Chapter 404

ZhiXia brought YuanBao into her space and installed monitoring devices on it to have it stay at the hospital while she left.

She first went back home before going to find GuoMomo.

GuoMomo majored in judicial administration abroad and was arranged to work in the court after returning home. She was competent in her job despite her young age.

Upon hearing that ZhiXia had come to see her, GuoMomo was surprised and quickly handed over her work to others before leaving.

The two used to have a great relationship. Since GuoMomo had returned, they had only greeted each other politely, and ZhiXia had never come to see her before.

GuoMomo racked her brains but could not figure out why ZhiXia wanted to see her.

Despite her endless speculations, the moment she saw ZhiXia outside, GuoMomo instantly broke into a joyful smile. "Auntie, you've come to see me?"

Although she had divorced PeiJianGuo and no longer had any relationship with him, PingAn was still between them. So GuoMomo's form of address for ZhiXia had not changed.

ZhiXia looked around and saw there was a restaurant nearby. She nodded and asked GuoMomo, "I do have something I want to ask you about. Do you have time to sit for a bit?"

"Of course. Where would you like to sit, auntie?"

"Here is fine. We can have a bite while we talk," said ZhiXia.

The two went inside and ordered some dishes. A large fan next to their table was spinning and blowing out hot air. "PingAn went to confront LiuChunhua and beat her up badly. LiuChunhua is seriously injured and hospitalized. PingAn has also been taken to the police station. Did you know about this?"

"That's impossible," GuoMomo reacted instinctively. "PingAn has always been well behaved and sensible. He would never beat someone up. LiuChunhua must be framing him."

"But LiuChunhua insisted that PingAn beat her, and PeiJianGuo has taken her side," ZhiXia watched GuoMomo's expression closely. "A child can never win an argument against adults. PingAn will probably suffer greatly this time. Although Grandpa dotes on him, he is also very strict about PingAn's moral conduct and would never allow any flaws. As you know, PingAn has had poor health since he was little and has only recently become stronger. If anything goes wrong now, it would be too late for regrets. I came to see you because I feel bad for the boy. After all, you are his mother. Even if the child has made a mistake, he still needs someone on his side."

GuoMomo thought back to how PingAn looked when he was little, just a tiny bundle like a kitten.

She had raised him bit by bit herself because she lacked milk due to giving premature birth. She would get up in the middle of the night to make formula for him and carried him on her back to school every day.

PingAn was not close to her, but she never blamed the child for it because she was the one in the wrong first.

GuoMomo had always wanted the child to come back to her but never considered using such extreme methods.

She blamed herself. It was all her fault.

She was the birth mother, not LiuChunhua. How could she, GuoMomo, who was clever all her life, be tricked by an illiterate woman?

She didn't dare tell ZhiXia these thoughts. She could only get up in a fluster and say, "I'm so sorry, Auntie, but I have to leave. I can't stay for the meal. Thank you for telling me about PingAn today. I...I have to go now."

She had heard from PingAn about PeiYong's teaching methods - kind yet strict. She was genuinely afraid if he used force.

Ever since birth, PingAn had experienced a bumpy fate. He had finally become whole and intact. She could not let anything happen to him again right before her eyes.

Unlike GuoMomo's anxiousness, everything was going as ZhiXia had anticipated. Although GuoMomo was still using the wrong methods, she did truly care for PingAn.

By the time GuoMomo arrived, she could just hear PingAn's anguished cries. When she rushed in, she saw PeiYong squatting at the door smoking while inside, a severely injured PingAn was lying facedown on the bed as PeiChenyou's tears fell while trying to apply medicine to PingAn's wounds. PingAn cried out loudly whenever the medicine touched his injuries.

Upon seeing her come in, PingAn quickly pulled up the quilt to cover himself but aggravated his injuries from the movement and cried out in pain with snot and tears smearing his face. It was a pitiful sight.

LittleSixth hurriedly covered him with the quilt, but the fabric touching PingAn's exposed skin caused him to shriek loudly in pain again.

"Get out. I don't want to see any of you. Just get out... Anyway, no one is willing to believe me, so you might as well beat me to death. I don't even want to live anymore..." sobbed PingAn.

At that moment, GuoMomo felt her heart shatter into pieces. PeiYong rushed in angrily. "So you think living is hard? Isn't it easier to just die laughing instead? I'll beat you to death today, you bastard. It'll be a menace having you alive as a failed human being. At such a young age, you already dare to assault and gravely injure elders. I'll simply beat you to death..."

GuoMomo quickly held back the enraged PeiYong, "Uncle, don't be angry. Have the child clearly explain things. We still don't know the truth of this incident yet. You can't beat him like that. PingAn is physically weak. You'll really beat him to death."

Neither PingAn's refusal to admit wrongdoing or PeiYong wanting to beat him allowed GuoMomo's persuasions to work. It became chaotic in an instant.

With great difficulty, GuoMomo pulled PeiYong outside while LittleSixth quickly shut and locked the door.

PeiYong sat down on the doorstep looking utterly disappointed.

GuoMomo was left with only regret in her heart. "Uncle, PingAn is someone you raised. You should trust him. If he says he didn't beat anyone, then he didn't. You can't just listen to one-sided accusations, right?"

"When people discovered his mom, she was lying face down on the floor covered in blood. So many witnessed it. How could it be fake? Now her head has been stitched with many needles and is still hospitalized. Would a grown woman falsely accuse and frame a child? She doesn't even have children herself. What good would that do her?" PeiYong looked up. "Momo, I know you are a good kid and you feel for PingAn. But you can't spoil children like that. The rod is what produces filial piety. The stepmother is still his mother. If I don't beat him, how will he know his own wrongdoings? I have already held back because of his poor health, intending to go easy on him physically. In a couple days, he must kneel and apologize to his mother sincerely. He can't get up if she doesn't forgive him."

Every sentence PeiYong spoke pricked GuoMomo's heart like a knife. She was clearly PingAn's birth mother. PingAn only had one mom, and that was her!

"Uncle, please calm down first. I will give you an explanation about this matter for sure. I believe PingAn is blameless. Don't be angry anymore. I will make LiuChunhua tell the truth." GuoMomo said resolutely.

After GuoMomo left, LittleSixth unlocked and opened the door from inside. Bare-bottomed PingAn, whose back was covered in red marks yet showed no signs of pain, also crawled up.

He pursed his lips as his heart held grief that others could not understand.

Although he only wanted to be with Grandpa, it wasn't that he didn't accept his mother either. He had obediently accompanied her whenever she asked him out. Wasn't that enough?

Why? Why must things be handled this way?

PingAn wiped his eyes and crawled back into bed.

Of course PeiYong didn't actually beat him. This was just a scheme devised between ZhiXia and them.

Since LiuChunhua refused to tell the truth, they could only make their move from GuoMomo's side.

Between a mother and child, it is always the softer heart that loses.

And the victor has nothing to boast about either.