Chapter 942: Perplexed and Smitten (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Even if I wasn’t coming, he shouldn’t be sleeping on the same bed as you anymore. He’s no longer a toddler,” said Jin Qingyan, after which he stepped forward in a bid to wake his son up.
However, it was impossible to wake someone up when they’re pretending to be asleep. That is, unless they woke up voluntarily. Isn’t that so?
Noticing that Jin Yiheng was not waking up at all, Jin Qingyan began to carry him. The moment he was picked up, Jin Yiheng could no longer continue pretending. Instead, he flinched and said, “Daddy, what are you doing?”
“Go sleep with your brother. I told you umpteen times before, you’re already so grown up and you can’t sleep together with Mommy anymore. You’re going to become a laughingstock if others hear about it.”
“How would others find out if neither of us says anything?”
As soon as his son finished speaking, Jin Qingyan glared at him coldly. Jin Yiheng cringed and dared not make eye contact with Jin Qingyan.
At the end of the day, he still couldn’t outargue his overpowering opponent. Hence, Jin Yiheng got out of bed slowly and walked out of the room reluctantly while turning back to look at them with every step he took.
Jin Qingyan strode toward the door and locked it from the inside.
Noticing that he seemed a little flushed and out of sorts, she asked softly, “Why do you seem to be unwell?”
“I’m running a fever.”
The weather had been fluctuating lately. Having a fever during summer was the worst. “Have you taken your medicine?” she asked.
“Yes,” he answered, sounding a little hoa.r.s.e. He removed his clothes and lay down beside her, pressing his warm face against hers.
An Xiaoning closed her eyes while snuggling up in his embrace, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the night.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, he stuck his hand beneath her s.h.i.+rt and began moving it downward from her abdomen.
She grabbed his hand to stop him and said, “You’re still running a fever.”
“I want it.”
She sat up straight and looked at him. “You really want to?”
“Yes. I’ll recover from my cold once I sweat it out.”
“What bulls.h.i.+t is that? Shall we take a hot bath together?” An Xiaoning suggested.
“Sure.”
“Alright, lie down while I fill the tub with water. I’ll call you once it’s filled.”
She got out of bed and entered the bathroom. She then rinsed the bathtub before filling it with water.
By the time she finished filling the bathtub with water, he was already fast asleep.
Considering the fact that he was ill, An Xiaoning decided not to wake him up and instead switched off the bathroom lights quietly. She then tiptoed toward the bed and lay down beside him.
She lay on her side and rested her head in her hand while gazing at him closely. He seemed to be extremely at ease beside her and appeared completely relaxed and unguarded.
After gazing at him for a while, An Xiaoning switched off the air conditioner and went to bed as well.
….
After resting at home for a few days, An Xiaoning returned to the Autumn Palace. She decided to release the news of Lin s.h.i.+s.h.i.+ pa.s.sing away during labor.
An Xiaoning did not care about what others thought about the matter. She cremated the corpses of Lin s.h.i.+s.h.i.+ and her son, which were then placed inside a crystal urn. She then buried their ashes together.
An Xiaoning was overwhelmed with a complicated mix of emotions while staring at the tombstones.
Dressed in black from head to toe, she stood in the rain with a black umbrella in hand.
There was no one else around her.
“You’re finally reunited with each other…”
Those were the last words she left for them, despite knowing that there was no way they could have heard her.
She proceeded to meet her parents after leaving the graveyard.
They had also tagged along with An Xiaoning because s.h.i.+ Qingzhou wanted to see s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu.
She would obviously be thrilled now that she could finally get back at s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu.
An Xiaoning did not follow her and Tuoba Shuo to see s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu.
What s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu had been dreading finally arrived.
She was well aware that s.h.i.+ Qingzhou would definitely not let her off for imprisoning her and putting her through so much pain and torment for three whole decades.
Pleading would only make her lose her pride and dignity.
Hence, she decided not to plead with s.h.i.+ Qingzhou and instead continued to put on a strong and arrogant front.
“It’s up to you to decide how you want me to die.”
s.h.i.+ Qingzhou closed the door and smiled at her sarcastically. “Why are you in such a hurry to die? Dying is too easy of a way out for you. I’m not planning to do much, other than return you everything you had once done to me. I’ve stayed in the bas.e.m.e.nt of your bedroom for several decades. What do you say I throw you there?”
s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu could not imagine how long she had been trapped inside the room for. She was so oppressed and bored that she felt like she was almost going to suffocate. Life would only become much more arduous and grueling if she were to be trapped in that bas.e.m.e.nt and never see the light of day again.
Hence, she decided to kill herself.
However, what s.h.i.+ Qingzhou said next ruined her plan. “I remember how you once used my daughter to threaten me. I shall use your children to threaten you as well now. If you kill yourself, shall I let your children follow suit?”
“Rui already said that he’ll keep the children alive.”
Glaring at her menacingly, s.h.i.+ Qingzhou said, “The results of the election are not out yet. We still don’t know if he or Shuo will become the next president. Ever since the ancient times, history has always been written by the victors. Should my daughter and I have fallen into your trap, who knows what nonsense you’ll have spouted to the media? That’s not that big of a deal. You’d have probably rewritten how you got your hands on the book and why you executed us, wouldn’t you?”
s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu could not deny that that was indeed the case. However, it was a pity that she had lost the battle.
“s.h.i.+ Qingzhou, you’ve really got a brilliant daughter.”
“All thanks to you for sparing her life back then.”
Her words struck a sour note within s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu, for sparing An Xiaoning’s life was her greatest regret.
There were only two things she regretted in this life: one was not killing An Xiaoning when she was an infant while the other was not getting rid of s.h.i.+ Qingzhou when she could.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them again. “I admit, you’ve defeated me.”
s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu was then brought to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt.
There were several guards standing outside the other exit of the chamber. Hence, it was entirely impossible for her to escape.
The moment her hands were cuffed to chains and she was put into the position that s.h.i.+ Qingzhou was once in, s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu wanted to cry but there were no tears.
She would be better off dead than living in such a pathetic manner.
However, she could not bite her tongue to kill herself for the sake of her children.
Besides, there was a voice in her head that was constantly telling her that she still had three children who could save her, just like how An Xiaoning had rescued s.h.i.+ Qingzhou.
Hence, she still saw a glimmer of hope.
Yet, her hopes were instantly dashed by what s.h.i.+ Qingzhou said next.
“Don’t think I’ll be as foolish as you and give you the chance to be rescued.”
s.h.i.+ Qingzhou reached out to pry her jaw open and poured a vial of chemical into her mouth. Not knowing what it was, s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu tried her best not to swallow it. However, her natural reflexes could not be controlled and she still ended up ingesting the chemical.
“You… what did you make me drink!?!”
“It’s just a type of medicine that you would have to take once every week. You’ll die if you go longer than a week without it.”
s.h.i.+ Xiaoyu was paralyzed by fear and began quivering uncontrollably from head to toe. It was indeed a cruel torture to be put in a living h.e.l.l and yet be compelled to stay alive since dying was not an option.