The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 396 - 399. Guarding you all around

Chapter 396: 399. Guarding you all around

Cissily saw Shen Qinglan and saw her as a savior, looking at her with pitiful eyes, "An, he keeps crying, and nothing seems to console him."

Shen Qinglan quickly took baby Anan into her arms and gently soothed him, "There, there, don’t cry anymore, mommy is back."

Feeling the familiar scent, baby Anan’s cries began to subside, his hand tightly clutching Shen Qinglan’s clothes in front of her chest.

Looking at her son’s tear-stained, flushed cheeks, Shen Qinglan’s heart ached, but her face showed a tender smile. She gently tapped his little nose, "Such a crybaby, left alone for such a short while and you’ve turned into a little crycat."

The little guy thought his mom was playing with him, staring at her with his wet, large eyes. Shen Qinglan felt her heart melt, and she leaned down to kiss his face, "Sweetheart, we’re going home now."

After such an incident, it was clear that they could no longer stay at the hospital, and it wasn’t appropriate to go to a maternity care center in the middle of the night, so they decided to go home first. As for their belongings in the hospital, they’d come back and pack up another day.

"Phew, this child really is closer to his birth mother. As soon as I picked him up, he woke up. He probably knew I wasn’t his mom and started wailing," Cissily let out a sigh of relief and began to report the little baby’s condition to Shen Qinglan.

Moreover, this little guy started off with a fuss but no tears, crying loudly without shedding a single tear. But later, probably because his mom didn’t show up for so long, he felt heartbroken and started to actually cry.

"Cissily, thank you for your hard work," Shen Qinglan said.

Cissily waved her hand, "Don’t mention it. I’ll take you guys home first." She went out, sat in the driver’s seat, and made room for the family of three in the back seat.

As for what happened at the hospital, Cissily didn’t ask and simply dropped the family of three off at the entrance of the big courtyard before leaving.

The security guards at the gate were startled to see Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returning home early in the morning and quickly opened the gate for them.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned home, treading lightly as they went back to their room. Baby Anan had already fallen asleep, not even waking for milk, perhaps because he was tired from crying.

Since Shen Qinglan was still in her postpartum period, Fu Hengyi naturally wouldn’t let her bathe. He used a warm towel to wipe her body, then he quickly took a shower and went to bed.

The next morning, when baby Anan started crying again, Grandpa Fu thought he was hallucinating, "Xiao Zhao, am I getting old? I seem to hear Anan crying."

Aunt Zhao laughed, "Old sir, Anan and Qinglan are at the hospital, you must be mistaken." But as soon as she said this, Anan’s cry rose again, and both of them exchanged glances before looking towards Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi’s room.

Fu Hengyi got up first, picked up the child, and checked him. Realizing he hadn’t wet himself and hadn’t soiled his diaper, he knew the baby must be hungry.

"Give him to me," Shen Qinglan reached out, and Fu Hengyi handed her the baby.

With milk in mouth, baby Anan immediately stopped howling, his big eyes earnestly drinking his mother’s milk. Since birth, baby Anan became much fairer and a bit chubbier, the baby fat on his face ever more apparent.

Shen Qinglan lay on her side to feed the baby, while Fu Hengyi stood by the bed, gazing intently. Shen Qinglan caught his stare and gave him a look. In the beginning, when Fu Hengyi watched her breastfeed, Shen Qinglan felt embarrassed, but now she was very calm.

"Hengyi, Qinglan, have you guys come back?" Grandpa Fu’s voice came from the doorway.

Shen Qinglan motioned for Fu Hengyi to open the door. Fu Hengyi opened it, stepped out, then closed it behind him, "Grandpa, we’re back."

"When did you come back? Weren’t we going to pick you up from the hospital today?" The old sir frowned.

Fu Hengyi explained, "There was a bit of an incident at the hospital, and we came back in the middle of the night."

"Incident? What happened?" Old Sir Fu became anxious.

Fu Hengyi briefly described the hospital incident, deliberately leaving out the fact that the bomb was planted by Xu Nuo and targeted at Shen Qinglan.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, it’s good as long as you’re all safe," the old man said with relief, his eyes widening, "What were you thinking, dealing with such a serious matter and not even calling home? I could have sent our driver to pick you up. In the middle of the night, what if something else had happened?"

