TWMOV Chapter 10: The Poor Little Thing Who Suffered Domestic Abuse 10
Yu Mu took leave from school, used up all his savings to hire a lawyer, and personally went to convince the neighbors in the compound, persuading them to testify in court.
On the day of the trial, it was pouring rain. Yu Mu pushed Liang Han’s wheelchair to the courthouse and sat with him at the plaintiff’s side.
Liang Hua stood at the defendant’s stand in handcuffs. Although his expression was still fierce, there was now a hint of fear in his eyes.
During his detention, he had constantly thought about how he would teach Yu Mu and Liang Han a lesson once he got out. But now, standing in the solemn courtroom…
Listening to the neighbors from the compound testify about his past abuse and hearing the lawyer’s clear, methodical analysis, he finally realized—this time, he might really be done for.
He stiffly shouted at Yu Mu, with a mix of bravado and veiled threat:
“Yu Mu, I’m still Liang Han’s father, after all. His mother doesn’t make any money. If I go to jail, the two of them will be left to starve!”
Yu Mu squinted at him, just about to speak, when Liang Han beside him reached out and held his hand.
The boy, who had always worn a cold expression, now slowly revealed a faint smile. He said,
“Father, you don’t need to worry about that. Without you, my mother and I will only live better.”
In the end, Liang Hua was sentenced to two years in prison for intentional injury.
After the trial, the jurors gradually exited the courtroom, still discussing in low voices the defendant’s final outburst of rage—and Liang Han’s striking calmness and cold detachment throughout.
Yu Mu pushed Liang Han to the courthouse’s porch. Torrential rain poured down, forming a hazy curtain in front of them.
“Mr. Yu…” Liang Han, still seated in the wheelchair, bent his back and covered his face with both hands. He didn’t look up, but his eyes were red.
“Thank you. Really… thank you.”
Freedom—something Liang Han had once only dared to dream about—was now a reality.
Maybe they’d still be poor. Maybe life would be hard. But it would be happy.
Being away from his father, protecting his mother, staying by Yu Mu’s side—this would be the greatest kind of freedom he could have over the next two years.
Yu Mu sighed, rubbed Liang Han’s head, and said,
“If you really want to thank me, just study hard.”
Liang Hua entered prison in mid-September. Jiang Yuan (Liang Han’s mother) was elated for a long time. Her spirits noticeably lifted, and her motivation for work surged. She got up early every morning and came home late at night, paying little attention to Liang Han.
Seeing this, Yu Mu had no choice but to bring Liang Han home temporarily to take care of him.
Liang Han’s leg still hadn’t healed, so he had to rely on a wheelchair. Yu Mu originally suggested he skip the October math competition, but Liang Han refused.
He insisted on competing—and won first place. He handed over the full 500 yuan prize to Yu Mu, saying:
“When my leg is better and I can start earning money, I’ll give it all to you, Mr. Yu—because you’re my biggest ‘creditor.’”
Yu Mu just chuckled, helpless.
Honestly, their current situation really was like he was raising Liang Han. The lawsuit had cost him a fortune, not to mention the hospital bills, medication, tuition, and countless other expenses—all of which had drained his bank account.
Now, he was also covering Liang Han’s daily food and shelter.
Liang Han saw all this and hated how powerless he was. So, he studied even harder.
By mid-October, Yu Mu had taken on the task of biking Liang Han to school. Liang Han sat on the back seat, holding a crutch in one hand and using the other to tightly hug Yu Mu’s waist, leaning half his body against him—warm and secure.
Habits are scary things. At first, Yu Mu didn’t like Liang Han holding him like that. But now, if those arms weren’t around him while biking, it felt… off.
After parking the bike, Liang Han stood with his crutch, waiting nearby. Classmates came by to greet him, and students from other classes cast sidelong glances, whispering to each other.
Liang Han’s family drama had stirred up quite a buzz in the small town. Word had spread like wildfire.
While people saw how badly he had been abused, rumors also painted him as cold and heartless—sending his own biological father to prison without flinching.
