Translator: Xena
Editor: Sammy
Proofreader: Bubbles
Shi Yaling’s hair was neatly coiffed as she carried her handbag while staring directly at Chu Yu. “Come here.”
Chu Yu didn’t move and instead looked at Lu Shi first, saying with a steady voice, “There are chairs there, sit and wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Shi also saw Shi Yaling. He withdrew his line of sight, didn’t say anything further, and just replied, “Mn, okay.”
Pulling on the strap of his bag, Chu Yu walked towards Shi Yaling’s location.
The first image popping into his mind was when Shi Yaling had come to the school because of the cheating incident. In the school’s small conference room, Shi Yaling had turned around and walked out, stepping on the marble floor with her high heels making crisp ‘ta’ sounds.
Chu Yu stopped in front of Shi Yaling.
Assistant Catherine had already tactfully backed away.
Standing on the edge of the lawn, Chu Yu looked at Shi Yaling’s face through the dim light of the street lamps before finally moving his lips. “Mom, long time no see.”
He paused for a moment then commented, “You seem to have lost some weight.”
He calculated in his heart how long he hadn’t seen Shi Yaling. But after doing the calculations, he found that he simply couldn’t figure it out.
He merely knew it’d been a long time since they’d seen each other.
Shi Yaling maintained her usual calm and composure without flying into a rage or rebuking. Rather, she stated, “I had a meeting nearby and Catherine reminded me today was Friday.”
Only her cold, hard voice revealed her suppressed and restrained anger.
Chu Yu answered naturally, “So you decided to come pick me up?”
Habitually raising her chin 15 degrees, Shi Yaling stood perfectly straight. “Yes. I didn’t expect to see such a scene.”
Shi Yaling didn’t inquire who it was, what their relationship was, nor what they were doing. She already had a definite answer in her heart.
Chu Yu didn’t even think about fooling her by saying that it was a classmate or friend, and that they were just joking earlier.
On the contrary, Chu Yu was very calm. Or perhaps, he’d already visualized this scene numerous times.
He coolly stated, “I apologize, I didn’t prepare you mentally and let you witness such a sight so suddenly.”
He spoke quite formally.
Such a tone existing between mother and son seemed strange.
Chu Yu thought, or maybe, this attitude was simply the most appropriate?
After all, his mother needed an assistant’s reminder to remember that her son’s school was nearby, and since it was Friday he could go home for two days during the weekend.
Shi Yaling noticed Chu Yu’s attitude which made her frown. “Aren’t you going to explain?”
“There’s nothing to explain.”
Chu Yu became increasingly calmer. “As you’ve seen earlier, I’m in a relationship. I have someone I like— someone of the same gender as me. I love him very much and I’m not going to break up with him.”
After Chu Yu finished speaking, he felt very relaxed. He directly met Shi Yaling’s gaze, without any guilt or evasion.
Even he himself was a little surprised that he could be so brave.
This courage probably arose partly from himself, and partly from Lu Shi.
While Shi Yaling’s face was expressionless, her countenance possessed a stern look. She occupied a high position all year round and her aura was very strong. When she was silent, it was difficult for anyone to face her sharpness.
At this time, she was choosing how to speak to Chu Yu.
After hearing Chu Yu’s firmness and toughness, her words were slightly soft. “Chu Yu, you’ve never told your mother that you have someone you like.”
Chu Yu unconsciously imitated Lu Shi by putting one hand in his pocket. His tone was neither soft nor hard as he replied, “Mom, we’ve only met twice in the past six months.”
The warm scene Shi Yaling hastily built up was like a bubble that burst as soon as it was touched.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Only the summer night’s wind quietly passed by.
Shi Yaling noticed Chu Yu’s very obvious change.
Such a Chu Yu even made her feel a sense of unfamiliarity.
With anger emerging in the bottom of her heart, Shi Yaling’s lips curled slightly as she calmly reprimanded, “You’re only 17 years old right now, this so-called love and liking is out of consideration! When the so-called love between you two suffers various types of obstacles, then you’ll find that your so-called love is just that. Chu Yu, I thought you were sensible, I didn’t expect that you’d still be impulsive and blind!”
There was deep disappointment in her words.
If it were the past, Chu Yu would’ve been stabbed by the sharp arrows that these disappointments were shaped into for he didn’t even know how to avoid them.
