nucmednet Chapter 180 Heartbroken
Chapter 180 Heartbroken
Feng Li tried his best to suppress the overwhelming grief and bitterness in his heart, his chest rising and falling slightly with his heavy and suppressed breathing.
Her eyes were closed, and after a brief pause, she slowly took a deep breath. The sound of her inhalation could be clearly heard in the silent main hall, as if she were drawing courage from the depths of her soul to confront the cruel truth that was about to be revealed.
Finally, her lips trembled uncontrollably, as if she had used all her strength to utter those words that felt like a thousand-pound stone: "Grandmother, Mother... she is no longer alive."
The sound was like a thunderbolt piercing the clear sky, instantly exploding in the main hall and making everyone present's eardrums buzz.
In an instant, the main hall, which had been filled with laughter and warmth like spring, was suddenly enveloped by a layer of cold and merciless frost. The lively and joyful atmosphere was as if it had been crushed by an invisible giant hand. The air seemed to have been magically frozen into ice in an instant, and the temperature dropped sharply. The bone-chilling cold was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into everyone's heart.
As if struck mercilessly by a swift and fierce lightning bolt, Madam Qi's already frail body shook violently, as if subjected to a violent impact.
Her frail figure, under this sudden blow, resembled a withered leaf, lonely and helpless, swaying precariously in a howling wind, and could be swept into the abyss of despair at any moment.
If it weren't for the maids, as skilled and sharp-eyed as swallows, who swiftly stepped in to support her, she would probably have collapsed lifelessly to the ground like a puppet that had lost its control, sinking into that bottomless, endless abyss of despair.
Her eyes instantly became empty and lifeless, as if the bright light deep within her soul had been ruthlessly extinguished, leaving only a desolate, lonely, and chilling darkness.
His lips trembled uncontrollably, like those of a pitiful person freezing in the snow, as he muttered to himself, "How could this be... how could this happen..."
The sound was so faint, like a candle flickering in the darkness, about to go out. It echoed eerily in the eerily silent main hall, as if it were a desperate wail from the depths of a distant hell.
Tears welled up in her eyes, surging like a dam breaking through the dam, but due to extreme grief, they seemed to be bewitched by a mysterious and evil force, unable to fall. It was as if her soul had been forcibly ripped away by a powerful force, leaving her with only a lifeless, soulless shell, drifting alone in this cold, lifeless world, like a rootless duckweed.
Qi Qing's face was filled with sorrow, as if shrouded in heavy dark clouds, his brows tightly furrowed together, as if they could trap a fly.
He slowly dragged his leaden steps forward, trying to comfort Madam Qi, but he felt as if an invisible yet incredibly powerful hand was gripping his throat tightly. Every attempt to utter a sound felt like an incredibly difficult battle.
Witnessing this heartbreaking scene, Qi Ruyan's eyes welled up with tears that almost spilled out. She swallowed hard a few times, the sound of her swallowing particularly clear in the silence, as if she was trying to suppress the grief and fear in her heart.
After a long pause, a faint, almost inaudible voice, like the fluttering of a mosquito's wings, finally escaped from his parched, burning throat: "Madam, there were many victims in the Yuanxing incident, and Aqi and I were among the unfortunate ones... Yuanxing was nothing short of a hellish place inhabited by demons, a place of utter depravity and outrage. Aqi endured unimaginable torment and suffering there, yet even in the depths of despair, she never gave up protecting Xiaoli. She was so resilient and fearless, yet in the end, she was mercilessly swallowed by that endless darkness..."
Upon hearing this heart-wrenching truth, the already taut string in Madam Qi's heart finally snapped with a crisp, despairing sound.
She could no longer suppress the overwhelming grief within her, which surged like a volcanic eruption. The pain and sorrow that had been suppressed in her heart for so long burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, and she finally couldn't help but burst into tears.
The cries were like surging, overwhelming waves, relentlessly assaulting the fragile heartstrings of everyone present. They were heart-wrenching and devastating, causing everyone to be infected by this powerful force of sorrow, their hearts aching and tears streaming down their faces. They were involuntarily immersed in this endless vortex of grief, as if the whole world had been submerged by these sorrowful cries.
Her cries seemed to be a sorrowful recounting of her unending, ever-flowing longing for her daughter over the years.
Every day and night, she silently worried about her daughter's safety and hoped for the day they could be reunited.
Now, all of that has vanished. Her cries seem to be an outpouring of the pain and self-blame she feels for being powerless to do anything about her daughter's misfortune.
She hated herself for not being able to share even a fraction of her daughter's pain, for not being there for her when her daughter needed her most. Her grief was also filled with an inability to accept the cruel reality of her daughter's permanent departure, as if it were all a nightmare from which she desperately wished to wake up and see her daughter's familiar and loving face again.
Each cry was like a sharp sword, piercing deep into the soul of everyone present, leaving indelible wounds.
Looking at his grief-stricken and nearly collapsed grandmother, Feng Li felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if his legs had lost all strength in an instant. He collapsed and knelt straight down in front of Madam Qi with a thud.
Tears, like a raging flood, broke through the dam, overflowing from her eyes and flowing freely down her pale and desperate face: "Grandmother, although Mother is gone, she lives on in my heart. Her voice, her smile, her every move, her very existence—I have never forgotten her for a moment. I will carry Mother's love with me, just as she once protected me, and steadfastly accompany you, never leaving you, forever."
Qi Ruyan was also enveloped by the heavy, impenetrable atmosphere of sorrow, and tears streamed down her face like pearls falling from a broken string.
