Lin Qiutong's furious expression made Feng Wanhuí feel quite flustered.
Initially, seeing Lin Qiutong living well in the Lin family, with the Lin couple doting on her as their own daughter, Feng Wanhuí had suppressed her desire to acknowledge her.
She had even prepared herself to never reveal their connection, content with simply accompanying her from afar as she got married and had children.
Never did she imagine that things would be exposed so suddenly, and that it would lead to Qiutong being so devastated that she'd attempt to end her own life.
Fortunately, Qiutong survived. Otherwise, even in death, Feng Wanhuí would have dragged Song Qinian down with her.
People are truly never satisfied. The Feng Wanhuí of the past had thought that just seeing her daughter once would be enough for a lifetime.
Now, she longed to hear her daughter call her "Mom," even just once.
Mustering her courage, Feng Wanhuí cautiously approached Lin Qiutong. "Tongtong, I just came to see you. Are you alright?"
"Get out! Get out!"
Lin Qiutong was extremely agitated. She grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it at Feng Wanhuí. Feng Wanhuí dodged the objects, her eyes filled with hurt, but she didn't leave.
She stood some distance away from Lin Qiutong, looking at her with heartache and guilt. "I never expected things to turn out this way, Tongtong. Even if I die, I never wanted you to suffer even a little bit."
"Then die! Why are you still alive? Why do you still appear before me?"
Lin Qiutong glared at the woman with hatred, her eyes brimming with tears. "If it weren't for you, I would always be the Lin family's eldest daughter. I had parents who loved me dearly, and resources within reach. But now you've ruined it all! Ruined it!"
"I'm sorry... I'm truly sorry. But you can't blame me entirely; it's all because of Song Qinian..."
"May you and Song Qinian both die horrible deaths! Song Qinian is the accomplice who ruined me, and you are the culprit! Get out of here immediately, and don't let me see you again from now on!"
Feng Wanhuí's heart was breaking. She had never imagined her own daughter would hate her so much. "Qiutong, I can spend the rest of my life making up for everything I owe you. If Lin Xing'an doesn't want you, I..."
"I don't need your compensation! I have only one wish right now: please disappear from my sight completely! Because seeing you, thinking that I'm your daughter, makes me feel so sick I want to vomit!"
Feng Wanhuí tried to say something else, but Lin Qiutong's outburst drew the attention of a nurse.
Shen Qíwén, having just finished his work, arrived at the hospital room door and heard Lin Qiutong's hysterical screams.
He rushed in and, the moment he saw Feng Wanhuí, his eyes blazed with intense killing intent.
"Who allowed you to come here?"
Upon seeing Shen Qíwén, Feng Wanhuí felt as though she had found a lifeline. "Mr. Qíwén, I was worried about Tongtong and came to see her."
"You don't need to. Leave here immediately!"
Feng Wanhuí was naturally reluctant to go, but seeing Lin Qiutong's agitated state, she realized staying would be of no use. With a reluctant glance back, she left the room.
Lin Qiutong was still crying hysterically. Seeing this, Shen Qíwén walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay now."
Lin Qiutong leaned against Shen Qíwén's chest, her eyes filled with deep resentment and anger. "She ruined everything for me, and she still dares to show up! She wants to torment me for the rest of my life, sob..."
Shen Qíwén patted Lin Qiutong's back, soothing her. "You don't want to see her?"
"No! I wish she would disappear from this world! I wish everyone who opposes me, everyone who bullies me, would disappear from this world!!!"
Shen Qíwén's eyes flickered slightly. "Don't worry, I won't let her bother you again."
Feng Wanhuí left the hospital in a state of agitation.
Her adopted daughter, Mu Yúxīn, had severed ties with her, and now her own daughter hated her to the bone and couldn't stand to see her.
She was truly a failure.
It was late at night, with few people and cars on the road. She walked home alone, contemplating what to do next.
As she was about to cross the street, a car sped past. With a "bang," Feng Wanhuí felt her body fly through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
The car didn't stop after hitting her; it accelerated and sped away. She lay on the ground, unable to move.
Her body ached intensely, and she felt liquid flowing from her head.
Tongtong... my daughter...
She hadn't had a good life like others. Her parents had died early, and she had lived with her uncle's family. As soon as she turned eighteen, her uncle married her off to an older man who was more than ten years her senior. That man was a drunkard and gambler who would beat her when he lost money.
Later, she became pregnant, and the man, believing it to be a son, treated her better.
But to her, both a boy and a girl were her precious babies.
She cherished the baby in her womb. She heard that singing and telling stories to the baby every day would make the child smarter than others.
So, whenever she wasn't busy, she would talk to the baby. The baby seemed to understand, occasionally kicking in response. That was perhaps the happiest time of her life.
When her daughter was born, she was overjoyed but also worried, fearing her daughter might end up like her.
She had felt immense pain and reluctance when swapping the two babies, but for her daughter's future, she steeled her heart.
If...
If she hadn't swapped the two children, would her daughter have hated her so much?
They had lived together for over twenty years, wasn't that good enough?
No...
If she had to choose again, her decision wouldn't change. She still wanted her daughter to be the Lin family's eldest daughter. She just wouldn't have appeared in Jinghua City, wouldn't have let Mu Yúxīn and Song Qinian meet. That way, no one would have suspected her identity.
As her consciousness faded, before completely losing awareness, Feng Wanhuí's mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Qiutong.
Her daughter, beautiful, gentle, and elegant. The Lin family had raised her well.
But it was a pity...
In the end, she never got to hear her call her "Mom."
Feng Wanhuí died on the road, two kilometers away from the hospital.
Upon hearing the news, Mu Yúxīn immediately rushed over, only to see Feng Wanhuí's cold body.
The series of blows had caused Mu Yúxīn to lose a lot of weight. She looked at Feng Wanhuí's pale, lifeless face and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
This person, despite having done many things to hurt her and changed her life, was the one who had raised her. It was impossible for Mu Yúxīn not to grieve her death.