Chapter 481: Chapter 488: Creating Illusions
 

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But such reckless actions that disregarded her own life clearly made them, as her parents, even more worried. Just like the old wife said, if anything happened to their daughter, what meaning would there be in them living as the elderly couple? Moreover, the daughter had fallen into danger precisely while trying to save them.

“Lady Yue, this foolish child, why is she so foolish? As long as she and the children are safe, why bother about us? If something were to happen to her, how could we bear it?” Madam Su sobbed as she spoke, her heart in anguish.

Master Su wanted to comfort his old wife, but the situation was clearly perilous. Even if he lied, he couldn’t deceive her. If the daughter had fled with the children, he might have thought that she had some trump card that she hadn’t revealed to escape from those people, for she valued her three children more than her own life and would surely ensure their safety. However, her arrangement made it clear that she was resolute in luring those people away, sacrificing herself for the safety of the old couple and the children.

Master Su had always been fond of his daughter, and the worry and torment in his heart were no less than that of his old wife. At that moment, he really had no energy to say much more, just standing there somewhat defeated, seemingly having aged a great deal all at once.

Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Su like this, the maid was filled with panic and immediately remembered the message the madam had entrusted her with: “Madam asks that the master and his wife forgive her for her undutiful actions. If anything truly untoward should befall her, please take good care of the three children. The children are more important than her life. With the old master and madam to look after them, she can rest assured.”

Master Su had been holding back, but as a man, even though his heart was full of worries and sorrow, he had not yet lost his composure. When he heard the maid’s words, he could no longer restrain himself, and tears flowed down his cheeks.

In the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Su, although they also loved their three grandsons, how could that compare to their daughter whom they had raised with their own hands? They understood their daughter’s temperament. Since things had come to this point, they could only act on her instructions.

“Madam, don’t be sad. Since our daughter risked her life to save us and the three children, we cannot let her efforts be in vain. We must not let her take such risks and sacrifice for nothing. Now is not the time for sorrow; we must get to the Feng family as soon as possible to meet up with Qi Luo and ensure the children’s safety. If we can move quickly and send for reinforcements in time, we may still be able to save our daughter,” said Master Su as he helped Madam Su up, showing he was still a man of substance. Even in such a situation, he could clearly understand what he must do. The daughter was very likely in the hands of those people, but they wanted to use her to threaten her son-in-law, so her life was not in immediate danger. They were waiting for someone to come to her rescue.

“What the old master said is right. We can’t waste our daughter’s efforts and careful planning. We need to find the three children immediately, make sure they are safe, and send a message to our son-in-law. We also need to ask for help to ensure our daughter is rescued,” Madam Su, not an ordinary woman herself, quickly regained her composure and coordinated with Master Su.

Meanwhile, Su Wenyue hastened in the opposite direction from where Mr. and Mrs. Su and the children were. Although she understood that escape was unlikely this time, it was important to lead those people as far away as possible. She occasionally created misleading clues deliberately to delay the enemy’s pursuit.

“Boss, that woman has suddenly vanished. Which way should we go after her?” They had been following the footprints along the road, but here they came to a halt.

“Look, the trees here show signs of being deliberately broken. They definitely fled this way,” said one man in black.

“Not necessarily. Look at the grassland over there; there are also signs of being trampled. Maybe they escaped that way,” another man in black noticed something amiss.

“This woman is truly cunning, deliberately creating false trails along the way, intending to lead us astray and delay our pursuit.”

“So boss, what do we do now? Do we still chase after her?”

“Asking such a foolish question. Of course, we chase! They are just women and children; even if they run, they can’t get far. Let’s split into two groups. You go left, and I will take people to the right. If you find them, send a signal immediately,” the leader in black ordered before charging off with his men. Although he was certain that Su Wenyue with the children couldn’t have gotten far, until they were caught, they could not relax. Moreover, Su Wenyue had been extremely crafty along the way.

“Madam, what do we do? They’re going to catch up soon.” Chunlan, one of the female guards following Su Wenyue, spoke anxiously.

Su Wenyue was breathless from the constant running and was struggling. Now stopping, she looked at her two female guards with an apologetic expression. She wouldn’t have involved them if it hadn’t been necessary. But this time, not only her but the two female guards’ ends might be even worse than hers. After all, those people needed her to intimidate Han Yu, whereas the guards were of no use to them and might be killed on the spot if caught.

“Qiao Lan, Qiao Hui, I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” Su Wenyue said apologetically. She wouldn’t have asked Qiao Lan and Qiao Hui to accompany her if it hadn’t been for the need to make the tracks seem less suspicious; a single person’s tracks are different.

“Madam, don’t speak like that. We are willing to be with you. It is our fortune to stand by your side. Madam has always been kind to us, and there could not be a better master. If we truly cannot make it this time, we wish to serve you again in our next life,” they responded. They weren’t fools; they understood what accompanying Su Wenyue could mean, yet they volunteered to come, prepared for the outcome.

“You two are such fools. If there really is a next life, find a good family to be born into, enjoy a comfortable life, and become a young lady. Why be my maid again? It’d be silly! Let’s part ways here, each of us escaping in a different direction. It might just give us a slim chance of survival.”

“Madam! We can’t leave; we have to stay with you. We must protect your safety,” Qiao Lan and Qiao Hui said in unison. Having come all this way with Madam, they never thought about escaping. The thought of leaving her to escape didn’t even cross their minds. Their only resolve was to protect Madam, even at the cost of their lives.

“No, we can’t stay together. Otherwise, we’d all be caught in one net. We must split up; it might confuse the enemy and spread out their forces. It’s not just for giving you a slim chance to escape; it’s the same for me. I hope that after this time, we may still be alive to meet again.” Saying this, Su Wenyue picked a random direction and ran off.

Seeing Su Wenyue do this, Qiao Lan and Qiao Hui exchanged a glance, then each chose a different direction and ran off without looking back.

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