Chapter 69

**Chapter 69**

"Dad, Yiwei, you did well. My mother-in-law almost caused me to miscarry—she had it coming."

Old lady Lu needs to face consequences and learn her lesson. Otherwise, who knows what she might do next.

"Aunt, Yiwei, have you contacted Ze'an yet?" Jiang Lingxin asked. After something this serious happened, Gao Zean, her husband, couldn’t stay in the dark forever.

"We haven't yet."

Too caught up with Jiang Lingxin’s situation, Jiang Yiwei and Zhang Cuifen hadn’t had the chance to contact Gao Zean.

"Xue Yu and I will go contact Ze’an."

Then, Jiang Weien took Jiang Xueyu to get in touch with Gao Zean’s team.

Only Jiang Sanjie’s family was left at the bedside.

Jiang Sanjie and his two sons all tried to comfort Jiang Lingxin with kind words. Jiang Weilin even told a few jokes to cheer them up.

Jiang Lingxin was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. Seeing this, Jiang Yiwei and the others quieted down so she could rest.

They started figuring out how to take care of Jiang Lingxin.

Since Jiang Sanjie and his sons were all men, it wouldn’t be proper for them to care for Jiang Lingxin. So the job went to Zhang Cuifen, her daughters, and Huang Manjun.

Besides, Jiang Weien and Jiang Xueyu had already let Gao Zean’s team know. They would contact him as soon as possible. If they reached him, Gao Zean could be back in two days.

In the quiet room, Jiang Yiwei sat by the bed peeling an apple for her.

She cut the peeled apple into slices and fed them to Jiang Lingxin. "Here, have some apple, sis."

As Jiang Lingxin ate, Jiang Yiwei looked around the room but didn’t see Gao Wenhai.

Noticing Jiang Yiwei looking around, Jiang Lingxin asked, "Yiwei, what are you looking for?"

"Big sister, where’d Wenhai go?"

Only then did Jiang Lingxin realize Gao Wenhai was missing.

"Wenhai!"

"Wenhai, where did you run off to?"

"Don’t worry, sister. He’s probably just playing outside. I’ll go find him."

Jiang Yiwei told Jiang Lingxin not to worry and went to look for Jiang Wenhai.

"Alright, look carefully."

Jiang Lingxin urged her. If she weren’t stuck in bed, she would’ve gone with Yiwei in a heartbeat.

Before Jiang Yiwei could leave the ward, she saw a hard-faced woman dragging in Gao Wenhai, covered in grass. Behind her came two boys, also covered in grass. Looking closer, they looked like they were hers.

"Wenhai!"

Jiang Yiwei rushed forward, and the woman shot back, "Your kid hit my boys—you’d better explain this!"

The woman demanded an explanation from Jiang Yiwei the moment she saw her.

"Let the kid go first, then we can talk."

She was willing to talk, but only after Gao Wenhai was released. She might’ve been doing it on purpose—gripping his collar so tightly that it dug into his neck, leaving a red mark and making his little face turn red and puffy.

"Not a chance!" the woman snapped. "If I let go, your little brat will just hit my son again." Saying this, she got even madder and deliberately tightened her grip.

Gao Wenhai’s collar dug into his neck, his face flushed red.

Jiang Yiwei panicked.

Before she could say anything, Jiang Lingxin, weak as she was, lunged forward and yanked Gao Wenhai away from the woman.

When Gao Wenhai saw Jiang Lingxin, the blank expression on his face changed—his gaze wavered with concern for her.

"Damn! You look half-dead in bed, yet you've got some serious strength!"

Hu Fengmei rubbed her hand, which had been painfully pulled by Jiang Lingxin.

Where’d she get that strength? She looked so helpless lying there.

Hu Fengmei knew all about Jiang Lingxin—her mother-in-law was in the same hospital, sharing a room with Jiang Lingxin. She'd seen her bedridden for days, too weak to move.

So her strength shocked Hu Fengmei.

"Sis, you shouldn’t be out of bed!"

