Chapter 89 - 089 Essence of Mental Nerves

Words : 1524 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Failed seven subjects out of five exams?" Wang Shuqiu’s aunt didn’t understand, and neither did her uncle. They couldn’t grasp how one could fail seven subjects when only five were taken; the numbers just didn’t add up. "You don’t get it, do you? Let me explain," Wang Shuqiu said. "He failed his exams last year, failed the retakes, and then failed again this year. That’s how you get seven fails. I’m not making this up; I found this on their school’s website. Want me to pull it up for you right now? He can’t even get his graduation certificate, yet he still dreams of elevating others. Dream on." It was unclear whether the sudden news had shocked them or if they already knew and were trying to cover their embarrassment. In any case, her uncle became visibly irritated. "Mind your words! We are your aunt and uncle, your elders! What kind of filth are you spewing? If you talked like this outside, people would laugh themselves sick!" "A shameless family like yours, and you’re still afraid of being ridiculed?" Wang Shuqiu completely let herself go, holding nothing back and continuing her verbal assault. But her uncle couldn’t stand it anymore. Angered and humiliated, he stood up, raising his palm. "I’m going to teach you a lesson today, you ungrateful, ill-mannered brat!" Her uncle was rather heavyset, and being an elder, his stern demeanor was quite intimidating. Wang Shuqiu might talk a big game, but she didn’t actually have the guts to physically confront her elders. But Du Heng was right there beside her, wasn’t he? This was a perfect chance for him to step up and show his protective side. WHOOSH! Du Heng shot to his feet, pushing back her uncle, who was reaching out. "You must be the uncle, right?" Du Heng said calmly. "Let’s discuss things. There’s no need for violence." Her uncle, caught off balance, stumbled back into his seat. "Who the hell are you? This is none of your damn business!" Du Heng slowly rolled up his left sleeve, his expression hardening. "I didn’t hear you clearly. Say that again." They can say what they want about me; I’m a guest today, so I’ll tolerate it. But if you dare to lay a hand on *her*, then just you try. Intimidated by the look in Du Heng’s eyes, her uncle didn’t attempt to stand up again but retorted stubbornly, "This is our family affair! I’m disciplining my niece; what’s it got to do with you?" Seeing her uncle back down, Du Heng didn’t press further. He maintained the composure of a guest, but his words made Wang Shuqiu smile sweetly. For the first time in this family, she felt she had someone to lean on. "Wang Shuqiu is my girlfriend. She’s going to be my wife. I wouldn’t dream of laying a finger on her, so what gives you the right? Because you’re older? Or because you’re shameless? You’re an elder, so a few harsh words can be overlooked. But if you dare to lay a hand on her, I’d like to see you try." The strong young man stepped forward. His tone was even, yet it carried enough weight to make her uncle hesitate to act rashly. Unexpectedly, the uncle whirled around and yelled at Wang Shuqiu’s mother, "Sis, look! Is this the son-in-law you were looking for? If he dares to speak to elders like this *before* marriage, imagine what he’ll be like *after* they’re married! He’ll be completely out of control!" Wang Shuqiu, deeply touched by Du Heng’s behavior, was incensed to hear him slandered. She immediately shot back, "I don’t have an elder like you, and you’re not qualified to be an elder to my boyfriend!" "You..." "Enough! Both of you, quiet down!" Wang Shuqiu’s mother shouted sternly, finally stopping their argument. She started rubbing her temples again. "You two should head back first. As for the money..." BANG! Before Wang Shuqiu’s mother could finish, a loud thud echoed through the room. Everyone was startled, Du Heng included. Looking towards the sound, they saw Zhao Xinfang violently smashing his head against the tea table in front of him. BANG, BANG, BANG! Before anyone could react, there were three more resounding impacts. Zhao Xinfang was about to strike again when his adoptive father, who had been a silent observer until now, finally intervened. He grabbed Zhao Xinfang, and they both tumbled onto the sofa. "Fangfang!" Wang Shuqiu cried out, her previous defiance gone. She rushed to help her father restrain the wildly struggling Zhao Xinfang. A young man in his twenties was not someone a man in his fifties could easily control. Du Heng pulled Wang Shuqiu