CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 133; YOU DON’T HAVE TO....

Jin Shuren’s private Airbus chopper descended smoothly onto the family’s private airstrip at the edge of Hengzhou.

The sprawling tarmac lay quiet under the paling dawn, no crowds, no cameras, just the soft thrum of rotors cutting into the morning mist.

The landing was seamless, the kind only wealth could buy, effortless, discreet, detached from the city’s chaos.

Black sedans waited in perfect alignment along the strip, headlights glowing against the fog.

Jin Shuren carried most of the weight, both her exhaustion and the girl’s limp little body, as he guided them into the waiting car.

Fang Lin trailed close behind, her eyes flicking anxiously to Yueyao’s still-sleeping face.

The ride from the airstrip to the Jin family mansion was silent. The world outside shifted from empty highways to the gleaming towers of Hengzhou, neon lights flickering out one by one as daylight pressed in.

Yueyao never stirred, her breathing shallow but steady, her daughter curled protectively in her arms.

By the time they reached the Jin family mansion, dawn had sharpened into daylight.

Servants moved quietly, and under Shuren’s instructions, Yueqin was taken to her own prepared bedroom to rest, while Yueyao was carried upstairs and laid gently on the wide guest bed. The curtains were drawn, shutting out the brightening sky.

Yueyao never woke, though even in sleep her brows remained faintly furrowed.

Two hours later, the mansion was quiet.

And then.....

Yueyao jolted awake.

Her eyes darted across the unfamiliar room, breath sharp, heart racing, every muscle tensed as though she’d been thrust back into danger.

For a moment she didn’t know where she was, only that the bed was too soft, the sheets too clean, the silence too heavy.

And then panic struck.

"Yueqin?" Her voice cracked, hoarse from sleep. She pushed herself upright, clutching at the covers, her body trembling as her gaze swept the empty room. "Yueqin!"

She stumbled barefoot to the door, nearly tripping in her haste, her hands already fumbling at the handle.

The hallway was far beyond stretched quiet and unfamiliar, lined with polished wood and muted paintings.

"Yueqin!" Yueyao’s cry rang sharp against the hushed stillness of the hallway, her voice raw with fear.

She staggered forward, clutching the wall for balance as her breath came in shallow, panicked bursts.

"Yueqin... answer Mama!"

Her voice echoed, unanswered. Every door looked the same, closed, silent.

Her hands trembled as she reached for one, then another, yanking at handles, her pulse thrumming in her ears.

Each room she opened revealed only emptiness, neatly arranged furniture, untouched linens, and no trace of her child.

Her chest constricted painfully. For a heartbeat the air felt too thin, her vision warping at the edges. In her mind flashed the darkest memories: cold hands ripping her daughter from her grasp, voices telling her she’d never see her again.

Her knees nearly buckled. "No... no, please, not again...."

She felt like everything had gone back to that nightmare, where was her daughter? Where was she?

"Yueqin!"

"My little princess...."

"Where are you? Where did you go?"

"Yueqin!"

"My Yueqin...."

The sharp edge of her scream carried down the hall.

Jin Shuren was there in an instant, the doorframe groaning as he pushed it open. "Yueyao!"

But she spun on him like a frightened animal cornered, her hair clinging to her damp face, her eyes wide, glassy with terror. "Who are you?!" she shrieked, stumbling backward. "Why do you keep taking her away? Why do you keep giving her back only to take her again?!"

Her fists beat at her chest as if trying to tear the nightmare free from her ribs. "Didn’t we agree, didn’t we agree we would be married? That she would be mine? Why are you punishing me?!"

"Yueyao...." Jin Shuren’s throat tightened. Every word she spoke sliced at him, her broken memories twisting him into the shape of her tormentor.

He knew, if he touched her, if he tried to anchor her by force, her body might revolt, the sickness might tear through her again. Vomiting, shivering, convulsing. He had seen it all happen with Shen Xiao.

And yet, what else could he do?

Her cries sharpened, rising, threatening to wake the very child she was desperate to find.

So he made the only choice left.

He closed the distance in two strides, ignoring her frantic thrashing, and lifted her into his arms.

Her nails clawed weakly at his chest, her head shaking violently. "Let me go! Don’t... don’t take her from me again!"

But this time, the reaction he braced for didn’t come. No gagging, no violent recoil, instead her trembling only pressed closer, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"Shh," his voice dropped to a firm whisper, steady as steel despite the storm inside him.

He bent his head close, speaking against her ear, each word deliberate. "Be quiet, Yueyao. I’m taking you to her. Don’t wake the little one. You will scare her if she sees you like this."

Her sobs hitched, broken, but the words cut through the fog, anchoring her just enough.

"To her?" she whispered hoarsely, searching his eyes.

"Yes." He held her more securely, his stride unyielding as he carried her down the corridor. "To your daughter. She’s safe. You will see her yourself."

And for that moment, her desperate thrashing stilled, her body yielding in his arms, caught between disbelief and fragile hope.

With his unique scent, she felt like it was grounding her frantic nerves, tethering her back to something real, something steady.

The pounding in her chest was still there, but instead of spiraling into panic, it began to slow, matching the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

Her fists, once clawing and desperate, loosened against his shirt, curling into trembling fists that only clung tighter. "Don’t lie to me," she whispered brokenly, her voice raw, half-pleading, half-distrusting. "If she’s gone again, if you’re tricking me, I won’t survive it. I can’t...."

"You don’t have to," Jin Shuren cut her off quietly, his.....