Chapter 5 The Child’s True Mother
After that day, Lu Shijin and I fell into a complete cold war.
He moved all his things to the guest room and stopped telling me about his whereabouts.
On a weekend morning, I walked down the stairs and saw Qiao Yining sitting in the living room with exquisite makeup, like the lady of the house.
Lu Mingyu nestled in her arms and acted spoiled. "Mom, I missed you so much!"
I paused mid-step.
Our eyes met. Qiao Yining's lips curved into a faint smile, her gaze full of provocation.
"Wen Ruotang, thank you for taking care of Mingyu these past five years."
Lu Mingyu poked his head out and made a face at me.
"Mom, don't pay attention to that greedy bad woman!"
"When are you moving in to live with us?"
"Baby, Wen Ruotang is Dad's wife. Mom is an outsider. It wouldn't be appropriate."
"Mom is not an outsider!"
Hearing Qiao Yining's aggrieved words, Lu Mingyu immediately shouted back.
"That bad woman is just the Lu Family's nanny. Now that you're back, she should get out!"
As he spoke, he glared at me with disgust.
"Alright, aren't we going to see Mom's Photo Exhibition?"
Lu Shijin stood at the stairs in a suit. It seemed he had overheard the entire conversation.
He did not say a word in my defense. He only looked at Qiao Yining with gentle eyes.
"It's about time. Let's go."
She responded with a light laugh. The two of them walked past me arm in arm.
Qiao Yining's face showed satisfaction, but she spoke in a false tone.
"Sorry, Wen Ruotang. Children speak without thinking. Please forgive him."
The servants' lowered voices drifted over.
"Alas, the madam is so pitiful. She devoted herself to the master and young master, but as soon as the biological mother returns, she's about to be kicked out."
I blinked hard and forced back the tears.
All these years, I had treated Lu Mingyu as my own and poured all my love and care into him.
When he was little, his body was weak and he got sick every few days. I stayed up all night taking care of him.
I searched through recipes and cooked every meal myself, gradually nursing him back to health.
Once, we were close mother and son.
The image of Lu Mingyu learning to walk unsteadily, hugging me and calling "Mom" in his baby voice, still felt like yesterday.
But after a few instigating words from Mrs. Lu, saying that his father and I were in a business marriage and would eventually have our own children, that warmth disappeared in an instant.
From then on, he only thought about his biological mother whom he had never met, and was distant and resistant toward me.
It was different when it was not biological.
My "Mom" and "child" proved that point well.
At night, Lu Mingyu came home alone.
He glanced at me, and I saw a hint of malice in his eyes.
"Dad got drunk and is sleeping at Mom's place tonight. He won't be coming back."
"Auntie, you'll be kicked out of the Lu Family soon!"
I looked at the child I had raised with my own hands. My voice carried some bitterness.
"Do you really hate me that much?"
Lu Mingyu was stunned for a moment. Then he shouted like an enraged little beast.
"That's right! I hate bad women like you who are greedy, shameless, and hypocritical the most!"
After saying that, he ran back to his room angrily.
I took out my phone, wanting to call Lu Shijin.
An incoming call lit up first.