Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

’He actually guessed right!’

”Heh, it’s quite simple. I made an enemy of the Guo Family in Jincheng City and have a grudge against their Guo Dongmei. In a way, you’re also an enemy who can make trouble for me. So when it was inconvenient for the Guo Family to deal with me directly, they had your family transferred back here to disgust me. That’s always been Guo Dongmei’s MO,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a cold, mocking smile. ”I’ve made myself clear. You should understand better than I do.”

”Yes, I understand,” Zhao Jinghai nodded. ”You’ve truly grown to a point where I can no longer touch you. Since you know the Guo Family is after you, I can leave with some peace of mind. Although I despise you and your brother, I know your mother would be devastated if something happened to you. That’s why I came to tell you this before I leave.”

’If you were really so afraid of making Mother sad, then what about all those things you did in my past life, Zhao Jinghai?’

’Hypocritical. Disgusting!’

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t believe a single word Zhao Jinghai said. ’Does he think I’ll be moved to tears with gratitude just because he came to tell me the Guo Family is out to get me?’

’No, absolutely not.’

”Heh, even if you tell me, I won’t thank you,” Zhao Nuanyue said in a low voice. ”If you still want Zhao Yu to have a complete family, then don’t get too close to the Guo Family. That’s all I have to say. Whether you listen or not is up to you!”

Zhao Jinghai understood Zhao Nuanyue’s meaning and nodded. ”Yes. When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. I’m just a disposable pawn. So it might be for the best that Hua Yusen is sending me to such a remote place this time. I can finally live a peaceful life.”

’A peaceful life?’

’What a joke!’

Zhao Nuanyue believed this line even less. Zhao Jinghai was obsessed with climbing the ladder; how could he possibly be content in some remote backwater?

’He’s just saying all this to trick me, hoping I’ll soften up. He wants me to, for my mother’s sake, have Hua Yusen pull some strings to bring him back and get him a promotion in a few years, once my anger has subsided.’

”Let’s hope so,” Zhao Nuanyue said. ”Is there anything else? If not, you can go. Mother will be staying here with us for a while.”

Zhao Jinghai’s heart clenched. A new worry surfaced: if Xia Yingyu didn’t go back with him, he would truly lose everything—both his wife and his prospects.

’Then again, maybe this is for the best. As long as Zhao Nuanyue genuinely cares for Xia Yingyu, my future plans won’t all be for naught.’

However, seeing that Zhao Nuanyue was growing impatient and no longer wanted to talk, he had to concede. His goal for this visit—to improve his relationship with Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang—hadn’t been achieved. But at least they were on speaking terms now. He could only nod and say, ”Alright, then. We leave the day after tomorrow. I’ll come pick them up tomorrow evening.”

”Mm,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded, then gestured toward the door, a clear sign for him to leave.

When Zhao Nuanyue returned to the backyard, Xia Yingyu looked behind her. Seeing no sign of Zhao Jinghai, she sighed softly.

’My daughter really hasn’t forgiven Zhao Jinghai!’

’Ah, well. That kind of pain... my daughter will never forget it in her lifetime, so of course she won’t forgive Zhao Jinghai.’

’After what Zhao Jinghai did, I absolutely cannot speak up for him. It would break my daughter’s and son’s hearts.’

”Mom, I heard you’re leaving the day after tomorrow. I told Zhao Jinghai you’d stay here for the night and that he could come pick you up tomorrow evening.” Zhao Nuanyue spoke first, not wanting to hear Zhao Jinghai’s name from her mother’s lips.

Xia Yingyu was taken aback for a moment, but then she nodded and smiled. ”Alright. We haven’t had a proper get-together in over two years. Since our family is all here today, I’ll make you all something delicious to celebrate.”

”Okay!” Zhao Nuanyue beamed. The house was well-stocked with things Hua Yusen had sent over—chicken, fish, meat, and eggs—plus they had plenty of vegetables from their own garden.

Xia Yingyu had also brought some things when she arrived, so mother and daughter set about preparing a sumptuous dinner.

As for the chubby little Zhao Yu, who had only just started walking, he had already become Little Red Carp’s little sidekick, and they were playing in the yard.

Although Zhao Nuan Yang wasn’t particularly fond of Zhao Yu, he couldn’t bring himself to dislike the boy when he saw those eyes, which looked so much like his mother’s.

He was his maternal half-brother, connected by blood.

When Xia Yingyu would occasionally step out of the kitchen, she would see Zhao Nuan Yang playing with her younger son and Little Red Carp, looking as happy and carefree as a child himself.

It was a smile Xia Yingyu had never seen on his face before.

’This is actually for the best,’ she thought. ’Forcing everyone to live together, with an old crone like Wang Lianhua around, on top of the barrier between my son and daughter and Zhao Jinghai... it’s much better for us to live apart.’

’Leaving the house to my son and daughter was absolutely the right decision.’

That evening, the table was laden with a feast, and the children were overjoyed.

It was cool outside, so they ate in the yard.

Xia Yingyu found it a bit strange. Looking around, she asked, ”I feel like there are no mosquitoes, small bugs, or moths in this yard. And it’s so cool.”

Little Red Carp grinned and pointed to the clusters of plants in the corner. ”That’s mosquito-repellent grass! If you plant that, you won’t get any mosquitoes or little bugs. And it’s cool because we live right by the lake!”

”How wonderful!” Xia Yingyu praised. This yard held both beautiful and painful memories for her.

Even after so many years, thoughts of her late husband, who had died in his prime, would keep her from sleeping at night.

Things had only gotten a little better after giving birth to Zhao Yu. With Zhao Jinghai’s care and affection, she had slowly begun to forget the agony and was able to face her past sorrows with a sense of peace.

”Yes, it’s a wonderful yard,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a soft laugh. She was holding Little Red Carp in her lap, while Xia Yingyu held the chubby little Zhao Yu in hers.

Zhao Nuan Yang sat a short distance away, preparing tea for his mother and sister.

”Nuanyue, Nuanyang, after I leave, I don’t know when we’ll be able to see each other again. I don’t ask for anything else, I just pray that you both stay safe and healthy,” Xia Yingyu said softly, gently patting her son, who had already fallen asleep in her arms.

”I will, Mom. You take care of yourself, too. And I’ll say it again: if Zhao Jinghai bullies you, you don’t have to put up with it.” Zhao Nuanyue didn’t want to say anything else to her mother. In this life, she just wanted her mother to be able to live for herself.

Xia Yingyu nodded. ”I’ll remember that. You said before that you were engaged to Hua Yusen, the man who saved you. Are you in love?”

”Very much so,” Zhao Nuanyue affirmed with a nod. ”For the rest of my life, it can only be him.”

Hearing this, Xia Yingyu faltered. Back then, when she and Zhao Xu had pledged their eternal love, she had said the same thing. But then Zhao Xu died, leaving her to live on in agony, raising two children all by herself. It had been so, so hard.

And while she didn’t entirely believe her daughter’s confident declaration, she knew that at this point, she could neither control her nor did she have any say in her choices.