Moonlight Left Behind chapter 33

That was Qin Yue’s first encounter with death. The loss of a living being was an enormous blow for a teenager, and Qin Yue cried uncontrollably.

Children from the orphanage could be adopted. Not long after Qin Yue arrived, a middle-aged couple showed interest in adopting him.

At that time, the old director held the little blind boy’s hand in one hand and the tiny one’s in the other, telling Qin Yue, “Child, if you want to leave, you can. If you go out of here, your life will be different.”

Qin Yue didn’t actually want to leave. He had heard many stories from the old director about children who were adopted. Some were fortunate enough to be cherished and loved by their adoptive parents and lived well.

Others weren’t so lucky. Shortly after being adopted, the adoptive mother would became pregnant and, after having her own child, lost interest in the adopted one, often beating and scolding them, even demanding they be returned…

Little Qin Yue felt he wouldn’t be one of those lucky ones. Moreover, the tiny one couldn’t bear to see him go, crying until he nearly had an episode. Qin Yue was also a bit worried. —If he left, the little blind boy and the tiny one would have no one to protect them and would surely be bullied mercilessly by the other children.

He thought he was doing just fine in the orphanage and didn’t need to be adopted, so he turned down the couple.

After that, whenever potential adopters came, he would simply stay in the room with the little blind boy and the tiny one, refusing to go out.

He didn’t plan to leave. If he was going to leave, it would have to be when he became an adult, taking the little blind boy and the tiny one with him. By then, he could earn money to support them, and the three of them could rely on each other like they did now.

But then the tiny one suddenly died, which Qin Yue couldn’t accept.

He had nightmares for several days in a row, dreaming repeatedly of the tiny one dying in front of him and even of his own death. A boy with nothing would instinctively fear death.

However, at that time, he didn’t know that a real nightmare was about to unfold.

That day, a few compassionate people from society came to the orphanage, and all the children, including Qin Yue and the little blind boy, were to welcome them in the activity room. For this reason, the social workers had been preparing the performances for over a month.

Qin Yue was good-looking, standing in the front row during the chorus, with the little blind boy on his right. The tiny one was supposed to stand on his left.

Thinking of this made Qin Yue feel a little sad. He didn’t want anyone to notice, so he hid in the big banyan tree in the courtyard. He was good at climbing trees and would often hide in one when he felt down.

Before long, he heard footsteps approaching, and it was the director leading two men into the yard. Qin Yue vaguely recognized them as two of the compassionate people visiting that day.

He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but he suddenly heard one of the men mention him, asking the director how old he was this year.

The director said, “He’s 16. In two years, we can send him to you. I know you like long hair, so I made sure he grew it out.”

The man sounded pleased but still a bit worried. “But he looks like he has a stubborn temperament. I’m not sure if he’ll agree.”

“Don’t worry; these kids have suffered enough. Just offer them a little sweetness, and they’ll run faster than anyone. Don’t you agree?”

The man replied, “The director makes a good point.”

“And even if he’s not willing at first, there’s always a way to make him obedient, trust me,” Zhou Zhengze said. “Just like Zhu Yuan.”

The man sounded even happier but still pretended to be concerned. “Well, you can’t say it like that. In the end, it has to be their own choice. I’ve never liked forcing anyone; it’s just about giving these poor people a way out…”

“Of course, of course, but Xiao Qin is a smart one. He’ll know what to choose and won’t let you down…”

“With the director’s word, I’m reassured…”

There was no one else in the courtyard, and the three men had no idea Qin Yue was hiding in the tree, casually chatting away. It was quite a while before they finally entered the director’s office. Meanwhile, Qin Yue froze in the tree, his face pale.

He knew who Zhu Yuan was. He had also been a child from the orphanage, a few years older than Qin Yue. They had been on good terms. Three years ago, Zhu Yuan turned 18 and left the orphanage, making sure to say goodbye to Qin Yue and the others. He had been very happy, saying that the director had found him a job outside.

But what kind of job was that? Zhu Yuan later disappeared without a trace. Where had he gone… Qin Yue was no longer the clueless child he had been at six or seven years old. The conversation among the three men was enough for him to figure it out.

Qin Yue felt as if he had fallen into the deep sea, with waves surging around him, forcing water into his lungs and making it hard to breathe.

He couldn’t believe it and didn’t want to face it. A wave of fear and anger surged from the depths of his heart. He felt scared, desperate, and even more nauseated.

Before today, the person Qin Yue admired most was the old director, the one who had taken his hand and led him into the orphanage, giving him a new life.

