At this moment, my ex-husband was bound tightly by ropes, his mouth sealed with tape, rendering him immobile.
Blood seeped from the back of his head, the result of Xu Ze's swift blow when he attempted to turn and flee in panic, only to be overtaken.
I leaned down, inching closer to his face, and checked for any sign of life. Thankfully, he was still breathing.
I then began to methodically examine all the items he carried—identification, phone, wallet—each item, one by one, was taken from him and tucked away.
Having completed this, I stood up, raised my hand, and struck his cheek, once, twice, with force.
After a while, he finally groggily opened his eyes.
In that instant, he realized the gravity of his situation and began to struggle violently, emitting anguished whimpers, his body twisting as he sought to free himself from his restraints.
But all his efforts were in vain.
Tears streamed from his eyes, his gaze pleading as he looked at me, filled with silent entreaty.
In that moment, I imagined he had countless words of begging, bargaining, and hopes of striking a deal with me, anything to earn his life spared.
"Do you know," I spoke calmly, my voice even, "my daughter, it was here, that she first spoke her words."
"But at the time," I paused, letting the weight of the words sink in, "no one cared what she said."
"No one gave her a chance to survive."
"All of this," I said, my voice trembling slightly with hatred, "was caused by you. You killed Niu Niu."
Tears continued to fall from his eyes, his head repeatedly banging against the ground, a gesture that almost seemed like a desperate attempt to kowtow, as if begging for my forgiveness.
I stood there silently, waiting for what felt like an eternity before speaking again. "You are, after all, the child's father... I once truly loved you... And Qin Yao once mentioned that your original plan was to let the child live and return to the country."
At this, a spark of new hope flickered in his eyes. His head struck the ground even more frantically, his sobs growing louder as though he had seized on this thread of salvation.
"If you are truly repentant," I said softly, "I might consider sparing you..."
Perhaps he never imagined that I would actually extend my hand, slowly peeling the tape from his mouth.
Once the tape was removed, he reacted like an animal, startled and suddenly freed, his voice hoarse and frantic as he began to speak, pouring out a torrent of apologies.
He apologized for everything, berated himself as a monster, insisting that he never intended to harm his daughter, all the while blaming himself for misjudging Qin Yao.
I stood there, impassively watching him, waiting for him to finish.
When he finally stopped, I met his fearful gaze, then reached for the tape again, this time applying it slowly and deliberately back over his mouth.
"Shh—shh—quiet," I whispered soothingly. "Your repentance is indeed impressive."
"Too bad," I added, my eyes closing slightly as I took a deep breath, "my daughter will never hear it."
"Therefore, your repentance," I said, my voice cold and unfeeling, "is utterly meaningless."