Free Web NovelChapter 26: It’s a he
Lu Anu looked at her son’s expression and her eyes narrowed. She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen that look on her son’s face. He always had a face carved in discipline, something he had picked up from his father. Thus, she wouldn’t pass up this rare occurrence. She asked, "What happened last night? You aren’t the type to drink too much, so what’s going on?"
Yu Wen didn’t want to talk about it, especially with his mother. He said, "It’s nothing, I just overslept."
She knew he was lying but didn’t expose him immediately. She took a step forward and asked, "What happened to your neck?"
Yu Wen couldn’t possibly tell her that he had been bitten by Li Jun; instead, he said, "I got hurt during a raid." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Lu Anu could tell he was hiding something. Who in the world would have the balls to hurt the leader of Red Valkyrie unless they had a death wish? She said, "Let me take a look," reaching with her fingers to peel the bandage off, but Yu Wen dodged.
He said, "It’s really nothing. It’s just a minor injury. You must be hungry. Let’s eat breakfast," trying to divert her attention. But he had underestimated his mother’s determination.
She wouldn’t be able to get answers from him, so he looked at the weakest link, Alex. Alex was fully aware that he was not her match, looked away and pretended to admire the ceiling.
Yu Wen followed her gaze. He knew that one glare from her and Alex would be singing like a bird. He stood in front of Alex, blocking her view and said, "Mother, let’s eat. You sit here and I will bring the dishes."
He walked towards the kitchen but when he saw his mother’s grin, he realized his mistake. He couldn’t leave the two of them alone, so he said, "Alex, come help me."
Lu Anu’s face sank and she retorted, "You don’t need two people to do that." Alex didn’t need to be told twice. With a sigh of relief, he followed behind him. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he was afraid of Lu Anu.
Within minutes, they were seated having breakfast. Yu Wen was hungrier than usual, so he ate way more. His mother, being familiar with his habits, watched him eat, her senses tingling.
She suddenly said, "The imperial queen invited me to her palace for breakfast," her gaze fixed on him as if she didn’t want to miss the slightest change in his expression. She continued saying, "She said you and the princess have something going on."
Yu Wen’s spoon froze mid-air and he suddenly lost his appetite. Using the napkin, he wiped his lips and asked, "Since when did you two get that close? If you wanted to know anything, you should ask me."
Lu Anu poked his arm with a spoon and said, "You would tell me? What a joke. If someone else didn’t tell me things about you or if I didn’t go on Starnet, how would I know anything? When I ask you, you always say I am fine and there is nothing to tell."
After she said that, Alex knew he shouldn’t be hearing this, so he said, "Thank you for breakfast. The food was good, Madam Lu. I should be heading out." He got up to leave but Lu Anu stopped him, saying,
"No, you stay. I will leave. He doesn’t even consider me his mother anymore." She went in straight for the jugular, using emotional blackmail as a knife. For a second, Alex didn’t know what to do but Yu Wen’s gaze gave him the answer.
Alex said, "Farewell, madam," before hurrying out. The pair of mother and son stared at each other for a second.
Lu Anu asked, "Do you like her?"
Yu Wen didn’t like her in the way his mother was asking. Before last night’s incident, he was considering marrying her but now... that was completely off the table. He had just slept with her half-brother, so what would it look like if he married her? He shook his head no in response.
His mother sighed and said, "Her mother seems to think so. When I arrived at the palace, Li Yu was still asleep, so she led me to her bedroom. I didn’t expect to see the poor young woman passed out on the bed, having drunk herself into a stupor. Did you reject her?"
Yu Wen furrowed his brows. None of Xiu Ying’s actions made sense. Her leaving them alone last night didn’t strike him as odd. But everything she did after that now made it seem suspicious.
Why invite his mother for breakfast when they have never said three words to each other? Why would she tell him that he was interested in Li Yu when he had never expressed his intentions? Why bring his mother to Li Yu’s bedroom? It wasn’t a rule but it seemed very inappropriate. What had Xiu Ying been hoping to achieve?
Her series of behaviors could only be explained if he was drugged and she had brought his mother to catch them in the act. Given his type of personality, he would take responsibility and marry her. What would Xiu Ying benefit from this marriage? Well, that was obvious. She would get Red Valkyrie’s undying loyalty.
Yu Wen was so busy putting the pieces together that he didn’t notice his mother inching closer. Lu Anu saw something like a rash peeking through Yu Wen’s shirt. Thinking his allergies were flaring up again, she drew closer to take a look. She tugged at the collar and her eyes widened. "You have a girlfriend?" she asked.
"Huh?" he said absentmindedly, only to notice his mother looking at the hickeys Li Jun left on him. "Mum!" he said as he got up in a hurry.
Lu Anu almost tripped but she wasn’t mad at her son’s overreaction. She was happy. Very happy. Her son, who lived like a monk and always walked around with a tense face as if someone owed him millions, had finally eaten meat. How could she not be happy? "Why are you acting so embarrassed. You are an adult and it’s normal to do such things."
Yu Wen picked up the empty bowls and rushed to the kitchen, trying to get away from her. His mother followed, asking, "I know you are not a casual person. So, who is she?"
He was planning on dismissing the subject, but he thought that if he told her that it was a man he had slept with, his mother would let the matter go and never ask him about getting married again. While placing the dishes in the sink, he finally replied, "It’s a he."
