Xu Shichu reached out and ruffled his hair, teasing him. “You’re still shy in front of your mom? Come on, let’s eat. Afterward, you can go back to pretending to be an ostrich.”
Xu Jingheng’s face turned even redder. Embarrassed and annoyed, he protested, “Mom~”
“All right, all right. I’ll stop.” Xu Shichu helped him sit down on the sofa. “Mom specially bought you some sweet-and-sour ribs. I wonder if your tastes have changed after all these years.”
Xu Jingheng finally lowered his hands from his face. Looking at the table laden with dishes, his usually tense expression softened. His voice held a hint of affection he didn’t even notice himself.
“They haven’t changed. You still remember what I like after all these years, Mom.”
“Of course. You’re Mom’s precious boy, the one I’ve always held dear.”
Xu Shichu served him food as she sweet-talked him.
For a while, the atmosphere was warm and cozy.
After they finished eating, Xu Shichu looked at her son leaning against the hospital bed and thought of the Song family’s biological daughter she had sent to the police station. She hesitated, unsure what to say.
But before she could speak, Xu Jingheng spoke first.
“Mom, where have you been all these years? We looked for you for a long time, but we never found you.”
Xu Shichu had already prepared an excuse. “Didn’t I leave you a note when I left? A friend took me to a secret research institute for treatment. I’m better now, so I came back.”
Xu Jingheng pressed his lips together, unconvinced.
In Haicheng, the Xu and Jiang families were both among the most powerful and wealthy. With their influence, it was impossible that they couldn’t find even a single clue to someone’s whereabouts.
Yet Mom had simply vanished that day. Not even the surrounding security cameras had caught the slightest trace of her. It made no sense.
Xu Shichu couldn’t exactly tell him that the system had taken her to System Space, could she?
Back then, she had nearly died giving birth. The system had barely kept her alive with its points, and she had fallen into a coma.
Feeling guilty, the system followed her suggestion: it applied for an upgrade, then went to another world, where it bonded with a new host and disguised itself as the Child-Giving Goddess to earn points.
That was how it used the current host’s points to keep its former host alive.
Only when the system earned points did she have a chance to wake up. She would awaken once every few months; the longest she could stay awake was a little over ten days, and the shortest was only a few hours.
The system realized this was treating the symptoms rather than the cause. So, to conserve points, it stored Xu Shichu’s body in System Space.
Once it had saved up enough points, it would buy a pill to bring her back to life.
She hadn’t expected thirteen years to pass in the blink of an eye.
Xu Shichu didn’t want to discuss this any further with her son, so she asked, “What exactly is going on between you and the Song family’s two girls, the real one and the fake one?”
She wanted to know whether there were any real feelings between them.
To be honest, she hadn’t seen the male lead fall for the female lead at all in that novel. Even during the part where he tried to win her back, his efforts had seemed perfunctory.
The male lead had merely stood in the rain a few times and said a few soft words before the female lead changed her mind.
She hadn’t seen any sign that her son had feelings for the female lead. Instead, she felt he seemed to have…given in.
Yes—that was it. He’d made some kind of reluctant compromise.
At her question, Xu Jingheng’s thoughts inexplicably turned to the woman who had been clinging to him for two years. Remembering that she had drugged him, he frowned in disgust.
“I don’t like either of them.”
Then he remembered something. Cautiously studying his mother’s expression, he asked, “Mom, do you want me to marry one of the Song girls?”
He knew how the childhood betrothal had come about. He’d heard that Mom and Auntie had arranged it back then. Would Mom want him to marry into the Song family?
Seeing his expression, Xu Shichu seemed to understand.
He didn’t like her, but if Mom did, he was willing to make himself unhappy and compromise.
Xu Shichu rubbed his head, feeling a pang of sympathy.
“My Tuantuan doesn’t have to be so accommodating.” Her voice was gentle but firm. “You don’t have to force yourself to be with anyone you don’t like. Not even Mom.”
Xu Jingheng’s heart stirred. His head swayed under her hand. He frowned and thought about dodging, but restrained himself from moving. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly despite himself.
No one could force him?
Xu Shichu recalled the male lead’s characterization in the book.
In novels of this kind, the male lead was usually at the top in terms of family background, looks, and ability—as if he had to be that exceptional to deserve the female lead.
Her son really did excel in every way. He had skipped grades all the way through school, and had become president of Xu Corporation just after turning eighteen. In the future, he would inherit the Jiang family too. He seemed perfect.
But male leads in this kind of angsty romance usually shared one flaw: they didn’t understand love and didn’t know how to love. That was why they hurt the female lead again and again.
Fortunately, her son had been raised well. Throughout the novel, although he loathed the female lead, he had never done anything criminal like cutting out her heart or liver. He had only grown increasingly cold toward her after rejecting her.
To the female lead, that was emotional abuse. After years of failing to thaw that block of ice, she finally gave up.
Xu Shichu found it hard to reconcile the male lead in the novel with the little Xiaotuanzi she remembered.
By rights, even without Mom, there were plenty of elders in the family. With such an exceptional heir, they might spoil him, but surely they wouldn’t let him grow up without feeling loved!
Xu Shichu sighed. “That so-called engagement doesn’t exist. The Song family was using my name to fool people. You don’t need to take it to heart.”
After a moment, she added, “I just called the police. By now, the Song girl who drugged you should already have been arrested. You’re not going to feel sorry for her, are you?”
Xu Jingheng was stunned. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
Then warmth welled up inside him. “I don’t feel sorry for her. She got what she deserved.”
.
The Song family.
The moment they saw the police arrive, the whole family panicked.
They hadn’t expected Xu Shichu to be so heartless.
They had assumed that, for He Wan’s sake, Xu Shichu might not let them off entirely, but would at least go easy on them. Who could have known she’d turn around and call the police?
In handcuffs, Song Ruoruo looked at her parents through tear-filled eyes, stumbling over her words. “Dad, Mom, save me! I didn’t mean to. I just love Big Brother Jingheng too much. Please, save me. I don’t want to be arrested!”
Song Feng’s expression darkened. It wasn’t that he cared about this daughter; he was worried that a scandal like this would hurt the company.
Especially since they had offended the Xu family. If people in their circle found out, what family would still be willing to work with them?
He cursed under his breath. What a useless fool!
She couldn’t even manage to drug someone properly!
Song Miaomiao, on the other hand, was rather pleased. If Song Ruoruo really got taken away, wouldn’t everything in the family—including Big Brother Jingheng—belong to her?
He Wan’s expression was equally dark. She had known all along that Xu Shichu, that bitch, had never considered her a friend. Even back in university, Xu Shichu had acted as if she were above everyone else. Now she hadn’t shown He Wan the slightest consideration, completely disregarding her.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She didn’t spare even a glance for the daughter being taken away.
Song Feng looked at her, his voice tight with suppressed anger. “Aren’t you on good terms with Old Madam Jiang? Go to the Jiang family and ask Grandma to intercede. If Old Madam Jiang speaks up, I refuse to believe Xu Shichu would still dare act on her own.”