Chapter 27: Mother (Part 1)

  Mother is the greatest person in this world.

  This sentence, Shen Muran had heard of it before and also deeply believed so.

  There is no one in this world who does not love themselves, but there is a person who loves others more than they love themselves, and that person is the mother. If there were only one kind of love in this world, it would be the most selfless, deepest, and most unrequited, and the only answer would be maternal love.

  This idea has taken deep root in Chu Lian's heart.

  So, when they face the most humiliating and difficult moment, they deeply hope that the person they rely on the most can appear in front of them instantly. At the same time, they also secretly hope in their hearts - their own mother arrives before the other's mother.

  The final winner of the dispute is still unknown, but after the ceasefire, the first round of underground fighting ended with Chu Lianyou's defeat. As a result, her eyes were filled with tears, and the grievances and dissatisfaction in her heart became even more intense.

  Chu Lian gazed at Gu Huanli with a puzzled expression, unable to comprehend why her cousin had moved in with her brother and was no longer living with them. Earlier, during the chaotic situation, why hadn't she lent a helping hand? Had Chu Lian done something wrong to her? Or was there something wrong with the Chu family that made Gu Huanli behave this way? The Chu family had raised her for so many years, providing for her food and drink, and even her mother had been more doting on her than on her own biological daughter. Yet, Gu Huanli showed no gratitude or loyalty in return.

  Chu Lian wanted to rebuke, but the instructor was sitting right in front of her, so she didn't dare be presumptuous. She could only endure and remain silent. Her heart wasn't cold, but it had a hint of coolness; it wasn't fiery hot, but it had a spark. Reality and anger made everything around her seem to freeze into a picture at zero degrees. The dark pupils shone with a chilly light, piercingly staring at Gu Huanli who was standing expressionless beside her.

  Yes, compared to enemies, Chu Lianyou hated those who betrayed their own kind even more.

  Gu Huanli was not unaware of such a piercing gaze, having experienced too many storms and rains in the past, which had long allowed her to thoroughly understand this cousin. Gu Huanli knew that she had at least changed some of Chu Liangyu's fate, regarding a certain nightmare from childhood, because of her lucky escape, which made both of them far away from the claws of the nightmare.

  It's not a noble or great deed, and there's no need to thank me. Gu Huanli said to herself, in her opinion, the sweetest words that once were, the most touching sisterly affection, had long since vanished into thin air at some point.

  Betrayal?

  Who is the real traitor!

  Is this unbridled?

  Who is the one who dares to be utterly unscrupulous!

  Just now, she could have gone up and spoken softly to advise. But why did she want to advise? Why did she want to be full of warmth? The temperature was stuck in the past, stuck in the hurt, how could it just cool down! Even if there were still touching sisterly feelings, they couldn't sing again now, couldn't sing again.

  Is it just because of this that hatred is born? So, in the past, her countless memories of heartbreak, those along the dense cracks, flowing with deep red marks, were not scorching hot blood, nor were they sorrowful tears, but rather memories that extended to this time and space, overlapping yet opposing each other.

  The pain of the past is boiling over at this moment, emitting bloody bubbles, but being pierced by the impending gloomy clouds. The taste of reality disperses in the air again and again...

  No, or it should be said that it is a newborn taste.

  Through the black eyelashes, in the gaps, Gu Huanli saw herself detached from her soul. The expectations for the future and the nostalgia for the past intertwined ambiguously, in the turbulent air, the second hand spinning rapidly, round and round.

  She was eagerly anticipating that fierce strike, eagerly anticipating the moment when everyone would be suffocated. In her clear and even transparent eyes, Gu Huan Lian saw her own soul smiling brightly.

  But in Shen Mu Ran's heart, what was floating was confusion. She knew those rumors, she had also asked her mother about them, and she even remembered that the man who often came to visit her mother and was extremely kind to her, her mother let her call him Uncle Chu.

  Chu, this surname, in the eyes of young Shen Muran, was not very common. Until now, the people with the surname Chu she knew, except for Uncle Chu, were only Chu Lianyou.

  Shen Muran stole a glance at Chu Liu Yu, could it be that she was really the daughter of Uncle Chu?

  There were times when she longed to have a father, one like Uncle Chu. However, Shen Mu Ran knew that her mother's existence seemed to be the third person in other people's mouths, a fox spirit who destroyed others' families. Yet, she couldn't bear to part with that affection and warmth. Because she had endured enough days of being ridiculed as an illegitimate child and a wild kid, she wanted a father even more than a complete home.

  However, today, when Chu Lianyou appeared in front of her at that moment, when they were entangled together, Shen Mueran's heart was painfully shedding tears, because she knew that the dream, that small dream, had completely shattered, and it was mercilessly shattered.

