"You sure are willful, kid. Just because I say no, you won't go in?" My mother narrowed her eyes and glanced at Yu Longting's arm in my embrace.
My face immediately burned red, and I quickly let go of Yu Longting's arm, "Mom, Yu Longting, I'm going to look for Grandpa."
I dashed into the Punishment Hall.
Lin Huan was sitting on an ironwood chair.
Indifferently smoking a cigarette, watching his men carry out punishments.
Su Qiang was at death's door, blood dripping beneath her.
At that moment, her hair was disheveled, and she didn't even have the strength to shout.
Seeing me, Lin Huan immediately stubbed out his cigarette, "Su Wan, what are you doing here?"
"There's... there's something important I need to tell you." I hung my head, not daring to look at the battered Su Qiang.
Lin Huan frowned, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I wanted to talk... just with you," I said.
Lin Huan stood up decisively, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me to the rear hall, "You're carrying Dumpling, and you recklessly run into the Punishment Hall. What if Dumpling gets frightened?"
"Great-grandpa, Dumpling is scared," a weak, milky voice came from my stomach.
Although the little guy is usually quite brave.
Little Dumpling, after all, was a demon fetus, seeing another demon fetus like Su Qiang's child about to be brutally killed.
How could he not be scared?
I reached out to touch, trying to comfort Little Dumpling.
Lin Huan had already walked into the rear hall, surprisingly gesturing for me to sit first, then casting an inquisitive look at my stomach, "He can feel the outside world?"
Before I could answer, Lin Huan showed a touch of relief in his expression, and answered his own question, "I'm really confused, if he couldn't perceive the outside world, how could he have saved my life last time? Dumpling, don't be afraid, the great-grandpa is very biased, dislikes Su Qiang's demon fetus, but really likes Dumpling."
Dumpling, having a large heart, was immediately mollified, filling the room with giggly laughter, "Dumpling likes great-grandpa too."
Lin Huan's smile was radiant, just like a typical elderly person doting on his grandchildren from an ordinary family.
"..."
Three lines of frustration appeared on my forehead.
My grandfather Lin Huan, ever so strict and serious, actually admitted to being biased just to appease Dumpling.
Lin Huan sat down on a chair next to him, his smile fading as he became serious again, "Wanwan, what do you need?"
"It's about the woman in the attic and her collaboration with Xuanjing."
I told Lin Huan everything from the moment I received the fake call on my mom's phone to the clues leading me to Lin Family's Pill Room.
I temporarily omitted anything regarding Tangtang.
All signs pointed to the culprits being not only Su Qiang,
but also Lin Qianshan working inside and outside with the mad woman in the attic.
"Our Lin Family's direct descendants were finally confined to the Pill Room, actually forced by the String Killing Formation. I knew then that Lin Qianshan and the woman in the attic were problematic," Lin Huan listened to my recount, taking over ten minutes to digest, "Wanwan, you must be curious about who that woman in the attic is, right?"
"Yes," I responded.
"That woman is named Qing Li. Her specific identity, I will tell you after you take over the Lin Family," Lin Huan said.
I didn't quite understand, "You're not planning to deal with Qing Li?"
From the tone of Lin Huan, it seemed less like he was going to deal with Qing Li, and more like he intended for me to keep her after I took over the Lin Family!
"Deal with her? Qing Li is the lifeblood of our Lin Family," Lin Huan self-mockingly said and cautioned me, "Don't provoke her. No matter what she does, our Lin Family can only endure it."