He had long anticipated and prepared for the impending trouble.
Through Hodar's investigation, they had learned that their adversaries were a mix of local thugs and members of local criminal organizations. Now that the situation had arisen, those who intended to harm them would inevitably emerge. It was the perfect opportunity to eliminate them all at once.
As for whether they would resort to cruel actions, that would be left to Hodar to decide. Those who could be saved would be given a chance; those who were beyond redemption would be sent straight to hell. After all, it wasn't his hands involved, and out of sight, out of mind.
For now, they simply waited at home for news.
Monica brought the message, and after receiving Zhao Lun's orders, she left to pass the information to Hodar.
The rain fell heavily and urgently, and it had been raining for quite a while, making his mood sour, mirroring the stormy weather outside.
The room remained unlit, shrouded in darkness.
Zhao Lun sat on the sofa, silently listening to the rain as he waited for news. Maria, nestled beside him, seemed to have fallen asleep, her nostrils gently flaring as she mumbled, her lips pursed.
"Bad guys..."
"Don't bully my brother..."
"Maria's not afraid of you..."
Maria was dreaming, and in her dream, something distressing seemed to have occurred. Her brow furrowed, her small fist clenched, and her palms were clammy with sweat.
"Maria's not afraid! With brother here, I'm not afraid."
"With brother here, I'm not afraid."
Zhao Lun gently picked up Maria and softly stroked her face, trying to comfort her and help her relax. But it was no use; she was deep in her dream and wouldn't wake up.
Although their lives had improved, the emotional scars weren't so easily healed, especially in this kind of weather, which seemed to trigger the shadows in her heart, preventing her from sleeping peacefully. She had been haunted by nightmares and muttering nonsense. For two days, the dreadful weather reminded her of the time Zhao Lun was gravely injured and near death last year, causing her nightmare to resurface.
This time, the nightmare was different; it wasn't something she could simply forget upon waking.
This time, she couldn't forget. The nightmare tormented her, and whenever she fell asleep, she would be trapped in it. For two days, she had barely had a moment of proper rest.
Zhao Lun was deeply pained. While she slept, he even sent her to the divine realm, trying to soothe her with its aura and to have the flower fairy treat her nightmares. But it didn't seem to have much effect; the nightmare was stubborn and difficult to get rid of. Only when Zhao Lun spoke beside her did she seem to feel a little better.
Nicole and the others were also heartbroken and relentlessly contacted doctors to treat Maria. Good doctors were hard to find, and the best one wouldn't be able to arrive until tomorrow.
Angela also reached out to friends from Hong Kong, trying to invite a few renowned traditional Chinese medicine masters to help. After much effort, she finally persuaded one, but like Nicole, they wouldn't arrive until tomorrow. The weather was so harsh at this time of year that flights were delayed, which was why the doctors were coming so late.
Monica wasn't as powerful as the others, so she took over their responsibilities, ensuring the daily life of Zhao Lun and Maria. Apart from Maria's situation, there were also external troubles, which Zhao Lun left to Hodar to handle.
Now, only Zhao Lun, Maria, and Monica remained in the house. Ivy, Gray Shadow, Snow White, and Prince, four dogs, Snow Shadow, and Flash, two snow sculptures, all accompanied them. The snow sculptures, as the boss had said, had extraordinary bloodlines, descendants of a large predatory bird. Under Zhao Lun's careful care, they had grown strong and now surpassed ordinary predators. The pets seemed to sense something and were very quiet, silently staying by Zhao Lun's side, never straying.
Zhao Lun's comfort had an effect; Maria relaxed considerably and regained some calm.
"Sigh... it's all my fault. I should have paid more attention to this sooner."
"I should have taken her to the doctor earlier. If I had, this wouldn't have happened..."
"Was I too careless? Or was the spring water ineffective? And the divine realm... it's growing too slowly, it couldn't even solve this problem?"
Zhao Lun felt guilty. He had thought everything was fine, but when trouble arrived, all his preparations had turned out to be useless. Not even the magical spring water could cure her nightmare. And the divine realm—he hadn't been diligent enough to observe or understand it. This was a huge oversight.
"I hope tomorrow is clear, and the doctor comes, and then we can cure her."
"Those bastards... I shouldn't have let them off so easily!"
Who were the ones who had hurt her—past villagers, children from the orphanage? Or those adults? His heart was in turmoil. He didn't even know who to search for. But if he found these people, he wouldn't hesitate.
"...Those who caused trouble... they can't be forgiven..."
The more he thought, the worse his mood became. He wished he could find those who had hurt them and punish them with the cruelest means possible.
Thud! Thud! The sound of footsteps. Monica returned.
"Monica, make a note of it. Tomorrow, hire a private detective to find out who harmed Maria, and make sure they rot in prison!"
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do anything violent. He would only solve the problem through proper channels.
"Got it, boss."
Monica took out her notebook, jotting down Zhao Lun's plan, and after going downstairs, she would begin arranging for its execution. Once they paid, lawyers would be hired to take these people to court and send them to prison, making them repent.
"Is everything going smoothly?"
The night had fallen, and Zhao Lun was a bit worried about Hodar's safety.
"Everything is fine."
Having witnessed Hodar's strength, Monica wasn't worried about his safety.
"Boss, dinner is ready."
Monica went to the window, drew the curtains, and placed a plate of fresh sardines and a plate of pork chops on the table in front of Zhao Lun, urging him to eat.
Monica was quite skilled in the kitchen. The food was fragrant and delicious. It had been a whole day since he had eaten properly, and now his stomach growled loudly.
Zhao Lun: "...Okay."
The dinner didn't wake Maria. Zhao Lun quickly ate, holding her in his arms, and after finishing, gently placed her back in bed to continue caring for her. He couldn't leave; as soon as he did, Maria would be disturbed by the nightmares. Only when Zhao Lun stayed beside her could she remain unaffected by the bad dreams.
At that moment, Monica took out food for the pets, and they quietly enjoyed their meals.
Zhao Lun didn't sleep, waiting for news from Hodar. Monica kept her phone nearby, ready to pass on any messages, while also tending to Maria's midnight snack. Maria hadn't had much of an appetite recently, but when she woke, she would be hungry. With her shallow sleep from the nightmares, she would wake up soon, and at that time, a hearty midnight snack would be prepared.
The night was eerily quiet, with the rain outside sounding louder. Maria didn't make them wait long before waking up.
"Brother!"
The little girl's face had paled, her complexion unhealthy. Sweat beads dotted her forehead, and her large eyes were filled with fear, causing immense heartache. Her emotions were unstable as she clung tightly to Zhao Lun's arm, as though afraid that if she let go, she would disappear.
"Don't be afraid, brother's here."
He took out a towel, gently wiping her sweat and soothing her in a soft voice until she finally calmed down.
"Brother, Maria dreamt about you..."
"Dreamt that you were beaten to death..."
"That you would leave me forever..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall.
Zhao Lun: "..."
Zhao Lun fell silent, but his heart surged with overwhelming emotions. He hadn't expected Maria to be so sensitive, to dream such things. Strictly speaking, the original Allen had died, and the current Zhao Lun was a new person living on with Allen's memories and feelings. No one should have known about this. Yet Maria had somehow sensed it in her dreams.
"Brother's here, don't be afraid..."
In his mind, memories of Allen and Maria surfaced.
That day, Allen had picked Maria up from a garbage dump, and Maria had remained silent, while Allen spoke for both of them.
"What's your name?"
"Not talking? You must be starving. Here's some bread."
"Your name's Maria? Is the bread good? I have more."
"Don't rush. Here, have some water."
"From now on, you'll be my sister. Brother will protect you.