Free Web NovelChapter 262: Chapter 262: Hard Feelings
Mrs. Tang was finally sentenced and sent to prison.
Su Li should have felt relieved, should have been overjoyed, but she wasn’t.
Mrs. Tang was paying the price for her actions, but Little Tang Mo still wasn’t well.
He had been officially receiving treatment for over half a month, but Little Tang Mo still couldn’t speak.
Su Li followed the doctor’s instructions to the letter, not daring to miss a single detail. She worked hard every single day, but it wasn’t helping much.
Little Tang Mo was still the same.
His habit of being easily startled had improved somewhat. With Su Li making his favorite foods every day, his nutrition was gradually improving, and the color had returned to his face.
But Little Tang Mo’s emotional block was still there.
He was still closed off. Even if Su Li talked to him all day, she was met with only silence.
He didn’t even smile.
He still wouldn’t smile, remaining silent and distant.
Even though Mrs. Tang was locked up, Little Tang Mo was the same as ever. How could Su Li possibly feel happy?
Su Li held Little Tang Mo, hugging him for several minutes.
Wu Sheng sat to the side and patted Su Li’s shoulder.
He offered her silent comfort.
It was nearly evening by the time they got back from the courthouse. Wu Sheng had been held up for another day, and after seeing them to their building’s entrance, he had to leave.
"Stay and have dinner before you go."
Su Li said quickly.
"I have something to take care of, so I don’t have time." Wu Sheng smiled. "Don’t worry. I’ll take a rain check. I promise I’ll be back for it."
"Okay." Su Li nodded vigorously.
"I’m off." Wu Sheng ruffled Little Tang Mo’s hair. "Little Point, I’m leaving." ƒreewebɳovel.com
Wu Sheng left in a hurry. Su Li stood downstairs, watching him go.
She stood there for a long while without moving, until Little Tang Mo tugged on the corner of her clothes.
"Is Little Mo hungry? Let’s go."
Su Li took Little Tang Mo home and hurried to make dinner.
Late that night, after Little Tang Mo fell asleep, Su Li got up and went to the living room.
She sat in the dark living room, thinking for a long time.
Su Li didn’t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.
Tang Yuanxiao, however, didn’t sleep at all.
He had followed Mrs. Tang to the women’s prison in the suburbs and watched as she was locked away.
He stood at the prison gates for the entire night.
He returned to the family compound at the crack of dawn.
The weather was getting colder, and Mrs. Tang wasn’t in good health. He packed up her luggage and bedding for her. Just as he picked it up and was about to head out, he saw Qin Shanshan standing at the door.
Tang Yuanxiao’s brows furrowed slightly.
"Brother Tang, are you okay?" Qin Shanshan asked with concern, her eyes red.
Tang Yuanxiao stared at Qin Shanshan with a cold expression, not saying a word.
"I went to the courthouse yesterday, but I couldn’t get in. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from crying, so I left early."
Qin Shanshan lowered her head and wiped away a tear. "I didn’t expect the sentence to be so harsh. I never thought it would turn out like this..."
"If only I had been a little more perceptive and noticed something was wrong sooner, I could have stopped it."
She lowered her head, hiding the delight in her eyes.
’Little Tang Mo isn’t Tang Yuanxiao’s biological son. Cui Yun and Tang Yuanxiao weren’t a real couple. Su Li and Tang Yuanxiao are divorced, and Mrs. Tang is in prison. Tang Yuanxiao is so vulnerable right now—it’s the perfect time to comfort him and win my way into his heart!’
Qin Shanshan had waited so long, and her chance had finally come.
How could she not seize the opportunity to put on a show?
No matter what the army wives in the compound or other outsiders said, she was more convinced than ever that Tang Yuanxiao was a man worth entrusting her life to.
’He’s responsible, filial, loyal, and righteous. If I can be with him, I’ll be set for life, never having to worry about him changing his mind or turning bad.’
Tang Yuanxiao was naturally a man of few words, so Qin Shanshan didn’t mind his silence.
She held out the food container she was carrying.
