Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Wen Ningshu arrived alone.

The once elegant and noble woman looked noticeably haggard after just a few days.

Her hair was still beautifully styled, but a few strands of white were now clearly visible.

Sitting alone in the reception room, her slender frame seemed even more fragile in the vast space.

Despite her graceful posture, her loneliness and sadness were unmistakable.

When Lu Jiuxu returned from the garage, this was the scene that met him.

While he was traveling with Su Xingyao, several groups had come asking about him.

Along with close friends and relatives, Qin Mingchuan and Fu Qingyan were among them.

However, Wen Ningshu stood out as the most persistent and resourceful.

Lu Jiuxu had refused to meet with anyone.

Yet she came daily, waiting patiently without pushing for a meeting.

To outsiders, Wen Ningshu seemed deeply concerned.

But to Lu Jiuxu, she was no different—unworthy of meeting Su Xingyao.

Still, Lu Jiuxu knew that once Su Xingyao returned, Wen Ningshu would find a way to meet him.

Though he could stop her, he didn’t want these people to keep bothering Su Xingyao.

Lu Jiuxu didn’t want Su Xingyao, who had finally relaxed, to return and face old acquaintances, risking more painful memories.

So he left Su Xingyao at Lu Zhiyun’s place and returned to handle things.

The moment he entered the reception room, Wen Ningshu noticed him.

She looked up eagerly, only to see a tall, handsome man.

Though young, he radiated a calm, powerful aura beyond his years.

But Wen Ningshu barely glanced at Lu Jiuxu, her eyes searching behind him.

Seeing no sign of Su Xingyao, her joy turned to deep disappointment.

Holding back her questions, Wen Ningshu nodded gracefully at Lu Jiuxu.

"Hello, Mr. Lu. I hope I’m not intruding."

Lu Jiuxu’s expression was cool, his reply polite but distant.

"Hello, Ms. Wen."

That address told Wen Ningshu everything.

Lu Jiuxu knew exactly what she wanted.

Wen Ningshu wasn’t surprised; she knew his cunning and resourcefulness went beyond his years.

Since he was being so direct, she also cut through the unnecessary formalities and got right to the point.

"Mr. Lu, is Xing Yao still not back?"

To her polite question, Lu Jiuxu did not answer.

Instead, his sharp, hawk-like eyes dropped, and his face remained expressionless.

Wen Ningshu stayed quiet too, patiently watching him.

It felt like a silent standoff between them.

Eventually, Wen Ningshu caved.

Seeing that Lu Jiuxu had no intention of telling her, she had to hint carefully.

"Mr. Lu, Xing Yao has overstayed his welcome. I’m here to bring him home."

Lu Jiuxu gave a faint smile but did not respond immediately.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke.

But his voice was cold.

"Ms. Wen, this isn’t the time to bring Xing Yao back."

Neither of them said it outright, but both understood the other’s meaning perfectly.

Wen Ningshu was already heartbroken and exhausted these past few days, and the polite back-and-forth with Lu Jiuxu had been a strain.

Now that Lu Jiuxu had so bluntly pointed out the crux of the issue between her and Su Xingyao, the last thread of Wen Ningshu’s composure snapped.

Lu Jiuxu had a point.

If they were to take Su Xingyao home, as parents, this should not be the time.

They should’ve known where he was the moment he left home.

Even though Lu Jiuxu had helped Su Xingyao stay hidden,

tracking down Su Xingyao was never that hard for them.

It was just that she had never truly put in the effort to look for him before.

She’d always assumed Su Xingyao, as her son, would never really leave the family.

After years of taking it for granted, she had forgotten that even though Su Xingyao loved them, he could still be crushed by his parents’ favoritism and neglect.

And in the midst of repeated pain, he had completely exhausted the last bit of love he had for his parents and family.

He’d been gone for so long, and as a mother, she had continuously neglected him.

Now, at this moment, to say she wanted to take him home, she had no grounds, and it was already too late.

Having her actions toward Su Xingyao so bluntly pointed out by Lu Jiuxu, Wen Ningshu did not react with anger but instead felt even more pain.

She couldn’t keep up the act any longer, trembling as she urgently explained to Lu Jiuxu.

"I know... I know... We really didn’t care for him enough before, and we made many mistakes..."

Lu Jiuxu was, after all, an outsider, and no matter how remorseful Wen Ningshu felt, there were many things she wouldn’t say in front of him.

So she choked back her tears and said with a choked voice, "But now I really want to make it up to him..."

Lu Jiuxu looked at the tears welling up in Wen Ningshu's eyes.

She wept pitifully.

But to Lu Jiuxu, it was nothing but irritating and disgusting.

The more she repented and the more she cried, the worse Su Xingyao's experiences in the Shen family must have been.

Reflecting on what Su Xingyao might have endured, Wen Ningshu's words now meant nothing to Lu Jiuxu.

Wen Ningshu's soft sobs kept reaching Lu Jiuxu's ears, making him even more annoyed.

Years of proper upbringing kept him from throwing her out.

