Chapter 25: Sever When It Must Be Severed

The woman's face froze completely; this time, she could no longer care about anything else and shook her head in disbelief. "No, that's impossible! They..."

"What could possibly be impossible?" Lu Sinian's voice held a cold sneer as he looked at the woman before him, his feelings a tangled mix of love and hate.

All these years, his obsession had driven him to search for her.

"Mom, please don't leave me again, all right? I can stand against the family. They can't do without me, and you won't have to live like you did before."

"No... Sinian, Mom can't ruin your future. Although I haven't been by your side all these years, you've grown up well, and you've become so successful. That makes me truly happy, I—"

Before she could finish, Lu Sinian interrupted, his voice suddenly grave. "Things aren't as simple as you think. The only reason I've come this far is because they couldn't have a second son. If there was even one more, do you really think it would be my turn?"

Watching the woman sink back into distress, Lu Sinian drew a deep breath and softened his tone. "You know about those two women he found afterwards. Both were socialites, perfect matches on paper, but both marriages ended in divorce because they couldn't bear a son."

It had been a long time since he had let such emotions show before anyone.

He had always maintained tight control, but the moment he saw his mother, he truly couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mom, I'm sorry..." The woman suddenly buried her face in her hands, crying again.

Lu Sinian sat beside her, unmoving, his expression growing more and more complex.

He exhaled slowly before speaking in a low voice, "Where are you living now?"

"I..." The woman hesitated, not daring to answer. Her place was too humble; she couldn't bring herself to let her son see it. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had lived comfortably all these years. She couldn't let him see such a shabby place.

"Take me there."

She immediately shook her head. "No, Sinian, not now. Even though you're now the head of Lu Corporation, you're still only the CEO, not the chairman. That position will always be your father's. If he finds out you're in contact with me again, and I haven't kept my promise, he'll be angry. It will affect you..."

"I said, nothing will happen."

His voice was especially heavy, his gaze unwavering as he looked at her.

But the woman grew even more uneasy.

The room fell into silence.

Lu Sinian was in no hurry to go to work; he simply continued to watch her.

...

At noon, Mu Yinyin had just finished work and was heading to lunch when her phone suddenly rang.

Seeing the caller ID, she paused, her expression tinged with complexity. This call gave her a sense of foreboding.

After hesitating for a moment, she answered.

"Grandma."

Grandma.

It wasn't her own grandmother, but Fu Siyue's.

If there was anyone in the Fu family who had truly treated her well, it was Grandma.

No matter what happened, Grandma always supported her unconditionally. She even spent much effort trying to mend things between her and Fu Siyue. In the past, Mu Yinyin had been deeply grateful, but now... things had changed, and she had failed to win over Fu Siyue in the end.

She hadn't told Grandma about the divorce, for fear it would break the old lady's heart.

But...

If this call was like all the others, she could only be truthful. As the saying goes, sometimes it's best to cut things off cleanly.

"Yinyin, what are you up to?"

"I'm just about to have lunch. Have you eaten?" As she spoke, Mu Yinyin walked outside.

"I've eaten, I've eaten," Liang Min replied, her voice especially gentle and kind. She laughed, "Yinyin, you haven't come to see Grandma in so long. Are you disappointed in me?"

Mu Yinyin's expression shifted, and she hurried to reassure her. "Of course not, Grandma. Please don't overthink it. I've just been busy lately and haven't found the chance to visit."

"You've been busy for over a month now. You haven't come to see Grandma in more than a month. Such an unfilial child," Liang Min said, her tone tinged with sadness. Though she called Mu Yinyin unfilial, there was no anger in her words, only hurt and hope.

She wanted to persuade her granddaughter to visit.

Liang Min's affection for Mu Yinyin was wholly genuine; she truly treated her as her own granddaughter. Mu Yinyin's eyes flickered with complicated feelings. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Then... I'll come see you tonight."

"Ah! That's more like it!" Liang Min's voice was thick with joy; her tone was lively, so different from a moment ago.

Mu Yinyin couldn't help but laugh. She knew this was Grandma's usual trick, but she didn't mind. She never thought there was anything wrong with Grandma. On the contrary, the old lady had given her the love of family all these years.

Even after breaking things off with Fu Siyue, she wouldn't cut ties with Grandma. The love and care over the years had made the old woman her real grandmother in her heart. She would naturally continue to be filial in the future.

Besides, this visit would also give her a chance to tell the old lady what had happened, so she could be mentally prepared. After all, it wasn't possible to keep the divorce from her forever. She would find out eventually, so it was better to tell her soon.

"Then I won't keep you, Yinyin. Go eat. Come have dinner here tonight. I'll have them make all your favorite dishes!" Even over the phone, Mu Yinyin could hear Grandma calling for the butler, instructing them on what to tell the cook to prepare.

A gentle warmth filled her heart. "All right."

Liang Min hung up right away, clearly off to give her orders.

Mu Yinyin stared at her phone, the caller ID still on the screen, a complicated look in her eyes. Tonight, Grandma would be so happy, but in the end, she might be disappointed...

Would Grandma also be disappointed in her?

Mu Yinyin let out a soft sigh and locked her phone. But just as she closed the office door, her phone rang again. She answered.

Before she could speak, Gu Xiaoqi's mysterious voice came through, "Babe! Come to my office! Come see what I’ve got for you!"

Mu Yinyin sounded curious. "What did you prepare?"

"Just come! You’ll see! Li Chuan and Boss Jiang are here too. You’re the only one missing!"

"Okay," Mu Yinyin replied, hanging up and turning right toward Gu Xiaoqi’s office.

As soon as she entered, she saw three people sitting in front of the sofa—Li Chuan and Gu Xiaoqi on one side, with Jiang Ling across from them. Several dishes sat on the coffee table, all seafood.

Mu Yinyin was surprised. "A seafood feast today?"

She went to wash her hands, then came out and sat beside Jiang Ling.

"Come, try it! This is from a new place! I thought it tasted great, so I bought some for you all to try!"