Volume One, Chapter Five: Only Wanting Mom

After arriving home, Ji Zhixu got out of the car. He Xin softly said, “A Li, please take me home!”

Ji Zhixu refused. “Dad, Mom’s not home, I’m scared alone. I want you to stay with me.” Their household had a nanny and a butler—plenty of people—but Ji Yanli didn’t know where this sudden insistence was coming from.

Ji Yanli said, “Be good. Dad will take Aunt Xin Xin home and then head to work.”

Ji Zhixu still wouldn’t agree and began to fuss, “No, I want Dad to stay with me.”

Ji Yanli had no choice but to let the driver take He Xin home. Then he escorted Ji Zhixu to his room. Seeing him asleep, he returned to the company.

After Ji Yanli left, Ji Zhixu immediately opened his eyes. He messaged Shu Xingru: “Mom, that woman asked me today if I wanted her to be my mom. Please come home soon, if you don’t, Dad will be taken away.”

Shu Xingru read the message, puzzled. Didn’t Ji Zhixu like He Xin very much? Why was he worried she’d take Ji Yanli away?

But she had no time to dwell on this as a female patient named Chu Ming arrived.

She explained that she had been unable to conceive a child. She had undergone several rounds of IVF at the hospital, only to suffer biochemical pregnancies. She had taken a lot of traditional medicine and endured much hardship but still couldn’t conceive.

Hearing that the old doctor Shu was good at treating patients, she came here with a hopeful heart.

Shu Xingru took her pulse at both wrists—no abnormalities. She was surprised. How could this be?

She quickly brought Chu Ming to see Shu Yanzhao. He gently took her pulse and after a moment said, “Deficiency cold, blood stasis.”

“Deficiency cold?” Shu Xingru was shocked. “There’s no delayed or rough pulse.”

Shu Yanzhao said, “Her pulse pattern is unusual. Among millions, there might be only one case like this. Take a closer look.”

Shu Xingru asked Chu Ming, “May I check your pulse again?”

Chu Ming was cooperative, and Shu Xingru continued. Shu Yanzhao said, “You must calm your heart. Is it delayed with some roughness?”

Shu Xingru carefully checked for a long time and nodded.

Chu Ming asked, “Is there hope for me to conceive?”

Shu Yanzhao said, “First, I’ll treat your deficiency cold and blood stasis. If you still can’t conceive afterward, come back to see me.”

He wrote a prescription for seven days’ worth of medicine, to be taken twice daily.

Shu Xingru led her to get the medicine. Chu Ming said, “If I get pregnant, I’ll send you a banner of thanks.”

Shu Xingru took a box of chocolates from the drawer and gave it to her. “This medicine is bitter. Take one after you finish the dose. Preparing for pregnancy is hard, so don’t stress too much.”

Chu Ming thanked her and was about to leave when she saw a handsome little boy standing nearby. He looked very familiar.

She glanced back at Shu Xingru—the two bore some resemblance.

That boy was Ji Zhixu.

Ji Zhixu, feeling wronged, threw himself into Shu Xingru’s arms. This time she didn’t pull away but held him as usual.

Chu Ming asked, “Is this your son?”

Shu Xingru nodded. Chu Ming said enviously, “I wish I could have a child this beautiful. Well, even if not beautiful, as long as I can have a child, that’s enough.”

Ji Zhixu said, “Auntie, you will definitely have a beautiful child.”

Chu Ming left happily.

Shu Xingru took Ji Zhixu into the inner room and asked, “Why did you come here? If you’re sick, you should rest at home.”

Ji Zhixu clung to Shu Xingru’s arms, unwilling to let go. “Mom, I don’t want to be a spy anymore. I want to stay with you.”

Shu Xingru frowned. “Spy?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m afraid Dad will be taken away by that bad woman, so I pretend to like her. Every time Dad goes to see her, I have to follow and cause trouble. I hate seeing them hugging and cuddling; I absolutely won’t allow it. How shameless to do those things in front of a child. When you asked me who I was with that day, I actually wanted to be with you. I said I was with Dad just so he wouldn’t be happy with that woman. It’s so annoying to see every day.”

Shu Xingru was amused by her son’s words but also felt a pang of sadness. A failed marriage had burdened such a young child with heavy pressure.

“It’s Mom’s fault for not realizing you felt this way. From now on, whatever you do, Mommy will trust you.”

Suddenly she remembered something. “Did you put something in He Xin’s bracelet?”

Ji Zhixu nodded.

She had a medical book in her study. Ji Zhixu, who could read extensively, had found that red spider lilies could cause hallucinations.

He naively thought that if He Xin wore it long enough, she would go mad and then wouldn’t come to take his dad away.

Shu Xingru said, “Zhixu, you’re just a child; you shouldn’t do such things. Dad doesn’t love Mom, so our separation is normal. Dad’s family is very wealthy. If you stay with Mom, there might not be so much money in the future. I’m afraid you’ll regret it when you grow up.”

Ji Zhixu clenched his little fists and said firmly, “Mom, I’m happy with you. It’s okay. I’ll call Dad to ask for money. If he doesn’t give it, I’ll post videos online to expose him. That’ll make him furious.”

Shu Xingru never imagined that her young son would be so full of clever schemes. After raising him for five years, he finally didn’t disappoint her, making her heart feel much lighter.

Yet she worried that Ji Yanli might come to fight for custody. The Ji family was powerful and wealthy; she might not be able to win.

Shu Xingru planned to carefully build her career so she could stand firm during the divorce.

Ji Zhixu hadn’t brought any change of clothes, so after work, Shu Xingru took him to the Ji family villa to pick some up.

After tidying up for a while and carrying the suitcase out, Ji Yanli happened to return, stepping down from an Aston Martin.

He was tall, with a commanding presence. His phoenix-shaped eyes glanced at Shu Xingru and asked, “Are you taking our son on a trip?”

Shu Xingru said, “We’re going back to my place.”

Ji Yanli stepped closer, staring intently. “Isn’t this your home?”

Shu Xingru avoided his burning gaze. “It won’t be in the future.”

Ji Yanli tossed out, “Don’t regret it when you’ve played too hard,” and walked straight inside.

Ji Zhixu told Shu Xingru to get in the car first. He said he had something to say to Ji Yanli.

After Shu Xingru left, Ji Zhixu asked Ji Yanli, “Dad, are you stupid? Mom is both beautiful and gentle. Why don’t you love her?”

Ji Yanli was speechless. “Dad doesn’t like scheming women. You’re still young and won’t understand how I feel.”

Ji Zhixu shook his head. “Isn’t a scheming person just a fool? Do you like fools?”

Ji Yanli’s expression darkened. “What has your mom been teaching you? Kids mustn’t talk nonsense.”

Ji Zhixu looked at his father as if he were an idiot, then shook his head and walked away.

Just as Ji Zhixu reached the car, Shu Xingru was about to open the door when He Xin approached.

Usually, Ji Zhixu would greet He Xin warmly, but today he was cold and indifferent, as if he didn’t know her.

He Xin’s brow twitched. This child might become a major obstacle to Ji Yanli’s divorce.

She provocatively said to Shu Xingru, “Don’t think having a child is your trump card. I can have a child with A Li too. He said if I’m willing, we can go back to how things were.”