Chapter 1012: Lin Nuan Had a Bold Thought
He was wearing the shoes donated by others to the welfare center. He had clearly outgrown them, but he didn’t complain, wearing them despite the discomfort.
He never complained, making his bed even better than an adult would.
Lu Xiangsi’s parents saw countless strengths in this child.
On the third day, when the outcome of the paternity test was revealed, it indicated that this child had no blood ties to them. Lu Xiangsi’s father broke down.
He was a prideful grown man, yet he cried like a child in his wife’s arms!
After pondering for a day and a night, the two of them finally decided to bring Cen Mo back to the Lu family. They would announce that they had found their eldest son!
Old Master Lu’s condition was improving because he was about to see his grandson. If they were to tell Old Master Lu that the boy they found wasn’t his grandson, the elderly man wouldn’t be able to take the blow!
Moreover, despite having searched for such a long time, the family failed to find him. They had expended so much of their manpower, money, and resources, but most importantly, their hearts were tired from the search.
Lu Xiangsi’s father hesitated momentarily, then reminded Lu Xiangsi’s mother that once they announced that they had found their eldest son, they wouldn’t be able to look for their own child anymore.
Only then did Lu Xiangsi’s mother cry and tell Lu Xiangsi’s father that she had a premonition, one she had held for many years, that their son wouldn’t be coming back. She felt that they would no longer get to see their child in this lifetime…
The married couple that had been packing up to return home hugged and cried for a long time. They made up their minds to go to the US orphanage to adopt Cen Mo and take him back home. They told everyone that Cen Mo was their eldest son, and they were genuinely planning to raise him like he was their own.
They saw Old Master Lu and Old Madam Lu’s health improving by the day because of Cen Mo’s arrival, and Old Madam Lu even personally did the cooking for her grandson. Even the usually quiet Lu Xiangsi would stick around her older brother, and the warm and harmonious feeling of a family being together returned. The couple then truly regarded Cen Mo as their own blood.
After Lin Nuan listened to this story, her heart raced. She heard Song Yao ask her, “Nuan Nuan, tell me… how should I tell Cen Mo? All these years, Xiangsi has been a mental pillar of support for Cen Mo. If Cen Mo finds out he’s not a biological child of the Lus and that Xiangsi wasn’t his younger sister, do you think he…”
Song Yao halted in her speech.
Lin Nuan calmed down and said after a moment, “If you feel that you can’t tell him yourself, show the diary to Cen Mo. Rather than you recounting the words of Cen Mo’s mother… it would be far better for Cen Mo to experience his mother’s love for him in her exact words.”
Song Yao paused, enlightened.
Right, why did she have to say it herself? Why couldn’t she just show it to Cen Mo!
Wasn’t this more direct and real than her recounting it to him?
Song Yao thanked Lin Nuan, then quickly hung up.
Lin Nuan frowned. She clutched the phone in her hand and recalled Song Yao’s words… Found in an Alabama welfare center, and the child only remembered that his surname was Lu?
Lin Nuan had a bold thought, yet she felt it was preposterous.
Lin Nuan recalled what her mother said in the letter before pa.s.sing away, about her having an older brother who went missing!
Her older brother went missing in the US too. When he went missing, he was only two. At the age of two… would he remember his surname?
Lin Nuan had no idea!
For some reason, Cen Mo’s face with the maybe-smiling-maybe-not expression popped into her mind. She shook her head. She must have been overthinking! She and Cen Mo were really… not at all alike!
…
Wearing his Bluetooth earpiece, Cen Mo paced around the room with both hands in his pockets, listening to the meeting occurring on the other end. From time to time, he would raise questions in eloquent French.
Song Yao didn’t knock on the door. She stood outside the study holding Cen Mo’s mother’s diary, feeling perturbed.
Cen Mo’s vision swept over the door. He knew that Song Yao was outside. After abruptly ending the meeting, he opened the door.
Song Yao, who was standing outside with her head lowered, looked up in surprise.
“What’s the matter? You were standing out here for a long time!” Cen Mo led Song Yao into the room, then made her sit on the sofa.
Seeing Song Yao tightly clutching something to her chest as if it were a treasure, Cen Mo asked with a smile, “What treasure are you going to show me?”
Song Yao had found it difficult to raise the subject. Now that Cen Mo asked, it made things easier for her. She handed the diary to Cen Mo. “Mom’s diary.”
“Didn’t I ask you to keep it well? You read it?” Cen Mo’s eyes were smiling when he spoke, not looking angry at all.
“Mm, I read it, then I found out some things. I feel that you ought to read it too!” Song Yao decided to give Cen Mo some privacy, so she said, “You read it first, I… I’ll come back later!”
Song Yao merely said that much. She thrust the diary into Cen Mo’s arms, then left the study.
But Song Yao didn’t go far away. She merely stood outside the study, her heart beating hard.
With this huge secret revealed, she wondered how Cen Mo would react. Would he accept it calmly, or would he be unable to take it?
Song Yao decided to camp outside the study and wait to enter after Cen Mo finished reading it, to keep him company…
Cen Mo looked perplexed. He casually flipped it open and saw the paternity test inside.
Seeing the paternity test, Cen Mo paused in surprise.
His vision then fell upon the diary. That page recorded the incident where the Lus went to the welfare center in Alabama.
Cen Mo set down the paternity test in his hand and flipped through the pages with a dark expression.
Song Yao stood outside and estimated the time, then quietly pushed open the door, but she didn’t see Cen Mo on the sofa…
Right now, Cen Mo was standing before the French windows, lighting up a cigarette.
Hearing the door open, he turned around and glanced at Song Yao. He put out the cigarette and opened the window, telling her, “Don’t come in yet!”
She had no idea if it was because he was upset or because he had just smoked, but Cen Mo’s voice sounded abnormally raspy.
Song Yao obediently stood outside and gazed at Cen Mo. They were too far apart and separated by a layer of smoke, so she couldn’t see Cen Mo’s expression.
“Cen Mo…” Song Yao called out Cen Mo’s name softly.
Cen Mo revealed a smile at Song Yao and walked towards her. “It’s already time for your afternoon nap, why aren’t you resting?”
“I’m worried about you…” Song Yao circled her arms around Cen Mo’s narrow waist.
She looked up at Cen Mo, her eyes reddened. With his face so close, she could see the deep gaze in Cen Mo’s eyes. It was as if he hadn’t read the diary earlier.
“I’m fine!” Cen Mo reached out to stroke Song Yao’s head, pulling her into his embrace. “Is this what you were hiding from me?”
Song Yao nodded. “I had no idea how to tell you. I feared you wouldn’t be able to take it