They looked like a perfect family.
A normal, loving, happy family.
Yueyao’s phone slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered onto the sheets.
Her chest felt like it had been hollowed out with a blunt knife, every breath scraping painfully against her ribs.
She pressed her palms tightly against her eyes as fresh tears spilled out, her shoulders shaking silently under the thin hospital blanket.
She didn’t know how long she sat like that, broken and alone, before Aunt i ca back with a fresh thermos of soup.
On the fifth morning, the doctor finally signed her discharge papers.
Aunt i packed up her few belongings and folded her cardigan neatly before helping her stand up.
"You are still weak, Young Madam. Lean on ," she said softly, supporting Yueyao’s fragile fra as they walked slowly down the bright corridor.
At the reception desk, the nurse handed Aunt i the bill and asked, "Will you be paying now or...?"
Aunt i glanced at Yueyao nervously before saying, "Master Shen already settled everything yesterday."
Yueyao said nothing. Of course, he had paid. Money was never an issue for him.
But his presence was.
Outside, the sun shone brightly against the hospital’s glass facade. The air slled of fresh asphalt and car exhaust, mixed with the faint sweetness of blooming sumr flowers.
Aunt i helped Yueyao into the waiting black sedan, carefully arranging a thin blanket over her lap.
"Lean back, Young Madam," she said gently, brushing a stray hair from Yueyao’s pale forehead with motherly tenderness.
The driver closed the door softly and circled to the front, starting the engine.
As the car pulled away from the hospital entrance, Yueyao leaned her aching head against the window, staring at the blurred scenery rolling by. Her chest felt hollow and raw, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Every breath scraped painfully through her ribcage.
They were only five minutes away from reaching the Shen estate’s quiet residential avenue when a dark SUV suddenly swerved into their lane, cutting them off with violent force.
The driver cursed under his breath and slamd the brakes, the screech echoing sharply as the car jerked to a shuddering stop.
Yueyao’s frail body lurched forward despite her seatbelt, her vision blurring from the sudden motion.
Aunt i cried out, clutching the door handle for balance.
Before the driver could react, four masked n in black tactical clothes jumped out of the SUV. One smashed the driver’s side window with the butt of his gun, shards of glass exploding into the front seat as the driver ducked in terror.
Two others yanked open the back door, their gloved hands reaching straight for Yueyao.
"Who... who are you...?" she whispered hoarsely, her voice thin and trembling with panic.
They didn’t answer.
"Stop! STOP!" Aunt i scread, reaching across Yueyao to push the n away. "Don’t you touch her! DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!"
One of the n turned sharply and slamd the barrel of his gun against Aunt i’s temple with a sickening crack.
"AHHH—!" Aunt i’s scream was cut short as her body crumpled sideways, her head slamming hard against the car door before she slumped into Yueyao’s lap.
"Aunt i! Aunt i!" Yueyao cried out, her shaking hands reaching for the older woman’s face.
Blood was seeping from a gash on Aunt i’s temple, trickling down her cheek and staining Yueyao’s hospital blanket red.
But Aunt i didn’t move. Her eyelids fluttered once before falling shut, her breathing ragged and uneven.
"Please... please don’t hurt her... please..." Yueyao sobbed, tears falling freely as the n dragged her out of the car. The world spun violently around her as her feet scraped against the hot asphalt.
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