Chapter 33: Birth Mother

Chapter 33: Birth Mother

Song Wuyi returned from attending a banquet, and the steward handed him two letters.

Song Wuyi went to his study, opening the letters while listening to the steward's report.

The steward said that Madam Li had called, hoping that Li Su could find time to go back before school started.

Song Wuyi replied on Li Su's behalf that he had no time.

The two letters were sent from the Li family, with the sender being Li Shuo.

The steward wondered how the Li family knew the Song family's address.

Song Wuyi narrowed his eyes as he finished reading the letters.

"It was Li Shuo who found it himself."

No one else in the Li family knew about Li Shuo sending the letters, given the content inside.

From the first time he saw Li Shuo, Song Wuyi sensed something unusual about him.

A smart person.

So he could find the Song family's address.

The two letters were strange in content—they didn't seem to be written by the same person.

One expressed longing for his brother, while the other, filled with resentment, said some astonishing things.

For example, Li Shuo said he hated that he himself had revealed the truth, forcing Li Su to give up his mother and him.

As for the so-called truth, Li Shuo laid it all out.

"Why, just because we have no blood relation, do you have to stay away from me?"

Song Wuyi slowly read the contents of the letters.

After hearing this, the steward had a look of disbelief in his eyes.

Song Wuyi let out a soft laugh. "So he's a bastard."

He nonchalantly folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and handed it to the steward.

"Reseal them as they were and take them to Li Su later."

As the steward was about to leave the study, Song Wuyi called him back.

"Look into Li Shuo's background, find out who his parents are, and then—send him back where he belongs."

"Yes."

That evening.

Li Su was a bit down, probably affected by Li Shuo's letter.

After Song Wuyi got into bed, he pulled Li Su into his arms and asked what was wrong.

Li Su said it was nothing, that he just missed home a little.

Song Wuyi asked who he missed at home. Li Su mumbled about his mother and father, but when he mentioned his younger brother, he clearly paused.

Song Wuyi smiled and asked Li Su if he wanted to go back.

Li Su thought about the letter Li Shuo had written and sighed. What surprised Li Su was that Li Shuo had actually come to hate him for it.

When he saw the first letter, he thought Li Shuo had finally found happiness and was enjoying everything at home.

But after opening the second one, Li Su saw Li Shuo's vehement accusations and grievances, even hatred.

Li Su admitted that he did want to avoid facing it.

But this was the best choice he could make.

He couldn't bear to face the fact that Li Shuo was suffering because of him, and the best way he could make it up to him was to give him everything he owned.

Even that wasn't enough?

With that thought, Li Su found it even harder to face Li Shuo, and became even more reluctant to see him.

"No, it's fine. School starts with the opening ceremony. Brother, why don't you invite Mom to the opening ceremony? That way we can meet."

Song Wuyi murmured in agreement, gently patting Li Su on the back.

.

After the placement exam, Li Su didn't score high enough to get into Class A.

Li Su was crushed.

Song Wuyi patted him on the head and said, "Are you forgetting something?"

Li Su thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands together. "Right, I still have my second-place score! How many extra points is that?"

"Ninety."

Li Su did the math: with those ninety points added, he could just make up for the points he'd lost in other subjects, averaging out to exactly the score needed for entry into Class A for every subject.

"Then I can—"

"Yes, you can."

"That's awesome!"

Li Su launched himself into Song Wuyi's arms. Even though he already knew about this advantage, Li Su was as happy as if he'd just won the lottery.

The only downside was that Song Wuyi was two years above Li Su, so they couldn't really be together in the same place.

On the first day of school, Li Su put on a uniform just as crisp as Song Wuyi's, and they parted at the teaching building for Section A.

Song Wuyi said, "I'm usually in the student council office during breaks. Come find me there if you need anything."

Li Su nodded eagerly and waved goodbye to Song Wuyi.

Song Wuyi had promised to get Li Su into the same class as Lin Qiushuang, and he'd delivered.

Class 4-A.

Li Su had just found the classroom and was about to step inside when Lin Qiushuang, who was already there lying in wait, grabbed him in a big hug.

Tao Tao forcefully inserted herself between them, thrusting the flowers she had prepared ahead of time into Li Su's hands.

