If he hadn’t seen the photos Mu Chengyu’s people posted in the Tang Dynasty Club’s internal WeChat group last night, they might not have found Su Ning so quickly.
That would have meant Su Ning would have been…
Assistant Song truly didn’t dare to imagine, only knowing that Su Ning was the woman Li Boyan had officially married. Regardless of what feelings Li Boyan held for Su Ning,
She was a woman bearing Li Boyan’s mark. Even if Master Li didn’t want her anymore, she wasn’t someone anyone could casually play with.
Especially Mu Chengyu—he had no right whatsoever!
Thinking of this, Assistant Song’s voice gained conviction.
“Master Li, rest assured. This time, I’ll definitely make Mu Chengyu beg you on his knees!”
Inside the Li Manor.
After Li Boyan left, Su Ning, who had been very tired, found herself unable to sleep.
She sat on the plush carpet, tightly clutching Nian Nian’s chubby little hand, never daring to let go.
Her gloomy gaze remained fixed on the child’s delicate face.
Her already battered heart felt as if being gnawed by ten thousand ants again, tormenting her with excruciating pain!
She didn’t know what awaited her in the future.
She only knew that Nian Nian must be utterly disappointed in her, and she had never intended to hurt Nian Nian.
In fact, she had always felt grateful toward her.
She hadn’t forgotten how unbearable life in prison had been.
During countless painful nights, when she was hungry and thirsty, missing Qin Muye, she would occasionally think of Nian Nian too.
Although she didn’t know her name was Nian Nian then, that heart-melting cry of “Mommy” had been like a beam of light in her life.
It made her realize that in her desperate existence, besides Qin Muye, there was another person who depended on her.
Even though she had never acknowledged being her mother, she had unconsciously accepted this unexpected “daughter” who fell from the sky.
But why did they have to be in this kind of relationship?!
The thought made her heart feel as if being sliced by knives.
Just then, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Zheng Qiuyun walked in with cat-like steps.
The moment Su Ning turned and saw Zheng Qiuyun, she recalled having her hair pulled in the hospital, instantly shuddering all over.
She abruptly stood up from the floor, hanging her head, lacking the courage to look at Zheng Qiuyun.
Like a child who had done something wrong, her voice was very soft: “Madam Li.”
Zheng Qiuyun stopped menacingly in front of Su Ning, venomous words immediately pouring forth:
“You’re the one who insisted on staying, you bitch, so don’t blame me for being harsh!
You killed my daughter-in-law. I’ll make you pay with blood!”
With that, she called Shen Muyao and the butler in. “Come, give her the family law punishment!”
At her command, the butler and several helpers Zheng Qiuyun had brought from her villa entered together.
As if prearranged by Zheng Qiuyun, they entered without a word, immediately restraining Su Ning’s body, then suspending her hair from the ceiling.
It was exactly like the ancient hair-suspension torture.
Yet throughout this process, Su Ning didn’t make a single sound, because Nian Nian was sleeping, and she didn’t want to wake her.
And because she felt deeply guilty!
She could only stand straight on the ground, enduring the punishment inflicted by Zheng Qiuyun’s people.
Zheng Qiuyun looked at Su Ning with a triumphant smile.
“It seems you’re quite perceptive, knowing my granddaughter is asleep and must not be disturbed.”
Shen Muyao chimed in gleefully, “So, Su Ning, you’d better keep your mouth shut all night without making a sound. If you wake my niece, you’ll regret it!”
Zheng Qiuyun added another jab, “Su Ning, don’t you dare resent me. Let me tell you, my granddaughter has sleepwalking—she often gets up in the middle of the night and does dangerous things.
So, since you’ve decided to take care of her, you have to guard her this way to prevent you from accidentally falling asleep. If my granddaughter sleepwalks and wakes up, she might get scalded or run away!”
Zheng Qiuyun had already investigated thoroughly: her granddaughter’s sudden disappearance from the hospital was entirely due to Su Ning’s negligence.
Naturally, she intended to make Su Ning pay for this oversight!
Su Ning knew it was true that Nian Nian had sleepwalking, but Zheng Qiuyun’s use of such cruel methods wasn’t entirely for Nian Nian’s sake.
These high-sounding words were merely a pretext to exploit Nian Nian’s condition and exact revenge on her.
Yet, Su Ning had no power to refute. She knew full well that arguing with Zheng Qiuyun now would surely wake Nian Nian.
And if Li Boyan got involved, it would only lead to more entanglement.
She didn’t want to owe Li Boyan anything—the slap from this morning was already enough to weigh on her conscience.
She owed Li Boyan’s wife a life, and she didn’t want to drag him into endless conflicts with his mother because of her.
She had endured the torture in prison—the searing hot brand pressed into her back, the cold surgical blades removing four of her ribs—what couldn’t she endure now?
Su Ning understood clearly: Zheng Qiuyun was just like Sister Hua in prison, using ruthless tactics solely to inflict pain.
As long as she gritted her teeth and endured everything, the matter would eventually settle.
Most importantly, she was merely a sinner in this household—she had no right to cry out in pain!
So, even though Su Ning knew this was a form of cruel punishment aimed at her, she accepted it willingly.
“Su Ning, you murderer, remember this: you’re not allowed to sleep tonight. Keep a close watch on my granddaughter!”
“Auntie, this is like the ‘hair suspension’ torture. I doubt Su Ning has the nerve to doze off, but if she accidentally falls asleep, she’ll be a bald nun by morning.”
The cursed words echoed in her ears again, but Su Ning could no longer process them. All she felt was the rope tied to her hair tightening bit by bit.
Her scalp had already gone numb from the pulling.
Zheng Qiuyun and Shen Muyao watched Su Ning’s expression shift clearly—
Seeing her pale and motionless, suppressing tears, Zheng Qiuyun felt immense satisfaction and left with Shen Muyao.
Su Ning stood silently on the ground, her gaze fixed straight ahead. To alleviate the pain in her scalp, she even rose onto her tiptoes.
She maintained that standing posture for a long time, but before long, she couldn’t hold it anymore. The moment she flattened her feet, the rope from the ceiling yanked hard on her hair.
A heart-wrenching pain shot through her scalp, making every nerve in her body tremble.
The agony made her want to scream.
But she clenched her back teeth tightly, not letting out the slightest sound.
Her stubborn yet desolate gaze remained fixed on the sleeping Nian Nian, while she repeated to herself incessantly:
“Su Ning, this is what you owe Nian Nian.”
Su Ning was no delicate flower to be trampled upon—it was merely the weight of guilt that kept her from fighting back.