Zhu Shulan had been in the hospital for a week and was discharged today. Unsurprisingly, Luo Jianguo and Luo Qianqian were nowhere to be seen.
Mrs. Chi drove her to the Luo family’s doorstep. “Shulan, go home and rest well. If you’re ever unhappy, feel free to come stay with us.”
Zhu Shulan waved her hand and smiled. “I know. You should go back. Take care on the road.”
“Alright, bye-bye.” Mrs. Chi drove off after speaking.
Zhu Shulan watched the car disappear into the distance, her mind filled with thoughts.
She gathered her emotions, picked up her luggage, and entered the house, finding it empty inside.
Zhu Shulan casually placed her luggage aside and pulled out her phone from her pocket to continue sending text messages.
Luo Wei had blocked her on WeChat and all her phone numbers, but Zhu Shulan was relentless, using different numbers to send messages.
As expected, all her messages disappeared into the void.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she remembered the savings in the safe deposit box. She quickly went upstairs to her room, opened the hidden compartment, and unlocked the safe.
When she opened it, it was completely empty. Zhu Shulan was dumbfounded and frantically searched inside.
With a loud bang, she picked up the safe and slammed it onto the floor.
“Where are my jewelry and bank cards?” Zhu Shulan roared at the ceiling.
She stumbled down to the first floor and saw Luo Qianqian lounging on the sofa, eating an apple.
Luo Qianqian didn’t even lift her eyelids when she saw Zhu Shulan.
“Where are my jewelry and bank cards from the safe?” Zhu Shulan demanded loudly, trembling all over.
Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes and sneered. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? You’ve been buying so many bags and clothes lately. Where did the money come from?”
Zhu Shulan was furious at her cold attitude.
“None of your business.” Luo Qianqian retorted arrogantly, her tone mocking.
Zhu Shulan’s temples throbbed as she gasped and cursed, “You... you’re going to be the death of me.”
With that, Zhu Shulan lunged at her.
But Luo Qianqian, quick on her feet, easily dodged, causing Zhu Shulan to miss and fall hard onto the floor.
Pain shot through her knee, and Zhu Shulan gritted her teeth. “You’ll get your comeuppance.”
Luo Qianqian laughed heartily. “Comeuppance? My comeuppance is you.”
After saying that, Luo Qianqian shot her a disdainful glance and gracefully turned to head back to her room.
Zhu Shulan trembled all over, unable to speak for a long time.
She struggled to her feet, brushed off the dust on her clothes, and prepared to leave with her luggage.
At that moment, the door opened, and Luo Jianguo walked in. “Honey, you’re out of the hospital! How are you feeling now? It’s good to have you back.”
Zhu Shulan snorted coldly without responding and walked past him.
Luo Jianguo grabbed her wrist, blocking her path. “Honey, don’t be angry. I know I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
Tears welled up in Zhu Shulan’s eyes as she coldly replied, “Let go of me. You disgust me. I’ll have the divorce papers sent to you by my lawyer.”
With that, Zhu Shulan shook off his hand forcefully and left the Luo family home without looking back.
Zhu Shulan wandered aimlessly down the street, finding the hustle and bustle around her particularly glaring.
She sat in a corner of the park, and after a long time, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, Shulan, what’s up?” Mrs. Chi’s gentle voice came through.
Zhu Shulan cleared her throat. “Xiaolan, I...” She began to cry.
Mrs. Chi paused, then asked urgently, “Shulan, what happened? Where are you now?”
Zhu Shulan sobbed. “I ran away from home. I have nowhere to stay. Can I...”
Mrs. Chi chuckled softly, her voice tender. “Don’t say that, Shulan. Come over right away. I’ve been feeling so lonely by myself. My husband is always busy with work, and I’m all alone. Come keep me company.”
“Thank you, Xiaolan.”
Zhu Shulan expressed her gratitude, hung up the phone, grabbed her luggage, and took a taxi to the Chi family home.
Luo Qianqian had spent all the money she had stolen earlier and, under the encouragement of her friends, had taken up a shady profession.
That day, she dressed flamboyantly and applied heavy makeup, ready to entertain some clients.
As she stepped out of her room, she saw Luo Jianguo sitting seriously on the sofa, his face filled with anger.
Luo Qianqian casually called out, “Dad.”
Luo Jianguo looked up at her, his expression stern. “Where are you going?” He frowned even more at her outfit.
“Going out to have fun,” Luo Qianqian replied casually, lazily reclining on the sofa and crossing her legs comfortably.
“Behave yourself,” Luo Jianguo reprimanded sternly.
Luo Qianqian, impatient, retorted, “Dad, you’re so annoying.”
“You...” Luo Jianguo stood up and pointed at her.
Luo Qianqian turned her head away and defiantly said, “If you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m leaving. I’m busy.”
“Stop right there.” Luo Jianguo, enraged, grabbed her clothes, blocking her way.
“Dad, you’re hurting me. Let go!” Luo Qianqian shouted, her face alternating between pale and flushed.
“Take a good look at yourself. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. A proper girl should have a decent job. You... you’re going to be the death of me.” Luo Jianguo spat out the words angrily and stormed back to his room.
Luo Qianqian sat on the sofa, feeling frustrated.
Luo Wei was leisurely sitting on the sofa, knitting a sweater. She stretched and shifted into a more comfortable position.
Her phone on the side continued to vibrate. Luo Wei stopped what she was doing and picked up the phone from the table. It was a text from an unfamiliar number.
“Weiwei, it’s Mom. Besides saying sorry, I don’t know what else to say. Over the years, I’ve failed you. Can you forgive me? I know I was wrong. I was also kept in the dark by your father. I’ve already left the Luo family. I’m begging you to give me a chance to make it up to you. Can we meet and talk?”
Luo Wei stared intently at the phone screen, her thoughts drifting away. Over the past few days, she had been receiving her mother’s apology messages. Even though she blocked the numbers, her mother kept using different ones to send messages.
Luo Wei smiled, decisively deleted the text, and blocked the unfamiliar number.
“What are you thinking about?” Mo Huai walked out of the kitchen, holding a plate of sliced fruit.
“Nothing much.” Luo Wei put away her phone and smiled.
“Hmm.” Mo Huai hummed in response, picked up a piece of apple, and offered it to her.
Luo Wei smiled, opened her mouth wide, and bit into the fruit he handed over.
Mo Huai’s attention was drawn to the baby sweater she was knitting.
Luo Wei smiled and shook the sweater in her hand. “Isn’t it cute? White can be worn by both boys and girls, hehe.”
Mo Huai’s lips curved into a smile as he nodded and looked at her fondly. “It’s cute. Anything Weiwei knits is wonderful.”
Mo Huai then picked up a piece of pear and brought it to her lips. Luo Wei obediently took a bite.
The pear’s juice flowed down her tongue, sweet and fragrant.
“This is so delicious,” Luo Wei praised repeatedly, her expression exaggerated.
Mo Huai’s eyes sparkled as he watched her, his smile never fading. The way she ate was so adorable in his eyes.
—-
T/N: Years of abuse cannot be resolved with one text
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