Chapter 74: Let Me Protect Mom

The two policemen were already shocked; they never imagined that the dignified county magistrate's wife would actually steal someone's child, let alone that Su Ruo would dare to hit Bai Xinya.

Because of the commotion, the doorway of the carriage was already crowded with people; Wang Liangping and Zhou Feng also heard the noise and rushed over.

Seeing the scene inside the carriage, Zhou Feng had no more doubts; thinking of his wife's gentleness from last night, he painfully closed his eyes.

He had thought his wife had finally recovered, and he was overjoyed about that, but in fact she had not; not only had she not improved, she was actually plotting to steal someone else's child.

Bai Xinya was stunned by Su Ruo's slap; whether at home or after marriage, she had always been pampered, never having suffered such injustice, and it took her a long while to regain her senses before she hoarsely shouted, "What gives you the right to hit me!"

Zhou Feng looked at his hysterical wife before him, hardly able to believe his eyes—was this still the gentle, kind wife he knew? Since when had the cultured and courteous wife become like this?

Su Ruo's eyes were full of icy killing intent: "You should be grateful that An'an is unharmed; otherwise I wouldn't just slap you—it would be as simple as that—I would directly kill you!"

The chill emanating from Su Ruo seemed to lower the temperature of the surrounding air by several degrees; everyone turned to look at her, never expecting that such a pretty girl would utter such vicious words.

Bai Xinya's body involuntarily trembled; she knew Su Ruo was not threatening her, but would really do it.

But seeing Su Ruo carry An'an out the door, a wave of immense pain instantly engulfed her, just as when her daughter had first been stolen away.

At this moment, status, upbringing, dignity, and face meant nothing to Bai Xinya; she only knew she could absolutely not lose her daughter again.

Bai Xinya immediately lunged forward, trying to snatch An'an from Su Ruo's grasp.

"No, you cannot take my daughter away."

At this moment, Bai Xinya, tears and voice streaming down, was no different from a madwoman; clearly, just a little more, just a little more, and she could have brought her daughter home—why was it still impossible!

This is her daughter, the daughter she has been thinking of day and night!

Zhou Feng could no longer bear it; he stepped forward, embraced Bai Xinya in his arms, and said to her, "Xinya, calm down a bit."

But Bai Xinya seemed to have sunk into her own world, utterly unable to hear Zhou Feng's words, and she repeatedly pleaded, "Zhou Feng, tell them to give Xiaomeng back to me, okay? That's our daughter!"

Seeing his wife like this, Zhou Feng also felt his eyes redden: "Xinya, look clearly—that is not our daughter; our Xiaomeng is already lost, please face reality."

Bai Xinya instantly shoved Zhou Feng away in anger: "You're talking nonsense—I've already found my daughter! The Taoist priest said she is my daughter."

"She is my daughter! I've already found her—why won't you help me!"

"No, she is not my Xiaomeng."

"My Xiaomeng was lost; she was discarded by your mother because your mother wanted me to bear a son, and when I refused, she took my Xiaomeng and threw her away."

"They said my Xiaomeng is already dead."

"How could my daughter possibly be dead? She clearly called me 'Mommy,' and she is not my Xiaomeng."

"My Xiaomeng was lost; in such cold winter, my Xiaomeng can no longer find her mother, they will beat and scold her."

"She is so afraid of the dark, so afraid of pain—alone underground she would be terrified…"

"Xiaomeng is not afraid, Xiaomeng is not afraid—Mommy has come to keep you company…"

Bai Xinya suddenly shoved Zhou Feng aside and leapt straight out of the train window; no one expected her to do that, and there was no time to stop her.

"Xinya!" Zhou Feng ran to the window and jumped out after her, and Wang Liangping also jumped out together with them.

Su Ruo watched this scene, her heart pounding and unable to calm down for a long time.

Initially, knowing that Bai Xinya had stolen An'an, she hated Bai Xinya; but now Su Ruo found herself involuntarily feeling a bit of sympathy for her.

If Bai Xinya's daughter had not been lost, she would surely have been a very good mother.

It was the trafficker who stole her child that ruined her.

Bai Xinya, having jumped from the train with her fate unknown, can be considered as paying the price for her actions.

