Volume 1, Chapter 143: Must You Argue With Me at a Time Like This?

"Mom..."

In the hospital morgue, Sang Wan stared blankly at Sun Yueqing, whose forehead was bruised and who looked as if she were merely sleeping on the hospital bed. She still could not believe that her mother was gone just like that.

"Mom, wake up..."

Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to stand and walked to the bedside. Sang Wan gently took Sun Yueqing’s arm. "Mom, I’ve come to see you. Please, wake up..."

On the way to the morgue, the prison guard had explained the situation concisely. A newly arrived female inmate had started a disturbance, leading to a small-scale brawl in the cell. The guards had intervened as soon as they arrived. When the chaotic crowd was separated, Sun Yueqing was found lying outside the group, her head having struck the corner of a washbasin, blood pooling around her. The ambulance had arrived quickly, but Sun Yueqing had already stopped breathing before she was even loaded onto the stretcher.

"There is surveillance in the cell, and we have already pulled the records," the prison guard whispered nearby. "It really was an accident!"

An accident? With less than ten days left until her release?

Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows. He stepped forward to support Sang Wan, who was swaying on her feet. "Wanwan..."

Sang Wan heard nothing. "Mom, Mom, wake up..."

She pushed gently at Sun Yueqing, but her mother did not open her eyes; there was not even the slightest change in her expression. A bone-chilling cold spread from all directions, leaving Sang Wan feeling stiff and numb, as if she were about to freeze solid.

She was essentially carried out of the morgue, held firmly in Lu Jinnian’s arms.

"Mom, Mom..."

The cold iron door slowly closed. Sang Wan seemed to snap back to reality and lunged forward, but Lu Jinnian held her back tightly. "Wanwan, Wanwan, Mom just passed. She must not have gone far yet. If she sees you so heartbroken, she won’t be able to rest in peace. Please, don’t be like this, Wanwan..."

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it was an accident!" Sang Wan glared at the guard. "I want to see the footage!"

The guard’s expression turned grim. "Very well."

Several cars sped toward the women's prison. Sang Wan finally saw the recording. It was just after dinner, an hour before the seven o'clock news broadcast. A group of female inmates had returned to their cell, debating whether to go to the media room to watch TV or to the activity room to play table tennis. Someone mentioned that visiting hours were approaching, and the women, homesick, began to speak of their families.

Sun Yueqing, who was nearing her release, had a complex expression—both excited and worried. Through the blurry screen, Sang Wan could read the deep meaning behind every subtle look on her mother's face. Her mother was happy to finally be released and reunited with her, but she was also worried about Sang Dawei, fearing their lives would fall back into the same desperate trap as before. She was likely wondering how many times Sang Dawei had extorted her during this time, and thinking of Lu Jinnian and the Lu family...

Her situation must have been very difficult. In just half a month, her mother had lost the healthy glow she had during their last visit. She looked sallow and thin, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. Sang Wan had been checking the official account regularly, waiting to book the earliest possible visit, never imagining her mother was so worried.

"Sister Sun, you’re about to be reunited with your daughter. You must be happy, right?" a cellmate asked with envy.

Sun Yueqing nodded with a smile, the worry on her face replaced by joy and anticipation.

Then, when a washbasin was thrown in from outside the door, everyone in the cell was startled. The thin woman who entered began attacking without a word. She knocked one person down with a punch, then kicked another away, acting like a terrorist attacking everyone indiscriminately. The fight broke out instantly.

Sun Yueqing had stayed far away on the edge of the crowd. After all, she only had a few days left until her release. But the fighting crowd rolled like a snowball, and as Sun Yueqing tried to leave to report it, she was shoved by the crowd and struck her head against the rounded corner of the washbasin. Blood spread, and Sun Yueqing passed away without a struggle.

By the time the guards arrived, Sun Yueqing had already closed her eyes. The prison doctor tried to resuscitate her, and a stretcher was brought in quickly. The vast expanse of red was shocking.

She had lost her beloved mother just like that. Sang Wan’s tears were nearly exhausted.

Lu Jinnian pointed at the thin woman who had started the fight in the video. "Who is she?"

"A prisoner who arrived just a week ago. Hit-and-run, sentenced to three years," the guard replied. "Someone in this cell was being released, so there was an empty bunk; we arranged for her to move in. We never expected this to happen. We are investigating and will issue a severe and just punishment!"

They continued to exchange words, their voices filled with sighs about this "accident."

Sang Wan’s mind felt numb. She wanted to return to the morgue to be with her mother, and she wanted to find out what had really happened. The surveillance footage flickered in her mind; her mother had indeed been an innocent bystander caught in the fray. But Sang Wan refused to believe it. How could it be such a coincidence?

There were only ten days left! In ten days, she would have been reunited with her mother. No Sang Dawei. No life of hardship. The Wancin Apartment was spacious and bright. During the day, her mother could sit by the window to watch the sunrise and hold 2S while watching TV. In the evening, they would eat together and watch the city lights from the window. New Year’s, Spring Festival, May Day, National Day... there were so many holidays where she could take her mother traveling. To the countryside to see the maple leaves. To Yun City to eat flower cakes. To the Maldives in the spring when the flowers bloomed. The ten years of lost affection could be slowly made up for throughout the rest of their lives.

But why did Mom have to go? Was it an accident? She didn't believe it!

"Wanwan, I’ve already had my lawyer take over," Lu Jinnian said, gently stroking her cold cheek. "Rest assured, I will make them give you an explanation!"

Sang Wan was dazed; she needed to be with her mother. She still had so many things to say to her.

The journey was silent. As she stepped out of the prison gates, Sang Wan froze, her eyes turning red as she looked ahead. Behind her, Lu Jinnian stopped.

The bright headlights of a Maybach shone directly at the gate. Standing in front of the car, Lou Ye, dressed in a black overcoat, stood up straight and strode forward. "Sang Wan..."

The private rooftop restaurant of the Di Jing Building. Sang Wan, dressed in her finery. In a flash, she seemed to see the romantic, beautiful scene of the top floor and what was supposed to happen tonight.

Lu Jinnian stepped in front of Sang Wan.

"Get out of the way!" Lou Ye’s expression was cold.

Lu Jinnian did not budge. "My mother-in-law's affairs have been handled by my lawyers for years. It would be best if Young Master Lou didn't interfere! I will take care of her; you can leave, Young Master Lou!"

"You?" Lou Ye sneered. "Lu Jinnian, are you sure Sang Wan wants to go with you right now? Do you really have to argue with me at a time like this?"

Looking back, Sang Wan looked utterly devastated. Her face was pale, drained of all color. From picking her up at the Di Jing Building to the hospital and then the prison, she hadn't said a word to him. But she had called Lou Ye. Even now, though she said nothing, the vulnerability and dependence in her eyes when she saw Lou Ye were clear.

In the moment of Lu Jinnian’s hesitation, Lou Ye stepped past him and draped his overcoat over Sang Wan’s shoulders.

"Lou Ye..." Sang Wan’s voice trembled. "I want to go see my mother."

"Okay," Lou Ye nodded. "Let's go see Mom."

Clenching his fists, Lu Jinnian watched helplessly as Lou Ye took Sang Wan away. The Maybach sped off and vanished into the endless night.