Xu Shuining nodded firmly. Everything she had done was for the sake of severing her relationship with them.
“Good. Once you’re discharged, we’ll publish a statement in the newspaper officially cutting ties with them. If Xu Hongtao refuses, your uncle will make sure he loses his job and can no longer stay in Nancheng.”
The uncle and niece were still discussing the matter when her aunt returned to the hospital room with lunch.
“Auntie~”
Xu Shuining immediately turned to her with a sweet, spoiled tone.
Her aunt hurried over, set the lunch boxes on the table, then came to the bedside and took Xu Shuining’s hand, asking anxiously, “Ningning, you’re awake. Are you still feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
“You poor girl. How could you let those people bully you without telling us? How could their hearts be so cruel?”
Xu Shuining smiled at her. “Auntie, I’m much better now. Don’t worry.”
She then glanced at her uncle and raised her eyebrows, as if saying, See? Auntie just got here and the first thing she did was worry about me. And you only know how to scold me.
Her aunt caught the look and shot her husband an annoyed glare.
“Did you scold Ningning just now?”
Wen Mingyuan rubbed his nose guiltily.
“Of course not.”
As he spoke, he secretly glared at Xu Shuining. She simply turned her head away and pretended not to notice.
Xu Shuining had originally wanted to leave the hospital immediately, but her uncle and aunt refused to let her go. They insisted that she stay one more night for observation.
Unable to argue with them, Xu Shuining could only obediently agree.
She didn’t actually need to be hospitalized in the first place. There was nothing seriously wrong with her.
She had only pretended to faint. Although she had some bruises on her body, they weren’t severe.
All she needed was a bath in the spiritual spring inside her space, and she would be fine.
Her uncle stayed at the hospital with her for most of the day. That evening, her aunt made him go home while she stayed behind to keep Xu Shuining company.
The next morning, her uncle came to the hospital and took both his wife and Xu Shuining home.
Her grandfather had sent a car to pick them up and take them back to the military residential compound.
Her grandfather, Wen Chongshan, was the deputy commander of the Nancheng Military Region. The Wen family’s house was located roughly in the middle of the residential compound, and the three of them were driven straight to the front of the house.
The moment Xu Shuining got out of the car, the delicious aroma of food drifted over.
She couldn’t help sniffing.
“Your grandmother got up early this morning to prepare everything after she heard you were coming home from the hospital. She said she wanted to make all your favorite dishes.”
Hearing that, Xu Shuining felt her nose sting.
It had been so long since she had experienced what it felt like to have a home.
She followed her uncle quickly into the house.
Her grandfather, Wen Chongshan, was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. When he heard the commotion at the door, he lowered it and looked up.
“Ningning is back.”
He stood and walked over to welcome her.
Xu Shuining didn’t know what came over her. The moment she saw her grandfather, she suddenly felt terribly wronged.
“Grandpa.”
Her voice broke as she threw herself into his arms.
Her grandfather gently patted her back.
“Our Ningning has suffered.”
“You’re home now. Everything will be fine. Grandpa is here.”
Her grandmother, Su Huilan, heard the voices and hurried out of the kitchen.
“My precious girl, you’re finally home!”
“Grandma, I’ve missed you so much~”
Xu Shuining slipped out of her grandfather’s arms and threw herself into her grandmother’s embrace.
Seeing the tearful, pitiful-looking girl in her arms, Su Huilan’s heart ached.
“My darling, Grandma missed you too.”
“Why have you gotten so thin? How much suffering did you endure in the Xu family?”
She then turned around and gave her husband a fierce glare.
“This is all your fault! You’re already this old, yet you still had to quarrel with Ningning. Couldn’t you have been a little more forgiving? You let my precious girl get bullied by those people!”
Wen Chongshan lowered his head guiltily.
“Yes. It’s my fault.”
The grandfather and granddaughter were actually very similar in temperament. Both were stubborn and determined once they had made up their minds, and neither was willing to back down. That was why their relationship had become so strained.
Xu Shuining shook her head repeatedly when she heard her grandparents.
“No, it was Ningning who was immature before. I’ve seen their true colors now. I won’t be like that anymore. From now on, I’ll listen to Grandpa and Grandma.”
In no time, all three of them had tears in their eyes.
“Dad, Mom, Ningning hasn’t had a proper meal in two days. Let’s eat first.”
Her uncle coaxed them into going to the dining table. Whatever needed to be said could be discussed slowly after they ate.
Her grandmother finally came to her senses.
“Yes, yes, let’s eat first. Grandma made all your favorite dishes today.”
Xu Shuining sniffed and smiled.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
Her aunt went into the kitchen and brought out the rest of the dishes. The five of them gathered around the dining table.
The meal was filled with laughter and conversation, temporarily driving all those unpleasant matters from their minds.
Compared with the warmth and happiness in the Wen household, the atmosphere in the Xu family was far more depressing.
Xu Hongtao was overwhelmed with frustration.
Yesterday, someone had reported the incident to the police. After learning what had happened, the police took Xu Siyao and Zhao Yang to the station together. He had no idea how the matter would ultimately be handled.
Xu Siyao’s reputation was completely ruined. At this point, she could probably only marry Zhao Yang.
Yesterday, Xu Hongtao had wanted to go to the hospital to see Xu Shuining. He had planned to say a few nice things once she woke up and try to repair their relationship.
As long as Xu Shuining was willing to speak up, the Wen family would have a way to get Siyao released sooner.
But the Wen family lived inside the military compound, and he couldn’t get in. So he had planned to visit Xu Shuining while she was still in the hospital.
He hadn’t even managed to enter her hospital room before being thrown out.
Wen Mingyuan had berated him in front of so many people at the hospital. Feeling humiliated, he had no choice but to slink home.
Then, when he went to work yesterday, the factory director summoned him and gave him a serious reprimand. He had also received some terrible news—his position as workshop supervisor was probably going to be taken away.
It wasn’t just him. Zhong Yan had also been transferred from her office position to the workshop.
Xu Hongtao knew that the Wen family must have had something to do with it.
He should have stopped Siyao that day.
He shouldn’t have let her lay a hand on Shuining, and he certainly shouldn’t have let her say all those things in front of everyone.
If those words reached the Wen family’s ears, how could they possibly let the matter go?
If he got the chance, he had to find a way to repair his father-daughter relationship with Xu Shuining and coax her back to his side. Only then would there still be room for negotiation.
But now he couldn’t even see her.
The Wen family probably wouldn’t give him the opportunity anymore.
And to make matters worse, the house had been stripped completely bare.
Nothing had been left behind—not even the beds or cooking pots.
Fortunately, he still had some money on him. He went to a salvage yard and bought some secondhand tables, chairs, and a bed so they could make do for the time being.
Standing inside the nearly empty house, Xu Hongtao felt as though his heart were bleeding.
After experiencing the affection and care of the Wen family, Xu Shuining became even more convinced that the original owner had been blind and foolish.
She had so many people who genuinely loved her, yet she had thrown herself at those scumbags instead.
Her brain really must have been kicked by a donkey.
Because of Xu Shuining, both her uncle and aunt had taken the day off from work.
After lunch, the family gathered in the living room to discuss how to deal with the Xu family.
More than anything, they wanted to hear Xu Shuining’s opinion.
But regardless of what she decided, the Wen family had no intention of letting the three members of the Xu family off easily.