Сhаpter 24: Мееting Нim Sоoner*
Was it gооd or not?
Хu Jinhuan’s throаt fеlt аs if it wеrе stuffеd with sandрареr, chokеd up and unable tо uttеr whethеr it wаs “gооd” оr “not gооd.”
Тhis emotiоn wаs so рure, sincerе, and bеautiful, as if Wen Yu hаd laid bаre his еntirе heart, рresenting it to hеr withоut rеsеrvation.
Хu Jinhuаn’s hеаrt burned with warmth, уet it wаs even mоre ovеrwhelmed bу a bitter sensе оf infеrioritу.
Мr. Wen shouldn’t like hеr.
Tеаrs as largе as beаns uncоntrоllаbly slid dоwn her fair сheeks, silеntlу disаppearing into her hair befоrе finally soaking intо thе pillow, leаving а large, damp stain.
When Zhang Yonggang had verbally insulted, cursed, and beaten her, she hadn’t cried.
When she tightly clutched sharp shards of glass, her palms cut and bleeding profusely, facing life and death, she still hadn’t cried.
But now, confronted with this pure confession, all of Xu Jinhuan’s feelings of inferiority, helplessness, and emotion transformed into a flood of tears, surging forth uncontrollably.
The girl bit her lower lip, crying silently like this, quiet and restrained.
It was as if Wen Yu’s old heart had been tossed into a washing machine, churned over and over again.
“Don’t cry…” Wen Yu gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes.
“Huanhuan looks most beautiful when she smiles.”
Xu Jinhuan lifted her head, her vision blurred by tears, but she still tried her best to see Wen Yu’s face clearly.
Wen Yu pretended to be troubled, “If the doctor comes in later, he’ll surely scold me harshly.”
Only then did Xu Jinhuan break into a smile through her tears, her eyes still red as she spoke up for Wen Yu, “I’m fine… it’s not your fault… I’ll tell the doctor, he won’t scold you…”
The hospital had investments from the Wen Group, with billions in medical equipment—who would dare scold the benefactor?
But the girl’s earnestness still softened Wen Yu’s heart.
He tucked Xu Jinhuan’s hands under the blanket, “If you’re tired, sleep for a while. I’ll be right here, I won’t leave.”
Xu Jinhuan’s eyelashes were still adorned with glistening teardrops, slightly lowered, trembling faintly, “Aren’t you curious about who that man was? And whether what he said… is true or false?”
Wen Yu’s voice was gentle yet firm, “I’m not curious, and the truth doesn’t matter.”
Wen Yu wasn’t being insincere.
He truly didn’t care.
Just a piece of trash—given the scars on the girl’s body, he would make him repay it a thousandfold, ten thousandfold.
As for the filthy words that man had spoken, if Wen Yu had wanted to investigate, as early as the first time he met the girl, with just one word, every detail about her would have been laid out before him.
But Wen Yu hadn’t done that.
He didn’t need to use any means to probe into her past. He would wait for the day she was willing to open her heart to him and hear her say it herself.
“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. Rest well, recovering your health is what matters most.”
Xu Jinhuan took the initiative to hold Wen Yu’s hand, her gaze resolute, “No, I want to talk.”
“I’m willing to tell you.”
Even if Mr. Wen might feel disgusted after hearing it, or even withdraw his affection, she had prepared herself mentally.
Wen Yu helped the girl sit up, carefully stacking the pillows higher so she could lean back more comfortably.
He poured some warm water and brought it to the girl’s lips, watching as she slowly drank.
“Take your time, no rush, and don’t get too emotional.”
Under Wen Yu’s gentle gaze, those memories that had once tormented her seemed to become less difficult to speak of.
Xu Jinhuan fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“I believe you’ve heard it too. My original name was Fang Niandi, and I have three older sisters…”She recounted the situation exactly as she had told the police back then.
Xu Jinhuan lowered her eyes slightly. “When I was five years old, I was sold to Zhang Yonggang…”
She smiled self-deprecatingly. “Six hundred and fifty yuan—not even worth as much as a pig back then.”