To the point that because he cared too much, he would’ve changed whatever regardless of right or wrong, trying to become what his mother expected him to be.
Because he sought approval.
However, in the present, Chu Yu shook his head. “I don’t agree with you.”
It was as if even the wind had stopped for a moment.
Shi Yaling had never felt such straightforward opposition and disobedience from Chu Yu.
She tightened her lips. “It doesn’t matter whether you agree or not, I am your mother, and I have the right to discipline you!”
“First of all, Mom, I need to correct you. I’m an adult. Of course, you’re too busy to notice that my birthday has passed, but it’s true that I’m an adult. Secondly—”
Chu Yu stopped talking. The ends of his hair were blown by the wind, exposing the lines of his facial features.
The teenager had grown rapidly. In the dim light, it could be seen that there were more obvious edges and corners in his countenance.
“Secondly, don’t you think it’s too late?”
Without waiting for Shi Yaling to reply, Chu Yu opened his mouth in advance. “I can understand you. You’re used to devoting your energy to people and things that are worth investing in, but are too busy and have limited energy, so you draw a clear dividing line between everything.”
Having said that, Chu Yu exhaled a light breath before continuing, “You’ve once arbitrarily classified me as ‘defective’ and gave up on me. However, my surname is Chu, and I’m a child conceived by you and father, so you provided me with a good life.”
Chu Yu depicted an analogy. “Of course, just like treating a bird in a cage, you built me a cage made of gold, a bowl made of precious stones, and fed me delicious food. You requested I stay in the birdcage; no accident, no trouble, no worries, and no taking up any of your time and attention. Am I right?”
Shi Yaling didn’t say anything.
Chu Yu chuckled lightly.
He appeared fine and good-looking, every inch of his facial features seemed to have been meticulously polished by the creator.
Usually, Chu Yu showed rich expressions and loved to smile. When he smiled, the inside of his eyes would be akin to two amber lights.
But this time, his smile didn’t touch the bottom of his eyes at all, and instead, a hint of sharpness was revealed in his light-colored eyes.
“So, I’m saying that it’s too late for you to discipline me now.”
Shi Yaling was finally enraged. She commanded with a restrained voice, “Chu Yu, I’m your mother and your legal guardian! I will say this one last time, separate from him!”
“And then?”
Chu Yu didn’t get angry but rather calmly asked, “Then, following the order, it’s spend money to attend a university that doesn’t fall short of the Chu family’s reputation, find an appropriate woman with the same familial and social status, give birth to a child surnamed Chu, and be ‘defective’ for life while relying on the mountain that is the Chu family, all under your restrictions and discipline, living in vain?”
He stood in place with his back ramrod straight, his figure with the characteristic slimness of a young man.
Chu Yu enunciated every word.
“Mom, you didn’t want me first. It was you who gave up on me first, so I have given up on you too.”
At this moment, Shi Yaling wanted to say something, but felt that any words were completely futile.
There was a momentary emptiness in her heart, as if she’d lost something from a long time ago, or perhaps, right at this moment.
After saying all the words that had been stirring in his heart for a long time, Chu Yu thought to himself that he should be considered to have grown up, right?
He had his own goals, what he wanted to do, and who he wanted to protect.
He’d no longer blindly try his best to gain the approval of a certain person.
Furthermore, he’d no longer hate himself just because someone gave up on him.
He was him, he was Chu Yu.
“Mom, I’m 18 years old.”
Chu Yu’s body was austere, but his tone was completely relaxed.
He had a black school bag hanging over one shoulder, his hands were in his pockets, and his figure was tall and straight.
“I’m done living the life I was expected to. You didn’t care about me before, and you don’t have to pay attention to me in the future as well.”
Chu Yu repeated what he’d wanted to tell Shi Yaling on the phone a long time ago but didn’t have time to finish.
“Please take care of your body. You’re too busy at work, so you should rest properly. Good night, Mom.”
Chu Yu turned around, school bag on his back, and headed towards Lu Shi.
Lu Shi was standing by a lamp post, waiting for him. His figure was outlined in a warm halo from the light of the street lamp.
Chu Yu stood next to Lu Shi and said with a smile, “Lu-Ge, let’s go home.”