Son vs. Mother

Madness is contagious, otherwise, Jiang An couldn't understand how he ended up actually using his hair for a test.

As he grew older, Jiang An stopped speaking of it, but in his heart, he had gradually accepted the fact that his mother would never return.

What he thought he had forgotten, when recalled, suddenly became incredibly vivid.

How much can a six-year-old remember?

Too much.

He remembered his mother making him phonetic flashcards, taking him to the zoo, telling him every story of idioms...

Jiang An sat on the sofa, lost in thought, as if he could no longer feel the passage of time. Memories flooded his mind, and a sense of being disconnected from the present filled his heart with emptiness.

That woman was so much like his mother. Even the way she called him "baby" was exactly the same.

The memories she evoked only grew more numerous.

At 8 AM, Jiang An received an email with the expedited test report.

He told himself that the test was only to see what tricks that woman was up to! But when his fingers touched the screen, the trembling betrayed his inner turmoil.

Only with expectation comes nervousness. Maybe, just maybe, there was a miracle in this world?

He opened the email, and a miracle occurred. Jiang An's entire mind shut down.

He paused and paused again, unable to put into words the emotions swirling within him. The report was right before him, but disbelief overwhelmed him.

Jiang An picked up his phone and called the old house.

"Baby, it's Mom. Where are you? Can we meet and talk in person?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Jiang An's eyelashes fluttered. He struggled to control his voice, trying to keep it steady.

"I'll be home by noon."

He needed to confirm it.

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Jiang An quickly ended the call and, with a stiff gait, went to the bathroom.

His body was awake, but his thoughts seemed far away.

—He needed to think carefully. Think it through.

Lin He, who received the call, was overjoyed. She knew her son must have seen the test report.

Jiang Qiao, standing beside her, poured cold water on her excitement. "An An is a very cautious child. Even if there's plenty of evidence, if he thinks something's off, he won't believe it."

Lin He's smile froze, and crossing her arms, she huffed at Jiang Qiao. "An An didn't used to be this stubborn."

Anyway, she was confident in herself. Lin He got up, looking down at Jiang Qiao. "We'll settle your account later!"

"An An loves the sweet and sour ribs I make. I'm going to cook."

With that, she headed for the kitchen, ignoring Jiang Qiao's sulking expression.

Jiang Qiao glared.

He, too, liked the sweet and sour ribs.

Lin He had once said that she was the one who loved him the most in the house. Clearly, that was a lie!

As Jiang Qiao had predicted, when Jiang An returned home, he didn't recognize Lin He. He still maintained his distant attitude, keeping everyone at arm's length.

Lin He wasn't upset. While working in the kitchen, she had prepared herself mentally, knowing her son needed time to adjust.

"An An, I made your favorite sweet and sour ribs!"

Lin He ignored his cold expression and cheerfully called him over to the dining table.

Jiang An stood still, motionless. "I want to talk to you alone."

Lin He blinked in surprise. Then, while taking off her apron and walking toward the sink, she said, "Okay, you go wait for me in the study. I'll come right over."

Jiang An nodded and made his way to the study.

Throughout the entire time, he never even glanced at Jiang Qiao sitting on the sofa in the living room, let alone greeting him.

Jiang Qiao wasn't surprised. He didn't think there was anything odd about it.

In the study,

Lin He and Jiang An sat facing each other.

"Why pretend to be so scared of bugs when you're not?"

Jiang An's question came out of nowhere.

Lin He laughed. "When you were five, you'd scream and jump three meters when you saw a bug. Back then, I thought, if any girl ever screamed at a bug, you couldn't just compete with her to see who could scream louder. My son had to be the hero saving the day."

"You'd pretend to be scared, and I'd stand in front of you and say, 'Mom, I'll protect you,' then I'd grab the bug and throw it away. During that time, I had Wang Ma put bugs in your path just so you could overcome your fear…"

Jiang An listened to Lin He's calm recounting, his rigid demeanor slowly softening.

The question had come from a memory.

When he was younger, he cried and demanded that all the bugs in the world should disappear. His mother had looked at him sadly and said, "What will you do when you fall in love one day?"

It clearly matched the memory.

Jiang An asked about many things from his childhood. Over the years, most of his memories of his mother had been fragmented, lacking context.

Hearing Lin He recounting these past events answered many of the questions lingering in his mind.

His mother's image became clearer, more vivid.

Of course, not everything was so clear. For some things Jiang An mentioned, Lin He couldn't remember them, and couldn't explain them either.

"An An, do you believe me now?"

Lin He unconsciously clasped her hands together, feeling nervous inside.

Jiang An pressed his lips together. "I don't know."

Lin He found a sense of stability in his answer. Her son was expressing his true feelings, and that meant he was beginning to accept her.

"I need more time to think. I'll… leave now."

With that, Jiang An hurried out of the study and the villa, as if afraid she might chase after him.

Jiang An had already started to faintly believe Lin He's identity, but he didn't know how to face it, how to approach her.

Should he act like his younger self and cling to his mother's leg for comfort? He couldn't bring himself to do it.

Fifteen years had passed, bringing with it too much unfamiliarity.

Jiang An's mind was in turmoil. He needed time to process it all.

Lin He understood her son, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

"Didn't work out?"

Jiang Qiao, who had been working on the phone in the balcony, walked over to Lin He. He noticed Jiang An had driven off.

"After fifteen years, it's normal for a child to be unable to immediately accept a mother who suddenly reappears, especially with a fantastical story. But it's not just about acceptance. They need a new way to relate to each other."

Lin He sighed. Her baby wasn't six anymore.

Jiang Qiao pulled Lin He into his arms, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. It's just a matter of time. An An will accept it sooner or later…"

Jiang Qiao pulled out a chair for Lin He to sit down, but as he turned to see the food on the table, his words faltered.

"Where are the sweet and sour ribs?!"

The maid, who had just brought in the last dish, explained, "I packed them for the young master and placed them in his car."

Lin He had a feeling her son wouldn't stay for dinner, so she had the chef pack the ribs into a container and put them in Jiang An's car.

She had good foresight.

Jiang Qiao let out an "oh" and smiled as he served Lin He some dishes and soup. On the surface, everything seemed fine, but inside, his little heart was already weeping and gnashing its teeth.

He should've stopped his son earlier!

Lin He noticed Jiang Qiao's mood and smiled slightly. Want to eat her cooking? Let's see how he behaves next time!