How cheap a human life could be…
But in their desolate, impoverished village, that price was considered high.
Buying a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl meant she could work and bear sons, but Xu Jinhuan was still very young at the time. Raising her would require a lot of food.
However, she was simply too beautiful, standing out among the grimy-faced children like a porcelain doll.
For the sake of their precious heir, the Zhang family gritted their teeth and paid the price, even snatching two geese from the Fang family on their way out.
“At the Fang family, my older sisters looked out for me, so I managed to survive. But after going to the Zhang family…”
Thinking of those unbearable memories, Xu Jinhuan’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
No one knew how terrified she was that first night when she saw a lecherous, overweight man on the bed. She had resisted, screamed, but the Zhang family all tacitly approved of Zhang Yonggang’s actions, turning a blind eye to her struggles and cries. They even encouraged him on how to “play” with women.
Even though she was just a child at the time.
To survive, Xu Jinhuan didn’t resist outright. Instead, she swallowed her disgust and coaxed Zhang Yonggang, calling him “brother,” trying her best to appear obedient and well-behaved, barely securing a brief period of peace.
But as she grew older, this tactic no longer worked.
By the time Xu Jinhuan was eight, Zhang Yonggang was nearly an adult, at an age full of impulses.
Though he was still somewhat placated, his actions grew increasingly impatient… The disgusting incidents were too numerous to count.
Repeatedly brushed off and rejected, Zhang Yonggang sensed Xu Jinhuan’s resistance. He threatened her viciously, and when threats failed, he resorted to beatings.
But Xu Jinhuan was stubborn too, holding her ground, preferring death over submission.
She would rather bite her tongue, slam her head against the wall, cut her wrists, or call the police—anything to keep him from touching her.
After that, being brutally beaten every few days became the norm.
After enduring this for over half a year, battered and broken, Xu Jinhuan finally escaped that living hell with the help of her eldest sister.
A warmth spread over the back of her hand as Wen Yu’s large palm covered it.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s all in the past now.”
“That beast will never leave prison in this lifetime, I promise.” His tone was gentle, but his eyes held a chilling glint.
Given Qian Du’s efficiency, the body was likely already feeding sharks in the Pacific by now.
But such a bloody matter need not be shared with the girl, lest she have nightmares.
Wen Yu asked, “What about your ear?”
Xu Jinhuan’s fingertips brushed her left ear, which could no longer hear. Her gaze grew distant.
“My so-called father hit me. At first, it was just tinnitus and muffled hearing, but I never received treatment. Later, when I resisted Zhang Yonggang’s attempted rape, he struck me deaf…”
Xu Jinhuan thought of something and pressed her lips together. “Mr. Wen, I truly was never defiled by him. Do you believe me?”
Wen Yu replied without hesitation, “I believe you.”
His certainty left Xu Jinhuan momentarily stunned.
She looked at Wen Yu, his gaze pure and filled with unreserved trust.
Wen Yu said, “Even if it had happened, it wouldn’t matter, Huanhuan. A woman’s virtue is never defined by what lies beneath her skirt. It wouldn’t have been your fault. You’ve already been strong enough, brave enough.””You are a person, not an object. You don’t become ‘dirty’ because of anything external. Huanhuan has always been beautiful.”
Her eyes, clear as glass, regained their brightness. Xu Jinhuan looked steadily at Wen Yu.
At that moment, a strong sense of regret and longing surged within her.
If only she had met him sooner.
“…May I hug you?”
Wen Yu opened his arms. “Of course.”
Xu Jinhuan buried her head in Wen Yu’s embrace, her fingers clutching his clothes, trembling uncontrollably.
It was as if all her grievances, fears, and despair had found an outlet. The bitterness in her heart mingled with tears, falling onto his clothes.
His tall frame enveloped the girl in his arms, and Wen Yu gently cradled the back of her head with his hand.
“Cry. Let it all out today, and then never think about it again.”