Married in a Daze - Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Lu Sheng first met Ruyun in the hospital, by her sister-in-law's side. Little Ruyun was wearing blue clothes, dancing and gesturing animatedly. Lu Sheng couldn't help but pull her friend over and say, "Look, look! That's my niece!"

Her friend smiled and nodded beside her. "I see, I see. So adorable."

Lu Sheng was overjoyed to hear this. "Of course she is."

Their conversation seemed to catch Ruyun's attention. Lu Sheng saw her stop swaying her head and stare fixedly at her. She couldn't resist reaching out a finger to touch Lu Ruyun's little hand, and instantly, it was grasped. The softness in her palm stunned Lu Sheng. Her expression froze, and her friend laughed at her for a long time.

Her sister-in-law also lifted the corners of her lips slightly, a smile on her face.

A light breeze brushed past at that moment, filling the entire room with sunlight, adding warmth.

The next time they met was a year later. She had just returned from being an exchange student abroad when she saw her sister-in-law holding Ruyun, kneeling at the doorstep of their home. Before she could even ask what was happening, she saw all sorts of miscellaneous things being thrown out of the house—a complete mess.

She knew her parents had never agreed with her brother being with Zhao Heqing. They had opposed the two of them from the very beginning. After the child was born, they forbade her brother from returning home. More than once, they told her to consider her brother dead, gone, that he no longer existed. Naturally, she couldn't bear to do that, but her parents' mindset was deeply entrenched, impossible to change. Every time she tried to bring up the topic, it only led to endless insults and arguments. Over time, she gave up trying to mediate.

She had originally thought that with a child, they might accept the situation a little. She never expected they would remain exactly the same, even worse. They hated Zhao Heqing and Ruyun even more.

They weren't even willing to let the child take the Lu surname.

So when Ruyun was little, her surname was Zhao.

Zhao Ruyun.

Lu Sheng put down her luggage, helped Zhao Heqing up, and looked at the child in her arms. Though very young, she already understood fear. Faced with the arguing adults, she pursed her lips, her big eyes brimming with tears. She wanted to cry but didn't dare, seemingly afraid of making a sound.

A child so small should be enjoying the doting of her parents, endless happiness. Yet, because of family relations, she had to learn what fear was ahead of time.

Lu Sheng was naturally heartbroken. She took the child in her arms and prepared to go home. That day, she received the first harsh words from her parents: if she carried this child, she should never set foot in this house again.

She stood at the doorway, torn, but in the end, she let Ruyun go.

If she had known what would happen later, even if it meant never entering the Lu family home again, she would not have put that child down.

Unfortunately, life has no "ifs."

The conflict between her brother and her parents deepened daily, finally exploding over a car accident.

Her brother died.

Her parents, who already held grievances against Zhao Heqing, vented all their hatred onto her in one go. All sorts of unspeakable insults followed. She watched as the young Zhao Heqing instantly aged decades in an instant. Those eyes that were always full of laughter became hollow, soulless. When she looked at people, her gaze held no focus. The whole person was like a walking corpse. She endured the scolding of others, offering no response at all.

She saw Ruyun, who could already walk by then, kneeling before the portrait, her face a picture of wanting to cry but holding it in. She wanted to comfort her but didn't know how to make a sound. In the end, she could only hug her, pat her back, and listen to her call her "Aunt" over and over again.

After the funeral, Zhao Heqing moved away from their original residence with the child. They completely severed ties with the Lu family. No news came from them anymore. The Lu family also acted as if that person and that child never existed, never mentioning them at home. Lu Sheng originally thought the matter had settled like dust, never imagining what would come later.

The next meeting was deliberately arranged by her.

By then, she was about to graduate, had her own life. The desire to see Lu Ruyun only arose after accidentally visiting a friend's house and seeing their newborn child. It reminded her of the scene when she first saw Ruyun, making her want to see how that child was doing lately.

It took her nearly three months to find Zhao Heqing's new residence.

But she didn't see Lu Ruyun.

Not only had she not seen her, even the neighbors around hadn't seen her. They only knew Zhao Heqing lived there alone, completely unaware there was a child.

At first, she thought Zhao Heqing had given Ruyun away or sent her somewhere. Later, she discovered Ruyun was locked up.

She would always remember the first sight after their reunion. She pushed past Zhao Heqing, pushed open the bedroom door, and saw Ruyun with an iron chain around her neck, curled up in the corner like a puppy. Hearing movement, her first reaction was to hug herself, trembling.

