Chapter 65 So this is the truth... Watching the car drive away, Mingwei turned around, her gaze suddenly fixing on something not far away—
A woman dressed in luxurious clothes stood quietly, the marks of time unable to conceal the arrogance in her bones.
Mingwei recognized her at a glance; it was Chu Yi's biological mother, Zheng Wanrou.
That woman who ruined her happiness, abandoned her own child in the Chu family and then never looked back.
Time has eroded our bones, and the overwhelming hatred of the past has faded away.
Before Mingwei could even step forward, she saw Chu Yi walk out of the courtyard, unaware of her presence, and head straight for Zheng Wanrou.
Chu Yi frowned, and the conversation between the two was clearly very unpleasant.
Mingwei stood to the side, a pang of pity rising in her heart—this was not the first time she had felt compassion for Chu Yi over the years.
Zheng Wanrou suddenly grabbed Chu Yi's arm tightly as he was about to leave, pleading in a pitiful voice, "Ayi, please help your mother one more time!"
Chu Yi angrily shook her off, his gaze icy: "You're not my mother! Don't come again!"
The word "Mom" pierced Mingwei's ears like a needle.
She gripped her handbag tightly and finally stepped forward.
Zheng Wanrou released her grip as if she had been electrocuted, her eyes darting around.
Mingwei glanced at Chu Yi first, then looked coldly at Zheng Wanrou: "What are you doing here at my house looking for A-Yi?"
Zheng Wanrou staggered backward, not daring to look directly at him, and looked to Chu Yi for help.
Chu Yi remained indifferent, treating her like a stranger.
“Ayi, I am still your mother after all…”
“Mother?” Mingwei’s voice was still gentle, but her words were sharp as knives. “Eighteen years ago, wasn’t it you who sold him into the Chu family for money? In the past eighteen years, you have had new lovers by your side and children around your knees. Have you ever asked about his well-being? Back then, you abandoned this ‘burden,’ took the money, and married someone else, saying that you would treat him as if you didn’t have a son—have you forgotten?”
Zheng Wanrou's face was pale and ashen, and she stammered, unable to speak.
“I raised him for eighteen years, treating him like my own son. Now that he’s grown up, you want to exploit him?” Mingwei pressed on, “Is that appropriate?”
"I'm sorry..." Zheng Wanrou sobbed with shame, "I...I really had no other choice!"
She turned to Chu Yi, "Yi, please help your mother! Her company is about to go under and she needs money to stay afloat, otherwise..."
Chu Yi interrupted sharply: "His business wasn't legitimate to begin with! He should just go bankrupt!"
Zheng Wanrou's eyes widened: "You still hate me? If I hadn't sent you back to the Chu family back then, you wouldn't be where you are today!"
The coldness in Chu Yi's eyes intensified.
The woman before him, his biological mother, was she the one who abandoned him like a worn-out shoe for wealth and status?
Mingwei's chest heaved with resentment, and she demanded sharply, "No way? Weren't you the one who blocked the Chu family's door demanding money back then? Weren't you the one who threatened to abandon the child in an orphanage if we didn't give you money?"
Zheng Wanrou was intimidated by Ming Wei's imposing manner and stammered, "Ayi, if we really go bankrupt, I'll have nothing left!"
She suddenly grabbed Chu Yi's arm and pleaded, "Mom will kneel down for you! Please, for the sake of my little sister..."
Chu Yi forcefully shook her off: "Go away! Don't come back again, you're not my mother!"
His gaze turned to Mingwei—a woman with no blood relation to him, yet who had never harmed him in the slightest.
She showed him pity and care, but this warmth should have belonged entirely to Chu Song.
It was he who took half of Chu Song.
This "goodness" often made him feel suffocated, yet it also genuinely warmed his heart.
He was deeply grateful.
"Mom, let's go inside." Chu Yi's voice lowered.
Mingwei felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Fate was indeed cruel. She had sacrificed A-Song's maternal love in exchange for Chu Yi's loyalty to Chu Song and his distorted "filial piety" towards her.
As Zheng Wanrou watched the two walk away without looking back, despair overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
She fell to her knees with a thud, screaming at his retreating figure, "Ayi! Mom is so sorry! Please help me one more time—"
Chu Yi didn't stop walking. He said to Ming Wei, "Our fate ended the day she took the money and abandoned me."
His tone was calm, revealing no emotion.
Mingwei didn't say anything, she just patted his hand.
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"I'm going back to the old house for New Year's Day. Do you want to come with me?"
That evening, on the way home, Chu Song asked Xie Tang, afraid that she would refuse. He even prepared several reasons to persuade her, such as that her grandfather and mother really wanted to see her.
"Okay." Xie Tang agreed almost without hesitation.
Chu Song was overjoyed; it seemed that these reasons were no longer needed.
"I'll pick you up then, goodnight." He couldn't help but hug Xie Tang, then let go and watched her walk into the building.
Xie Tang stood in the corridor, watching Chu Song's car drive away, her feelings somewhat complicated.
She knew that Chu Song had been waiting for her to make a decision to return to his home, and she also understood that she needed time to sort out her feelings and thoughts.
On New Year's Day, the Chu family was very lively. Apart from Chu Zhi, all of Chu's children and grandchildren came back to visit their patriarch with their families.
Xie Tang had a case on hand, and received a court hearing notice before the holiday, which was scheduled for the first day back to work after New Year's Day.
Time was tight, so she had to work overtime at the law firm to prepare court documents.
Chu Song went back to the Chu family's old residence first, and would pick her up after she finished her work.
He watched as the nanny played with Chu Xin in the garden.
Gu Chang walked over and said, "He's grown so much in the blink of an eye. The last time I saw him, he was only six months old and still a tiny little thing."
