Liu Yunru watched her mother-in-law, usually low-key and plain, now wearing a red outfit and kneeling at the door of her room.
Liu Yunru's eyes widened in disbelief; she almost screamed out loud.
She raised her hands and covered her mouth tightly.
After Old Madam Zhao knelt at the door, she kept kowtowing, muttering something under her breath.
For a moment, Liu Yunru's head ached as if it were splitting apart.
Her chest churned with unbearable nausea.
Ever since she married into the Zhao family, she had always told herself to be a good daughter-in-law.
Old Madam Zhao used to be in poor health and was frequently hospitalized.
It was she who had taken care of her tirelessly, day and night. One year, when her illness was so severe that she needed help with her bodily functions and even the caregivers found it too dirty, it was she who had cared for her all along!
It turned out that a sincere heart could not always win another in return.
Scalding tears slid down from the corners of Liu Yunru's eyes.
She dared not cry out loud, only biting her lip fiercely.
She tasted blood in her mouth.
The old woman kowtowed for nearly five minutes, then revealed a bizarre smile toward Liu Yunru's bedroom door.
Liu Yunru's scalp went so numb it felt like it would explode!
It wasn't until the old woman went downstairs and returned to her own room that Liu Yunru slumped limply to the floor.
Ever since her body started showing various ailments a year ago, with constant nightmares all night and occasional lethargy, her husband Zhao Hongliang had moved out of their bedroom.
The couple had been sleeping in separate rooms ever since.
Liu Yunru genuinely thought she was sick. She went to the hospital to see a doctor, but the doctor said they were just minor issues.
Yet she just felt unwell all over. She was only in her forties, but white hairs had grown on her head, and age spots had appeared on her face and body.
Sometimes, while walking on the street, she would trip for no reason, making a fool of herself in all sorts of ways.
The doctor suggested she go out and socialize more. For the past six months, she had tried to integrate into the circle of wealthy ladies.
But her brain and body felt like those of an elderly person, rusty and sluggish, making it utterly impossible for her to converse with those ladies.
If Madam Tang hadn't been kind-hearted tonight, she wouldn't have invited her at all.
Liu Yunru could feel that most of the wealthy ladies looked down on her.
She felt as if she had been isolated by the whole world.
She had tried self-harm, wanting to end it all.
But she had never succeeded.
She lived like a walking corpse.
She never understood why she had become like this. She tried hard to take care of her skin and exercise, but her condition only grew worse.
It turned out that the root cause was right here!
Liu Yunru's heart felt as if it had been forcefully torn into pieces.
Being hurt by the person she trusted and was closest to was actually this agonizing.
All these years, she had truly treated Old Madam Zhao as her own mother.
Liu Yunru returned to her room in a daze. She took out her phone and sent a message to Wen Yan.
"I'm sorry to bother you so late, Miss Wen. Everything you said has come true. I was ignorant and short-sighted, and I shouldn't have doubted you. I want to sincerely apologize."
She thought Wen Yan had already gone to rest and wouldn't reply to her message tonight.
Unexpectedly, Wen Yan replied very quickly.
"It's fine. I sympathize deeply with your situation. I secretly put a red string in your bag. Wear it on your wrist. Next weekend at your mother-in-law's birthday banquet, I will come and help you."
Liu Yunru immediately opened her bag.
Sure enough, there was a red string inside.
She had no idea when Miss Wen had put it in.
Liu Yunru couldn't wait to tie the red string around her wrist.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt her body wasn't as heavy and terrible anymore.
Illusion or not, meeting Miss Wen in this dark abyss was like finding a beacon of light guiding her way forward, giving her the courage to live again.
That night, Liu Yunru rarely didn't have a nightmare and slept well.
Waking up the next day, she didn't head to the kitchen to make breakfast as usual. Instead, she changed into sportswear and went out for a run.
When Old Madam Zhao, Zhao Hongliang, and Zhao Yu got up, they assumed a delicate and rich breakfast was already set out in the dining room.
Instead, the three of them found nothing on the dining table, nor did they see Liu Yunru in the kitchen.
The three of them looked at each other in dismay.
Zhao Yu was the first to react. Pulling a long face, he said irritably, "What the hell is my mom doing? Where did she run off to without making breakfast? I still have to go to school."
Zhao Hongliang frowned, his expression cold and detached. "It's only the beginning of the month. The household allowance I gave her should be enough, right?"
Zhao Yu glanced at Zhao Hongliang and raised his voice. "Dad, of course the generous allowance you give Mom every month is enough. By the way, think carefully about what I told you last night. Li Qianqian is the top student in our class and usually helps tutor me. She's incredibly kind. Even though her mom is a bit older compared to young female celebrities, she maintains herself really well. I think she's suitable to be the company's spokesperson."
Zhao Hongliang nodded. "Send me Li Qianqian's mother's contact information."
Zhao Yu's eyes immediately lit up. "Alright!"
After sending the contact info, seeing that Liu Yunru still hadn't come to make breakfast, Zhao Yu complained unhappily, "I have to leave for school soon, and Dad has to go to work. Plus, Grandma is old and can't go hungry. My mom has the most free time in this house. If she isn't making breakfast on time, what exactly is she doing?"
Zhao Yu took out his phone and impatiently called Liu Yunru.
The call went through, but no one answered.
Not long after, Liu Yunru returned from outside.
The Zhao family thought she had gone to buy groceries, but unexpectedly, she returned empty-handed.
She was wearing sportswear, her hair tied up, and her forehead and face were covered in sweat from exercising.
However, her figure was far too bloated, making her look like a wall of flesh, which was quite unsightly.
Old Madam Zhao frowned.
Logically speaking, Liu Yunru's body couldn't handle strenuous exercise.
Just as she was about to ask, Old Madam Zhao suddenly coughed, feeling a bit of discomfort in her chest.
"Mom, look at what you've done by not making breakfast on time. You've made Grandma sick from hunger."
Over the past year, the old woman's body had grown increasingly robust, and she rarely needed to be hospitalized and take medicine like in the past.
In the past, whenever the old woman felt even slightly unwell, Liu Yunru would show the utmost concern.
But at this moment, Liu Yunru just stood faintly a short distance away, the expression on her face unreadable.
"Yunru, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and make breakfast," Zhao Hongliang said in a deep voice.
Liu Yunru looked at her husband, who often subjected her to cold violence, her heart already dead as ashes.
In the past, for the sake of her son who hadn't taken his college entrance exams yet, she had accommodated him in everything.
But now, she felt there was no need for that anymore.
"Zhao Yu, I heard you want to recommend Li Liying to be the spokesperson for your dad's company?"
Zhao Yu frowned. "Yeah, what about it?"
Liu Yunru didn't say anything else to him. Instead, she looked at Zhao Hongliang. "Don't you know what Li Liying did to me in the past? Do you really want her to become the company's spokesperson?"