Congratulations on making it into Class A!

Lin Qiushuang let go of Li Su, patted him on the shoulder, and said in disbelief, "Actually, I secretly looked at your grades. I almost dropped my jaw. Your highest score in any subject was only eighty-three. I was already planning to come hang out with you in District B every day."

Tao Tao pushed Lin Qiushuang in annoyance: "How dare you laugh at Li Su when you paid to get into Class A?"

Caught off guard and humiliated, Lin Qiushuang blushed again, looked at Li Su, and saw Li Su's stunned expression. He quickly explained, "So what if I paid? My grades aren't bad, okay."

Li Su asked in a daze, "So you can get in by paying?"

Tao Tao laughed and said, "Of course, but I got in on my own merit."

Li Su thought about the two months he had studied hard, and his smile slowly faded.

No wonder Song Wuyi was so confident he could get him into Lin Qiushuang's class.

But luckily, he got in through the exam, and not because Song Wuyi bought his way in.

Li Su breathed a sigh of relief.

And fortunately, Song Wuyi didn't do that. Li Su realized studying wasn't that hard. Hadn't he reached the level needed for Class B in just two months?

All he lacked was time.

With Lin Qiushuang and Tao Tao flanking him, Li Su entered a completely new environment.

.

Li Shuo came home after school.

The dinner table was set with already prepared dinner and a note.

"Mom went to Gu Zi's moving-up ceremony. Don't wait up for us. Finish your dinner and wash the dishes."

Li Shuo's school promotion ceremony.

He was again the last to know.

Li Shuo angrily ripped the note to shreds.

"You have no idea what I want! You selfishly walked away, leaving nothing behind. Absolutely nothing! Not a single thing is mine!"

Li Shuo stormed out the door. Every second in that house was chipping away at what little sanity he had left.

Running to the ground floor of the apartment complex, he ran into several people wearing neighborhood service uniforms.

The leading man grabbed Li Shuo.

"You're the second son of the Li family, right?"

Li Shuo was in a terrible mood and bit the arm of the man who had grabbed him.

The man pulled back his hand and cursed.

A gentler-looking man stepped forward and squatted in front of Li Shuo.

"Little buddy, we're from the family reunification agency. Your biological mother hired us to find you. Would you like to go see her?"

Li Shuo's impatient expression suddenly froze.

"My... biological mother?"

The man said gently, "Yes. Do you remember your time in the orphanage? Do you remember what your name is? Is it Xia Man?"

Li Shuo stared at the man, neither nodding nor shaking his head. He was waiting to see how things played out.

The man pressed, "If you are, your mother is looking for you. She wants to take you home. Are you willing?"

Li Shuo asked, "What is my mother's name?"

The man was stunned for a moment, then took a notebook from his pocket and glanced through it briefly.

"Xia Chuxia."

Li Shuo let out a cold laugh, shoved past the man, and walked forward.

But the man had no intention of letting Li Shuo go. He signaled his companions to restrain Li Shuo from both sides.

"Little buddy, you are too young and don't have good judgment. We're not scammers. When you see your mother, you'll understand."

Li Shuo had his mouth covered and was stuffed into a van.

He could clearly hear the men whispering.

"This is five hundred thousand. Don't let him get banged up."

"Not just that. Getting paid from both ends, we can make seven hundred thousand."

The car entered a mansion. Li Shuo was dragged out and dumped from the car, then the car sped away.

Two servants at the entrance of the mansion smiled and led Li Shuo inside.

A graceful woman was smoking. Her beautiful fox-like eyes cast a brief glance at Li Shuo, then widened slightly.

"You... are Xia Man."

With just one look, Li Shuo was certain of the woman's identity.

The caretaker who looked after him had said that his mother, though dumb, was beautiful, with a pair of fox-like eyes that were innocent yet alluring.

The woman in front of him had eye shadow on, which emphasized the fox-like quality of her eyes.

Li Shuo breathed heavily, then shook his head after a moment.

"I am Li Shuo."

The woman stubbed out the cigarette with her nails, walked gracefully to Li Shuo, and lifted his chin.

"These eyes are an exact mirror of mine. There's no denying it."