CHAPTER 604: 234 FLAMES OF REVENGE BURNING

Guo Cui’s eyes were filled with terror, but her mouth was blocked by the thick sole of a shoe, leaving her only able to produce muffled cries.

"From now on, if I hear one more word out of your mouth, you won’t need that mouth anymore."

The cold voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

Guo Cui nodded desperately.

The foot was removed.

Guo Cui finally managed to breathe through her mouth, and her instinct was to shout, "Help! Murder...!"

A slap landed hard, flipping Guo Cui onto the ground. Her head buzzed, and her whole face felt as if it no longer belonged to her.

As she opened her mouth, blood mixed with several teeth spilled out.

Guo Cui trembled all over, clutching her face and wailing in pain.

Then, she was driven into the storage room, the door locked from the outside, and the sound of footsteps faded away.

Inside, Guo Cui was consumed by both anger and hatred, but for now, there was nothing she could do. Who could have guessed Supervisor Wei’s niece, with her quiet and reserved demeanor, could act so ruthlessly—with violent tendencies?

She was now utterly helpless, unable to call for help. Her face was swollen, several teeth were missing, and even opening her mouth was agonizing.

The storage room’s window was shattered, and cold wind poured in, leaving her shivering uncontrollably. She could only curl up tightly, hugging herself for warmth.

In this moment, she longed deeply for her own room, with its thick cotton quilt, piping hot tea, and electric heater...

Shen Qiunong, in a daze, found herself reminiscing about Ali’s childhood. He had been a mischievous child, always restless, yet bright and inquisitive, always asking "why" about everything he saw.

"Why do ants move houses?"

"Why do bees die after they sting people?"

She would patiently and gently explain the reasons to him.

"Why doesn’t Grandma like me?"

Facing those bright and innocent eyes, it was the first time she found herself at a loss for words.

Ali, perceptive as ever, tugged at her clothes with his tiny hands, his face pure and earnest: "Is it because Ali isn’t good enough yet?"

She held Ali close, unable to shatter the child’s naive fantasy.

She had hoped her child would never face the cruelty and oppression she had endured.

But she was mistaken.

What she believed to be protection was, in fact, the deepest wound she inflicted on Ali.

"Ali..."

A cry tinged with longing spilled softly from her lips, so sorrowful it could move anyone to tears.

Soon, our family will be reunited.

She allowed herself to sink into the depths of despair, no longer resisting.

The grievances and resentment she had clung to for years mysteriously dissolved in that moment. She clasped the old man’s hand, her fingers interlocking with his, her heart filled with peace and tranquility.

"Grandma."

A voice fell gently by her ear, tender like water, as though calling from a distant dream.

She didn’t react.

Only when the voice sounded again, "Grandma," did Shen Qiunong move her lifeless eyes. Her world was shrouded in darkness, a state she had grown accustomed to over the years.

But at the end of that darkness seemed to be a glimmer of light, faint yet undeniably real.

The person sat by her bedside, and she detected a faint, clean fragrance.

It was the young female doctor from earlier.

"Didn’t you leave?" She hadn’t noticed the trembling in her own voice.

Why had she returned? This place wasn’t meant for her.

"Grandma."

The voice called again, tender and tinged with an almost imperceptible sense of longing, melting Shen Qiunong’s long-dried-up heart in an instant.

She tried to persuade gently, "Girl, you must leave now. This isn’t the place for you."

The other woman didn’t respond. Instead, she took Shen Qiunong’s arm and gently helped her up.

Before Shen Qiunong could react, something warm descended upon her shoulders. The warmth swept over her.

It was a down jacket. Though she couldn’t see it, she could imagine that it was clean and bright.

It carried that faint, clean fragrance—the scent belonging to the young woman.

In the next moment, hands lifted her body, and she found herself being carried on someone’s back.

She reached out to feel the slender shoulders and back beneath her hands, the skin beneath was soft yet warm.

"Girl, what are you doing?"

Without saying a word, the woman carried her and began to walk.

They crossed the threshold, and cold wind hit her face.

After a few steps to the right, they entered the adjacent room.

The biting wind was blocked by a closed door, and the room inside was tranquil and warm.

She was placed onto something soft. She reached out to touch it—it was a cotton quilt. She hadn’t felt anything so soft in a very long time.

A cup of hot tea was pressed into her hands, yet her fingers, long overtaken by frostbite, felt none of the warmth, even as the heat radiated through the porcelain cup and slightly scalded her hands.

Soon, her old partner was laid beside her.

Shen Qiunong let out a sigh. "We don’t have much time left. Why waste it on us? Tonight is New Year’s Eve, a time for family reunions. What are you doing spending it with two decrepit old people? You should leave now. This old woman appreciates your kindness, girl. You will be blessed for it. Go back and be with your parents and family."