125: take away

The check-up went smoothly indeed. The doctors personally arranged by Yan Zhuoyi had the results ready by the afternoon from the morning examination.

"Good, no issues at all," Yan Zhuoyi said, holding several lab reports. "All your indicators have recovered well. You can be discharged tonight."

Yan Zhuohua's eyes lit up. "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days, cousin. I'll go pack my things then!"

"Don't thank me yet. We might see each other again tonight!"

"What?" See each other tonight? He wasn't going back to the Main Residence, so what did that mean?

"Never mind. Hurry back to your room and pack. It's almost six o'clock; don't keep people waiting." Yan Zhuoyi didn't explain his earlier remark, instead urging him to return to his ward.

Yan Zhuohua didn't dwell on it. He was eagerly anticipating Yan Qinghe coming to take him home and happily left Yan Zhuoyi's office, completely missing the meaningful look his cousin gave him as he turned away.

While waiting for the elevator, Yan Zhuohua took out his phone and sent a message to Yan Qinghe.

"The test results are out! I'm completely healed."

"Good. Wait for me; I'll pick you up soon and make you a little cake."

Pleased with the reply, Yan Zhuohua put away his phone and stepped into the elevator.

What he never expected was to find Yan Zhuoyang and Lin Fang waiting inside when he pushed open his hospital room door.

Yan Zhuohua was bewildered. "Eldest Brother? What are you two doing here?"

"To take you home for discharge, back to the Main Residence."

"That's not necessary. Qinghe is getting off work soon. We already agreed he'd pick me up and take me back to Mirror Lake Bright Forest, not the Main Residence."

"It's fine. I'll take you there first. Doesn't he have your location? He can come to the Main Residence to get you later." As he spoke, Yan Zhuoyang stood up, ready to leave. "I've already packed your things. Come with me."

"Wait!" Yan Zhuohua finally sensed something was wrong. "Eldest Brother, taking me away... are you..."

"Taking you back to receive the family rules punishment."

Yan Zhuoyang's tone was calm and composed, but the words sent a wave of panic through Yan Zhuohua.

"Didn't we... agree a few days ago to let me off this once?"

"I was just so angry with the two of you that I left at the time. I never agreed to anything." Yan Zhuoyang gave a faint, ambiguous smile.

"But Qinghe pleaded for me. He..."

"He promised to save you again?" Yan Zhuoyang interrupted impatiently. "Even if he promised, does that mean I have to cooperate one hundred percent?"

Yan Zhuohua stood rooted in shock, momentarily speechless.

"Stop struggling. He can't save you today. Or," Yan Zhuoyang smiled gently, "do you want Qinghe to take the punishment for you?"

As he spoke, a dangerous glint appeared in Yan Zhuoyang's eyes.

"Last time Qinghe saved you, I let it slide. But he also said if there was a next time, he'd be punished too. Do you want me to proceed according to the method we discussed then? I have no objections, though it will just be a bit more work."

That wouldn't do. If he couldn't save himself, how could he drag Qinghe into punishment?

"Made up your mind? Still want him to protect you?"

It seemed there was truly no escape this time. Yan Zhuohua lowered his head in despair.

"No... It's my mistake. Punishing me alone is enough."

"Then let's go. Don't delay. The sooner we start, the sooner it's over." Yan Zhuoyang knew that saying this would make his cunning younger brother compromise. As the saying goes, when you have someone you love, you gain both armor and a weakness.

Hah! Why am I suddenly thinking of such a saying? Yan Zhuoyang shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought from his mind.

Finally obedient, Yan Zhuohua picked up his already packed belongings and followed his eldest brother out.

After walking for a while, Yan Zhuoyang remembered something. "Hand over your phone. It's confiscated for now."

Close to seven in the evening, Yan Zhuohua, utterly despondent, was taken back to the Main Residence by his eldest brother and Lin Fang.

Perhaps Yan Zhuoyang had given prior notice, because the Main Residence was unusually quiet that night, not a soul in sight.

"Don't worry. Your brother still cares about your dignity. Everyone else has been sent away."

Yan Zhuohua didn't dare reply.

"Lin Fang, take our people and guard the entrance. Once Qinghe returns, restrain him and bring him down. Don't let him interrupt me."

Lin Fang, who had been following behind, nodded and turned to arrange the men.

After instructing Lin Fang, Yan Zhuoyang turned back to Yan Zhuohua. "You, come with me to the basement."

The Yan Family Main Residence had many rooms, including plenty of empty ones. Yan Zhuoyang led him to a dark room on the second basement level, designated as a storage room but containing nothing.

"Take off your shirt. We don't want fabric getting into the wounds later; that would be troublesome to deal with."

From the sound of it, this was going to draw blood. Yan Zhuohua hesitated on the spot for a long time before finally, under Yan Zhuoyang's silent pressure, removed his shirt and placed it on the room's only table.

Qinghe, come back quickly and save me!

Yan Qinghe couldn't hear his plea. Half an hour earlier, having left work early to pick him up from the hospital, Yan Qinghe arrived only to find an empty room and realized Yan Zhuohua was missing again.

"No need to panic. He was taken away by Zhuoyang." Yan Zhuoyi's voice came from behind him.

"Cousin?" Yan Qinghe, who had been checking his phone for the location, was startled by the sudden voice.

"See the location? It's at the Main Residence, isn't it?"

Hearing Yan Zhuoyi's explanation and confirming Yan Zhuohua's location was indeed at the Main Residence, Yan Qinghe finally relaxed. He had almost thought he'd been kidnapped again.

"You scared me to death." Yan Qinghe let out a long sigh, patting his chest in relief. "Zhuohua too, getting taken by Eldest Brother without a word to me. Almost gave me another heart attack."

Yan Zhuoyi chuckled lightly.

"Wait, that's not right. He messaged me just before I got off work saying he'd wait for me. How could he have left with Eldest Brother without a word?" Yan Qinghe, who had just relaxed, suddenly realized something else was off. "And cousin, shouldn't you have been off work long ago?"

"What do you think?"

Yan Qinghe had a very bad feeling. His wife must be in trouble again.

"Come on, I'll go to the Main Residence with you." Yan Zhuoyi turned and walked toward the elevator. "Drive fast. Maybe I can still make it in time to help treat his wounds."

As Yan Qinghe rushed back with his cousin, Yan Zhuohua was already trembling with fear.

Once Yan Zhuohua removed his shirt, Yan Zhuoyang directly hung him from a hook in the center of the room. Now, with his hands raised high and feet off the ground, Yan Zhuohua watched his cruel eldest brother meticulously disinfecting a whip.

"Isn't the family rules punishment the Ruler?" Yan Zhuohua, utterly terrified, couldn't help but ask. "When did it change to a whip?"

"Modified specifically for you. The Ruler isn't enough. For disciplining someone as repeatedly unrepentant as you, a whip is more effective." Yan Zhuoyang continued his task without looking up. "Don't worry, all necessary preparations have been made. It won't leave scars, so it won't affect your future... happy nighttime activities with your husband."

"Haha," Yan Zhuohua laughed awkwardly. "Eldest Brother is quite considerate."