“O-okay…”
It felt like a dream. She watched as Xu Ming pulled a phone from her pocket, turned her back to her, and dialed a number. As the speakerphone was turned on, the *ring… ring…* of the dial tone sounded exceptionally piercing in the silence.
This call was to her mother. She needed to think quickly about what she was going to say.
However, the young lady’s mind was in total chaos, and her heart throbbed against her ribs. She wanted to clear her thoughts, but she couldn’t; her brain was a tangled mess, and the more she thought, the more chaotic it became until finally, it went completely blank.
Time, however, did not pause for her confusion. Lin Ziyuan continued eating her meal, while Lin Cheng glanced over from time to time, his palms clenched in obvious nervousness. Just then, the call was answered.
To ensure the girl could hear the conversation clearly, Xu Ming had deliberately turned the volume to the maximum. As a result, the voice from the phone sounded incredibly abrupt in the quiet restaurant.
“Hello…?”
After the call connected, neither side spoke for a moment. Only Ye Zhiyun’s hesitant, slightly raspy voice eventually broke the silence.
She sounded weak, causing an instinctive surge of worry. The girl’s heart instantly constricted. She lunged toward Xu Ming, wanting to shout directly to her mother on the other end, but Xu Ming saw her coming. She quickly covered the receiver and glared back at the girl.
“What are you doing!” she hissed, terrified that Ye Zhiyun would hear.
Finding herself blocked, the girl could only pull her hand back and retreat. By then, the person on the other end sounded confused. Straining her raspy voice, Ye Zhiyun whispered, “Um… did you dial the wrong number…?”
Hearing this, Xu Ming quickly forced a smile.
“No, no. Sister, I’m calling because I wanted to tell you something.”
There was a long silence on the other end.
“Is it about money again…?”
Lin Ziyuan, who had been listening in, couldn’t help but frown. Xu Ming shook her head repeatedly. “Oh, goodness, no. Why is the first thing out of your mouth always money? I called this time because little Xingmian misses you and wanted me to ask you a few things.”
“…Mianmian misses me?”
Although her voice seemed to carry an endless exhaustion, she seemed to perk up instantly upon hearing Xu Ming’s words, her voice trembling as she asked.
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
“Is he next to you right now?”
Upon hearing that, Xu Ming glanced at Ye Xingmian. She hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully.
“Yes.”
“Give him the phone!”
The voice on the other end suddenly became agitated and loud. However, she seemed to be in a public place, as her sudden outburst drew complaints from others. Those sitting around the dining table then heard her apologizing to the people around her.
Xu Ming remained silent for a while, neither passing the phone to Ye Xingmian nor responding. She looked at the girl beside her with a cold gaze, clearly deep in thought.
It wasn’t until Ye Zhiyun seemed to reach a quieter area that the conversation continued.
“Well? Did you give it to him? I want to talk to him.”
Xu Ming’s lips curled as she made an excuse. “Zhiyun, it’s not convenient for Xingmian to take the phone right now. He… he just got back from outside and is still in the shower.”
“Is that so…” The voice on the other end went quiet, as if sinking into a deep sense of disappointment.
“Yes, yes. Look, phone bills aren’t cheap, so let’s make this quick. After all, it’s not easy for you to earn money.” She covered the receiver and turned her gaze toward Ye Xingmian, signaling her to hurry up and ask.
However, the girl was frozen in a daze of indecision. Being this close to her mother for the first time gave rise to several fantasies.
“Speak! Or I’m hanging up!” Xu Ming threatened in a low voice, narrowing her eyes.
“I… I…”
After stammering for a long time, the girl still couldn’t think of what to say. The mother’s confused voice came through the phone once more.
“Um… what did he want to ask…?”
Lowering her small head, tears began to well up in the girl’s eyes. She truly couldn’t hold it back anymore. Her brain spun rapidly as she thought of a way to actually speak to her mother face-to-face.
She squeezed her eyes shut, grit her teeth, and suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, “Mom! I’m finished with my shower!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere fell into a deathly silence. The girl could feel Xu Ming’s gaze, which looked as if she wanted to eat her alive, and she could feel Lin Ziyuan’s profound shock and confusion. Yet, only the girl knew that this was her only chance. Her mother had definitely heard her voice, and now that she had, no amount of covering up by Xu Ming would work.
Sure enough, no matter how fiercely Xu Ming glared at her or how hard she pressed her hand over the phone’s receiver, her mother’s bewildered inquiry came from the other end.
“…Did Mianmian finish his shower? Can I speak with her?”
Clearly, despite the distance, Ye Zhiyun had not completely let down her guard regarding the Lin family. Rather, she might have sensed something strange about them long ago, but she was either too overworked or the situation was too difficult to handle. She lacked the energy and the capability to intervene.
After all, even if she was worried about Ye Xingmian, what could she do? She was alone and without help; she didn’t even know where to start if she wanted to hire someone to investigate. It was impossible for her to quit her job and return in person. Jobs were hard to find these days, and she had no special skills. If she lost her job, how would she support herself? How would she support her child?
This was why, despite her reservations about the Lin family, she continued to respond to their relentless demands for money. Perhaps in her subconscious, she felt that as long as she kept sending money, the Lin family wouldn’t dare treat her child too poorly.
Now, as she was finally nearing the end of her struggle, she naturally didn’t want her child to suffer any unnecessary misfortune. This was the path she had chosen. From the moment she had resolutely decided to give birth to Ye Xingmian and live on her own, these burdens were hers alone to bear.
But regardless of her worries, when she heard that familiar yet shrill voice that sounded like a young girl, and realized the possibility of it being her child, she could no longer restrain herself. She voiced her demand to Xu Ming.
After all, it wasn’t just Ye Xingmian who missed her; she missed her child terribly as well.
Xu Ming grit her teeth, deciding to double down on her lie.
“No, that wasn’t Xingmian just now. That was my Ziyuan’s voice.”
“DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY MIANMIAN WAS IN THE SHOWER? ARE THEY BATHING TOGETHER?!” The mother screamed the words.
Having the hole in her lie exposed, Xu Ming’s face turned various shades of blue and white. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find any words. Finally, she decided to take a step back.
“Ah… sorry, Sister. I was mistaken. It really was Xingmian. He’s right next to me now. Do you want to talk to him?”
“Yes.”
Xu Ming lowered her head, her eyes filled with a cold, threatening glare as she looked at the girl. The girl understood her meaning. If she dared to say a single word she shouldn’t, she would be in for a brutal beating.