“Auntie, Auntie—look, quick!” Shen Fuyao hurriedly reached out and shook Dongfang Huaiyu.
Dongfang Huaiyu was still immersed in the grief that her son might remain unconscious forever. She had her head lowered, wiping away tears. When Shen Fuyao pushed her, she looked up in a daze.
“Fuyao… what is it? What am I looking at?”
“Auntie, Brother Dongfang has woken up. I’ll go call the doctor,” Shen Fuyao replied.The security personnel were no match for her, but right now, she needed to get a doctor over immediately to check on Dongfang Yunqi.
“Don’t—don’t go.”Dongfang Yunqi’s voice sounded hoarse and urgent.
“Fuyao, come here first. Yunqi seems to have something he wants to say.”A mother knows her child best. One look at her son’s eyes, and Dongfang Huaiyu knew he had something important to tell Shen Fuyao.
Shen Fuyao walked over and looked closely at Dongfang Yunqi. His features were sharp and well-defined, his nose bridge high and straight. There was a faint scar above his left eyebrow—not noticeable enough to detract from his looks. If anything, it added a touch of heroic ruggedness.
“Yunqi, Mom will go call the doctor. Whatever you have to say, take your time and tell Fuyao,” Dongfang Huaiyu said as she stood up, about to open the door.
Just then, the security personnel caught up.
“Sir, this woman colluded with bandits. We’re taking her back for interrogation.”
They didn’t know Dongfang Yunqi’s true rank. They only knew he was an officer. Judging by his age—twenty-seven or twenty-eight at most—they guessed he was a battalion or regimental commander. They showed him some respect, but not enough to stop them from trying to seize Shen Fuyao.
“Get out.”Dongfang Yunqi’s voice was fierce.
Though he was still lying in bed, his presence was overwhelming. With just one sharp look, the security personnel instantly shrank back, cowed.
“Cough—cough—”After shouting, Dongfang Yunqi coughed weakly twice. Forcing himself to stay alert, he said to Dongfang Huaiyu,“Mom, seven years ago, Fuyao saved my life. You must protect her.”
Dongfang Huaiyu hadn’t known about this, but she still nodded.“Even if you hadn’t said so, I would. But my abilities are limited. You’re a division commander—only if you personally protect her will she truly be safe.”
After all, colluding with bandits was a serious accusation. If the investigators refused to believe Dongfang Huaiyu’s testimony and insisted on detaining Shen Fuyao, things would become very troublesome.
“What are you standing around for? Go in there and arrest her!”Xia Yulan’s sharp voice rang out from outside the door.
“Comrade Xia, there’s a military officer inside who ordered us to leave,” one of the security personnel replied.
“Hmph. What kind of officer? Is he more important than my father?”Xia Yulan rudely shoved the door open. “Go in there and arrest her.”
“I’d like to see who dares!” Shen Fuyao snapped coldly.“On what grounds are you arresting me?”
“Zhuo’er already said you colluded with bandits. Are you still trying to argue your way out of it? Children don’t lie,” Xia Yulan said as she dragged Wang Zhuo’er inside, with Wang Chaoying following behind.
Xia Yulan felt that Wang Daren and his wife, along with Wang Chaomei, were nothing but a hindrance and an embarrassment here. She had already sent them back to the family compound with Wang Caifeng.
“Who says children don’t lie?” Shen Fuyao sneered.“If the parents are black-hearted and shameless, then what they give birth to is naturally rotten to the core. What kind of decent thing could Wang Zhuo’er—a bastard child—possibly be?”
Wang Chaoying and Xia Yulan’s faces flushed red, then turned pale with rage. Xia Yulan in particular was so furious her chest heaved violently. Grinding her teeth, she barked orders at the patrol team:
“Hurry up and drag this cheap woman away. Lock her up in solitary confinement for three days and three nights first, then interrogate her. I want to see how long she can hold out—whether she’ll even last a single day.”