"Enough, stop meddling, you might ruin things," she said.
Madam Ling completely dismissed his plea. At her age, it was better to be content. Her health was failing, and her tolerance for stress was low. Interfering too much would only trouble her grandson and son.
Master Ling, still fuming, was in no mood to listen. "I am old, not dead..."
Madam Ling impatiently raised her voice and shouted, "Shut up."
Master Ling immediately became quiet. This was a suppression of bloodline, and he couldn't argue.
As the oppressive feeling vanished, Ling Yucheng finally relaxed, but he didn't dare sit down as long as his grandfather hadn't spoken.
Madam Ling sighed, "Alright, why are you standing there? Sit down quickly."
Master Ling, a ball of frustration, huffed and puffed. Ling Yucheng, worried he might aggravate his condition, recounted the later events, which seemed to calm him considerably.
After pacifying the elders, Ling Yucheng hurried to Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Since the news was that Xia Wantang had likely been burned to death, he had to play out the charade. Moreover, he had intentionally left a vulnerability, which meant the Situ family would likely search for Xia Wantang's whereabouts. This made it imperative to move her as soon as possible.
...
Xia Wantang remained idly in her room, too afraid to show herself, her entire focus on waiting for good news from Ling Yucheng. Lying on the bed, she gently stroked her belly, her mood particularly low. She pondered why some people could be so vicious, so utterly devoid of humanity. Over a hundred people! Those were over a hundred living souls, vanishing into thin air in an instant.
Back in the private room, she had sensed something was amiss. Why would Situ Jing approach her with such words at that particular moment? She and Ling Yucheng had been together for some time; if Situ Jing had something to say, she wouldn't choose this day. Considering the recent events and that she was out on business today, it seemed like a deliberate attempt to lure her there.
Uncertain of what would happen next, and for the sake of her unborn child, she chose to flee Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Little did she know that a fire would break out shortly after her departure, a blaze so fierce that no one escaped. Images of those unfamiliar faces flashed through her mind: laughing children, chatting couples, actors performing on stage. One moment they were conversing cheerfully, the next they were facing certain death.
To achieve their goals, they were so reckless with human lives, resorting to any means. It was terrifying; the mere thought sent chills down her spine. The sound of opera still echoed in her ears, and Xia Wantang, wrapped in her blanket, felt a sense of fear in the bright daylight.
Now, whenever she opened her phone, all the notifications were about the fire at Pear Fragrance Courtyard. "No survivors," "Heavy casualties," "Unrecognizable." These words conjured vivid images in her mind. Some videos even included pictures, and even with the pixelation, dark, charred torsos were visible. Xia Wantang was in a state of terror.
Though she wasn't directly responsible for these deaths, she was indirectly involved. She was terrified, especially scared, and whenever she closed her eyes, nightmares would ensue. She dreamt of countless vengeful spirits, burned to death, drifting around her, their grievances immense, their faces ferocious.
She had never experienced anything like this in her life. She had only heard of the complexities of wealthy families from television or novels, but experiencing it firsthand was truly horrifying. But this wasn't the US or Korea; could they really cover up everything? Capital, however powerful, was still just capital. If it was a dragon, it had to coil; if it was a tiger, it had to lie low. This incident was now public knowledge, and she expected the authorities to intervene soon. She only hoped that justice would be served for these innocent lives, and that those who committed evil would pay.
Xia Wantang, inexperienced as she was, hadn't considered that Situ Jing was a lawyer and would never leave any evidence behind. Even if she did, the Situ family had countless scapegoats. Without evidence, no one could touch her. She had left no trace of involvement from the beginning, not even a pretext to implicate her.
As she was lost in thought, her phone rang, the sudden sound startling her. She glanced down; the caller was an unknown number. Frowning, she hesitated to answer and let it ring. The ringing echoed in the quiet, empty room like a death knell, unsettling her. She muted the sound, but the fear persisted. It was more terrifying than the lingering effects of watching a horror movie last time, when she only felt like someone was under her bed, or outside her door, or everywhere. This time, she truly felt the presence of many souls wailing in pain.
This event had happened so vividly, so realistically, right beside her, life and death separated by a mere instant. She couldn't forget these people she had only met once; their faces were etched in her memory, especially the actors on stage, their grace, beauty, and melodies deeply imprinted in her mind. She knew then that she would never be able to listen to opera again in her life.
The phone kept ringing persistently, and the call was repeated many, many times. Xia Wantang frowned, her face filled with confusion. Besides the Ling family, who else would be so concerned about her? Wen Xuanyuan and Qiao Xinyue had already called, and after failing to get through, they had stopped. She wondered how worried they must be, but the less people who knew she was alive, the better.
The caller, after failing to reach her by phone, sent a text message soon after. "This is Xia Wanfu. If you're not dead, answer the phone." "Call back!!" "You're not really dead, are you!" Xia Wantang stared at the name Xia Wanfu, utterly shocked and surprised. What did she mean? Was she concerned about her?
Xia Wanfu sat on the sofa, feeling inexplicably restless. She stared at her phone, wishing for a reply from the other end, even if it was mockery or abuse. To be honest, although she often targeted Xia Wantang and didn't want her to have a better life, she had never wished for her death. Upon hearing the news of her supposed demise, she felt a sense of panic and regret. After all, they had lived together for over a decade and she had called her "sister" for over a decade. She realized her own concern and couldn't accept it. She thought, even a dog would develop feelings after being kept for a while, let alone someone one had lived under the same roof with for over ten years. What grievances, jealousy, or aversion meant nothing in the face of life and death.
After sitting in a daze for a while, she called Jiang Zexi. As usual, no one answered. She knew he had gone to help Ling Yucheng find his missing mother, but after so many days, there hadn't been a single call or text message. It was false to say she didn't mind; even if he was busy, didn't he have time to send a text?