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by 陈年奶泡Tears brimming in her eyes, Chen Ruyun bowed her head and said, "Over the years, many people have tried to console me, urging me to let go. But I just can't bring myself to do it."
"I brought him into this world but didn't allow him to witness more of it. Everyone is shifting the blame—his father, his grandparents. If I were to do the same, then truly, no one would remember him."
It was a living, breathing life.
In those first few days after birth, Chen Ruyun would often hold the child, watching him sleep with his eyes closed, occasionally stirring slightly.
How could she justify neglecting such a tiny, vulnerable life?
Lin Jiahua fell silent.
Pushing up his glasses, he recalled his experiences in the Lin family over the years and thought of his birth mother. Was she as grief-stricken as this lady before him?
After all, his adoptive mother had also given his birth mother a lifeless child.
Had his birth mother suffered such torment for over two decades?
"Master, Journalist Li mentioned that your fortune-telling is very accurate," Chen Ruyun inquired. "Over the years, I've enshrined my son's memorial tablet in a temple, allowing him to share the incense and blessings with the deities."
"I transformed from an atheist into a devout believer, sincerely offering incense and praying to Buddha for over two decades. Now, I just want to know if he has been reincarnated."
With both hands cupping her tea, Chu Yuening blinked and asked, "Madam Chen, why is it imperative for your child to be reincarnated?"
Chen Ruyun gave a bitter smile. "I've consulted others. He passed away soon after birth and never had the chance to commit any evil deeds in his life. I've also allowed him to share the offerings and virtues with the Buddha, ensuring that he would be reincarnated as a human."
"But..." Chu Yuening spoke softly, "your son is still alive in this world."
"What?!" Chen Ruyun was so shocked that she stood up from her chair. "My son is not dead?"
"That's right."
Chu Yuening then recounted a story — how the Lin family had exchanged their deceased child for a living one back then.
Upon finishing the tale, Chen Ruyun remained deeply stirred. She had carried the burden of guilt for twenty long years, enduring a divorce and cold shoulders from her in-laws.
The woman from the Lin family—just to avoid scolding from her in-laws and beatings from her husband—had shifted all the calamity onto her?
Chen Ruyun took a long time to compose herself.
Chu Yuening waited patiently. When Chen Ruyun finally lifted her head, her once lifeless eyes shimmered with renewed hope.
"If what the Master has calculated is true, and my child was indeed swapped but still alive, where would he be now?"
Chen Ruyun grew agitated, gripping Chu Yuening's hand tightly.
She no longer dwelled on the suffering she had endured for two decades.
All she wanted, right now, was to find her child.
"Where is he? Please, Master, tell me!"
Chu Yuening patted her hand and turned to look at A Hua, whose eyes were filled with disbelief. The man had gone numb ever since the story about the Lin family was mentioned.
"A Hua."
"This is your biological mother."
"Biological mother?"
Lin Jiahua stepped forward to Chen Ruyun, inch by inch. For two decades, he had yearned for a mother's love. His hand trembled as he reached out.
Under the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt, his arm bore scars that had long scabbed over.
He found the scars too ugly, fearing they might frighten Chen Ruyun. His outstretched hand quickly pulled down the sleeve.
Chen Ruyun stopped him, gazing at the scars on his arm. Tears streaming down her face, she reached out to stroke his hair.
"Child, is it really you?"
Tears fell onto the scars, and Lin Jiahua flinched as if burned.
Chen Ruyun clutched her arms, weeping bitterly. "How much suffering did you have to endure?"
No mother could bear the sight of scars on her child.
Not to mention that Lin Jiahua had been replaced for a full two decades.
Lost on what to do, Lin Jiahua turned to Chu Yuening for help.
Seeing Chen Ruyun's overwhelming emotions, Chu Yuening rose and patted her on the shoulder. "Actually, I already predicted that A Hua would return to his loved ones around this time. From the moment you appeared, I sensed the familial bond between you and A Hua."
"Of course, legally, we'll need a DNA test to confirm your relationship."
In the 1990s, Hong Kong's DNA technology was already well-established.
A scientifically verified result would undoubtedly reassure this reunited mother and son.
As Chen Ruyun gazed at Lin Jiahua, she could vaguely see her own reflection in his face, a connection through their bloodline that made her grasp his hand tightly.
"Good child, let's do the DNA test first, then we'll sue the Lin family," Li Huiwen chimed in, accompanying Chu Yuening to the hospital.
The hospital was private, and Chen Ruyun had a personal connection with its director, allowing the results to be released in just an afternoon.
When Chen Ruyun received the outcome, her long-held guilt finally erupted. She wept bitterly on the ground, clutching the test results.
Lin Jiahua knelt down and embraced his mother, his voice choked with tears, "Mom, I'm back."
Chu Yuening watched from a distance.
Li Huiwen also wiped away her tears, "That's great. President Chen has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel."
"Nie Nie, I guess I unintentionally did a good deed, right?"
As a paparazzi journalist, Li Huiwen was often scolded by celebrities, called a villain for ruining many careers and families.
"Certainly."
Looking at Li Huiwen's red-rimmed eyes from wiping away tears, Chu Yuening smiled, "What about the female student you saved? You've done plenty of good deeds."
The two of them didn't disturb the mother and son any further, quietly leaving the hospital.
After parting ways with Li Huiwen, Chu Yuening hailed a taxi back to Temple Street. First, she assisted in tidying up the egg tart stall and pushed the cart to the outside of Zhang's Restaurant.
Finally, after cleaning up the dessert stall, she didn't head towards her apartment but turned around and cycled to the Kowloon Police Station.
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