Jiang Yiwei supported her sister, who gave her a weak smile. "I couldn’t stand seeing Wenhai’s neck being choked like that, his face all red. It made my chest tighten."

Just thinking of Gao Wenhai suffering, his face red and distressed, made Jiang Lingxin ache inside.

She couldn’t take it, even if her own body was failing.

Gao Wenhai’s eyes flickered as he looked at her.

"Your health is what matters. I’ve got this."

Right now, Jiang Lingxin needed to focus on getting better. Besides, Jiang Yiwei was here—if she hadn’t grabbed Gao Wenhai first, she would have done it herself.

She gently helped Jiang Lingxin back into bed.

But Jiang Lingxin clutched Gao Wenhai’s hand, unwilling to let go. Jiang Yiwei watched them silently, saying nothing.

Instead, she turned to Hu Fengmei.

"How dare you treat a kid like that?"

Jiang Yiwei could clearly see that Hu Fengmei had intentionally gripped Gao Wenhai’s collar to hurt him.

Hu Fengmei scoffed. "Like I had a choice? He’s too damn rowdy. If I hadn’t done that, how else was I supposed to bring him here?"

"Then you must’ve pushed Wenhai first."

Jiang Lingxin wasn’t just making excuses for Gao Wenhai.

Though she hadn’t known him long, she had his number.

She knew Gao Wenhai wasn’t the kind of kid Hu Fengmei described—he wouldn’t hit someone unless someone set him off first.

"My sister's right," Jiang Yiwei agreed. "My nephew's always been well-behaved."

Her eyes settled on the two boys standing behind Hu Fengmei. When they noticed Jiang Yiwei looking at them, they dared to stick out their tongues and pull faces at her, showing no fear at all.

"Looks like your boys are real troublemakers. They must’ve been the ones who started with my Wen Hai first."

If Jiang Yiwei had to guess, it was probably Hu Fengmei’s sons who had picked on Gao Wenhai.

Judging by the grass stains on all three of them and the faint scratches on their faces, they’d clearly been fighting.

She didn’t know Gao Wenhai well herself, and during her hospital stay, Jiang Lingxin often talked about every little thing related to him. Gao Wenhai wasn’t one to start trouble.

But Hu Fengmei’s sons were a different story.

Since Hu Fengmei’s mother-in-law shared a room with Jiang Lingxin, Hu Fengmei spoiled her boys rotten, never scolding or punishing them. The once peaceful ward was constantly disturbed by their yelling and roughhousing.

Just yesterday, her sons had been running around the ward, bumped into someone, and didn’t even apologize. When asked for an apology, Hu Fengmei made excuses for them, claiming they didn’t know any better. But when the other person simply asked for an apology and that the boys not play in the ward, Hu Fengmei snapped that they were making a big deal out of nothing—naturally causing an argument.

"Young lady, don’t go around saying things like that. How could my sons have started it? That Gao Wenhai brat hit my Xiaoyong first!"

"If you don’t believe me, ask your own nephew—didn’t he throw the first punch?" Hu Fengmei declared self-righteously.

Jiang Yiwei turned to look at Gao Wenhai, but he only met her gaze briefly before lowering his head again.

Jiang Lingxin immediately sensed something was off. "Wenhai, tell me the truth—was it you who hit them first?"

Though Jiang Lingxin couldn’t imagine Gao Wenhai starting a fight, everything about his reaction said otherwise.

"What does it matter if he threw the first punch? Maybe Wenhai only hit back because they insulted him first."

Even if Gao Wenhai struck Hu Fengmei's son first, odds are it was because Hu Fengmei's son started it by insulting him.

Gao Wenhai lost his temper and fought back.

"That’s some messed-up reasoning! Even if my son insulted him first, he still shouldn’t have hit my son!"

Hu Fengmei was usually the one who angered others, but today was the first time she was infuriated by someone else’s twisted logic.

Like hitting someone is okay now?

"Oh, please!"

"So your kid can dish it out but can't take it?"

Like her kids get to talk trash but nobody else gets to clap back?

Talk about twisted logic—Jiang Yiwei thought Hu Fengmei was drowning in it.

