Chapter 1225: The Life-Saving Money After noon dismissal, Lu Yun said a few words to the girls before riding off directly toward Yu Ying's house. He had originally promised to deliver the money to Yu Ying over the weekend, but unforeseen events during the weekend prevented him from doing so in time. This was life-saving money—delayed by just one day, and now there was no room for further delay. Yu Ying must be frantic by now. Under the scorching summer sun, Lu Yun sped ahead, drenched in sweat. Soon arriving at Yu Ying's doorstep, he knocked on the door. In a short while, footsteps echoed within the courtyard, and then the front gate opened, revealing Yu Ying's delicate face, streaked with tears, right before Lu Yun's eyes. "Yuying姐, I'm truly sorry, but I had some matters to attend to over the weekend..." Before Lu Yun finished speaking, Yuying's eyes, which had been red with emotion, suddenly brightened. She quickly shook her head and urged Lu Yun inside the courtyard, saying, "Xiaoyun, it's no problem at all. It's all my husband's fault—he's such a disappointing man. Just knowing you've helped me already makes me so grateful." Yuying's words were sincere. After all, it wasn't easy to raise such a sum of money, and although Lu Yun had been with her, their relationship remained merely that of ordinary friends. Lu Yun's willingness to assist her deeply touched her. "Yuying, who is that?" Just as Lu Yun had parked the car, a man's voice suddenly broke in. Hmm? Lu Yun was startled and looked up, suddenly noticing a tall middle-aged man standing at the doorway, his eyes full of alertness, fixed firmly on Lu Yun. "Yu Ying姐, what is this?" Lu Yun's heart tightened as he looked at Yu Ying, puzzled. Such a sturdy man suddenly appearing in her home—was this perhaps... Before Lu Yun could even think of the unbearable situation, Yu Ying quickly explained, "This is my brother from my mother's side. On my mother's side, he's the only relative I have. After I heard my husband had been involved in the incident, I was afraid something might happen to me too, so he came to stay with me. He's been looking after my safety, and meanwhile... he's been waiting for you to bring the money so we can go to the county town to secure my husband's release. %&*"; When it came to the matter of the money, Yu Ying seemed hesitant. After all, as an adult with her own brother, she had to place the entire safety of her husband on one young man—Lu Yun—whose own circumstances were so uncertain. The thought of it made her feel embarrassed. Lu Yun breathed a sigh of relief. Though Yu Ying was married, he didn't want to see another incident like Ma Cuihua's happen. With a quick glance, Lu Yun smiled warmly at the stocky middle-aged man and said, "Uncle, good morning." As soon as the word "uncle" came out, Yu Ying was taken aback—what a strange relationship! But now wasn't the time to dwell on such details. Yu Ying took Lu Yun's hand and led him to the man, whispering, "Brother, this is Lu Yun." Though Lu Yun appeared young, the middle-aged man remained watchful, cautioning, "Remember, don't treat my sister poorly." My goodness, Lu Yun mentally cursed under his breath. What did they mean by "treat poorly"? Wasn't he already making a scene with her sister? If he hadn't been, wouldn't he have known that his sister-in-law had been arrested for gambling and prostitution in the county town, and whether she's still alive remains entirely uncertain! Full of resentment, Lu Yun showed no sign of displeasure on his face. Instead, Yu Ying, upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, immediately said, "Brother, Lu Yun is here to help me. How can you treat him like this?" The sturdy man remained silent, glanced at Lu Yun, and then turned to enter the house. Perhaps it's time to give your good brother-in-law a few lessons—after all, he's under pressure from Yu Ying, and right now, it's not the time to fuss over such petty matters. Lu Yun didn't take much issue with the solid-built but mentally slow man, and once he and Yu Ying entered the house, he promptly produced the ransom and handed it to her. After all, when the tall middle-aged man first saw Lu Yun, who was only a child of about ten or so, he hadn't given it much thought—could a simple, ordinary-looking boy really come up with ten thousand yuan on the spot? Full of suspicion, yet when he saw Lu Yun actually hand the money to his sister, the middle-aged man's gaze shifted—surprised, almost incredulous, tinged with a fervent, almost predatory enthusiasm. Lu Yun had never particularly liked this broad-shouldered man, but now he could feel the intensity of the man's stare, as though he himself were prey to a starving wolf, with an undercurrent of unease. He turned abruptly, only to find the middle-aged man fixing him with blazing eyes, as if he were about to make some unwanted move. He'd messed up! Instinctively, Lu Yun realized that the man must have noticed the large sum of money he had produced and now harbored ill intentions toward him. While he understood the principle that money should remain hidden, he hadn't expected that Yu Ying's brother would take interest in him at this very moment. What a surprise—after all, people often don't mean harm to tigers, yet tigers sometimes devour their hearts. Originally, Lu Yun had intended to skip class and go to the county town with Yu Ying to secure his husband's release. But now, looking at the situation, he simply couldn't take the risk with Yu Ying's brother. Lu Yun didn't fear him, but that didn't mean he lacked full confidence in his own strength. "Ying姐, the money has been delivered. The priority is to secure the man. I'll head back now—I still have classes in the afternoon," Lu Yun said, making it clear he didn't intend to stay long in this tense situation. "Xiao Yun, haven't you had lunch yet? Stay for a meal and then we'll go," Yu Ying didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. She assumed Lu Yun had just arrived after class, and likely hadn't eaten lunch at all. Lu Yun smiled gently. "Saving lives comes first. I'll return to school. The matter of securing the man will be handled by Uncle." The last sentence was directed specifically at the sturdy middle-aged man. The sturdy middle-aged man chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth that looked rather eerie. No matter how much Yu Ying pleaded, Lu Yun had already made up his mind. Though Yu Ying posed no immediate danger to him, the sturdy, somewhat clumsy man for sure wasn't someone to be taken lightly. The money had been delivered, his promise fulfilled. As for the rest, it would now be up to Yu Ying to handle on her own—Lu Yun had truly done his best. Amidst Yu Ying’s repeated appeals, Lu Yun pushed the cart out of her courtyard. This beautiful young woman had brought him many joys, but some unnecessary complications were better avoided. Standing at the courtyard gate, watching Lu Yun climb into the cart, Yu Ying kept urging him to come back whenever he had time. Yu Ying sighed and turned toward the kitchen. Lu Yun had hurried off, and unexpectedly, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.