long whip.
The whip landed on Cui Yulou with a sharp crack, and the boy curled up on the floor, letting out muffled cries.
The woman’s expression was twisted, as if she were dealing with someone she utterly despised.
The young man rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Cui Yulou to protect him.
The woman’s force couldn’t be retracted in time, and two lashes landed on Jiang Chenyi.
Even through his thick clothing, he felt the burning pain on his back.
Jiang Chenyi had suddenly entered and shielded Cui Yulou.
The last two lashes struck the young man, and Shen Baihe was momentarily stunned, hurriedly discarding the whip and asking nervously, “Chenyi, how did you get in here? Are you hurt? Does it hurt? Let me get some medicine for you.”
“I’ve told you, don’t call him Chenyi, sister.” Meng Loudi leaned against the door, looking at the young man half-kneeling on the floor, sighing helplessly, “Really, why so impulsive?”
Jiang Chenyi gritted his teeth against the pain but managed to smile at Meng Loudi, “I’m fine.”
Shen Baihe stood there, at a loss, “Well, I understand. Let me go get some medicine for him now.”
“No need, sister, you should just rest.” The man walked in and pulled Jiang Chenyi up.
The young man picked up the child, shielding him, avoiding looking at the woman whose expression was fluctuating, and said softly, “Madam must be tired today. I’ll take the young master away.”
The three of them left Shen Baihe’s room.
Once outside, Jiang Chenyi let out a sharp breath.
Cui Yulou, who was being protected in his arms, looked at him, and tears suddenly fell from his dry little face.
The young man gently patted his back, soothing him, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry for being late, Yulou, can I call you that? Let’s go, I’ll take you to the room and apply some medicine.”
Cui Yulou clung to his neck, burying his face in his shoulder, sobbing loudly.
Jiang Chenyi looked at Meng Loudi, his smile warm and gentle, “Loudi, could you find the medicine for me?”
Meng Loudi blinked, “Say it again.”
Jiang Chenyi’s face flushed, feeling a bit awkward, “Loudi.”
“Alright, take him to my room, I’ll bring the medicine over.” The man headed downstairs.
Jiang Chenyi carried the still-sobbing child to a nearby room.
Inside, Jiang Chenyi could still feel the burning pain on his back.
That crazy woman!!!
She used such force that even he, a grown man, found it hard to bear, let alone the child.
He tenderly stroked the boy’s head, asking, “Does it hurt a lot? Is there any place that feels uncomfortable?”
The child clung to his clothes, only crying, not speaking.
Jiang Chenyi carefully set him down, looking at the small figure sitting on the bed, gently asking, “Why did madam hit you? Does she often do this?”
Cui Yulou looked at him and nodded.
The young man’s face darkened.
Perhaps sensing the man’s displeasure, the boy tried to explain:
“Because I said something wrong again, so Aunt Liu wanted to teach me a lesson.”
Jiang Chenyi looked at him, trying to soften his voice, “Then, what did you say wrong? Can you tell me?”
Cui Yulou was crying so hard he could barely breathe, stammering, “Be-Because I said I didn’t like Aunt Liu’s cooking, so-so Aunt Liu wanted to teach me a lesson.”
Jiang Chenyi was even more speechless.
Kids, right? What’s wrong with being picky?
He was picky when he was a kid too! Didn’t he grow out of it?
The boy wiped his tears and continued, “But, but, it’s Aunt Liu who won’t let me eat. They say if I dare eat more, they’ll punish me.”
“What?” Jiang Chenyi’s brows furrowed.
Cui Yulou wiped his tears, trying to explain, “Because I can’t do anything, I’m just eating at home, useless, so I can’t eat.”
Jiang Chenyi’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
No matter what, Cui Yulou was just a five-year-old child.
What could such a tiny child possibly do?
He should be free and wild at this age.
Moreover, Cui Yulou was the master of this house, and yet the servants dared to treat him this way?!
Of course, with Shen Baihe treating him like this, others naturally wouldn’t respect him.
Jiang Chenyi took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger.
He patted the child’s head, “It’s okay now, it’s okay, this won’t happen again.”
He needed to have a good talk with Shen Baihe and stop this from happening.
Meng Loudi walked in with a medicine box, “Found the medicine box, let me do it.”
Jiang Chenyi nodded, his back hurt, he probably couldn’t do such delicate work.
Cui Yulou clung to the young man’s clothes, seeming a bit scared.
But it was understandable.
Meng Loudi had been indifferent to him, just watching coldly.
It was normal for him to be afraid.
Jiang Chenyi stroked the child’s head, soothing him, “Yulou, be good, I’ll take your clothes off, let Mr. Meng bandage you.”
Cui Yulou nodded, snuggling closer to the young man, “Okay.”
The child’s voice was soft, making Jiang Chenyi’s heart ache even more.
The young man’s warm hands touched his clothes, gently undoing them, revealing the boy’s back.
