Chapter 409: Chapter 408: Ye Qing’s Decision
Unexpectedly, the person who usually appeared so refined had such strength. She couldn’t break free at all.
At that time, she truly felt like she was calling for help from the heavens and the earth, but to no avail.
In her fear, her heart was pounding like a drum, pounding loudly. Her distressed heart dared not think further down, she kept shaking her head, saying she was wrong, that she didn’t mean it. She hoped Li Liang wouldn’t be petty with her and begged him to let her go, looking at him with panic, her mouth stuffed full like she had a bunch of candied hawthorns, murmuring for ages without being able to utter anything.
While struggling in the mire, Ye Qing accidentally looked up and saw the place where movies were being shown, the silhouette of Lin Wan under the dim lights.
At that moment, she seemed to see a savior, disregarding whether she was clothed, struggling to get up, and kept moaning towards there.
But all this was in vain, she just looked hopelessly at the familiar shadow under the distant dim lights, allowing Li Liang to ravage her.
Her eyes were still fixed on Lin Wan far away, staring at her, hoping she might have some psychic connection and quickly come to her rescue.
But no, she watched those two step by step out of her sight, her heart slowly sinking like ashes, becoming sediment.
Like a dead fish, she let Li Liang do as he pleased. She didn’t know how long it passed before Li Liang finally released her.
Finally, he squeezed her chin hard and said, "In the middle of the night, with no one to testify for you, who would believe you?" After saying this, Li Liang cautiously looked around and added, "Even if there was something real, it would be a consensual matter between lovers, just a minor argument. In the end, it would be you getting the short end of the stick. I heard your mom was abandoned by an educated youth when she was young, and later married your father. What do you think will happen if your father knows you were also messed with by an educated youth?"
Li Liang’s words made her heart tremble. If her father really knew about this, she wouldn’t be able to seek justice before being beaten to death by him.
Her first thought was that she couldn’t be beaten to death by her father, as she didn’t want to die yet.
Seeing her reaction, Li Liang said it was good and untied the ropes on her hands, then turned and walked away. The terrified her watched Li Liang leave, feeling slightly relieved in her heart, at least she wasn’t dead.
But when she wanted to get up, she found she was completely devoid of strength.
By now, it was deep into the night, the surroundings were secluded, and there was no sign of anyone. She called out twice, but there was no response.
The deep night frightened her. She needed to leave, to hurry home. She couldn’t let her father know what happened, couldn’t wait for morning for someone to see her in this state. Otherwise, her reputation would be ruined, her family would be unable to lift their heads in the village. Her father would be even angrier and beat her and her mom even more harshly.
No, she couldn’t go on like this. She needed to go back, go back to stay alive, and slowly seek revenge against Li Liang, that beast.
Just as she struggled to get up, she saw a light not far away, immediately recognizing it as a flashlight.
At that moment, she felt a surge of joy and quickly called for help.
Unexpectedly, the person holding it was actually a soldier. When he asked if she wanted to report to the police and if she saw the person’s face clearly, she hesitated and lied.
She knew she couldn’t report to the police. If she did, the news about her being assaulted would spread throughout all the surrounding villages.
She couldn’t let this happen, no!
In the military medical office, she saw the face of the person who saved her clearly.
A handsome and towering officer, she instantly liked this responsible man. It was just unfair that she met him at such a disgraceful time.
The man didn’t stay long in this area and left, leaving her to the medical staff.
She could see that the man wasn’t particularly invested in her situation.
Her injuries varied in size, with every part of her body covered in mud after being split open.
Fortunately, they didn’t lack water here, and the medical staff helped her to the bathroom to wash off the mud before finding her a set of clothes.
After cleaning her wounds, she asked a nurse to help send her home.
Her parents seemed surprisingly unworried despite her daughter being out until dawn, except for her mother, who was sound asleep.
She dared not let the military vehicle enter the village for fear that the early risers might see her and complicate things.
Qiu Hualan woke in the middle of the night, worried about her daughter’s absence for a long time, intending to ask Liang Hongmei’s family but was wary of disturbing them due to the late hour. She figured many villagers had gone, so there probably wasn’t anything wrong. She guessed they hadn’t returned yet.
It took four or five hours before her daughter returned home, covered in injuries.
Qiu Hualan worryingly asked what had happened.
Toward her mom, she held nothing back and told her everything from that night.
Qiu Hualan, devastated, held her and cried out, "Heaven-stricken, harmed me before and now come to ruin my daughter."
In the quiet of night, the loud voice woke the man inside, who rebuked, "What’s all the shouting about in the middle of the night? Fooling around all night and then coming back to yell. Can’t I get any sleep?"
Mr. Ye’s voice immediately halted the mother and daughter’s grieving. Qiu Hualan, having been through much, quickly regained her composure.
She hurriedly pulled her daughter into the room.
"Daughter, listen to mom, you mustn’t speak of this outside. Otherwise... you’ll be ruined for life, like I was," Mrs. Qiu said, choking up, as if recalling her past. "Mom, what should I do? No one can know, especially not Dad. How can I live otherwise?"
"Listen to mom, listen to mom and you’ll be fine," Qiu Hualan said, embracing her daughter tightly, patting her back, comforting her as if comforting herself.
"Then what do I do about the injuries? What do I do?"
"This?" Qiu Hualan couldn’t think of a good idea at the moment.
"Mom, how about I say I lost my way and got separated from Lin Wan, accidentally fell into a ditch on the road and injured myself."
"That’s good, yes, say exactly that."
The next day, when Ye Qing said so, her father didn’t suspect anything. He cursed Ye Qing for being a burden all day, only knowing how to spend money, and now injured, he’d have to spend more.
Although he cursed, he didn’t pursue it further.
She spent a couple of months recuperating at home. Afterward, each time she went to town, she cautiously avoided Li Liang.
But unexpectedly, despite all efforts, the university she attended turned out to have Li Liang as a teacher.
After a year had passed, Ye Qing was no longer that naive little girl. Initially, she felt a bit scared in those first few days.