Chapter 191: Reason For Separation
Li Yanyan took a sip of water and started recounting her story. "The reason I had to disappear 17 years ago... When your uncle, Li Chen’s father, died in that supposed car accident, Li Chen was only 2 months old. I had to keep him safe while hiding the fact that his mother had actually survived as well, even though everyone believed she perished too."
Zhu Fengrui interjected with shock "Wait...you mean she didn’t die in the crash?"
Li Yanyan replied "No, I faked her death to keep her safe. I kept the truth hidden from everyone, even Li Chen grew up thinking both parents were dead. Things got dangerous, and I became the key target for the organization that wanted to capture Li Chen. I cared for him in secrecy until he was 7 years old..."
She sighed heavily and continued, "That was when I got word that the group had tracked us down again. This time I knew I had to protect not just Li Chen’s safety but yours as well, my son. I didn’t have the resources to shield both of you boys anymore. So I disappeared completely and went into hiding so they couldn’t find me. Li Chen stayed with relatives briefly before going to an orphanage. And you...I had to entrust Uncle Jeeves to ensure your security."
Zhu Fengrui looked at Jeeves in dismay, stunned to learn of the profound secret the loyal butler had safeguarded his entire life.
Li Yanyan regarded her son with deep regret in her eyes. "I know you were so young when I had to leave you - only 13 years old and needing a mother’s care. But the constant danger made it impossible for me to safely raise you anymore. Most don’t even know of your connection to me, so I couldn’t risk taking you along or they’d use you as leverage against me. Keeping you safe had to be my only priority, even it meant leaving you in Uncle Jeeves’ hands."
She continued somberly, "I spent years alone and full of remorse, wondering how you were coping. I’d call Jeeves daily for updates on you. Forced to mature so fast, taking over the family empire, bearing all that weight when still just a boy..." Her voice broke slightly.
Zhu Fengrui asked painfully, "But why not contact me once I got older? Why stay away even after I became an adult?"
Li Yanyan replied regretfully "There were still many unknown enemies monitoring my activities, even now. I feared leading danger straight back to you if I resurfaced. But I see now that staying away caused you just as much hurt. Can you forgive me, my son?"
Tears shone in both their eyes as years of secrecy finally came to light, the bittersweet reunion revealing the immense sacrifice behind their separation.
Zhu Fengrui regarded his mother with empathy and understanding in his gaze. Seeing her remorse and understanding the impossible position she had been put in so many years ago, he bore her no resentment or anger in his heart. Getting up from his chair, he went over and gently helped Li Yanyan to her feet as well, before embracing her once more.
"Mom, you have carried the heavy burden of protecting our family for so long by yourself. I cannot imagine the fear and heartache you endured all those years alone, wondering if we were safe," he said kindly.
Looking at her with admiration, he continued "I am in awe of your resilience and bravery in the face of such adversity. I could never resent you for the difficult decisions you had to make. You are my family, and we both still have so much lost time to make up for."
Li Yanyan held her son close, tears sliding down her cheeks. At last, at least some small peace and closure was emerging after 17 long years apart from each other. She hoped dearly that the shadowy dangers of the past would not return to ruin this family reunion she had ached for, for what felt like a lifetime now.
Over Zhu Fengrui’s shoulder, her gaze met that of Li Chen. In his eyes, she saw gratitude, sympathy and older wounds of abandonment finding some healing as well now that the whole truth had come into the light at last.
Zhu Fengrui listened intently as he asked his mother urgently, "This mysterious organization that threatens our family - do you know exactly who they are and what they hoped to gain by targeting Li Chen?"
Li Yanyan’s expression darkened, hinting at disturbing secrets. "They are a powerful, wide-reaching group involved in highly illegal human experimentation using a dangerous experimental drug called Neuronex. The goal is to chemically strip away people’s humanity, turning them into completely obedient and lethal agents," she revealed grimly.