"What could have happened, Grandpa, I am a soldier, after all."

"Hmph, more like a half-disabled one," Old Sir Fu got angry, genuinely concerned that any further incidents might just take his life.

"Grandpa, Qinglan is feeding the baby, you’d better keep your voice down so as not to startle the child," Fu Hengyi said calmly.

"My voice wasn’t loud," Old Sir Fu retorted angrily, but he noticeably softened his tone.

"Xiao Zhao, Qinglan is back, hurry up and prepare breakfast for her, something nutritious," Old Sir Fu commanded Aunt Zhao, no longer bothering with his grandson, "Don’t make it too greasy, Qinglan doesn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, try to keep it light."

"Right away, Old Sir Fu, what would you like for breakfast?" Xiao Zhao asked.

Old Sir Fu waved his hand dismissively, "I’m not so important, anything will do for me. What’s important is that girl Qinglan; she is currently breastfeeding and needs to keep her nutrition up. She’s had a tough time with this childbirth; she must recover well."

Aunt Zhao assured him promptly and went into the kitchen.

Old Sir Fu then instructed Sister-in-law Liu, "Xiao Liu, go and clean up Anan’s room, particularly Anan’s little bed. Get it ready, and since the sun is nice today, take it out for some air."

"Of course, Old Sir Fu."

"Is there anything else I need to do? Let me think," Old Sir Fu tapped his head, "When one gets old, one becomes so forgetful, I can’t remember a thing."

Fu Hengyi reminded him, "Grandpa, you also need to inform Qinglan’s parents and grandfather."

"Oh, right, right, I need to tell Old Man Shen so that they don’t make the trip for nothing," Old Sir Fu said as he went to make the call.

At the Shen family, Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao had spent the night at the old house, so they’d be closer to pick up Shen Qinglan early in the morning. As they were preparing to leave, the phone rang. Wen Xiyao went to answer it while Shen Junyu casually glanced at today’s newspaper. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he saw the front page headline reporting last night’s harrowing events at the hospital.

He dropped the newspaper and was on his way out the door when Wen Xiyao stopped him, "Jun Yu, where are you going?"

Shen Junyu’s expression was grave, "The hospital where Lanlan was staying had an incident."

Wen Xiyao grabbed hold of him, "Wait, I just got a call from Grandpa Fu saying that Qinglan and Hengyi came back last night."

Shen Junyu was startled, "Came back?"

Wen Xiyao nodded, "Yes, they’re at the Fu family’s place now."

"What, Qinglan and Hengyi came back in the middle of the night?" Just as Chu Yunrong came downstairs, she heard the news and hurried over. After receiving Wen Xiyao’s affirmative answer, she left without another word, and it was obvious that she was headed to the Fu Family.

"Qinglan, what happened? Why did you come back on your own?" As soon as Chu Yunrong stepped through the Fu family’s main gate, she spoke. Fu Hengyi answered, "Mom, Qinglan is feeding the baby."

Chu Yunrong paused in her steps and took a turn to sit across from Fu Hengyi. "Hengyi, what exactly is going on?"

Fu Hengyi passed today’s newspaper to Chu Yunrong. He had no intention of hiding this incident from the family; they would find out sooner or later.

"How could such a thing happen? It’s just too frightening. Are you and Qinglan all right?"

Fu Hengyi smiled, "We’re fine. We’re all fine, and so is the baby. But after such an incident, we can’t stay in the hospital, so we came back home first."

Chu Yunrong nodded, "You can’t stay there indeed. Since Qinglan has come back, she should do her confinement at home. If needed, we can hire a nursemaid." She didn’t want Shen Qinglan out of her sight.

This was also Fu Hengyi’s plan. He nodded in agreement. "I’ll listen to mom on this. I’ll hire a good nursemaid to take care of the baby at home."

"I should be the one to go. You’re a grown man and your wound is not yet healed. Coincidentally, a friend of mine knows a domestic service agency, so I’ll ask her to introduce someone reliable."

Fu Hengyi did not object.

After Shen Qinglan finished feeding the baby, little Anan lay beside his mother, played with his own little hands for a while, and then slowly fell asleep. Shen Qinglan watched him and softly said, "Such a little piggy, falls asleep right after eating."

