Chapter 12: The Fig Leaf of Self-Esteem

"What’s this? Bringing a knife to stab me? Take a look at your own pathetic face—you think you can stab me? You idiot!" Wang Li spat a glob of phlegm at me and cursed.

I sat on the ground, powerless. I thought, *It’s over. They’ve taken the knife. I’ve basically come here to die. Not only did I fail to save Su Xueyan, but I’ve also gotten myself trapped.*

"Please, let him go! I’ll agree to any condition you want!" Su Xueyan begged, crying.

Su Xueyan’s originally beautiful face was now covered in dirt, her hair disheveled like a female ghost. Just a few days ago, she was a girl I had scolded until she cried, and now she was still speaking up like this to protect me. My heart felt even more burdened. I hardened my resolve and shouted at Wang Li, "I’m the one who bit you! It has nothing to do with her! If you have a problem, come at me!"

"Get lost!" Wang Li slapped me across the face again. "Still calling yourself 'Laozi'? I gave you too much face, didn't I? Kneel down now!"

I ignored Wang Li. Are you kidding? Kneel? Impossible. I kneel to heaven, to earth, and to my parents. Kneeling to someone like Wang Li would be worse than death.

Seeing that I wouldn't follow his orders, Wang Li held the fruit knife against Su Xueyan’s neck and said, "Not kneeling, huh? Are you going to kneel or not?"

Seeing this situation, I struggled intensely—a struggle between dignity and emotion. I gritted my teeth and cursed, "What kind of man threatens a woman? If you have the guts, kill me!"

Su Xueyan was terrified by the knife next to her and froze. Wang Li didn't fall for my provocation. He smiled at me and said, "I’ll count to three. If you don't kneel, I’ll have my men gang-rape her!"

Hearing this, I panicked even more. My internal struggle was relentless. When I came here, I thought the worst-case scenario would be death, but I never expected to be humiliated and have my dignity trampled. Although Wang Li had often bullied me in the past, he had at least left me some self-respect. But now, it felt as if the last fig leaf covering my dignity had been ripped away.

"Run! Don't worry about me, you fool, run!" Su Xueyan screamed, ignoring the knife at her throat.

Wang Li was even more enraged by Su Xueyan’s words and raised the knife to strike her.

At that moment, I didn't hesitate. I dropped to my knees with a thud and shouted, "Don't! I'll kneel!"

When I knelt and said those words, it felt as if I had suddenly lost my life. My heart was filled with infinite pain and despair.

Su Xueyan’s voice was hoarse from crying. She struggled to shout at me, "Why are you so stupid? Why? I’m begging you, stop worrying about me!"

When San Mao and the others saw me kneeling like a dead dog, they all burst into laughter. Wang Li looked at me viciously; his eyes held not only anger but also a trace of disdain. He gave a look to San Mao and the other man.

San Mao and his companion understood. They grabbed me and began to punch and kick me. I didn't resist; I knew resistance was useless. Besides, with Su Xueyan still in their hands, I dared not even try. I could only pray that once Wang Li had vented his anger, he would let Su Xueyan go. Even if I died, it would be worth it. After all, for a useless person like me, being able to save a woman before dying could be considered a life of value.

Seeing me being beaten, Su Xueyan struggled frantically and screamed, but since she was tied up, she couldn't move. Wang Li found her too noisy, so he grabbed a roll of cloth from somewhere and stuffed it into her mouth.

Finally, I was beaten until I lay on the ground like a dead dog. Only when San Mao and the others saw I was at my limit did they stop. I forced my blood-covered face up and pleaded, "Is this enough? Let Su Xueyan go. I beg you, let her go. You can do anything else to me!"

At this moment, I had completely lost my dignity. I begged him bitterly, hoping only that he would spare Su Xueyan.

Wang Li grinned, a trace of satisfaction in his eyes. He threw the fruit knife in front of me and said, "Do it yourself. I don't want to dirty my hands."

Then Wang Li pointed to his own thigh, to the scar where I had bitten him, and said, "Give me a stab right there!"

I looked at the fruit knife on the ground and then at the struggling, pained Su Xueyan. I gritted my teeth and said, "Let her go first, and I’ll do whatever you say!"

Wang Li snorted, walked over to Su Xueyan, grabbed her hair, and shouted at me, "You’re in no position to negotiate with me! If you don't do it? Hmph!"

After speaking, he used his disgusting tongue to lick Su Xueyan’s face. San Mao and the others nearby watched Su Xueyan with excitement; after all, they had been eyeing her for a long time.

I knew that if I didn't do as he said, they would definitely commit those beastly acts. I dragged my heavy body and picked up the fruit knife with trembling hands. I knew I couldn't escape and would likely die here today, but no matter what, I had to get Su Xueyan out.

I slowly braced myself and crawled up. My hand shook as I held the fruit knife against my thigh. I asked weakly, "If I do it, will you really let Su Xueyan go?"

Su Xueyan struggled so violently that the bench she was tied to shook. She tried to lunge at me like a madwoman. Wang Li slapped her across the face again and cursed, "Damn you, you slut! Why aren't you like this with me?"

But this slap didn't silence Su Xueyan; instead, it acted like a catalyst, making her struggle even more violently. Enraged, Wang Li grabbed her hair and ripped the white clothes off her body in one go. Su Xueyan’s undergarments were immediately exposed to them. The eyes of San Mao and the other man went wide.

My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. Only at this moment did I realize how incredibly important Su Xueyan was to me. Wang Li continued, "I’ll count to three. If you don't do it, I don't mind if my two brothers and I take turns!"

I instantly grabbed the fruit knife, looked at my thigh, gritted my teeth, and pressed down with force. The pain from my thigh almost made me faint, and I collapsed weakly onto the ground.

Seeing this, Su Xueyan was so terrified that she fainted on the spot.

Seeing this, Wang Li’s expression became even more smug. He smiled at me and said, "I heard that when your sister left, she gave you a sum of money, right? It was quite a lot, wasn't it?"

Wang Li’s sudden words shocked me. How did Wang Li know about the money Sister Shuang gave me? Only I, Sister Shuang, and Su Xueyan knew about that. Could Su Xueyan have leaked it? But that made no sense.