She was a tall, slender woman with flowing long hair and a black dress. Her features were exquisitely delicate, her skin fair and smooth, so tender it seemed it might break at the lightest touch. The black dress accentuated her air of mystery and nobility.
Chu Junyu got off the swing and exchanged a glance with Chu Lingzhi. Both were thinking the same thing: Nangong Yehen had brought a woman back to the estate?
Chu Lingzhi took Chu Junyu’s hand and walked toward them.
Nangong Yehen stood tall nearby, his gaze indifferent as he watched the woman in black. She glanced his way, and when their eyes met, hers were soft and tender as water.
She turned and opened the rear door. Out stepped a little boy, delicate as if carved from jade and adorned with powder.
The boy wore sunglasses and a blue casual denim outfit, paired with deep blue sneakers. Beneath the glasses, his face was exquisitely refined, his skin fair, his demeanor elegant. Though only five years old, he exuded an air of aloofness and proud indifference.
The woman gently stroked his head, her gaze kind and affectionate, her voice sweet and tender as she asked, "Are you tired?"
The boy shook his head, his youthful tone carrying a chill that made him hard to approach. "Not tired."
Chu Lingzhi, walking toward them, had noticed the boy the moment he got out of the car. Even with the sunglasses on and the distance between them, she could clearly see that he looked exactly like Chu Junyu. Whether it was his height, his build, his features, or the innate elegance he radiated, everything felt deeply familiar to her.
These past few days, she had been eagerly anticipating this moment—the chance to finally meet the son she had never seen. Now that the day had come, she was overwhelmed with emotion. Holding Chu Junyu’s hand, she quickened her pace.
The sound of her footsteps caught their attention.
Nangong Yehen’s deep, dark eyes glanced at her indifferently before shifting to Chu Junyu.
The woman in black looked at Chu Lingzhi and furrowed her brow slightly. Why did this woman look so familiar?
When her gaze landed on Chu Junyu, she was startled. That face...
The little boy was shocked when he saw Chu Junyu. He took off his sunglasses and stared at him in disbelief. On the way back, Nangong Yehen had told him he had a brother. He never imagined they would look so alike—identical!
There was a small red mole on his chin, and the other boy had one too.
The two children observed each other, both surprised and curious.
Chu Lingzhi’s heart seemed to stop beating at that moment. She walked slowly, cautiously, as if afraid that a heavy step might scare him away.
She crouched down in front of Nangong Yichen, suppressing her excitement, and reached out a trembling hand to touch him. "Baby..."
Nangong Yichen took half a step back, avoiding her hand, and said coldly with a hint of disdain, "Woman, don’t call me baby." So cheesy.
"..." Chu Lingzhi’s heart ached. She stared blankly at her hand, frozen in midair.
She looked at him. His expression was cold, even colder and more aloof than Nangong Yehen’s.
"I’m your mommy," Chu Lingzhi said, her voice slightly choked. Being rejected by her son truly hurt.
Nangong Yichen grabbed the hand of the woman in black and said coldly, "She’s my mother."
Her heart felt as if it had been struck hard by a hammer—an indescribable weight and sorrow.
Standing nearby, Chu Junyu raised an eyebrow, displeased as he looked at Nangong Yichen.
Chu Lingzhi lifted her head and looked at the woman.