Chapter 29 Favoritism and Protection Shen Qinglu suddenly opened her eyes, those dark...
*
"Boom!"
A thunderbolt seemed to split the sky in two.
A flash of white light streaked across the sky, leaving no trace in an instant. The crack in the sky closed up as if it had never been separated, just like the truth of the world, which can never be found no matter how hard one tries.
The rain kept falling, as if the heavens were crying, and it never stopped.
Xie was shocked and dazed, when she heard Yu Qingxue's loud crying.
“Sister-in-law, it hurts me so much to hear you say that. You know I gave up the rest of my life for this child. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I’m so grateful to you for your generosity all these years, allowing my daughter and me to live in the Yu family’s house. I’m so grateful and I never thought I could cause you any trouble.”
Tang'er is a true daughter of the Yu family. I value her and hope everything goes well for her, and that she can look after Ali in the future. Ali doesn't understand my good intentions. You are also a mother. If even you can't understand me, how useless and a failure I am as a mother. What's the point of my life? I might as well be dead and it would all be over.
Ms. Xie remembered that many years ago, she cried like this, threatening to kill herself.
"Mother, please, give my child a way to live. This is all I have left in my life. I have no other hope but this child. If you don't agree, what's the point of me living? I might as well die with my child and save myself from suffering in this world."
When she made a move to jump into the water, Yu Liuzhu and Yu Zhiheng pulled her back together.
Yu Zhiheng's face was ashen. In his eyes, it was just a trivial matter; how could it have escalated to this point? He glanced at Shen Linlang and Shen Qinglu, his eyes filled with undisguised reproach.
“Linlang, how could you ask such a question? We’ve all seen how much Qingxue has suffered over the years. If it weren’t for Ali, why would she have to be so humble? Ali is an extraordinary child. If it weren’t for her own sake, she wouldn’t be constantly looking up to people and trying to please them.”
"Brother, my life is so bitter. I married a bad man, and I gave birth to such a daughter. I live in fear and trembling, misunderstood and scorned by others. If it weren't for my Ali, I would have given up on life long ago..."
“We all know you’ve had a tough time, and no one has ever looked down on you and your daughter.”
Shen Qinglu listened to the brother and sister's heartfelt words, but her heart remained unmoved. Her gaze pierced through the dense rain and mist, fixed solely on Xie Shi.
Everything she did was a gamble—a gamble on her grandmother's conscience and guilt. No one else's attitude, thoughts, or actions could compare to a single word from Xie Shi, and that matter could only be revealed by her!
Xie was lost in thought, struggling, her thoughts unknown to anyone, but her silence alone was already an indication of favoritism and protection.
After a long while, he came to his senses and said with a heavy sense of helplessness, "We are family, why did it have to come to this? It's just a small matter, nothing to do with right or wrong. Let's all go home."
What responded to her was a sudden downpour.
Water droplets clung to Shen Qinglu's long eyelashes, then flowed down her cheeks. It was hard to tell if it was rain or tears, or perhaps rain mixed with tears and tears mixed with rain, as she approached.
"Ah Li..." Her voice was filled with sadness and guilt. Her hand hovered in mid-air, as if she wanted to touch Shen Qinglu's face, but in the end, it fell down.
Shen Qinglu's eyes, blurred by water, reflected her image. A surge of anger, suppressed in her dark eyes, seemed to want to devour her whole. Yet, she grabbed her hand, her gaze instantly filled with trust and reliance. "Grandmother, let's go back."
She was moved, and some words almost slipped out, but she swallowed them back, and in the end, she could only let out a sigh.
Only she herself knows the depth of helplessness and inner turmoil in that sigh.
The night is long, the rain is like weeping, and people's hearts are in turmoil.
Shen Qinglu appeared innocent, as if the events of the evening had not left any shadow or emotion in her heart, and returned to Ruian Residence with her without any worries.
On the yellow pear wood table in the left wing, there was still an unfinished sheet of Xuan paper, half white and half ink, and the ink characters were quite different from yesterday's.
"Ali, did you write this today?" Madam Xie asked in surprise.
Shen Qinglu pretended to be clueless and nodded seriously.
"These characters... they're actually quite good, they're already taking shape." Madam Xie sighed, thinking with a touch of regret that if this child had been a good child from a young age, perhaps she wouldn't be so hesitant to speak.
The charcoal fire provided warmth, dispelling the chill brought in from outside. The incense burner emitted fragrance, masking the earthy smell of the rain. Beneath the warmth of spring and the fragrance of orchids in this room lay an lingering coldness in people's hearts.
As she watched her fall asleep, Madam Xie tucked her in with the brocade quilt, lovingly stroking her hair, her voice soft and low, "Ali, you must get better soon. When you are well, Grandmother will be at ease."
She closed her eyes, seemingly fast asleep.
After a while, Xie whispered a few words to Xia Chan before quietly leaving.
As the door closed, Xia Chan reached the bedside and whispered, "Miss."
Shen Qinglu suddenly opened her eyes, her dark pupils filled with sarcasm.
*
As night falls and silence returns, the lights in Jingxin Courtyard remain on.
After taking a hot bath, Yu Qingxue sat in front of the mirror with her hair down and her face gloomy.
The reflection in the mirror seemed to startle her. She leaned closer and traced her facial features with her fingers, growing increasingly agitated.
Suddenly she opened the locked box under the dressing table and took out all the things inside: rouge, face powder, and flower decorations. Then she applied powder, drew her eyebrows, and put on the flower decorations in front of the mirror.
Qin's mother brought in the boiled ginger soup. When she saw the woman dressed up, she was stunned for a moment. "Madam, it's been a long time since you've looked like this."
She seemed to be both crying and complaining, "Women dress up for those who appreciate them, but no matter how carefully I dress up, no one will look at me anymore."
The begonia-red cloak was hung open, partly to dry it, and partly to be scented with incense, specifically the incense that Yu Liuzhu loved most.
Qin's mother placed the ginger soup beside her and thoughtfully prepared candied fruit for her.
"Madam, you should have let me accompany you tonight."
After she finished the ginger soup, she picked up a candied fruit, but instead of putting it in her mouth, she kept kneading it as if she wanted to crush it.
“With so many people around, it’s easier for me to act alone. I haven’t made any mistakes all these years, but I don’t know what happened tonight?” She frowned. “I clearly felt someone push me. How could I be wrong?”
However, Xia Chan's words made her doubt herself. Even if she had a moment of doubt, she dismissed it when she thought that Xia Chan was a member of the Xie family and would not side with a mentally challenged child.
Compared to this matter, Shen Linlang's attitude and questions were what worried her the most.
“I’ve noticed that my sister-in-law treats that wicked child differently. Do you think she might have noticed something?”
"That shouldn't be the case. If she really figured something out, she certainly wouldn't let it go so easily. There would be no calm at all." Qin's mother shook her head, feeling that it was unlikely.
"Indeed." She snorted softly, slowly walked to the window, and threw out the nearly crumpled candied fruit in her hand. "If I had known that wretched child would be so troublesome, I should have changed the medicine back then. There are plenty of children who die young, one more won't make a difference!"
The candied fruit fell onto the damp mud without making a sound, so silent, just like the death of some people.
The person crouching under the window was motionless, as if he had been dead for a long time.
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