Chapter 1474: Chapter 1474: Parents’ Hearts Are Always Compassionate
But the moment Wang Cuixia came out, she caught sight of her own son, and she instantly froze. Had he heard everything just now? If her son found out, would he acknowledge that man as his father? Wang Cuixia was very worried, yet she had no right at all to demand that her son not return to his rightful clan.
This really was karmic retribution. Forcing out a smile, Wang Cuixia said, "Did you already see everything?"
Xu Ke looked at the pained expression on Wang Cuixia’s face. This was really not the time to be reopening his mother’s old wounds.
"If you don’t want me to get to know him, Mom, then that’s fine. And you’re obviously in a bad mood right now. I’ll just take you back."
If not for that one line from Wang Cuixia, Xu Ke might not have understood. But with her worrying like this, wasn’t that man practically being called out by name?
Wang Cuixia had always thought that, when faced with both her and Xu Hua, Xu Ke would definitely choose Xu Hua. She hadn’t expected that, in the end, her son was still her son. At a moment like this, he chose her instead. A wave of comfort washed over her, mixed with bone-deep exhaustion.
"Alright, let’s go back. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. And since he hasn’t cared about us all these years, we’ll give him a bit of a lesson. As for the rest, I honestly don’t know."
As she spoke, confusion clouded Wang Cuixia’s eyes.
Of course Xu Ke saw it. But since Wang Cuixia didn’t want to forgive, he didn’t want to push her and make her angry over this. He could only hope that one day she’d be able to figure it out on her own.
Yet at this moment, Wang Cuixia still felt a twinge of guilt about the whole thing. If she did this, her son would definitely be held back somehow, wouldn’t he? But her son swallowed everything down in silence.
Mother and son walked the whole way without a word. When they reached the entrance, Xu Ke had no intention of going inside; it was a hotel, after all.
Wang Cuixia looked at her son’s retreating back, her gaze complicated. When she saw Uncle Li coming down, she finally let out a long sigh.
Uncle Li had no idea what had happened between mother and son. The mood between them had been fine before—how had it suddenly become like this? The two of them looked so unhappy.
"Your son came to pick you up in person, and you still look upset. Is something wrong? If there’s anything bothering you, don’t bottle it up. If you’re worried that telling Xu Ke will affect his work, then just tell me. I swear I won’t breathe a word."
He was afraid that, like a few years ago, Wang Cuixia would keep everything to herself until she made herself sick. So Uncle Li tried his best to talk her through it, but right now she really couldn’t see past it.
"Do you know? I ran into Xu Hua at the amusement park today."
Hearing her say that, Uncle Li’s heart gave a jolt. That once brilliant young man? Thinking of him, Uncle Li could only let out a bitter smile. So many years of his own companionship still couldn’t compare to Xu Hua.
If Wang Cuixia had truly let go of Xu Hua, she wouldn’t be acting like this now. Her brows were knitted tightly together—this was nothing like someone who had moved on. Perhaps, in the young lady’s heart, even though more than twenty years had passed, the sins that man had committed had already been offset in her mind.
"To be honest, there was a moment when I softened. He’s been forced into a lot of things over the years too. But the second I think of all the humiliation we’ve suffered, just the two of us, mother and son, I just can’t let it go. So I couldn’t forgive him. But sometimes I really don’t know what to do."
"My life is pretty much set, but my child’s life is only just beginning. He’s achieved so much in his career—forget me, even strangers praise me because of him. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do."
Hearing that, even though there was self-interest in Wang Cuixia’s words, most of her worry was for Xu Ke. Uncle Li couldn’t help but sigh. This was the hardest part of being a parent: no matter how unwilling you are, you still have to think of your child.
No matter how old a child gets, parents still think this way.
Uncle Li knew that right now, Wang Cuixia wanted someone who could give her an answer on that man’s behalf. He didn’t mind being that person, even if it hurt.
"If Xu Ke can return to the Xu Family, it’ll actually be good for him. With his business talent, he won’t have to put up with the Xiao Family looking down on him. The Xiao Family would respect him. He wouldn’t be considered a live-in son-in-law anymore, and the two of them could live happily together. Without the Xu Family backing him up, that kid will probably be bullied in the future. And Xiao Zhen has a bad temper. Old Mr. Xiao may be broad-minded, but what about the others? People gossip, and kids care about their pride. We really don’t have the heart to watch him suffer that kind of humiliation."
Uncle Li laid out his worries, and it surprised Wang Cuixia that he and she were thinking along the same lines. That was exactly why she felt so torn.
She took a deep breath and looked at the constant stream of people coming and going. Yet in this whole bustling Changnan City, there wasn’t a single place that felt like it belonged to her.
"Miss, sometimes we have to calm down and think things through. Even if it’s not for ourselves, we should think of the kids. Let them be happy. As for us, our lives are already mostly behind us. However it turns out doesn’t matter anymore, don’t you think?"
After hearing this, Wang Cuixia couldn’t help sighing. Maybe she really had been petty today, which was why she’d stopped her son. But why had she said those things to him? If she hadn’t, maybe he would’ve gone to that man.
"Alright, I get it now. I’ll talk to him another day. But I absolutely will not go back to the Xu Family. I’ve lived my whole life like this—if I went back now, people would laugh me to death."
It sounded like she was saying it to Uncle Li, but also to her own cowardly self. Uncle Li knew that although Wang Cuixia had been strong all her life, she could never quite manage to be strong in front of that man.
Looking at her back as she walked away, he couldn’t help sighing. The young lady clearly had her own misgivings, but those misgivings would collapse sooner or later.
Because when you still love someone, you stop having any bottom line.
Right now Xu Ke’s mind was in complete chaos. Driving along the road, he once again saw Xu Hua. There was no denying that he looked more like Xu Hua; the two of them were strikingly similar, though he was just a bit more outstanding than Xu Hua.
Xu Hua was leaning against the roadside, head bowed, looking extremely dejected. Xu Ke instinctively eased off the gas, then, thinking of something, shut his eyes for a second and pulled away. Since Wang Cuixia didn’t want him to see that man, he might as well leave it.
Xu Hua let out a bitter laugh. He hadn’t expected that after all these years, he was still this stubborn, still hadn’t forgiven him at all, and just left him standing there like that. Was he supposed to watch him suffer like this?
"I’ve tried every way I can think of, but I still can’t get their forgiveness. God, tell me, what am I supposed to do to pay them back for everything?"
