Chapter 61 - 1#
An autumn wind rose, scattering plane tree leaves across the ground.
The outer street of the old residential building had been uniformly renovated with wooden fixtures. A black sedan had long since occupied a diagonal parking spot, but the person inside showed no sign of getting out.
Chi Gui didn’t urge Jing Shun in the passenger seat; he quietly held his hand instead.
The heater was on low in the car, but Jing Shun’s hand was still cold.
Chi Gui silently rubbed his lover’s hand, trying to warm it. “Don’t push yourself. If you don’t want to go, we can go home.”
“…”
Jing Shun heard the worry hidden in his lover’s comforting words and smiled, his gaze still fixed outside the window—
Diagonally ahead of their parking spot was a small Hong Kong-style restaurant on the residential street. Through its glass doors and windows, he could see a woman in red at the last table, looking around expectantly.
Yesterday, Xu Jia, who hadn’t contacted him in a long time, suddenly sent Jing Shun a text message.
“Xiao Shun, are you free lately? Mom wants to see you.”
“…”
Jing Shun couldn’t even remember the last time he saw Xu Jia.
After the accident in his previous life, Xu Jia had visited him briefly, but each time she left in a hurry—
Either her current husband called to urge her home, or her youngest daughter’s tutoring class was about to end and she had to pick her up.
Later, Jing Shun moved out of that old house and into the new place Chi Sheng had arranged.
He had initially held out hope, sending Xu Jia his new address, but she only gave him empty promises: “Mom will visit you when she’s free,” which she never fulfilled.
After his rebirth, Jing Shun had never considered contacting Xu Jia. He was afraid of being disappointed again, so he chose to cut off those undeserved expectations.
Looking at the hand tightly held by Chi Gui, Jing Shun spoke his true feelings. “Chi Gui, I just don’t know how to face her.”
Compared to Jing Guanhai, who had long since given up on his fatherly duties, Xu Jia had indeed contributed more to Jing Shun—
She would accompany him to the set, watch him film, and wait for him to wrap up; she would prepare three meals a day tailored to his growth; she supported and nurtured his hobbies; and she helped manage all sorts of daily chores.
Even if this “effort” was ultimately for the sake of reaping “returns” from Jing Shun.
Xu Jia had a strong personality. She never allowed any agency to meddle in her son’s acting career, always insisting on controlling everything and everyone.
It was precisely because of this that she and Jing Guanhai drifted further apart and eventually went their separate ways.
Unlike Jing Guanhai, who cheated and had a child, Xu Jia had at least stayed with Jing Shun until he was fifteen or sixteen.
No child doesn’t crave maternal love, especially since Jing Shun had once been cherished in Xu Jia’s hands.
So when he received her invitation, Jing Shun couldn’t help but accept. But now that the moment had come, he hesitated, afraid to get out of the car.
Chi Gui keenly sensed Jing Shun’s emotions. “Shun Shun, what are you afraid of?”
Jing Shun took a deep breath, speaking uncertainly. “I’m afraid she doesn’t really miss me, but is after my value, just like Jing Guanhai.”
Now that Jing Shun had restarted his career, even if he wasn’t wildly famous, he had at least gained some popularity and attention.
He longed for the maternal love he had missed for years, but he was even more afraid of hearing words that would chill his heart from her.
Chi Gui unbuckled Jing Shun’s seatbelt and stroked the side of his neck. “Treat this as just an ordinary meeting, a goodbye to the past.”
“I’m here. No one will hurt you again.”
Chi Gui could see that Jing Shun still wanted to see Xu Jia; he was just afraid of being hurt by “family” once more.
His phone buzzed with a message from Xu Jia:
“Xiao Shun, Mom is already here. You should be on your way, right? Don’t rush, I’ll wait for you. Be careful on the road.”
“…”
Jing Shun heard Chi Gui’s encouragement and reassurance, then looked at Xu Jia, who had been waiting in the restaurant for almost half an hour. Finally, he made a decision.
“Chi Gui, I’ll go over now?”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” Chi Gui handed him his crutches from the back seat. “Take your time, walk slowly.”
This mother-son meeting wasn’t something Chi Gui could accompany him to.
“I’ll be waiting in the car for you, I won’t go anywhere. If anything unexpected happens, I’ll come find you right away, okay?”
“Okay.”
…
It was past the lunch rush, and the restaurant had no other customers. Jing Shun declined the waiter’s help and guidance, slowly walking toward the last table with his crutches.
Xu Jia, who had been looking down at her phone, immediately looked up when she heard movement.
“…”
After years of not seeing each other, Xu Jia’s appearance had changed slightly. Those once bright and beautiful peach blossom eyes were a little duller, and the corners seemed to have gained some traces of time.
But she was still the same as before—loving to wear bright colors, loving to put on delicate makeup, and maintaining her figure well.
Jing Shun had always thought since childhood that his mother’s looks surpassed many female celebrities in the entertainment industry; she just lacked the luck to land good roles.
Mother and son met after a long time, but the atmosphere was unexpectedly awkward.
Jing Shun stood just a step away from Xu Jia, gripping his crutches a bit stiffly. “Hello.”
“…”
Hearing this distant greeting, Xu Jia’s tears immediately welled up.
What child meeting their mother for the first time would address her with " you " (formal ‘you’) instead of “Mom”?