"Wenhai, tell me why you hit them. Did they insult you first?"

Jiang Lingxin took Gao Wenhai’s small hand and asked softly.

Gao Wenhai slowly raised his head to look at Jiang Lingxin, who smiled gently. "Tell me, sweetie. I’ll listen."

If Gao Wenhai was really in the wrong, Jiang Lingxin would make sure he apologized. But if they started it, then Gao Wenhai wasn’t to blame.

Gao Wenhai clenched his jaw. "They insulted me, so I hit them."

“Well, hear that? He admitted to hitting my son. Since my son got beat up, you owe me compensation.”

From the moment Jiang Lingxin was admitted to the ward, Hu Fengmei had been watching her like a hawk.

She knew Jiang Lingxin had almost lost the baby and was on bed rest to protect the pregnancy.

Jiang Lingxin’s family brought her all kinds of healthy treats every day—fruits, canned fruits, malted milk, and such.

Hu Fengmei had been drooling over them for a long time, and now she finally saw her chance.

Jiang Yiwei gave her the stink eye, then asked, “Wen Hai, what did they say to you?”

Gao Wenhai’s eyes got teary, and he looked down, as if he didn’t want to answer.

Jiang Yiwei immediately locked eyes with Jiang Lingxin.

Then she pulled out a handful of candies from her pocket and waved them in front of Hu Fengmei’s two sons.

“If you tell me what you said to Wen Hai, I’ll give you these candies.”

Hearing this, their eyes lit up. The younger one was just about to speak when Hu Fengmei slapped a hand over his mouth.

She shot her sons a warning look. “Since when are you so greedy? There’ll be plenty of candy at home.”

At the promise of candy at home, the two boys stayed quiet.

No matter how much Jiang Yiwei tempted them, they wouldn’t budge.

Now Jiang Yiwei was stuck—neither one would talk.

“He hit my son—you owe me compensation,” Hu Fengmei shot back.

“My nephew got talked trash about by your son. I haven’t even asked you for compensation, and you dare ask me?”

Though she didn’t know exactly what Hu Fengmei’s sons had said to Gao Wenhai, Jiang Yiwei was sure it wasn’t anything pretty.

And now Hu Fengmei wants compensation? What’s going on in her head? The nerve of her!

“Just some words—my son got actually punched.” Her son had really taken hits; how could they not compensate?

“He threw the first punch, but didn’t your sons throw punches too?”

Tch. Seriously?

Did she think her sons only talked smack and didn’t throw a single punch?

Looking at the shape of all three, they definitely fought.

Two on one. “Two against one—you should be compensating me instead!”

With both insults and fists thrown, Jiang Yiwei letting them off easy by not asking for compensation.

Jiang Yiwei and Hu Fengmei faced off.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lingxin kept her eyes on Gao Wenhai.

“Wen Hai, was what they said to you so bad that you didn’t want to repeat it?”

"I'm your mom. Tell me what happened, and I'll make things right for you."

Jiang Lingxin hoped Gao Wenhai would confide in her.

"Wen Hai, you have a dad and mom now."

"You're our son, not alone anymore. Your dad and I won’t let anyone hurt you."

Before, when Gao Wenhai was in the welfare institution, he had no one to stand up for him when he was bullied. But now it was different—he had a dad and mom. She and Gao Zean were his support and refuge.

But Gao Wenhai stayed quiet.

Jiang Lingxin let out a tired sigh, but she thought to herself that the child was still young. He hadn’t even been with them for two months yet. If he wasn’t ready to talk, that was okay. She didn’t blame him.

"It's okay if you don’t want to say anything."

"But Mom won’t let anyone get away with hurting you. Your auntie and I will make sure justice is served."

Since he didn’t want to speak, Jiang Lingxin didn’t push Gao Wenhai.

But the bullying Gao Wenhai suffered—Jiang Yiwei and Jiang Lingxin would make sure justice was served.

The sadness in Gao Wenhai’s eyes suddenly lit up. Seeing his little expression, Jiang Lingxin planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, and Gao Wenhai’s cheeks flushed red.

