Chapter 424 – Lin Wangshu’s Fate
Evening, in the small courtyard.
After dinner and washing up, Xu Fanghua sat in the living room, gazing at the light drizzle outside and occasionally glancing toward the gate in the distance.
Mother Song saw this scene and couldn’t help but sigh.
Ever since Ningning went to Hong Kong for her internship, Fanghua had been sitting here whenever she had free time over the past few days.
At first, Mother Song thought Fanghua was just resting, but later she realized that Fanghua was looking toward the gate, waiting for Ningning to return.
Mother Song found this puzzling.
Wasn’t Ningning’s internship in Hong Kong a good thing?
So why did Fanghua look so worried?
She wanted to ask, but feared that it might add to Fanghua’s concerns, so she chose to say nothing.
But…
Fanghua had already been sitting there for more than an hour. The rain, mixed with wind, was starting to blow inside a bit.
Mother Song was worried that if she continued sitting there, she might catch a cold.
So she couldn’t help but step forward and say, “Fanghua, why don’t you move inside a bit or go back to your room? The wind is blowing the rain in, and if you catch a cold, it wouldn’t be good.”
Her mother-in-law’s concern brought Xu Fanghua back to her senses.
She knew that since she was pregnant, it was best not to fall ill; it wouldn’t be good for her or the baby.
But still…
She wondered how Ningning was doing now and when she would come back.
“Mom, I’ll go back to my room.”
“Alright.”
Xu Fanghua thought she should change her clothes. Although they weren’t wet, they seemed to have absorbed some moisture, and it wouldn’t be good to wear them for too long.
She went back to her room and began closing the door to change clothes.
As she was changing, she seemed to hear her mother-in-law talking outside, and also the sound of a door opening.
Xu Fanghua paused for a moment, then smiled wryly.
Lately, she had been having these auditory hallucinations whenever she was in her room. Each time, she would go out to check, thinking that Ningning had returned.
But each time, she was met with disappointment…
There was no sign of that familiar figure.
Actually, she didn’t need Ningning to come back right away; she just wanted to know that Ningning was safe.
However, she hadn’t heard a single word about her.
“Ningning, you must be safe,” Xu Fanghua murmured as she finished changing her clothes.
At that moment, her door suddenly creaked, as if someone had opened it from the outside.
“Mom, is there something you need?” Xu Fanghua thought it was her mother-in-law and turned to ask.
But when she saw who was standing at the door, she was momentarily stunned.
Then she mumbled, “Am I not only hearing things now, but also seeing things? I actually think I see Ningning coming back.”
When Xu Jinning had opened the door and heard her sister’s words about her safety, her heart had already tightened with emotion.
Now, hearing her sister’s disbelief, she knew that over the past few days, her sister must have missed her terribly.
Xu Jinning couldn’t hold back any longer; her eyes reddened. If it weren’t for the fact that she had just come in from the dampness outside and didn’t want to bring any of the moisture to her pregnant sister, she would have rushed forward and hugged her immediately.
“Big sister, I’m back,” Xu Jinning said.
Xu Fanghua, still in a bit of a daze, muttered, “Now even this hallucination is talking?”
Xu Jinning couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She walked straight over to her sister and stood right in front of her. “Big sister, I really am back. If you don’t believe me, you can touch me.”
With some hesitation, Xu Fanghua reached out and touched Xu Jinning’s face, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin.
Her eyes brightened. “Ningning, you really are back?”
Xu Jinning smiled and replied, “Yes, big sister, I’m really back. I’ve returned safely and I’m not leaving again.”
“Really back, really back…” Xu Fanghua murmured as tears started streaming down her face.
She immediately went forward and hugged Xu Jinning.
Xu Jinning hurriedly said, “Big sister, please don’t hug me right now. I just came back from outside and I’m damp.”
But Xu Fanghua ignored her and held her tightly.
Xu Jinning sighed softly, feeling somewhat helpless. But this was her elder sister, and what could she do? She could only indulge her.
However, Xu Fanghua did listen to her words. After the hug, she held Xu Jinning’s hand and noticed it was quite cold.
She quickly said, “Why are your hands so cold? You came back in the rain. What if you get drenched and catch a cold?”
“Don’t worry about it. I missed my big sister. Even if it was a storm, I would still come back.”
Xu Fanghua reached out and tapped her forehead, with a mix of helplessness and affection, saying, “You…”
“Well, it’s good that you’re back safely.”
“There’s hot water at home. Go take a shower first. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Then after your shower, come out and eat.”
“…”
Afterward, Xu Fanghua kept chatting. Whenever she asked something, Xu Jinning answered. She didn’t find it annoying at all; in fact, she quite enjoyed the constant chatter.
After taking a shower and eating, Xu Jinning sat in a chair and felt completely relaxed.
Xu Fanghua sat next to her quietly, creating a sense of peace and tranquility.
After a while, she asked, “Did you come back because you finished your business?”
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Are you staying for good now?”
“Yes, I’m staying.”
“That’s good, that’s good…” Xu Fanghua’s face slowly broke into a smile.
She only asked these things and didn’t inquire further.
This seemed to be the mutual understanding between Xu Jinning and her family.
Asking fewer questions was a way to offer Xu Jinning more protection.
As long as she was confirmed to be safe, that was all that mattered.
Everything else was secondary.
Xu Jinning was also reflecting on the events of the day.
After boarding the ship that morning, everything had gone smoothly.
By evening, they had arrived at the port, though it was raining lightly here.
Lin Wangshu had been taken away by someone sent by Grandpa Xie. Before leaving, Xu Jinning had confirmed that Lin Wangshu would be taken away to discuss how to arrange her future.
Lin Wangshu wouldn’t be in any immediate danger; she would have freedom afterward, though it might be under surveillance or protection.
The goal was to prevent Shen Huai from sending people to the mainland to abduct Lin Wangshu.
Xu Jinning also inquired with Xie Ting’an about the possible outcomes for Lin Wangshu.
Xie Ting’an explained that since the matter hadn’t been reported further up, it wouldn’t be handled with much publicity.
Lin Wangshu was now an ordinary person, her “protagonist halo” no longer valid. The only concern was that Shen Huai might become desperate and attempt to abduct her.
Therefore, the most likely outcome for Lin Wangshu was to return to her parents in Haishi and continue living there. However, she would live under surveillance or protection for the rest of her life, until Shen Huai was dead.
Xu Jinning understood this and said no more.
She wasn’t particularly interested in Lin Wangshu’s situation. Although the grudges from the past life were over, and Xu Jinwen had killed her in the previous life, there was no way she could develop a better relationship with Lin Wangshu.
