Cheng Jinyan's gaze followed her eyes and landed on her face for a moment.
He continued untying the rope and then used a dagger to cut away the clothes around her wound, revealing a bleeding gunshot wound.
Wuma Liya lay unconscious on the bed.
Cheng Jinyan cleaned the dagger and sterilized it.
As the blade entered the bullet hole, Wuma Liya woke up abruptly, her body starting to convulse. Cheng Jinyan forcefully held down her shoulder and skillfully removed the bullet.
Wuma Liya fainted again from the pain.
Cheng Jinyan set aside the dagger and began to clean her wound.
His subordinates bought medicine and gauze, which were delivered to him.
After cleaning and applying medicine to the wound, Cheng Jinyan helped her up and let her lean against him, then proceeded to bandage her.
"Father..."
Wuma Liya, who was unconscious in his arms, murmured suddenly.
Cheng Jinyan, who was in the midst of wrapping the bandage, instinctively glanced at her.
"Father..."
Another voice.
As a psychiatrist, Cheng Jinyan had encountered many psychological abnormalities, but he still couldn't understand or analyze Wuma Liya's twisted and pathological love for her own father.
Having witnessed her father throwing her mother to feed the leopards, she had suffered from a mental illness, yet she not only didn't hate her father, but wanted to gain more attention and care from him...
It was abnormal in every sense.
After Cheng Jinyan finished dressing her wound, he sat down by the bedside as if resting, but his gaze was fixed on Wuma Liya.
"She really is sick," Cheng Jinyan said to her.
The next day,
Wuma Liya woke up from her unconscious state, and there was no one else in the room besides her.
She vaguely remembered that Cheng Jinyan had removed the bullet for her and treated her shoulder wound...
She looked down at the clean clothes she had changed into, and clenched her teeth, her face flushed either from anger or embarrassment.
The atmosphere in the Wuma Family was tense.
The Wuma Family held another meeting.
And just as the meeting was about to end, the most powerful and trusted confidant of the Wuma Family's patriarch returned and announced in front of everyone, "Miss Liya was killed by Cheng Jinyan."
No one would doubt the words of the patriarch's confidant.
"The Cheng Family is going too far. First it was Xiaolin, then Xiaochi and Liya. They want to exterminate our Wuma Family!" The second uncle slammed the table, filled with murderous intent.
"Big brother, we've endured the deaths of Xiaolin and Liya before, but now they think our Wuma Family is afraid of them and are directly bullying us at our doorstep." The third uncle's face was grim. "Tomorrow, their guns will be pointed at our heads." He pointed to his own head.
"If we don't do something, even if we don't die by the hands of the Cheng Family, we'll be laughed to death by everyone in the underworld! I won't be able to show my face in the Wuma Family if we don't avenge this." The second uncle couldn't bear it any longer.
Wuma You, who had remained silent, added at the right moment, "Big brother, won't you say something?" He looked satisfied, everything was going according to his plan.
When the eldest brother, Wu Ma Qiong, and the Cheng Family engage in a battle that leaves both sides injured, it will be the perfect opportunity for him to seize power.
Uncle Er: "Big Brother, what are you really worried about? Liya and Xiaochi are your favorite children, after all."
What is he worried about? Wu Ma Qiong, the head of the Wuma Family, glanced at Wuma You without showing any emotion.
Before Wu Ma Qiong could give a reassuring reply, a voice suddenly rang out, "Father."
Everyone turned to look and saw that it was Wuma Liya, who had been tragically killed by Cheng Jinyan.
"Liya?" Everyone looked at her.
Wuma You's face changed.
The formidable confidant of the head of the family also had a change in expression.
Uncle Er asked in confusion, "Liya, didn't Cheng Jinyan kill you?" He subtly glanced at Wuma You, and their eye contact made it clear that they were on the same side.
Wuma Liya walked over briskly and said, "Cheng Jinyan didn't want to kill me. The one who truly wanted to kill me is him." Wuma Liya raised her hand and pointed directly at the confidant of her father.
The person's face tightened, but he feigned innocence, saying, "Miss Liya, are you saying that I wanted to kill you?"
Uncle San said, "Liya, Uncle Qing has always been your father's right-hand man, taking care of you as you grew up. Are you mistaken?"
Wuma Qiong, the head of the Wuma Family, said, "Liya, explain clearly what happened."
