Slap!
"Unbelievable!"
"Sorry ma'am. We've tried our best. But we failed to find them."
"I told you to find that shameless woman and her child. It's not a government secret. Isn't that even possible? You can't even do an easy job!"
She said angrily. Her eyes widened as she stared at the faces of her servants.
"But ma'am.."
"Enough! I don't want to hear any excuses!"
She said. She let out a heavy sigh. Sitting down with her legs crossed.
Flick!
She snapped her fingers. A woman in a coat with sunglasses came and handed her a cigarette. She took a cigarette and put it between her red lips. The woman take a lighter and lit the cigarette. She took a deep breath and blew the smoke into the air.
"I'm giving you both one last chance. If you fail again... I want your lives in return."
She said as she threw the cigarette at their faces.
"Now go! Looking at the both of your faces makes me nauseous."
She said. The two servants quickly got up and ran out. Continuing the mission that would determine their lives and deaths.
"A Da... I've been looking for you for sixteen years! Where have you been hiding? My dear little sister."
She said as she smashed the ashtray to the floor.
"Rosy!"
She called her trusted servant.
"Yes, ma'am."
The woman in the coat and sunglasses answered before she signaling the maid to clean up the mess before their young master come back.
"What time will my son be back?"
She asked while adjusting the makeup on her face.
"He's almost here, ma'am."
Rosy answered. She nodded as she spraying her favourite perfume on her to eliminate the cigarette smells.
"Everyone get out! Yiran is about to arrive. I don't want him to suspect anything."
She said while adjusting the seat of her shirt. She had to look perfect as a good mother in her son's eyes.
In less than five minutes, the main door opened.
"Mom. I am back."
Zhang Yiran entered. A smile appeared on his face. Gently.
"My dear son..."
Li Yue quickly walked to get her son. A sweet smile appeared on her lips. Sweet. Her face was soft. Not like before. Totally changed into a different person.
"Is my son doing well?"
Li Yue asked while observing her son. Zhang Yiran nodded.
"I told you. Don't stay in the dorm. Look..."
Li Yue looked Zhang Yiran up and down.
"You're already this thin..."
She said while her son tightly.
"Mom, you promised you wouldn't bring this up again."
Zhang Yiran said pretending to be sulking.
"Ohhh... Okay. Okay. I was wrong. I'm sorry."
Li Yue said. Zhang Yiran nodded.
"Have you been eaten? Let's have dinner together."
Li Yue said while rubbing her stomach. Pretending to be hungry.
"Sorry mom. I already eaten."
Zhang Yiran replied.
"Hmmm..."
Li Yue pretended to be sullen.
"Tomorrow we'll eat together. Okay mom? I'm tired. Let me go to the room and rest first, please...?"
Zhang Yiran said. He act as tired as someone who just came back from far far away.
"Okay. Okay. Go and rest."
Li Yue finally gave in. Because she knew what she would go through if she insisted on forcing her son.
"I have to quickly eliminate that shameless woman and her son before she shows up to take Yiran's rights."
***
Zhang Yiran went into his room. He locked the door tightly. He quickly took out his phone.
We need to changed the plans. We had to find the two of them quickly before my mom found them.
The message was sent. The complaint was released. He picked up his phone again. He quickly typed.
Papa, hurry up do something before mom found Aunt Da and Yaya.
Send.
He had promised his papa that he would help in finding his mama and stepbrother. He knew how much his papa loved them both. And he also knew how vile his mother was.
He had to save his mother from continuing to wallow in sin. And he knew that he had to act as quickly as possible. The key was his aunt and younger brother. Finding them before his mother did was the safest way.
Zhang Yiran opened his wallet. Behind the happy picture of his family was a happy picture of his papa's family.
Zhang Yiran looked at each face. Aunt Da's face with a sweet smile. Also the cute face of little Yaya. They had met once. Only once. But he could feel how warm the family was. Far different from his family that was only warm in the lens but cold in the days that passed.
His mom was too obsessed with his papa. That all. And he was just the rope that tied them together. And he can't fail. His mom would punish him every time he failed
But now he had to control his mom's madness. If punishing his mom was necessary to stop her, he was willing. As long as his mom stopped hurting the people around him and himself.
"But...how can I find them with just this?"
Zhang Yiran saved the picture of his aunt and little brother. He closed his eyes. Trying to calm his heart that was starting to wavering.
Suddenly, Lulu's face appeared in his mind's eye. Zhang Yiran opened his eyes. He quickly took out the picture that he had saved neatly earlier.
"Could it be that Lulu and Yaya are the same person?"
Zhang Yiran made his own assumption. After observing it closely, their smiles looked similar. Only their skin color made them look different.
"I have to investigate this."
Zhang Yiran saved the picture again.
***
"Mom. Let have breakfast together."
Zhang Yiran greeted his mother at the dining table that morning with a smile.
"Why is my son so good today? Is there anything good happens?"
Li Yue asked in puzzled.
"No mom. I just want to have a breakfast with you mom?"
Zhang Yiran said as he stand from his seat and greeted his mother. Pulled a chair and served breakfast for her.
"What do you want? Tell me now.."
Li Yue asked while giving his son side eyes. Zhang Yiran grinned.
"How does you know this? Hehehe..."
Zhang Yiran asked while gently massaging his mother's hand.
"Who was give birth to you?"
Li Yue asked.
"Of course you mom."
Zhang Yiran replied. Still grinning.
"As a mother, I know what's in your head."
Li Yue said while pointing at Zhang Yiran's head. Zhang Yiran's smile died right away. "No mom. You doesn't know exactly what I wants. Because to you... I am just a tool, I'm not your son." Zhang Yiran's heart began to feel melancholy.
"Mom..."
Zhang Yiran said after a long pause. Pretended to sulk. He sat with a sad face.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry."
Li Yue stroked her son's hair. It turns out that his son has grown up.
"Now tell me, what you wants."
Li Yue said. Zhang Yiran rise his head. Grinning.
"Hehehe... Are you free next week...how about we go on vacation?"
Zhang Yiran gave a suggestion while raising his eyebrows again and again. Li Yue looked deeply into Zhang Yiran's face. His son never invited her on vacation. What was her son trying to hide.
"You never invites me on vacation. Even if I the one who invites, you always refuses. What does you really want?"
Li Yue asked, trying to dig up the secret. Zhang Yiran got up from his seat. He walked behind his mom and gently massaged his mom's shoulder.
"There's a surprise for you. Okay? Do you agrees?"
He whispered and went back to the room. In the end, that morning they didn't even have breakfast together.
Li Yue went silent. She felt something strange. But she just brushed that feeling aside. Her curiosity about the surprise her son meant was more pressing on her mother soul.