Meng Xueyun's deliberately softened and ingratiating question instantly shattered the warmth between the three siblings.
The air suddenly froze.
The smiles on Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei's faces froze at the corners of their mouths.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same embarrassment and helplessness in each other's eyes.
Tell Mom?
say what?
They said we wanted to go to military academy just to escape this family?
Two young men, who used to be fearless and bold, are now like gourds with their mouths sawed off, their tongues tied in knots, unable to utter a single word.
They instinctively looked at Ye Linchen.
Ye Linchen took in the embarrassed looks of his two younger brothers and sighed almost imperceptibly.
"It's nothing," Ye Linchen said calmly. "We were talking about your brother, Meng Xuejun, who owes money from gambling and has been threatening and extorting money."
Ye Linchen's words not only answered the question but also precisely steered the conversation back to the main topic of today's visit to the police station, while also subtly provoking Meng Xueyun.
The phrase "your brother" clearly draws a line between them.
Sure enough, Meng Xueyun's face turned pale, and the smile she had managed to put on almost collapsed.
Mentioning Meng Xuejun is like having a festering sore exposed in public, causing her both pain and shame.
That was her own brother, her precious little darling whom she had protected since childhood. But he turned out to be such a scoundrel who cheated and even schemed against his own niece. How could she possibly be proud of him?
But the awkwardness lasted for less than two seconds.
A glimmer of light quickly rekindled in Meng Xueyun's eyes.
What did she hear?
Ye Linchen spoke to her! He answered her question properly!
This discovery was like a shot in the arm, instantly dispelling all her unease.
In her view, this was a fantastic omen, the beginning of breaking the ice!
Meng Xueyun immediately encouraged herself: That's right, that's it! I was too fierce and had a bad attitude before, which pushed my daughter further and further away.
How can a mother and daughter hold a grudge overnight? Blood is thicker than water; even if bones are broken, the tendons are still connected!
If I act like a mother now, treat her well, and make up for all the things I've wronged her in the past, Xiao Chen will definitely soften her heart.
It must be so hard for her, a young woman, to work so hard outside. Once she feels the warmth of home, she will naturally come back!
Once this thought crossed her mind, Meng Xueyun seemed to straighten her back a little.
She didn't care about losing face anymore, and quickly put her stiff smile back on her face, adopting an unprecedentedly "magnanimous" and "reasonable" attitude.
Meng Xueyun looked at him with a disappointed expression: "Xiao Chen, don't worry about him. Your uncle is just a good-for-nothing, he has only himself to blame! When the police ask you questions later, just say what you know, don't cover for him. It's good for him to go in and suffer a bit to learn his lesson!"
She spoke with righteous indignation, as if Meng Xuejun had nothing to do with her at all.
Then, she abruptly changed the subject and steered the conversation toward Ye Linchen.
"By the way, Xiaochen, I heard from your classmate that you're starting your own business now and will be your own boss in the future? Wow, that's really promising! But you can't fall behind in your schoolwork. You're juggling school and business, are you managing? Don't overwork yourself."
This series of actions left Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei, who were standing nearby, dumbfounded.
They blinked hard, almost wondering if they had misheard.
Is this still the same mother who used to grit her teeth and call her an "ungrateful wretch" whenever her sister was mentioned? This change of attitude is too fast!
The two brothers looked at each other again, their eyes filled with even more confusion and shock.
They instinctively felt that something was wrong, very wrong.
If they could all sense it, how could Ye Linchen not notice it?
In Ye Linchen's view, Meng Xueyun's sudden show of concern could only be explained in one way: "Unsolicited kindness is either a trap or a thief."
She wanted something else.
It's just a matter of time before we know what they're up to this time.
Do you want to borrow money?
Or do you want... her to go easy on Meng Xuejun?
Ye Linchen's mind was racing.
Meng Xueyun's earlier words sounded like she was sacrificing family for the greater good, but the phrase "let him go in and suffer a bit to learn his lesson" is quite thought-provoking. It's "suffer a bit" rather than "he deserves it and will be severely punished by law."
This was clearly a subtle hint to her not to push things too far.
She understood.
Meng Xueyun has changed her strategy.
Knowing that the old methods of throwing tantrums and making threats wouldn't work on her, she's now trying a gentler approach, playing the "indirect route" game.
First, use your motherly status to show kindness and care, so that she lowers her guard, and then make your request.
Unfortunately, no matter how brilliant your plan is, it all depends on whether your opponent will respond.
Regardless of whether Meng Xueyun plays the good cop or the bad cop, whether she uses a hard or soft approach, Ye Linchen has no intention of playing along.
That scoundrel Meng Xuejun dared to set his sights on her, so there's no way he'll let it go so easily.
He had been lurking around the school for several days, inquiring about her whereabouts. This behavior was harassing and threatening, even worse than when Meng Xueyun and Meng Zihan came to cause trouble.
If he doesn't learn a lesson he'll never forget, he'll only think of Ye Linchen as an easy target, and there will only be more trouble in the future.
Seeing that Ye Linchen had his eyes downcast and was not responding to her words, with his face still showing that indifferent and unyielding expression, Meng Xueyun felt a little anxious, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
But she quickly found a reason for herself: This is just the beginning. It's normal for her daughter to have some distance from her after being estranged for so long. She has to be patient and not rush things.
As long as you persist in treating her well and let her see your changes, her frozen heart will eventually be warmed up.
Thinking of this, Meng Xueyun mustered her courage, took half a step forward, and softened her voice, almost pleading.
"Xiao Chen, Mom knows you're doing well now and have your own dreams. But no matter how busy you are, you have to take care of your health. Look at you, you've become so thin, your face is so sharp, your chin could kill someone." As she spoke, she reached out to touch Ye Linchen's face, but Ye Linchen subtly turned his head away.
Meng Xueyun's hand awkwardly froze in mid-air, and she had no choice but to sheepishly withdraw it, but she continued talking.
"Are you free this weekend? Come home for a visit, okay? Mom will cook your favorite dishes and stew a chicken to nourish you properly."
She spoke with such sincerity, as if she were a loving mother who was always concerned about her daughter's health.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
