He changed his expression extremely quickly. The look of relief just now had turned into a flood of tears.
Duan Qinghuai, who had witnessed the whole process, was utterly stunned. If the occasion had been appropriate, he would have clapped and presented Di Yong with an Oscar for Best Actor.
However, this master of facial transformation went unnoticed by Xie Qian, who was still lost in thought.
Di Yong tightly clutched Xie Qian's clothes, crying with snot and tears, looking extremely disheveled.
To be honest, Xie Qian couldn't let go of this nearly 20 - year - long relationship.
In contrast to Di Yong's calculated approach, Xie Qian had truly invested her heart.
She couldn't forget the years of mutual support and companionship, nor could she forget Di Yong's gentle care.
Ning Yitao had been waiting for Xie Qian's answer.
Xie Qian looked at the man kneeling at her feet and felt a pang of pity.
In front of her, he had always been a safe haven, standing in front of her. She had never seen him so submissive and undignified.
Even after learning that he had sold their child, she still harbored a glimmer of hope, thinking that he had been forced into it.
In the end, her heart softened.
Xie Qian asked Ning Yitao hesitantly, "If I'm willing to take his punishment instead, would that be okay?"
Chu Zhiyuan was so shocked that his mouth hung open. Could she really forgive him?
He wanted to jump up and point at Di Yong and scold him. He also wanted to shake Xie Qian awake. Those were crocodile tears; they couldn't be trusted.
Ning Yitao understood. She thought she had done everything she could. She hadn't intervened to let Xie Qian see the true nature of Di Yong's family. But since Xie Qian didn't care and chose to forgive, she couldn't be blamed.
Ning Yitao said seriously, "Sure, I respect your decision. But you can only take 20 years of his lifespan. His legs can't be spared. The mother worm has already invaded his legs, and he has to bear that himself."
Di Yong was still immersed in the joy of Xie Qian's willingness to take his punishment. The victorious smile on his lips hadn't faded when the thunderbolt struck.
Xie Qian thought Di Yong had been forced into these actions and that he had to sacrifice his legs for their child. She even felt sorry for him.
But she completely forgot that none of this would have happened if it weren't for Di Yong, and Di Sumu wouldn't have been missing for so many years.
When love clouded her judgment, Xie Qian still held hope for Di Yong. She thought he could repent and that she would soon have the loving family of three she had always dreamed of.
Xie Qian squatted down happily, face - to - face with Di Yong. She gently wiped the tears from his face and said softly, "It'll be okay after you get amputated. I'll take care of you. I'll use my connections to arrange a good future for you. No one will dare to look down on you. When we bring Di Sumu home, our family of three will be together again."
Xie Qian's voice was filled with longing and hope for the future.
But Di Yong wasn't willing. After realizing that Xie Qian wouldn't compromise on restoring Di Sumu, he angrily shook off Xie Qian's hand on his body.
All he could think about was running away. He couldn't lose his legs like this. He wanted to cut ties with Xie Qian.
Di Yong simply tore off his mask and said disgustedly to Xie Qian, "Why should I save that imbecile? Who do you think you are? If it weren't for your family's power and wealth, I wouldn't have given you a second look. I've been pretending for so many years. It's been so tiring. I've been acting like a servant to you every day."
"I'm not going to be held back here. You can waste your time with that imbecile on your own."
Years of pent - up resentment finally burst out. He finally said what he had always wanted to say.
After that, he turned and ran away as if fleeing. Di Yong didn't believe that he could be forced to amputate his legs against his will.
He chose to run for the hills, leaving Xie Qian and the child behind. He wanted to live a carefree life alone. He had amassed enough wealth over the years and had long planned to leave. Divorce from Xie Qian was just a matter of time.
Xie Qian looked at Di Yong's fleeing back in disbelief. She still tried to find excuses for him, convincing herself that he was just talking nonsense out of shock and that it was all just angry words.
No one knew how she managed to convince herself to chase after Di Yong and keep pleading with him, but all she got in return were verbal abuses one after another and the words Di Yong had never dared to say before.
Chen Chunhua, who had hurt her back due to the huge impact and dared not move on the ground, saw her son trying to run but being blocked. She forced herself up to hold Xie Qian back.
The villagers naturally wanted to help Chen Chunhua, but the "witch" had warned them not to interfere.
Di Yong, the extreme egoist, saw Chen Chunhua coming to help him.
He actually pushed Chen Chunhua, who had endured the pain to catch up, towards Xie Qian like a piece of junk. The violent impact made both of them fall to the ground, and Di Yong ran away without looking back.
Di Sumu broke free from Chu Zhiyuan's embrace and ran towards Xie Qian, who had fallen heavily on the ground, shouting, "Mom, Mom."
Di Sumu reached Xie Qian's side. With his small body, he tried hard to push Chen Chunhua off Xie Qian, muttering, "Bad guy, bad guy, don't bully Mom."
Looking at her such a sensible son, Xie Qian gave up struggling as if in resignation. She felt all her strength drain away. She slumped to the ground, closed her eyes, and the tears flowed uncontrollably.
Chen Chunhua, who had hurt her back, had exhausted all her strength to catch up. She couldn't get up without help.
But at this moment, she secretly praised Di Yong's "wisdom" in her heart. In this way, Xie Qian couldn't catch up with him.
Chen Chunhua was self - satisfied that she had protected her son.
Xie Qian asked the last question she wanted to know, "Mom, this is the last time I'll call you Mom. Can you tell me why you've become like this? Was everything Di Yong just said true?"
Chen Chunhua said proudly, "We've never changed. We just had to pretend in front of you. Anyway, you're no longer related to my son. I'll be kind enough to tell you."
"Everything he said was true. Love at first sight? Humph, if it weren't for your family's money and power. My son said he'd dump you in a while and marry a daughter - in - law who'll be filial to us. My son deserves better."
Every word was like a knife stabbing into Xie Qian's heart.
All her true feelings over the years had been wasted.
Tears streamed down her lost and dazed face, and her eyes glistened with tears.
This time, she couldn't find any more excuses for Di Yong. She could only face the cruel truth.
Xie Qian could no longer hold back her emotions. She felt the bitter bile rising in her mouth, and it was as if there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.
Xie Qian felt that losing Di Yong was so surreal, but what he had done made her feel so disgusted that she couldn't help but retch.
In the midst of her grief, Xie Qian felt a warm sensation on her arm.