Her eyes, which had never known laughter, were bloodshot and filled with terror. The moment she saw Lu Sheng, she actually recognized her and timidly called out, "Aunt."

Lu Sheng didn't know what she did then. She only remembered Yin Ye telling her she went crazy.

She wrestled with Zhao Heqing. The seemingly frail Zhao Heqing possessed immense strength, easily pinning her down and telling her it was because Ruyun had done something wrong that she was being punished. She herself had done nothing wrong.

The righteous, unwavering manner Zhao Heqing displayed—Lu Sheng still shivered recalling it now.

After leaving Zhao Heqing's home, she chose to call the police.

Unfortunately, it wasn't successful.

By the time she went looking for Lu Ruyun again, Zhao Heqing had moved.

Back and forth, Zhao Heqing played hide-and-seek with her like this, moving several times. Later, Zhao Heqing somehow contacted the Lu family, and her parents restricted her freedom.

In the end, it was with Yin Ye's help that she left the Lu family. With the determination to never return, she went to find Lu Ruyun.

Who would have thought Zhao Heqing had moved again.

This time, it was as if she had completely evaporated. Lu Sheng hired several private investigators, but none could dig up even a shred of news.

It was only a month later that she finally learned Zhao Heqing had fled back to her rural hometown. She and Yin Ye rushed over upon hearing the news, only to see Lu Ruyun jump from the second floor. Zhao Heqing was standing at the window watching her, a cold sneer on her lips.

Like a demon.

Standing under the blazing sun, Lu Sheng shivered uncontrollably.

The scent of blood filled her nose. Looking down, her vision was filled with red. She wanted to reach out and hold the child but was afraid of hurting her. The tips of her fingers trembled. Seeing the heavy ring of bruising around those bare feet, her legs gave way, and she knelt on the ground.

The Lu family arrived before the police, swiftly handled the scene, and sent Ruyun to the hospital.

Fortunately, there were trees below the second floor. Branches broke her fall, so while the external injuries looked frightening, they weren't actually very severe. The doctor who examined Ruyun at the time was from the Lu family.

He told Lu Sheng that the child had many old injuries on her body, dating back at least three years or more.

Lu Sheng had mentally prepared herself while asking, but hearing this fact so abruptly still sent a dull pain through her heart. Her body trembled slightly. She turned her head to look at Lu Ruyun lying on the hospital bed and made a decision.

A member of the Lu family was participating in an election campaign at the time. She knew why the Lu family had arrived so promptly—they were afraid that if the police came, the incident would leak and affect the Lu family.

So she made a deal with her father.

Lu Ruyun would be handed over to her. Zhao Heqing would be handed over to the Lu family.

Her parents naturally disagreed. But this time, she was determined: if they didn't agree, she would leave the Lu family. She laid everything bare, exposing the matter of Zhao Heqing and the Lu family. So her parents had no choice but to make concessions.

Zhao Heqing was later diagnosed with mental illness and sent to a psychiatric hospital. Lu Sheng didn't know if she was truly mentally ill or if the Lu family had arranged for her to be diagnosed as such. She didn't want to know either, because all her attention was focused on Ruyun.

The outside world still managed to catch a whiff of news. After all, there are no walls that don't let wind through. So during that period, she not only had to stay with Ruyun in the hospital but also deal with reporters from the media, and deal with Yin Ye.

Arguments with Yin Ye were unavoidable and increased daily. The final explosion happened after Ruyun attempted suicide.

She rushed to the apartment to find Lu Ruyun had tied her own feet and looped the rope around her neck. Blood was gushing from the cuts on her wrists. The air was filled with a pungent smell. That was the first time she saw Lu Ruyun during an episode.

A horrifying sight she would never forget in this lifetime.

After sending Ruyun to the hospital, she received a call from Yin Ye. The two met for the last time at a café outside the hospital. Still reeling from the earlier shock, she couldn't accept Yin Ye's opinion. She even pointed at her nose, calling her selfish, her demeanor fierce and harsh.

Lu Sheng later recalled that scene countless times and very much wanted to slap herself twice.

Being too stubborn when there's no need to be strong only leaves regrets.

There aren't many things she regrets in this life, only two.

One was letting go of Ruyun back then.

The other was breaking up with Yin Ye.

For the former, she could spend the rest of her life accompanying her, helping her slowly walk out of it.

For the latter, she wants to make amends. She just doesn't know if there's still a chance.

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