Volume 1, Chapter 26: Once the Truth Comes to Light, She Will Lose Her Son

As Lu Xiaoman’s fingertips brushed against the warm skin of her son’s back, a wave of heartache surged through her, more intense than before. She glanced sideways at the boy huddled behind her; the little one was looking at her timidly, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

The red mark on his skin felt like a thorn, stinging her eyes until they burned. She had failed to protect her son the moment it mattered, and seeing him cowering behind her now made her feel as though her very insides were steeped in bitterness.

Shang Linyuan opened his mouth to explain, but Lu Xiaoman stood up abruptly. Her movement was so sudden that the sofa cushion slipped to the floor. She loomed over him, her chest heaving, struggling to keep her hysteria in check. Every word that left her lips felt like a stone hitting the ground—hard and heavy: "You promised you would look after Xiaoqi! Shang Linyuan, I ask you, where were you when Xiaoqi was being choked? What were you doing?"

Anger stripped away most of her reason. The man standing before her was her son’s biological father, yet he had allowed his woman to send someone to brutalize his own child! For the first time, she forgot Shang Linyuan’s status and called him by his full name.

The three syllables felt like a sugar-coated stone, detonating unexpectedly in the lake of Shang Linyuan’s heart. In the past, she had always called him "Uncle Shang" with a timid voice. Although he was only five years her senior, that title had kept him confined to the role of an elder for years. Hearing her call his full name now felt like the first sharp crack of ice breaking in early spring—a blend of faint pain and novelty that made him strangely long to hear it again.

Sunlight cut diagonally through the blinds, gilding the tips of Lu Xiaoman’s hair. Her lashes, usually cast downward, were lifted now, making her look like a small, bristling beast. Seeing Shang Linyuan remain silent, she assumed he was hesitating, weighing the pros and cons. The pent-up heartache and fury exploded, though she kept it tightly reined at the edge of reason: "If you cannot control your woman, don't let her appear before us, and never give her the chance to lay a hand on Mingqi again!"

Lu Mingqi was startled by his mother’s sudden volume, his small hand gripping her hem tightly. Sensing her son’s distress, Lu Xiaoman’s heart softened. She bent down to scoop him into her arms, patting his back gently to soothe him. As she turned to leave, she stopped at the edge of the sofa and, without looking back, spoke clearly: "I will not let this matter go. I will never forgive those who bully my son."

Shang Linyuan watched the mother and son disappear through the doorway, still clutching the used cotton swab in his hand. The scent of iodine filled his nostrils, inexplicably reminding him of a rainy night many years ago, when a young girl had looked at him with clear, wide eyes and asked, "Will you protect me?"

The burning pain in his neck still lingering, Lu Mingqi leaned against his mother’s shoulder and snuck a look back at the closed door. When the "Mister" had said he would "not shield anyone," his expression had looked a little sad.

***

Once in the car, Lu Mingqi hesitated before speaking up for Shang Linyuan. "Mommy, it’s not the Mister’s fault. It was that bad woman’s doing. Please don’t be angry with him, okay?"

Lu Xiaoman didn’t answer; she simply pulled her son onto her lap. "It hurts a lot, doesn't it?" she asked anxiously, slowly reaching out to touch the red mark. The little boy in her arms shifted, likely tugging at the wound, and he couldn't help but let out a soft gasp. Lu Xiaoman’s breath hitched; she looked down to see Mingqi pressing his lips together tightly, swallowing the rest of his cry for fear that she would notice.

Guilt washed over her like a broken dam. "I'm sorry..." Her voice shattered, and tears fell without warning onto Mingqi’s collar, blooming into dark, damp patches. "It’s Mommy’s fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone."

She couldn't bear to imagine if Mingqi had squeezed his eyes shut in terror when the stranger’s fingers tightened around his throat. He was so afraid of the dark—he would grip her hem even on a simple night walk. Without his mother by his side, faced only with a ferocious stranger, how desperate must he have been?

Mingqi was startled by her tears and used his small hands to frantically wipe her face. "Don't cry, Mommy. It really doesn't hurt." His palm, warm and smelling of milk, felt like a branding iron against her cold cheek.

She buried her face in her son’s soft hair, her tears flowing even more fiercely. She recalled the countless times she had sworn to ensure Xiaoqi lived a carefree life, yet now, she hadn't even been able to provide him with basic safety.

"Mommy is useless," she sobbed, repeating the words over and over, the despair in her voice threatening to spill over. "I didn't protect you. It’s all my fault..."

Mingqi patted her back, not fully understanding, his little voice laced with tears. "Mommy isn't wrong. Mingqi isn't afraid." The more sensible he was, the more Lu Xiaoman’s heart ached, and the deeper her resentment toward Shang Linyuan grew.

Chu Yan’s revenge and her injury to Xiaoqi were driven by jealousy of her and the child. If not for Shang Linyuan’s inability to see through people, keeping such a venomous woman by his side for all these years, how could Xiaoqi have been hurt? For a fleeting moment, Lu Xiaoman felt a surge of impulse to reveal the truth. Chu Yan was nothing but a disgusting fraud who had stolen her identity to become the woman by Shang Linyuan’s side!

***

That night, the woman by Shang Linyuan’s side had been her, Lu Xiaoman. If the truth came out, Chu Yan would be cast aside by Shang Linyuan, but she risked losing her son, Xiaoqi. Shang Linyuan’s heart belonged to the woman named "Manman." Even if he stayed with her for the sake of the child, what kind of happiness would that hold? Yet, she could never abandon her son.

Thus, the final shred of her reason held her back. But she would never let that woman, Chu Yan, get away with this!

At the hospital, Chu Yan yanked her hand back, causing the IV needle to slant and blood to back up into the transparent tube. She pointed at the nurse’s nose, screaming sharply, "Are you blind? Giving an injection like you’re slaughtering a pig! Do you know who I am? Do you want me to have the dean fire you?"

The nurse turned pale, her hands trembling as she held the tourniquet. "Ms. Chu, your veins are quite thin..."

"Thin? I think your hands are just shaking!" Chu Yan raised her hand to flip over the medical tray, but her wrist was caught.

Chu Yutang leaned against the doorframe, looking slovenly, his gold watch glinting under the harsh lights. "Easy there, little sister. Getting worked up over a nurse is beneath you." He raised his eyebrows triumphantly. "Big brother went and got some payback for you earlier. That little bastard..." He stopped intentionally, wanting his sister, who always looked down on him, to ask him for details.

Chu Yan’s heart skipped a beat at his tone. She knew exactly what her brother was capable of—or rather, what he wasn't. It was usually a miracle if he didn't drag her down with him. "What did you do?"

Just as she was about to demand the details, the hospital room door was pushed open. Two police officers walked in, their badges displayed with swift, practiced movements. "Mr. Chu Yutang, you are being accused of intentional assault. Please come with us."