Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 124: Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Here

The two men had already stepped forward, grabbing Sun Qiang and his son and forcefully dragging them several steps away, putting distance between them and Song Qingya.

"What gives you the right to say these things to Qingya?"

Fei Jin’s cold gaze swept over everyone present.

"All this wretched business... if it hadn’t been exposed today, she never would have said a single word to me about it, nor would she have uttered a single complaint."

"Because she’s too kind, too willing to endure."

His voice grew softer, but it was tinged with a heavy sorrow and heartache.

"She never thought to tell outsiders about her suffering, nor did she want to embarrass anyone, but..."

He paused, then shot a cold smirk at the father and son duo before him.

"She treated you with such kindness, but how did you treat her in return?"

His voice gradually rose.

"And now you want to put on a show right in front of her, hypocritically begging her to speak up for you? Do you really think she’s an idiot? Does your conscience not hurt you?"

The father and son, who had been hoping to score some sympathy points and counting on Song Qingya to speak for them, trembled when they heard this.

They knew it was useless to say anything more.

No matter how pathetically they acted, they couldn’t salvage the situation.

Yang Yunhua, who always coddled her own and used her position to bully others, had also lost her bravado.

But even so, she couldn’t escape Fei Jin’s sharp questioning that followed.

"Mom, I’ve called you ’Mom’ ever since I married Qingya."

Fei Jin turned his head to look at his so-called mother-in-law.

"But I never imagined you could stand by and watch her suffer for so many years, doing absolutely nothing."

He pressed on relentlessly.

"Are you her birth mother? How can a mother like you even exist in this world?"

"Xiao Fei, I... I didn’t know."

Yang Yunhua lowered her head, nervously wringing the hem of her clothes.

’It was because she did know. She had always known but had simply chosen to ignore it.’

Song Qingya, who hadn’t said another word after publicly identifying the stolen goods, unexpectedly and slowly stood up.

The crowd instantly fell silent. All eyes turned to her.

The tear tracks on her face were clearly visible, and her eyes were so weary she could barely keep them open.

"Let it go, Ajin. They’re still family, after all."

The moment she said this, she knew perfectly well.

’Knowing Ajin’s personality, he would never truly let these people off the hook.’

’The final consequences were already unavoidable.’

’But she wasn’t saying this because she genuinely wanted to plead for them.’

’Instead, it was to present a sympathetic image in front of all the witnesses.’

Aunt Wang, a neighbor who had been observing grimly from the crowd, finally couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward to speak.

"Oh, this child of ours is just too soft-hearted and foolish!"

she shouted, slapping her thigh.

"If you’re going to show them consideration, you have to see if they even have a conscience left! That mother of yours, and that stepfather and his good-for-nothing son—what kind of people are they? Do they even deserve to be called family?"

"That’s right!"

"Qingya, we neighbors have all seen how much you’ve suffered since you were a child, and our hearts ached for you! Don’t look back. Don’t have anything to do with this shameless family anymore!"

"That’s right, Qingya. Haven’t you married into a good family now? Now that you have a good life, don’t look back."

"If it were me, I wouldn’t let them escape punishment so easily. If I had any say, I’d make sure they rot in there for eight or ten years before I’d feel satisfied."

...

In an instant, the atmosphere at the scene reached a fever pitch.

Everyone was incensed, their emotions boiling over.

Someone could no longer suppress their anger and rushed forward, starting to rough up the father and son, Sun Qiang and Sun Zhenhai.

Fists rained down on them, and in a flash, their faces were swollen and bruised, a mess of black and blue.

Yang Yunhua hurriedly pushed forward to break up the fight, trying to pull the two men apart while shouting frantically, "Hey, hey, hey, stop fighting! Stop it!"

However, before she could finish, a passionate auntie next to her grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back forcefully.

The auntie’s face was red with anger. As she pulled, she cursed loudly.

"And you have the nerve to come here and act like the good guy? Your favoritism all these years has been out of this world! How can you be so shameless! Do you even deserve to be a mother?"

"OW, THAT HURTS, THAT HURTS! LET GO, LET GO!"

Yang Yunhua was pulled so hard she staggered.

She nearly fell to the ground, screaming as she reached up to protect her hair.

The already small courtyard instantly descended into chaos. Several people were tangled together, and the surrounding crowd grew louder and more aggressive.

It was utterly clamorous; everyone was shouting, but in the din, nothing could be heard clearly.

In the midst of this chaos, Song Qingya quickly took a few steps back.

While no one’s attention was on her, she seemed to shrink into herself and quietly hid in Fei Jin’s arms.

She gripped one of his arms tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her watery eyes were wide, and her cheeks were pale, making her look exceptionally terrified and fragile.

She was perfectly playing the part of a frail, sickly, and helpless young lady.

Even a few neighbors standing not far away couldn’t help but look twice, a sense of pity welling up in their hearts.

Fei Jin sensed her approach. He gently patted her on the back, as if soothing a frightened little animal. With his other hand, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and comforted her in a low, firm voice, "Qingya, it’s okay. It’s all over. Don’t be afraid, I’m here."

’Though his voice was steady and calm, inwardly he was anxious to the extreme.’

When Song Qingya had fainted earlier, he thought it was a severe reaction to the medication. He had immediately contacted the nearby community hospital to request emergency aid and asked the doctor to bring equipment for a house call.

Once Song Qingya regained consciousness, he had relentlessly called to urge the doctor to come and re-evaluate her condition.

Fortunately, the doctor from the community hospital was quick and arrived on the scene shortly with basic diagnostic equipment.

After a detailed examination and consultation, the doctor confirmed that there were no obvious adverse conditions with her body. All her organ functions were normal, and the brief fainting spell was attributed to mild psychological stress.

However, the doctor still gave a serious reminder: "We haven’t found any abnormalities at present, but our medical equipment is rather limited, so some hidden internal issues might not be visible right away. If you’re still worried, I suggest you go to the city hospital tomorrow morning for a comprehensive check-up—things like an ultrasound and a complete blood count. They can also prescribe some anti-anxiety medication to help calm her nerves."

"Yes, we’ll definitely follow your advice and go to the hospital tomorrow. Thank you for taking the trouble to come all this way."

Fei Jin nodded, his tone sincere and polite.

The doctor waved his hand and said with a smile, "Why thank me? It’s just part of our job."

"Besides, this situation of yours is quite novel... a routine house call instantly turning into a mob takedown of the ’bad guys.’ I’ve been working for over a decade and this is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this. It’s quite something."

As he said this, the people around them laughed and nodded in agreement.