Will not save
During dinner.
Amidst the intermittent chatter and laughter, the foster mother suddenly seemed to remember something. The smile on her face faded and she asked the children, "Did you hear about the disappearance of a child from the Xiao family a few days ago?"
Jiang Qili and the others stopped talking and laughing, and blinked one after another.
Jiang Shuangyu and Jiang Shuangli looked puzzled.
Jiang Yunshu ate his meal without any reaction.
Jiang Qicai was the first to speak up, "I've heard about this. It seems like the person was captured by an enemy. The parents of the Xiao family child sent a lot of gifts and begged everywhere to contact the enemy to discuss things, but in the end..."
Jiang Qili showed hesitation on his face, and then said: "It doesn't seem good..."
"Yes." The foster mother smiled and said, "By the time the Xiao family found a place, there was only a dog and half a person left."
Several children stopped what they were doing, opened their mouths slightly, and let out a soft "ah".
Jiang Yunshu continued to eat calmly.
The adoptive mother frowned, and continued with a hint of dissatisfaction: "I heard that when the Xiao family was video-called, the child cried and begged his parents to come and save him. His parents were so distressed that they had to save him..."
"This child is just too stupid," she said. "He's such a loser. He was captured and didn't know whether to fight the kidnappers or end his life on his own. He suffered all this torture in vain and even left his parents penniless."
She looked at the children in front of her with pity, "You must be good and don't encounter such things... Mom and the Jiang family are very worried about you, but if you encounter such a thing, there is nothing we can do. You must understand Mom."
"If you encounter such a thing, the Jiang family will not come to rescue you."
She said the last sentence while looking at Jiang Yunshu with a smile.
But Jiang Yunshu seemed to have noticed nothing and continued to eat without any reaction.
"We know, Mom!"
Jiang Shuangyu smiled brightly and said, "We will definitely follow Mom and the adults in the Jiang family closely and will definitely not run around!"
"Shuangyu is so well behaved." The adoptive mother's smile grew wider. "They are both good and obedient children."
…………
In the room.
Jiang Yunshu sat in the small nest in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, quietly looking at the night view outside the window.
——She hadn't seen the scenery like this for a long time.
During that period of anxiety, she would stay in her room day and night, either staying awake all night and then being too tired to sleep, or forcing herself to read.
It has been a long, long time since I looked out the window.
The ringing of the phone suddenly broke the silence in the room.
Without even looking, Jiang Yunshu knew who was calling, but he sat in his den without moving—he had no emotions, only tiredness, so tired that he didn't want to move.
The phone rang over and over again.
Unable to bear the noise, Jiang Yunshu stood up, went to the table to get his cell phone to answer the call, and then sat back in his nest.
"Xiao Shu?"
A question came from the phone.
Jiang Yunshu hummed, and subconsciously explained, "I was just daydreaming."
Then, a strong feeling of disgust welled up in her heart.
When did she become someone who constantly explains her actions?
The Jiang family's head, whose voice always carried a gentle smile, asked softly, "How's Xiaoshu's health lately? Is he still feeling unwell?"
Jiang Yunshu pursed his lips, glanced sideways at the scenery outside the window, and replied with his head down, "It's pretty good."
"Has Xiaoshu missed me recently?" the Jiang family patriarch asked with a smile, "Should I come and find Xiaoshu to go out and play?"
Jiang Yunshu lowered his head, pursed his lips, and moved the corners of his mouth. He said, "I'll do as you say."
She actually didn't have much expectations, and even didn't want him to come...
When the head of the family arrives, those people will turn their attention to her again like wolves smelling blood.
Perhaps the quiet night was too pleasant. She thought to herself, it was okay to be dissatisfied with her, it was okay to completely break up with her, just let her sink to the bottom...
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while.
The Jiang family patriarch suddenly stopped smiling and asked softly, "Xiao Shu... do you want to return to your ancestral land?"
Jiang Yunshu closed his eyes and said calmly and indifferently, "I'll follow your instructions."
Listen to you...
The same words, but a completely different state of mind than before.
In the past, she had her, and it was the same wherever she was.
Now, her mind was full of thoughts as if she was angry.
If they wanted her to go back, they would let her go back immediately; if they didn't want her to go back, even if she went back now, she would be sent away again in various ways within two days.
"Xiao Shu, I want to hear your answer." The head of the Jiang family was silent for a moment and then said.
Jiang Yunshu leaned against the small nest with his eyes closed. He didn't react at all when he heard it. He said calmly, "I'll listen to you. I promise you, I didn't lie to you."
There was silence on both sides of the phone for a while.
"good."
The head of the Jiang family suddenly said, "Xiao Shu, tell me when you've made up your mind. Go to bed early today. You're just feeling well now. Don't get tired."
Jiang Yunshu said "hmm".
The phone hung up.
Jiang Yunshu turned his head to look at the night view outside the window.
During these five years, from when she was five to ten years old, the head of the family always asked her, "Do you want to go back to your ancestral land?" She never had any emotions or thoughts about these things before, but after becoming... a human being, she understood.
Yes or no, either answer proves that she has become like a human being.
As long as she answered, she could immediately escape from her current suffering.
She knew it, but she was stubborn and refused to say it.
She also knew that the head of the family had noticed her uncontrollable outburst of emotions and was giving her time to calm down.
Are you resentful?
In fact, I can't help but feel a little resentful.
But the Jiang family had given her shelter for many years, so what if they were asking her for a guarantee now? Logically, she shouldn't blame them.
But if he were to answer that question sincerely, Jiang Yunshu would say—
She didn't want to go back to her hometown, but she didn't want to stay here either.
