Regarding Mistress Li’s demeanor, Xiaohong was quite astounded. Mistress Li had always held herself above others and frequently berated the servants. Had the young master finally subdued her?
Moreover, she did not resemble a mother toward the young master, yet now she claimed to be sick from missing him—an assertion Xiaohong found hard to believe.
But after all, they were mother and son. Even if their relationship was poor, they surely had some affection. Thus, she believed her. "Mistress, rest assured, I will go find the young master for you."
Xiaohong handed the porridge to Mistress Li and then left the room. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
The proud look was evident on Mistress Li’s face as Xiaohong departed. What fools, they were all duped by her acting.
Soon, Li Fuyou received the news, and hearing from the Little Maid that his mother had fallen ill from missing him delighted him. He did not think further and rushed to her, longing for his mother’s care and affection.
Mistress Li still feigned weakness, lying on the kang, thinking her good-for-nothing son would surely come upon hearing of her illness.
Indeed, before long, she heard the hurried footsteps approaching, her lips curling into a smile.
When Li Fuyou entered the room, Mistress Li pretended to be very weak, reaching out and grabbing Li Fuyou, murmuring, "Son, you finally came. Mother has missed you so terribly these days, missed you to sickness, truly."
Li Fuyou quickly stepped forward to support his mother. Hearing those words from her mouth, he could hardly believe it, yet a ripple stirred in his heart.
Mistress Li continued her fervent performance, tears glistening in her eyes, "Son, Mother was wrong, I should never have spoken to you that way. You are the best son in Mother’s heart."
Seeing her son’s softening heart, Mistress Li continued, "For years, Mother always scolded you for being useless, always pushing you to compete with your elder brother. Mother was wrong. All we need is to be together, living happily as a family. What are properties or wealth compared to my son?"
"Mother." Hearing this, Li Fuyou was obviously moved. In fact, he did not care much about the Li Family’s wealth; he just wanted to get along well with everyone, it was just the mindset of fighting for the inheritance that his mother had instilled in him since childhood.
"Mother is fine, just missed you terribly. Staying in this room all day makes me think too much. Now that I’ve seen you, I feel relieved. If you’re busy, go attend to your matters," said Mistress Li, having delivered her rehearsed lines with a bit of consolation added.
"Mother, I indeed have many matters to attend to these days, and you’ve been inconvenienced." Had it not been for the serious matters occurring in their family recently, he would never have confined his mother. How could he bear it over these years?
"Mother doesn’t feel wronged. You did right in confining me, otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to understand these matters. Go on if you have matters to attend to. I’m all right now. Seeing you, Mother feels her illness has already healed."
Li Fuyou did indeed have many tasks to handle, so after reassurance, he took his leave. As he was leaving, he spoke to the house servant at the door, "From now on, there’s no need to guard my mother anymore. Let it be like before; my mother is the mistress of the Li Mansion."
After Li Fuyou left, Mistress Li’s face shifted from its previously frail and kind appearance to one of viciousness. Her son could be ruthless toward anyone, but he could never harden his heart against her. A slight manipulation, and her son believed her.
With a smirk on her lips, she hummed, "I’m finally free."