So he coldly threw a sentence at the hypocritical Wen Ningshu.

"He used to live with the Shen family too."

Wen Ningshu abruptly stopped crying, as if slapped in the face, and fell silent.

Lu Jiuxu knew exactly how to hit Wen Ningshu where it hurt.

Because Su Xingyao had once been neglected, and when Wen Ningshu had brought him home, she had vowed to make amends to him.

But in the end...

Reality had dealt Wen Ningshu a harsh blow.

Suddenly, it dawned on her how ridiculous she sounded when she said she wanted to take Su Xingyao back and make it up to him.

Wen Ningshu couldn’t bring herself to cry anymore. She gently wiped the tears from her eyes, composed herself, and looked again at the man fiercely protective of her son.

She knew full well that she wouldn’t get any more information from Lu Jiuxu today.

But her yearning for her son was too strong, and she couldn’t help but want to contact him through Su Xingyao's only known friend.

However, before Wen Ningshu could speak, Lu Jiuxu seemed to have already read her mind and mercilessly cut her off.

"Ms. Wen, from now on, please ensure that neither you nor your relatives and friends disturb Xing Yao anymore."

"He's thriving now."

Wen Ningshu stood rooted to the spot.

The words "He's thriving now" stabbed at her heart once more.

But Lu Jiuxu had no interest in watching the changes in her expression. He coldly summoned the driver to escort her out.

Wen Ningshu, returning empty-handed, watched Lu Jiuxu's cold retreating figure.

Finally, she distinctly heard his parting warning.

"If you truly care, please make sure your adopted son behaves himself from now on."

*

When Wen Ningshu returned to the Shen family mansion, Shen Huaixi had just finished a phone call and was coming out.

The exposure of his hiring trolls to smear Su Xingyao has been a major headache for him these past few days.

Netizens' criticism was the least of his worries; Lanxing Entertainment's tough stance had him completely on the defensive.

When Wen Ningshu returned, she saw Shen Huaixi looking impatient and furious after hanging up the phone.

She barely caught Shen Huaixi muttering, "Damn useless," and asked in confusion, "Huai Xi, what did you say?"

Noticing Wen Ningshu's return, Shen Huaixi hurried downstairs, smiling and hugging her, acting sweetly, "I didn’t say anything, Mom."

Ever since Wen Ningshu noticed the odd interaction between Shen Huaixi and Auntie Liu, she’d been suspicious of him.

But he was still the child she’d raised, and she couldn’t help seeing him through rose-colored glasses.

Even though she’d long sensed something was wrong with Shen Huaixi, she’d never confronted her adopted son about it.

But today, Lu Jiuxu’s words finally opened her eyes.

Seeing Shen Huaixi act as if nothing had happened, Wen Ningshu, for the first time, saw his eyes not as innocent but as calculating and shrewd.

Disgusted, Wen Ningshu gently pushed Shen Huaixi’s hand away.

She looked down and asked softly, "Huai Xi, why do you always go after Xing Yao?"

Wen Ningshu’s coldness on her return made Shen Huaixi, who’d already sensed trouble, drop his smile.

Out of Wen Ningshu’s sight, his gaze turned cold, but his voice stayed soft and meek as he asked, "Mom, what do you mean? I don’t understand."

The voice that once stirred her pity now grated on her nerves.

Seeing Shen Huaixi still playing dumb, she decided to call him out.

"That time during the live competition when the music suddenly cut out..."

"Those trolls who filled the internet with hate against him a few days ago..."

"Fu Qingyan’s questions about the fire... Shen Huaixi... why did you set Xing Yao up..."

As Wen Ningshu pressed him, Shen Huaixi’s face turned cold.

He sneered, "Mom, you’ve got it all wrong... I didn’t do any of that."

"I never said I saved Fu Qingyan—wasn’t that what you all said back then?"

"And framing Su Xingyao? What exactly did I frame him for?"

Shen Huaixi widened his eyes, playing the innocent card.

"Those accounts that stirred things up—I only worked with them before. This time, I don’t know what’s going on. I think they might be setting me up. How can you accuse me without proof..."

With tears in his eyes, Shen Huaixi stepped closer to Wen Ningshu and asked, "Mom, didn’t you love me most? Why are you suddenly doubting me for no reason?"

"Is it because Su Xingyao’s decided not to come back? But what’s that got to do with me?"

Clearly, Shen Huaixi knew exactly how to push Wen Ningshu’s buttons.

Listening to his excuses and provocations, Wen Ningshu finally lost her temper and slapped him directly.

She pointed a slender finger at him, Wen Ningshu was so angry that she was almost out of breath.

"How can you have the nerve to say such things!"

Shen Huaixi's head was ringing from the slap, and the left side of his face instantly swelled up.

Being slapped for the first time, Shen Huaixi looked up in disbelief at the woman in front of him.

Originally annoyed and angry, he quickly held back his anger and curses upon seeing Shen Liangyu's figure out of the corner of his eye, and started crying, tears streaming down his face, feeling utterly wronged.

"Mom... Mom, what's wrong with you..."

