A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

Chapter 2240 Mother And Son

"Yes, he is. Ye Fan asked me to care for him before he left. Perhaps he's the last descendant of the Chu family," Old Madam Chu uttered heartbrokenly.

Even though I should've gotten used to deaths after witnessing so many of them over the years, I'm still profoundly impacted by Ye Fan's fate. After all, Ye Fan is the Chu family's descendant I have valued the most for years. Yet, he ended up dying before I did. The heavens are cruel, making me, a hundred-plus-year-old woman, outlive my great-grandchild.

"Can I hug him, Old Madam Chu?" asked the female visitor with a trembling voice as she struggled to suppress her emotions.

Her sight never left Chu Lin once she laid her eyes on him.

When the old woman saw that, she realized something.

"Yun, is this child..."

The woman was none other than the former head of Chu Sect, who had disappeared after the war against her organization, Tang Yun.

Tang Yun silently approached Chu Lin and stretched her arms toward him to hug him.

However, Chu Lin shrunk his head fearfully and hid behind his great-grandmother.

Clearly, he was afraid of Tang Yun.

Disappointment was scribbled all over her face when she saw that.

Even though he was her son, he treated her like a stranger.

That was likely the most heartbreaking thing that could happen to a mother.

"Don't worry, Lin. Aunt Tang is your father's friend. She's here to visit you on behalf of your father," the old woman comforted.

"Really? Did you meet my father? When is he coming back to pick me up?" Chu Lin was excited to hear the mention of his father.

Tang Yun's eyes brimmed with tears as she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.."

The person she felt the most apologetic to was probably the boy in her arms.

Even though I gave him life, a chance to know the world, I didn't raise him or keep him company. Again and again, I let him suffer. Sometimes, I think about how much agony I could've spared him if I hadn't acted rashly and given birth to him. I bet he wouldn't have needed to experience so many goodbyes.

Tang Yun spoke with unfathomable sorrow as she sobbed. "I'm sorry, child. It's all my fault. I've failed you."

The boy was shocked because he didn't understand why the pretty lady was crying. However, he could feel the anguish consuming her heart.

Sensibly, he wiped the tears on her cheeks away and took out a milk candy from his pocket.

He was reluctant at first to hand Tang Yun the candy, but after a brief contemplation, he gave it anyway. "Have a sweet. My mommy gave this to me. She said if I eat this, I won't feel like crying anymore. I only have three left, so I can only give you one."

Upon hearing that, Tang Yun found it even more challenging to control her tears as she thanked him with a smile.

After her short reunion with her son, Old Madam Chu sent Chu Lin back to his room. Tang Yun needs time and space to calm her emotions. If Chu Lin sticks around, she'll cry so hard that she can't speak.

Old Madam Chu sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and asked, "So, tell me, what's going on? Is Lin really your and Ye Fan's child?"

Tang Yun's eyes were swollen red by that point.

As though she was a kitten that did something wrong, she nodded gently in response to the old woman's question.

"You—" Old Madam Chu glared at her. "You rascal! I don't know what to say to you. Why didn't you raise him if you're his mother? Look at you two. Neither you nor Ye Fan acted like proper parents to him. Did you just abandon the boy to Ye Fan and forget about him? Why did you give birth to him if you can't provide the child with a stable and happy life? It's you two's fault that he's suffering in this world! He's so pitiful, too pitiful. It makes my heart ache."

I still remember the day Ye Fan sent Chu Lin to me. The boy was still sleeping and calling out to his parents in his dream. When he opened his eyes, everything changed. His parents were gone, and he was in an unfamiliar environment with a stranger. He cried so hard on his first day here. My heart wrenched as I listened to his wailing. It took days before he accepted the cruel reality that his parents were no longer by his side. I can't admonish Ye Fan for leaving him here since this is his only option. Then, Tang Yun suddenly appears and tells me she's Chu Lin's mother! Frankly, I am furious! She's doing an even worse job than Ye Fan! I really want to hit her.

Tang Yun faced the old woman's reproach with silence. Lowering her head, she stood still as her pearl-like tears dropped to the ground.

Old Madam Chu's heart softened when she watched the younger woman cry. "All right, that's enough. Stop crying. None of you deserve to cry when Chu Lin's the one suffering. In the future, you should stay here and keep him company, but I'd suggest you hide your identity for now. The boy has gone through enough pain. Don't upset him again."

Here, she looked at Tang Yun and continued, "I heard you lost your memory from Ye Fan. Can you remember now?" She checked Tang Yun's pulse to determine her condition.

"I can. Zhenghong treated me," answered Tang Yun.

There was no news of her for a period because her older sister, Tang Rui, had brought her to get treated.

"Zhenghong? Do you mean Ye Fan's father, that b*stard, Chu Zhenghong?"

Tang Yun nodded.

Old Madam Chu's eyes twitched. Everything's a mess! Even I can't figure out what's what anymore!

She looked daggers at Tang Yun and reprimanded, "Stupid girl! You should refer to him as how Ye Fan does from now."

Upon understanding what the old woman meant, Tang Yun blushed.

"All right, just stay here in peace for now. It's good that you're here. I'll let you take care of the boy from now on. I'm an old woman now. Raising a child isn't something I can do anymore." As Old Madam Chu spoke, she handed an ancient and mysterious book to Tang Yun.

The golden words Book of Celestial Cloud were written on it.

Seeing that, Tang Yun took a deep breath. "Old Madam Chu, this is..."

"Yes." The old woman nodded. "This is where the Chu family's thousand-year-old heritage lies, the Book of Celestial Cloud. Written on the pages were the lessons my ancestor, Chu Yunyang, comprehended. Before Ye Fan left, he handed Chu Lin and this to me. He told me he doesn't want his son to be involved in the martial arts world, but the Book of Celestial Cloud has more than just martial arts techniques. Lin can learn the medical formations, astronomy, geology, and other strange arts recorded within. As his mother, you should be responsible for his education, so I'll let you handle that."Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.