Yao Qingqing knew that begging her stepmother was useless, so she crawled to her stepfather instead, “Please save him. He’s your son too. You can’t just watch him get thrown into the well.”
“B****!” Yao Qingqing’s words angered her stepmother. Her stepmother took the baby and his umbilical cord wasn’t even cut off yet. He was naked and slippery and Yao Qingqing’s blood stained him. The moment Yao Qingqing’s stepmother raised him up, he cried.
His cries were extraordinarily loud.
Yao Qingqing grabbed onto her stepmother’s legs and a trial of blood followed behind her. She started to kowtow. She kowtowed until she bled, “I’m begging you, please don’t throw my son away. I’m begging you, I can be your slave. I’m begging you…”
“Fat chance. Don’t think that I don’t know that you want to steal our family’s property from our son using this baby.” Her stepmother then kicked her away.
Yao Qingqing became unconscious.
When she woke up, she was still lying down on her bed. The sun was shining and she didn’t know how long she was out cold for. She was parched and she ached all over but she didn’t even have the strength to get up.
Her stepfather was under the control of her stepmother, so Yao Qingqing didn’t get any food or water.
She didn’t complain and she just laid there. She wanted to die along with her child.
Maybe their neighbors heard the crying of a baby, so they questioned Yao Qingqing’s stepparents. Her stepmother told them that Yao Qingqing acted immodestly in school and got impregnated, but the baby died shortly after birth.
The villagers only found out what actually happened after Yao Qingqing’s little brother accidentally exposed to them that her stepparents threw the baby into the well. But the villagers didn’t pity Yao Qingqing because they all thought that she was the one acting immodestly.
Yao Qingqing then had a fever. Her fever lasted the entire day and she went unconscious.
Coincidentally, some government officials carried out an inspection on Yao Qingqing’s family, because they heard that the family had adopted a child. They wanted to be seen as contributing to society, so they expressed their solicitude towards the family. It didn’t matter to them whether they offered any financial help or not because their appearance was already enough.
The stepparents had to send Yao Qingqing to the hospital.
They couldn’t let the government officials find out that they were abusing Yao Qingqing.
Yao Qingqing’s life was saved just like that.
Yao Qingqing’s bloodshot eyes opened widely and the veins spread across her eyes just like a spiderweb. She said, “I didn’t dare to tell anyone this because I’m scared, I’m scared that they will judge me, I’m scared, I’m scared…”
She curled up in fear as if she was reliving the traumatic experience, “I’m even more scared that you’ll find out about this, because I’m scared that you’ll be disgusted by me. I’m scared that you’ll look down on me, that you’ll detest me. I’m so scared. I’m so very scared.”
After which, she casted her gaze at Lin Xinyan and said, “Yinning fancies you so I’m jealous, envious and abhorred…Haha, I deliberately, deliberately, sent my son to you…Haha-”
Lin Xinyan’s hands clenched tightly because Yao Qingqing’s words were like a wrecking ball that smashed into her heart.
She shuddered.
Zong Jinghao held her tightly clenched fists.
Yao Qingqing casted her gaze back on Bai Yinning and said, “I hate her. She has so much already but she still wants to mess with you. I envy her because you fancy her. I’m jealous of her because she can raise her kids so well, and her life is so great.”
Bai Yinning looked at her and was speechless.
Emotions boiled within him, and it made him feel uneasy. A person’s experiences really can change them.
She used to be a naive and innocent kid but now she has been through so much suffering.
“I thought I would be free when I grew up and left my family behind. I could begin again and start a new life, but I was still living in hell. They hovered around me like demons and they threatened me for money…I acted behind your back because I’m scared that you would know about his existence. If you find out about him you will know about my past, and I don’t want anyone, especially you, to discover the truth.”
Yao Qingqing raised her bound hands as she wanted to touch Bai Yinning, but she didn’t dare to, because she wasn’t worthy of him.
In her eyes, Bai Yinning was the best person in the world, and no one deserved him.
She stared at Bai Yinning for a very long time and said, “I wanted to forget about it but I couldn’t. I can hear my son’s cries when I sleep every night. Nightmares plague my dreams, torturing me. I’m tired of it. I felt like dying, and I have actually considered suicide, but I didn’t make it because someone rescued me. My fate is so doomed that I can’t even die if I wanted to.
Sometimes, I wonder if the reason why my life is so cruel is that I used to be an executioner in my past life. I lost all hope in life and I have been living like an empty shell until I met you. You brought light into my bleak and dark world, and it made me want to work harder. I wanted to try my best to survive because of you. Because you gave me hope in this world.
I was depressed when I saw you lose your temper over a woman for the first time in the clothing store because I liked you. But I know that deep in my heart, I’m not worthy of you. I didn’t dare to show it to you, and I didn’t dare to let anyone know about it.
I took the chance and closed the clothing store because I didn’t want my brother to know about your existence. Ultimately, I was scared that you might find out about my past.”
Yao Qingqing smiled subtly and squinted at Bai Yinning. She looked at him carefully because she wanted to remember his appearance. She said, “Please don’t blame me. Don’t blame me.”
Emotions roared in Bai Yinning’s heart when he looked at Yao Qingqing. Don’t tell me I can’t even console her?
What language can comfort a damaged soul?
What words can make up for the pain she suffered?
His voice was low, “I don’t blame you. I’ve always had hope for you.”