Seeing the look in Gao Wenhai’s eyes, Jiang Lingxin felt both heartache and deep affection.

"Wen Hai, the moment Dad and I saw you at the orphanage, we knew you were our child."

Back then, Jiang Lingxin and Gao Zean had gone to the welfare institution to find a child to adopt.

Gao Wenhai wasn’t on the list recommended by the orphanage staff to Jiang Lingxin and Gao Zean.

It was only when Gao Wenhai got into a fight and was called into the office that Jiang Lingxin saw him for the first time. The stubbornness and determination in Gao Wenhai’s eyes touched her deeply.

Then, from the staff, she learned about Gao Wenhai’s situation.

At the time, neither she nor Gao Zean were drawn to the children on the staff’s recommended list. Instead, their hearts went out to Gao Wenhai.

So, they brought Gao Wenhai home.

Since they had brought him home, she and Gao Zean would raise Gao Wenhai as their own.

Even with a baby on the way, Gao Wenhai was still her child.

She took Gao Wenhai’s hand and placed it on her belly. "The little one growing inside me will be your little brother or sister in the future."

"I’ll love them, and I love you too."

"Mom… you won’t give up on me later, will you?" Gao Wenhai suddenly asked.

Though Jiang Lingxin had mentally prepared herself, his words still broke her heart.

"I’d never let you go. You’re my child, the one I chose. I could never abandon you."

During her hospital stay, Jiang Lingxin had sensed Gao Wenhai’s worries.

No matter what happens with the baby, she would treat Gao Wenhai as her own. She would do her best to be the best mom she could be.

She hugged Gao Wenhai tightly. "Wen Hai, you’re Mom and Dad’s child. Even if we don’t share blood, you’ll always be mine."

"You can be clingy, throw fits, or act up with us, just like other kids."

She also hoped Gao Wenhai would truly open his heart to them and show his most genuine self.

Gao Wenhai looked at Jiang Lingxin, who gently stroked his hair before he buried his face into her embrace and let out a loud wail.

The entire hospital room, including Jiang Yiwei and Hu Fengmei—who had been arguing—turned their attention toward Jiang Lingxin and her son.

Everyone was confused—what had set Wen Hai off like that?

Jiang Lingxin, however, just gently patted his head and murmured soothingly to him.

Gao Wenhai cried for a long, long time until he eventually fell asleep in Jiang Lingxin’s arms.

As for Hu Fengmei, Jiang Yiwei decided to give her a taste of her own medicine—since Hu Fengmei was being illogical and difficult, she would respond in kind.

Hu Fengmei hadn’t expected to be outmaneuvered by Jiang Yiwei.

Seething, she had no choice but to return to her mother-in-law’s bedside, glaring at Jiang Yiwei while grumbling insults under her breath.

Jiang Yiwei, victorious, quietly returned to the bed and whispered to Jiang Lingxin, “Sis, what’s wrong with Wen Hai?”

Jiang Lingxin just smiled and motioned for her to keep quiet, so Gao Wenhai could sleep peacefully.

After staying in the hospital for over half a month, the doctor finally cleared Jiang Lingxin to go home.

But they were advised to keep a close eye on her to avoid any further incidents.

Of course, Gao Wenhai would look after her well.

And Jiang Yiwei hadn’t forgotten to make Old Lady Lu apologize to Jiang Lingxin.

When Jiang Lingxin was sent home, Jiang Sanjie and his entire household showed up to back her.

The whole family watched as Old Lady Lu and her group apologized to Jiang Lingxin, finally satisfied.

Gao Wenhai even warned Old Lady Lu directly that if something like this happened again, they wouldn’t have family to turn to anymore.

This was Gao Wenhai making his position known to Jiang Yiwei and the others.

Jiang Sanjie and Zhang Cuifen were quite pleased with this outcome.

That day, Jiang Yiwei returned home from outside, her face lit up with happiness, thinking of the sweet words Fu Xunian had murmured in her ear. She felt both happy and a little shy.

