Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chu You had just walked out of the supermarket when a man in a black business suit approached him respectfully and said, “Mr. Chu, my lady wishes to meet you.”

Looking warily at the tall stranger before him, Chu You asked, “Who is your lady?”

The man did not answer directly. Instead, he made an inviting gesture, his arm extending toward a café across the street. “Please, Mr. Chu, if you would accompany me to the café over there. My lady is waiting for you inside. Please believe me, we mean no harm.”

Chu You hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “Lead the way, then.”

The man escorted Chu You to a private room on the second floor of the café. As soon as Chu You entered, he saw a woman dressed in the elegant style of a society matron sitting by the window.

Her makeup was exquisite, her complexion clearly well cared for. Draped over her shoulders was a light gray wool shawl. A gentle smile rested on her face, yet Chu You could still sense a hint of formidable strength beneath her refined exterior.

When she saw Chu You enter, she rose from her seat. As he approached, she smiled and said, “Mr. Chu, please have a seat.”

Chu You nodded slightly, suspicion still in his eyes, and sat down opposite her.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Shen Yunduan,” she said calmly, her friendly smile unwavering. “I am Xiao Zhou’s mother. His father and I divorced when he was six. He stayed with his father, and I remarried. I have lived abroad all these years. I imagine Xiao Zhou has never mentioned to you that he has a mother.”

Chu You’s expression remained unreadable. “That doesn’t seem to have much to do with me.”

Shen Yunduan sighed softly. “Then I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve come to ask a favor of you, Mr. Chu. I know it’s abrupt, but if you’re willing to help me, I will do everything in my power to grant you a wish—money, status, whatever is within my means, I will do my utmost to fulfill it.”

Chu You’s cool gaze grew brighter. “At least let me know what it is.”

“I only hope you can persuade my son, Xiao Zhou, to return to England with me,” Shen Yunduan said, her expression dimming. Her voice was low. “He has always hated me for abandoning him and his father. He doesn’t even have the patience to speak to me, let alone see me. I’ve looked into his life—he’s been with you these past two years. I can sense he cares for you in a way he does for no one else. As his mother, I cannot move him, so I must come to the one person I believe can. Mr. Chu, I beg of you.”

“May I ask why he refuses to go back with you? Even if he resents you, you are still his biological mother—his only family in this world.”

“It’s not a story I’m proud of, and I can understand his feelings.” Shen Yunduan set down her coffee and gazed out the window, her expression complicated. “My husband has been comatose for nearly six months, and the doctors say he has no more than three months left. He is the chairman of the Maritime Trade Chamber of Commerce, with assets beyond estimation. Since his coma began, I have managed his affairs. I had no children after remarrying him, so his blood relatives have been pressuring me to relinquish the estate. I have no heirs, and as an outsider by name, those ravenous relatives will leave me almost nothing of the family fortune my husband and I built together over more than twenty years. I cannot accept that. They want to take it all as if it were nothing.”

“So you want your son to help you fight for the inheritance?”

“Yes.”

“Madam Shen, if I’m not mistaken, your son has no right to inherit your current husband’s estate, does he?”

“He does. In fact, he is the only legal heir. Actually…” Shen Yunduan took a deep breath and spoke softly, “Actually, Xiao Zhou is the biological son of myself and my current husband. It was a mistake I made over twenty years ago, before my first marriage ended. Neither of my husbands ever knew. Only after my ex-husband died did I quietly tell Xiao Zhou the truth. Xiao Zhou was always devoted to my ex-husband, so when he learned the secret, his hatred for me intensified. After my ex-husband’s fatal accident, I hoped Xiao Zhou would come back to his true family, but he would rather mix with a bunch of street toughs in V City than come to me. He once pounded the table in front of me and declared he would never forgive me for abandoning him and his father, nor would he ever acknowledge me as his mother.”

Tears shimmered in Shen Yunduan’s eyes. Chu You pulled out a tissue from the table and handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “Mr. Chu, please—I beg you. I have nowhere else to turn. I can tell Xiao Zhou likes you very much. If he agrees to return with me, I promise I will hold a wedding for you and him. I am an open-minded woman—I truly do not care about the gender of my son’s partner, as long as—”

“I’ll help you,” Chu You said calmly.

“Really?” Shen Yunduan was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you—thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, but as for the wedding, you may spare yourself. I do have one wish, though.”

“Please, name it.”

“Help me leave your son—put as much distance between us as possible. For that, I am willing to pay any price.”

(Yawn Bro: To be continued ~)