Chapter 59 - Betrayed by her own son

Chapter 59: Chapter 59 - Betrayed by her own son

By morning, Mo Yuxin had decided she needed to see Ying Rui in person.

He could ignore her calls and leave her messages unanswered, but it would be harder to dismiss her while she was standing in front of him. They had been married for years. Surely, if she could get him to listen without the children there, she could make him reconsider.

She left the divorce papers on the sitting-room table and went upstairs to get ready.

Choosing her clothes took longer than usual. Anything too expensive might make her look as though she was doing perfectly well without him, but she refused to turn up looking neglected. In the end, she chose a pale dress he had seen her wear before and left most of her jewellery in its box.

Her makeup was equally careful. She covered the remaining redness on her cheeks lightly enough that a trace of it still showed, softened the colour of her lips, and made no effort to disguise the shadows beneath her eyes completely. When she stepped back from the mirror, she looked tired and subdued.

That was better.

She practised what she would say on the way to the house. She would apologise before he could become angry. If he brought up Mao Mao, she would admit she had handled things badly. There was no point arguing over that now. She could promise to keep her distance from the boy, perhaps suggest that someone else take responsibility for his care.

She was willing to give way on quite a lot if it meant going home.

By the time the car stopped outside the gates, her eyes were already damp.

The familiar sight of the house made her chest tighten. From the road, she could see the upper windows and the trees lining the driveway. A few days ago, she could have entered without anyone questioning her. Now she had to stand outside and press the intercom.

A man she didn’t recognise answered.

"Who are you here to see?"

Mo Yuxin stared at the camera.

"I’m Mrs Ying. Open the gate."

There was a pause.

"Please wait."

She stepped back, clutching her handbag. The delay irritated her, but she told herself the man was new and didn’t know any better. Once she was inside, she would speak to Ying Rui about it.

Several minutes passed before a woman appeared on the other side of the gate.

She was neatly dressed, with her hair secured behind her head. Mo Yuxin had never seen her before either.

"Mrs Ying?"

"Yes. I’m here to see my husband."

The woman stopped a short distance from the bars.

"Mr Ying isn’t at home."

"Then I’ll wait inside."

"I’m afraid I can’t let you do that."

Mo Yuxin’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She had expected questions, perhaps an uncomfortable exchange with the old butler. She hadn’t prepared herself for a stranger refusing to let her enter her own home.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, madam. Mr Ying left instructions."

The answer was polite enough to leave her with nothing obvious to object to. That only made it harder to bear.

She looked past the woman toward the driveway.

"Call him. Tell him I’m here."

"You’ll need to contact him directly."

"He isn’t answering."

The admission came out more sharply than she intended. She drew a breath and lowered her voice.

"Look, there’s been a misunderstanding between us. I came here to settle it. You’re new, so I understand that you don’t know what’s happened, but you can’t keep me standing outside."

The woman’s expression remained cautious.

"I can let him know you came. I can’t open the gate without his permission."

Mo Yuxin searched her face, trying to find some uncertainty she could press against. There was none. Whoever this woman was, she had clearly been warned about her.

The thought brought heat to Mo Yuxin’s cheeks.

Had Ying Rui told the entire household what had happened? Had he shown them the recording too?

She shifted her grip on her bag and tried again.

"Then bring Ying Di out. I want to see my son."

For the first time, the woman hesitated.

Mo Yuxin stepped closer.

"He’s my child. Surely you aren’t telling me I need permission to speak to him."

"I’ll need to confirm the arrangements with Mr Ying first."

"Arrangements?" Her voice rose. "What arrangements? I’m his mother."

The security guard emerged from the small building beside the entrance. Mo Yuxin glanced at him, then back at the woman.

"Go and get my son."

Neither moved.

The careful expression on the woman’s face changed into something firmer.

"Please don’t shout here, madam. We have your contact details. Once we’ve spoken to Mr Ying, someone can call you."

Mo Yuxin could feel the situation slipping away from her. She had come ready to cry in front of Ying Rui, to let him see how badly she was suffering. Instead, she was arguing through the gate with people who had met him only days ago and already had more access to him than she did.

She pressed the intercom again, though the woman was standing right there.

"Ying Di!" she called toward the house. "Didi!"

The guard came closer to the gate.

"Madam, you need to step back."

"Don’t tell me what to do."

He didn’t answer, but remained where he was. Behind him, the woman took out her phone.

For a moment, Mo Yuxin considered staying until they gave in. Then she noticed a car slowing on the road behind her. The driver glanced toward the gate before continuing past.

