Chapter 101#
“Yunchen, why are you crying?”#
Jiang Yunhan’s eyes were rimmed with red as he watched Jian Yunchen climb in through the window. Tears had already begun to flow slowly down his cheeks.
A layer of moisture clung to his honey-brown eyes, looking exceptionally dazzling under the sunlight.
His only request had been the hope of seeing Jian Xin one last time.
Thus, they had staged this clandestine operation.
Jian Yun沉 (Yunchen) slowly turned his gaze toward the woman lying on the bed.
She looked much better than before; there was even a slight flush to her complexion, unlike the paper-white pallor she’d had previously, looking as if she might dissipate at any moment.
The woman frowned slightly and, at that moment, actually opened her eyes.
Jian Yunchen subconsciously tensed his jaw and pulled Jiang Yunhan back a step.
The expected madness and struggle did not occur. The woman slowly opened her eyes and moved her wrists slightly, the iron chains letting out a dull, heavy clink. She blinked her eyelashes somewhat in confusion, yet she remained quiet and gentle throughout, without a trace of her former frenzy.
Jiang Yunhan broke free from Yunchen’s arm and took a step forward, leaning over the woman’s bedside. His falling tears landed on the pure white sheets, blooming into dark water stains. With a trembling voice, he softly called out:
“Mom…”
However, the moment Jian Xin saw Jiang Yunhan’s face clearly, her expression changed drastically. The confusion and innocence in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by panic and rejection. She pushed Jiang Yunhan away with her hand, the iron chains striking him and causing him to stagger back several steps.
Jiang Yunhan froze in place, unable to understand why the woman who had seemed fine just a second ago would change her face upon seeing him.
Seeing this scene, Jian Yunchen’s gaze gradually turned cold, and he couldn’t help but let out a mocking sneer.
But he didn’t expect the woman’s frantic voice to ring out in the next instant:
“Yunchen! Yunchen, where are you? Who is he?!”
The sneer that Jian Yunchen hadn’t quite finished forming froze on his face.
The woman looked around frantically until she finally spotted Jian Yunchen. A look of fearful fragility appeared on her pale face as she reached out a hand toward him. That gaunt, pale hand hung in mid-air, desperately seeking a bit of solace.
Jian Xin furrowed her brows in pain, her voice hoarse as she softly called his name: “Yunchen, Yunchen…”
His body moved before his mind could catch up; Jian Yunchen stepped forward and grabbed the woman’s hand.
It was different from his memory.
Cold, withered.
Yet, it was exactly like his memory—
Clutching his hand tightly.
Jian Xin pulled at Jian Yunchen. She didn’t even have enough strength to support herself into a sitting position, so she could only try her best to huddle closer to him, her words jumbled.
“Why am I here… Xiao Chen, my whole body hurts. Xiao Chen, who is that person… why did he call me mother…”
“I don’t know him…”
Jian Yunchen opened his mouth, but his throat felt as if it were blocked by an invisible mist; he couldn’t say a single word.
He could only grip the withered hand in his palm tighter and tighter.
Jian Xin looked up at him and suddenly froze. Her grip loosened as she strained to reach her arm out toward him.
Watching her movements, Jian Yunchen leaned down slightly, and those hands finally achieved their goal, touching his cheek.
Her cool fingertips wiped at him gently. Jian Yunchen stared at the woman’s movements without blinking; her face was inches away, her features filled with a gentleness that was both familiar and strange to him.
The woman frowned slightly, her tone weak:
“Yunchen, why are you crying?”
Hearing her words, Jian Yunchen was stunned.
Crying…?
His eyes were wide open, yet tears were unconsciously streaming down.
The tears were gently wiped away, but they surged out uncontrollably in increasing amounts.
His fingertips trembled slightly as he pressed against Jian Xin’s hand, his cheek uncontrollably nuzzling into her palm. As the tears continued to pour out, the woman’s worried face slowly became blurred in his vision.
Jian Yunchen was finally able to speak, softly whispering a single word:
“Mom?”
Jian Xin knit her brows slightly, gently wiping his tears and responding softly.