The little piggy continued to sleep soundly, unaware. Seeing him like this, Shen Qinglan also felt sleepy. She had rested poorly the night before and had woken up early to feed the baby. So when Fu Hengyi came in, he saw Shen Qinglan and little Anan lying together, sound asleep on the bed.

Looking at the mother and son on the bed, Fu Hengyi’s eyes were very tender. They were his whole world.

Chu Yunrong, standing beside Fu Hengyi, upon seeing that Shen Qinglan was alright, felt relieved. She didn’t wake Shen Qinglan, but simply left as she still had to find a nursemaid for Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan slept until noon. When she woke up, the baby was not by her side. She was startled and sat up on the bed in an instant, but then she remembered she was at home, and her body relaxed as she started dressing.

"Qinglan, don’t come out. Hurry back to bed!" Just as Shen Qinglan stepped out of her room, she heard Chu Yunrong’s voice. Then she was pushed back in and pressed onto the bed. "Who let you get out of bed? Don’t you know you’re still in confinement? What would we do if you caught a chill mothers’ ailment?"

Chu Yunrong’s stern reprimand rang in her ears. Shen Qinglan looked at Chu Yunrong’s concerned and anxious eyes, smiled faintly, and gently took her hand, softly calling out, "Mom."

Chu Yunrong couldn’t continue her lecture. She touched Shen Qinglan’s head. "You, make sure to take care of yourself during this time. Don’t disregard it. Your health suffered a great loss this time. If you don’t take good care of yourself during the confinement period, you’ll suffer when you’re older."

"Mom, I know," said Shen Qinglan, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness. Her soft voice made Chu Yunrong’s heart tremble, leaving her stupefied as she looked at Shen Qinglan, unable to speak for a moment.

"I’ll go get your lunch for you." Chu Yunrong hastily said, and went out. She closed the door, leaning against it, her eyes brimming with emotion. Today, Shen Qinglan had actually acted spoiled towards her, just like when she was a child.

As a child, when Shen Qinglan did something wrong, she would take her hand just like today, gaze at her with those big innocent eyes, and call her "Mommy" in a soft and lovely voice.

Shen Qinglan chuckled, but a hint of apology could be seen in her eyes. In the past, she didn’t understand. Only after becoming a mother herself did she realize that every mother’s love for her child is profound, far surpassing her own, and her mother was no exception. Even though she had seen through the world’s darkness, she should not have remained distant with her own mother.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Fu Hengyi saw Chu Yunrong’s unusual appearance and spoke in a gentle voice. Chu Yunrong smiled, "It’s nothing. I’m just happy. I’ll go get Qinglan her meal. You should go eat too."

"Mum, get me a serving too. I’ll eat with her." Fu Hengyi said.

The postpartum meals were nutritionally fine but tasted quite bland. Shen Qinglan had grown tired of them after a few days, and recently, Fu Hengyi had been eating with her.

The baby was playing with the two old masters. Even without seeing his own parents, the little one played happily. The two old masters just sat on the sofa, watching the baby chew on his hand with a delighted expression, their eyes almost disappearing from smiling so much.

"Old Man Fu, look at Anan. He looks just like Lanlan did when she was little," Old Sir Shen said, stroking his white beard, his smile tender.

Old Sir Fu nodded subconsciously, then his eyes widened, and he objected, "Nonsense! Anan clearly takes after Hengyi as a baby. Look at those little lips and nose. They’re exactly like he was carved from the same mold. I have photos to prove it."

"He’s the spitting image of Lanlan. You speak as if I don’t have photos myself. Shall we take them out and compare?" Old Sir Shen was not pleased upon hearing this.

Just as the two old masters were about to start arguing about whom the child resembled, Fu Hengyi spoke up calmly, "The child is ours, so naturally, he looks like both Qinglan and me. There’s no need for the grandfathers to fight. Besides, he’s so little now. Can you really tell whom he looks like?" Anyway, he couldn’t tell.

Little Anan looked up with big eyes at the two discussing grandfathers, blissfully unaware that he was the center of their conversation, blowing bubbles and kicking his little feet, lost in his own world.

