Chapter 245: Please, Mother
Xie Shiyun was crying so hard he could barely catch his breath.
He collapsed to the ground, clutching at Yun Chu's skirt.
Yun Chu bent down to help him up: "Your eldest brother is now in charge of the Xie family. Since he and your grandmother have both decided not to search for her, they must have their reasons."
"No, Mother, we must search, we must..." Xie Shiyun sobbed hysterically, "I beg you, Mother, I can't live without Concubine..."
"Child, what are you calling her?" Lin Shi had initially felt some sympathy, as he was only four or five years old and had once called her grandmother.
But Xie Shiyun's loud crying had frightened Changsheng.
The little girl who had been walking obediently just moments before now buried herself in Yun Chu's arms, her face pale with fear.
Lin Shi's heart instantly hardened: "Xie Shiyun, remember this - since Chu'er left your Xie family, she has no longer been your legal mother. Do you understand?"
Xie Shiyun stared blankly with tear-filled eyes, unable to speak.
He still remembered how just six months ago, Mother had doted on him most, always holding him on her lap and soothing him with gentle words.
Since childhood, he had known he was Mother's favorite child.
But for some reason, everything had suddenly changed.
Mother had driven him out of the courtyard and never been close to him again.
It felt like he had been abandoned.
When he was abandoned before, he still had Concubine to love him, but now Concubine was gone... He was all alone.
Why was he so pitiful?
He looked up at the child in Yun Chu's arms.
It must be because Mother had other children now! That's why she didn't like him anymore!
He stared at Chu Changsheng's back, his eyes filled with intense jealousy and resentment...
Yun Chu reached out and buried her daughter's face in her chest.
She said: "Yun Ge'er, you need to understand that I'm no longer part of the Xie family. I have no right to interfere in your family matters. It's too dangerous for a child like you to be out alone. I'll have someone take you back - consider this my final act of motherly affection."
Xie Shiyun, not yet five years old, couldn't understand these things. He only knew that Mother wasn't willing to help him find Concubine.
He lowered his head and clutched his stomach: "Mother, I'm hungry..."
He had sneaked out early in the morning, first searching everywhere for Concubine. When he couldn't find her, he began looking for Mother's residence.
After searching everywhere without success, just when he was about to despair, he encountered Mother on the street.
He thought Heaven was helping him.
But he was wrong.
Yun Chu couldn't help but recall her previous life - it was this same Xie Shiyun who had personally handed her the Poison.
Xie Xian had rushed in and knocked over the medicine bowl, whereupon Xie Shiyun had slapped Xie Xian and brought a second bowl of Poison, forcing her to drink it.
The present Xie Shiyun and the future Xie Shiyun - their faces gradually overlapped.
It wasn't that she was being cruel to a child.
Rather, having tasted bitterness once, she wouldn't offer even one ten-thousandth of her sincerity again.
Just as she was about to speak,
she saw the little girl in her arms suddenly look up and offer the pastry in her hand: "H-here, for you."
Only then did Xie Shiyun notice what an exceptionally beautiful little girl this was. He was instantly mesmerized.
Yun Chu immediately pressed Chu Changsheng's head down, hiding her daughter's face, and said: "Qiutong, take Yun Ge'er to get something to eat, then personally escort him back to the Xie residence."
Qiutong accepted the order and took Xie Shiyun's hand.Xie Shiyun refused to leave and was directly picked up by Qiutong, who carried him away.
"This Xie family..." Lin Shi shook her head, "I must have been blind back then."
Yun Chu smiled and said, "Mother, let's not dwell on these matters. Come, let's go to the fabric shop and see if there are any new materials recently."
The three of them headed toward the fabric shop together.
Not long after, Qiutong returned to the Xie residence with a well-fed Xie Shiyun.
It was only then that Yuan Shi realized Xie Shiyun was not at home. She was so anxious she felt smoke rising from her head, but when she saw the child brought back, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Madam Xie, please keep an eye on your child," Qiutong spoke without any courtesy. "Don't go looking for our young lady again. If outsiders see this, they might think there's still some connection between the Xie and Yun families. If the Xie family gets implicated, our young lady cannot bear such responsibility."
The sarcasm in her words was completely undisguised.
Yuan Shi looked embarrassed. "I didn't know Yun Ge'er went to find Chu'er..."
Xie Shi'an stepped out from behind and spoke politely, "Thank you for making the trip, Aunt Qiutong. Please assure Mother that I will keep an eye on Yun Ge'er and won't let him go to the Yun residence again."
Qiutong turned and left.
As soon as she was gone, Xie Shi'an asked with a stern face, "Shiyun, why did you go looking for Mother?"
Xie Shiyun was very afraid of his eldest brother and stammered, "I wanted Mother to help me find my Concubine. I can't live without my Concubine..."
Xie Shi'an grabbed his shoulder firmly. "How many times do I have to tell you? Your Concubine has gone to another family and will never return. Just consider your Concubine dead!"
"No, my Concubine isn't dead!" Xie Shiyun shouted. "My Concubine wouldn't abandon me! No matter where she goes, she would take me with her!"
After saying this, he turned and ran away.
Yuan Shi sighed. "An Ge'er, are we really going to ignore Concubine Yu?"
"The money has been accepted. What do you think, Grandmother?" Xie Shi'an's voice was cold. "She betrayed Father, making him wear a green hat even in death. She doesn't deserve to be part of the Xie family anymore. Since she's gone, let her be. Grandmother, instead of always focusing on Shikang, pay more attention to Shiyun to prevent him from causing trouble at the Yun residence again."
He didn't want Mother to know that he was the one who forced Ting Yu to take this path.
Mother hoped he would remain unyielding, yet he had exploited his own family members for his own benefit.
He was afraid Mother would be disappointed in him.
He looked up and saw Concubine Jiang standing there.
When Concubine Jiang met his gaze, she trembled and quickly picked up Xie Xian, heading toward the backyard.
She was truly frightened of Xie Shi'an, afraid that he might turn his schemes toward her. A thought crossed her mind—the Xie family might not be a safe place to stay anymore.
Xie Shi'an curled his thin lips slightly.
Just as he turned to leave, he heard someone knocking at the main gate.
Yuan Shi, completely unsuspecting, walked over and opened the door. She was instantly stunned. "Con-Concubine Yu, you..."
"Shh!"
Ting Yu covered Yuan Shi's mouth, quickly entered, and closed the gate behind her.
She looked disheveled, her face swollen, and her whole body hunched. "Yun-Yun Ge'er, where is he? Quickly, bring Yun Ge'er out!"
Yuan Shi asked blankly, "Didn't you become a concubine in the Hu family? How did you end up like this? Why are you back at the Xie residence?"
"Madam, I don't have time to explain everything. Quickly, bring Yun Ge'er out!" Ting Yu gasped for breath. "I'll take Yun Ge'er to lay low for a while and return after things settle down."
As she spoke, she hurried toward the backyard.Xie Shi'an blocked her path: "Concubine Yu, Shi Yun is a blood descendant of the Xie family. No matter where you go, you cannot take Shi Yun with you."
"Yun Ge'er is my son, the child I carried for ten months! Where I go, he must follow!" Ting Yu shouted hysterically. "Xie Shi'an, this is all your fault! If you hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have ended up in this situation! Step aside, I need to find Yun Ge'er!"
If it weren't for Yun Ge'er, she might have accepted being a concubine in the Hu family.
But she couldn't bear to be separated from her son—no amount of wealth could compare to having Yun Ge'er by her side!
Not to mention, the Hu family was nothing but a wolf's den!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The main gate of the Xie residence suddenly resounded with urgent knocking.
OpenNovel