In the depths of her pitch-black pupils reflected Su Nian's face, distorted by overwhelming terror."What do you intend to do?""Su Wanwan, what are you doing?""How dare you!"
Su Wanwan looked down on her with disdain, an endless chill radiating from her presence."Do you think I won't dare?"
No sooner had Su Wanwan spoken than a blond man firmly seized Su Nian's shoulders. No matter how desperately she struggled, it was all in vain.
"Let me go!""Let go!"
Su Nian shouted, her shimmering eyes clouded with mist, her vision blurring, while Su Wanwan's footsteps echoed, approaching and receding repeatedly.
"Dad! Su Wanwan has lost her mind—she's gone mad!"
Su Father tried to rise, but pain in his lower back forced him to gasp sharply—seemingly a fracture.
"Wanwan… she's your own sister…""Can't we discuss this at home?"
Su Father pleaded in a desperate, lowered voice, attempting to calm Su Wanwan. Yet, Su Wanwan seized Su Nian's chin with a fierce expression.
"Open your mouth."
Su Nian shook her head violently, clenching her teeth. But Su Wanwan yanked her hair! The pain at the roots made Su Nian scream involuntarily.
In the next instant, a rush of cold sensation and a heap of icy toothpaste was shoved into her mouth.
Su Nian's eyes widened in disbelief, her head forced backward. Su Wanwan grabbed a toothbrush and scrubbed fiercely inside her mouth.
"Ugh…"
Su Nian's throat convulsed relentlessly; her stomach churned wildly, yet she couldn't vomit.
Su Father's eyes reddened with anguish as he trembled, crawling toward Su Wanwan, his teeth chattering:"Su Wanwan… how could you be so cruel!"
Su Wanwan glanced at him coldly, a mocking smirk curling her lips.
"When it comes to cruelty, as your daughter, I don't hold a candle to you."
The heavy implication froze Su Father's body instantly. Could it be… Su Wanwan knew about their mother's secret? Impossible! He had concealed it so well for so many years. How could she have found out?
Su Wanwan tightened her grip on the toothbrush, scraping vigorously inside Su Nian's mouth. Soon, blood began to trickle from her lips.
"Sister, next time before you leave the house, remember to brush your teeth properly."
A glass of water was poured into Su Nian's mouth, mingling with toothpaste foam and the thick metallic taste of blood, flooding her throat.
Nausea overwhelmed her, yet Su Wanwan covered her mouth, forcing her to swallow it all.
Her makeup was ruined, tears streaming down her face, nose running. Her swollen, reddened lips and mascara-streaked eyes framed a trembling, utterly wretched figure.
The moment Su Wanwan released her, Su Nian collapsed weakly to the floor. Wanwan discarded her disposable gloves, flinging them onto Su Nian's face.
"Whatever you spit out, you'll have to swallow it back."
Su Nian clamped her mouth shut tightly. This lunatic—she was truly capable of such savagery!
"Throw those two out."
Bang! Su Nian and Su Father were mercilessly tossed outside the door.
Inside, Su Wanwan offered Len an apologetic smile."Sorry to have let you witness this spectacle."
Len shook his head, smiling faintly."I already heard about your family matters from your second brother long ago.""So what I saw today isn't surprising."
Wanwan smiled softly and nodded, slinging her bag across her shoulder."It's late; I'll be leaving now."
"Alright… Wanwan, I hope you'll consider my suggestion. I really want you to join me in this performance. You know, this will be my last appearance in the music world."
Wanwan paused mid-step."I will consider it."
As she left, she saw Su Nian clutching Su Father's arm, trying to help him up from the ground. Wanwan kindly asked,"Do you want me to call an ambulance?"
Su Nian shuddered, tears silently streaming down her face, unwilling to utter another word against her.
"If not, then I'll be going."
Wanwan stepped forward, trampling Su Nian's foot as she passed.
"Ah!"
Su Nian's features twisted in pain, but deeper still was the humiliation within. She pulled out her phone and dialed Ye Nan's number.
"Brother Nan, wuu wuu wuu…"
——
Central City Hospital.
"Phew…" Ye Nan exhaled sharply, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow. He casually tossed his jacket onto his left arm and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
Su Nian was in the final stage of treatment. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, whimpering plaintively.
Ye Nan swept her into his arms, anxiously asking the doctor,"How is she?"
The doctor put down the cotton swab."The patient has multiple oral injuries, including damaged gums.""She ingested a significant amount of toothpaste solution. Though stomach pumping is unnecessary, it may cause diarrhea and abdominal pain."
Ye Nan's face darkened with concern. Su Nian's condition was far worse than he had imagined—a swollen, cracked mouth coated thickly with medicine, drooling uncontrollably as she spoke.
"What happened? Why are you and your uncle injured like this?"
"I just came back from the operating room. Uncle has a fractured waist, fortunately not too severe."
Su Nian recounted the ordeal between sobs. Ye Nan was taken aback.
"Is everything you said true?"
Su Wanwan was known to be somewhat cold-hearted but surely not capable of such cruelty!
Su Nian nodded fervently, wanting to add more, but her mouth hurt too much. She instead frantically typed messages on her phone, the exclamation marks revealing her inner anguish.
"Of course it's true! Sister humiliated us right in front of Len!""Len stayed silent the entire time, clearly very close to her!"
Ye Nan pressed his lips tightly, deep in thought.
Su Nian showed him another message, bringing the screen closer to his eyes."I suspect she's involved with Len! Otherwise, why would Len defend her so fiercely?""Brother Nan, sister has really gone too far this time!""She can bully me, but why treat Dad this way?"
Ye Nan pinched the bridge of his nose, disappointed."I never expected she'd be such a person."
At that moment, the door was pushed open. Song Hui rushed in anxiously, worry etched across her face.
"Nian Nian, are you alright?"
Su Nian turned her head away, ignoring her. Ye Nan gently patted her shoulder and replied soothingly,"Auntie, don't worry, Nian Nian is going to be fine.""Since you're here, I'll go check on Uncle too; he's been moved to a ward on the third floor."
"All right."
Song Hui sat beside the bed and reached for Su Nian's hand. Unexpectedly, Su Nian pulled it away and, with a bitter, sarcastic tone, said:
"Are you satisfied now?""Dad and I ended up like this all because of the woman you keep defending!""Sometimes I really don't know if you're my mother—or Wanwan's!"