The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 788 - 787 Chen Yi’s Car Accident

In the evening, after Shen Mingzhu had finished freshening up and stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Demu darting toward the yard outside.

Then came a knock at the door.

Thinking it might be Pei Yang who had forgotten his key, she opened the door only to find Pei Wenping standing there, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t hide her surprise, "Big sister? Why are you here so late?"

Under the clear illumination of the streetlamps, Pei Wenping’s face bore a look of concern, "I just got back from the airport. I waited all night but Chen Yi didn’t show up, and nobody answered his phone. Could something have happened?"

Shen Mingzhu wasn’t sure what was going on either, so she invited Pei Wenping in.

Just as she was about to call Chen Family’s elderly couple to ask about Chen Yi’s whereabouts, Pei Yang returned.

"My brother-in-law told me that there was a severe thunderstorm today in Shanghai City. All flights at the airport were halted, and he probably won’t be back until tomorrow."

Upon learning about the flight delay, Pei Wenping was finally able to relax and she went back home.

As she watched the taxi drive away, Shen Mingzhu turned to the man beside her, "What exactly is going on?"

"My wife is really impressive, you can’t hide anything from her."

Pei Yang wrapped one arm around her waist as they headed home, explaining, "The flight was indeed delayed because of the storm, but you know how Chen Yi feels about my sister. Now that he knows she’s changed her mind, he wishes he had wings to fly back."

"Since he couldn’t leave Shanghai City, he took a detour to Hang City. He’s probably on the plane right now. He didn’t want me to tell my sister because he wanted to surprise her."

Midnight.

Ding-a-ling—

A series of urgent rings shattered the stillness of the night.

"Wife, wake up."

Shen Mingzhu opened her eyes and met her husband’s panicked gaze, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of the night Qin Jinlian had passed away. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

...

"Big sister."

Seeing the couple who had visited in the middle of the night, Pei Wenping looked baffled, "Why are you here? What’s happened so late at night?"

Shen Mingzhu replied, "Let’s talk inside."

Once inside, under Pei Wenping’s questioning gaze, Pei Yang took a deep breath, "Sis, you need to brace yourself. Chen Yi had an accident."

It took Pei Wenping a couple of seconds to respond, "What happened to him? Is he injured? Or sick?"

"He was in a car accident."

Upon hearing that Chen Yi had been in a car accident on his way to Hang City in an attempt to see her sooner, Pei Wenping was both angry and anxious,

"Weren’t you saying he wouldn’t be back until tomorrow? If something happens to him, I won’t forgive you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Pei Wenping regretted them.

Going to Hang City was Chen Yi’s own decision; it was unfair to blame her younger brother.

Just as she was about to correct herself, she heard her brother’s somber voice, "Sis, please accept my condolences."

"What nonsense are you spouting!?"

Her eyes were filled with rage, as if she wanted to devour Pei Yang alive.

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel a surge of sadness.

It seemed like fate was playing cruel tricks, that such a tragedy occurred just when Pei Wenping had opened her heart to reconcile with Chen Yi.

Chen Yi’s taxi had lost control and rolled down a hill due to the slippery roads from the rain.

The driver died on the scene, and although Chen Yi was critically injured and rushed to save, he still couldn’t escape death.

Seeing the hospital bed covered with a white sheet, Pei Wenping couldn’t accept it.

She refused to go forward for a last look at Chen Yi, "It can’t be him, this isn’t possible. Don’t play this kind of joke on me, it’s not funny at all!"

Mother Chen, who had been supported by someone, suddenly rushed over and grabbed her, "Are you happy now? Are you satisfied? Holding onto such trivial things for so many years, he never received your forgiveness before he died. Now that he’s gone, why do you even bother coming here?!"

Mother Chen was quickly pulled away by others, but her pointed accusations were like sharp knives stabbing into Pei Wenping’s heart.

She stared at her lover, covered by a white cloth just inches away, tears rolling out of her eyes like pearls falling off a string.

Finally, longing had overcome fear, and she slowly lifted the white cloth with trembling hands.

Chen Yi’s face was both familiar and unfamiliar.

In her memories, he always looked at her tenderly, with a smile in his eyes, but the man before her now had his eyes tightly shut, his face pallid. His forehead, the corners of his eyes, his nose, and his chin were covered with wounds both big and small.

"Sister."

Hearing Pei Yang call her from behind, Pei Wenping turned mechanically, "It’s your brother-in-law."

Pei Yang stepped forward with red eyes to support her, "Sister, restrain your grief."

Those words seemed to hit a switch inside Pei Wenping, and she erupted in anger.

"Why should I restrain my grief? Why should I restrain it at all?"

She furiously turned around, jumped to the hospital bed, and started shaking Chen Yi’s lifeless body vigorously, "Get up! Stop pretending to be dead! Do you hear me?"

She pulled out a ring from her pocket, slid it onto her finger, and said, "Wasn’t it a proposal? I accepted, let’s go and get the certificate right away."

"Why aren’t you speaking? Are you regretting it? Chen Yi, you liar! You deceived me again!"

"Weren’t we supposed to start over? Don’t your words count, are you even a man?"

Watching the man on the bed who never responded, Pei Wenping eventually couldn’t hold back and sobbed painfully, resting on him,

"Chen Yi, don’t leave, don’t leave me and the children, please?"

"I’ll do as you said, forget all the past unhappiness, and let’s restart our lives, just the four of us."

Unable to endure the sadness of this parting between life and death, Shen Mingzhu turned and went outside for some air.

She always remembered a saying: One cannot possess both youth and the sentiments that accompany youth; some things are proven precious only through their absence.

At thirty, buying what you wanted at eighteen, or visiting places you wished to at twenty, holds no meaning.

There aren’t endless tomorrows, only the unpredictability of life.

There will always be something better; cherishing the present is the best.

Considering Chen Yi’s social and work circles, the funeral was held in both Shanghai City and Fengcheng.

Far more guests attended the mourning than expected, which also indirectly proved that Chen Yi had been quite successful in Shanghai City these past years.

His willingness to give up everything in Shanghai City to return to Fengcheng and spend the rest of his life with Pei Wenping was a deep devotion,

At least, that’s how it appeared to outsiders.

But as the old saying goes, late-arriving love is more disdainful than grass.

...

On the last evening of the funeral, a young woman in a black dress and hat slowly walked into the chapel.

"Guests, please stop here."

"As we bow..."

"Family members express their gratitude."

Once the ritual was over, the young woman approached Father Chen and Mother Chen first.

"Uncle, Auntie, please, control your grief."

"You are very kind."

While Shen Mingzhu was guessing the identity of the strange woman, Pei Yang suddenly whispered in her ear, "That’s Zhan Xiaomeng."

Shen Mingzhu turned in surprise, "How do you know?"

Pei Yang snorted softly, "The person who wrecked my sister’s family, I naturally wanted to find out exactly who she is."

Shen Mingzhu looked at him, "When did this happen? Why haven’t you mentioned this before?"

"It was right after my sister got divorced."

As they were talking, Zhan Xiaomeng suddenly started walking towards them.