Chapter 852: Unt.i.tled

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ye Ningyuan walked on the streets of Mexico City alone. He had been pondering upon one statement: The living could never out-compete the dead. Is that really true? He, for once, hesitated.

Having cooped up in his room for many days, heading out for a walk was certainly uplifting.

Ye Ningyuan sat down in a park, looked at the time, and called Cheng Anya. His mommy, with her consistent cheerful tone, picked up the call. “Baby! It’s so rare for you to look for Mommy at this time. Do you need a listening ear?”

“Mommy, I might have taken a liking to somebody.” Ye Ningyuan cut to the chase.

Guan Rutong handed a doc.u.ment for Cheng Anya to sign, but Cheng Anya gestured to Guan Rutong to pa.s.s it to Ye Chen instead. Cheng Anya leaned back into her seat and smiled. “That’s good. Is she An Xunuo?”

Ye Ningyuan was taken aback. How did everybody know that he liked An Xunuo, and he was the last to know? This was indeed baffling. Ye Ningyuan smiled and said, “Mommy, you are as wise as always.”

“How could I not guess what’s on your mind? Save the c.r.a.p though. When are you marrying her?” Cheng Anya felt that it’d be better if the issue was speedily resolved, not allowing her son to hesitate lest she lost her future daughter-in-law. Her son, for all one knew, just had that one chance.

“Mommy, how do you make it so cut and dried like chopping Chinese cabbage?” Ye Ningyuan broke into laughter.

Cheng Anya was slightly bewildered. “Huh, doesn’t this sound like how you’re crus.h.i.+ng on somebody but she does not like you? Dear son, lacking charisma is very embarra.s.sing. How about you return and learn a thing or two from your old man before you flirt? That will work.”

“Haha, enough. You are the only person who can stand Daddy’s moves.” Ye Ningyuan broke into laughter. Regardless of how he felt, he was very relaxed whenever he chatted with Cheng Anya in what could have been a childhood habit. Ye Ningyuan was wondering whether he still had a thing or two for his mother. But that said, how could the person he fancied be so different from his mother?

“Back when you left, your old man even said that we are going to have a wedding soon. I never thought that he would be so spot-on. In his past life, he must have had everything worked out for him to the point he was spot-on about his son. How promising indeed.” Cheng Anya could not help but make fun of Ye Ningyuan. Ye Ningyuan was exceptionally speechless. ‘Daddy, you’re good!’ He still did not have feelings for An Xunuo then.

How spot-on indeed.

“I’ve heard about what happened in London, and her arrest warrant has yet to be revoked as the case seems to be in progress. Is she with you?”

“No. They can do whatever they want in London, but they will never catch Xunuo. Since she did not kidnap Xu Xing, Xu Mingyang might just show her mercy and you can expect the chaos to quell in a month or two’s time. As for the arrest warrant, unless the case is overturned, it cannot be revoked. Since they can’t arrest her, that makes no difference,” Ye Ningyuan plainly said. “Mommy, how do you find her?”

“You’re marrying your wife, and that’s not me marrying my husband. So why the question? Whatever floats your boat then.” Cheng Anya smiled. “She is fine. While she does not look the most adorable or is the easiest to live with, she is actually quite adorable when you get to interact with her. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and I prefer somebody like Hailan…”

“…I am quite immune to her. Mommy, you sure are not allowing others to reap the good from your family,” Ye Ningyuan said.

“It’s a must.”

Ye Ningyuan stroked his forehead. “Oh yes, Hailan’s birthday is approaching. Is she still at Kaka’s place?”

“Yes, she is enjoying it so much she has forgotten about home.”

Ye Ningyuan smiled and talked about how things were at home. “Since you’ve finally called, please don’t tell me anything. Dear baby, is there anything that’s troubling you? You said that you like her and my son is so… This la.s.s is… Chances are that you two are interested in each other and it’s no longer unrequited feelings.”

“You are definitely extremely self-confident. So, what’s this call about?”

“Well, An Xunuo loves to challenge people like how you challenge the limits of what it means to be human. I think she’s really willing.”

“…Mommy, is that a praise or criticism?” Ye Ningyuan said.

Cheng Anya coughed and smiled as she had tea.

“Mommy, I’ve a very serious question for you.” Ye Ningyuan asked, “If Daddy dies, would you remarry?”

Cheng Anya slowly put down her teacup. “This is indeed a very serious question. If your daddy does, and somebody who’s head over heels for me gives me a reason to feel that I’m still alive and makes me happy, I might consider remarrying. There is, after all, no writing that stipulates that you can only love once in your life. If somebody is able to stir my heart, make me happy, and we are mutually interested in each other, I will consider it. Baby, care for the person before you and let the past be.”

“I can’t let go of the past.”