She sobbed softly, saying, "Madam, we will all be with you, your strongest support during these difficult and sorrowful times, and we will stand by your side through every long and arduous day and night. No matter how fierce the storm, we will never leave your side."
The brothers Qi Yanshang and Qi Yanyun exchanged a glance. Although their eyes were also filled with grief and sorrow, deep within that grief, two flames burned that would never be extinguished.
The flames symbolized their steadfastness and determination. They stood silently to the side, their figures upright like evergreen pines and cypresses, proudly standing tall in the wind and rain, like loyal guardians protecting their homeland, quietly watching over their family members who were immersed in grief.
With their silent yet powerful companionship, they offered warmth and comfort to everyone, as if telling everyone that no matter what difficulties they encountered, they would face them together with their families and never back down.
After a long while, Madam Qi slowly recovered from the abyss of grief. She slowly raised her red and swollen eyes, her gaze filled with confusion and pain, and looked at Qi Ruyan and Feng Li.
"Ruyan, I want to know... what exactly did you experience at Yuanxing?" Her voice was hoarse and trembling, as if every word had taken all her strength.
Feng Li slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with pain and reminiscence, as if he had traveled through time and returned to that nightmarish journey.
She looked at Qi Ruyan, and only after receiving Qi Ruyan's affirmation and encouragement did she seem to muster immense courage, speaking in a hoarse and heavy voice: "Madam, that Yuanxing is simply a living hell. According to my foster mother, after being abducted there, she was locked in a dark and damp cell that resembled a tomb, filled with a nauseating stench. The walls were covered with damp moss and mottled stains. Every day, my mother suffered inhuman torture at the hands of those villains. The whips lashed her frail body like venomous snakes, leaving horrifying bloody welts that looked like hideous red centipedes crawling all over her body. Yet she gritted her teeth and never uttered a single word of begging for mercy."
Qi Ruyan recalled her unbearable experience at Yuanxing and couldn't help but sigh deeply, her sigh filled with endless pain and sorrow.
"They would also use red-hot branding irons to burn people's skin. The sizzling sound and the pungent smell of burning flesh still haunt my mind like a demon's curse. Every day there was darkness, as if the place was forever favored by the god of darkness. Not only were the bodies tortured, but people also had to endure immense humiliation that felt like being cut by a knife. The insults and laughter of those wicked people were like the roar of demons, incessant and never-ending. But the people there couldn't even commit suicide, as if their hands and feet were bound by an evil force."
Overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, Qi Qing's voice trembled as she said, "Just now in the carriage, Ru Yan and Xiao Li both told me. At that time, A Qi was pregnant with Xiao Li, yet she refused to yield to the torture and never considered giving up her life or Xiao Li. She always held onto the thought of Xiao Li and her family, clinging to life with an iron will. Even in dire straits, she fought desperately against the evil forces, trying to find even the faintest glimmer of hope. She also risked her life many times to deliver messages to those suffering alongside her, encouraging them not to give up hope, like a beacon in the darkness, bringing warmth and courage to everyone. However, ultimately, outnumbered, in a fierce battle that felt like a fight to the death, A Qi was tragically wounded by those heartless and inhuman villains while protecting others, and ultimately…"
Qi Qing's voice was choked with sobs, as if a huge rock was blocking her throat, and she could no longer speak. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.
After listening to their brief but painful descriptions, Madam Qi learned that although their words were somewhat vague due to their reluctance to endure the torture, and none of them mentioned the specific and horrific tortures, she had still heard about this heinous incident.
That torture... was inhumane...
Just hearing them say that, chilling images involuntarily surfaced in her mind. She seemed to see with her own eyes the suffering of Aqi and Qi Ruyan. Waves of grief washed over her, almost drowning her.
After a long while, Madam Qi's crying gradually turned into sobs. As if she had used up her last bit of strength, she weakly waved her hand, signaling everyone to get up.
It took her a while to calm down before she managed to suppress the overwhelming sadness in her heart. She looked at Qi Ruyan and Feng Li with eyes full of pity and said, "Good children, you have suffered so much. From now on, we will live happily together as a family."
Her eyes were still filled with exhaustion and despair, but looking at Feng Li, Qi Ruyan and her two grandsons, she felt a glimmer of comfort, like the dawn in the darkness.
"Ah Qi... she's a good child, I know she'll protect her child." Madam Qi said, her voice choked with emotion, every word filled with deep love and longing for her daughter.
Feng Li got up and gently nestled beside Madam Qi, as if a wounded little bird had found a warm nest.
She gently reached out and softly wiped away Madam Qi's tears, her movements tender and full of love.
“Grandmother, Mother was thinking of you in her final days. She hoped you would live a long and healthy life and watch us grow up. Her longing for you is as bright as the stars and has never been extinguished.”
Madam Qi nodded slightly, knowing that she could not remain immersed in grief forever.
Although her daughter has passed away, she has left behind this lovely child, who has brought her new family.
She had to pull herself together, protect the Qi family, and safeguard A-Qi's bloodline. This was her responsibility as the matriarch of the Qi family, and also her final promise to her daughter.
At this moment, the old butler walked into the main hall and saw this sad scene. His eyes reddened and tears welled up in his eyes.
He tried to control his emotions and said softly, "Madam, the banquet is ready. Although everyone is grieving at this moment, the deceased are gone and the living must move on. This reunion dinner is also Miss's hope for everyone."
After a moment of silence, Madam Qi slowly rose and, with the help of others, walked towards the dining room.
Each step felt like it weighed a ton, her legs were as heavy as if they were filled with lead, but her eyes gradually became firm.
The Qi family still has a future to go through. She must live well, carrying her longing for her daughter, for the sake of the Qi family and for the spirit of A-Qi in heaven.