QT: Against My Will-Chapter 615 - 10.27 - Ouchie - Rebirth Of The Heart

Back in the hover car, Bing Shi pulled up his sleeve, "Knox, I’ve seen that look in your eyes. It’s a dangerous mix of obsession and desperation," she pressed a syringe against his skin, sliding a numbing drug into his veins, "It’s the kind of look that leads to actions one might regret forever."

Knox glared at the little woman. Accustomed to imposing his will, he found himself unexpectedly challenged by this seemingly puny figure, "You think you can just tie me up and tell me what to do?"

"I just want to make sure you’re no longer a threat to Yun Pu... permanently. That boy needs healing, not more trauma," Bing Shi retreated to her seat, crossing one leg over the other and resting her hands gently on her lap. The entire motion was a seamless blend of strength and refinement, "I heard you tried to harm William, too. Is it true?"

Knox felt the weight of her gaze and the subtle display of her controlling presence, "Who are you?"

Bing Shi’s expression remained unwavering as she replied, "Think of me as a guardian angel... or in your case, a watchful hawk. So, you’d better be on your best behavior, Knox."

As a god of tolerance, Bing Shi was connected to all divine powerhouses, including those with darker domains, like a God of Despair, for example.

Her divine nature compelled her to see beyond black and white, to navigate the delicate art of steering events without tipping the scales too far in either direction.

She had yet to encounter any of these gods with darker powers in their human forms yet, except for Stinky Bun. However, she was acutely aware of their energies and influences in the universe.

So, what did all of this have anything to do with her confronting Knox?

While she could empathize with Knox’s motivations, she came here to safeguard the well-being of a child she had come to regard as her own.

Despite her reluctance to part with her baby angel, she also wished the best for XiaoPu.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

Xuan Mu, who had been away during the confrontation, returned with Stinky Bun to find a tow truck hauling away charred remains of a car, firefighters, police, and a few reporters, "..."

The little boy pointed at the burning car. Wriggling in his daddy’s arms, his small hands gesturing wildly, "Daddy, daddy, ouchie." The car has a big ouchie. Let’s fix it together.

|"What happened?"| Xuan Mu asked, quickly sending Stinky Bun inside his space and remaining invisible.

|"Knox tried to take XiaoPu away. I somehow ended up blowing up Knox’s car and kidnapped him."| Bing Shi responded, |"Hubby, I think there is something amiss with XiaoPu."|

One by one, the officers closed their notebooks, wrapping up their interviews with the witnesses.

They exchanged brief nods with XiaoPu, a silent acknowledgment of his cooperation, "We’ll be in touch if there’s more to discuss," before signaling his team to leave.

"There are hundreds of cameras on the roads. They are going to be found in no time," one of the policemen assured him.

"..." XiaoPu nodded gratefully, but inside, he was crying a river of tears. Once he got inside the house, he jumped in surprise. He quickly ran towards the armchair in urgency, not even asking how he got in there, "She-she, I think she is going to kill Knox!" He even accidentally agreed to her disposing of the evidence. Wasn’t Knox the biggest evidence, though?!

"Would you mind if she killed him?" Xuan Mu asked, studying the youth before him. XiaoPu feared being alone yet continued to keep himself detached from everything around him — from his birth parents, friends, and even himself and his wife.

XiaoPu’s eyes widened, confusion swirling within them, "Mind? I... I don’t know," he stammered. The thought of Knox being killed didn’t unsettle him much, "Knox, he changed so much. He even tried to harm uncle William. I can no longer recognize him."

XiaoPu hated the ever-changing nature of people. This was why he felt most comfortable with uncle William, after his godparents’ deaths.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

In the shadowed stillness of the mountains, Bing Shi’s presence loomed over Knox like an ominous specter.

"Time to eat," she said, handing him a bottle of water and packed food.

The past week had been a grueling test of endurance for Knox, left to starve and sleep in the unforgiving wilderness.

Knox’s eyes shifted towards the food warily, then took the packed lunch. Each bite was a silent surrender to his captor’s whims. It was a twisted form of mercy, a reminder of her dominance in this situation, "You think starving me, breaking me down, will make me see things your way? You and I, we’re not the same."

Bing Shi crouched before him with an impassive gaze, "You played your games with XiaoPu, didn’t you?" she challenged softly, supporting her chin with her palm, "Now, here we are, roles reversed. Isn’t it amazing? You have a chance to be closer to XiaoPu by experiencing a fraction of the helplessness he felt."

Knox paused, the food halfway to his mouth as he looked down at her beautiful expression. Despite being unchained, she treated him like her hamster pet, which she would catch and put back inside her cage after letting him stroll around her territory.

He leaned slightly forward, his eyes locking onto hers with a deliberate intensity. "Since you said you see me as a hamster. Shouldn’t I get a wheel and some wood shavings too?" he began, his voice taking on a smoother, more persuasive tone. He tried to use his charms, which would always work on everyone except for XiaoPu.

"A wheel? Knox, I thought you’d prefer a treadmill. You know, to keep up that charming figure of yours," Bing Shi’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement when Knox started to use his body in an attempt to seduce her.

"..." Knox was realizing that she wasn’t just holding him captive; she was studying him, learning his weaknesses, his motivations.

"I must admit that I’m not the best at taking revenge for the people I care for. And that’s probably why I ended how I ended." She sighed and helped him button up his shirt to cover his chest. "Aren’t you cold?"

In a more daring move, Knox reached out, aiming to gently touch her arm, "What are you going to do about it? Warm me up?"

From seemingly nowhere, Bing Shi produced a stun gun, pressing it against his bare chest, "Sure, I can help you with that."

"Ugh!" A sharp jolt of electricity surged through Knox, his muscles contracting involuntarily. It sent him reeling backward, sliding down to the ground.

"Better?" she asked, standing over him, the stun gun still in her hand, "You should probably eat something to gain strength first before attempting something like that again, don’t you think?"

"..." Gathering his wits, Knox leaned against the tree, staring at the food she had managed to catch as he stumbled back.