Chu Song didn't respond, looking down at his phone, waiting for Xie Tang's message.
"Second brother, A-Tang hasn't made up with you yet?"
Seeing Chu Song intently waiting for news, Gu Chang felt a surge of jealousy and said in a flippant tone, "That's just how A-Tang is. She's very hard-hearted. Once she's hurt, she won't forgive easily. I'm the best example of that."
Hearing her repeatedly call her "A-Tang," Chu Song coldly interrupted, "She's your sister-in-law!"
"Sister-in-law?" Gu Chang scoffed, his tone becoming increasingly sharp. "Before you and her reunited, she and I were best friends! She would spend an entire day with me if I was unhappy, and she would stay up all night playing games for me! Sister Yun even wanted to set us up! Second brother, if I had realized it sooner, do you think you would still have a chance?"
"So what?" Chu Song's eyes were icy. "No matter how good things were in the past, we're like strangers now. And she is my wife now."
The flames in Gu Chang's eyes suddenly flared up, and he forced a nearly distorted smile. "What a wife! Second brother, are you still enjoying the grievances of being a 'victim'? Are you still blaming Ah Tang for 'scheming' you back then? That glass of water... that glass of water that led you to make such a terrible mistake..."
Chu Song's breath hitched, and she looked up at him.
"It wasn't Ah Tang who gave it to me!"
Gu Chang spoke slowly and deliberately, with a hint of vengeful satisfaction, "It wasn't me! It was Yin Xi! That idiot wanted to drug A Tang and send her to me, but she didn't expect you to come that day and even drink that glass of water!"
He gritted his teeth, his hatred overflowing, "It's all her fault! Otherwise, you wouldn't have ended up with Ah Tang..."
"How could she treat Xie Tang like this!" Chu Song was furious. Xie Tang was such a loyal and devoted person...
Gu Chang looked at Chu Song's suddenly changed expression, her malice almost overflowing. "Think about how you questioned her and hurt her when you woke up the next day? Those words were like knives, weren't they? Otherwise, why would she leave? Why won't she come back now?"
"Second brother, you don't believe me? That thorn of hers has long been pierced into her heart! Pulling it out will only leave a bloody hole! Oh, right..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, "Ah Tang, she already knew the truth. Guess why she'd rather be misunderstood by you than tell you?"
Chu Song felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his blood instantly turning to ice: "Why?"
Gu Chang's smile grew even more cruel: "What else could it be? She knows you too well! She knows that even if she told you, you would never believe her!"
"In her eyes, you, Chu Song, are someone who doesn't trust her at all!"
"So she's too lazy to explain, and just lets you misunderstand to the end! That's the 'sense of security' you give her!"
Seeing Chu Song's face turn deathly pale and his eyes shatter with pain, Gu Chang finally tasted the sweetness of revenge. But beneath the pleasure lay a deeper, burning emptiness.
His last words felt like he was tearing his own heart out.
Chu Song swayed slightly, then turned and left without looking at Gu Chang again.
He didn't go back to the living room, but went straight to lock himself in the unused guest room, ignoring Mingwei and the others calling him from outside.
The room was deathly silent.
Gu Chang's words kept echoing in his mind.
The truth is so unbearable!
The accusations, anger, and doubts he inflicted on her turned out to be so absurd and cruel!
She silently endured his misunderstandings and hurt, not because she felt guilty, but because she... had long been utterly disappointed in him and had given up on even trying to explain.
Chu Song curled up in pain.
The scenes that hurt her played back vividly, and every question he uttered now became a sharp blade mocking him.
He recalled her forbearance, her aloofness...
So that's where the root of the problem lies!
He not only wronged her, but also deeply hurt her again with his profound distrust.
He was overwhelmed by immense guilt and remorse.
He was heartbroken beyond words, for her injustice and for his own foolishness.
Outside the door, Mingwei and the others looked worried.
Chu Li stroked his chin, looking at the closed door with a complicated expression: "Forget it, let him stay by himself for a while. He won't starve to death if he misses a meal."
After saying that, he drove away.
Xie Tang rushed around and finally finished organizing all the materials at 3 p.m., then immediately sent a message to Chu Song: "I'm done."
When Xie Tang arrived at the law firm, she didn't see Chu Song's car, but she saw Chu Li leaning against a bright red supercar and waving to her.
Xie Tang walked over, a sense of unease crossing his heart: "Big brother? What brings you here? Where's Song-ge?"
"Ah Song, something came up and he can't make it." Chu Li opened the car door, his tone relaxed. "Get in, I'll pick you up."
The car merged into the traffic.
Xie Tang looked at her phone; Chu Song still hadn't replied.
"Big brother," she turned to Chu Li, her eyes serious, "what exactly happened to Brother Song?"
Chu Li tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and sighed, "I don't know what Gu Chang said to him. You know, the two of them have never gotten along since they were little. A Song got stuck in a rut and locked himself in his room. No one can call him out."
He caught a glimpse of the complex emotions that surged in Xie Tang's eyes in an instant—worry, understanding, and even a hint of barely perceptible pain.
Chu Li smiled and tried to change the subject: "Looking at him reminds me of you when you were little. You were only six years old then, a little dumpling, but you were very quick-witted. You were more like a little adult than me."
"The first time I met Asong, just because he was good-looking, I stuffed all the candy in my pocket into his pocket, and he wouldn't even give me a single piece when I begged for it. Later, I snatched one from Asong, and you were so angry that you chased me up and down several flights of stairs..."
Xie Tang listened, trying hard to recall, but only vague images remained.
She smiled helplessly: "It happened so long ago, how can I remember everything?"
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