Cupping her warm cheeks, she couldn’t stop smiling. Her steps were light, and she spun in a little circle, her skirt flaring like her cheerful mood.

Lost in her thoughts, she completely failed to notice the two people standing at the gate of the Jiang family courtyard.

"Yiwei."

Jiang Yiwei stopped in her tracks, lowering her hands from her face to see Jiang Ningning—and beside her, a strikingly good-looking man carrying a pile of things in both hands.

Jiang Ningning wore a smile, but there seemed to be something scheming behind it.

She thought to herself: *If only I had wandered outside a little longer, I could’ve avoided running into Jiang Ningning.*

Even though Jiang Liling had returned, whenever it was just Jiang Yiwei alone—or when they crossed paths—Jiang Ningning always loved coming up to her and spouting ridiculous things.

Whether it was warnings or bragging about how well she was doing, Jiang Yiwei couldn’t care less.

Even though she clearly resisted, Jiang Ningning seemed oblivious to her impatience, always butting in with whatever she wanted to say, whether Jiang Yiwei liked it or not.

She wasn’t Jiang Liling, the main character—why bother telling her all this?

You don’t slap a smiling face, so Jiang Yiwei forced a polite smile and stepped forward.

"Ning Ning, are you going out?"

"No, I’m here to meet my boyfriend."

Jiang Ningning smirked.

"Boyfriend?" Jiang Yiwei feigned surprise.

She glanced at the man. The guy Jiang Ningning called her boyfriend—wasn’t this the same Qu Zhenxin she’d been dying to land?

"Right! His name is Qu Zhenxin. He’s my boyfriend."

"Funny enough, Zhenxin was the guy you turned down before."

See that, Jiang Yiwei? Bet you regret it now.

Now this hot commodity was hers.

In Jiang Ningning’s mind, she had expected Jiang Yiwei to react with regret, jealousy, and disappointment when she found out her boyfriend was Qu Zhenxin.

But none of that happened.

Jiang Yiwei didn’t even blink.

Qu Zhenxin, though, was taken aback—the girl standing in front of him was the one his mom had mentioned who hadn’t wanted to meet him.

"Oh, it’s him," Jiang Yiwei said, pretending to realize.

"Who knew you’d snag him, Ning Ning? Congratulations."

The sweeter Jiang Yiwei’s congratulations sounded, the more indifferent she appeared—and the more it burned Jiang Ningning.

She wanted Jiang Yiwei to eat her heart out.

But biting back her frustration, Jiang Ningning still had to keep up a cheerful appearance.

"Thanks."

"Ning Ning, you’re here to see Uncle Erjie and Auntie, right? Go on in! Don’t leave them hanging."

Jiang Yiwei was dying for Jiang Ningning and Qu Zhenxin to vanish from her sight.

"Come on, Zhenxin, let’s head in."

Jiang Ningning knew the real goal now was introducing Qu Zhenxin to Uncle Erjie and the others.

Once that was done, her thing with Qu Zhenxin would be official.

Jiang Ningning and Qu Zhenxin walked ahead while Jiang Yiwei dragged her feet behind them slowly.

From inside Uncle Erjie’s room came peals of laughter.

This caught the attention of the others.

As soon as Jiang Yiwei entered the house, she saw Zhang Cuifen and Huang Manjun chatting, while Jiang Xiaohua was writing on a small stool in front of them.

When Zhang Cuifen saw Jiang Yiwei, she said, "You're back. It's hot outside—here, have some water."

Zhang Cuifen had boiled the water earlier and left it to cool on the table.

Jiang Yiwei took the pitcher from the table, poured herself a cup, drank a few sips, and then sat down on the floor.

Zhang Cuifen and Huang Manjun liked keeping things tidy. Whenever they were at home, the place was always spotless, and sitting on the floor was comfortable. Though it was scorching outside, a gentle breeze drifted in through the open door, making the floor pleasantly cool.

Huang Manjun saw Jiang Xiaohua peering curiously at the house across the way as bursts of laughter came from inside.