Some even said he was an ungrateful child who turned on his own family.
But Liang Han didn’t care.
What others thought of him didn’t matter.
Only Mr. Yu’s opinion did.
Yu Mu finished parking when Ms. Tian Fang from the school infirmary passed by with a cart. She saw Liang Han first, smiled, and said,
“Good morning, Liang Han. Is Mr. Yu bringing you again today?”
“Yes.” Liang Han frowned slightly.
Then Tian Fang spotted Yu Mu and her smile grew wider. She jogged over with two movie tickets from her bag.
“Mr. Yu, it’s Saturday tomorrow. My brother gave me two movie tickets. Want to go together?”
Liang Han’s grip on his crutch suddenly tightened. His expression darkened.
Yu Mu looked troubled.
He was twenty-eight, had dated a few times. There was no way he didn’t understand Tian Fang’s intentions. But he couldn’t possibly reciprocate feelings for someone who only existed in a fictional world.
They had grown familiar because of Liang Han’s injury. Yu Mu had asked her for advice on caring for broken bones several times. Over time, perhaps she’d gotten the wrong idea.
Looks like he’d need to start keeping his distance.
“Sorry, Xiao Tian,” Yu Mu said quickly, pulling Liang Han into the excuse. “I need to take Xiao Han to get his cast removed tomorrow. I won’t be able to make it. You should ask someone else.”
“Oh…” Tian Fang looked a bit disappointed, but soon perked up and asked,
“Then what about the day after—”
“Mr. Yu, class is starting!” Liang Han suddenly interrupted her, his eyes fixed on Yu Mu with a stubborn gaze.
The morning bell rang. Yu Mu, relieved, quickly said goodbye to Tian Fang and turned to help Liang Han toward the academic building.
“I can go to the hospital by myself on Saturday,” Liang Han said, eyes downcast. “If you want to watch a movie with Ms. Tian, you don’t have to worry about me.”
Yu Mu raised an eyebrow, just about to reply, when the system suddenly chimed in:
[He’s testing you.]
At the same time, five little hearts appeared above Liang Han’s head again. The fourth heart, more than halfway full, was fluctuating—rising and falling.
Yu Mu: …Is he jealous?
[You could say that. Right now, how much he cares about you is on par with romantic affection.]
Yu Mu: …
Yu Mu didn’t really get what kind of love a kid could have, but increasing his favorability score was his mission, so he figured it was best to coax him.
He didn’t like Tian Fang anyway.
Yu Mu replied, “Movies can be watched anytime. But I don’t feel comfortable letting you go to the hospital alone.”
Liang Han froze. The fourth heart instantly filled to max.
Yu Mu was about to celebrate—when the heart suddenly dropped down to three and a half.
…?
“Sure enough, Mr. Yu still wants to watch the movie with Ms. Tian,” Liang Han said with a bitter smile. “It’s my fault for being a burden to you.”
With that, he used the handrail to make his way inside the classroom alone.
Yu Mu: ??? System, did I say something wrong? What’s going on?
[Emmm… Let me break it down. Look at the two things you just said. The first part, ‘Movies can be watched anytime,’ implies you do want to watch it—just not this time. Who knows, maybe you’ll sneak off with Ms. Tian another time. That’s why the heart dropped. The second part, ‘I don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone,’ is full of concern—he was touched. That’s why it rose. But! It also sounded like a generic, teacherly thing to say—not something meant just for him. That made him feel… not so special. So it dropped again.]
Yu Mu: …System, you’re a relationship expert. That reading comprehension deserves full marks. But Liang Han’s emotions are too nuanced—most girls probably aren’t this sensitive.
[Host, all villains are like this. Sensitive, fragile, vengeful, easily hurt, and quick to misinterpret. You just need to be patient with him.]
“Ugh…” Yu Mu sighed, heading to the office, planning to let it go for now. Maybe the kid would forget it by later.
Author’s Note:
Liang Han’s jealousy is basically never-ending 😅
Comments
Post a Comment