Ten Day Ultimatum Chapter 386

Chapter 386 Unfair

Nearly twenty years had passed, and no matter where Teacher Ning had gone back then—now it was I who was about to die.

What would I beco? Around here, there was nothing but cockroaches and bugs.

Would I turn into an insect?

No… I don’t want that.

I loathe insects.

I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness, yet I was still just one ter away from that bottle of water…

Let drink, just a sip. I’m so very thirsty.

A trendous clamor erupted outside the door, but in my eyes there was only that bottle of water.

{Bang}!

The door was kicked open, and I heard footsteps rushing inside.

“Zhang jie!!!”

Zhang jie what? Whatever… right now, I don’t want anyone touching . I only want water.

I felt myself being lifted up, a wave of searing pain flooding my entire body.

Don’t touch . Please, no one touch …

“Zhang jie!!” The voice cried again, tearing through the air, so raw and desperate it cracked despite its brevity.

With great effort, I turned my head toward the figure before .

Who was he?

He looked like Xiao Sun.

But… Xiao Sun doesn’t look like this.

This man’s face was unshaven, his eyes bloodshot, his hair unkept and matted. His clothes were nothing but wrinkles, and he looked, just like , as though he hadn’t bathed in over twenty days.

How could this possibly be Xiao Sun?

“I—I’m calling the police now!!” He shouted.

“Wait—”

Hearing the words {police}, I finally grasped the situation. Slowly, I reached out and held the man’s hand.

“Don’t call the police…” I rasped. “Just…Just take away.”

“Ah…?” The man froze for a mont, then furrowed his brow. “Zhang jie, are… are you sure?”

“Yes…” I used the last of my strength to say, “Please, don’t call the police… I beg you…”

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a pure white ceiling.

I didn’t know where I was, only that I was lying sowhere comfortable.

Was this heaven?

Faintly, I felt soone touching my arm.

I let out a startled cry and instinctively pulled my hand back. It felt as though I had recovered so energy, though my flesh was still withered.

“Ah!” A woman in a nurse’s uniform jumped back, startled. “Ms. Zhang, y–you’re awake? Please don’t move—I’m giving you an IV.”

“Don’t touch !!” I scread. “No one is allowed to touch !!”

The nurse seed terrified and stumbled back half a step.

“Zhang jie!!”

A man and a woman pushed the door open, followed by soone in a doctor’s coat.

Only then did I recognize him—this man before was truly Xiao Sun. He looked so weathered, as if ten years had been added to his face.

The other woman was ngng, her face full of worry.

Had her honeymoon ended? Had I caused her trouble…?

“Zhang jie, you’re finally awake. Do you feel any discomfort?” Xiao Sun asked anxiously. “Does your abdon hurt? Are you dizzy?”

He reached out to grab my arm, but I recoiled in terror.

No. I couldn’t let Xiao Sun touch .

I’m far too stained.

“Don’t touch ,” I whispered. “No one touch .”

“Zhang jie…” The rims of Xiao Sun’s eyes turned red. “It’s okay now. You’re safe. We’re here with you. No one will hurt you again.”

“No… I’ll never be safe,” I muttered, shaking my head blankly. “All of you go… no one look at … no one touch …”

“But you need the IV; you’re malnourished,” Xiao Sun said softly, his voice tender. “Once you’ve recovered a little, I’ll take you to have your favorite dessert, okay?”

The softer Xiao Sun spoke, the sharper the ache in my chest.

The happiness I had once almost reached, tiptoeing and straining with all my might, was now forever out of reach.

“Yeah!” ngng squatted in front of , tears in her eyes. “Zhang jie… I bought you your favorite peaches, but you can’t eat them yet. Be good and listen to the doctor, okay? I’ve also scheduled a session with the best psychologist in Chengdu. You’ll et them soon.”

Seeing my state, the person in the doctor’s attire slowly stepped forward and spoke softly, “Ms. Zhang… I deeply sympathize with your ordeal, and I understand that you don’t want anyone to touch you… but right now we need to treat you. Please, make an exception. Normally, we wouldn’t touch you, but in urgent situations and during dical procedures, it’s necessary. Otherwise, your condition could worsen.”

Urgent situations… and dical procedures?

Yes. Except for urgent monts and dical settings, no one may touch .

I slowly lay back, pressing my head as close to the pillow as I could—this feeling was incredibly comforting.

“Zhang jie…” Xiao Sun sat beside . He seed like he wanted to take my hand, but lingered, frozen for a long mont. “I’ve been looking for you all this ti… I’m sorry… I was too stupid… I didn’t realize you were so close to ho…”

“It’s okay,” I said with a bitter smile. “Xiao Sun, don’t bla yourself. Even I never expected my own parents to do sothing like this.”

Soon, the nurse started my IV and, together with the doctor, left the room.

Once they were gone, Xiao Sun dragged his chair closer to , while ngng, ever perceptive, stationed herself near the door, watching passersby through the window.

I had never seen him wear this expression before.

“Zhang jie…” he frowned, his voice tense, “why didn’t you let call the police…? I don’t know what you were thinking at that ti, but that man shouldn’t escape legal consequences. Without your permission, I’ve already collected his samples from your body. If you want, we can make him go to prison imdiately. No matter what leverage he has, I can use my connections to imdiately dispatch the authorities—he won’t have ti to react.”

Put Butcher Ma in prison?

No… I don’t want to do that.

I let out a long breath and looked steadily into Xiao Sun’s eyes. “Xiao Sun, in our village, once parents' consent is given and a bride price is paid, a couple is considered married. There was a girl once, sold into our village. And she, under the branch secretary’s diation, received a marriage certificate and was made to stay here forever.”

“What…?” Xiao Sun froze, clearly shocked. “Zhang jie, what are you saying? How could such a thing happen…?”

“You’ve never handled a villager case, right?” I said with a bitter smile. “Often, local customs are a key factor in how cases are judged. My parents accepted his bride price, so according to custom, we are already married. Even if it’s illegal, it’s still the local way of doing things.”

“You an…”

“Xiao Sun, let quiz you.” I slowly turned to look at him. “What cris did that man commit?”

“Unlawful detention, intentional injury, human trafficking, sexual assault," Xiao Sun answered imdiately.

“{Human trafficking} is now difficult to prove. Even if the other three charges are all confird, if he were punished for multiple cris, what’s the maximum sentence?”

Xiao Sun squinted and thought it through.

“Unlawful detention—twenty days… intentional injury… sexual assault…” He soon saw where the problem lay. “If the case is deed severe, typically results in life imprisonnt. If the circumstances are especially egregious… it could go as far as a deferred death sentence…”

“Now tell , how long does {life imprisonnt} actually last?”

“At best, with good conduct, it won’t exceed twenty-two years.”

“And how is a {deferred death sentence} carried out?”

“{Deferred death sentence}…” Xiao Sun lowered his head silently, unable to continue.

“You and I both know, a {deferred death sentence} doesn’t actually lead to death, so I cannot let him go to prison,” I said. “If he were to live comfortably in jail, that would be unfair to .”