Ye Xuan realized that for the first time in his life, he was so nervous that even his breathing had become ragged.
He was afraid.
Even when facing formidable enemies, he had never felt fear. Yet, at the prospect of meeting his biological mother, he was actually scared.
Did he care that much? For all these years, he had grown accustomed to a life without a mother, even treating her as if she were already dead. But upon learning she was still alive, he couldn’t help but care. That was human nature—the more one cared, the more one feared.
"Little Sister, enjoying your morning tea? You certainly have a lot of leisure time," the middle-aged man spoke from a distance.
The woman didn’t stand up, nor did she reply. It seemed her relationship with the middle-aged man was rather strained.
"What, not going to welcome your second brother? I’ve brought you a great gift today."
At this, the woman finally spoke. Her voice was as crisp and melodious as a nightingale’s. "You brought me a gift? Second Brother, since when did you have such good intentions?"
That voice made Ye Xuan tremble all over.
It sounded just like the mother in his memories. Ye Xuan thought he had forgotten, but at this moment, long-sealed voices automatically echoed in his mind.
"Xuan’Er, don’t run so fast! Mother can’t catch up."
"Xuan’Er, come here. Look at the clothes Mother made for you. Let’s see if they fit."
"Xuan’Er, do you think there’s a little sister or a little brother in Mother’s belly? But Mother believes that whether it’s a brother or a sister, you will always protect and take good care of them, right?"
However, there were only voices; his mother’s face remained incredibly blurry in his mind.
"Brother... what’s wrong? You’re shaking," Ye Ling’Er’s confused voice rang out, having noticed Ye Xuan’s strange reaction.
Ye Xuan exhaled, trying his best to control his emotions. He needed to calm down. Even if the woman before him was his mother, it was still a question mark whether she held him in her heart at all.
"Of course I have good intentions. Your second brother has found your long-lost children of twenty years and brought them back."
CLATTER.
With a light sound, the teacup shattered. The spilled tea soaked into the woman’s dress. She wanted to stand up, but quickly realized she had lost her composure. He might just be trying to trick her.
"Second Brother, what kind of joke is this? I’ve never married in my life. Where would I get children from?"
"Is that so? Then who are these two beside me?"
The woman still didn’t move.
The elegant middle-aged man chuckled and spoke again. "Ye Xuan, Ye Ling’Er, it seems your mother has no intention of acknowledging you."
Ye Xuan...
Ye Ling’Er!
The woman’s expression finally changed. But then, she let out a soft laugh. "My dear Second Brother, what trick are you playing this time?" With that, she sat up straighter and looked at the elegant man.
The man smiled, pointing at Ye Xuan and Ye Ling’Er beside him. "Little Sister, see for yourself. I’ve truly brought your son and daughter to you."
The woman’s gaze finally landed on Ye Xuan and Ye Ling’Er. And the siblings finally got a clear look at her face.
Her face was as radiant as the moon, her complexion as delicate as a flower. Her eyebrows were like distant, sweeping mountains, and her eyes were as clear and brimming as autumn waters. She had a tall, straight nose, teeth like pristine shells, and lips painted a vibrant red. A cascade of black hair fell over her shoulders, looking free and unburdened. She looked no older than her late twenties or early thirties, yet she possessed a mature charm that younger women lacked. Sitting there, she seemed to blend perfectly into the scenery.
Beautiful. She was an absolute beauty!
Was this their mother? The fog in Ye Xuan’s mind seemed to clear away.
"Who are they? Where did you find these country bumpkins?" Right then, the woman’s icy voice rang out.
The middle-aged man frowned slightly. "What, you refuse to acknowledge them? Stop pretending. The moment you heard their names earlier, I caught every single shift in your expression."
"Second Brother, I really don’t know what you’re talking about."
"You don’t know? No, you know perfectly well! I was always puzzled as to why you renamed your residence to Lingxuan Courtyard after you returned. It wasn’t until I heard their names last night that it suddenly dawned on me. You named this courtyard after your own son and daughter."
The elegant man’s words caused Ye Xuan’s heart to waver once more. Was that true? Did that mean his mother still had him in her heart after all?
Beside him, Ye Ling’Er’s eyes widened. "She... she’s our mother?" she said in astonishment.
She carefully scrutinized the woman. Now that it was mentioned, the resemblance was uncanny! Her brother’s facial structure really did look like the woman in front of them. That must be why her brother was so handsome. Especially his nose—tall and straight, it was identical to the woman’s. Moreover, she herself shared similarities with the woman, such as those vibrant red lips and captivating, large eyes.
"Mother, are you really my mother?" Ye Ling’Er’s eyes instantly turned red with tears.
But the middle-aged woman just sneered coldly. "You rustic bumpkins, stop spouting nonsense. You’re just desperate to claim me as your mother, aren’t you? But do you even have the right? How could lowlifes like you possibly be my children? In your dreams!"
Her words pierced into Ye Xuan’s heart like a sword. His previously excited heart instantly turned cold and still. His eyes also turned icy. He even let out a self-deprecating laugh. To think that just moments ago, he had been anticipating a tearful, emotional reunion between a mother and her children. How could he have harbored such a naive thought? It seemed that most women in the world were truly heartless. She hadn’t bothered to visit him for twenty years. Did he really expect her to acknowledge him now? What an absolute joke. But even if she refused to acknowledge them, there was no need to hurl insults like ’rustic bumpkins’ or ’lowlifes.’
Thinking of this, Ye Xuan spoke up. "She isn’t our mother. Our mother died a long time ago. The grass on her grave is already ten feet tall!"
Ye Xuan’s words and his cold expression didn’t cause a single ripple of emotion in the woman. Instead, she laughed.
"Did you hear that, Second Brother? Even the actors you hired are saying it. Oh, I get it now. I finally understand why you’re putting on this little show today. In this drawing of lots, your branch of the family was chosen. You don’t want your own children to die, so you orchestrated all of this, didn’t you?"
However, the elegant man stuck to his judgment. "Still trying to talk your way out of it at a time like this? Fine. You say they aren’t your children, right? Then I’ll kill them right now. They’re just country bumpkins anyway; if they die, they die."
As soon as he finished speaking, he thrust his palm toward Ye Xuan’s chest. Even with Ye Xuan’s formidable physique, he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. The gap in their strength was simply too vast. But he still gritted his teeth and pushed himself up from the ground. He held his head high and his chest out. He refused to let anyone look down on him in front of this woman.
"Oh? You can actually still stand."
The elegant middle-aged man was astonished. Although he hadn’t used much force in his attack, it wasn’t something a mere youth should have been able to withstand. It absolutely should have shattered the young man’s internal organs. His original intention had been to kill one of them right off the bat, just to show his little sister that he wasn’t playing around.
"If one palm strike didn’t kill him, then let’s try another. My dear sister, this time, he will definitely die. You should know I don’t make empty threats. Are you really not going to confess now?"
Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from the middle-aged man’s body.