Jiejie started crying again, startled by the sudden beam of the flashlight.
Sasha turned the flashlight away and comforted him, "It's okay, it's okay, we have light now, don't be scared."
Jiejie also saw her clearly and, as if remembering, tearfully called out, "Mom."
Sasha's eyes welled up instantly, and she said, "Baby, I won't let anything happen to you."
The places illuminated by the flashlight were all bare iron walls, with nothing else. She remembered there was more than just a flashlight in her bag and shone the light into it.
Inside the bag were several packets of children's biscuits, two bottles of mineral water, a child's blanket, and a pack of diapers.
Giving them these things, how long did they intend to keep them locked up? What did Old Mrs. Xie plan to do with them? Did she intend to starve them to death here?
Sasha suddenly felt it difficult to breathe, and Jiejie started coughing. It seemed the air in the airtight container had become thin.
Holding the flashlight in one hand, she used the other to pound hard on the four iron walls, still hoping someone would hear and rescue them.
But the sealed iron door didn't open again. As she pounded the walls, she discovered a section of the iron wall, about the size of a palm, was loose.
She reached out and touched the loose iron wall. It turned out there was a small opening that could be opened, meant for ventilation.
Opening this palm-sized small window, their breathing finally became a little smoother, and a bit of natural light finally entered the dark container.
Sasha realized that this container was specifically designed to imprison people, this was where the Xie family used extreme measures to punish people.
She felt a chill. Jiejie could see her clearly now, and instead of crying, he crawled towards her and said, "Mommy, hug, I want a hug."
Sasha sat with her back against the iron wall, pulling him into her arms and kissing his little face.
Finally, she could be with the child she longed for, but in such circumstances.
Her mind was now focused on only one thought: how to get the child out of here safely?
...
Zhan Jiayi followed Lian Ma to the nursing home but still didn't see Jiejie.
Besides Lian Ma, there was no one else around the old lady.
Although she had doubts, she didn't ask first. She stood respectfully by the old lady's bed, not daring to speak.
This was the first time she had seen the Xie family's old lady since she met Xie Zhendong. The old lady had not attended their wedding.
She knew that the old lady did not approve of her, the second wife, from the bottom of her heart, so she dared not act rashly.
The old lady scrutinized her from head to toe. She felt that this woman looked very ordinary.
She was the type who was young but not particularly beautiful. However, this woman was quite composed in front of her, likely having climbed her way up through calmness and cunning.
It made her uncomfortable that such a woman could make Zhendong risk his life.
"Do you know why I asked you to come?"
Zhan Jiayi replied cautiously, "Old Madam, I don't know. But I know the Xie family must need me now. Please tell me what you need."
"My son dotes on you so much that he insisted on marrying you, and he risked his life to protect you. What do you think you can do for the Xie family?" the old lady questioned again.
"I am willing to do anything, and I can risk my life for Zhendong," Zhan Jiayi's tone was firm.
The old lady was stunned for a moment. She felt Zhan Jiayi had some of the boldness she had in her youth, and she was more spirited than Feng Rou.
"Alright, with your words, it means Zhendong didn't dote on you in vain."
Zhan Jiayi asked eagerly, "But which hospital is Zhendong in? What did you mean by risking his life? Did he, did he..."
"Don't worry, he's not dead yet." The old lady turned to Lian Ma and said, "Take her to the room next door to let her see him. Don't stay too long; I still have things to discuss with her."
"Yes, Miss." Lian Ma gestured for Zhan Jiayi to follow her.
Zhan Jiayi was bewildered. Was Zhendong also at the nursing home?
She couldn't figure out the situation and remained frozen.
Lian Ma urged her, "Why are you still standing there? Come with me, you'll know soon."
"Oh." Zhan Jiayi had no choice but to follow Lian Ma to the adjacent room.
When she walked into the room next door and saw Xie Zhendong lying on the bed, she couldn't believe it. She rushed over, grabbed his hand, "Zhendong, Zhendong, are you alright?"
Xie Zhendong opened his eyes and rolled his eyeballs, but his other parts remained motionless.
He also saw Zhan Jiayi, unable to speak, with tears in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" Zhan Jiayi felt something was wrong and asked hurriedly.
Lian Ma held her back and said, "Don't press on the tubes on Young Master's body. He injured his cervical spine when he fell. He was like a vegetative person before. He has finally woken up recently, but he still can't move. His bodily functions will require long-term functional training to fully recover. The doctor said it might take three to five years, or maybe more than ten years..."
As she spoke, Lian Ma couldn't help but cry again.
Zhan Jiayi was still holding his hand, sitting by the bedside, and also cried, "Didn't they say he only had minor injuries? Didn't they say he was fine? Wasn't he cushioned by something when he fell, and there was grass below..."
"If it weren't for that, Young Master would have lost his life," Lian Ma said. "Saying his injuries were not serious and that he was fine was to prevent the Xie Group from being affected. Miss Zhan, think about it, if the outside world knew that Young Master was like this, could the Xie Corporation still operate smoothly and peacefully?"
Zhan Jiayi lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, crying more and more sadly.
She had finally met a man who truly loved her and treated her well, and now she had caused him to be like this.
If Xie Zhendong hadn't come to save her then, nothing would have happened. He shouldn't have been threatened because of her!
"Zhendong, you are so foolish, so foolish..."
"Miss Zhan, Old Madam asked me to bring you to see Young Master because she wants you to know that Young Master is safe now," Lian Ma told her. "Actually, a major event has also occurred in the Xie family, which has made Old Madam both sad and furious, and she hasn't had the energy to manage the company's affairs."
Zhan Jiayi stopped her tears and looked at Lian Ma, asking, "What other major event? Why haven't I seen Jiejie? Did something happen to him?"
Lian Ma sighed and said, "Old Madam discovered that Jiejie is not Young Master Qining's child, and she has locked up the mother and son. Actually, the child is quite cute, it's just a pity..."
"How did Old Madam discover and confirm this?" Zhan Jiayi was quite surprised.
She had been suspecting this and had asked William to investigate the hospital where Yang Shasha had undergone artificial insemination. She didn't expect the old lady to have already found out.
Lian Ma replied, "It's not difficult to confirm. Old Madam secretly had a paternity test done on Jiejie, and both results were the same."
"I remember Zhendong saying that a paternity test was done after Jiejie was born, and there were no problems," Zhan Jiayi said, puzzled.
"Yes, it seems Yang Shasha tampered with Young Master Qining at the time, because the DNA comparison was between Jiejie and Young Master Qining. Young Master Qining was completely obedient to Yang Shasha when he was around, and Yang Shasha used this to deceive everyone in the Xie family." Lian Ma recalled.