Days turned into weeks, and as Li Chengxiu grew more accustomed to his new life, the memories of Shao Qun and the manipulation he'd endured slowly began to fade. But just when he thought he was truly free, the past came knocking on his door once again.
One evening, as he was walking back to his apartment with Yan Rui, something in the air felt off. A chilling sensation ran down his spine as they approached the entrance to his building.
Yan Rui stopped in his tracks, a sharp look crossing his face. "You feel that too, don't you?"
Before Li Chengxiu could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air, sending a wave of unease through him. "Chengxiu... I knew you couldn't escape me forever."
Shao Qun stood at the foot of the stairs, a wild look in his eyes, disheveled and desperate. His hand clenched around a knife, and his breath was shallow as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
"Why can't you understand?" Shao Qun spat, his voice trembling with fury. "You belong to me, Chengxiu. I'll never let you go. Not now, not ever."
Li Chengxiu's pulse quickened, but he didn't take a step back. His chest tightened with anxiety, but he refused to let Shao Qun control him anymore.
"No, Shao Qun," he said firmly, his voice strong for the first time in years. "I'm not yours. You never owned me. You trapped me, controlled me, but that's over now."
Yan Rui stepped forward, his expression calm but full of resolve. "You've hurt him long enough. It's over."
Shao Qun's eyes flickered with rage as he raised the knife, but before he could make any move, Li Chengxiu stepped between them. His heart hammered in his chest, but he knew this was the only way to finally break free.
"You think you can control everything, Shao Qun?" Li Chengxiu asked, his voice unwavering. "You can't. I won't let you. Not now, not ever."
Shao Qun's face twisted with a mix of anger and confusion. "You think you're free? You think I'll just let you go? I'll make you regret this."
Before Li Chengxiu could react, Shao Qun lunged at him. But Yan Rui, moving faster than Li Chengxiu could process, intervened, knocking Shao Qun back with a firm push.
"Enough!" Yan Rui shouted, his voice as commanding as Li Chengxiu had ever heard it. "This ends now."
Shao Qun staggered, his grip on the knife faltering as he stared at Yan Rui in disbelief. His obsession with Li Chengxiu had blinded him to the point where he didn't even realize that it was over.
"Chengxiu doesn't belong to you," Yan Rui continued, his tone growing more intense. "He's his own person. He has the right to be happy. And he has the right to choose who he's with. And that's not you."
Tears welled in Shao Qun's eyes, but it was no longer a moment of victory for him. It was the sound of his defeat. With one final, guttural cry, Shao Qun dropped the knife and collapsed to the ground, exhausted and broken.
Li Chengxiu stood frozen, watching as Shao Qun's sobs filled the air. The man who had once been his captor was now a shadow of the person he had been. But Li Chengxiu felt no pity, no guilt. He had learned that freeing himself didn't mean saving Shao Qun. It meant letting go.
As the police arrived to take Shao Qun away, Li Chengxiu turned to Yan Rui, his heart heavy but relieved. He had made it. He had escaped.
Yan Rui took his hand gently, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. "You're free now. You don't have to carry this anymore."
Li Chengxiu squeezed his hand, his heart swelling with emotion. "I don't know what I would've done without you, Yan Rui."
Yan Rui's eyes softened, his voice barely a whisper. "You don't have to do anything alone anymore. I'm here. And I always will be."