Wuma Liya said, "I haven't made a mistake. It was Uncle Qing who wanted to kill me. As for why he, as your right-hand man, wanted to kill me, Father, you have to ask Uncle Si."
Wuma Liya looked at Wuma You and spoke before Wuma You could say anything, "This isn't the first time Uncle Si has tried to kill me."
Wuma You's face turned serious. "Liya, there are things that shouldn't be said lightly. Do you know the consequences of your words?"
But Wuma Liya continued, "Wuma Chi wasn't killed by Cheng Jinyan. It was Uncle Si who sent someone to kill him."
Wuma You slammed his hand on the table. "Nonsense!"
Wuma Liya said, "I was also at my brother's villa that day. I saw it with my own eyes. Cheng Jinyan was framed by you!"
"You bear a grudge against Cheng Jinyan and covet the position of the head of my family. You intentionally lured Cheng Jinyan here and killed my brother, framing Cheng Jinyan, hoping to provoke the hatred between him and our family. Uncle Qing has long been bought off by you!" Wuma Liya accused loudly.
The elders of the Wuma Family with the power to speak were all shocked.
Wuma You said, "It's all nonsense!"
Wuma Liya took out a bullet. "This is the bullet that injured me. If what I'm saying is true, you'll see."
Wuma Liya tossed the bullet to Uncle San.
Uncle San caught it and held it in his hand, shocked.
Then he threw the bullet to Wuma You and questioned forcefully, "Old Fourth, do you still have anything to say?"
Uncle San said, "A few days ago, you blatantly sent people to seize our territory. You repeatedly claimed it was a frame-up. Are you going to say the same thing about this incident today?"
Wuma You: "I didn't do it, I really didn't. Liya has been hanging out with that guy from the Cheng family these past few days. It's just the two of them, and who knows what kind of relationship you have with him, and whether he has influenced you. Earlier, when I wanted to kill him for Xiaolin's sake, you repeatedly obstructed me. Liya, it seems like your heart has already shifted towards that guy from the Cheng family. Are you willing to destroy our Wuma family for the sake of a man?"
Wuma Liya refused to back down: "The person who saved Cheng Jinyan's life before was my father. And you, Fourth Uncle, have always defied my father's orders."
Wuma You was at a loss for words.
The head of the Wuma family commanded: "Take Wuma You and Wan Shuiqing away and lock them up."
Wuma You protested: "You can't do this. How can you just believe her word and accuse me? It's obvious that she has been influenced by that guy from the Cheng family. Her words cannot be trusted!"
Wuma You was eventually taken away.
The head of the Wuma family then turned to his daughter: "Liya, go rest for now. You've been through a lot these past few days. Today, thanks to you."
Wuma Liya looked at her loving father: "It's what Liya should do."
The head of the Wuma family said, "Go on. After I finish handling matters, I'll come see you."
Wuma Liya replied, "Okay."
Wuma Liya returned to her room. Her wounds were treated again, and she stared absentmindedly at the bloodstained gauze in her hand.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her father's presence.
She was somewhat surprised that her father had actually come to see her. She thought it was just a verbal reassurance.
Wuma Liya smiled and said, "I'm fine, Father."
Wuma Qiong, affectionately, ruffled her hair. "Father still has some matters to attend to. Rest well."
"Father," Wuma Liya called out.
"Do you need something else?" Wuma Qiong turned back.
"Do you love my mother?" Wuma Liya asked him.
Even if it was once, even if it was just a fleeting moment.
"Your mother?" Wuma Qiong seemed to have momentarily forgotten who Liya's mother was.
Wuma Liya looked at his reaction, and the hope in her eyes gradually cooled.
Wuma Qiong recollected, "I remember now. Liya's mother was a prostitute, and she was related to someone named... Did you have a brother named Wuma Yan? Liya's mother was sisters with his mother. Dad remembers her." Wuma Qiong finally recalled.
Wuma Liya's expression vanished.
Wuma Qiong continued reminiscing, "How did Liya's mother die? Did she die from complications during childbirth when she gave birth to you?"
Wuma Qiong couldn't be bothered to think further. "Alright, Dad still has matters to attend to. Liya, rest well. By the way, Dad wants to ask you, tell Dad the truth. Was it that guy from the Cheng family who killed your brother, Xiaochi, or was it your Fourth Uncle?"
