Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Evasion, Greed (2)
The thought of Xia Yingyu, who was in danger in her room, filled Zhao Jinghai with rage and humiliation. But for the sake of his family and his position, he had to yield.
And so, just as Zhao Nuanyue was surprised that Zhao Jinghai had been released so quickly, he dropped to his knees with a THUD. Feigning grief, he said, "Nuanyue, Nuanyang, don’t blame me. I was forced by Li Jianfeng. He and his wife forced me. If I hadn’t agreed, they would’ve killed my entire family."
Seeing Zhao Jinghai’s actions, Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback. Although she didn’t understand what was really going on, she absolutely refused to believe that Zhao Jinghai and Wang Lianhua had been forced. She had clearly heard their conversation and seen them spike the drink.
Zhao Nuan Yang didn’t think twice when he saw Zhao Jinghai. The man had hit him earlier.
So, without a second thought, Zhao Nuan Yang grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it down on Zhao Jinghai.
Zhao Jinghai never expected Zhao Nuan Yang to attack him, and in a hospital, no less. But he was kneeling on the ground, and though he tried to dodge, it was too late. He took the full force of the blow and cried out in pain.
"You little bastard, how dare you hit my son!" Wang Lianhua lunged forward to strike Zhao Nuan Yang, but someone held her back, and she couldn’t get anywhere near him.
Zhao Jinghai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring viciously at Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang. He slowly got to his feet and said, "I hit him, and now he’s hit me. I’d say we’re even. Believe it or not, I’ll stick to what I said: I was forced, coerced. The fact that I’ve been released is proof enough of my innocence."
Zhao Nuanyue sneered, looking at Zhao Jinghai. "Whether you’re innocent or not... maybe you can fool that foolish woman in there, but you can’t fool us."
"Heh, whatever. All that matters is that your mother believes me. As for you two, I’ve never given a damn about you!" Zhao Jinghai said coldly, his voice low. "If you’re here to see your mother, you can go in. If you came just to accuse me, then please leave."
Zhao Nuanyue glanced at Zhao Jinghai and said coldly, "So now you remember you have a pregnant wife? Well, from the looks of it, the baby was saved. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have the leisure to be standing here talking to us like this."
"Nuanyue..." Xia Yingyu’s weak, lifeless voice drifted from the hospital room. The pain wracking her body made her feel like she was dying.
Zhao Nuanyue had someone push her wheelchair into the room. She was also hurting from the fight with Wang Lianhua.
Seeing her mother lying pale-faced on the bed, Zhao Nuanyue said, her eyes red, "Mom, nothing is more important than your life. You have to take care of yourself and stay healthy."
When Xia Yingyu saw her daughter come in, she gently took her hand, then looked over at Nuanyang. "I will, I will," she said. "You two need to be well, too. As for... as for Zhao Jinghai, once I’m better, I’ll investigate what really happened."
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue gave a bitter, inward smile. ’Her mother still believed Zhao Jinghai’s lies and refused to believe her.’
"Mom, just take care of yourself. You need to think carefully about what you want to do from now on," Zhao Nuanyue said softly. "Since you don’t believe me and think Nuanyang and I are lying, fine. But Zhao Jinghai really did hit Nuanyang, and he really did give me to that idiot. This whole ’I was forced’ story is just an excuse."
Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s words, Xia Yingyu became very agitated and tried to struggle to sit up.
Zhao Jinghai quickly went to her side and held her down, saying, "Nuanyue is right. Even if I was forced, I still wronged them both. I’ll kneel and beg for your forgiveness. If you want to curse me or blame me, direct it all at me. Don’t make things hard on your mother; she’s suffered enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Jinghai knelt and began to kowtow to Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang, repeatedly slamming his forehead hard against the floor.
When Xia Yingyu saw this, she was utterly astonished. She knew Zhao Jinghai was an incredibly proud man. ’For him to kneel to his juniors like this,’ she thought, ’it must mean he’s truly sorry.’
Watching Zhao Jinghai’s performance, Zhao Nuanyue had to grudgingly admire his shameless flexibility. At the same time, she saw her mother’s expression soften. ’It’s clear the scales in Mom’s heart are already tipping toward Zhao Jinghai.’
The fact that her mother hadn’t actively conspired against them was already a great relief to Zhao Nuanyue. But now, pregnant and in pain, Xia Yingyu had become greedy. She wanted to keep her daughter and son, but she also wanted to keep Zhao Jinghai and their unborn child.
In that moment, Xia Yingyu was greedy. She wanted her son and daughter to be safe, but at the same time, she desperately hoped that Zhao Jinghai had been forced, that his actions weren’t intentional.
She was deeply conflicted; she didn’t want to lose this family. That’s why she chose to "investigate later." ’With time,’ she thought, ’the whole thing will fade. The pain will disappear, and maybe the grudge between my daughter and my husband will lessen, too.’
"Mom, don’t overthink it," Zhao Nuanyue said softly. "Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. At the very least, you didn’t try to harm Nuanyang or me in all of this, so don’t blame yourself. We don’t hate you."
Hearing her daughter’s words, Xia Yingyu’s lips moved slightly. She tried to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
She knew that nothing she could say would make up for the harm her son and daughter had endured. More than that, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Zhao Jinghai had done it intentionally. To accept that would cause her entire world, her core beliefs, to shatter. She wouldn’t be able to face the rest of her life.
Then, Zhao Nuan Yang walked to the bedside. He gently placed his hands on his mother’s forehead and shoulder and said softly, "Take care of yourself, Mom."
Although Zhao Nuan Yang still loved his mother, he knew that his insistence on returning to Jincheng City had gotten his sister hurt, and he was overwhelmed with guilt.
’Mom has a new baby now. My sister and I are just in the way. I can’t even help her, so from now on, I have to listen to her. We’re not coming back to Jincheng City.’
He was furious that his mother was still willing to believe Zhao Jinghai, but it was her decision—her choice. Zhao Nuan Yang couldn’t change it, but he had every right to resent her for it.
"Take care of yourself, Mom," Zhao Nuanyue said from the other side of the bed, her tone like a final farewell.
Xia Yingyu gripped her son’s and daughter’s hands, one in each of hers, and wept silently.
After a long moment, Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang left. Both siblings looked dejected. When they returned to their own hospital room, they remained silent.
After her son and daughter left, Xia Yingyu stared blankly at the ceiling, not saying a word for a long, long time.
"Yingyu, you should eat something." Zhao Jinghai held a food container in one hand and brought a spoonful of food to Xia Yingyu’s lips. "You have to eat. You’re so weak, and the doctor said you need to rest and recover properly!"
