Chapter 30: The Madwoman
This night, Fei Zhiyan ended up sleeping with Nuonuo after all.
The little one was exceptionally active whenever his papa was around. Coupled with the return of his long-unseen tail, he was overly excited, constantly wagging his little fishtail on the bed. Although Nuonuo’s fishtail was still a bit short and chubby, its movements were like silk drifting in the azure sea, faintly revealing the unique beauty and grace of a merman.
It was clear that Nuonuo was also more accustomed to a body with a fishtail than with legs. The little fishtail moved up and down nimbly, and he could even occasionally touch his chin with the tip of his tail.
In the end, Fei Zhiyan really couldn’t stand it anymore. He pinched Nuonuo’s little nose and told him to go to sleep quickly.
After Nuonuo fell asleep, Fei Zhiyan had originally wanted to ponder the connections behind the recent series of events. But the sweet, milky scent from Nuonuo hit his nose, and drowsiness came over him suddenly. It wasn’t long before he also fell asleep.
When the sunlight once again poured into the room, Nuonuo’s stomach rumbled a few times. Woken up by hunger, he rubbed his little eyes, yawned, and dazedly snuggled into his papa’s arms.
Fei Zhiyan opened his eyes, his gaze instantly clear. He looked down and saw Nuonuo’s tail had disappeared again, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He had previously thought that Nuonuo didn’t have the merman race’s spiritual power, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. It was just that perhaps even Nuonuo himself couldn’t control that spiritual power properly, which was why he had suddenly turned back into a fishtail.
In the early stages of awakening their spiritual power, a merman’s state was usually unstable. They would either have their spiritual power co-regulated by their parents, who would help them comb through the spiritual power still wandering in their bodies, bit by bit condensing it into threads and integrating it into their bloodline. Or, they would have to passively endure the rampage of their spiritual power when it reached a critical point, grit their teeth and bear it, break through the peak, and let their bodies adapt to the powerful spiritual power.
The pain of the second method needed no further elaboration. Fei Zhiyan had endured it himself back then. In that deserted seabed, blood seeped from the gaps between the scales of his fishtail, and his whole body was almost rebuilt. It was also because of this that although it wasn’t apparent on the surface, Fei Zhiyan had a touch of madness in his bones. The thought of destruction had always been rooted deep in his heart, just waiting for a trigger to erupt.
Even when recalling the past pain, Fei Zhiyan’s expression remained cold. He skillfully picked up Nuonuo to wash up and then went downstairs for breakfast.
In the dining room.
When Fei Luo saw Fei Zhiyan come over, he stood up quietly and handed over the self-reflection he had written all night. This was the first time Fei Luo had written a self-reflection. His writing was still a bit childish. He narrated what had happened in the afternoon and sincerely expressed his mistake of being too playful and not going to school.
Fei Zhiyan took the letter of guarantee, gave a warning that there would be no next time, and then let Fei Luo go to school.
This time, Fei Luo had learned his lesson and didn’t dare to feign compliance. Before he left, he only waved at Nuonuo and then got in the car and left.
Nuonuo also sat obediently in his baby chair. Even when he saw his third brother leave, he only peeked at his papa with his round eyes. When Fei Zhiyan caught him, he quickly lowered his little head and ate his food.
“So well-behaved today.”
Seeing Nuonuo’s action, Fei Zhiyan reached out and rubbed his head, his lips curling up slightly as he stood up to go to work.
Fei Jing had also left early in the morning for an interview. After Fei Zhiyan left, the house was suddenly empty. After finishing his meal, Nuonuo played with his little ball on the lawn by himself.
Auntie Wu saw his lonely little figure and her heart ached for him. After finishing her work, she took Nuonuo’s hand and led him out for a walk.
Nuonuo had never been outside the villa before. Besides the straight, flat road for daily driving, there was also a winding cobblestone path. Both sides of the path were planted with flowers and plants. Every so often, a gardener would come to transplant seasonal flowers, ensuring that there were always vibrant flowers blooming on both sides.
Attracted by the sight, Nuonuo skipped along the small path, occasionally crouching down to poke at the ants carrying things by the cobblestones. “Bug, bug, ya?”
Nuonuo pressed down on a small ant and looked up at Auntie Wu curiously.
Auntie Wu smiled and explained to him, “This is a little ant. It’s an insect. They have to work very hard every day to transport food…”
As the two of them were talking happily, a woman suddenly ran out from the side of the path, hugged Nuonuo, and her tears fell with a plop. “Nuonuo, it’s Mommy. Do you miss Mommy? Mommy has come to see you.”
This turn of events stunned Auntie Wu. It took her a long while to react, and she quickly went over to pull the woman away. “Who are you? What are you trying to do, holding Nuonuo?! Do you know who Nuonuo’s father is? Don’t get any funny ideas! Mr. Fei won’t let you succeed!”
The moment Auntie Wu saw Wen Yuan rush over, her first reaction was that this person was a human trafficker. She immediately used Fei Zhiyan’s identity to pressure her, hoping she would understand the severity of the situation and not harm Nuonuo.
Wen Yuan, however, didn’t even look at Auntie Wu. The moment she saw Nuonuo, her eyes could no longer see anyone else. She just kept hugging Nuonuo and crying.
Nuonuo had seen Wen Yuan yesterday and had been frightened by her slightly crazed appearance. Now, being held in her arms, he didn’t feel any warmth at all. Instead, his little body stiffened.