  Her warmth is gone, and she has to return to the dark, cold corner again, listening to others' ridicule and mockery. Is her life going to be so sad and humble forever?

  Unwilling to accept!

  She sank into silence, unwilling to give up!

  In the silent world, only Shen Yanran's sobbing remained, and the unending phantoms wandered around. In a distant place, maple leaves blazed like fire, burning all the way to the entrance of hell. Time slowly passed until Gu Wenjuan rushed in hastily at that moment, and Chu Lian's grievances and unwillingness finally burst out thoroughly.

  The sound of crying and tears was so real, as if the crisis was about to arrive. However, just when Gu Huanli was expecting the moment to finally approach, Cassidy, who had been waiting in vain at the school gate, also came to the principal's office under everyone's pointing fingers.

  He knocked three times, and after getting permission, he quietly walked in. His blue eyes flickered with a moment of doubt and the subsequent sigh. This handsome yet unfamiliar man made all five people present hold their breath, except for Gu Huan Lian, who glared at him with great dissatisfaction because his arrival ruined her mood for watching the show. As for everyone being bewildered by his beauty and elegance, Gu Huan Lian didn't think it was anything special - after all, Cassidy was an angel, even if he was a clumsy angel with little magic, he was still a genuine angel, which was undeniable.

  "Who is this gentleman?" asked the director of studies in a low voice.

  "In the lower school, Cassidy Mischa Collins is currently employed by the Gu family as a private tutor for Miss. A piece of paper suddenly appeared in front of the director's desk, "This is the authorization signed by Young Master, specially delivered today to be put on file. Please inform the security guard at the entrance and Miss's class teacher that except for Young Master and myself, anyone else who tries to take Miss away from school with any reason or excuse, no matter how severe or surprising, must be refused by your school." His voice slightly abandoned its previous playfulness and lightness, carrying a low and irresistible majesty like a mighty wave, sweeping over everyone."

  Gu Wenjuan was stunned by the consecutive messages, she looked at Cassidy in confusion, then looked at Gu Huanli who had a calm face, "I'm her aunt, can't I even take her home for a small gathering?"

  "Mrs. Chu." Cassidy addressed her, with a strong hint of reminder, "This is the young master's decision, if you have any objections, please go back to the old house and communicate with the young master. After all, you came here to resolve the fight between Miss Chu and Miss Shen..."

  The words that followed, Gu Wenjuan did not hear clearly, her rationality on the verge of collapse due to the flames of anger. It wasn't until she heard the three words "Miss Shen" that she completely collapsed. She turned her head slowly, like a machine, and looked at Shen Yanran who was holding her daughter and trembling with fear, as a torrent of accusations poured out.

  Shen Yanran tightly hugged her only reliance, her only spiritual support. Her long hair cascaded down Shen Muyan's slightly trembling eyelashes, and her icy hands tightly wrapped around her body, allowing Shen Muyan to see the fear in her mother's heart without a trace of doubt. For the first time, she raised her head and gazed at her mother with pity, knowing that there would come a day when the world would collapse. Now that it had finally arrived, she wasn't as afraid as she thought she'd be.

  "Miss, you've had a hard day and there's nothing more for you to do here. Why don't you follow me home?" Cassidy felt deeply annoyed by the constant stream of insults in his ear, but his tone was as flat as ever, without any difference from usual. However, Gu Huanli knew that the language that insulted people's character went completely against the aesthetics of the clumsy angel. Even if Auntie's words had nothing to do with him, being heard by him was indeed a kind of "ear washing".

  Ke Gu Huanli shook her head without hesitation, not for the sake of this pitiful stupid angel, but because she was waiting for Shen Yanran's rational collapse. Yes, she understood Shen Yanran's gentleness and endurance, but since the matter involved the only blood connection between her and her aunt, there would be a moment when she couldn't help but reveal that secret.

  It's pointless to try to cover it up anymore.

  Cassidy was slightly angry, shaking his head in great disapproval, but saw Gu Huanli actually closing her eyes, completely ignoring his dissuasion and warning. "Miss, you should be clear that I am just a private family tutor. As for the young master's orders, I dare not..."

  "Brother only told me that after school, I must follow you home immediately. But now, I'm in school, it's safe here, and during the argument just now, I also broke school rules. Otherwise, do you think I'd be in the principal's office to arbitrate? " Gu Huanli interrupted him in a low voice, "Either stay with me or wait for a moment outside the office door. Don't worry, I won't suddenly disappear from this completely enclosed space."

  For Gu Huan's rare persistence, Cassidy was slightly stunned, and he looked at her with an unbelievable gaze. After a moment, he smiled faintly and bowed his head, "Yes, my lady, I will stay to accompany you together..."

  Watching a play.