Cai Dai knew Ye Yunniang better than she knew herself. With just one glance, she could tell Ye Yunniang was hiding sothing.
Ye Yunniang realized she couldn’t deceive Cai Dai and finally explained what had happened.
Upon hearing that Ye Yunniang had suffered a pregnancy scare, Cai Dai imdiately urged her to go back and rest.
Ye Yunniang obeyed, letting Tong Mo support her as they left.
When she returned to her room, Li Pan and Li An were standing inside, their eyes filled with fear as they glanced around.
The two children were confused—why had their mother and grandmother disappeared when they woke up?
“Pan’er, An’er.”
“Mom!” The two children rushed toward Ye Yunniang.
Tong Mo stepped forward to block them.
Unable to reach their mother, Li Pan pushed Tong Mo hard. “Bad guy, let go!”
Tong Mo remained steady, but Li Pan lost his balance and fell backward, landing on the floor.
“Waaah…” Li Pan burst into tears. “Mom, the bad guy hit …”
“Kid, be reasonable. When did I hit you?” Tong Mo was exasperated. Children really knew how to twist the truth.
Li An pointed at Tong Mo. “Bad guy! anie!”
Ye Yunniang gently pushed Tong Mo aside and pulled the two children into her arms.
“Mom’s stomach isn’t feeling well. Uncle Tong Mo was just worried you might bump into ,” Ye Yunniang explained softly. “It wasn’t right for you to bla him without understanding.”
Li An imdiately latched onto the fact that his mother wasn’t feeling well.
“Bed… lie down, lie down…” He tugged at Ye Yunniang’s hand, pointing toward the bed.
Li Pan also grabbed her hand, pulling her in the sa direction.
Ye Yunniang let them lead her to the bed and lay down.
“Mom, rest. I’ll take care of little brother,” Li Pan said, making Ye Yunniang’s eyes well up. She reached out and stroked his head.
“Don’t worry, Mom will feel better after a nap.”
“Mom, sleep,” Li Pan urged, while Li An nodded vigorously beside him.
“Alright, Mom will rest. But first, you both need to apologize to Uncle Tong Mo.” Ye Yunniang turned them around to face Tong Mo.
“Say, ‘Uncle Tong Mo, I was wrong.’”
Following her lead, the two children chorused, “Uncle Tong Mo, I was wrong!”
Tong Mo cleared his throat. “Uncle forgives you.”
The children imdiately turned back, clustering around Ye Yunniang.
“Mom, we’re good.”
“Good.”
“Yes, you’re both good children.” Ye Yunniang patted their heads.
Grrr… grrr…
Their stomachs growled in unison.
“I’ll get food.” Tong Mo, now happily addressed as “Uncle,” went to fetch their al.
After eating, Ye Yunniang settled the two children to sleep.
After seven days of rest, Physician Tong said she could move around again.
Ye Yunniang took the children to see Cai Dai.
Cai Dai’s forehead was wrapped in bandages, making her injury look severe. The two children rushed to her, fussing over her with concern.
Cai Dai hugged them tightly, relieved they were unhard.
The three shared a warm mont before Tong Mo took the children outside to play, leaving the two won alone.
Cai Dai pressed Ye Yunniang for details. “What really happened that day?”
Ye Yunniang told her everything without holding back.
Cai Dai grasped her hand. “I shouldn’t have trusted Li Wenkuo’s family.”
Rembering Aunt Guihua’s attitude when they first returned, Cai Dai sighed. It was true—you never really knew a person’s heart.
“Mom, I’m fine now,” Ye Yunniang reassured her with a relaxed smile.
“But Mom, what happened on the mountain? How did you get so badly hurt?” Ye Yunniang’s eyes filled with worry as she looked at Cai Dai’s bandaged forehead.
At the ntion of that day, Cai Dai coughed awkwardly.
Li Wu and Li Nan had tricked her into a mountain cave and locked her inside before leaving.
Cai Dai imdiately tore off a piece of her clothing and threw it outside, hoping soone from Bao Min’s group would find it and rescue her.
But no one ca for a long ti.
Panic crept in, especially as she worried about Ye Yunniang’s safety.
Since no help was coming, she had to rely on herself.
She tried everything to force the door open, but it wouldn’t budge. Exhausted, she slumped against it in defeat.
Clutching Li Jun’s wolf-tooth necklace, she sat there, waiting for death.
But then she thought of Ye Yunniang and the children.
She couldn’t give up.
If she couldn’t escape through the door, she’d search the cave for another way out.
The cave was small, ending quickly with no exit.
Returning to the door, she found—
It was open.
Bao Min stood at the entrance, smiling at her.
“Madam, you’re safe now.” He reached out to help her.
Cai Dai avoided his hand and stepped out on her own.
“How is Yunniang?” she asked urgently.
“With Tong Mo watching over her, she’ll be fine.”
anwhile, Ye Yunniang, jostled inside a carriage trunk: “…”
Hearing this, Cai Dai hurried down the mountain—she had to get to the children.
Li Nan had claid Li Wenkuo wasn’t involved, but Cai Dai didn’t trust it.
“The children are safe. Soone’s looking after them. No need to worry,” Bao Min said, blocking her path.
If she wasn’t going for the children, why were they standing in the middle of nowhere?
“Madam, we’re alone here. Let’s finish the conversation we started on the ship.”
Cai Dai stared at him. Was he out of his mind? Now was not the ti for irrelevant talks.
She tightened her grip on the wolf-tooth necklace. “You think this is appropriate?”
“Madam, it’s the perfect ti,” Bao Min insisted.
Done with his nonsense, Cai Dai sidestepped him and continued downhill.
She had no patience for people with scrambled brains.
“Madam, wait!” Bao Min grabbed her wrist.
She yanked free but lost her footing.
Her body tumbled uncontrollably down the slope.
Before Bao Min could react, she crashed into a tree, stopping her fall.
Dizzy but desperate, she forced herself up, clinging to the tree for support.
Then she realized—
Where was the necklace?
She searched the area frantically but found nothing. It must have slipped from her grasp during the fall.
She tried to climb back up, but her legs wobbled unsteadily.
Crawling on hands and knees, she scanned every inch of the ground.
Suddenly, the wolf-tooth dangled in front of her. She reached for it—but Bao Min lifted it just out of reach.
Looking up, she saw him holding it.
“Madam, will you sit with for a while?” He extended his hand.
She took it, stood, then smacked his palm away.
“Bao Min, what do you want?”
“A fair lady is a gentleman’s desire. My intentions are clear—I wish to marry you,” Bao Min declared bluntly.
“Bao Min, are you mocking ?” Cai Dai refused to believe him.
“Madam, I’m sincere. Once we’re wed, I’ll treat Ye Yunniang as my own daughter. I’ll raise Li Pan well, educate him, and teach him reason.”
“Bao Min.” Her voice turned icy.
Normally, she’d brush off his words. But to speak so lightly in front of Li Jun’s necklace? She was furious.
“I truly want to cherish you,” Bao Min insisted earnestly.
“Bao Min, I know you’re just competing with Jiang Mingzhe. I’m not a toy for your gas.”
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