CHAPTER 426: 426

"Alright, alright!" Mrs. Song’s face turned pale as soon as she heard the words. She grabbed Xu Xiuxiu’s hand, which was also trembling. It was obvious that what Xu Xiuxiu had said greatly worried her, "How could this happen? If only I had known..." The second half of the sentence seemed unbelieving, and she never finished it.

She also naturally noticed that her granddaughter Niuniu seemed to embellish a lot in her conversation over the phone, and thinking about the child in Song Yuan Yao’s womb not being well, her heart was in knots that she couldn’t untangle.

"Sister-in-law, tell me the truth, did Niuniu cause some trouble? It’s because of Niuniu that this happened to Tianxin, right?" Song Yuantao felt a surge of panic as he listened to Xu Xiuxiu, so he asked urgently, his voice full of doubt and remorse. After all, Tianxin was his daughter and he knew her character well as a father. If it weren’t for his genuine desire to find a woman to share life’s warmth with, he wouldn’t have sent Niuniu to City Z, especially since back home, Niuniu was always throwing tantrums every other day. Who knows what she could get up to in City Z!

"Big brother, I’m not too clear on the details, but I heard that Yuanyao had arranged for Niuniu to start school, but Niuniu refused, saying she wanted to work in a factory instead. She’s still so young, so naturally Yuanyao disagreed. But Niuniu wouldn’t go to school, and keeping her at home all the time wasn’t an option. Yuanyao had no choice but to threaten to send her back if she didn’t obey. Niuniu, in a moment of agitation, said Yuanyao was driving her away and started packing her bags to leave. Yuanyao, without thinking, tried to stop her but Niuniu pushed her away forcefully, causing Yuanyao to accidentally hit her stomach on the corner of a table, and the child was nearly lost..." Mrs. Song and Song Yuantao had already come to City Z, so there was no need for her to specifically hide the truth.

Informing them of the truth was also a way to resolve issues, otherwise Mrs. Song might still blame Yuanyao, the aunt.

"Damned brat, I think she’s been utterly spoiled, just like her mother," Song Yuantao spat, his cheeks tensed, unable to contain his frustration.

"Niuniu, she... Alas!" Mrs. Song murmured in remorse and disbelief, sorry that a good child had been led astray and regretting that she hadn’t noticed earlier, almost causing harm to her daughter.

Song Yuantao tried to calm himself down, and after a long while, clenched his teeth and said, "Mom, don’t worry! If Niuniu really has done something wrong and hurt Tianxin, whether she needs to be scolded, punished, or apologize, I won’t hesitate for a second. Otherwise, I’ll flay her myself." He felt guilty for sending Niuniu to cause trouble for Tianxin in City Z, and now, with so much mess caused, he had to harden his heart and properly discipline his child.

Mrs. Song anxiously turned to look at her eldest son, still in disbelief, "Yuantao, don’t be hasty. Let’s find Niuniu first and see. She’s just a teenager, alone out there, who knows what she’s going through or how much she’s suffered!"

"Hmph, suffer! I think no matter who ends up suffering, it won’t be her," Song Yuantao scoffed, murmuring under his breath. Initially, when Mrs. Song had come to talk to him about this, he too was anxious and panicked, but now, having calmed down, he realized it was an unnecessary worry.

Although Song Yuantao’s words were heated, Xu Xiuxiu had to admit she very much agreed.

Because it was already late, Xu Xiuxiu, after calming Mrs. Song’s emotions, arranged for Mrs. Song and Song Yuantao to stay in their home in City Z overnight. Early the next morning, she hurried to the hospital to see Song Yuan Yao. When Mrs. Song and Song Yuantao arrived at the hospital, Wu Lixue was feeding Song Yuan Yao chicken porridge. After two days of hospital rest, Song Yuan Yao’s health had partially recovered, and her overall condition seemed much improved.

"Mom!" Song Yuan Yao’s eyes reddened as she saw Mrs. Song and Song Yuantao walk into the room.

"Mom, you’re here—please sit down!" Wu Lixue stood up to greet them, then pulled a chair beside the sickbed for Mrs. Song to sit. "Mom, Brother, have you had breakfast yet? If not, I’ll go out and buy something for you to eat."

"Ah! We’ve eaten already, Lixue, don’t fuss." Mrs. Song smiled and nodded as she walked over to sit by the sickbed. Her aged eyes gazed at Song Yuan Yao’s face with concern. "Yuanyao, are you feeling better? Look at you, already married but still like a child, not taking care of yourself; you’ve lost weight," she said, her words filled with heartache, a mother’s instinctive concern.

"Mom, I’m fine." Song Yuan Yao sniffled, her eyes rimmed red in response.

"Just take good care of yourself, you will get better." Mrs. Song reached out to pat Song Yuan Yao’s hand, her eyes full of distress. This was her own beloved daughter! Seeing her looking so pale and worn, she could hardly express how much it hurt.

"Mmm." Song Yuan Yao nodded, then looked up at Song Yuantao. "Big brother, I’m sorry, I didn’t take good care of Niuniu." Song Tianxin was still missing, and she felt truly guilty.

"It’s not your fault. I know Niuniu’s behavior better than anyone; you don’t need to blame yourself," Song Yuantao shook his head, his tone laced with a bitter and helpless smile, genuinely embarrassed by Song Yuan Yao’s complete guilt. It was actually his daughter who had caused the trouble, nearly endangering the child in Song Yuan Yao’s womb, and yet here she was apologizing to him, making him feel utterly shamefaced. "Just focus on getting better, and once I find her, I’ll make her come and apologize to you."

"No need." Song Yuan Yao awkwardly shook her head, "Brother, do you have any news of Niuniu? In the past few days, Xue Li and Yuanying have been looking for her, but they haven’t found her; I don’t even know how she’s doing now." Song Yuan Yao was upset with Song Tianxin, but still concerned for her.

"Niuniu said she’s staying in a small motel. Yuantao, go and bring her back now!" Song Yuantao wasn’t aware, but Mrs. Song still knew the details; she had actually wanted to pick up Song Tianxin the night before. If Xu Xiuxiu hadn’t comforted her, mentioning that the motel was quite far, she wouldn’t have been able to wait all night.

"Mmm! Okay, I’ll go get that girl right now," Song Yuantao replied, his tone frustrated.

With nothing else to do, Xu Xiuxiu figured that Mrs. Song would stay in the hospital room, possibly exchanging some heartfelt words with Song Yuan Yao and also clarifying the ins and outs of the situation. Xu Xiuxiu thus decided not to stay in the hospital room and instead accompanied Song Yuanming and Song Yuantao to the motel where Song Tianxin was staying.

They had thought picking up Song Tianxin would go smoothly, but upon arriving at the motel, they discovered that Song Tianxin’s ability to cause trouble was more than just a little problematic. They had just arrived and already encountered a headache-inducing issue. It proved that Song Tianxin really was a nuisance wherever she went.