Bai Tianze glared angrily at Su Ruo: "Now you're satisfied? Let me tell you, if anything happens to my sister, I and our Bai Family will absolutely not let you off."

Su Ruo looked at him with icy eyes: "Even when you decided to kidnap my daughter, you should have foreseen today's consequences; I give you the same warning—if you dare to harbor any designs on my daughter again, I will, even at the cost of my life, make you pay the price."

Having said that, Su Ruo carried An'an out of the compartment; the people at the door saw her emerge and spontaneously made way, and even the two policemen who had been following Su Ruo remained silent, for if it weren't for Su Ruo's insistence...

This little girl had almost been abducted right under their noses.

Because the train had already departed, Su Ruo could only get off at the nearest station, then take another vehicle back to the county town; after all this trouble, by the time she returned to Li Family Village, it was already late at night.

Li Zhaodi saw Su Ruo return holding An'an and immediately burst into tears of joy.

Su Ruo had been so kind to her, yet she had lost An'an; thus these past few days Li Zhaodi has been mired in deep self-reproach, thinking herself foolish for being unable to watch over even a child.

If Su Ruo could not retrieve An'an, Li Zhaodi would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.

In the past few days, Li Zhaodi had been searching for people, but she dared not cry in front of Su Ruo, so she had only been able to hold it in; now she finally let it out, and her tears could no longer be restrained.

Su Ruo placed the sleeping An'an on the bed, went to Li Zhaodi, and wiped away her tears: "Silly girl, I've said it before—this was the other side's deliberate scheming; it's not your fault!"

But upon hearing her words, Li Zhaodi's tears flowed even more fiercely; although after losing An'an Su Ruo had never blamed her, this only made Li Zhaodi feel even more self-reproachful.

Su Ruo comforted Li Zhaodi for half a day; seeing that she had finally stopped crying, she then returned to bed to sleep, and this sleep lasted until noon the next day.

In the morning, as soon as Su Ruo opened her eyes, she saw An'an staring up with big wide eyes, lying at the bedside looking at her, just as when she first saw An'an.

Su Ruo embraced the little rice ball in her arms; the feeling of having regained what was lost made her cherish this daughter all the more.

Su Ruo saw Zhou Feng again three days later; his beard was unkempt and he looked very fatigued.

He said: After Bai Xinya jumped from the train, she fell into a coma and has not awakened to this day; doctors could find no cause, only saying that the patient's will to live was too weak, which is why she refuses to wake up.

Zhou Feng knew his wife did not want to live; he had tried every method these past days, but finding himself at a dead end, he came to seek Su Ruo.

Zhou Feng produced a thousand dollars and a property deed, placing them before Su Ruo, and said: "Su Ruo, I know this matter was my wife's wrongdoing, but I still beg you—could you let An'an meet Xinya? Just one meeting would suffice; I guarantee An'an will suffer no harm."

"No!" Su Ruo directly refused him, her attitude firm with no room for compromise.

Zhou Feng had already anticipated that Su Ruo would not agree, so he was not surprised at all, and continued: "Actually, Xinya's kidnapping of An'an was due to someone's deception and instigation; I have investigated, and the power behind that person is considerable, and it is clearly aimed at you and An'an."

"Since they could do this once, they will certainly do it again; with your current strength, you are simply no match for them."

"I promise you, if you let An'an help Xinya get through this ordeal, our Zhou and Bai Families will, even if we incur a debt to you, spare no expense to keep you safe."

Zhou Feng knew that negotiating with Su Ruo under these circumstances was taking advantage of her vulnerability, which is despicable, but he had no other recourse.

Su Ruo's lips curled into a cold arc: "Thank you for the warning, but I will never use my own daughter as a bargaining chip."

Although Zhou Feng had braced himself mentally before coming, hearing Su Ruo's refusal in person still left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

Just then, An'an walked out, she took Su Ruo's hand and said: "Mom, I am willing to go see that aunt."

An'an was naturally precocious; after the kidnapping incident, she seemed to have grown up all at once. An'an knew someone wanted to harm her and her mother, and the man before her could protect them. Previously, it was always her mother protecting her; now it was her turn to protect her mother.