Painter Brother

"Just when I thought that everything would be well from here on, I saw Father on another boat ahead of us. He was waiting for us as though he knew about all my plans. Our boat was surrounded, and I had nowhere to go now," she narrated.

"I was all alone with Painter brother against father and his men. I didn't know what to do. Father's men ambushed us and came onto our boat. I fought back against them but they were too many and I was helpless."

"You know how innocent Painter Brother is. He is not like us. He is different yet for my freedom he put on a fight. Then father came onto our boat and he held me captive. He was extremely furious at what I had done and that why he ordered his men to beat Painter Brother." she said through gritted teeth. Her hands clenched into a tight fist, recalling that dreadful incident.

"In front of me, Painter Brother was beaten brutally. He was injured, wounded, and hurt. Those men broke his hand and his feet. No matter how much I begged and pleaded father, he wasn't listening to me. For helping me flee, father shot Painter brother and for a moment, I thought he was dead." she said.

"So much blood was pouring out from his wounds. Seeing his condition, I was devastated. With only one breath left inside of him, those men threw Painter brother into the cold seawater, where he was going to be frozen to death. His body was hurt, his limbs were broken, he was bleeding profusely. He was barely alive then how could he swim to save himself?"

"Somehow, I managed to free myself from my father's grip, and I ran to save Painter brother. Jumping into the cold sea, I grabbed him and hauled him back onto the boat. His body was so cold and unconscious. No matter how much I tried to wake him up, he didn't answer."

Saying this, Su Yanruo paused. She didn't want to go any further. Xia Ming perceived Su Yanruo's emotion well. Placing her hand on Su Yanruo's shoulder, she tried to console her. She knew the weight of Jing Mingzhi in Su Yanruo's heart.

Painter brother, that's what Su Yanruo called Jing Mingzhi since she was little. Being a child, Su Yanruo was very naughty, and she liked escaping from the house and going out to play. No matter, how many people tried to guard her. She would somehow escape under their gaze. It was like she was born with this great talent of escaping from any situation.

Just like this, one day, she escaped from the house and somehow, she stumbled into someone's backyard. At that place she saw a boy much older than her, painting something on a large canvas. Su Yanruo was so captivated by his painting that she came out from her hideout, and she walked over to him.

The boy was taken aback when he saw a cute girl appearing beside him and seeing his painting intently. That's how Su Yanruo and Jing Mingzhi got to know each other. That's how their friendship started. From him, Su Yanruo learned how to paint and since then, she fell in love with this art.

Jing Mingzhi was not only her teacher, but he was also her best friend, her guide, her comforter, and her peace. He was the only person in Su Yanruo's life, that she could reveal her heart to. Nobody could seize his place in her life.

Thinking about what Su Yanruo had to go through that night, gave chills all over Xia Ming's body. How can someone be cruel to his own daughter?

"Xiaoruo, if you are not comfortable, you don't have to say anything else," she said, comforting her.

Su Yanruo shook her head. With a sigh, she continued the events after that night. "After getting back onto the boat, I knew that Painter Brother needed help. He needed to be taken to a good hospital, so I begged father. I begged him to save Painter Brother's life. I said that I would always listen to him and never disobey his words. If he saved Painter Brother's life, I was ready to be his slave. But, Xia Ming, do you know what he said to me that time?"

"He said, 'Yanruo, I am so disappointed in you. How can you beg for someone else? How can you be so weak? This person is the biggest weakness of your life, and you know, that as a future leader of the Blood Rose Organization, you cannot have a weakness. Yanruo, my dear child, this person needs to die." she said quoting her father's exact words.

"After that, he struck my neck and I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself surrounded by water. I didn't know where I was, but I knew that my punishment had begun. It was dark all around, and I could see nothing. No matter how much I moved, how much I swam, I just couldn't escape. Everywhere there was water. Sometimes, I would be electrocuted. Periodically, they would torture me by doing something else."

"But the worst of it all was when I realized that I wasn't alone in that water. Someone was there with me, undergoing the same torture that I was going through. Something snapped inside of me when I realized that this person was Painter Brother and he was dead. I don't know for how many days I stayed in that water with his dead body." she said in a low voice. "And after that, I was in a coma and you know the rest,"

Xia Ming was shocked. Hearing her words, she felt her blood boiling under her veins. Her knuckles turned white from clenching them too hard. She was angry. She was fuming mad. Gritting her teeth, her face turned red as she tried to suppress her anger but her hunched form which exuded a murderous rage gave her away.

Su Yanruo felt the murderous aura emanating out of Xia Ming's body and spreading throughout the whole room. Quickly reacting to her aura, she put a hand on her shoulder. "Xia Ming, I am fine. Calm down, Breathe….." she said.

But Xia Ming wasn't listening. She swung Su Yanruo's hand off from her shoulder. "Xiaoruo, don't stop me today," she roared, seething with rage.