“n.o.body told you to let go of the past. In my earlier example, I said that your daddy had died and I met somebody whom I liked. Me liking him has no conflict with me liking your daddy. That’s life, really. When somebody is with you for that part of your life and no longer accompanies you any further, said person will definitely hope that there will be someone else to accompany you. Parting ways is inevitable, and there is nothing you can do about it. The memories from it may accompany you, and you will not be alone. Keeping her at the deepest parts of your heart and reminiscing her once in a while works too. She once gave you happiness, and all you have to do is to really remember it. Baby, you have not let anybody down. Xu Nuo protected you for those few days, and you missed her for over a decade. I feel that is enough. Since you like An Xunuo, love her with all your heart and do not make things too difficult for yourself. You still have a long way to go, and you have the right to your happiness. Why allow it all to slip past in vain?”

Ye Ningyuan listened quietly while holding the ring tightly. His eyes burned with a slight ache. This was the first time Cheng Anya raised the matter about Xu Nuo to him, and it was the first time she made it very clear.

“Dear Ning Ning, Mommy has no intention to raise the whole issue about Xu Nuo to you as it is your choice, after all. As long as you are willing, Mommy has no opinion on it. Whatever choice you make, you have to bear whatever loneliness that arises from it willingly. As parents, there is only so much we can bother about you. If you always encounter people you do not like, Mommy would not tell you these and you would just live in your own world for the rest of your life and accompany your Xu Nuo. While you may feel happy, other people would feel sad for you. While that can do, why aren’t you taking that step out when you’ve encountered somebody who likes you? Mommy doesn’t know Xu Nuo, but I know that somebody whom my son remembers for so many years must be a good girl who would wish you happiness. Since she can’t be with you, she would definitely hope that somebody else could replace her and be with you.”

Ye Ningyuan pondered deeply for a moment. After a moment, he said, “I never believed that she died, and part of me wished it was all a dream. When I went to Paradise Island, somebody pa.s.sed me a ring and I was told that it contained her ashes. I wanted to kill him in that moment for extinguis.h.i.+ng all that hope in me. I must have been nuts to entertain such terrible thoughts. Mommy, I’m sorry that I’ve left you so worried for so long.”

“I’m not worried at all. I am more worried for Feimo rather than you. Aye, what wrong I have done that each of my sons becomes more bizarre?” Cheng Anya was lost in tears. “That said, is our family’s DNA so twisted? You must have daughters and not sons next time.”

“Mommy, are you sure that your daughters will be normal?” Ye Ningyuan asked feebly.

Cheng Anya thought about Hailan and Wushuang, and she was even more lost in tears. Very well then, even the daughters were no less normal. All that said, Ning Ning was seemingly the most normal. If taking a liking to Ning Ning is akin to challenging the limits of mankind, then those who liked Hailan and Feimo were… challenging the limits of the universe?

“It’s still better not to have children.” Cheng Anya eventually reached this conclusion.

“Mommy is wise.”

Cheng Anya gently smiled. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better.” His mommy was a genius.

“Since you are feeling much better, just go ahead and flirt then. Once you’ve got your hands on a girl, do bring her home. I should say that An Xunuo’s character is a tad twisted and she’s not particularly easy to pursue. You’ll have to ask your daddy about this. If that doesn’t help, I’m afraid all is set in stone,” Cheng Anya plainly replied.

“Mommy…” Ye Ningyuan’s phantom-like voice came over the phone. “What kind of voice is this? Is everything really set in stone?” Cheng Anya said disapprovingly.

“Almost.”

“How incompetent!”

Ye Ningyuan was lost for words.

Cheng Anya ended the call and rubbed her eyebrows. Aye, her son was so smooth-sailing in life safe matters of the heart. How heart-rending! If he was that bit wise-cracking, that would have been a good thing too. She hoped that An Xunuo would be able to really make her son happy.

Aside from the fact she really liked An Xunuo, she was willing to recognize anybody who was able to make her son happy. Regardless, she still kind of questioned her son’s taste.

“You sure spent a long time on the phone. What did you tell him?” Third Young Master Ye rapped the table and brought Cheng Anya back to her senses. Cheng Anya gently smiled and said, “Ning Ning was just asking whether I would remarry after your death.”

Third Young Master Ye rolled his eyes and said, “How dare that rascal cursed me to die when he has feelings for somebody else. It’s still way better to have daughters than sons.”

“…Your daughter is now at somebody else’s place,” Cheng Anya said.

Third Young Master Ye was lost for words.

“How about we have another child and groom them?” Third Young Master Ye relevantly suggested. Cheng Anya’s face twitched and she ignored him. How would he groom said child? All one needed was to look at how their three children were to know that he ought to save the effort lest he brought even more chaos to the world.

“Ah Chen, aren’t you curious about how I answered Ning Ning’s question?” Cheng Anya asked as she stroked her chin.

Third Young Master Ye looked at her with slanted eyes and he had a very narcissistic look on his face. “What nonsense! When I die, you’ll be so lost crying and won’t be in the right frame of mind to remarry. How are you going to find a husband who is so good-looking, so rich, and so awesome in bed? Ning Ning must have lost his mind to ask you something this unconstructive. Safe to say he must have lost his mind.”

Cheng Anya was in tears…

The logic in marrying a twisted person and giving birth to twisted children sure added up.