"When Li Chen was born, his father wanted to expose detailed information about the group’s activities to authorities, seeking justice. In retaliation, their agents injected the Neuronex directly into the newborn Li Chen, using him as a test subject for their sick endeavors."
Zhu Fengrui recoiled in horror at this cruel revelation.
Li Yanyan concluded, "They hoped to mold Li Chen into a controllable, merciless assassin from birth as both punishment and proof of Neuronex’s monstrous capabilities. His father’s car crash death was no accident - they killed him for his defiance. And they have hunted our family ever since."
The room hung heavy with this appalling, ominous knowledge...the organization’s sinister motives now laid bare before them.
The rest of the afternoon passed swiftly as Li Yanyan, Li Chen and Zhu Fengrui continued grappling with all these monumental revelations, discussing the past and the uncertainties of the future.
Li Yanyan explained more about Li Chen’s twin Li Xinjie who Zhu Fengrui never even knew existed. It was a lot for him to absorb - having a mother, cousin and aunt suddenly reappear, while also discovering a whole secret crime network was after them. But most of all Zhu Fengrui felt relief at finally knowing what had become of his mother after so many years apart.
As the conversation lulled, Zhu Fengrui declared resolutely "Mother, I’m not a child anymore. Let me stand by your side and face whatever threats come. You don’t have to protect me or shoulder all this alone. We are a family again now."
Li Chen chuckled knowingly "Good luck getting her to stop seeing you as the young teen she left behind. Mothers tend to think we never grew up!" Their laughter momentarily lifted the somber mood.
Li Yanyan gave a remorseful but tender smile at her son. "I am so sorry you had to endure my absence and grow up too fast, my dear boy. I know you are a man in full now - but you’ll always be my little Zhu Fengrui in my eyes."
Zhu Fengrui took his mother’s hands, his own eyes glistening. "It was agonizing when you disappeared. But Uncle Jeeves kept me on the right path, as you would have wanted."
Li Yanyan turned to the dutiful butler with immense gratitude. "I can never repay you for protecting my son all these years when I could not, Uncle Jeeves."
Jeeves simply gave a modest bow. "There is no need for repayment, Miss Li. I was fulfilling my sworn duty - nothing more."
Li Yanyan’s smile grew warmer seeing her son’s quick acceptance of her offer to meet the rest of their newly discovered family. Clearly Zhu Fengrui harbored no bitterness in his heart towards her, despite the lengthy separation and secrecy she had been forced to hold over the years they lost.
Her son could have lashed out over the time lost between mother and child due to ongoing threats endangering them as a family unit. But instead, he wished to move forward in openness and hope towards the future.
Li Yanyan felt profound relief and gratitude that Zhu Fengrui proved willing to welcome not only her back into his world. Their family ties, though strained and complicated by a dangerous past, showed promise of reconciliation and healing after emerging from the shadows at last.
She knew ominously difficult trials likely still awaited them thanks to vindictive unknown forces seemingly always lurking. Jeeves observed the poignant family reunion unfolding before him with a small, bittersweet smile playing about his lips. After well over a decade of bearing the staggering responsibility of safeguarding young Zhu Fengrui in place of Li Yanyan, all while sworn to utmost secrecy...at long last the vital truth lay revealed between them.
No more did the loyal butler have to endure the crushing weight of concealing Li Yanyan’s location, nor face his young master’s occasional flashes of buried pain and longing for the mother taken prematurely from his life. A truth had emerged today that might have potential to restore what had been ruthlessly severed all those years ago.
Watching Li Yanyan embrace her grown son now, the years of forced absence evaporating if only for this moment, Jeeves felt the burden upon his aging shoulders lift just a fraction. Perhaps this change could ring hope for master Zhu Fengrui closing the wounds left by the loss of family. Time would tell, but for now, Jeeves let himself exhale in discreet relief to see his young lord filled with lightness and joyful possibility once more after so long in the dark.
