Chapter 68: Seeing Clearly Who It Is

The sound of Lin Zhaodi’s frantic pounding kept coming, accompanied by incoherent words.

One moment she was talking to Hu Yao, the next she was addressing Li Zhen and the others, her words filled with delusional curses.

A cloying, sickening smell of blood hung in the air.

Hu Yao held Jiang Xiaochao tightly in her arms, watching Lin Zhaodi’s monstrous form with fear and confusion, her heart heavy with a mix of emotions.

The chaotic sounds outside gradually subsided, and Lin Zhaodi’s rambling, deranged words drifted away.

Not long after, a series of piercing screams came from the Li family’s house next door. Soon, other villagers who were already searching for Lin Zhaodi came rushing over.

They restrained Lin Zhaodi, cursing in fear and horror. They took her, now truly insane, to the police station that night.

She had actually killed Xiaoya’s father.

At first, the neighbors only heard them arguing late at night. Then the noise escalated, and it seemed like Xiaoya’s father had hit Lin Zhaodi.

Then, the commotion suddenly stopped, leaving only a jumble of sounds and her intermittent, chilling laughter.

Several neighbors felt something was wrong and went to take a look.

What they saw almost scared them to death.

Xiaoya’s father lay sprawled in the yard, covered in blood. His stomach was ripped open, his flesh mangled, his eyes bulging, and he was lifeless. The room was littered with bloody scratch marks. Lin Zhaodi was nowhere to be found.

The villagers who discovered the scene quickly called several other families and went to find the village head.

They couldn’t find anyone at Liu’s house, where Lin Zhaodi had a grudge, but they found her at Li’s house.

They saw her with Xiaoya’s father’s intestines hanging around her neck, her expression wild and deranged. They felt sick and scared, their hair standing on end.

They rushed her to the police station that night.

She had killed a man and gone mad. The police officers went to the scene, confirmed that Xiaoya’s father was indeed killed by her, and took her into custody.

Such a major incident, including a death, happened in just one night. The villagers discussed it excitedly, filled with fear and aftershocks. Some even felt fortunate that they hadn’t crossed paths with Lin Zhaodi, this crazy woman.

“Back then, when she did that to the Li family, cutting her own husband’s tendons, we should have known she was crazy! What normal woman would do something like that!”

“Xiaoya’s father was not afraid of death, he even brought Lin Zhaodi, that crazy woman, home! Now look…”

“It’s good that she’s been arrested by the police now. Otherwise, she might go crazy and kill someone again, how terrifying!”

“…”

The villagers were buzzing with gossip.

The widow Li Zhuangzhi had just married, and she was almost scared to death by Lin Zhaodi. She kept telling others how crazy and terrifying Lin Zhaodi was that night.

Li Zhuangzhi knew that Lin Zhaodi had killed Xiaoya’s father, and he was more terrified than anyone else. But now that Lin Zhaodi had been arrested, he pretended to be calm and cursed her loudly, feigning sympathy for Xiaoya’s father’s misfortune.

The Liu family and Li Zhen were all hoping for Lin Zhaodi’s death. Now that she had killed Xiaoya’s father and ended up like this, they all clapped their hands in delight.

…

Hu Yao trembled as she cleaned the bloodstains and shattered glass in her house.

The horrifying scene from last night was still etched in her mind, truly terrifying her.

She had a bad complexion all day, her lips pale.

Lin Zhaodi’s current state, her shrill accusations that night, still affected her.

It seemed that if she didn’t help her, she would also be a perpetrator pushing her towards madness and extremism.

Lin Zhaodi resented and hated her, so she came for her that night.

For days, Hu Yao couldn’t sleep, haunted by nightmares of Lin Zhaodi’s bloodthirsty, monstrous face.

She woke up again, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She instinctively looked towards the window, where it was dark and quiet.

“Mommy, don’t be scared…”

The childish words from beside her drifted into her ears, and she felt his small hand clutching her finger tightly. Hu Yao calmed down, her eyes softening. She reached out to stroke his little face, her heart warm and soft.

Only he was so worried and cared for her.

These days, he knew she was scared and didn’t go out to play with others much. He was so sweet and clung to her side to keep her company.

“Mommy is not scared anymore.” Hu Yao held his little hand and murmured softly.

She tucked him in and hugged his soft, milky-scented little body, falling asleep again.

–>>

With him by her side, her heart slowly calmed down.

She drifted off to sleep.

She didn’t know how long she slept for, but suddenly she felt a very strong gaze and presence.

Even in her sleep, she couldn’t ignore it.

Hu Yao half-opened her eyes and saw a dark figure standing silently by the bed. The person was staring straight at her in the darkness, eerie and still.

She woke up with a start, her face turning pale, and she couldn’t help but scream, “Ah!”

She scrambled to her feet, hugging the still-sleeping Jiang Xiaochao beside her, and shrinking back repeatedly.

“What are you yelling about!”

Jiang Han was irritated by her sudden piercing scream, and he snapped back, turning on the light with a wave of his hand.

The white light illuminated the room, and as his voice fell, his tall figure was revealed.

After being startled one after another, Hu Yao was still in shock, her eyes trembling as she stared at him who had suddenly appeared.

Seeing her frightened appearance, Jiang Han frowned, reached out, pulled the sleeping Jiang Fuchao, who was sleeping like a pig and oblivious to everything, from her arms and placed him aside. Then he pulled her closer.

“What kind of courage do you have? See who I am, your man! What are you yelling about!”

He looked down at her, raised his hand, and his rough fingertips brushed against her reddened eye corners.