Situ Jing's face turned pale with shock. She stammered, "Grandmother, what's wrong? Grandmother..."
Old Mrs. Situ clutched her hand tightly, gasping, "Listen to me. I'm afraid the Ling family already knows we did this. You must protect your brother. Ling Yucheng treated your brother like his own kin. As long as your brother is here, the Situ family can be saved. I will take full responsibility for this, but you will surely not escape. You will only be spared your life. Remember, you must absolutely not resist, not make any further moves..."
After saying these words, Old Mrs. Situ seemed to have lost all her strength. Although her eyes were open, her entire being exuded a listless, decaying aura. She glared at Situ Jing, weakly urging, "Quick, quickly have someone release... release Zhu Yunfei."
"Okay, okay, I'll make the call now."
Situ Jing was so flustered she didn't know what to do, her mind in a mess, but she still followed Old Mrs. Situ's instructions and made the call.
When she finished the call and looked back at Old Mrs. Situ.
She saw her gasping for breath, black blood constantly spilling from the corner of her mouth, half her face askew, and she slid directly off the sofa onto the floor.
Situ Jing was so terrified she immediately fumbled for her phone to call for an ambulance and then notified Situ Chuanqi and Su Yishen.
Old Mrs. Situ lay on the floor, unconscious, but her crooked mouth and the spitting blood were particularly terrifying.
She knelt beside her, distraught, only knowing how to cry.
Suddenly, she smelled the odor of urine.
She looked around in confusion, her gaze finally settling on Old Mrs. Situ's lap.
A large area of her dark pants was wet, and a large puddle of yellow liquid had spread on the floor.
She covered her nose, her brows furrowed, and took a step back. Looking at the unconscious person on the floor, her heart sank to the bottom. She was enveloped by endless panic and fear. Especially thinking about what her grandmother had just said, she felt a sense of wishing she were dead. If Ling Yucheng knew that she and her grandmother had planned all this, wouldn't he hate her to death?
Situ Jing broke down even further. She shook her head frantically, muttering, "No, I don't want this outcome. Why did it happen? Why..." She just wanted things to be like before, just to be by his side. She was clearly the one who liked him first, so why couldn't she compare to Xia Wantang, who had appeared out of nowhere? They grew up together, inseparable since childhood, how could she possibly not be as good as someone else?
...
When Situ Chuanqi and Su Yishen rushed back, they saw Situ Jing sitting on the floor, crying and laughing, like a madwoman. Old Mrs. Situ lay on the floor, unconscious, her mouth and eyes askew, having lost control of her bodily functions. Shortly after they arrived, the ambulance also came. The doctor's initial diagnosis was that Old Mrs. Situ had suffered a stroke, and given her symptoms and reaction, paralysis was highly likely. Situ Jing was also sent to the hospital with her. Situ Jing appeared to be somewhat mentally unstable, as if she had suffered a severe shock. No matter what Situ Chuanqi and Su Yishen asked her, she didn't react, as if she couldn't hear them. This left the couple completely baffled; they didn't even know what had happened. They had simply gone out to work as usual, only to return home to find everything had completely changed.
...
Purple Cloud Mountain.
A cheer tore through the sky, startling the birds in the trees to scatter. At the base of the back wall of the dilapidated temple on the mountain, search and rescue personnel discovered a cellar, and the unconscious Zhu Yunfei was lying inside. The search and rescue team rescued her, and a doctor, who had been on standby, examined her. Fortunately, she was only a little dishevelled, but her vital signs were stable and she had no external injuries. Ling Junye, who had rushed over upon receiving the news, was heartbroken to see her lying there, unconscious. The joy of finding her again, mixed with his self-reproach, made his emotions extremely complex. But regardless, he immediately pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. He had been so terrified these past few days, feeling like a soulless wanderer. Now that she was in his arms, held tightly and for real, he finally felt alive again.
The good news here reached the Ling family, dispelling the gloom that had hung over them for days. Old Mrs. Ling ordered a feast to be prepared to welcome Zhu Yunfei back, and Xia Wantang no longer had to hide. She emerged directly from the secret room. Since Zhu Yunfei was back, it was time to clear up the mess online. In a matter of moments, all news of Xia Wantang's death disappeared from the internet. Major media outlets released new announcements, informing everyone that Xia Wantang was not at Pear Fragrance Courtyard when it caught fire, that she had left in advance, and that she was alive and well. The missing Zhu Yunfei had also been found safe and sound. The explanation given to the public was that she had gotten lost on the mountain and her phone had no signal. She later wandered into an abandoned temple and accidentally fell into a cellar. Due to her injuries and unconsciousness, she had not been rescued until now. The Ling family's affairs continued to be a hot topic online, reaching the peak of viewership and dominating the trending search list for several days.
On the way back to the Ling family, Zhu Yunfei woke up. She had no memory of what had happened these past few days. She only remembered taking photos when suddenly her neck hurt, and she lost consciousness. When she woke up, it was now. For her, it felt like only an instant, but it had been several days, and the outside world had been in turmoil because of her disappearance. Ling Junye had held her non-stop since finding her, but he still told her what had happened these past few days. Zhu Yunfei was, of course, furious. With her temperament, she would never let the Situ family off the hook. But the thought of the innocent Situ Jun and the refined and amiable Old Master Situ made her back down. Ling Junye gently patted her back to calm her, saying unhurriedly, "I just received word that Old Mrs. Situ has had a stroke and is paralyzed, and Situ Jing seems to be somewhat mentally unstable."
"What a retribution!" Zhu Yunfei was furious thinking that Xia Wantang was almost burned to death. And there was still her little grandson in her belly! However, hearing about their fate inexplicably brought her a sense of satisfaction. Death was nothing; a fate worse than death was true torment. Ling Junye stroked Zhu Yunfei's hand and said with a faint smile, "I plan to send Situ Jing to a mental hospital. She'll never get out in this lifetime." If one does bad deeds, how can there be no punishment? Once in such a place, most people would become mentally unstable. If they didn't want to live a good life, then so be it. Zhu Yunfei naturally agreed, but would the Situ family agree? Before she could ask, Ling Junye said coldly, "Although Junjun is used to acting recklessly, he isn't stupid. If he wants to save the Situ family, he must appease the Ling family's wrath. When he gets home, he will know what to do, and we have already been more than generous to him."