Under the cover of clothes, his thin back was marked with red welts, some of which were bleeding.
Jiang Chenyi held the boy, exposing his wounds, “Please, Mr. Meng.”
But Mr. Meng didn’t move, his gaze fixed on him, making Jiang Chenyi’s heart race, “What is it?”
“Just now you called me Loudi, now it’s Mr. Meng, so cold.” Meng Loudi sat leisurely on the bed, showing no intention of moving.
Jiang Chenyi was speechless.
He said softly, “Loudi, please help.”
Pleased by the young man’s slightly coquettish tone, the man picked up the medicinal alcohol and gauze, carefully applying it to the boy’s wounds.
The gauze touched the wounds, making Cui Yulou shiver.
Jiang Chenyi patted the boy’s head, thinking it was already good enough that Meng Loudi was applying medicine to the child.
Once the medicine was applied, the young man carefully pulled up his clothes.
“All done, does it still hurt?”
“Much better, thank you, Chenyi-Ge.” The boy gave a cautious smile.
It made Jiang Chenyi’s heart ache.
This was a child born with a silver spoon, yet he suffered so much.
Truly tragic.
Meng Loudi looked at the boy, “Can you walk? If you can, hurry up and go.”
Such an eyesore.
Of course, he didn’t say it out loud, since those two sentences had already earned him a glare from the young man.
Cui Yulou let go, carefully climbing off the bed, “I’m better now, so I’ll be going, goodbye, Chenyi-Ge.”
“Are you sure? Let me walk you.” Jiang Chenyi’s face showed genuine concern.
The boy shook his head sensibly, “No need, I can walk by myself.”
Jiang Chenyi thought for a moment, “Yulou, if, I mean if, madam calls for you again, come find me.”
“…Thank you, Chenyi-Ge.” The boy said softly, then opened the door and slowly left.
Jiang Chenyi sighed in relief, sitting heavily on the bed.
Meng Loudi moved over, starting to undress him.
Jiang Chenyi was shocked, “Hey hey hey! What are you doing?!”
“Let me see how your wounds are, didn’t you get hit too?” Meng Loudi was completely serious, without any indecent intentions.
Jiang Chenyi, hearing this, let go, allowing the other to remove his clothes.
Meng Loudi looked at the whip marks on his back, frowning.
The young man’s fair skin bore two bloody welts, looking quite frightening.
He took the medicinal alcohol, not bothering with gauze, pouring it directly into his palm, carefully applying it to the young man’s back.
The man’s movements were gentle.
Filled with tenderness and care.
And such gentle actions brought only mild pain.
Jiang Chenyi felt the cold fingertips gliding over his back, slowly easing the sting.
He felt a bit embarrassed but didn’t dare ask.
But the other was really gentle.
After treating the wound, Meng Loudi didn’t let the young man pull his clothes up, insisting, “No, it’ll rub the medicine off.”
“Mm.” Jiang Chenyi nodded, avoiding the other’s gaze.
Seeing him retreat, Meng Loudi decided not to tease him further, changing the subject.
“Do you like children?”
“What?”
“I see you really like Cui Yulou.” The man’s face showed curiosity, “So, do you like children?”
Under the other’s innocent gaze, Jiang Chenyi replied, “I suppose I do, I like all little ones, no matter what they are.”
The young man smiled, warm and gentle.
Paired with his current half-revealed state, quite tempting.
Meng Loudi’s gaze shifted again.
Perhaps sensing unease, the young man said:
“Um, has it always been like this? Doesn’t Yulou have anyone else to look after him?”
The topic shift was successful.
Meng Loudi thought for a moment, “His parents went abroad, the family’s grandmother lives in the south, only an aunt looks after him, that’s Shen Baihe, but ah, Shen Baihe’s husband died, died five years ago. Cui Yulou has been in her care for three years.”
Three years? So Cui Yulou was handed over to Shen Baihe when he was two.
“What was it like at first?” The young man frowned.
Meng Loudi smiled, “Not friendly at first, ever since Cui Yulou could talk and run, it got worse, but this abuse probably started this year.”
“What about Yulou’s parents? Don’t they care?!” Jiang Chenyi’s eyes widened.
“How can they care? They spend less than ten days a year with Cui Yulou, the child can’t explain, if he dares complain, even worse things happen to him.” The man smiled, seemingly accustomed to it.
“…Truly irresponsible.” The young man bit his lip.
Meng Loudi looked at him, “What?”
He didn’t understand what the other meant.
Jiang Chenyi looked at him, “I said, Yulou’s parents are truly irresponsible! If they can’t take care of their child, why have him! Letting him suffer so much. In the future, if I can’t protect my child, I definitely won’t have him!”
The young man’s face was flushed, looking angry, his words very serious.
Meng Loudi looked at him, suddenly chuckling.
His tone teasing, “Have him? Can Chenyi have children? Can you show me?”