It all happened so suddenly that Nuonuo didn’t even have time to cry. His eyes widened slightly, and he stared at the woman in front of him in a daze.
“What’s wrong, baby? Don’t you remember Mommy? Mommy even fed you milk. You used to love biting your bottle, you even broke a few.”
Wen Yuan was very confident that Nuonuo would remember her. After all, the bond between mother and child was not just a saying. Even though they hadn’t seen each other for more than half a year, she believed that as long as she appeared, Nuonuo would return to her embrace.
This time, she would definitely not let go like she did in her previous life. She was Nuonuo’s mother. No matter how hard or tiring it was, she would not give Nuonuo to Fei Zhiyan!
Auntie Wu saw that this woman had no intention of letting go and that her words revealed a familiarity with Nuonuo. She couldn’t help but wonder if she really had some connection with Nuonuo.
Wen Yuan’s agitated emotions calmed down a lot after seeing Nuonuo. She wiped her tears and only then did she notice Auntie Wu standing to the side. With a slight smile, Wen Yuan looked much more gentle after calming down. “I’m so sorry. Did I scare you? I haven’t seen Nuonuo in so long, I was just too excited and couldn’t control my emotions.”
Seeing that Wen Yuan could be reasoned with, Auntie Wu’s tense heart relaxed a lot, but she was still on guard, wanting to take Nuonuo back first.
But the moment Auntie Wu reached out her hand, it seemed to touch a sensitive spot for Wen Yuan. She suddenly became sharp again, her eyes red as she let out a cry, which made Auntie Wu’s heart lurch.
Nuonuo was even more startled. He looked up and saw Wen Yuan’s stubborn gaze, his little shoulders trembling with fear, and tears gradually welled up in his eyes. “Wuuu—Yiyi, hwug—”
Kicking his little legs, Nuonuo reached out his little hands to Auntie Wu, trying to struggle out of Wen Yuan’s arms.
Auntie Wu also wanted to quickly take Nuonuo back, but Wen Yuan was clearly not mentally stable. She was afraid of angering her and harming Nuonuo, so she hesitated and didn’t reach out.
Wen Yuan seemed unable to accept Nuonuo not being with her. Her voice rose several decibels, and she said sharply, “Nuonuo, don’t you want Mommy anymore? You used to like Mommy the most. Did Fei Zhiyan teach you this?! I knew he was no good!”
Hearing Wen Yuan call Fei Zhiyan by his full name, Auntie Wu’s eyelid twitched. Could this woman have had a past with Mr. Fei? she thought. Then Mr. Fei is really pitiful. He’s such a refined person, how could he tolerate such a person by his side.
Auntie Wu no longer thought Wen Yuan was a human trafficker, just a madwoman!
Nuonuo sobbed softly, crystal-clear tears rolling down his cheeks and landing on the back of Wen Yuan’s hand with a plop, which made Wen Yuan sober up a lot. “Baby, don’t cry. It’s all Fei Zhiyan’s fault. Mommy’s hug will make it better.”
Wen Yuan coaxed softly, patting Nuonuo’s little head, her voice as gentle as the first spring breeze, able to melt everything.
But hearing her gentle words, Nuonuo did not stop crying. He only felt more scared, kicking his little legs again and again, struggling even more.
Seeing Nuonuo’s actions, Auntie Wu’s heart was also extremely anxious, but she was afraid of provoking this madwoman, so she could only quickly say, “Miss, I think we can talk about this properly. I believe you are Nuonuo’s mother, but Nuonuo is still young, and it’s time for his snack. How about we talk while we eat?”
Wen Yuan’s guard let down a little in front of Auntie Wu. With Nuonuo in her heart, she nodded along. “I forgot. Children use up a lot of energy and get hungry quickly. It is time for a snack.”
Auntie Wu also quickly nodded, wanting to take her back to the villa first. There were bodyguards hired by Mr. Fei in the villa. It was only for convenience today, thinking they were just playing at home, that she hadn’t brought them out, which had given Wen Yuan an opportunity.
Wen Yuan took two steps with Nuonuo in her arms and then sensed something was wrong. She had been to this villa many times in her previous life and could tell at a glance that Auntie Wu was trying to lead her back to the villa. Her eyes instantly turned cold.
When a gentle person’s face turns grim, they can seem several times more terrifying than usual, especially since Wen Yuan had just come from the purgatory of her previous life. Her cold face was even more intimidating.
“No need. I don’t want to see Fei Zhiyan. You don’t have to lead me to the villa. I am Nuonuo’s mother, the person in the world who would never harm him. You go back and tell Fei Zhiyan not to come looking for Nuonuo from me!”
Wen Yuan took two steps back with Nuonuo in her arms and, before Auntie Wu could react, turned and ran.
Auntie Wu ran after her while making a phone call, but she was old and her legs were not as nimble. In no time, she couldn’t keep up.
Being carried away, Nuonuo saw Auntie Wu’s figure gradually disappear. He kept patting Wen Yuan’s arm, crying for his papa and brothers.
Hearing Nuonuo’s words, a fire burned in Wen Yuan’s heart. “What are you shouting for? Those people killed you, and you still want them! Mommy is the one who is best to you, you know?!”
Nuonuo didn’t want to listen. He covered his little ears and shook his head. “Baddie, I… I bite you!”
Hearing Nuonuo’s words, Wen Yuan, for some reason, suddenly slowed her steps.
Just as Wen Yuan looked up, a motorcycle roared from a distance and came to a screeching halt in front of her.
