At this moment, Zhao Shuning was tremblingly searching around the bark-like object.
She called out Feng Qiu'er's name over and over again.
But...
Throughout Qingcheng Mountain,
no one answered her.
There were only the sounds of the wind rustling through the grass and trees.
Zhao Shuning's voice was trembling.
She was extremely scared.
After having a child, she began to understand her mother's nagging. She understood her mother's worries.
Just like now.
Unable to find Feng Qiu'er.
Zhao Shuning's heart
was completely filled with anxiety and panic.
She took a step back.
Trying hard to comfort herself,
"Zhao Shuning, it's okay, it's okay. Look, Wei She has been killed. This means, this means... it means that Xiao Qiu'er might have been saved."
"Yes, it must be like this."
"Don't worry, Zhao Shuning."
Zhao Shuning's voice was a bit choked.
It was a dark and windy night.
Her figure
was still shuttling around.
Those sharp and thorny trees had scratched her arms and thighs until they were bleeding.
But she seemed not to feel the pain.
She still kept looking for Feng Qiu'er.
Continuously calling out her daughter's name.
Her voice was already hoarse.
Her whole body was soaked in sweat.
The sweat running onto the wounds caused a burning pain.
But Zhao Shuning still didn't give up.
Suddenly,
a pair of rough shoes made of coarse cloth appeared in front of Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning's eyes widened extremely.
She walked over step by step.
As if she couldn't believe it.
When she walked beside the shoes,
her legs suddenly went weak.
She recognized those shoes.
She had made them for Xiao Qiu'er with her own hands.
She remembered.
Since Xiao Qiu'er was a girl, she liked shiny things. But there were no very gorgeous fabrics in the small town, so Zhao Shuning made these shoes for her with coarse cloth.
Although the shoes made of coarse cloth were not as good-looking as those made of silk, their practicality far exceeded that of silk shoes.
To make them look better,
Zhao Shuning took out two small pearls she had found in clams from the river and sewed them on the front of the shoes.
She still remembered.
When Xiao Qiu'er first put on these shoes,
she was extremely happy.
She kept spinning around her.
Saying that her mother was amazing and that these were the most beautiful shoes she had ever seen.
Xiao Qiu'er was so sensible.
So easy to be satisfied.
She also tried her best to take care of Zhao Shuning's carefree and innocent heart as a mother.
Now,
Zhao Shuning knelt beside the shoes.
There were bloodstains on the shoes.
That blood
should be Xiao Qiu'er's.
It was seeping out from inside.
It should be that her little foot had been severely scratched by a sharp object.
A sharp object—
The only thing Zhao Shuning could imagine was Wei She's sharp teeth.
On the shoes,
there was also some greenish mucus.
That was Wei She's digestive fluid.
So,
had Xiao Qiu'er really been swallowed into Wei She's belly?
If so,
the possibility of Xiao Qiu'er's survival
was almost zero.
This result
completely shattered the last line of defense in Zhao Shuning's heart.
She put the shoes in her arms.
Suddenly, like a madwoman,
she fiercely slapped her own face.
It was all her fault.
As Xiao Qiu'er's mother, she hadn't let her live a good life. Xiao Qiu'er had suffered a lot following her. And now, she had even died in Wei She's belly.
"Xiao Qiu'er—"
"It's your mother. It's your mother who's sorry for you."
"It's all my fault. I didn't protect you well."
"Ah~"
A shrill cry pierced through the sky.
Even the air around Qingcheng Mountain
seemed to be filled with grief.
Zhao Shuning put away the shoes and walked dejectedly towards the Qi Mansion.
When she arrived at the Qi Mansion,
she quickly wiped away her tears.
She knew that
Feng Xiaobai was still waiting for her.
He was also injured.
At this moment, he needed her care the most.
Zhao Shuning entered the room where Feng Xiaobai was lying in a sorry state.
By this time,
it was already getting a bit light.
"Benefactor, you're back."
Zhao Shuning didn't have the energy to explain anything to Qi Yurou in detail at this moment.
She just nodded.
Seeing that there was nothing behind Zhao Shuning,
Qi Yurou probably guessed what had happened.
"How is Xiaobai?"
"I've invited a doctor to take a look. I've also refined some pills and fed them to him. Young Master Feng's endurance is extraordinary. I was worried that he wouldn't make it through before. But in the second half of the night, his fever subsided a lot. After cleaning the wound on Young Master Feng's arm, he fell into a deeper sleep. Generally speaking, Young Master Feng should be okay."
"That's good. That's good."
Seeing that Zhao Shuning's complexion was not good, Qi Yurou said, "Benefactor, I've asked the kitchen to cook some porridge for you. It's getting late. After you finish the porridge, go to bed early."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Qi Yurou nodded.
Then she withdrew.
She knew that
at this moment,
Zhao Shuning needed time to be alone with Feng Xiaobai. As a mother with a daughter herself, she knew how important a daughter was to a mother.
After Qi Yurou left,
Zhao Shuning walked towards the bed.
Feng Xiaobai was unconscious at this moment.
His small face was covered in sweat.
Zhao Shuning reached out her hand.
Gently wiped the sweat off his face.
Feng Xiaobai seemed to sense Zhao Shuning's presence.
His head began to shake constantly.
He also started to mutter incoherently.
"Sister, let go of my sister."
"Sister, Xiao Qiu'er, Xiao Qiu'er—"
The little boy's eyebrows were tightly knitted.
His hands and feet also started to move restlessly.
Kicking and flailing randomly.
Zhao Shuning quickly held Feng Xiaobai's hands and feet still.
Otherwise, the wound that had been bandaged would split open again.
Feng Xiaobai no longer showed a panicked look at this moment.
Instead, he began to sob faintly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, mother."
"I was wrong, I was wrong."
In the little boy's voice,
there was infinite remorse and self - blame.
His eyes were closed,
but still, many clear tears streamed down his face.
Zhao Shuning's heart felt as if it had been welded by a red - hot branding iron. The pain made her whole body numb.
But now,
she was a mother.
She still had to take care of Xiaobai.
She didn't have the right to be weak.
Now,
she should be Xiaobai's last pillar.
Xiao Qiu'er
had always been the daughter that Zhao Shuning had doted on since childhood. No one was more sad than Zhao Shuning when something happened to her.
The little figure on the bed was all tensed up.
His body also began to turn red.
The blood in his veins
seemed to be flowing backwards.
Zhao Shuning hugged Feng Xiaobai.
Leaning over, she whispered in his ear in an extremely gentle voice, "Xiaobai, don't be afraid. Mother is here with you. Don't be afraid. Mother doesn't blame you. Your sister won't blame you either."
The one to blame
was that Wei She.
Being targeted by the monster
wasn't Feng Xiaobai's fault.
Zhao Shuning understood.
Even if nothing had happened tonight, something would have happened sooner or later after they left the Qi Mansion.
It was just that Feng Xiaobai was too playful.
So this incident had been brought forward.
Zhao Shuning knew her son's habits.
After this incident,
even if she didn't blame him,
the shadow of losing his sister and not being able to protect her would probably accompany him for the rest of his life.
As a mother,
she couldn't give Xiaobai any more stimulation.
Under Zhao Shuning's soothing,
the emotions of the unconscious Feng Xiaobai slowly calmed down.