Chapter 34: Mom Mistook You

Shu Shu booked the flight ticket from An Shi to Jing Shi for that evening.

Just before leaving, she told Shu Lingchen: "I won't be home, stay at home and behave, there will be a food delivery at the appointed time, don't run around, and you're not allowed to fight."

Shu Lingchen nodded obediently to the first part, but upon hearing the latter half, he couldn't help muttering: "Mom, I've noticed you really like telling me not to fight; in your eyes, do I love fighting that much?"

Shu Shu's motion of changing shoes paused.

Could it be that he doesn't like fighting?

On the first day she "crossed over", she directly witnessed this little idiot almost hitting the "female lead's son" in a notable scene.

"Shu Lingchen, I've heard quite a few 'legends' about you."

"... What?" Shu Lingchen instinctively felt that the "legend" his mother spoke of wasn't a good thing.

Shu Shu teasingly raised an eyebrow: "The school bully of An Shi San Zhong is a sleeping god; whoever dares to wake him will die."

Shu Lingchen shrank his neck guiltily: "How could it be that serious? Who doesn't have morning grumpiness?"

Shu Shu snorted: "In your first year of high school, a male teacher accidentally woke you up during class; you punched him and broke his arm. Afterwards you even declared that if he dared to stay at San Zhong, you'd hit him every time you saw him, and you actually scared him into quitting. You dare say you haven't done that?"

Shu Lingchen froze, obviously recalling it, then his expression turned resentful: "That bastard deserved to be beaten!"

"You hit a teacher and still think you're justified?"

"Exactly!" Shu Lingchen snorted coldly: "That scum often deliberately walked up to girls, lowering his head to peek at their collars. At that time, a new female transfer student joined the class, sitting next to me; she had a throat problem and couldn't speak. Being molested by that pervert, she could only cry in fear. I couldn't stand it, so I beat him up."

Shu Shu stared: "There's such a thing?"

"What else?" Shu Lingchen said with a hurt tone: "In your heart, is your son really that awful, just lashing out without distinguishing right from wrong?"

Shu Shu was somewhat surprised that the circumstances turned out like this.

She raised her head.

The little turkey stood there awkwardly, head turned to the side, his whole body seemingly labeled with the words "wronged, angry".

After a moment of silence, Shu Shu's heart softened; she cleared her throat and spoke gently: "It's Mom who wrongly blamed you, son. Mom apologizes, sorry, will you forgive Mom?"

Shu Shu's tone was sincere.

In Shu Lingchen's childhood memory, his mother was like that; although she loved to give him abundant love, she never acted like other parents who, clearly in the wrong, would cling to their parental authority, never lowering themselves to admit fault, instead sternly forbidding the children from questioning them.

As for Shu Shu, when she was wrong, it was wrong; if she hurt her son's heart, she would apologize right then.

Thus Shu Lingchen developed the habit of expressing his sadness or unhappiness in front of his mother, rather than bottling it up inside.

Hearing his birth mother's apology.

Shu Lingchen gave an arrogant huff, but though he turned his face away to a spot outside Shu Shu's field of view, the corner of his mouth couldn't help turning up as he said: "I'll reluctantly accept your apology."

Brat.

Shu Shu suppressed a smile, shouldering her bag as she went out.

When Shu Shu arrived in Jing Shi, the sky wasn't late yet.

Stepping onto this land again, she felt as if she had crossed into another world.

Indeed, it truly felt like another world.

Jing Shi had changed greatly, becoming even more prosperous.

Back then, she left with the determination to never again have any connection to the people and affairs of this city, fleeing as if escaping; and precisely for that reason, she chose to start a new life in An Shi, which lies in the opposite direction from Jing Shi.

She never expected that she would one day voluntarily set foot there again.

Shu Shu took out her phone to book a hotel.

She discovered that the hotels located in the economic central zone all bore a gleaming golden "Pei" character.

While searching for her daughter's information, she inevitably also saw news about the Pei clan.

Looking back a century, the Pei family of Jing Shi had been a renowned presence; in recent years, the family's business, thanks to that person's efforts, has nearly monopolistically developed across the board, and today the Pei clan is ever more radiant, thriving and prospering.

Shu Shu only paused for a moment, then, without changing her expression, booked a Pei clan–affiliated hotel nearest to the International Orchestra recruitment event.

She had already eaten dinner on the plane.

After Shu Shu finished washing up at the hotel, she once again confirmed the recruitment event's time, set the alarm, and lay down to sleep.

…

The next day.

Shu Shu woke up one minute before the alarm rang.

She ordered breakfast, finished it, and went out.

Considering this International Orchestra is no small affair, they even set the recruitment venue solemnly inside Jing Shi's famous grand theater.

The hotel where Shu Shu stays is right opposite the grand theater.

Early in the morning, many boys and girls carrying violins began to appear one after another at the grand theater's entrance.

Shu Shu couldn't help but glance into the crowd, her gaze sweeping over many youthful faces.

She wondered, could there be her daughter?

Shu Shu seemed to have overlooked something; the recruitment venue appeared not to be open to just anyone.

After a male student carrying a violin ahead handed in something resembling an invitation letter and went inside, Shu Shu was stopped by the staff at the entrance.

"Hey student, where's your pass card?"

"Um, I don't have one." Shu Shu inquired: "Well, can I buy a ticket to get in?"

Something like a spectator ticket.

As soon as the staff heard the three words "pay to enter", they immediately misunderstood; their gaze toward Shu Shu changed, and they sternly said: "Student, our Berlin Su International Orchestra has zero tolerance for backdoor tactics!"

"Since you don't have a pass card, you must not have passed the earlier interview rounds; even if you got in, it would be useless, so please leave first."

The staff's attitude was firm; especially upon seeing Shu Shu empty-handed, not even holding a violin, they became even more convinced that her attitude was improper.

Shu Shu didn't want to further delay the other contestants entering, so she had to step aside first.

Intending to make the best of a bad situation by seeing if she could spot her daughter's figure loitering near the entrance, she noticed a sign at the other side entrance of the theater.

「International Orchestra Pianist Audition→」

Shu Shu's eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over.

Afterwards, indeed as she thought, the audition had no entry restrictions.

Shu Shu filled out a form, picked up her number tag, and went in.

The violinist recruitment and the pianist audition were not held at the same place in the theater.

But at least she got in.

Shu Shu was about to go to the violinist recruitment area when a staff member called her over; it turned out to be her number.

The staff member pushed open a door.

Inside was set up as a mini theater, with a piano placed on a wooden stage, and two or three rows of empty seats below.

There were no judges; only a video camera with a blinking red light.

It appeared to be a recorded audition.

The staff gestured that Shu Shu could begin, with a playing time of two minutes.

Shu Shu hadn't touched a piano in a very long time.

But the moment her hands touched the keys, that deep-seated familiarity returned.

In order to finish quickly and then go find her daughter, she casually recalled a snippet of sheet music from memory, played absent-mindedly, then stood up, politely signaled to the staff, and left swiftly.

The staff member watched her back thoughtfully, pressed the earpiece, and said softly to the opposite side: "Please keep the information sheet for number K26."