Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Guilt, and the Three Little Ones

Gu Qinghuan brought Youran back to the hospital room. Zhong Luoning still hadn’t woken up. On the way, Gu Qinghuan had quietly given her some spiritual spring water, so her fever had gone down a bit. Once she woke up, she should be fine.

Youran lay nervously by her mother’s bedside, watching her anxiously.

Meanwhile, Dabao and Beibei were curiously observing Youran.

Gu Qinghuan called Xu Huai’an out into the hallway and briefly told him what had happened that morning.

“This time was really too close. You have no idea—if He Qiang hadn’t reacted so quickly and caught the child, I can’t even imagine how Sister Luoning would go on living. The moment we let go of her, she tried to jump out the window. She’d completely lost the will to live.

We’ve been back for so long, and I’ve only been busy with my own affairs. I never went to check on her and her daughter. It’s all my fault. If I’d noticed sooner, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.” Gu Qinghuan’s face was full of guilt and self-blame, tears slipping down as she spoke.

This incident had really shaken her. In the past, she’d always subconsciously felt that she wasn’t the original Gu Qinghuan, so she didn’t need to be responsible for her family. She was just here for a time-travel experience.

But when she was truly in the thick of it, she found she couldn’t treat real life as just a journey. The people around her were real—she couldn’t just stand by indifferently.

She was affected by their emotions—she could feel happiness, sadness, pain, and regret.

She finally understood: this wasn’t just a time-travel experience. She was truly living another life, as Gu Qinghuan.

Xu Huai’an, distressed, pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, giving her a sense of security and strength.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t push him away. Instead, she let herself cry her heart out in his embrace.

People passing by thought someone in her family must be gravely ill, and quietly walked past.

“Gu Qinghuan, you’re not a god. You can’t predict the future. You’ve already done your best—there’s no need to blame yourself.

Think about it another way: you actually saved them, didn’t you? If you hadn’t gone to see them today, if you hadn’t run into He Qiang, there’s no way Youran could have been saved.

But you did go, and your appearance just happened to save them. You were so brave, risking everything for them.

You’ve already done so well—don’t sell yourself short.” Xu Huai’an waited until she’d cried enough before comforting her.

“But when I think about what they’ve been through, it just hurts so much. My heart feels like it’s been stabbed a thousand times.

How can there be fathers and husbands like that in this world?”

Xu Jianguo’s actions and his despicable behavior made her sick to her stomach, and made her even more resistant to men and marriage.

Thinking back to how gentle and beautiful Zhong Luoning used to be, and how she was now—withered and almost mad—it was like she was a completely different person.

So what does marriage really bring women?

Maybe it’s better to stay single and childless for peace of mind!

Xu Huai’an wanted to tell her that not all men were like Xu Jianguo, that there were plenty of good men out there, but now wasn’t the time.

He silently patted her shoulder.

“Don’t overthink it. Right now, the most important thing is to help cousin get away from the Xu family. And you said Xu Jianguo seems to work at the Revolutionary Committee—we need to be prepared. There might be a tough battle ahead.

You caught Xu Jianguo cheating. Maybe we can use that to force him to divorce cousin.”

Xu Huai’an tried to shift her attention to practical matters.

Gu Qinghuan wiped away her tears, stepped out of Xu Huai’an’s embrace, and straightened her rumpled clothes.

Xu Huai’an felt a little reluctant—moments of intimacy between them were rare.

“You’re right. Now’s not the time to get emotional.

This battle isn’t over yet. I have to stand up for them.”

After she finished speaking, she noticed his clothes were wet from her tears and apologized awkwardly for losing control.

While they were talking, the three little ones inside hadn’t been idle either.

Youran stayed by her mother’s bedside, tucking in the covers and using a little handkerchief to wipe the blood from her mother’s hands, busying herself nonstop.

Dabao and Beibei had just learned from Xu Huai’an that the woman on the bed was this little girl’s mother.

Beibei, always outgoing, went over with a smile. “Sister? My name’s Beibei. What’s your name?”

Youran glanced at her, then turned away without responding.

Beibei thought she was being ignored and pouted, feeling wronged. “Brother, sister doesn’t want to talk to us.”

Dabao didn’t want his sister to feel sad, so he tried to talk to Youran. “Hi, I’m Xu Xingchen, and this is my sister Xu Xingyue. How old are you? Can we play together?”

Youran gave a shy smile at his words, but still didn’t reply.

Dabao wasn’t sure what that meant.

“Can you not hear us?”

Youran lowered her head and ignored them.

When Gu Qinghuan came in, she saw Dabao and Beibei looking dejected.

They’d tried all sorts of ways, but nothing could get Youran to speak.

“Mom, why won’t sister talk to us?” Beibei ran over to ask.

Gu Qinghuan gathered the three children together.

“Youran, this is your big brother Dabao—he’s a few months older than you. This is your little sister Beibei. From now on, you can all play together.

