Mr.CEO, Please Sign the Divorce Agreement
Chapter 606: I’ll Be with You

Chapter 606: Chapter 606: I’ll Be with You

Shaoyuan was just a child. Even though he was bright and precocious, he had still not been exposed to the filth and depravity of the adult world. Despite the gaps in his family life, the people around him had provided him with a happy and healthy childhood and living environment.

So when the man threw him to the ground and leaned over to begin undressing him, Shaoyuan had no idea what the man intended to do to him. But he still hated it, thinking perhaps the man wanted to beat him, or even kill him.

He had no understanding of how vile and obscene the man’s every action toward him really was.

Even though he was just a child, when faced with relentless resistance, adults could sometimes struggle to subdue him. This made the man angry, and he lifted his hand and slapped Shaoyuan hard across the face. Before Shaoyuan could cry out in pain, Qiqi spoke up, her voice full of distress:

"Brother Yuan! Don’t hurt Brother Yuan, you’re not allowed to hit Brother Yuan."

The little girl, who normally trembled and cried with reddened eyes at the mere sight of this man, had stepped forward bravely because someone else was being harmed. Shaoyuan’s heart clenched with pain. He wanted to speak, to tell Qiqi that it was okay, but the man spoke first, addressing Shaoyuan:

"Well, well, so young and already has someone he likes? Let me give you some advice: don’t resist anymore. If you do, I’ll release you, but I absolutely won’t spare that little girl. If you don’t believe me, you can try."

As he spoke, the man began to step toward Qiqi. Shaoyuan didn’t know where the strength came from, but he lunged forward and clung tightly to the man’s leg:

"Don’t hurt her, don’t bully her."

"Oh, you care about her, do you?" The man smirked. "If you care, then stop resisting. Do as I say, and don’t force me to get rough with you—you’ll be the only one suffering if I do."

Shaoyuan looked at Qiqi, silent. After a few seconds, he nodded.

The man was very satisfied with Shaoyuan’s reaction. He smiled faintly and nudged Shaoyuan’s body with his toe. "Then the first thing I want you to do is lie down quietly. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do to that little girl. Do you understand?"

Shaoyuan didn’t understand what the man wanted to do to him, but he grasped the threat clearly. For Qiqi’s sake, he wouldn’t hesitate even if it meant dying here and now. Compared to lying down, dying seemed like a small price to pay. In Shaoyuan’s mind, the worst outcome was that the man would beat him, or simply kill him outright. He wasn’t afraid.

But it had never crossed his mind what deeper intentions the man might have for him.

He obediently lay down. Before closing his eyes, he even gave Qiqi a comforting smile. He didn’t want her to see his humiliation or feel painful sympathy toward him. In Qiqi’s heart and eyes, Shaoyuan had always wanted to be a hero, because only then would he have the strength to protect her, and she would trust him more.

It was late autumn, and this place, two levels underground, was unbearably cold. The ground was damp, radiating a clammy chill that made people shiver involuntarily. Shaoyuan hadn’t been lying there long before the cold seeped into his limbs, but he didn’t dare get up. He was terrified the man would hurt Qiqi if he did.

He endured, waiting, until the man finally acted. The beating and cursing Shaoyuan had expected didn’t come. Instead, the man crouched down and began to remove his own clothes. The icy air prickled Shaoyuan’s skin, making him shrink instinctively. Even at that moment, he hadn’t considered what the man truly intended to do. He thought the man merely wanted to punish him, teach him a lesson.

When the buttons on his shirt were undone, Ji Qingluan finally couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke:

"Let him go."

The man’s actions didn’t stop. He chuckled slowly and replied, "Didn’t I make myself clear earlier? Even if I die, I’m going to make myself comfortable first. Or do you have trouble understanding my words?"

Ji Qingluan could see that the man had Shaoyuan firmly in his sights. But Shaoyuan was only eight years old. If he were truly defiled by the man, whether he survived or not, his life would be forever marred. Ji Qingluan was different...

She couldn’t just stand by and watch such a thing happen in front of her.

Perhaps it was the urgency of the moment that made her decision so quick. She didn’t even take long to consider it. Her tone was calm, as though she were speaking about something that had nothing to do with herself, yet it was firm. She heard her own voice say:

"Let him go, I’ll take his place."

Perhaps the man hadn’t expected Ji Qingluan to say such a thing, or perhaps he was surprised by how calm her voice was. But the man finally halted his actions toward Shaoyuan and turned to look at Ji Qingluan. He sized her up like an object, his gaze sweeping up and down before he laughed—a greasy, vulgar kind of laugh:

"You? Are you sure?"

"As long as you release the boy, I’ll accompany you."

"You’re not going to try any tricks, are you?"

Ji Qingluan smiled faintly. "I’m completely at your mercy now. Do you think I have the ability to pull any tricks? Or is it that you lack confidence in yourself, worried that I’ll somehow escape your grasp even in this state?"

The man shook his head:

"Not really. It’s just that you have no connection to the boy—why would you go this far for him?"

"Perhaps I just can’t stomach witnessing something so disgusting happen right in front of me," Ji Qingluan replied, her gaze fixed on him. The fear and dread she’d felt earlier had long since vanished. Her eyes were eerily calm. "After all, you’ve captured me. It’s clear you never intended for me to leave alive. With that being the case, if I can save this child, at least my being here will have meant something."

"But you do realize, even if you manage to save him now, he’ll still die later, after I’ve had my fun."

Ji Qingluan stared at the man for a few seconds, then slowly smiled:

"At least he’ll die clean."

The man didn’t say anything further, but he rose from Shaoyuan’s body. Ji Qingluan wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or became more anxious. The man’s actions made one thing clear: he’d agreed to her proposal—to trade herself in exchange for Shaoyuan.

The relief came from knowing Shaoyuan wouldn’t face the man’s vile intentions. The tension came from knowing she herself likely wouldn’t escape this fate.

Standing beside Shaoyuan, the man looked at Ji Qingluan and smirked. He nudged Shaoyuan with the tip of his shoe. "Get up, kid. Someone’s willing to save you."

Shaoyuan rose to his feet, confused. He looked over at Ji Qingluan, who was gazing at him with an unreadable expression. He didn’t understand her intentions. He didn’t understand the meaning behind her eyes. He didn’t understand what kind of sacrifice she had made.

"Go sit with your little girlfriend," the man said. "Stay over there and don’t get in the way."

Shaoyuan walked over and sat down in front of Qiqi. Before he could say anything to Ji Qingluan, the man spoke again. This time, his words were directed at Ji Qingluan:

"Come here."