Chapter 874 - Jianan’s Story (1/2)

Inside Imperial Military Hospital, while the nurses and doctors proceed to their daily tasks, a child's voice sounds in one of the many rooms. Jianan told about how life was for them and the kind of abuse their father did to him before getting to how he got the scar on his back.

”Father was mad because Jie talked back to him. He grabbed the kitchen knife and I saw his eyes. He looked like a scary monster and I knew he wanted to kill her.”

He clench his little fists as if to help him not relive the feelings of that day.

”I didn't want to Jie get hurt anymore. I wanted to protect her, so I did what I had to do.”

Jianan's words ceased, and tears slid down his cheeks one after another. However, he always made sure to wipe them away.

”I thought I was going to die... but I was happy.”

He looks up at Yue Ling and does his best to make a smile, but his eyes hold nothing but sadness.

”I was happy that I was finally able to protect Jie before I died. I thought it was better for me to die so she didn't have to protect me anymore... and I could finally be with my mother again.”

He was always the one being protected because he was the youngest. However, for once, he wanted to be the one to protect them and no longer be a nuisance to them.

Yue Ling listened without interrupting him once. Her expression was calm on the surface, making it difficult for one to read her mind.

However, if one were to take a closer look, one could see the amount of sympathy in her bluish-green eyes.

For such a small child-like Jianan, her heart was in a mess for him. The world around him should have been filled with happiness, but darkness was all he saw.

When she heard him say he was happy to die, she felt like someone had stabbed her heart over and over again.

No child should think that death is better than being alive.

Especially when she heard he was stabbed in the back for protecting his older sister.

”Miss Angel?”

Jianan's voice suddenly brought Yue Ling out of her daze. She slowly looked at the boy and seeing the worry in his eyes, her heart sank further into her stomach.

Like time had slowed down, she could only see Jianan. Her expression remained its same calmness, but the sympathy in her eyes did not hide.

”Jianan.”

She is able to utter his name but with a slightly coarse d voice. She leans towards him and wraps her arm around his tiny body.

”I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”

All she could say was sorry and tightened her arms around the boy. Her eyes gradually closed, and her tears slid in ache for his suffering.

”I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm sorry no one stepped up to help you, Liu Ye, and Liu Jingyi. I'm sorry you all had to endure the pain.”

Jianan doesn't push her away but lets her hug him. He was too stunned even to move and in shock to hear her cry.

”Miss Angel, I'm really okay. I really am... I...”

He thought he was finally okay. He didn't understand why she would cry for a child like him, but hearing her words, his lips trembled, and he subconsciously puts his hands on her back.

This is the first time someone other than his siblings cried for him.

A tear trickled his cheek, and the sound of wailing and suffering echoed throughout the room.

”Why? Why us? What did we do wrong?”

His tears ran down his cheeks like a never-ending waterfall, and gutwrenching sobs tore through his chest.

”He is our father, isn't he? Why did he hurt us?”

He held the back of her sweater with tightly clenched fists like the wall he had put up had shattered and poured his heart out.

”Are we not his children? Why couldn't he love us? We didn't do anything wrong.”

As the two embraced one another and sob in each other's arms, neither was aware of the person outside.

Doctor Dong stands with his hand on the doorknob but doesn't push the door open. His eyes were red and in tears as he had heard the entire story. To be precise, Jianan's story.

How can a father be so evil?

He wanted to march inside and give Jianan a big hug. He wanted to tell the boy that everything would be alright and that there were people who would love him and his siblings even if their father didn't.

However, he knew he couldn't go inside the room.

He didn't want to disrupt this moment for them.

The sobbing subdued inside the room as the afternoon sun began to set. However, Yue Ling continued to hug Jianan's tiny body.

She thought about her unborn child and all the children who are going through the same pain as the Liu siblings.

If there is a miracle and she becomes a mother again, she will never let her child experience such feelings.

Of course, this is only her wishful thinking. She already knows that she cannot have children again. However, it doesn't hurt to hope.

Her arms gradually let go of the small body, and she looks down at Jianan. Seeing his puffy red eyes, she softens to the core.