She released the intercom button.

The woman was still watching her, phone in hand, waiting to see whether she would make another scene.

Mo Yuxin turned away.

She walked to the waiting car, opened the door, and told the driver she needed a few more minutes. She couldn’t bear to get in and leave yet. Not after coming all this way and failing to get so much as a glimpse of anyone she knew.

Instead, she continued along the boundary wall.

There was another entrance at the back, used mainly by gardeners and delivery workers. She had complained about it being left open often enough to know exactly where it was. Even if it was locked, someone might be nearby. Someone who would listen before running to check with Ying Rui.

The path beside the wall was narrow. Her heels caught in the uneven paving, and she had to slow down, growing hotter and more uncomfortable with every step. By the time she reached the rear gate, a strand of hair had come loose against her cheek.

The gate was closed.

She reached for the handle anyway.

It didn’t move.

Mo Yuxin stood there gripping it, staring through the bars at the garden beyond.

Then she heard Mao Mao laugh.

She turned her head.

Beneath the shade of a tree, a small table had been set up near the garden chairs. Jua sat with his back partly toward her, holding a fan of cards. Mao Mao was beside him, leaning so far over his arm that it was obvious he was trying to see his hand.

Ying Di sat opposite them.

Her fingers loosened on the gate.

For a moment, she was simply relieved to see him. He looked well. His clothes were clean, his hair had been brushed, and there was a glass of juice within reach of his hand.

Then Mao Mao said something she couldn’t quite hear, and Ying Di placed a card on the table.

Jua leaned forward to examine it.

"You’ve been saving that?"

Ying Di nodded.

Mao Mao craned his neck, saw the card, and fell back against his chair with an offended noise. Jua laughed, gathering up part of the scattered pile while Ying Di watched them.

There was a faint smile on her son’s face.

Mo Yuxin stared at it.

She had spent the previous evening sitting beside her phone, wondering whether he was asking for her. She had imagined him alone in his room, confused by her absence, perhaps too frightened to approach his father.

Yet here he was, playing cards with them.

Jua reached over to move Ying Di’s glass away from his elbow. It was a small, familiar gesture, performed without interrupting whatever he was saying. Ying Di let him do it and began arranging the cards for another round.

Mo Yuxin felt an ugly pressure build beneath her ribs.

She had begged to let him remain in that house. Even while Ying Rui was throwing her out, she had made certain Ying Di wouldn’t lose his place. She had swallowed her humiliation and agreed to leave for his sake.

And he was smiling at Jua.

Mao Mao reached across the table for the cards, but Ying Di held them out of his reach. The younger boy leaned farther, and Jua caught the back of his chair before it could tip.

"Sit properly. You’ll get your turn."

Mao Mao settled down, still protesting. Ying Di dealt the cards with great care.

There was no hesitation between them, no awkward silence that suggested something was missing. They had drinks, a plate of snacks, and an entire afternoon to amuse themselves.

Mo Yuxin looked at the third chair around the table.

They hadn’t needed long to become comfortable without her.

Her gaze returned to Ying Di. She wanted him to look up and notice her. If he came to the gate, the staff would have to let her speak to him. She could explain what his father had done and remind him why she wasn’t there.

But as she watched him tuck a card carefully into his hand, another thought kept intruding.

Had he even asked where she was?

He knew her number. He could have called.

Jua said something quietly to him, and Ying Di shifted his cards closer to his chest. Mao Mao immediately complained, reaching for Jua’s sleeve as though he had been unfairly deprived of help.

Her son watched them with that same small smile.

Mo Yuxin’s nails pressed into her palm.

She had defended him for years. She had made sure he had the best of everything and worried over every little injury. Everything she had done in that house had been with his future in mind.

Now he was sitting across from the two people responsible for ruining hers.

She almost called his name. Her lips parted, but before she made a sound, Mao Mao glanced toward the back gate.

His eyes met hers.

The smile faded from his face, and for a second he sat very still.

Mo Yuxin waited.

Then he turned back to Jua and tugged his sleeve.

"Gege, help me with this one."

Jua lowered his head toward the cards. Mao Mao moved closer to him, resting against his arm while he listened.

Mo Yuxin remained outside the locked gate, watching them. She no longer wanted to call out and have the new servants come hurrying over to chase her away again. She couldn’t stand the thought of Mao Mao seeing that twice.

She let go of the handle and stepped back.

Ying Di hadn’t looked up once.