Suddenly, little Anan furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. Before he could even start to wail, Fu Hengyi picked him up and expertly started changing his diaper.

Anan had done a poo, and Mr. Fu didn’t even furrow his brow, calmly changing the dirty diaper. He went to the bathroom to fetch a warm towel, cleaned the baby’s bottom, and put on a fresh diaper. Throughout the entire process, Anan wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest, enjoying his dad’s service.

"Hengyi is really starting to look the part of a dad," Old Sir Shen said with a laugh.

Old Sir Fu nodded in agreement, "No matter how old a man gets, it’s only when he has a family and becomes a father that he truly matures."

Fu Hengyi, the subject of their discussion, maintained a calm demeanor. After getting his son sorted, he put him back down. Now comfortable, Anan continued to be engrossed in his own little world.

Fu Hengyi had just finished dinner with Shen Qinglan when the doorbell to the Fu family home rang; guests had arrived.

Shen Qinglan, who was in her room, did not know who the visitors were. Chu Yunrong came in, "They’re from the troops; they’ve come to see Hengyi."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, "Did they say what it’s about?"

Chu Yunrong shook her head, "No, they went straight into the study when they arrived."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan did not ask further.

"Qinglan, I’ve hired a nanny and a nutritionist for you. They’ll be here tomorrow. Both are from my friend’s recommendations and are very experienced."

"Okay, thank you, Mom."

While the mother and daughter were talking in the room, Old Sir Shen received a phone call. At first, he was quite happy, chatting amiably with the person on the other end. But then something the caller said replaced his smile with a look of shock and anger. After hanging up, his face was quite grim as he entered Shen Qinglan’s room.

"Grandpa, what’s wrong?" Shen Qinglan, puzzled, looked at Old Sir Shen’s troubled face.

Old Sir Shen looked at her, his eyes darkening, and said to Chu Yunrong, "Yun Rong, please leave us for a moment."

Chu Yunrong was somewhat perplexed, "Dad?"

"I have some things to say to Lanlan, you should leave first."

Seeing the way Old Sir Shen looked, Chu Yunrong didn’t dare to leave. Her expression showed reluctance, but Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, "Mom, please leave first."

Chu Yunrong glanced at Old Sir Shen, then at Shen Qinglan, and finally left.

"Grandpa, do you want to talk to me about what happened last night?" Shen Qinglan took the initiative to ask.

Old Sir Shen stared fixedly at his granddaughter’s cool face and sighed deeply. "Director Liu just called me and told me about your heroic deeds last night." He deliberately emphasized the words "heroic deeds."

Shen Qinglan’s heart skipped a beat, but her face showed no sign, "Grandpa, do you want to ask me why I was defusing bombs?"

Old Sir Shen shook his head. He had planned to ask this before he came in, but upon seeing Shen Qinglan, the thought instantly disappeared. "Grandpa won’t ask you about this matter. What I want to say is, you need to take good care of yourself. When you were doing those things last night, did you think about the fact that you’re a postpartum woman, and your body is still very weak?"

Shen Qinglan felt a warmth in her heart and her lips curved slightly, "Grandpa, I was confident in what I did. The situation was urgent at the time, and if we didn’t act quickly, many people would have lost their lives." Moreover, it was because of her that this had happened in the first place. She might not be kind-hearted, but she couldn’t just stand by and watch it happen right under her nose.

"Also, Grandpa, I wrapped myself up tightly last night to make sure I didn’t catch a cold."

Old Sir Shen just looked at her and could only sigh without saying anything else. "Lanlan, Grandpa only asks that in the future, before you do such things, think of Anan and think of your family."

"Grandpa, I’m sorry." Shen Qinglan apologized. In the past, she had lived too freely, often acting without much thought. Even after so much time had passed, some things ingrained in her bones could easily affect her, forgetting that she was no longer the solitary soul she once was.

Old Master Shen said gently, "You don’t need to apologize to Grandpa. Grandpa is just worried about you."

Shen Qinglan hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Grandpa, if you want to know, I’ll tell you."

Although it was an abrupt statement, the old master understood, smiled, "No need to tell Grandpa." Before leaving, Old Sir Shen paused and added, "Lanlan, if something happens, remember to tell Grandpa. Even if the sky falls down, Grandpa will hold it up for you."