The director treated every child warmly, always smiling kindly, caring for and looking after them, sometimes even indulging them like a family elder.

But at this moment, just thinking about that man made Qin Yue tremble uncontrollably, as if the man had ripped off his disguise to reveal a demonic soul.

The reason they treated him well was that he had value; he was a “good seed” chosen for the future. Once he came of age, he would be sent away to become a plaything for the wealthy.

But Qin Yue certainly wouldn’t just sit and wait for his fate. Now that he knew the terrifying future that awaited him, he was determined to escape, taking the little blind boy with him.

With the tiny one gone, he couldn’t abandon the little blind boy. However, escaping was incredibly difficult for two teenagers. They had attempted to flee countless times and had been caught just as many.

His first escape was entirely unplanned. When he was caught and Zhou Zhengze asked him why, Qin Yue had asked, “Where did Zhu Yuan Ge go?”

In that moment, the old director’s usual compassionate gaze turned sharp and sinister. In their silent standoff, Zhou Zhengze had already guessed the reason.

“Xio Qin, you must remember to be grateful. You’ve lived here since childhood, and much of what you’ve eaten and worn has been donated by those wealthy benefactors. Without them, our orphanage couldn’t possibly be this good.”

“You homeless children would starve and freeze, fighting over a chicken leg, but now you can even have chocolate. So, Xiao Qin, this is merely a mutually beneficial transaction. In two more years, you will understand.”

“If you’re willing to follow them, you’ll have all the food and drink you want—houses, cars, money—what can’t you have? Xiao Qin, don’t be foolish.”

Zhou Zhengze had earnestly tried to persuade him, but to ensure Qin Yue received a serious punishment, he locked him up and whipped him with a long rattan stick until his skin was broken.

But Qin Yue, this “smart person,” was determined to act foolishly; he still wanted to escape. Each failed attempt at escape was like this; from the beginning of the year to the Qingming Festival, for more than two months, Qin Yue was trapped in this nightmare. He thought about escaping every moment, and even after being beaten half to death, he never gave up on that thought.

He absolutely could not resign himself to fate.

Though the little blind boy didn’t understand why, he followed Qin Yue wherever he went without asking any questions.

But three months ago, the little blind boy also died.

That day, Qin Yue had just been locked up by Zhou Zhengze for attempting to escape. When he came out, he heard a child crying, saying the little blind boy had fallen into the well in the yard and died.

Qin Yue completely refused to believe it and ran over in a frenzy, only to see the little blind boy floating in the well, his face swollen and white.

The little blind boy wouldn’t run off without reason. If he had come out at midnight, it could only mean one thing—he had come out to look for him.

In the dead of night, while everyone else was asleep, no one had noticed the little blind boy had fallen into the well…

Qin Yue completely broke down, lying in bed with a high fever for five or six days. In his delirium, he heard two voices echoing in his ears, saying, “Qin  Ge, you have to escape. You must escape…”

He didn’t know if it was the little blind boy and the tiny one looking out for him from the afterlife, but Qin Yue eventually got his chance to escape.

It was a day and a half ago when several volunteers came to the orphanage to bring warmth to the children.

Qin Yue had learned about this several days in advance. He knew it was his last opportunity. He could barely hold on; if he didn’t escape this time, he would find a way to kill the old director. After that, he wouldn’t care what happened, whether he would be caught or not.

Perhaps by then, he would be reunited with the little blind boy and the tiny one in heaven or hell.

The night before the volunteers arrived, he deliberately provoked Zhou Zhengze, getting himself whipped until he was covered in wounds. He started a high fever in the middle of the night and was nearly delirious by morning.

As a result, Zhou Zhengze relaxed his vigilance against him and welcomed the volunteers with ease.

After Zhou Zhengze left, Qin Yue gritted his teeth, got up, and secretly hid in the back of the SUV that the volunteers had driven.

The air in the trunk was stuffy and hot. Qin Yue had a high fever, and several times he nearly fainted. But thinking that if he could just endure, he might be able to leave this place forever, he felt there was nothing he couldn’t bear.

He didn’t know how long he waited, but finally, he heard the volunteers talking outside, along with Zhou Zhengze’s sickening voice. Qin Yue was incredibly nervous, holding his breath as he listened to the commotion outside, worrying about what he would do if the trunk were opened.

Fortunately, this time, fate finally smiled upon him. A few minutes later, he heard the sound of the car door opening and closing, followed by farewells. The vehicle then slowly started moving.

He had finally escaped from that hellish prison.