"It's fine if you're upset and hit me, but don't let your health suffer..."

Seeing Shen Huaixi still putting on an act in front of her, Wen Ningshu coldly warned him, "You!!"

She couldn't bring herself to swear, so she could only warn him, "If you mess with Xing Yao again, you're out of here!"

When Shen Liangyu arrived, this was the scene he saw.

He looked in disbelief at his adopted son, who was crying pitifully after being slapped, and then at Wen Ningshu, who looked unwell, and asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?"

Wen Ningshu didn't feel like saying more, just whispered, "You should ask him what he did to our son."

Seeing this, Shen Huaixi immediately hid behind Shen Liangyu, covering his face and crying even harder.

"Dad, I don't know anything."

"Wuwuwu, Mom came back and immediately got mad at me... and... slapped me for no reason."

Shen Liangyu had already seen Shen Huaixi's swollen cheek.

He thought it was wrong for Wen Ningshu to slap their son in such an undignified manner.

Besides, Wen Ningshu had been searching for Su Xingyao these past few days, which made him even more uncomfortable.

So after comforting Shen Huaixi with a pat, he spoke harshly to Wen Ningshu for the very first time.

"I get that you're upset after being rejected, but don't take it out on Huai Xi."

Seeing Shen Liangyu still blindly protecting Shen Huaixi, Wen Ningshu suddenly understood what Su Xingyao must have felt when they always sided with Shen Huaixi, right or wrong.

A thousand thoughts flooded her mind, but in the end, Wen Ningshu chose silence.

She had brought this upon herself.

On the other side, Shen Liangyu didn't feel Wen Ningshu's pain but instead blamed her.

"Remember, it was you who wanted to adopt Huai Xi in the first place!"

Hearing this, Wen Ningshu laughed.

"Yes, I was the one who adopted him."

"It's my own fault."

Wen Ningshu glanced up at Shen Liangyu, who still stood by Shen Huaixi no matter what, and felt that he was so unfamiliar.

She felt upset on Su Xingyao's behalf.

"Xing Yao is your own son!"

In response to Wen Ningshu's correction, Shen Liangyu emphasized, "Huai Xi is my child too!"

Wen Ningshu fell silent, not uttering another word to Shen Liangyu.

After that, she sat alone on the living room sofa, lost in thought.

After quietly recalling Su Xingyao's life at home, she numbly opened the WeChat account she had blocked.

After carefully reading through their messages one by one, Wen Ningshu realized that over the years, the chat history between her and her child was surprisingly sparse.

In the mere ten pages of chat history, most of the time, Su Xingyao was the one initiating the conversations.

From eager enthusiasm to cautious politeness, and finally to distant formality...

Wen Ningshu buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Where did it all go wrong...

How did things between me and my own son come to this?

*

Lu Zhiyun didn't bring Su Xingyao back until nine that evening.

As soon as they arrived, the pets, Sunset and Coral, who hadn't been home for days, ran to their little nest.

After exploring their familiar surroundings, they returned to Su Xingyao's side, with Sunset holding a toy ball it had found in its mouth.

Su Xingyao took the ball and led the pets to the backyard lawn to play fetch.

From a distance, Lu Jiuxu watched Su Xingyao smile gently under the soft light and, smiling, unconsciously walked over to join him.

After playing with the pets until he was sweating, Su Xingyao stopped and headed back.

Su Xingyao walked over to Lu Jiuxu, their long shadows stretching side by side in the light.

As they passed between two streetlights, their shadows flickering and reappearing, Su Xingyao spoke up.

"Did someone come looking for me today?"

Lu Jiuxu didn't ask how Su Xingyao knew but honestly told him, "Yes, a woman named Wen came by today."

Hearing this, Su Xingyao paused mid-toss, and the ball slipped from his hand.

Luckily, Sunset caught it for him.

Seeing Sunset's expectant look, Su Xingyao gave it a pat on the head.

When he stood up again, he had returned to normal.

He smiled and asked Lu Jiuxu, "Did she say anything?"

Lu Jiuxu looked at him and said calmly, "She said she wanted to see you."

His gaze never left Su Xingyao's face.

A few seconds later, the man continued, "But I declined on your behalf."

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

Su Xingyao softly responded with a "Hmm" and didn’t ask further.

He deliberately threw the ball again, letting Luo Ri continue fetching it, as if it didn’t bother him much.

Only after Luo Ri retrieved the ball once more did Su Xingyao calmly explain his relationship with the woman to Lu Jiuxu.

He said, "She is my biological mother."

"But we're not on the same household register (a legal document in China) anymore, so I suppose we’re not connected now."

After speaking, Su Xingyao sighed softly and smiled at Lu Jiuxu, "Truthfully, I don’t want to see her."

"Thank you."

As he uttered the last three words, Su Xingyao moved into the shadows.

Backlit, Lu Jiuxu couldn’t see the expression on his face.

But at that moment, he just wanted to hug Su Xingyao.

He wanted to hold Su Xingyao tightly—the one who had gone through so much alone in the past.