Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Could This All Be Fake?
Hua Yusen reached out and felt Zhao Nuanyueâs forehead. A slight fever. He wiped her tears and comforted her softly, "Donât worry, youâre safe now. Just rest well for a few days, and youâll be healthy again."
Just then, Zhao Nuanyue suddenly thought of Zhao Nuan Yang. She hurriedly grabbed Hua Yusenâs 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 donât know where Nuanyang is. Iâm begging you, you have to save him. Iâll 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.
"Iâve already sent people to find Nuanyang. Iâm sure weâll have news soon," Hua Yusen comforted Zhao Nuanyue. "It wonât do any good to worry in your condition. You need to rest. If Nuanyang saw you like this, heâd be worried and upset too."
Hearing Hua Yusenâs words, Zhao Nuanyue felt a little more at ease.
âNuanyang might have been beaten badly, but his life probably isnât in danger.â
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 dayâs 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 wasnât Xia Yingyuâs 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 donât you go ask your husband?"
"He... heâs already been arrested. I canât 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..."
"Donât bother. You actually believe anything Wang Lianhua says?" Zhao Nuanyue retorted, utterly disappointed. "In Wang Lianhuaâs world, is there anyone good besides her, her son, and her granddaughter? Since youâre here, Iâll tell you. Do you know why Zhao Jinghai had me come back? Itâs because he wanted to marry me off to the Li familyâs idiot son in exchange for a promotion. I heard Wang Lianhua and Zhao Huilan say it with my own ears. Thatâs 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 donât 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..."
"Whatâs so impossible about it?" Zhao Nuanyue continued. "Zhao Jinghai captured me himselfâwas that fake? I heard the conversation between Wang Lianhua and Zhao Huilan with my own earsâwas that fake, too? Nuanyang and I were beaten viciously, and I was almost assaulted by the Li familyâs idiot sonâis that also fake? Only someone as naive as you would think itâs 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 Jinghaiâs 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 canât 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? Youâre not well right now, and Iâm injured, so I canât go back to take care of you. When you go back, donât run around trying to help Zhao Jinghai. Itâs not worth it. A man like that isnât worth it."
Xia Yingyu was silent for a long time, her heart in turmoil. She didnât 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 hadnât 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 Yangâs 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 didnât 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? Iâd feel more at ease that way," Zhao Nuanyue requested softly. "Otherwise, I wonât be able to rest."
"Okay, Iâll arrange it," Hua Yusen nodded. "But Nuanyue, I canât stay with you any longer. I will, however, arrange for someone to take care of you."
"You..." Zhao Nuanyue froze. âWait, if Hua Yusen is here, then Elder Gu is unprotected in Nianqiao Village! Heâs abandoned his post and broken the rules.â "Are you going to be in trouble?"
"Donât 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 donât 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 donât you worry your mind about it."
"Okay, I understand," Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "Thank you for everything."
"You donât have to thank me. Youâre the most important person to me. I was getting restless in Nianqiao Village, so I came over. Iâm glad I did. Even if I get punished for breaking the rules, I think it was worth it," Hua Yusen said softly, caressing Zhao Nuanyueâs face. "If I hadnât come, you might have... you would have..."
"Yes, my life would have been over," Zhao Nuanyue said, her voice choked. "Youâre my savior, my peerless hero."
Seeing Zhao Nuanyue cry, Hua Yusen wiped her tears and comforted her softly, "Donât cry. Itâs my fault I was late, or you wouldnât 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.