Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“My health is alright. I just have to take medicine regularly for my heart disease, that’s all.” Reminded of her grandson, Mrs. Chi continued, “Although your child is really small, he looks so much like you when you were younger. In fact, he looks nothing like Dongcheng at all.”
“He’s my child, of course he will look like me. It’s only normal that he doesn’t look like his father,” Chi Rui’er said eagerly.
“They always say that sons resemble their mothers. Seems like it’s true. Your child is definitely going to suffer from poor health in the future since he is a premature baby. Besides, you’re not lactating now. I reckon he’s going to have to feed on powdered formula,” Mrs. Chi said softly.
“So be it then, it’s not like we can’t afford powdered formula anyway,” Chi Rui’er answered nonchalantly.
“What do you know? Powdered formula can’t be compared to breast milk.”
“There’s no other option anyway…” The sight of Xu Jingwen who just entered the room caused her to go speechless before she could even finish her sentence.
“Sis Rui’er, I’m here to visit you and the baby,” said Xu Jingwen, bringing along a bouquet of flowers, which Mrs. Chi accepted and placed onto the table.
Glaring at Xu Jingwen coldly, Chi Rui’er said to her mother, “Mother, go sit outside along the corridor. I need a word with this lady here privately.”
“Alright, you guys go ahead. I’ll go take a walk outside,” Mrs. Chi agreed before turning to exit the ward.
“Xu Jingwen, you actually had the cheek to show up here.”
“Why not? I’ve managed to push through the withdrawal symptoms, and I’ll do the same the next time it lapses. I’ll be able to fully overcome my addiction after a few more times. I came here today to tell you that I’m not going to become your slave just because of a drug addiction,” Xu Jingwen said smilingly, with no signs of a drug addiction relapse at all.
“Is that so?” Chi Rui’er answered with a smirk.
“Of course. You tried to harm me, but look, you’ve harmed yourself too in the end. Chi Rui’er, just why are you so wicked and vicious? It’s no wonder you don’t have any friends at all. Who would want to befriend a monster like you? I didn’t come here to visit you today, I came to visit your son. How unlucky of him to have reincarnated and become your son. He must’ve committed a lot of sins in his past life.”
“Shut your trap! Cut the nonsense and get lost immediately!” Chi Rui’er hollered.
With a stern expression on her face, Xu Jingwen answered, “You don’t have to chase me out, I’ll leave right now. The scores are settled, and we’re even now. You’ll live your life while I do the same with mine. But if you choose to provoke me again, let me tell you, I’m not afraid of you.”
Xu Jingwen left as soon as she finished speaking, while Chi Rui’er laid on the hospital bed, clenching her fists in anger.
——
The gloomy skies were pouring continuously for the entire day, though the rain was not too heavy.
While Ye Xiaotian was away at work in the afternoon, Mo Li took the chance to go shopping before making a trip to the Long family’s home at about five o’clock.
To her surprise, her parents were not in.
“Mo Xun, where’s Father and Mother?”
“Madam asked to see them.”
“I’ll go have a look.” Holding an umbrella in hand, Mo Li made her way across the passageway towards the living room.
Just as she was about to reach the door, she overheard the ongoing conversation coming from inside the living room.
“Up until now, I still get questioned about Mo Li whenever I attend parties and gatherings. Today, someone asked me if Mo Li had gotten back together with Ye Xiaotian, claiming to have seen them together at some estate. Can’t you just perform your duty as her parents? Isn’t it great to be married to Prince Byron? Why did she decide to come back? Isn’t she just digging her own grave?” Mrs. Long chastised in a high-pitched voice.
“There were some special reasons for that,” said Mr. and Mrs. Mo, who remained silent throughout most of the conversation.
“What reason is it?”
“We can’t say it, Madam. Mo Li instructed us not to. We’re very sorry to have implicated your family, we didn’t want this to happen either. But Madam, Mo Li and Byron are only a thing of the past now. As for her relationship with Ye Xiaotian, Mo Li didn’t have much of a choice herself,” Mrs. Mo explained.
“She didn’t have a choice? I highly doubt that. She’s been enjoying a luxurious life with Ye Xiaotian and completely neglecting you two and your son. Tianze’s Father and I have had a discussion. We decided to return to you your household registers. Don’t live with us anymore from here on. Although you have served us for years, we’ve never once mistreated you anyway.”
“Madam… are you chasing us out?” asked a flustered Mrs. Mo.
“What do you mean chase out? Don’t make it sound so bad. I’m just afraid our family’s reputation is going to be tarnished by your daughter if this goes on. It’s already been so long, yet she still chose to return to Ye Xiaotian’s side. I have nothing to say to people like you who don’t have a backbone,” Mrs. Long said coldly.
“Madam, please don’t act like this, we’ve been here for so many years…”
Before Mrs. Mo could even finish, Mrs. Long interrupted, “Have you really taken this as your own home just because you’ve lived here for ages?”
“Of course not…”
Tears welled up in Mo Li’s eyes upon realizing that she had implicated her parents and became a burden to them.
She placed the umbrella on the ground and entered before walking towards her parents.
Noticing that Mo Li seemed to have overheard everything, Mrs. Long stared at her awkwardly.
“I was wrong to have caused my parents to be implicated into this matter. My parents have been working conscientiously for the Long family for years. Although their meals and accommodation are provided for, they’ve toiled and moiled to serve all of you. But since you’ve decided to chase us out, we won’t be so thick-skinned as to insist on staying. No matter what goes on in our lives from now on, we’ll be careful not to mention that we’ve lived with the Long family for years, lest we tarnish your reputation. I’ll get Mo Xun to come back and collect the household registers,” said Mo Li as she grabbed her parents’ hands and exited the door.
“Wow, she’s really got backbone,” said Mrs. Long.
“Mo Li… you heard everything?” asked Mrs. Mo.
“Yes, I’m sorry, Father and Mother,” Mo Li answered softly, staring at the road ahead.
“It’s not your fault. Do we go to your place now?” Mrs. Mo comforted her.
“Yes, Xiaotian will allow you all to live with me in his house,” Mo Li said reassuringly, though she was in fact rather unsure since Ye Xiaotian was fickle and unpredictable.
“Alright, we shall start packing now then.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you guys.”
The sky began to turn dark while the rain continued to pour.
Mo Li stood outside the door to wait for her parents to finish packing their belongings.
All of a sudden, her phone began to ring. She picked up immediately after seeing that it was a call from Ye Xiaotian. “Hello.”
“Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?”
“I’ll be back in a bit. Xiaotian… I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“My parents have been chased out by Tianze’s parents. Will you allow them to live with me?” Mo Li asked, trembling in fear that he might disagree.
However, he did not.
“Sure, let them move in. You’d be more at ease if they lived together with us, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Mo Li then ended the call, thinking to herself that Tianze must have been kept in the dark about his mother’s decision. However, she decided not to tell him about it, lest she sowed discord between them.