Yao Qingqing smiled, “Thank you. Thank you for not blaming me.”
She thought that if she was to have a next life, she wouldn’t want to be reincarnated as a human again.
“Mmm.” A low moaning could be heard and blood flowed out of her mouth.
“She wants to kill herself!” Shen Peichuan grabbed her chin to prevent her from biting her tongue.
Her whole mouth was filled with blood.
“Gao Yuan!” Bai Yinning shouted, “Send her to the hospital immediately.”
Gao Yuan ran and carried her out of the factory.
A few drops of blood were splattered on the ground.
Bai Yinning called Gao Yuan and said, “No matter how much money it takes, make sure she’s saved.”
Bai Yinning hung up after Gao Yuan replied in agreement.
His thoughts still lingered on Yao Qingqing’s final expression of despair and her forced smile.
How hopeless can a person get to want to kill themself by biting their tongue?
He unwittingly clutched his armrest as he trembled.
Lin Xinyan stood up from the chair and approached Bai Yinning, “You can go to the hospital too.”
Bai Yinning looked up at her and said, “Thank you. I apologize on her behalf.”
Lin Xinyan shook her head, “I’m leaving anyway. I don’t want to press the issue any further.”
She couldn’t hold Yao Qingqing responsible for her actions, because no one would ever want to be like Yao Qingqing. Yao Qingqing’s experiences really did affect her personality and mental health severely.
Everyone is kind in their nature.
She was corrupted by this cruel world.
Lin Xinyan patted Bai Yinning’s shoulder to console him.
Bai Yinning wanted to shake her hand, but he put his hand down immediately after he raised it. He then said, “I won’t be sending you off.”
He needed to go to the hospital.
But Lin Xinyan said there was no need for him to anyway.
His driver pushed Bai Yinning away and left, while Lin Xinyan turned around. Zong Jinghao was suddenly behind her and she almost bumped into him. She frowned, “Why are you so quiet when you walk?”
“It’s not that I’m quiet, it’s that you didn’t hear me because you were zoning out,” Zong Jinghao caressed her forehead, “You didn’t cause her misfortune.”
Lin Xinyan lowered her head. She knew that, but she just felt bad for Yao Qingqing anyway.
She felt bothered by it.
Shen Peichuan coughed and said, “Um, I’ll go to the car.”
He then left immediately after. It was obvious that he was third-wheeling them.
“Let’s go,” Zong Jinghao held Lin Xinyan as he rubbed her arms. He wasn’t actually an evil person but he felt that a lot of unfortunate incidents happen all around the world every single moment, and he didn’t have the power to change that. He felt that all he could do was protect the people he cared about.
He was clearheaded about everything except for matters related to Lin Xinyan.
Lin Xinyan was silent during the ride back. She kept looking outside of the window and it was obvious that Yao Qingqing’s story had shaken her up a fair bit. An unfortunate childhood can really ruin someone’s entire life.
When they got back, she locked herself in her room.
Zong Jinghao wanted to accompany her but she said she wanted some time alone.
So Zong Jinghao had no choice but to get out of the room.
“Mom, what happened?” Lin Ruixi asked Lin Xinyan. Once they reached their house, her brother and her were hugged by Lin Xinyan, and they didn’t even have their dinner yet. They remained silent as they sat in front of the window.
Lin Xinyan looked down at her daughter and kissed her forehead, “I’m fine. I just wanted to hug you.”
Lin Xinyan didn’t know what she was thinking as well. She was suddenly afraid that her children would be kidnapped away by some criminals.
The news always reported that healthy children would all be mutilated in some way after they get kidnapped, and they would be put on the streets to beg for money. When Lin Xinyan heard about news of that nature, her heart would ache a lot.
Besides that, Yao Qingqing’s story had made her a little paranoid, so she was scared that her children might get hurt. That was why she hugged them; because she wanted to stay close by their sides.
This incident had come to a close and Zong Jinghao decided to rest here for one last night because he would have to return to B City tomorrow.
After dinner, he arranged his departure tomorrow and gave Su Zhan and Shen Peichuan clear instructions. When he returned to his room, he saw that Lin Xinyan was still hugging her two children. When he left her, she was hugging the children, and when he came back, she was still sitting there, and her position didn’t even change.
He approached Lin Xinyan and took the children out from her arms, saying, “Let’s go and play.”
Lin Xichen was quite annoyed that Lin Xinyan hugged them for so long, so he held his sister’s hands and said, “Let’s play with Uncle Su and Uncle Shen.”
“Don’t go running about,” Lin Xinyan reminded them because she was worried. She was about to follow them out before Zong Jinghao stopped her.
“What are you doing?” Lin Xinyan looked up at him.
He frowned, “What happened to you?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t feel that anything was wrong with her.
Zong Jinghao laughed once, and his laughter was cold and mocking.
Lin Xinyan was stunned, “What do you mean?”
Zong Jinghao knew what she was worrying about. She looks tough on the outside but she’s actually quite fragile on the inside.
He caressed her cheeks and said, “You’re not alone.”
From now on, I’ll protect you and the children. You’re not alone, so you don’t have to be scared anymore. No one will judge you anymore too. You now have a husband, a family and two children.
Lin Xinyan looked at him for a very long time.
Zong Jinghao took her into his arms as he caressed her back.
The next day, they set off to B City after they had their breakfast.
The weather was cold and the wind was howling. An elderly woman blocked the hotel entrance as they stepped out.