At those words, Shen Qinglan suddenly didn’t know what to say. The tip of her nose felt sour as she looked at the elderly man with white hair but a straight back, and she spoke in a hoarse voice, "Okay."

Old Sir Shen smiled contentedly and left.

When Fu Hengyi came in, he saw Shen Qinglan sitting on the bed, staring blankly, seemingly at the window, but unfocused. "Qinglan."

Shen Qinglan came back to her senses, "You’re back. Did they leave?"

"Uh-huh, what were you thinking about just now?" Fu Hengyi placed the cane aside. He no longer needed a wheelchair now, but if he stood for too long, his leg would get uncomfortable, and he would need the help of a cane.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Nothing, just daydreaming. What did they want with you?"

Fu Hengyi told her of the visitor’s purpose, "They hope I report to the military earlier."

"Did you agree?"

"I didn’t, I rejected it and took an extra month’s leave," Fu Hengyi said.

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan curiously looked at him. "They agreed?" Everyone was hoping he would report for duty earlier, how could they agree to him continuing to take a leave.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "My leg injury this time was serious. It seems to be healing fast, but in reality, it’s not that quick. I’m getting old, and my body just isn’t what it used to be." He gave a seemingly righteous explanation, while Shen Qinglan listened with a speechless expression, looking at him, thinking about his incredible ability to tell such blatant lies with his eyes open.

His leg would fully recover in a month and a half at most. All in all, it would only take half a year, but there he went, directly asking for another month off. The leadership above must be infuriated by him.

Whether the leadership above was angry or not, Fu Hengyi didn’t know. All he knew was that right now, the most important things for him were his wife and son. His wife was still in confinement, and his son had just turned one month old. There was no way he would leave them. When his leave ended, it would just be in time for his son’s hundred-day celebration. How could he miss such an important day?

***************

At the Liang Family, it had already been a week, but Annie hadn’t returned yet. Liang Guangjian was becoming impatient, knowing his daughter well. She never carried cash, always using cards when going out, and now that he had stopped her cards for a week, Annie still hadn’t come back.

Thinking it over, Liang Guangjian called Annie’s wealthy second-generation friends one by one. If these people lent money to Annie, she might not come back for six months. However, everyone said they hadn’t seen Annie. Liang Guangjian even thought they might be hiding her together, and after sternly addressing them for a while, they insisted they really hadn’t seen Annie and would call him immediately if they did.

Liang Guangjian hung up the phone, still pondering where Annie could be, when the maid came in, "Sir, the police are here again."

Upon hearing this, Liang Guangjian’s expression darkened, and he smashed his phone in anger, "They come knocking every few days asking for people, I’m even more anxious than they are right now.

"Sir, should I ask them to leave?" the maid ventured.

"No need, I’ll go down now," Liang Guangjian said. Avoiding them was useless, and right now he also needed the police’s help to find his daughter.

"Officer, you’ve come at the right time, I can’t get in touch with my daughter right now, could you please help me find her?" Liang Guangjian said with a look of urgency.

It was still the same two police officers from last time, and this case was their responsibility. But a week had passed, and they still hadn’t found the person. The Fu Family had already called twice.

"Mr. Liang, we can now confirm that Miss Liang attempted to bribe the hospital nurses to take Mrs. Fu’s child away. This act has violated the law, and I hope you can tell us the truth and not cover up for Miss Liang. Otherwise, Miss Liang’s charges will only become more severe," the police said gravely.

Liang Guangjian’s eyes filled with bitterness, "Officer, it’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you, it’s just that I really don’t know where Annie has gone. I’ve called all her friends, and they said they haven’t seen her. I’m really worried now. Do you think something happened to her?"

The two officers looked at Liang Guangjian, maintaining a skeptical attitude toward his statement. In their view, Liang Xinyue was simply on the run from the crime, and Liang Guangjian was deliberately concealing her whereabouts.

"Mr. Liang, turning yourself in and being brought back by the police are two very different things," the police said meaningfully.

Liang Guangjian was like a mute suffering after taking Coptis – he had grievances but couldn’t express them.