She quickly wiped her tears with her fingers and stood up to welcome him. “Xiao Shun, you, you’re here! Come, sit down, let’s talk.”
She even circled around the table, wanting to help Jing Shun.
“…”
Jing Shun silently avoided her help and sat down.
Xu Jia’s outstretched hand stopped in mid-air, and she withdrew it after a beat. “Was there traffic on the way?”
Jing Shun set his crutches aside. “Sorry, I’m a bit late.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re not late. I’m just happy you were willing to come see Mom.” Xu Jia deliberately used the title “Mom,” trying to close the distance between them.
Jing Shun remained silent, not responding for now.
Xu Jia sat back down, asked the waiter to bring the dishes, and poured Jing Shun a glass of warm lemon water before finding a topic. “Xiao Shun, do you still remember this place?”
“The owner renovated it; the menu has been upgraded. I ordered a few dishes you liked as a child. Do you want to look at the menu and add anything?”
This restaurant wasn’t far from the old Jing family house.
Jing Shun used to love the red bean double-skin milk here, but Xu Jia never let him have too much.
Only after finishing filming or exams would she agree to buy him Hong Kong-style dishes and desserts from this place as a reward.
Jing Shun pulled himself out of the memories, controlling his emotions. “Did you need to see me about something important?”
“…”
Hearing his still-distant address, Xu Jia felt a pang of sadness.
She sighed softly. “Xiao Shun, Mom doesn’t mean anything else, and I don’t have any urgent matters that need your help. I just missed you and wanted to see you again.”
“I went back to the old neighborhood yesterday and only learned from the security guard that you’ve moved out for a while.”
Jing Shun hadn’t sent Xu Jia his new address.
“I didn’t know where to find you, so I sent you that message.” Xu Jia explained the situation and added cautiously, “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
Jing Shun took a small sip of lemon water. “You didn’t disturb me.”
Observing that Jing Shun seemed less tense than when he first came in, Xu Jia also breathed a sigh of relief.
“Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Lately, I’ve been dreaming a lot about you as a child, and also about your father…”
She trailed off, looking at Jing Shun hesitantly, then asked tentatively, “I heard recently that Jing Guanhai was arrested by the police?”
“Mm.”
Jing Shun replied, “I reported him.”
Meeting Xu Jia’s eyes, he added with a hint of unconscious deliberate coldness, “He and his wife had their eyes on my surgery fees and wanted to squeeze every last bit of value out of me.”
“I won’t let a couple like that get away with it.”
“…”
Xu Jia saw the coldness in Jing Shun’s eyes and went along with him. “Yes, you did the right thing! Jing Guanhai has no conscience!”
As she spoke, obvious guilt appeared on her face. “Xiao Shun, Mom knows it was always me and your father who let you down.”
“You’ve suffered alone all these years.”
“At the time, I really did want to keep you by my side and take care of you, but my health just couldn’t handle it.”
Back then, Xu Jia had given birth to a daughter with her second husband.
However, her postpartum body had been very weak, and it took years of recuperation before she improved a little.
“When you had that accident last year, Uncle Yan lost a lot of money due to a failed investment. He and I were constantly arguing, and people were coming to our door to collect debts.”
“We had to move twice. Mom simply couldn’t take care of herself, let alone have any free time.”
“…”
This was the first time Jing Shun had heard these “details,” and he didn’t comment.
The waiter came over and served all the dishes at once.
“Oh, your Uncle Yan and I have gotten through that difficult period now. I didn’t come to see you for any other reason today; I just wanted to have a simple chat.”
Afraid Jing Shun would misunderstand, Xu Jia quickly changed the subject. “Xiao Shun, try it. Does this place still taste the same as before?”
As she spoke, she took out the lunchbox she had brought. “I remember you used to love Mom’s sweet-and-sour pork, white-cut chicken, and oil-braised shrimp.”
“I made them for you today too.”
Xu Jia placed the small bowls one by one in front of Jing Shun, a gesture of appeasement and anticipation. “I haven’t made these three dishes in a long time. If you don’t mind, try them?”
The familiar food appeared again, its aroma unchanged.
Jing Shun stared at the three dishes, but instead of recalling his childhood, his mind wandered slightly—
He thought of the late-night talk he had with Chi Gui not long ago, where the other had mentioned a pig trotter he couldn’t eat as a child but craved endlessly.
Even though there was no direct connection, at that moment, Jing Shun couldn’t help but think of his lover waiting in the car.
He unconsciously curved his lips, picked up his chopsticks, and politely took a bite of the sweet-and-sour pork.
Xu Jia noticed his shift in mood. “Xiao Shun, how is it?”
It tasted almost the same as in his childhood.
The barrier in Jing Shun’s heart loosened a little. He looked up and said, “It’s still good. Thank you.”
“What’s there to thank? If it’s good, eat more!”
Xu Jia smiled too and quickly said, “Whenever you want, Mom can make it for you often. How about that?”
Jing Shun didn’t agree, but he took another bite of the sweet-and-sour pork.
Seeing his silence, Xu Jia didn’t lose heart.
Using clean chopsticks, she put a few more pieces into his bowl and started chatting about everyday matters. “Xiao Shun, where are you living now? Are you still alone? Is life inconvenient for you?”