Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Could This All Be Fake?
Hua Yusen reached out and felt Zhao Nuanyue’s forehead. A slight fever. He wiped her tears and comforted her softly, "Don’t worry, you’re safe now. Just rest well for a few days, and you’ll be healthy again."
Just then, Zhao Nuanyue suddenly thought of Zhao Nuan Yang. She hurriedly grabbed Hua Yusen’s hand and said, "Hua, please save Nuanyang! After Zhao Jinghai captured Nuanyang and me at the train station, I was sent to Mrs. Li. I don’t know where Nuanyang is. I’m begging you, you have to save him. I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying this debt to you."
Hua Yusen saw Zhao Nuanyue struggle to sit up, her expression twisting in agony.
"I’ve already sent people to find Nuanyang. I’m sure we’ll have news soon," Hua Yusen comforted Zhao Nuanyue. "It won’t do any good to worry in your condition. You need to rest. If Nuanyang saw you like this, he’d be worried and upset too."
Hearing Hua Yusen’s words, Zhao Nuanyue felt a little more at ease.
’Nuanyang might have been beaten badly, but his life probably isn’t in danger.’
Just then, Xia Yingyu came in.
"Nuanyue, Nuanyue, how did you get beaten so badly?" Xia Yingyu asked hurriedly, her forehead beaded with sweat from anxiety.
The day’s events had left Xia Yingyu completely distraught. Facing the strange looks from others, she had no idea what the truth was.
Seeing her mother, Zhao Nuanyue felt a storm of conflicting emotions. While it wasn’t Xia Yingyu’s doing, the mere thought of Zhao Jinghai made her burn with rage and tremble with hatred.
"How did I end up like this?" Zhao Nuanyue said coldly. "Why don’t you go ask your husband?"
"He... he’s already been arrested. I can’t get in to see him," Xia Yingyu stammered in a panic. "Nuanyue, tell Mom what really happened. Wang Lianhua said your stepfather was threatened by Mrs. Li and Li Jianfeng..."
"Don’t bother. You actually believe anything Wang Lianhua says?" Zhao Nuanyue retorted, utterly disappointed. "In Wang Lianhua’s world, is there anyone good besides her, her son, and her granddaughter? Since you’re here, I’ll tell you. Do you know why Zhao Jinghai had me come back? It’s because he wanted to marry me off to the Li family’s idiot son in exchange for a promotion. I heard Wang Lianhua and Zhao Huilan say it with my own ears. That’s why I left with Nuanyang, taking nothing with us. But Zhao Jinghai and his men caught us at the train station. I was sent to Mrs. Li, and to this day, I still don’t know where Zhao Jinghai locked Nuanyang up!"
"What?" Xia Yingyu looked at Zhao Nuanyue in horror, unable to believe Zhao Jinghai was capable of such a thing. Mumbling to herself, she shook her head repeatedly. "Impossible, impossible..."
"What’s so impossible about it?" Zhao Nuanyue continued. "Zhao Jinghai captured me himself—was that fake? I heard the conversation between Wang Lianhua and Zhao Huilan with my own ears—was that fake, too? Nuanyang and I were beaten viciously, and I was almost assaulted by the Li family’s idiot son—is that also fake? Only someone as naive as you would think it’s all fake. You only believe what you want to believe, not the truth."
The accusation left Xia Yingyu utterly mortified. Her face went pale as she leaned against the wall, then slowly slid to the floor, gasping for breath. Her large belly made her limbs look even more slender and frail, and beads of sweat kept breaking out on her forehead.
Seeing her mother like this, Zhao Nuanyue felt a pang of pity, but this time, she hoped her mother would finally see Zhao Jinghai’s family for who they truly were and stop being deceived by them.
A nurse came in, saw the pregnant Xia Yingyu sitting on the floor, and hurried over to help her into a chair.
"Impossible... it can’t be..." Xia Yingyu mumbled to herself, still unwilling to believe the truth.
"Mom, you need to wake up," Zhao Nuanyue said, her voice choked with sobs. "Nuanyang and I have been hurt this badly. How much real affection do you think Zhao Jinghai and Wang Lianhua have for you? You’re not well right now, and I’m injured, so I can’t go back to take care of you. When you go back, don’t run around trying to help Zhao Jinghai. It’s not worth it. A man like that isn’t worth it."
Xia Yingyu was silent for a long time, her heart in turmoil. She didn’t know how to face the current situation.
Before long, Zhao Nuan Yang was found and also sent to the hospital.
Zhao Nuan Yang was covered in injuries, but they were only superficial, and there was no serious harm. He was still unconscious because the effects of the drug hadn’t worn off yet.
Hearing that her brother had been found, Zhao Nuanyue pushed through her pain, insisting on going to see him.
So, Hua Yusen helped Zhao Nuanyue into a wheelchair and took her to Zhao Nuan Yang’s room nearby. When Xia Yingyu saw her daughter being wheeled away by Hua Yusen, she followed them.
Xia Yingyu looked at her daughter and son, both beaten so badly, and her husband, who had been arrested. For a moment, she truly didn’t know what to do.
Her brother was still unconscious, and there was no telling when he would wake up.
"Hua, can you have Nuanyang moved to my room? I’d feel more at ease that way," Zhao Nuanyue requested softly. "Otherwise, I won’t be able to rest."
"Okay, I’ll arrange it," Hua Yusen nodded. "But Nuanyue, I can’t stay with you any longer. I will, however, arrange for someone to take care of you."
"You..." Zhao Nuanyue froze. ’Wait, if Hua Yusen is here, then Elder Gu is unprotected in Nianqiao Village! He’s abandoned his post and broken the rules.’ "Are you going to be in trouble?"
"Don’t worry. My merits and demerits should cancel each other out. As for Elder Gu, there are others protecting him in secret," Hua Yusen comforted her gently. "After I leave, you must take good care of yourself. You don’t need to get involved in the other matters. Mr. Yang and Station Chief Liu will handle them. As for the Zhao Family, someone will see that they are punished, so don’t you worry your mind about it."
"Okay, I understand," Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "Thank you for everything."
"You don’t have to thank me. You’re the most important person to me. I was getting restless in Nianqiao Village, so I came over. I’m glad I did. Even if I get punished for breaking the rules, I think it was worth it," Hua Yusen said softly, caressing Zhao Nuanyue’s face. "If I hadn’t come, you might have... you would have..."
"Yes, my life would have been over," Zhao Nuanyue said, her voice choked. "You’re my savior, my peerless hero."
Seeing Zhao Nuanyue cry, Hua Yusen wiped her tears and comforted her softly, "Don’t cry. It’s my fault I was late, or you wouldn’t have suffered so much."
Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. "The fact that you came at all is more than enough for me."
In an era like this, with transportation so inconvenient, Zhao Nuanyue was truly grateful that Hua Yusen had been able to come at all.
