Fu Shinian had watched all of Shi Lihua’s suffering with an ironic detachnt, without feeling much of anything special. It wasn’t until Shi Lihua finally accepted that Yu Qingzhou had left, never to return, and sat on the ground in despair, like a walking corpse, that Fu Shinian quietly spoke up:
"Is there anything more ironic than this scene? The son of another that you painstakingly cherished as your own regards you as a serpent, yet you go to extre lengths to send your own flesh and blood to his death. All your efforts, and in the end, those who leave do so, while the one you wish dead is still very much alive."
Shi Lihua let out a light laugh:
"Don’t put on airs with here. Now that I’ve fallen into your hands, there’s nothing much to be said. What will you do to ? Kill ? Fu Shinian, don’t forget, whether or not I consider you as my son, I am after all your mother. If you kill , aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
"Mother? How co you acknowledge this identity now? Haven’t you always considered this a disgrace, feeling that my existence is a symbol of your sha? Now that you know I’m about to take action against you, you suddenly rember our connection. Isn’t it a bit too late?"
"Whether it’s late or not, what I said is the truth."
"Yes, it is the truth. I only wish there were an option to change one’s bloodline in this world, for I would spare no effort or endure any pain to sever my ties with you."
Shi Lihua burst into laughter:
"You might as well give up on that. You are indeed very successful, but what about behind that success? Even if you revitalize Fu Corporation, the title of ’your mother’ will follow you for life. Others may respectfully call you Mr. Fu to your face, but what about when you turn your back? They’ll only say that your mother was promiscuous, that she once slept with all the n in Shen City, and even kept a gigolo."
"So what if they do? Do you think I care?" Fu Shinian stepped forward and crouched down before her:
"Do you know what I detest most about you? It’s not your sordid history, nor your neglect of my father, and it’s not even your loathing and malice towards , for my life is the sa with or without you. What I hate most is you laying hands on those I care about. You’ve put my beloved grandmother at death’s door, you’ve caused and the woman I love to be apart for three long years. During that ti, despite how deeply I missed her, to the point of heartache, I refrained from seeing her even once for her safety."
"Do you have any idea what that feels like? Knowing she’s nearby, knowing it would take only minutes to see her, knowing she’s suffering, yet acting as if I know nothing."
"I wouldn’t listen to news about her, I wouldn’t even allow anyone to ntion her in front of . I feared I’d lose control, I feared my recklessness would bring disaster to her. The hardships she’s endured in life, and that child, who is truly my flesh and blood, yet I had to forcefully deny her birthright. Su Mu carried her for ten months, and I wasn’t there for a second. She faced the danger of premature birth, and I wasn’t present. She has raised Qiqi so well, all on her own, and I haven’t helped. I’m not a good husband, not a good father, nor a good grandson. All of this, all of it, is your doing."
Fu Shinian’s words didn’t cause Shi Lihua any regret; instead, her laughter grew more manic:
"I thought I had been completely defeated, but now, hearing all this, I realize it’s not so bad. At least you’ve experienced a bit of what I went through. Only by experiencing can you understand my hatred."
"I’m not like you. It’s only by truly going through these hardships that I’ve learned to cherish the hard-won happiness," Fu Shinian said, looking at her. "It’s all over. You’ll accept the punishnt you deserve, and I, I will begin a brand new life."
As Fu Shinian turned to leave, he didn’t intend to personally deal with this woman; he had no need to attract the bad reputation of matricide for her sake. His grandmother would be angry, and Qiqi would be scared.
But Shi Lihua halted his steps; Fu Shinian paused but did not turn around, waiting silently.
"You... You know about Shiyue’s background, don’t you?"
Shi Lihua had heard the conversation between him and Yu Qingzhou, and she was certain about it, but she didn’t know what Fu Shinian planned to do. She didn’t know whether he would mistreat Shiyue in the days to co.
After a few seconds of silence, Fu Shinian replied:
"I’m not you, so it’s impossible for to transfer my resentnt towards you onto Shiyue. I’ve watched her grow up since she was a child. To , and to my grandmother, she’s a child of the Fu family."
As he walked out of the room, Shi Lihua’s wild laughter echoed behind him. Song Yi stepped forward and closed the door, cutting off the spine-chilling sound.
Fu Shinian looked at Lin Ning standing by the window:
"Lin Ning."
Lin Ning turned around and stepped towards him:
"Mr. Fu."
"Your task here is done. I’ll ensure Su Mu’s safety myself from now on. These past three years, you’ve worked hard. What are your plans now? Will you go back to Nanfeng?"
Lin Ning gave a faint smile at his words:
"Mr. Fu, if possible, I’d still like to stay by Su Mu’s side. Although I knew nothing at the start and felt like an idiot beside her, over these three years, I’ve truly fallen in love with photography. Su Mu has been so good to , and being beside her, I’ve learned a lot. I just wonder if you would agree."
Fu Shinian pursed his lips:
"This is a question you shouldn’t ask ."
Lin Ning also smiled, indeed, he shouldn’t ask him, but rather Su Mu. If Su Mu found out about the relationship between him and Fu Shinian, she might be furious:
"I understand. Nevertheless, I still hope that you, Mr. Fu, would speak up for when the ti cos."
"The precondition is that she forgives . Only then can I speak on your behalf."
Three years ago, Fu Shinian and Su Mu had broken up, and while the reason was sowhat ridiculous, it was the only one at the ti that could make Su Mu leave him completely. Any other reasons would have left loopholes.
The breakup was real, but so was Fu Shinian’s care for Su Mu. Under those circumstances, he had to consider Su Mu’s safety. Even if he had made thorough preparations, and Shi Lihua could not find Su Mu, he was still not entirely at ease. He wanted to assu the worst and take maximum precautions.
But if he assigned bodyguards as before, it would not be appropriate. Even if they were hidden, Wen Han, who was by Su Mu’s side, would surely notice sothing. Therefore, the safest and least detectible way was to be overt—the most dangerous place is often the safest.
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