Chapter 48: Chapter 48
The village chief and the other men made their way down the mountain and straight to the village.
Mo Ying and Fuhan also followed along to help.
For a time, they walked in silence, the damp path squishing beneath their boots, the mist curling around them. The cries of villagers in the distance echoed faintly, mingling with the dripping rain.
Fuhan glanced at his young master more than once before finally breaking the silence. His voice was low, almost hesitant at first.
"Young Master... forgive me for asking, but... are you perhaps developing feelings for Miss Lin?"
Mo Ying did not reply. His face remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on the muddy path ahead.
But Fuhan was not one to give up so easily. He stepped closer, lowering his voice even more.
"Miss Lin is different, that much is clear. But if Madame Mo were to find out..." He paused, frowning deeply. "Young Master, you know her temper. Miss Lin would not survive it. She was not born into our world of power struggles. She’s... she’s too unprepared."
Mo Ying’s brows twitched faintly at that, but he said nothing.
Fuhan pressed on. "I have served you since childhood. I know you better than most. Your eyes... the way you look at her... it isn’t the same as with others. You might not notice, but others will. And if I can see it, then surely others will too."
Still, Mo Ying said nothing.
Finally, Fuhan stopped walking, forcing Mo Ying to glance at him with faint annoyance.
"Who I like or don’t like, Fuhan, is none of your concern." His voice was calm but laced with coldness. "Lin Xu is just my wife in name. Nothing more. Once I’ve finished what I came here for, I’ll leave. And everything will return to the way it was."
Fuhan frowned. "But Young Master—"
Mo Ying cut him off sharply. "Enough. Do not speak of this again."
The conversation ended there. Fuhan lowered his head, swallowing back the rest of his words, though unease remained in his eyes.
---
By the time they reached the village, the sight before them was one of chaos.
The marketplace, usually buzzing with laughter and chatter, now looked like a battlefield. Stalls had been overturned, broken wood scattered everywhere. Some rooftops had collapsed under the weight of the storm, leaving homes exposed to the drizzle.
Mo Ying’s sharp eyes caught sight of a man pinned beneath his fallen shop, his face pale with pain. Without hesitation, he strode forward, motioning for the chief and Fuhan to help.
Together, they heaved the heavy beams off the man. The villager gasped as he was pulled free, tears of relief shining in his eyes as he muttered his thanks.
Not far from them, a cluster of children cried, their small hands clutching one another as they looked around in panic. They had been separated from their parents. Mo Ying crouched down, his cold features softening just slightly as he spoke to them. "Stay here. We’ll find your parents."
He turned to Fuhan, who immediately ran off to search while Mo Ying gathered the children closer, shielding them under part of a broken canopy until their mothers were found. The moment they were reunited, the parents fell to their knees, thanking him again and again, but Mo Ying only brushed it off with a simple, "Take them somewhere safe."
For two hours, they worked tirelessly, pulling people out of danger, calming frightened villagers, guiding them toward higher ground. Though the village was a mess, they managed to save many lives.
By the time they led the group back up the mountain, the air was heavy with exhaustion, but also relief.
The villagers gathered together, their numbers small compared to the whole population, only thirty-eight had come, while many others had chosen to stay behind or had already fled to other villages for safety. Still, these thirty-eight looked at Lin Xu and the others with gratitude in their eyes.
At the camp, Lin Xu and the women quickly set into motion. Physician Li called out for the injured to come forward, tending to wounds and bruises with steady hands. Meanwhile, Zu Shi, Yan Mei, Madame Yan, and several other women began serving hot food to those who had arrived, easing both their hunger and their shaken spirits.
"Lin Xu, we apologize for not believing you."
"Yes we are truly sorry.. if we had listened then we could have escaped!"
The villagers said in regret as Lin Xu just smiled, "It’s alright, now just focus on restoring your health!"
Mo Ying and Fuhan walked back toward the main tent, their clothes damp and streaked with dirt. Lin Xu spotted them from a distance. A sigh of relief slipped past her lips before she stepped closer. She reached out and lightly tapped Mo Ying’s arm.
"You did well," she said softly.
Mo Ying looked down at her hand, then at her face. For a moment, he almost smirked, but instead, he only gave a low hum of acknowledgment. His eyes, however, lingered on hers longer than necessary, the corner of his lips twitching as though he was holding something back.
Lin Xu tilted her head, about to say more when suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.
"Lin Xu!"
She froze. Slowly, she turned, her eyes widening in shock.
Standing there, damp from the rain was Lu Fei.
Her breath caught. "You..."
Mo Ying’s gaze immediately sharpened as his lips curved, not into a smile, but into something faintly mocking as he muttered just loud enough for her to hear, "Looks like the universe doesn’t want to let you breathe, does it?"
She sighed. Seeing Lu Fei was the last thing she needed at this moment.
Staring at her she has to say she has reduced a lot. She was slimmer and more pale. Looked malnourished if she had to say, probably from stress.
Served her right, she was only suffering because of her evil actions.
"Lu Fei, you are here as well... long time, what about your husband and kids, where are they?"
As though she had spoken of the devils, suddenly a loud annoyed voice was heard, "STEPMOTHER! We’re hungry." A small girl shouted.
"Yes, go get us something to eat, we are starving." Another girl said.
"You are so useless, standing here doing nothing... we wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t stopped Dad from believing that lady’s words." A small boy voiced out.
"What are you waiting for, GO COOK!"
Tightening her fist, Lu Fei shot Lin Xu a deadly glare as she then said to the children, "They already cooked for you all... go have your share, why should I cook again?"
Just then, Big Man Lou appeared as he kicked her slightly, causing her to stumble and fall on the ground while the kids laughed.
"Bitch! You are starting to grow wings huh! Listen to the kids and go make food... do you expect I and my children to eat crumbs, HUH?!"
He shouted as Lu Fei then stood up and immediately left to go cook.
Sighing, Lin Xu turned away as Mo Ying asked her, "Are you feeling sorry for her?"
Hesitating, she nodded slightly, "I don’t hate her, I don’t hate anybody but she and her family couldn’t bear to see me or my kids happy... if I didn’t fight for myself then I would have been the one going through all that."