"Brother Tang, I just made this. Take it with you for Auntie. I made all her favorite dishes. I hope she’ll eat a little, so she doesn’t wear her body down."
"That’s not necessary." Tang Yuanxiao finally spoke, only to refuse her.
Tang Yuanxiao didn’t know that Little Tang Mo had once pleaded with Qin Shanshan for help, only to be deliberately ignored.
But he knew what kind of person Qin Shanshan was. She used to be inseparable from Mrs. Tang, so her claim that she hadn’t noticed anything unusual didn’t convince him.
Tang Yuanxiao had no expectations of Qin Shanshan, so he couldn’t say he hated her.
But his growing disgust was unavoidable.
He had already repaid the favor of her saving Mrs. Tang before. Now, Tang Yuanxiao wanted nothing more to do with her.
"My mom isn’t here anymore. You shouldn’t come by if you don’t need anything. It’s not convenient."
Tang Yuanxiao said, holding out a hand. "I need to lock the door."
Tang Yuanxiao’s voice was flat, his tone frigid.
Hearing this, Qin Shanshan felt a flicker of unease.
"I... I didn’t mean... Brother Tang, no matter what, we’re from the same village. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I already feel guilty enough for not being able to help, so I just wanted to do what I could, like making a meal..."
Qin Shanshan didn’t move, biting her lip as tears welled up.
"Seeing Auntie like this... it breaks my heart, too. I just wanted to comfort you, to help you a little..."
Qin Shanshan placed the food container on the ground, then ran off, crying with her head down.
Tang Yuanxiao took a deep breath, shut the door without a word, and nudged the food container on the ground outside the doorway.
After going to the women’s prison, Tang Yuanxiao made his way to the Imperial City.
He went to look for Su Li, but unfortunately, after knocking for a long time, no one opened the door.
Su Li wasn’t home.
Tang Yuanxiao went downstairs and asked the old security guard. He heard that Su Li had gone out with Little Tang Mo, so after some thought, he decided to look for them at the hospital.
And Su Li and Little Tang Mo were indeed at the hospital.
She had brought Little Tang Mo for a follow-up appointment.
After examining Little Tang Mo, the doctor had him play with some toys to the side while he spoke with Su Li in low voices.
The doctor had also tried everything he could think of for Little Tang Mo’s recovery, testing nearly every suitable method.
But it wasn’t working.
The effect was minimal.
The doctor looked grim.
The optimal period for Little Tang Mo’s treatment and recovery had passed. No miracle had occurred, and the future outlook...
The doctor didn’t have to say it; Su Li already knew.
They had had this conversation before.
In the end, the doctor could only tell her to keep trying, and changed the follow-up appointments from twice a week to once a week.
Su Li’s heart was heavy, and she was busy with Little Tang Mo, so she didn’t notice Tang Yuanxiao.
Due to various matters, Tang Yuanxiao had seen Little Tang Mo only a handful of times before.
Because Little Tang Mo was afraid of him too, he didn’t approach them. Instead, he followed from a distance, taking the chance to just watch.
Su Li’s efforts, Little Tang Mo’s cold detachment—Tang Yuanxiao watched it all with a complex expression on his face.
He followed Su Li and Little Tang Mo all the way back, then sat quietly in the stairwell for nearly an hour before finally knocking on the door.
When Su Li opened the door and saw Tang Yuanxiao, she wasn’t surprised at all.
Even if he hadn’t come, she probably would have sought him out for a talk.
For no other reason than the matter of Little Tang Mo’s custody.
And Tang Yuanxiao had come for the same reason, in addition to seeing Little Tang Mo.
Su Li and Tang Yuanxiao looked at each other at the doorway. Both felt that so much had changed between them, and they averted their gazes after just a single glance.
"My mom is in prison now. After a lesson like this, she will absolutely never do it again."
Tang Yuanxiao spoke first.
"Su Li, I will raise Momo well, no matter what his condition is in the future... I want to slowly get close to him, so he can accept me sooner."
Su Li was silent for a moment before looking at Tang Yuanxiao and speaking.
"Tang Yuanxiao, now that things have come to this, do you really... not have any reservations about Little Mo in your heart?"
