"What is this?"
"Ai Er drew this painting. It's a gift! A gift for you."
"I don't need you playing mad here. Get out!"
Chun Qing shoved Ai Er's shoulder away. With his other hand, he roughly crumpled the drawing she had painstakingly painted, his face turning extremely dark.
Ai Er rubbed her red-rimmed eyes with her hands, slowly picking up the torn pieces of paper. Each fragment held a pure, childlike stroke of her brush, filled with vibrant colors. Her tears fell in torrents as she clutched the ruined drawing to her chest, murmuring softly.
"You used to love Ai Er's drawings. Why don't you like them anymore?"
Ai Er sniffled aggrievedly, a profound sense of loss evident in her choked voice.
She looked up, her hand clutching the hem of Chun Qing's shirt as she asked timidly,
"Please don't be angry, okay? Ai Er will paint another picture for you, alright?"
Ai Er was practically begging Chun Qing, but in return, she only received his cold indifference. He swept his arm, using the tip of his polished shoe to kick and break the easel, then stomped heavily on the pristine white sheets of paper, as if trying his best to crush them to dust!
"Brother, don't! Please don't!"
Ai Er's eyes widened as she watched her beloved belongings being trampled. She wailed miserably, her hands tightly wrapping around Chun Qing's leg, only to be ruthlessly kicked away by him.
"You're really good at playing mad. You even wanted to copy Shen Ye's brushstrokes? Are your hands even capable of painting like that? Are you even worthy of holding these things?"
Chun Qing's voice carried not a single shred of warmth. He stepped forward, grabbing her chin with one hand while raising his foot to stomp hard on Ai Er's fair, delicate hand. Hearing her painful wails, his lips curled into a smirk.
"Brother, it hurts! It hurts!"
"I forbid you from ever painting again. If you do, I will break your hands!"
Chun Qing's grip tightened ruthlessly, as if he wanted to crush her beautiful face into countless pieces. Looking into Ai Er's dark eyes and sensing her fear and confusion, he let go in satisfaction and turned to leave.
Ai Er was in pain from the abuse, but in the end, she could only curl up in a corner and cry. She touched her hand, then her chin, and finally stopped at the art supplies Chun Qing had smashed, sobbing quietly.
It hurt so much. Her hand hurt, her leg hurt, and even her heart ached!
"Brother... Chun Qing..."
Ai Er's faint whisper seemed to dissolve into the endless void, unheard by anyone.
[! ! ]
"Brother, you're back!"
The moment Chun Qing reached the doorway, he saw Ai Er running toward him happily. With just one glance, his face stiffened. Before Ai Er could even reach him, he roared,
"Who allowed you to wear this dress?"
Hearing Chun Qing's furious tone, Ai Er instinctively took a step back, her small face filled with anxiety and fear.
"I... I..."
She bit her lip hard, seemingly unable to find the right words. Her stammering only drove Chun Qing further into a mad rage.
His dark, menacing face loomed close. Ai Er quickly shrank her shoulders, wanting to step back, but Chun Qing cornered her. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it with brutal force.
"Take that dress off! It belongs to Shen Ye! Does a lunatic like you deserve to wear this?"
"No! It wasn't me!"
Ai Er stammered in explanation, but Chun Qing's hand had already grabbed her sleeve, pulling at it violently.
"Take it off, or I'll beat you to death today!"
Ai Er shook her head, her throat too tight to utter a single word. She could only wrap her arms around her shoulders, whimpering in resistance.
Chun Qing couldn't be bothered with her. He grabbed her collar, intending to hoist her up. Ai Er let out a shriek, pushing him away with all her might, her feet stumbling backward.
"Ah! Brother!"
Ai Er stumbled and fell down the stairs. She tried to reach out to grab the hem of Chun Qing's shirt, but in the end, she was too late.
Chun Qing watched helplessly as Ai Er rolled down the stairs, step by step, until all that remained in his sight was the deep crimson of fresh blood and her desolate cries.
*It wasn't, it wasn't Shen Ye's. Her dress was still in his room.*
*She had never entered his room!*
*This was the new dress Aunt Li had given her. This was her very first gift, given to her, not stolen!*
*She didn't do it! She really didn't do it!*
*Why didn't he believe her? Why didn't he believe her?*
Ai Er rolled all the way to the bottom, her small hand still clutching the crumpled dress tightly, while her other hand was clenched into a tight fist.
Inside it was the strawberry candy that Ai Er loved most, which she had brought out specifically to give to Chun Qing.
Today was his birthday. She had wanted to wear a pretty dress to welcome him home and give him the delicious candy she had.
She only wanted to give him the best things she had.
Was that... wrong?
"Chun Qing!..."
To be continued.