The woman’s gentle voice carried a hint of raspiness, and she seemed utterly perplexed: “Yunchen… why am I here? Where is this place?”
Jian Yunchen’s spine went rigid. As his tears fell onto the woman’s palm, he looked into her eyes and found he didn’t know how to answer.
At that moment, Jiang Yunhan suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Jian Yunchen’s arm. He was also crying, his eyes rimmed with red and his voice shaking as he demanded: “This was all Dad’s doing, wasn’t it? It was him… who… locked your mother in here?!”
Jian Yunchen looked at his collapsing face, opened his mouth, and closed it again.
He shook his head slightly, but no words came out; he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to retreat.
But Jiang Yunhan’s grip was so strong, clutching him tightly, refusing to let him back away even an inch.
The expression in Yunhan’s eyes became more and more pained, tears falling. “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Chen. I will get your mother out of here. We’re going to find him right now!”
Jian Yunchen shook his head repeatedly, trying to shake off his hand.
Jiang Yunhan frowned deeply, assuming Jian Yunchen was simply acting out of fear of Jiang Sheng’s intimidation. He consoled him: “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Chen. We’ll go find him together. I will definitely get your mother out. You have to believe me!”
Jian Xin struggled to pull his hand away, pulling Jian Yunchen to her side. She looked at Jiang Yunhan warily, her voice weak but guarded: “Who are you? And who is your father? Was it he who locked me up? Why?”
“You… why do you look so much like Yunchen?”
Jiang Yunhan sniffled and looked at her with a mournful gaze.
“I am Jiang Yunhan. My father is—”
“Jiang Sheng.”
Upon hearing those two names, Jian Xin’s face went blank for a moment. Her chaotic memories weren’t enough for her to remember things from so long ago.
She turned to look at Jian Yunchen, instinctively casting a gaze that looked like a plea for help.
Jian Yunchen’s heart felt as though it were being kneaded by an invisible giant hand, aching with a bitter soreness. His trembling fingers took her hand.
He tried his best to steady the trembling in his voice:
“Mom, don’t worry. You’re just sick and are temporarily here to be treated. It’s normal that you forgot what happened before; it’s the effect of the medicine. Don’t worry, no one is locking you up.”
The woman instinctively looked at the iron chains on her wrists.
Jian Yunchen gave a comforting smile: “These are just so you don’t accidentally hurt yourself. Be good, listen to the doctors here, and once you’re better, I’ll take you home, okay?”
Jian Xin’s furrowed brow finally relaxed.
Having been awake for so long, her mind was already beginning to fatigue. Before long, she fell into a deep sleep.
Jian Yunchen tucked in the corners of her blanket and looked down quietly at the woman’s sleeping face.
Jiang Yunhan gripped his arm so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
His voice was trembling, yet exceptionally determined:
“Xiao Chen, let’s go find Dad. I will definitely get your mother out.”
Jian Yunchen’s gaze fell on those white knuckles, then slowly slid up to meet that determined gaze. After a long silence of eye contact…
He softly replied with a single word: “Okay.”
Jiang Yunhan aggressively dragged Jian Yunchen by the hand, heading straight for Jiang Sheng’s study.
His face, covered in tear tracks, intimidated the servants; no one dared ask what had happened.
When the door was pushed open, Jiang Sheng was sitting in his chair, processing unfinished business.
He looked up to see Jiang Yunhan’s face, which had clearly just been crying.
Before he even had a chance to ask…
In the next instant, Jiang Yunhan’s interrogation reached his ears.
“Dad! How could you lock Xiao Chen’s mom up?! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?!”
Jiang Sheng’s fingers paused.
He looked at Jiang Yunhan’s pained expression, which was filled with obvious accusation.
As if his father were some kind of irredeemable villain.
His gaze swept past Jiang Yunhan to the person behind him. Jian Yunchen’s head was slightly lowered, his features hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to discern his true expression.
Jiang Sheng slowly let out a cold laugh, a clear look of mockery surfacing in his eyes:
“Jian Yunchen, why don’t you tell him… exactly who it is that is keeping Jian Xin locked up?”