Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C325. We Are All Protectors.

Chapter 325: We Are All Protectors

After discussing everything, Shao Yao hadn't arrived yet. Hua Pingyang, ever the reliable one, decided to take matters into his own hands and wheeled Hua Zi back to her room. As they reached the door, Hua Zi, stubborn as ever, tried to push herself upright and cross the threshold on her own. But Hua Pingyang wasn’t having any of it. He clamped a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her dead in her tracks. No way was he letting her do it, and no way was he dragging his injured older brother into this mess, either. Instead, he signaled for their second brother to come over, and the two of them lifted the wheelchair over the threshold.

At first, Hua Zi felt a pang of awkwardness—a hot rush of shame creeping up her neck. But then it hit her: Hell, I broke my body for these people. The least they can do is push me over a damn doorframe. If she acted all high and mighty and refused their help, it’d just make things weird. Worse, it’d drive a wedge between them. No, better to let them play the hero, stroke their egos a little.

Everybody wins.

With that in mind, she loosened up, cracked a small, knowing smile at her second uncle, and let her fourth uncle take the reins, wheeling her back to her room without a fuss.

Outside, the night at Yingshan Pass was deliciously mild—not too hot, not too cold. The moonlight spilled across the courtyard, painting long, exaggerated shadows across the ground. Even the kid trailing behind them looked taller in the silver glow, though Hua Pingyang could only rub his temples at the sight of him.

Seeing the child, Hua Pingyang's head throbbed. "Don't spoil him too much. How can you always let him sleep in your room?"

"He's still young. Even if we don't share a bed, we have to wait until he's seven." Hua Zi replied softly, "His only relative entrusted him to me before passing away. I am the only person he recognizes. Once this period of insecurity passes, it will be fine."

“Why do you always take it all on yourself?” Hua Pingyang shot back, his frustration cutting through the night air.

She fixed him with a cool, unflinching gaze. “Because if I don’t, who will? Without me, the Huas would’ve crumbled to dust a long time ago. That night, when everything was falling apart, I didn’t have the luxury of saying no. If I hadn’t stepped up, we’d all be six feet under by now. And today, if I don’t keep holding it all together, Zeng Han would probably throw himself off a cliff. When, exactly, have I ever been given a choice?”

Indeed, when has she ever had a choice?

The more capable you are, the more the world piles on your shoulders. Hua Pingyang sighed, his expression softening as he reached out to pat her shoulder. “You’re right. I misspoke. Without the court backing us, the Huas are just a bunch of useless scholars scribbling away in their books. You’re the only reason we’re still standing.”

"Who says a general needs a title to lead a charge? Or a scholar needs a position to wield a pen? Look at my father—he’s practically a goddamn famous now! Women are practically brawling to wash his damn undergarments." Hua Zhi chuckled, "If my mother found out that women are fighting to wash my father's undergarments, he would definitely be in a pickle when he returns."

Hua Pingyang chuckled at the memory. "Oh, she'd roast him alive. Your mother doesn’t play." He leaned back, recalling a ridiculous scene. "Remember when my eldest brother became a teacher? One day, after a bath, he walked out with a basin of clothes. Before he could blink, some woman snatched his underwear like it was a prized trophy. All we saw was the hem flapping in the breeze as she bolted, shouting something about returning it clean. He couldn’t even chase her down—just stood there, humiliated, stamping his feet like a fool. It was comedy gold."