Dabao, this is your little sister Youran. She doesn’t like to talk much, but she understands everything you say. You need to get along and take care of her.

Beibei, Youran isn’t ignoring you on purpose. She just doesn’t feel like talking right now. Let’s be patient with her, okay?”

“Mom, got it! I’ll take good care of my little sister.” Dabao patted his chest, eager to protect the girls as boys often are.

“Mom, I’ll play nicely with sister too. It’s okay if she doesn’t want to talk,” Beibei chimed in.

Hearing the two kids, Youran tilted her head, lost in thought. But this time, instead of avoiding their gaze, she looked at Dabao and Beibei with curiosity—a small step forward.

“Gurgle, gurgle…” Youran’s little stomach growled.

Beibei pointed at her tummy. “Sister, are you hungry? I brought chocolate—here, you can have some.” She generously took a piece from her pocket.

Youran recognized it—her mom had bought it for her before—but she didn’t know if she should accept it. With her mom lying in bed, she couldn’t get an answer.

Youran looked at Gu Qinghuan for help, her eyes full of longing.

Gu Qinghuan nodded. “It’s from your little sister. Go ahead and take it. Can you say thank you?”

Youran’s eyes flickered, and she immediately hid behind Gu Qinghuan. She didn’t want to speak, and didn’t know how.

Gu Qinghuan felt a little frustrated, blaming herself for pushing too hard and scaring her.

Beibei, seeing this, shook her head generously. “Mom, it’s okay. Even if sister doesn’t say thank you, I still want to give it to her.” With that, she stuffed the chocolate into Youran’s hand.

“Good girl, Beibei!” Gu Qinghuan said, rubbing her head affectionately.

Youran looked at the chocolate in her hand, deep in thought.

“Youran, you should say thank you to your little sister, but Auntie knows you’re not ready yet. We’ll owe her a thank you for now—when you’re ready, you can tell her, okay?”

This time, Youran actually nodded gently.

Beibei was thrilled. “Mom, sister nodded!”

Gu Qinghuan smiled too—finally, the child was showing a normal reaction.

“Huanhuan, you watch them—I’ll go buy some food. The kids must be hungry,” Xu Huai’an said.

Gu Qinghuan nodded. “Go ahead, I’ve got things here.”

Dabao volunteered, “Dad, I want to go with you.”

Xu Huai’an took him along.

Xu Huai’an got a few bowls of shredded pork noodles from the hospital cafeteria, and the family had a simple meal.

Around two in the afternoon, Zhong Luoning finally woke up.

The moment she opened her eyes, she turned over to look for her daughter. Seeing her standing there safe and sound, she finally relaxed.

Mother and daughter hugged tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, as if they’d been reunited after a life-and-death separation. It was a scene that moved everyone who saw it.

Zhong Luoning had gone through such emotional turmoil that Gu Qinghuan had worried her gentle cousin wouldn’t be able to handle it, maybe even break down.

But she turned out to be much stronger than Gu Qinghuan had imagined.

Maybe it was a mother’s strength, or maybe she’d already weathered too many storms. Either way, after a brief moment of disorientation, Zhong Luoning quickly calmed down—though she still had to hold onto Youran to feel at ease.

“Huanhuan, thank you for saving Youran—and for saving me.” Her voice was hoarse, but still calm.

At the time, Zhong Luoning had been ready to die. Life was too hard, and once her daughter was gone, she had no reason to keep struggling.

She never expected things to turn around so suddenly—her cousin appearing out of nowhere to save both her and her daughter. In that humiliating room, when Gu Qinghuan suddenly showed up, she felt surprise and helplessness, but not the joy of being rescued.

She was surprised by Gu Qinghuan’s sudden appearance, and didn’t want her family to see her in such a wretched state. What she felt most was endless pain, as if she was being torn apart.

“Sister Luoning, we’re family—no need to thank me. Are you feeling better? Do you need some water or food? Your stomach probably isn’t feeling well—how about some porridge?” Gu Qinghuan deliberately changed the subject.

She motioned for Xu Huai’an to get some food. There should be porridge or something similar for patients in the hospital cafeteria.

Xu Huai’an nodded and took the two kids with him, giving the cousins some space to talk.

Youran obediently stayed by her mother’s bedside.

“You got married?” Zhong Luoning asked, glancing in the direction Xu Huai’an had left.

Gu Qinghuan realized she hadn’t told her cousin yet, and answered awkwardly, “Yes, I got married in the countryside. He’s a retired soldier, has two kids, and treats me well, so we’re making a life together.”

Zhong Luoning gave a faint smile. “Little Huanhuan’s all grown up. And you have better taste than your sister!”

She’d noticed earlier—the man’s eyes never left Gu Qinghuan, full of tenderness and devotion, the look of someone deeply in love.

And Xu Huai’an looked like a true gentleman, someone who made people feel at ease.

After all she’d been through, Zhong Luoning was no longer the naïve girl she once was. She’d learned to see the bigger picture from the details, not just judge by appearances."