After making all the arrangements, Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe left the hospital room.
By the time they returned to Yuelan Manor, night had fallen.
"You're finally back. Any longer and Zheng would have cried from feeling abandoned," Fang Yue said, holding Zheng in her arms. Upon seeing Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe, the child's expression immediately brightened.
Why did they do this to him? He thought his parents had abandoned him. He had just taken a nap, and when he woke up, his parents were nowhere to be seen, and he was in a different place.
"Mama," Xu Yunzheng reached out, gesturing for Shen Yin to hold him.
Shen Yin took Zheng from Fang Yue's arms. As soon as he was in Shen Yin's embrace, Zheng planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Hurry, go wash your hands. The housekeeper has already prepared dinner," Fang Yue urged.
"Why didn't you start eating without us?" Shen Yin asked.
It was already past six, and in winter it gets dark early. By this time, they should have finished dinner.
"We were about to call and ask if you were coming back. If you did return and we had finished eating, there wouldn't be anything left for you."
Shen Tianzheng came down from upstairs.
"Ah, Yin and Xiuhe are back," Shen Tianzheng greeted them.
"Yes, Dad. Are you feeling better?" Xu Xiuhe walked to the dining table and arranged the chairs neatly.
"Much better."
Shen Lv hadn't returned, so there were five people at the table. Shen Yin placed the little one in the high chair.
"You left in such a hurry this afternoon. I was worried something had happened, but I didn't want to disturb you by calling," Fang Yue inquired.
Shen Yin didn't know how to respond. This was Xu Xiuhe's matter, and she wasn't sure how to answer properly, so she shifted her gaze to Xu Xiuhe.
"Haven't you seen the news? Xu Guimin is in trouble. No matter how strained their relationship is, Xiuhe can't change the fact that his surname is Xu," Shen Tianzheng glanced at Fang Yue, who suddenly realized her oversight.
Shen Tianzheng started eating his rice. Although he was also curious about the aftermath of this incident, there was currently no concrete information online.
He was waiting patiently, knowing that without him having to ask anything, Fang Yue would soon inquire about every detail.
Sure enough, Fang Yue began firing off one question after another.
Wealthy housewives tend to be bored and particularly gossipy about such matters. This incident involved her son-in-law's family, so she was even more interested.
"So, what's his current situation?" Fang Yue asked. She knew about the poor relationship between Xu Xiuhe and Xu Guimin, so she didn't directly ask about "your father's" condition.
"He's still in the hospital. I don't know the specifics," Xu Xiuhe replied.
"So he's still alive?" Fang Yue's gossip instinct was fully awakened.
"Ahem, ahem..." Shen Tianzheng fake-coughed twice. What kind of question was that? It was tantamount to asking if he was dead yet.
"Mm," Xu Xiuhe responded.
"So what were you doing all afternoon? You were gone for so long," Fang Yue continued to probe.
"We went to the hospital in the afternoon. He called me asking for help. I suspect his falling into the water wasn't as simple as it seems."
Xu Xiuhe explained everything. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have said anything, but these were his in-laws, so there was no need to keep secrets.
Fang Yue perked up even more at this information.
"Xiuhe, I'm not speaking ill of people, but that Yang Cui is indeed a vicious character. She's capable of the most ruthless acts."
Fang Yue had met Yang Cui before. Women like them, who stay at home with nothing to do, always have their own social circles. They often meet for tea, snacks, or mahjong. She had even played mahjong with Yang Cui a few years ago.
Her impression of Yang Cui was that she was manipulative and calculating. Even during a mahjong game, she would spend ages planning her moves.
Later, when Shen Yin told her about Yang Cui trying to harm her great-grandson, she realized this woman might even be capable of murder.
So when Xu Xiuhe mentioned that Xu Guimin's fall into the water might not be that simple, Fang Yue's first thought was that Yang Cui was behind it.
Xu Xiuhe had lived under the same roof with Yang Cui for a few years, so he knew very well what kind of person she was. That woman had one face in public and another in private. Considering the previous incidents, there probably wasn't a single one that she wasn't involved in. She could truly be described as having a heart of snake and scorpion.
"I'm still investigating the specifics. This afternoon, Yin and I moved Xu Guimin to a different location."
"You two?" Shen Tianzheng was a bit shocked. These two spent the afternoon moving Xu Guimin? What was the situation now? Xu Guimin asked Xu Xiuhe to save him, and Xu Xiuhe actually rescued him? Was it that easy? Would Yang Cui allow it?
"He was originally in the First People's Hospital, but we've moved him to another hospital now."
"And Yang Cui agreed to this? If Xu Guimin asked to be rescued, surely there must have been people guarding his hospital room door," Fang Yue voiced the question Shen Tianzheng wanted to ask. See? He didn't even need to open his mouth; Fang Yue would ask all the questions he had in mind.
"Yes, there were guards, but Yang Cui wasn't in the room, and the people outside didn't dare to really intervene."
Xu Xiuhe spoke while eating, his eyes darting towards Shen Yin. He dared not say that those people didn't dare to act because they couldn't overpower Shen Yin.
He had never seen Shen Yin fight in person before, but this afternoon, he was truly impressed by her aura. Even her way of speaking was like that of an ancient hero, drawing their sword to right wrongs.
Shen Yin had no idea what Xu Xiuhe was thinking, nor did she have time to consider whether her tone had been too arrogant. She simply couldn't stand anyone laying a hand on Xu Xiuhe. He was her man, and no one dared to touch him.
"That sounds relatively smooth. But what about later? They are legally married after all. When the husband disappears, she'll surely look for him. With today's technology, they'll probably find Xu Guimin's location by tonight," Fang Yue offered her thoughts.
Meanwhile, in the Xu family villa, Yang Cui was furiously smashing various objects on the table.
"Zhengyang, just look at the kind of bodyguards you hired. Several grown men couldn't even guard a small hospital room door?" she raged.
"Mom, the bodyguard said he couldn't overpower the two people who came," Xu Zhengyang replied.
"What a bunch of idiots! How can so many of you fail to subdue just two people?" Yang Cui completely forgot that she and Xu Zhengyang had also failed to overpower a single nurse.
"Where is your father now? We must bring him back, no matter the cost."
"He's at the Second Hospital."
"Why are you all just standing there? Go and bring him back immediately! I'm his wife!" The woman was hysterical with anger.
"Mom, please calm down. It's so late now. Why don't we wait until tomorrow?"
"Wait until tomorrow? Why don't we wait until next year while we're at it?"
