And when Yang Ruyu saw the face of the person before her, her eyes widened in shock. "Unc... Uncle... Uncle?" But then she suddenly felt that something was off. Her uncle had been dead for five or six years now, how could he be here? She quickly covered her mouth.
The man lying on the bed was Yang Baiyue, who had become Mo Wenjie. After being bitten by a snake last time, his health had been poor. He had seen nearly all the doctors in the county, but none could cure him. Taking medicine would relieve his symptoms a bit, but they would flare up again soon after, alternating between bursts of cold and heat. When cold, covering himself with two quilts did nothing, and when hot, even lying on a basin of ice felt like his whole body was burning...
He was supposed to sleep after taking his medicine just now, but inexplicably he woke up suddenly. Although it had been over five years since they had last seen each other, he immediately recognized the girl who barged into his room as his niece. Especially when she called out ’uncle,’ his expression turned even uglier. Ignoring the discomfort in his body, he rushed over and grabbed Yang Ruyu by the arm. "Yang Ruyu, who sent you here? Speak!" Had that girl Dani really found him out? Did she send Ruyu to look for him?
"You..." Terrified, Yang Ruyu shuddered and then hastily shook her head, "No... it’s really not..." Yet inside, a tempest had already begun to brew. If she was still unsure before, then when he called out her name, she knew for certain that this man was Yang Baiyue, whom everybody thought was long dead.
Yang Baiyue’s face grew even more unsightly. "Won’t speak, eh? Do you believe I’ll kill you?" As he spoke, his hands began to tighten around her neck. Those who stood in the way of his wealth and status would not be spared, family or not.
"I really didn’t..." Terrified, Yang Ruyu’s legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, "I was chased by villains outside and had nowhere to run. That’s why I crawled through a dog hole to get in here..."
Yang Baiyue looked at Yang Ruyu with an inscrutable expression. Though he didn’t increase the pressure, he did not loosen his grip either. Finally, long enough for Yang Ruyu to feel on the verge of suffocation, he suddenly laughed, let go of her, and sat back on the bed, wrapping himself in a blanket. "Ruyu, since we’ve met by fate, come sit. Tell me about what’s been going on at home these past years..."
Yang Ruyu glanced at Yang Baiyue and swallowed her saliva. Then, standing up shakily and rubbing the soreness on her neck, she coughed. "What... What would you like to know, Uncle?" The scare had been too much for her, and she felt as though she had seen the face of King Yama himself.
"Just tell me whatever you know," Yang Baiyue tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Spare no details."
Yang Ruyu nodded and began to recount all the events of the past years. Of course, she focused on the changes within the main house, especially the transformation of Yang Dani... After hunting down Black Bear and earning some money, not only did she split from the family but also severed ties with the Yang Family and so on. In essence, Ruyu reported everything she knew, with a particular emphasis on Yang Dani’s heartlessness and ruthlessness.
Throughout the telling, Yang Baiyue’s expressions were somewhat peculiar.
"Uncle..." Yang Ruyu’s eyes suddenly reddened, and tears began to fall. "There’ve been so many troubles at home. My father and my fourth uncle are both... The family is on the verge of falling apart, and I don’t know what to do..." No matter what the story was with this uncle, by all appearances, he was a man of great wealth and privilege. She had to curry favor with him, so that she could truly become a rich miss.