Chapter 9: It Doesn’t Hurt…

Lu Cichuan returned three days later. With no money, he had no choice but to walk nonstop.

He climbed over the backyard wall, and Lu Sheng saw his bleeding forehead and the medical kit in his hand.

“Cichuan… what happened? Did he hit you again?” Tears welled up in Lu Sheng’s eyes.

“I’m fine, Sis. You hide this. I need to go see that old witch first.” Lu Cichuan handed her the medical kit and hurried off.

Just as Lu Sheng hid the kit, Lu Cichuan was kicked into the room. “Cichuan!” Lu Sheng rushed over and held him tightly, shielding him as blood poured from his wounds.

“What a filthy dog! Disgusting, just like your mother! How dare you insult my son? Today, I’ll make sure you reunite with her!” Cheng Yanlin was furious this time, and she wasn’t holding back.

The bodyguards yanked Lu Sheng away, leaving her helpless as she watched her brother being punched and kicked. “Madam Cheng, I’m begging you! If you keep this up, Cichuan will die!” Lu Sheng cried and struggled. “Cichuan…”

“Ha, his life isn’t worth much. If he dies, so what? He’s just a dog,” Cheng Yanlin said coldly, patting the new dress she had just bought, not even glancing down.

“Madam! Madam!” Steward Yan ran in, panting, “Madam… the Li family’s young lady and young master are here.”

“Stop!” Cheng Yanlin glanced at the barely conscious Lu Cichuan. “I’ll spare your dog life for now.”

After they left, Lu Sheng cradled her weak brother. “Cichuan, hang in there. I’ll get the medical kit and stop the bleeding… Cichuan…”

“Sis… I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt,” Lu Cichuan forced a smile to comfort her.

“Miss Li, Young Master Li, I’m terribly sorry to kept you waiting.” Cheng Yanlin’s gentle smile and tone seemed unsettlingly out of place.

“It’s nothing, we’ve only been here a short while,” Li Yan replied politely.

Cheng Yanlin looked at Li Mo with satisfaction—she was gentle, graceful, and beautiful, lacking nothing.

“Miss Li, did you come to see my son Yili? He’s currently…” Before she could finish, Li Mo gently interrupted her, “Aunt Cheng, I’m not here to see him. I’m here to retrieve something I lost.”

Cheng Yanlin’s smile stiffened. “Lost something?”

“Yes, during the proposal last time with your son, a handkerchief was stolen from the private room. It’s no big deal, except it was hand-embroidered by my sister, so it holds special meaning.”

“Oh, I understand. I’ll have it looked into right away.” Cheng Yanlin’s expression turned sour as she called for the steward, but Li Mo cut her off again.

“Aunt Cheng, no need to look. I already know who took it.”

“Who?” Cheng Yanlin’s heart sank—could it be that bastard?

“The bodyguard beside your son, the one with the injuries on his face,” Li Mo said slowly, taking a sip of tea.

“So, it was that filthy dog.” Cheng Yanlin let out a sigh of relief. “Bring that dog here.”

Moments later, two bodyguards dragged in the barely breathing Lu Cichuan, while a crying Lu Sheng was held back outside.

Li Mo started to stand up in concern, but Li Yan pulled her back down, shaking his head and signaling her to stay calm.

“Miss Li, Young Master Li, here he is. I’ll have his room searched right away.”

“No need,” Li Yan said as he walked over to Lu Cichuan and pulled the pure white handkerchief from his pocket. “Here it is.”

Cough “Now that the thief and the item are here, I’ll have him beaten to death to settle this matter.” Cheng Yanlin quickly changed her tune, ready to Cichuan, thinking it would smooth things over and strengthen the relationship between the Li and Cheng families. After all, his death might actually secure a marriage alliance, which would be a win for her.

“No need for that, Aunt Cheng. We’ll take him back and punish him ourselves. After all, he’s a person, and we’ve got an old house that hasn’t been cleaned in ages,” Li Yan smiled, “You wouldn’t mind, would you? Not even good enough for hard labor?”

“Of course, take him,” Cheng Yanlin said with a forced smile, though her heart was burning with anger. That dog really got off easy.

“Take him away!” Li Yan’s bodyguards lifted Lu Cichuan and escorted him out.

“Thank you, Aunt Cheng!”

“Not at all. You’re always welcome here.”

As soon as they left, Cheng Yanlin could no longer keep up the act. She swept everything off the table, furious. “Like mother, like son, they always causing me trouble!”

In the car, Lu Cichuan lay covered in blood in Li Mo’s arms. “Brother… How could they be so heartless…”

“Those Cheng family don’t care about human life! Don’t worry, don’t cry,” Li Yan said, driving faster. It was lucky that his sister insisted on dragging him along to check on her beloved, or else they wouldn’t have seen…

Hearing the girl’s worried sobs, Lu Cichuan forced his eyes open, weakly whispering, “It doesn’t hurt…” before immediately passing out.