Yu Xi woke up in a dilapidated single-story house.
Her body was bound to a chair, and rough hemp rope was tied tightly around her waist.
Looking around, Yu Xi saw Xiao Ji with his back to her, tinkering with some firewood.
"Xiao Ji."
Xiao Ji turned his head back. His expression no longer held its previous shyness and instead carried a hint of madness. "Sister Xi, you're awake."
Yu Xi nodded. "Is there any water? I'm thirsty."
This sudden request startled Xiao Ji for a moment, but then he smiled slightly. "You don't seem panicked at all."
"Will panicking make you let me go?"
"No."
"Then that settles it. So, is there any water?"
"No."
"Fine then." Yu Xi licked her dry lips. "Since we're just sitting here anyway, tell me about you and Chen Mengmeng."
Xiao Ji frowned. "You want to hear about it?"
"A little."
Xiao Ji smiled. Perhaps believing that Yu Xi couldn't escape, or perhaps because he had suppressed his feelings for years and desperately needed an outlet, he began to tell the story of himself and Chen Mengmeng.Xiao Ji was an orphan who had drifted to the capital to find work, eventually becoming an apprentice at a restaurant.
Life without anyone to lean on was far from easy. The chef mentoring him was a heavy drinker who would beat and kick him every time he got drunk. Xiao Ji wanted to fight back, but the chef told him that if he resisted, he would lose his job.
An apprentice's wages were low, amounting to only fifteen yuan a month, which was Xiao Ji's sole source of inc…
Chapter 58