Chapter 1538: Aftermath

Zichen asked, "You didn't go back at that time?"

"No, I went straight back to school, I didn't even take my luggage."

"Then you're done for, no one can save you."

Litian:...

"Are you even a big brother? Never mind not helping, why do you sound like you're gloating?"

Zichen patted his chest and promised, "I'm not gloating, everything I said is the truth."

He helped Litian analyze: "Look, at a critical moment like this, you chose your girlfriend and ran away from home. Do you think Mom wouldn't be heartbroken? You know how Mom is; if she's heartbroken, she won't just bottle it up inside. She has a hundred ways to deal with you two."

Litian panicked, even losing his composure: "Big brother, what should I do?"

His feelings for his mother were different from those of the other siblings.

The Sheng Family's biological children only felt love for their mother, with no other factors involved.

They were just like all spoiled children, enjoying their parents' love with peace of mind and acting willfully without fear.

But Litian was different; he was already old enough to remember things when he arrived at the Sheng Family, and he remembered that his biological mother hadn't been good to him.

Before arriving at the Sheng Family, he was sensitive and pitiful, and only after arriving did he truly feel maternal love, so his feelings for his mother included gratitude in addition to familial affection.

He was more afraid of losing her than the other siblings!

Litian was flustered, and instead of comforting him, Zichen twisted the knife: "You're on your own, I don't know what to do either. I can't handle Mom's methods either."

Cold sweat broke out on Litian.

Gu Yuxin glared at Zichen reproachfully and said, "You can't just ignore it, you have to do something."

"Their conflict has escalated, it's not easy to resolve."

"I don't believe it, you're fooling me..."

Litian immediately called his mother. The phone rang for a long time, then was hung up.

He wouldn't give up and dialed again. This time it was quick; it only rang once before being hung up.

When he called again, it was powered off.

Zichen said, "See what I told you? Mom is really angry with you."

After he finished speaking, he took his girlfriend's hand and pretended to leave: "Let's go somewhere else to talk about our future. We'll leave his business alone, we can't handle it."

"No, Big Brother, you can't go, you can't ignore me." Litian was about to cry from anxiety.

"Hahaha, don't be anxious. I'll handle it. How could I not help you?"

So Zichen called his mother. Although the person calling had changed, the result remained the same—she still didn't answer.

Litian stood up: "I'll go back immediately."

But he was grabbed by his big brother: "If you go back now, and Mom forces you to break up with Feifei, will you break up or not?"

Litian:...

Zichen said, "If you go back now, you're admitting defeat, you know that?"

"Then what should I do?" He had no ideas at all right now.

Zichen said, "I'll go back instead. Tomorrow is the weekend, I'll go back and test the waters with Mom."

The next day, Zichen went back.

When Shi Youxuan saw Zichen return, she didn't show the slightest joy at seeing her son, saying coldly, "It's not New Year's, not a holiday, and not a school break. Why are you back? You aren't here to be a lobbyist for someone, are you? I'm telling you, if that's the case, go back immediately and don't say a word."

Before he could even speak, his mother had already blocked his path.

"Look at what you're saying, what lobbyist? I don't even understand what you're talking about... I missed you, and I missed my younger siblings, so I came back to see you all, is that not allowed?" Zichen said with a cheeky grin.

"That's more like it." A smile finally appeared on his mother's face.

"Mom, what do you want for lunch? I'll cook." Since her son had come from so far away, how could Shi Youxuan bear to let him cook?

"Forget it, you take a rest. Tell Fang Jie what you want to eat and let her make it."

Zichen didn't insist, saying, "Let's have Tomato Chicken Noodle Soup, with fresh wild vegetables stir-fried with shredded meat. I've been a bit prone to internal heat lately, so I'll eat some wild vegetables to clear it."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you prone to internal heat?"

"Too much homework, I'm struggling with my studies."

Shi Youxuan:...

She said to Zichen, "You can say that to me, but if your dad hears it, he'll lecture you again. You're struggling with your studies with your IQ? Even Litian hasn't said he's struggling."

His mother bringing up Litian on her own was exactly what Zichen had hoped for.

"He's so much better at enduring hardship than I am, I can't compare to him. He's been sensible since he was little, he's your favorite child, none of us biological ones can compare..."

"Hmph! I knew you came back to lobby for him. Saying you missed us? Liar."

"No, I'm not lying to you, I really did miss you..." Zichen started acting spoiled, then said to his mother, "You don't know, Litian is regretting it to death and worrying to death for talking back to you. He's just afraid you're angry!"

"Can you please stop being angry?"

"No."

"How about this, I'll go back to school and give him a beating. I'm close to him, it's convenient to hit him, I'll beat him up to vent your anger!"

"Can you beat him?"

Zichen said with a grin, "In terms of raw strength, I can't, but I'm his big brother. If I hit him, he can't fight back, especially since I'll be disciplining him in Mom's name, he can't fight back."

"His heart is only on that Lu Feifei now, where is there any room for your mother?"

"There is, there is."

Zichen explained, "Litian was so anxious he cried. Yesterday he was crying in front of me with snot and tears, he was so worried and so regretful. He wants to come back immediately to apologize and admit his mistake, but he doesn't dare..."

"Ha! What else does he not dare to do? I can't afford that."

"I can't even say a bad word about Lu Feifei in front of him. I don't know what kind of love potion that girl gave him. He's like this now; if she really enters our family, wouldn't he have to put her on a pedestal and worship her?"

"It would be fine to just frame it and put it up, but I'm afraid that no matter what we do, it won't be right. We don't mind, but if it affects the bond between you brothers, that would be a big problem!"

Zichen suddenly realized that they had overlooked one thing—the changes in Lu Feifei after she started university were only known to them, and their mother did not fully understand them.

To avoid worrying their mother, there were many things they had not told her.

"Mom, a lot has happened in the last two years that you don't know about..." Zichen recounted the events from when he was a volunteer.

At that time, Lu Feifei had saved Gu Yuxin's life at a critical moment, and they had cleared up their past grievances because of it.

Shi Youxuan widened her eyes in astonishment: "Was the situation that dangerous back then?" She knew that Zichen had gone to the earthquake-stricken area to be a volunteer.

But they had described it so lightly at the time that, although she was worried, she hadn't realized the situation was so dangerous.

She remembered the money orders that had been sent home, and it suddenly dawned on her!

"Oh, I was wondering why Principal Gu would send money orders home under your name. So it was because he was afraid that something might happen to you, wasn't it?"

"None of you children ever let me have any peace of mind; children are all debts... You were also far too bold. You went to be a volunteer without even telling the family; what would you have done if something had happened?"

The settling of accounts had officially begun.