Old Bastard Zheng remained silent for a long time, finally defeated. Xu Hong successfully took over the Tomato Group, and his spirits soared.
Xu Jingmo's subordinates had no choice but to obey him, and he didn't intend to replace all of them.
He only replaced key positions with his own people, hoping they would be sensible.
Behind the scenes, Old Bastard Zheng had been having people search for Xu Jingmo. As time dragged on, he gradually gave up and began to groom Xu Hong.
Xu Hong's people were also constantly looking for Xu Jingmo, but with the goal of ensuring he slept forever.
...
After waking up, Xu Jingmo felt disoriented. The place was pitch black, and his voice echoed.
His body ached, and he couldn't move. He could only make faint sounds, calling out to Zhao Jingchi.
"Xiao Chi, how are you? Are you here? Xiao Chi, don't sleep, answer me quickly."
Zhao Jingchi frantically tried to crawl towards him. The moment she opened her mouth, she discovered her tongue was gone. She was overwhelmed with despair and helplessness, but at least Xu Jingmo was by her side.
After calling out a few times, Xu Jingmo's strength waned. Thinking she had fainted, he stopped calling.
He didn't know where they were, and he needed to conserve energy to call again later. In his current state, he could barely protect himself, let alone Zhao Jingchi.
Without the guidance of his voice, Zhao Jingchi fell into complete despair. She lay on the cold ground, tears streaming down her face, each moment an agony.
Even the slightest movement caused them excruciating pain. The needles were still in their bodies, and breathing itself was painful.
Both of them felt incredibly hungry, as if their internal organs were burning. They didn't know how much time had passed, but they hadn't starved to death.
Zhao Jingchi felt a slight relief in her mouth and throat. Enduring the pain, she whimpered incessantly, trying to get Xu Jingmo's attention.
"Who's there? Stop playing games. Cough, cough, if you've got guts, come out."
"Ah ah... ah ah~"
"Xiao Chi, is that you? It's you, isn't it? Don't be afraid, I'm coming to find you right now."
"Wuwuwu~"
Xu Jingmo endured the pain and crawled for who knows how long. Trembling all over and sweating profusely, he finally reached Zhao Jingchi's side.
The two embraced, weeping uncontrollably. They were each other's only spiritual solace in the darkness.
"Xiao Chi, what's wrong?"
"Wuwu~"
"Xiao Chi, don't be afraid. As long as we're together, we can overcome any difficulty."
Unable to bear her silence, Xu Jingmo reached out and cupped her face. He slowly moved his hands to her mouth and kissed her.
Zhao Jingchi refused to open her mouth, but Xu Jingmo's skillful touch soon bypassed her teeth and explored inside.
The empty sensation and the coppery taste of blood so terrified him that he immediately pulled away, retching. After spitting out a few mouthfuls of sour liquid, he quickly turned to comfort Zhao Jingchi.
"Xiao Chi, don't overthink it. This isn't me being disgusted with you; it's a normal reaction. Don't worry, once we get out, I'll find a way to help you."
"Wuwuwu~"
Xu Jingmo felt the cold tears on her face, and his heart burned with pain and self-reproach.
"Xiao Chi, don't be afraid, we'll be alright. Aunt Shen is truly heartless. You treated her as your mother with all your heart, willing to do anything for her. For her to treat you like this is truly excessive. Don't worry, I will get justice for you."
"Wuwu~ Ah ah ah!!!"
"Don't be afraid. As long as we're together, there's nothing to fear. Forever devoted to each other, I will never leave you."
Zhao Jingchi was deeply moved and curled into his embrace. Her face nestled against his neck, like a kitten seeking comfort.
They prepared to sleep embracing each other. After an unknown amount of time, they awoke. Marking their way, they began to crawl in the darkness, hoping to find an exit quickly.
Unfortunately, all their efforts were in vain. They grew more and more desperate. They were parched, and both were exhausted, so they simply collapsed on the ground.
"Ah ah ah~"
"Xiao Chi, what's wrong? Don't scare me."
Xu Jingmo rushed to help her up, touching her burning forehead and sinking into self-blame.
How could he not have noticed that Xiao Chi was sick earlier? Xu Jingmo himself was also dry-mouthed and dizzy.
Zhao Jingchi's lips were chapped, and in their current condition, he could do nothing.
Without hesitation, he bit down hard on his arm and brought the bleeding limb to Zhao Jingchi's mouth.
"Xiao Chi, suck quickly, you'll feel better soon."
Zhao Jingchi drank a little hazily before falling still again, tears flowing like a faucet.
"Xiao Chi, don't cry. It pains me to see you like this. I am your man, and this is what I should do. It's my fault I can't get water, so you'll have to make do. Xiao Chi, you must be safe and sound, otherwise, my life has no meaning."
As he spoke, he pushed his hand in a bit further, while using his other hand to tuck the stray hairs from her face behind her ear.
Zhao Jingchi couldn't refuse him. After drinking a little, she indicated she wanted to sleep. Xu Jingmo stayed by her side, racking his brain for a solution but finding none.
He was in immense pain. This was the greatest blow he had ever suffered. Those beasts all praised him as a genius, but now he felt utterly broken.
After both of them had fallen asleep, Jun Jiuli injected Xu Jingmo with his special concoction.
Xu Jingmo felt his entire body go haywire. The pain drove him mad, and he thrashed and cried out in agony, rolling on the ground.
He immediately realized he had been drugged and forced himself to calm down. He stopped rolling, as every movement felt like it was tearing him apart.
Zhao Jingchi was so terrified she dared not move. Xu Jingmo, having regained some composure, trembled uncontrollably.
She didn't even come forward to offer comfort, which left Xu Jingmo feeling a pang of disappointment.
It seemed they truly couldn't go back to how they were, and Zhao Jingchi didn't love him as much as he'd imagined.
Thinking of Jun Jiuli, who had brought him to such a state, Xu Jingmo began to feel resentment.
He quickly suppressed this thought, realizing Xiao Chi was also innocent and suffering.
After a while longer, Xu Jingmo's affection for Zhao Jingchi waned.
Seeing her twitch uncontrollably during withdrawal, he no longer felt the same heartache. Zhao Jingchi's illness worsened, and she began to lose her hair.
Neither of them had a chance to wash, and their stench was enough to make someone faint. They both found the other repulsive, but neither said anything.
Xu Jingmo's attentiveness vanished, and Zhao Jingchi was deeply dissatisfied. However, she couldn't say a word, only able to babble "aba aba," which was truly maddening.
At times, both of them considered ending their lives. There seemed to be no point in continuing like this, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it.
During one of Xu Jingmo's withdrawal episodes, Jun Jiuli filled the entire room with a scorching light.
Zhao Jingchi saw Xu Jingmo's sunken cheeks, sallow skin, emaciated frame, scarred body, tattered clothes, and filthy state, and fainted from the shock.
Ignoring his own suffering, Xu Jingmo observed his surroundings and then let out a desperate cry.