aside and moved forward himself to help subdue Zhao Xinfang. On the way, Wang Shuqiu had told Du Heng that Zhao Xinfang would self-harm during his episodes, but Du Heng hadn’t imagined it would be like this. Wang Shuqiu’s mother also hurried over, anxious to help but not knowing how. Meanwhile, Zhao Xinfang’s biological parents actually backed away, their faces etched with disgust and revulsion. The smiles they had worn upon entering were clearly a facade. "Sister, about the money..." the aunt began. "Get out! Get out now! There isn’t a single cent!" Wang Shuqiu exploded, turning and pushing them towards the door. "Sis... Sis... Your nephew is waiting for that money!" the aunt pleaded. Wang Shuqiu’s mother looked incredibly agitated, but then she said something that left Du Heng dumbfounded, "You should go first. I’ll figure something out about the money. If I have to, I’ll sell the astragalus from the field that we didn’t dig up last year." "Alright, then. We’ll wait for your news, Sister. We’ll be leaving now." The two turned and left without a moment’s hesitation, showing no concern whatsoever. As for the afflicted Zhao Xinfang, he meant less to them than a stranger. Wang Shuqiu looked at her mother with a mixture of helplessness and pain. This kind of scene had played out once or twice every year for as long as she could remember. Her father’s silence and her mother’s stubbornness left her utterly disheartened. Zhao Xinfang, struggling against their hold, writhed for a moment. Then, his entire body suddenly went rigid, his neck arched back stiffly, and he began to convulse. Looking closely, Du Heng saw Zhao Xinfang’s face turning cyanotic, his eyes rolling back into his head. He was foaming at the mouth, and his breathing was ragged and obstructed. Alarmed, Du Heng quickly pried open Zhao Xinfang’s mouth. To his horror, the young man had swallowed his tongue. Damn it all! Swearing inwardly, Du Heng thrust his hand into Zhao Xinfang’s mouth, his fingers trying to hook the tongue out. But the tongue was retracted deep inside, impossible to hook. Du Heng could only stretch his fingers, fumbling blindly until he found the tip and painstakingly dragged it out. Even then, he didn’t dare remove his hand, partly because he feared the tongue would retract again, and partly because he worried Zhao Xinfang might suddenly clamp his jaw shut and bite his own tongue off. The thought had barely crossed his mind when Du Heng let out a muffled groan. A quick glance showed that his thumb, still holding the tongue, was already bleeding from Zhao Xinfang’s bite. "Qiuqiu, get the keys from my pocket! Bring the Medicine Box from the car!" Du Heng urged. It looked like this habit of always carrying life-saving medicine and needle utensils was essential. It could truly save a life at a critical moment! Du Heng was immensely grateful he hadn’t taken the Medicine Box home after treating Zhang Xi. Wang Shuqiu, flustered, nodded and ran out with the keys. Seeing the equally panicked and clearly inexperienced adoptive parents, Du Heng asked, "Uncle, has Xiao Fang ever been like this before?" Her father replied, "He’s never swallowed his tongue or convulsed like this before." "He only had violent episodes before?" Du Heng pressed. "Yes," her father elaborated. "In the past, during his episodes, he would just go berserk—smashing things, screaming, hitting himself. As long as we restrained him, he’d carry on for a bit, then pass out. He’d be fine when he woke up." Du Heng was speechless. His prospective brother-in-law’s condition had actually worsened just because he’d come for a visit! According to his prospective father-in-law, Zhao Xinfang previously exhibited signs of hysteria. That was a mental illness, something for a mental hospital. But these current convulsions and rigidity were consistent with seizures—a neurological condition that belonged in the Neurology Department. In short, the young man had problems with both his psyche and his nervous system. However, Du Heng suspected that the young man had likely suffered from a neurological disorder all along, which had triggered his frenzied, destructive behavior. It was just that the condition had been relatively mild before, so it hadn’t caused physical convulsions or rigidity. This time, the stimulus was probably too intense; a quantitative accumulation had led to a qualitative leap, causing both conditions to erupt simultaneously. Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

Chapter 89 - 089 Essence of Mental Nerves

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