Chapter 19 part 1
Trigger Warning: Abuse
Unable to shake the feeling of unease, Zhou Han grabbed his keys and drove straight to Ling Ran’s home. When he arrived, Ling Ran reeked of alcohol, and her gaze was already unfocused and hazy. Upon entering, he saw the child cowering in a corner of the living room; a shard from a broken bottle had sliced a long gash across the boy's hand—fortunately, the cut wasn't deep, though it was bleeding profusely.
Beyond the hand injury, the boy had a cut on his forehead that was oozing blood, and the skin on his face was scraped raw, showing traces of blood.
Zhou Han could hardly believe his eyes. Although he knew Ling Ran was prone to verbally and physically abusing the child, he had never imagined she would be so brutal. After all, the boy was her own flesh and blood — did she feel absolutely nothing?
He stepped forward and scooped the child up, turning to leave, but Ling Ran blocked his path. "You are not taking the child!"
Glancing at the long, bleeding gash on the child's palm, he fought to suppress his rage; he spoke through gritted teeth, barely containing his fury: "Get out of my way."
Ling Ran didn't budge. She stared fixedly at him and said, "If... if you want to take the child, you have to promise—promise me you'll get my father out." Because she had drunk so much, her breath was foul enough to make one feel nauseous.
"Impossible. I told you I wouldn't help him; give up on that idea," Zhou Han said sternly, stepping aside to move past her. Ling Ran had no intention of letting him simply walk away with the child; she was backed into a corner.
If her father were convicted, she would lose the house she lived in and the financial support she relied on. She dared not imagine what would remain—or how she would survive—without money or the prestige of being Mayor Ling’s daughter. The thought of working herself to the bone for a mere paycheck like ordinary people was unthinkable to her; the prospect of having nothing terrified her.
She had spent this time desperately seeking help. She had approached Su Yicheng, but he had been ruthless, agreeing only to arrange a single meeting with her father and refusing everything else. It was only after seeing her father that she learned the truth: Su Yicheng was the one who had brought about her father’s downfall. He was the one who had gathered the evidence and handed the dossier to the Commission for Discipline Inspection.
She had turned to others as well, but those who had once been close to the Ling family now avoided her, terrified of inviting unnecessary trouble. After racking her brains, she had finally thought of Zhou Han—the man who had once loved her so deeply he would have died for her. Yet, to her shock, even he had refused her, and his words had been so final that there was no room left for reconciliation.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
Ling Ran’s expression was now so ferocious it was terrifying; the little one in Zhou Han’s arms was genuinely frightened of her and abruptly turned away to cling tightly to Zhou Han’s neck.
Zhou Han turned sideways to shield the child, settling him securely against his shoulder, and looked at Ling Ran, saying coldly, "You were the one who didn't want the child in the first place!"
"I want him now!" Ling Ran shouted. The child was her lifeline; the Zhou family would never abandon their grandson. As long as the child was with her, even if Zhou Han refused to help her father, the Zhou family wouldn't mistreat her out of concern for the boy. With this thought, she lunged at Zhou Han again, screaming, "Give me the child! Give me the child..."
Zhou Han pushed her away—using enough force to knock her to the ground—and said, "I won't give the child to you; you aren't fit to be a mother."
With that, Zhou Han turned to leave with the child in his arms; he had no time to waste on this confrontation. His priority was getting the child to the hospital.
Seeing him about to leave, Ling Ran acted out of desperation and threw her arms around Zhou Han’s legs, pleading, "Don't do this, Zhou Han. Don't treat me this way. You love me—you said you’d do anything for me, even die for me. Zhou Han, I was wrong; it was all my fault. Let’s start over—can we start over? Let’s go back to the States and be the way we used to be. Please don't leave me. I have nothing left; I can't lose you too..." She wept as she spoke, her hands gripping his legs tightly to keep him from leaving.
Zhou Han didn't even look at her. Perhaps in the past, her tears and apparent fragility would have softened his heart, but not anymore. She was no longer the Ling Ran he had once known, and he was no longer the Zhou Han who loved her enough to die for her.
"Let go," he said coldly, devoid of any emotion—his tone resolute and final.
"No, I don't want that." Ling Ran held him even tighter, repeating over and over, "You love me—you love me!..."
"Heh..." Zhou Han gave a cold, derisive laugh. Glancing down at her, he simply said, "I was a fool to fall for you back then, but no one stays a fool forever." With that, he forcefully wrenched his leg free and walked away without sparing her another glance, ignoring her as she lay on the ground screaming after him.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
She sat in the car for a long while until she had caught her breath. Leaning back against the seat, she let out a long sigh and shook her head with a self-deprecating half-smile, murmuring softly, "It was just a business partnership to begin with... I was the one who overstepped."
After sitting in the car for a while, reflecting on the situation with a touch of self-deprecating irony, Lin Li finally started the engine and drove off.
She didn't head home; instead, she just kept driving, letting the breeze soothe the heavy, restless feeling in her chest. She had considered calling An Ran to meet up and talk, but worried that her friend might sense something was wrong and start to worry—especially given that An Ran was pregnant.
She drove aimlessly, only to run right into the evening rush hour. Her car became trapped in the long, slow-moving line of traffic beneath the glow of neon lights. Unlike the other drivers, who were likely anxious and frustrated, Lin Li simply rested one arm on the window ledge and propped her head gently on her hand. Being stuck there didn't actually feel so bad; at least she didn't have to worry about where to go next.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
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