Chapter 233 I Stand by My Wife

Fang Xiaoju was so frightened that she backed away repeatedly, stammering, "I didn't! You're making false accusations! Nobody will believe you!"

In her panic, she lost her footing, her high heels hit the threshold, and she staggered, almost falling over, looking extremely disheveled.

Qiao Wanyin didn't bother to look at her again. Her breath was slightly cold as she turned and walked away, her steps firm and her back straight as a pine tree.

She carried the basin of water and walked back to the ward step by step, her steps steady and unwavering.

When I pushed open the ward door, Fu Li'an was asleep with his eyes closed, his breathing even and long.

Sunlight shone on his thin face. Although still pale, his complexion was much better than the ashen and suffocating look he had last night, and his lips had regained some color.

Qiao Wanyin stood by the bed and watched him quietly for a while, then gently placed the basin of water on the bedside table and bent down to tuck the blanket around him.

The morning sunlight slowly streamed in through the gaps in the sheer curtains, and tiny dappled spots of light danced on the floor, like scattered gold dust.

The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and the light and shadows flickered, as if time had slowed down considerably at that moment.

Qiao Wanyin didn't sleep a wink all night. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the dark circles under her eyes were so deep that they were almost impossible to cover up, like marks quietly etched by the years.

Her fingers trembled slightly, but her movements remained gentle as she repeatedly wet the towel with warm water, wrung it out, and gently wiped away the dead skin and stains from Fu Lian's chapped lips.

Each wipe was done with utmost care, for fear of disturbing him who was still unconscious.

"Well……"

Fu Li'an suddenly frowned, his brows furrowed, and his throat bobbed up and down as if he were struggling to swallow air.

This subtle movement immediately caught Qiao Wanyin's attention. She looked up abruptly, holding her breath as she stared at him.

"Li An?"

Qiao Wanyin immediately leaned forward, her fingertips carefully touching his forehead, feeling that familiar warmth. "Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"

Her voice was very low, with a slight, restrained tremor, as if she was afraid that if she spoke too loudly, she would scare him away when he returned.

Fu Li'an's eyelids trembled, and he finally slowly opened his eyes.

His vision was initially blurry, the world swaying as if submerged in water, but after blinking a few times, the outlines before him gradually became clear—finally, settling on his wife's weary face.

Her hair was a little messy, her lips were dry and chapped, and even her cheeks looked thinner.

He moved his dry lips, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping: "Qingqing...you didn't...sleep all night, did you?"

As he finished speaking, he could hear the undisguised heartache in his voice.

Qiao Wanyin's nose tingled, and her eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly lowered her head and gently shook her head: "I'm not tired."

She spoke calmly, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact, but her knuckles were white from gripping the towel so tightly.

She was just about to get up to pour herself a glass of water when the door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang, making the vase in the corner shake slightly.

Song Jinfeng stormed in like a gust of wind carrying anger, her high heels clicking rapidly on the floor.

She rushed to the bedside, grabbed Fu Li'an's hand, and burst into tears: "My son! You're finally awake! My heart was breaking all night! Do you know how scared I was when you fainted? The doctor said if you had been brought in ten minutes later... you would have..."

Tears and snot mingled together; she was incoherent and completely out of control.

Qiao Wanyin was pushed against the wall by the sudden impact, and the towel in her hand fell to the ground with a soft "thud".

She paused for a moment, but didn't say anything. She simply bent down, picked up the towel, folded it, and then turned and walked towards the tea room by the door.

"Do you know how Mom has been getting through these past few days?"

Song Jinfeng sobbed as she complained, her voice rising higher and higher, "The house is so cold and quiet, there's no one to talk to! No one cooks, no one washes the clothes, and when I tried to call you, Qiao Wanyin stopped me from disturbing your work!"

She wiped her face, choking back tears as she continued, "If I had known that marrying a wife would be so cold and heartless, I would have preferred you to remain a bachelor for life! At least I would have had some peace and quiet!"

"mom."

Although Fu Lian'an's voice was weak, it interrupted her words with exceptional clarity.

His gaze fell on the doorway, watching the silent figure pouring water. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked with difficulty, "Wanyin... did you stay up all night taking care of me?"

Song Jinfeng's crying stopped abruptly, as if someone had suddenly grabbed her throat.

She paused for a moment, then seemed to be further agitated, and cried even harder: "She's just putting on an act for outsiders! You think she's genuinely good to you? How cold she is to me when you're not home? She doesn't invite me to meals, she ignores me when I speak, and yesterday she talked back to me in front of so many people, she had no manners at all! Do you know? She doesn't respect me, her mother-in-law, at all!"

Qiao Wanyin returned with a glass of warm water, her face expressionless, neither explaining nor refuting.

She gently pulled away Song Jinfeng, who was still sobbing, and reached out to lift Fu Li'an's head, her movements gentle yet firm.

Then, she steadily held the glass of water to his lips, her voice calm as still water: "Drink slowly, don't choke."

After staying up all night, not only were her eyes bluish, but her lips were also dry and chapped due to dehydration, with some cracks even oozing a faint trace of blood.

Her collar was askew, and her cuffs were stained with medicine. She looked disheveled, yet she exuded a stubbornness that refused to back down.

Fu Lian stared at her face for a long time, his gaze gradually clearing from blankness, and finally settling into a deep pain.

He swallowed a mouthful of warm water, a burning pain shooting through his throat, but he still spoke, his voice soft but each word clear: "Mom, once I'm better, you can come home."

The room suddenly became eerily quiet.

The birdsong outside the window and the voices of people in the distance seemed to be shut out, leaving only heavy breathing and the ticking of the wall clock.

Song Jinfeng's eyes widened, her lips trembling, and she repeated incredulously, "Wh...what? Li An, what did you say? Say it again?"

"mom."

His voice was very soft, almost as if squeezed from the depths of his throat, a little hoarse, but with an undeniable firmness: "I'm married now and have my own little family. I'm really happy that you could come to see me."

"But if you come here to disrupt my life with Wanyin..."

He paused, looked directly into his mother's eyes, and spoke each word with exceptional clarity, "Then a son can only protect his wife and this family that we have worked so hard to build."

Qiao Wanyin almost dropped the glass in her hand; her fingertips trembled slightly.

She instinctively tightened her grip on her fingers, barely managing to prevent the cup from slipping and falling to the ground.

She really didn't expect that at this critical juncture, facing a domineering and emotionally charged mother-in-law, Fu Lian would act so decisively.