Unable to find his daughter after so long, he had come to his senses from the initial anger and was certain that something might have already happened to Annie. However, the police thought he was intentionally covering for her.

"Officer, I’ve always been a law-abiding citizen. I would certainly not do something like covering up. My daughter is truly missing. I hope you can help me find her first. If it turns out she did it, I will definitely make her turn herself in," Liang Guangjian said sincerely. At this moment, his heart was only concerned about his daughter’s safety – after all, she was his only child.

The two officers exchanged glances, unable to determine whether Liang Guangjian’s words were true or false, but they could confirm that Liang Xinyue was not at home, as they had been keeping surveillance on the Liang’s residence.

"Alright, Mr. Liang, if that’s the case, we’ll be leaving for now. If there’s any news about Miss Liang, we hope you can notify us promptly."

Having sent the police away, Liang Guangjian continued to try contacting Annie but the phone was still off. He called his assistant again, asking him to check Annie’s last spending record. After a while, the assistant’s call came through.

"Mr. Liang, Miss Liang’s last transaction was at a bar in Beijing, eight days ago, in the early morning."

When Liang Guangjian heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t canceled her card by then, and she hadn’t made any expenditures since, which was just impossible for Annie.

"Go to that bar right now and ask around, I’m worried something has happened to Annie," said Liang Guangjian.

"Alright, Mr. Liang, I’ll go right now and contact you as soon as I have any news." The assistant hung up the phone, and Liang Guangjian sat on the sofa, pondering all the places Annie might have gone.

When Fu Hengyi received the call from the police station, he glanced at Shen Qinglan and spoke softly, "Okay, I got it, please continue to take this matter seriously." After a few more words, he quickly ended the call.

Shen Qinglan looked at him, and Fu Hengyi explained, "The police said they still haven’t found Liang Xinyue’s whereabouts."

Liang Xinyue? Who was that? Shen Qinglan was a bit perplexed but quickly realized Liang Xinyue was Annie. Her expression softened, "Just let them keep looking." Her intention was to make the police think that Annie had fled out of fear of being charged. Thinking of this, she glanced at Fu Hengyi, "Don’t you want to ask me something?"

"Yes," Fu Hengyi nodded. "What would you like for lunch? I’ll have Aunt Zhao make it for you."

Shen Qinglan looked at him speechlessly. Clearly, that wasn’t what she meant to discuss, but playing along with him, she said, "Anything but soybeans stewed with pig’s feet is fine." She had already had soybeans stewed with pig’s feet for three meals and didn’t want any more.

"Good, Sister-in-law Song brought over three carp this morning. How about I have her make you carp and tofu soup?"

"That’s fine," Shen Qinglan nodded. Fu Hengyi went out and she sent a message to Jin Enxi before deleting it.

Jin Enxi was currently at an abandoned construction site on the outskirts. The place was bustling lately, with the addition of Xu Nuo, Jin Enxi and Cissily were busy every single day.

Xu Nuo had been tortured beyond recognition. Her limbs had already been broken by Allen before, and now Jin Enxi had snapped her tendons, leaving her lying on the ground like a dead fish, insensible to even the pain on her body.

Her expression was blank, showing no response to the various punishments inflicted upon her. Since being locked in the dungeon by Allen and after what those men did to her... she had become a walking corpse.

After all, punishment was supposed to inflict pain to be considered punishment. With Xu Nuo showing no reaction, it wasn’t long before Jin Enxi and Cissily lost interest.

"Xu Nuo, I’m not playing with you today. Here’s something to see instead." Jin Enxi said, throwing a newspaper from a few days ago in front of Xu Nuo, reporting the near-miss incident at the hospital.

Xu Nuo, who had originally been indifferent, let out a roar after reading the content, "Ahhhh! Why, why hasn’t Shen Qinglan died yet!"

Her expression was fierce, like a crazed monster, but Jin Enxi found it quite entertaining. If she had known that a newspaper would drive Xu Nuo mad, she wouldn’t have bothered taking so much effort previously. After all, tormenting someone also took a considerable amount of energy.

Her eyes gleaming, she squatted down, looking at Xu Nuo with a beaming smile, pleasantly saying, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Shen Qinglan disarmed the bombs herself. Not only is she safe and unharmed, but she also got credit for her actions. You really should thank her."

