C10 Punishment

"Are you still trying to run, huh?" His voice was cold and cruel, filled with anger. His eyes were fierce and violent, showing just how furious he was that Ann Xiaomin had tried to run away with Gu Xiurann.

"How did you know where I was?" Ann Xiaomin asked, trying to ignore the pain.

"Hah, if I want to find someone, there's no one I can't track down. So, don't even think about escaping, you foolish woman."

Ann Xiaomin wanted to ask about Gu Xiurann's well-being, but she knew this wasn't the right time.

"In the past couple of days, has Gu Xiurann touched you like this?"

Feeling humiliated and exhausted, Ann Xiaomin bit her lip and stayed silent, hoping this ordeal would end soon.

"If you don't answer, I'll cut out your tongue."

Ann Xiaomin believed Gu Junbai was twisted enough to carry out such a threat. She glared at him and answered truthfully.

"No." To avoid further torment, she added with teary eyes, "He hasn't touched me."

"Remember this: if you ever dare to cheat on me, I'll tear you apart and feed your flesh to the dogs. Got it?"

The thought of dogs eating her flesh made Ann Xiaomin tremble with fear, and tears finally spilled over as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Do you understand?" The demon pinning her down asked coldly.

"I understand."

"Will you try to escape again?"

"No, I won't," Ann Xiaomin replied tearfully, knowing only a fool would stay in such a situation.

This time, Ann Xiaomin stayed conscious until the end. Still angry, Gu Junbai threw her into the isolated storage room in the backyard of the Yu Xing estate and locked her in, ignoring her cries and pleas.

The storage room was filled with books, wooden tables, chairs, and miscellaneous items. Dust covered everything, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling, suggesting it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

As the night grew colder, Ann Xiaomin curled up, hugging her arms tightly around her knees on one of the large chairs, cursing Gu Junbai under her breath.

She drifted in and out of consciousness, unsure if it had been a day, two days, or even longer when the door finally creaked open. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt too heavy.

Her throat was parched, her head spun, and she felt utterly miserable, vaguely aware that someone had entered.

"They say the eldest daughter of the Hsu family is well-mannered and educated, yet just days after marrying into our Gu family, she attempts to elope with her brother-in-law, a scandalous act against all decency. Someone, splash water on her and wake her up."

A stern female voice reached Ann Xiaomin's ears. She sensed a few people standing nearby, but it was as if a veil obscured her view, preventing her from seeing their faces clearly.

Soon, someone splashed several buckets of cold water on her, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her tightly shut eyes finally opened a sliver, but whether it was the water droplets on her lashes or something else, everything seemed to spin, and she couldn't see clearly.

Her head throbbed, her vision blurred, and her whole body felt feverish, as if all her strength had been drained.

"Yaying, if it weren't for your excellent genes benefiting the next generation of the Gu family, the Hsu family wouldn't even be worthy of us. But look at you, daring to get involved with your brother-in-law after marriage. Since that's the case, I can't be blamed. Take her to the ancestral hall and deal with her according to family rules," the stern voice commanded, laced with malice.