Chapter 362: The Past

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Everything started from a long time ago. At that time, I was only four years old. I had the same birthday as the daughter of the Xia household, but they only had eyes for Xia Yixuan and had forgotten me. That day, I met a boy who gave me an amulet…”

She said extremely slowly in detail about her life in the Xia household, without much grievance or pain. Everything was in the past.

She talked about Xia Yixuan’s death, to her marriage stemming from revenge to Chu Lui’s lies and pretense, then how she gave birth to Rainy and nursed her alone, and even how they had lived in adversity.

“Rainy was sick, extremely sick, so I needed a lot of money. I knew it wasn’t a small sickness or anything worth like that doll. It wasn’t an amount that I could earn with just selling my blood once. Even if I sold off all the blood in the body, I wouldn’t be able to afford that figure.”

Xia Ruoxin continued, feeling hot tears dripping onto the back of her hand.

“I looked for my mother, but she said my Rainy was an illegitimate child and deserved to die. She wasn’t willing to save me or my daughter. I looked for Chu Lui, but his wife stopped me relentlessly.

“I know that they weren’t willing to let my Rainy live on. They both said she was the child of some other bastard, but she’s not. She’s my baby, my daughter. So, in the end, I could only sell my body. I met Shen Wei there, and I started to work as a hooker. I could only bear with it no matter how much the people bullied me. No one could help me or my Rainy.” She needed to save her. She had to.

“Then, when I found out that Chu Lui’s bone marrow could save Rainy, I really found the hope to live on. I could live with all the humiliation and bullying from him, and he could treat me as a prostitute or not see me as a human… as long as he could save Rainy. If he could save Rainy, I was willing to do anything.

“Then again, he refused… his wife had a child, too. She didn’t want him saving my daughter. I looked for him and begged him, but he just said that he hated me… so he would hate my daughter, too. If I had really given birth to a child with him—then even if she hadn’t died, he would have strangled her to death with his own hands.”

“At that time, I was in utter despair. I thought that Rainy would die and I would, too.” She choked. Gao Yi lifted his fingers to her face and wiped away her tears gently. Her eyelids felt so heavy that she felt she almost couldn’t open her eyes.

“Do you know?” She cried as she smiled. “If not for you, Rainy and I might not be in this world anymore. No one would remember or know us, and there might not even be anyone there to bury us.”

“I know, I know.” Gao Yi’s eyes reddened slightly. He knew that her past was tough, but he had no idea that she had gone through so much more than he imagined. She even gave birth to Rainy all alone. He was a doctor; he knew how dangerous and painful it was.

“Ruoxin, everything’s fine now. Everything is okay.” He wrapped his arms tightly around the woman who had suffered through more than enough. He wanted to know everything about her in the past, but now that he knew, he regretted it for making her live through the excruciating pain of her past again. He knew that things were definitely not just as she said. The truth might be more pitiful and mistreating than she let on.

Xia Ruoxin closed her eyes, and when she opened them, the emotions in them had already started to fade. She smiled, the corner of her eyes damp. “I met him again today. He told me that he found out that the little girl he had met in the past was me, and he said he wanted to repay me anything that I want. Yet, what can I ask, and what can I need?

“I’m terrified. What if he’s plotting something again? Is he going to hurt Rainy?”

Gao Yi placed his hand on Xia Ruoxin’s shoulders and patted her gently. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to the two of you.” He said coldly, with an iciness he never had before. No one could harm whoever he wanted to protect, no matter if it’s Xia Ruoxin or Rainy.

“Gao Yi, I’m scared. I’m so scared.” Xia Ruoxin grabbed Gao Yi’s clothes, her fear growing the more she thought about it.” The more sincere his words were and the more earnest his attitude was, the more afraid she was.

Gao Yi rested his chin on Xia Ruoxin’s head, pulling her closer against him. “Trust me, Ruoxin. I won’t let anything happen to the two of you.” His hug was warm like always, making her feel safe. Xia Ruoxin shut her eyes slowly. Yes, she trusted him.

“That’s it, Ruoxin. Forget the past. We will live like we always did. He is he, and you are you. Your paths will not cross again.” Gao Yi’s gentle voice reached Xia Ruoxin’s ears like a warm breeze, drying the tears welling up in her eyes.

Gao Yi closed his eyes briefly, a murderous intent flashing across them.

They didn’t notice the small door behind them closing shut.

Rainy turned around and hugged her doll from the bed, burying her face into the doll’s face.

“Mommy…” She cried out Xia Ruoxin’s name softly. Her tiny face showed a hardened expression. She was still cute, but she was not the approachable child she was anymore.

Outside the room, a gentle light fell on the two figures as if the bitterness from just now had already been exhausted. Only peaceful air surrounded them now.

A long time later, Xia Ruoxin raised her head from Gao Yi’s chest. Gao Yi reached out his hand and tidied her tousled hair. “Don’t cry like this anymore. It’s not good for your eyes. You’re a mother now so you have to be a good role model for Rainy. If not, she’ll become a crybaby like you, too.”

Xia Ruoxin laughed despite herself. She wasn’t a crybaby—she just cried occasionally, but he was always present whenever she did.

Oh! Something sprang to Xia Ruoxin’s mind. She stood up in a hurry and almost tripped over herself. Gao Yi was startled. This woman must have scared him to death for her life mission.