The night view outside the window became blurry.
Jiang Yunshu gently placed the phone on the ground outside the cushion.
She doesn't want to be a human anymore.
She wants to go back to the way she was before.
She doesn't want any happiness anymore.
It was like being cut into pieces just to have a piece of candy... She was scared.
She doesn't want candy anymore, and please don't let those knives fall on her anymore...
Ten-year-old Jiang Yunshu thought—
In the past, she would be easily shaken by external factors, because she was weak and helpless like a floating duckweed. But as long as she became stronger, as long as she had something to rely on, she could protect her heart and no longer be afraid.
If she doesn't want to be disobedient, then she won't be disobedient. If she is ungrateful, then she will be ungrateful. Anyway, she doesn't want to be disturbed by the hustle and bustle anymore.
If she can become a human by learning from others, then can she also become her former appearance by learning from the past?
…………
Since that day.
She didn't know what the Jiang family's patriarch had done, but no one in "3103" bothered her in some inexplicable way anymore.
They treated her with great respect, smiling and showing every possible way of friendliness and harmony.
The head of the family did not urge her. He sent her gifts and showed concern every few days, as if he was waiting for her to figure it out and respond proactively.
…………
Five years later.
Jiang Yunshu was in a daze, as if his soul was immersed in the sea water under the sun, and a faint warmth was spreading.
Her soul slowly floated to the sky, and amidst the rustling sounds, she seemed to hear people talking around her.
"That's not the reason to choose Jiang Yunshu. Jiang Yunshu isn't powerful. On the contrary, she's too naive and soft-hearted... Human? How could anyone choose her? No one is qualified to choose her. She is destined."
Suddenly, a familiar voice sighed softly above his head: "After all, this is someone that my Jiang family can't keep..."
The soul falls gracefully, sinking into the depths of the sea.
The deep sea is not cold, but warm, dark and quiet.
"Boom—"
There were lightning and thunder on a rainy night.
"Boom—boom—"
A flash of white light illuminated several figures in the rainstorm.
The young man was blocked by two people in the wind and rain. He grabbed their arms and tried to rush forward. His face was ferocious, and his cold eyes stared at the noble girl under the eaves in front of him.
He gritted his teeth and said in a hoarse voice: "I know..."
"Boom—crash—"
His voice, filled with hatred and resentment, came from the thunderstorm—
"About Jiang Yunshu..."
The noble girl in front suddenly burst into laughter.
…………
I don’t know how long it took, but my consciousness seemed to break through the fog.
Jiang Yunshu woke up and slowly opened his eyes.
The morning sun shines into the room through the window, and the gauze sways gently in the breeze.
Jiang Yunshu closed his eyes, then opened them again, supported himself on the bed with his hands, and slowly sat up.
Just as she was about to look around in a daze, she met a pair of dark eyes that opened in front of her.
"Xiao Shu..."
The young-looking man smiled at her gently and asked, "Are you feeling any worse?"
——It’s the head of the family.
Jiang Yunshu did not respond immediately, but just looked around.
This was a room in the Jiang family's ancestral land, a room next to the room she used to stay in, and she still had some vague memories of it.
After moving his hands and feet, Jiang Yunshu realized that his limbs felt much more relaxed, as if some chronic illness had been resolved, and... it didn't hurt anymore?
After a pause, the memories before he fell into coma rushed out from the depths of his mind. Jiang Yunshu frowned, his thoughts were straightened out, and his mind became clear.
She raised her head and opened her mouth to respond, but saw that the chair in front of her was empty.
Jiang Yunshu was stunned.
He caught a glimpse of a glass of water being handed to him from the side. Jiang Yunshu's heart suddenly tightened, but he just blinked and turned his head calmly. He reached out to take the water, drank two sips, and said to the person next to him: "No."
After hearing this, Jiang Yunshu felt a little strange. That person had injured her to the point of death, but now he was completely fine? Instead, he felt more relaxed.
My body feels lighter than ever before, so light that I feel like I can fly into the clouds.
"Hmm." The Jiang family patriarch's smile grew wider, and he said, "It seems that the medicine is indeed very effective."
Jiang Yunshu drank water.
Come to think of it, she was quite surprised.
She was covered in blood and hanging on for dear life, but she didn't expect the Jiang family to save her...
The Jiang family patriarch's smile faded, his lips curled slightly as he lowered his eyes to look at the girl in front of him. He said softly, "Xiao Shu, how's your hand?"
Jiang Yunshu placed the glass on the small table beside him and stretched out his right hand. The flesh on his right hand had already grown back, and the skin on the palm and back of his hand was so smooth that no trace of the previous hideous and horrific injuries could be seen.
The Jiang family patriarch nodded, bent down, and stretched out one hand towards her right hand. "Come, try that thing."
Jiang Yunshu paused when he heard this, stretched out his right hand but did not do it immediately.
The head of the Jiang family saw her concerns and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Xiaoshu, haven't you noticed any changes in yourself?"
Jiang Yunshu's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he understood something in an instant.
She immediately suppressed her excitement and extended her right hand calmly. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her arm, and black and red lines appeared on the back of her hand that was not covered by her sleeve.
The head of the Jiang family held her right hand and folded up her loose sleeves with the other hand, revealing the complete shape of the black and red lines.
The winding and cruising figure looked very much like the legendary Teng Snake, so they called it—
"Teng Snake" mark.
The patriarch of the Jiang family lowered his head, and in the gray shadows, his dark eyes flickered with tiny lights.
The corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
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