The room was in complete disarray. Combined with the sudden storm outside, raindrops flew in diagonally, soaking the scriptures near the window.
Grandma lay on the floor, motionless. I didn't know if she had lost consciousness or if she was already...
I didn't even dare to think in that direction.
The shattered pieces of the porcelain plate were scattered on the floor.
My mother had a natural reverence for Grandma. Even though she occasionally complained behind her back, she still cared about her deep down.
Seeing this scene so suddenly, my mother cried out and rushed over.
Su Ning'an probably didn't expect my mother to arrive so abruptly. A flash of viciousness crossed her eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
She instantly changed her expression. "Mom, Grandma suddenly went crazy and lunged at me to hit me. I was trying to help her up, but I wasn't fast enough, and she fell... It's all my fault..."
She had been slapped by Grandma earlier, so the red marks from fingers were still visible on her face.
Therefore, my mother didn't doubt her words at all.
If I hadn't witnessed the entire event, I too would have been convinced by her superb acting.
My mother called for Nanny Wang while moving closer to Grandma.
"Mom, Mom..."
Grandma remained completely still, unresponsive.
Seeing her lying on the floor, my heart was filled with sorrow. I screamed her name hoarsely, "Grandma, wake up..."
My mother's hand trembled as she checked for breath under Grandma's nose. Her hand shook uncontrollably. Like me, she must have been terrified that Grandma had passed away.
Fortunately, her expression softened slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay. She probably just fainted from the fall."
A clear look of disappointment flashed in Su Ning'an's eyes. In her heart, she must have thought Grandma was surely dead today, but my mother's accidental arrival ruined her plans.
"Call an ambulance, quick! An'an, what are you standing there for?"
Su Ning'an seemed to snap back to reality belatedly. "Oh, right."
My mother simply thought she was stunned by the incident. How could she guess that Su Ning'an was actually scheming about how best to kill Grandma?
Grandma was rushed to the hospital. I sat by her side, watching her frail, barely conscious form, feeling utterly wretched.
Although Grandma survived this time, as long as Su Ning'an is around, she will eventually find a way to silence her for good.
Even with my god's-eye view, I can't change anything in the end.
Grandma...
I was extremely worried, could only pray for her over and over again.
However, as soon as the ambulance left the Su residence, my spirit was forcibly left behind, unable to follow any further.
Right. I can only move within the range associated with my ashes. Grandma didn't bring the human-skin book with her, so I can't get close to her anymore.
I could only return to the prayer room, kneel before the Bodhisattva statue Grandma always prayed to, and kowtow repeatedly.
If the heavens are truly divine, I am willing to pay any price, just for Grandma to survive and live well.
She should be enjoying her retirement peacefully, not suffering this ordeal because of me.
I don't know how long I knelt. When I looked up again, the surroundings shifted, and I found myself back with Lu Shiyan.
He and my father had landed. In Jindian, it was already completely dark. Leaving the airport, they got into a modified off-road vehicle.
The vehicle looked incredibly sturdy, probably bulletproof.
The scenery outside the city was completely different from back home. Back home, lighting projects kept the night brightly lit even in the dead of night.
Not in Jindian. The further from the city, the more desolate it became. Looking outside, there was only darkness.
The pale moonlight cast its glow, outlining the shapes of distant mountains.
I'd heard things about Jindian. These mountains devour people.
Because the country had been in a state of and warlord rule for a century, the economy was terrible. Ordinary people survived in the cracks between the artillery fire of various factions.
It bred many evil forces who committed all sorts of crimes here.
My father handed a boxed meal to Lu Shiyan. "Eat something. We'll see her in about ten hours. You can't keep starving yourself."
It seemed Lu Shiyan hadn't eaten anything on the plane either.
His face looked conflicted, even restless.
I could guess his thoughts. On one hand, he surely wanted to see me. On the other, he was also afraid.
Afraid of what I might have become, afraid to face our future.
So indecisive. I'd rather he be ruthlessly decisive to the end. Otherwise, Su Ning'an will manipulate him like a dog.
I was deeply worried, anxious about Grandma.
With Su Ning'an by Grandma's side now, she would definitely make a move.
And here I was, unable to even stay by Grandma's side.
Lu Shiyan really couldn't eat. The driver reminded him, "Boss, you should still eat something. It's not like your country here. If fighting breaks out, sometimes you can go three to five days without food."
The driver was tall and thin, with dark skin, wearing flip-flops, but with a gun holstered at his waist.
Hearing about it was one thing; seeing it in person was another feeling altogether.
Lu Shiyan took a bite, his voice hoarse. "I wonder how she is now."
The driver spoke up, "If she was taken into one of those compounds... if it was early on, it might be okay. But if it's been a while, then..."
Lu Shiyan tightened his grip on the hamburger. "What do you mean?"
"If it's a woman... most are ruined. Even if you find them, they're... useless."