Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

In the police station.

“Hi officer, I am here to visit my mother.”

The police officer frowned, looked at Shen Wanyue in confusion. “Your mother?”

Wanyue nodded and said, “Her name is Shen Qiu.”

It was a familiar name. The police officer's brows had now crumpled like an old bill that was thrown into

the trash. “So that's your mother? You better talk to her. All the evidence and witnesses are pointing

towards her, but she is so stubborn, she still refuses to admit guilt.”

Wanyue was clenching her fists; she tried to suppress the anger by putting up a board smile and

replied politely, “Alright, sir. Thank you very much!”

As she entered the interrogation room, she saw Shen Qiu being handcuffed. She immediately ran to

her and cried, “Mum!”

“Wanyue!”

“You two better spend some time together and talk this through,” the police officer left and shut the door

behind him.

Shen Wanyue sat across the table, facing Shen Qiu. She was glad to see her daughter; she held her

hands, and begged, “Wanyue, you must save me. You know I'm innocent.”

“Mum, don't you worry. I have made a call to Uncle Qi and told him what happened. He promised he'll

get the best lawyer in town,” she assured her.

Shen Qiu closed her eyes; hopelessness and despair flashed across her eyes. “Do you think Uncle Qi

would care about me at all if I were to be sent to prison? I think he won't. For the Qi Family, this is

worse than a scandal.”

“Mum... then what should we do?”

A cruel glint flashed across Shen Qiu's sight; uncovering the evil in her. “It's been ten years! Why did

Fu Lingye brought up an incident that had happened a decade ago? Wanyue, no matter what, you

must get me out of here!” she panicked, gazing at Wanyue with a gloomy expression.

Shen Wanyue had tears rolling down her cheeks. She nodded. “Mum, don't worry. I will... No, I must do

whatever I can to get you out of this mess! It must be that Tongrui bitch! She's behind this.”

“Stop crying. If we meet dead ends, you still have to beg for Tongrui's help.”

“Mum...”

“Wanyue, you must not disappoint me.”

“Mum, don't worry. Even if I have to beg Tongrui, I'll do it.”

.....

As both Fu Lingye and Mu Tongrui were admitted to the hospital, Fu Zhengyuan brought Sweetheart to

pay a visit.

Sweetheart laid down next to Mu Tongrui and mumbled, “Daddy, Mu'mu, when are you leaving this

place?”

Mu Tongrui patted Sweetheart's head and gently said, “Is Sweetheart missing us already?”

“Yeah! I miss baby brother too!”

Mu Tongrui was startled when Sweetheart reached for her belly and gave it a rub.

“Sweetheart!” Fu Lingye's voice suddenly became stern.

Sweetheart was startled; she frowned and glared at her father, “Daddy, why are you so fierce? I just

want to pat my baby brother!”

Mu Tongrui turned pale as she bitterly smiled and said, “It's alright. Come on over.”

Hmph! Sweetheart made a funny face at Fu Lingye and turned away.

Fu Lingye's expression went somber.

Fu Zhengyuan felt the tension and persuaded, “Sweetheart, Grandpa wants to talk to Daddy and

Mu'mu. Why not you join Uncle Xu in the garden for a while?”

Sweetheart obediently followed her grandpa's instruction; she got out of the bed and wandered towards

Xu Kun's direction.

Xu Kun held Sweetheart's hand and said, “Come, let's go and play in the garden.”

As Xu Kun brought Sweetheart out of the ward, Fu Zhengyuan clasped his walking stick. He looked at

Tongrui with a gloomy expression.

“The baby... was gone?”

Old Master Fu had high expectations, but his expectations went down the drain as he saw Tongrui's

expression.

Tongrui knew how much Old Master Fu wanted this grandchild; he had been waiting for ages for this

child to be born.

Fu Zhengyuan loved kids. It can be seen through the extreme love and affection he had given to

Sweetheart.

At that moment, Mu Tongrui dare not look at Fu Zhengyuan. She was filled with sorrow and at the same

time felt that she had let Fu Zhengyuan down.

“Dad... I... I'm sorry...”

Fu Zhengyuan let out a sigh and shook his head.

Fu Lingye pursed his lips and said, “Rui has nothing to do with this. The child is gone and I am the one

who should bear the responsibility.”

Fu Zhengyuan asked in despair, “Is Fu Jia behind all these?”

Fu Lingye did not want to hide the truth. “Yes,” he answered.

Fu Zhengyuan frowned with repugnance; his eyes were filled with sadness as he said, “How did Fu Jia

end up like this?” Zhengyuan sighed. “After all, Uncle Zhenghui only has one daughter. Lingue, don't

take things too far. Uncle Zhenghui is a compassionate person and Aunt Xian loves Fu Jia a lot. If

something happens to Jia, we are partly responsible too.”

Fu Lingye asked, “Dad, you mean we should let Fu Jia off the hook this time?”

“Or else, do you want to see Fu Jia being locked up? She's your only cousin.”

.....

When Fu Zhengyuan left, Fu Lingye was buried in his thoughts in silence.

Mu Tongrui knew the awkward position he was in. “Lingye, no matter what you decide to do, I'll give

you my full support.”

“Even if I let Fu Jia go?” Fu Lingye asked as he gazed at her.

Tongrui nodded. “Because I know that whatever you do, you did it to protect me,” she said.

It was Fu Jia who caused this incident. However, even if Fu Jia did not create such havoc, Tongrui

would not be able to keep the child as well. She knew it all along just that she had not been willing to

face the truth.

“Rui, I really hope you could be more selfish sometimes,” Fu Lingye complained.

Mu Tongrui put on a smile. “But if I am selfish, it is not the enemy who will get hurt first. It's you - it will

place you in an awkward position. You'll need a make a difficult choice and it makes me worried.”

Fu Lingye laughed out of a sudden.

He couldn't ask for more; nothing is better than having such a wife.

.....

The sun was scorching hot in the afternoon when Shen Wanyue reached the hospital.

She went in with an exquisite basket filled with fruits in her hands.

Once she stepped into the ward, Fu Lingye's expression turned sour.

“What are you doing here?” Fu Lingye exclaimed.

Wanyue placed the basket of fruits on the table, looked at Mu Tongrui while biting her hips. “Mr. Fu...

Tongrui... Please let my mum go,” she begged. “Back then, my mum did had the intention, but no harm

was done, right? It was 10 years ago. Tongrui, I am begging you. Please! Could you please stop

pursuing this matter?”

Fu Lingye kept his mouth sealed. For now, he wanted Tongrui to decide for herself.

He will respect whatever decision she made.

Mu Tongrui leaned towards the bed. She was looking straight at Shen Wanyue; her eyes were icy cold

and her expression turned pale.

“What if I were dead? Then Shen Qiu, your precious mother, would be at large. Would you still come

and beg at me?”

“But... but that's 10 years ago. Why are you still holding a grudge against her?”

Mu Tongrui gave a cold smile; her grin sent chills down her spine. “Do you mean rights and wrongs

fade as time goes by? Indeed, the accident happened 10 years ago, but the arson meant to kill me was

a fact. It was also a fact that she indirectly killed my dad. I have no intention of forgiving her, even

though a decade had passed,” she clarified. “She would still be at large if no evidence surface recently.

Perhaps if that's the case, I wouldn't hate her so much, not because I have forgiven her, but I am left

with dead ends. I would never... ever... forgive her.”

As time passed, the pain became futile. Neither did the anguish disappear nor subside; it was merely

because there was no way around it.