36: Chapter 36: I Will Find a Way to Take You Away 36: Chapter 36: I Will Find a Way to Take You Away Seeing his little shoulders shudder, An Ruo felt even worse.
She held back the tears in her eyes, stepped forward, and only then saw that An Ji was holding a family portrait.
In the photo were their parents, An Ji who was not yet a year old, and herself with two pigtails, smiling foolishly.
It was the only photo of their family that had been preserved.
When An Ji heard footsteps, he turned and saw it was his sister; he immediately panicked and wiped the tears off his face.
“Sister, why are you here?”
An Ruo sat down beside him, grabbed his arm, and looked him over anxiously, “I heard Uncle hit you.
Where did he hit you?
“Sis, I’m fine…” An Ji hastily denied, but when An Ruo’s hand touched his back, he couldn’t help but gasp in pain.
An Ruo quickly pulled back his clothes and saw several bright red welts on his pale, thin back.
The person who had hit him had used a lot of force, An Ji’s skin was torn, and traces of fresh blood seeped out.
An Ruo hadn’t expected his injuries to be so severe.
She abruptly covered her mouth to keep herself from crying out loud.
With his back to her, An Ji did not turn around.
“Sis, I really am fine…
I was being naughty, and that’s why Uncle hit me…”
An Ruo turned and left.
After a while, she returned with a box of medicine.
Using a cotton swab dipped in ointment, An Ruo gently applied it to his wounds.
During this, both siblings remained silent.
After finishing applying the medicine, An Ruo told him, “Don’t take a bath for two days.
I will come every day to change your dressing.
Remember to take the anti-inflammatory medicine, and don’t let the wound get worse.”
I’m sorry for making you worry again.” An Ji turned around, his head lowered in apology.
An Ruo held his hand, looking down as she asked him, “Why did Uncle hit you?”
“Xiao Ji, don’t hide it from me.”
After thinking for a moment, An Ji said, “…After I came back that day, Uncle scolded me, then he told me to get out of the An Family, and I got angry and ran away…
I stayed at a classmate’s house for two days.
Uncle found me, dragged me back, and then he hit me.
Sis, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have run away, I shouldn’t have made you worry…”
An Ruo held his hand tightly and made up her mind.
She took out two thousand yuan from her money and gave it to An Ji, “Take this, and use it if you need more.
Xiao Ji, I’ve decided, I’m going to take you away from here.
Wait for me, I’ll figure out a way to get us out as soon as possible.”
An Ji looked up sharply, his eyes shining, “Really?”
An Ruo stayed in An Ji’s room for a long time before leaving.
She asked Aunt Chen for help to take extra care of An Ji and even insisted on giving Aunt Chen a thousand yuan.
At the moment of departure, An Xin just happened to come back.
Seeing An Ruo there too, she paused, then crossed her arms and looked at her with a faint sneer, “An Ruo, what are you doing here?”
Before she had gained An Ji’s guardianship, An Ruo wouldn’t easily offend them.
She replied indifferently, “I came to see An Ji.”
An Xin leaned against the wall, scoffing with disdain, “Your heart is always with your useless brother, no wonder you can’t even keep a man.
An Ruo, with the time you’ve got, you’d be better off focusing on your man.
Just remember, without him, you’d be nothing, have nothing.”
An Ruo didn’t understand the meaning behind her words, nor did she ask further.
“I’m going back now.”