"Stop talking, shut up!" Xu Nuo yelled, but who was Jin Enxi to listen? The more Xu Nuo told her not to speak, the more excitedly Jin Enxi continued.

"You don’t know, Qinglan disarmed each bomb in less than a minute, it was simply cool. If I were a man, I would like her too. No wonder Allen is so devoted to her."

"I told you to shut up!" Xu Nuo’s expression was ferocious.

Jin Enxi’s mood improved even more as she grabbed a stool to sit down, after all, squatting was tiring too. "Actually, I completely understand why Allen prefers Qinglan over you. Just look at yourself, in what way are you comparable to Qinglan? In terms of looks, my Qinglan is streets ahead of you. As for abilities, there’s even less need to say. When my Qinglan was becoming famous around the world, you probably didn’t even know where you were playing in the mud. So, you shouldn’t just blame Allen for liking Qinglan, you need to take a good look at yourself and accept the fact that you’re inferior."

Jin Enxi’s words were like those of a nagging mother, yet the look in Xu Nuo’s eyes was so full of hatred that it seemed she would eat Jin Enxi alive if she could. If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t move her hands and feet, Xu Nuo would probably have crawled over and bitten Jin Enxi fiercely.

When Eden walked in, Jin Enxi was still endlessly provoking Xu Nuo. She seemed to have discovered a new way to torture Xu Nuo, and this discovery made her very excited.

"Hi, Eden, what brings you here?" Jin Enxi smiled, her eyes and brows brimming with smiles, clearly in a great mood from tormenting Xu Nuo.

Eden glanced at the frenzied Xu Nuo and didn’t respond to Jin Enxi. He took out a syringe from his body and injected the liquid inside into Xu Nuo’s body.

"Eden, what did you inject her with?" Jin Enxi asked, curious.

Eden looked at Xu Nuo coldly and said casually, "Just a little experimental product."

Jin Enxi stroked her chin. "What effect does it have?"

"You’ll see. I’m going to step out for a moment; call me when the drug takes effect," said Eden, and Jin Enxi nodded, her gaze never leaving Xu Nuo. She was curious about the effects of Eden’s drug.

A flicker of fear passed through the depths of Xu Nuo’s eyes but quickly dissipated without trace as she shut her eyes.

Soon after, Xu Nuo’s expression gradually relaxed and she let out a pained moan, "Mommy, it hurts."

Jin Enxi raised her eyebrows, looking at Xu Nuo with great interest. Hmm, was the drug’s reaction to lower the body’s tolerance to pain?

Tears streamed from the corner of Xu Nuo’s eyes. "Mommy, it hurts, it really hurts, my whole body aches." She curled up into a ball, trembling lightly, gradually opening her eyes and looking at Jin Enxi, she spoke, "Mommy, have you come to take me back?"

Jin Enxi raised her eyebrows again. "I am not your mother."

Xu Nuo’s tears flowed even more fiercely. "Mommy, I know I was wrong, I won’t make you angry anymore, please don’t hit me. I promise to be good, to listen to everything you say, please don’t leave me, I’m scared."

"Mommy, the smell of blood is so foul, I don’t like it here, can you take me back home, please?" She cried and talked through the tears and snot that covered her face.

Jin Enxi seemed to understand the effect of the drug, thought for a moment, and then spoke gently, "There, there, don’t be afraid, mommy is here, mommy will protect you. Tell mommy, what’s mommy’s name? If you say it right, mommy will take you away."

"...Qin... Qin Yan..." Xu Nuo said.

A cold light flashed in Jin Enxi’s eyes, confirming Mrs. Jin’s identity beyond doubt. She looked at Xu Nuo and asked again, "Do you remember where your home is?"

Xu Nuo frowned, "I have many homes."

Jin Enxi scoffed coldly. This Qin Yan seemed to be a cunning rabbit indeed. "Where is your most recent home? Mommy is old and can’t remember well, could you lead the way for mommy?"

"Okay." Xu Nuo nodded obediently, like a well-behaved child, the gleam in Jin Enxi’s eyes growing brighter, "Where is it?"

Xu Nuo’s gaze was hazy, "It’s in..."