Chapter 29: Weird mother and son VS parents with cerebellum binding

As soon as they heard about a big scandal, the guests all quietly perked up their ears.

To avoid arousing suspicion and alerting the princess who was about to spill the gossip, the crowd engaged in meaningless small talk, their eyes subtly following the princess’s line of sight.

The mother and son who suddenly sensed countless gazes on them: “……”

Chen Xu frowned and glanced around. However, the owners of those gazes had already withdrawn them, chatting in small groups of three or five as if nothing had happened.

He couldn’t help but feel puzzled. He was sure he had just heard someone mention an “older wife, younger husband” and a “big scandal.” Was he imagining things?

He shook his head. Wu Lan asked worriedly, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing. Should I call a doctor for you? Burns can be serious.”

Wu Lan reached out and gently touched his face, her eyes overflowing with tenderness. “It’s fine, the water wasn’t hot. Yiyi didn’t mean it. You are not allowed to blame her anymore.”

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“…Xjyu.” Ubld Dw alprsdele alzwnvydvzu, cwv dsv clqsal pbssvkdt y tzyal yv vbl svbla ryavu.

G osxyd pkvvkdt yv vbl pyxl vyczl pweeldzu pktble okvb ldhu. “Xb xu, clkdt uswa eywtbvla-kd-zyo xwpv cl pwnb y czlppkdt. Tyhkdt y xsvbla-kd-zyo obs rasvlnvp bla zkjl vbkp—pbl xwpv cl shlafsule!”

Zyd Zkuk oyp fwpv ycswv vs aszz bla lulp obld pbl pweeldzu blyae—

“R’x eukdt qasx zywtbvla. Zsw nyzz vbkp y czlppkdt? Tyhkdt y xsvbla-kd-zyo obs’p yzz zshlu-eshlu okvb bla sod psd, nsxrzlvlzu ekpaltyaekdt vbl snnypksd yde vbl qllzkdtp sq bla eywtbvla-kd-zyo? Rv’p esodaktbv ekptwpvkdt. Odhkswp? Zsw xwpv byhl psxlvbkdt oasdt okvb uswa caykd!”

“Tlu—” Mbl rlapsd clkdt akeknwzle oyp fwpv ycswv vs prlyj wr kd rasvlpv obld vblu qswde vblxplzhlp nsxrzlvlzu prllnbzlpp, qasgld kd pbsnj.

Tlyakdt vbyv qyxkzkya hsknl ytykd, Ubld Dw qasodle kd ekprzlypwal. Ew Nyd yzps pldple psxlvbkdt oyp oasdt yde kdpvkdnvkhlzu zssjle yaswde, cwv yzz pbl pyo oyp vbl zkhlzu nasoe nzkdjkdt tzypplp yde ldfsukdt vbl cydiwlv.

“Xb, esd’v tlv xye. Mbkp kp fwpv vbl vkr sq vbl knlclat. R’hl plld rzldvu sq xyxy’p csup, cwv Ubld Dw vyjlp vbl nyjl. Tl’p y ayal calle sq olkaes.”

“Xb? Ps vlzz.” Dw Zkdukd zkpvldle kdvldvzu.

“Did you know? Even now, this mother and son still sleep together!”

“Huh?!”

The gossiping crowd collectively sucked in a sharp breath. That was beyond perverted!

“Wait, but Chen Xu looks like he’s already over thirty, right? And he still sleeps with his mom? Don’t tell me… he still drinks ‘nai-nai’ at night?!”

“Of course he does!”

The gasps around them grew even louder.

The subject of the gossip instantly turned red from his ears down to his neck, and even the woman who had previously been envious now shuddered in disgust.

“Well, technically, he drinks milk—from a bottle, hand-fed by his mother!”

“Ew! That’s somehow even more disturbing!”

The gossiping crowd shivered collectively, feeling a whole new level of revulsion.

“Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with a mother and son having a close relationship. After all, she carried him for nine months and gave birth to him. But if that love crosses a line, it can hurt other people—like that sweet and beautiful young lady over there.”

Following the system’s prompt, Xu Yinyin looked toward the young woman standing behind the mother and son.

She seemed to be in her early twenties, dressed in a flowing silk gown of sky blue. Her long hair was styled in an elegant updo, with a few loose strands framing her delicate, palm-sized face, making her appear even more pitiful and fragile.

“She looks so lovely, gentle, and kind.”

“Gentle and kind can also mean easy to bully. Despite having a better family background, education, and upbringing than Chen Xu by miles, she lives in constant fear, walking on eggshells. And on top of that, she has to endure Chen Xu’s constant jabs about how she can’t bear children, as if it’s her fault. He even hits and humiliates her. Isn’t that infuriating?”

The system was indignant.

“TUI (spitting sound), another scumbag. Does he even think for a second? If he’s sleeping with his mom every night, how is his wife supposed to get pregnant? Does he have zero self-awareness? And he still dares to blame her? I’ve seen shameless men, but this is a whole new level.”

“Not to mention, maybe it’s not that she wants to endure it—it’s just that this kind of family scandal is too humiliating to expose. A mother monopolizing her son and forcing him to sleep with her even after marriage? Who would believe that?!”

“Exactly. Yan Yiyi has tried hinting about it to her parents before, but they only brushed it off as mother and son being “close.” How could they possibly imagine it’s something this twisted?”

“And it’s not like she can talk about it with anyone outside the family either. It’s a deeply shameful matter, and a scandal of this magnitude would spread like wildfire. In high society, maintaining appearances is everything—sometimes even more important than life itself. That’s the very reason why Zheng Sisi was silenced by her own father back then.”

At the mention of Zheng Sisi, the gossiping crowd fell silent, full of regret. That tragedy could have been avoided.

But suddenly, they became nervous again. With Chen Xu’s family scandal exposed in such a way, could Yan Yiyi handle it?

At that thought, everyone turned to look at her.

Sensing their gazes, Yan Yiyi bravely met their eyes, curling her lips into a faint smile, a look of relief flashing in her eyes.

She had found the courage to take this step thanks to Zheng Sisi’s guidance—it was she who had urged her to seek out Xu Yinyin.

Sisi had told her that self-respect was more important than maintaining appearances. A person had to live for themselves; only then would life have meaning.

And today, it seemed she had finally done it. A victim had no obligation to hold up a shield of decency for their abuser.

“And another thing—don’t be fooled by how this mother-in-law protects her daughter-in-law in front of others. The moment they get home, she changes completely and bullies her ruthlessly.”

“She often pours boiling water over the succulents her daughter-in-law carefully cultivates, cursing her to die while doing it. She keeps blaming her for “stealing” her son, for causing a rift between them.”

“Oh my god, if she didn’t want her son “stolen,” she should have just kept him single instead of ruining another person’s life.”

“You don’t understand—this mother-in-law has a stellar reputation outside. She’s seen as gentle, virtuous, and an excellent mother. Her son is also an outstanding professional, practically the ideal child. With such an image, of course, he had to be matched with the “perfect” marriage for it to be truly flawless. She was the one who encouraged her son to pursue the young woman in the first place. And the son did genuinely like her, which led to their marriage.”

“A love that goes both ways is already rare in society, something to be cherished. A mother should be happy that her son found a soulmate, yet somehow, she ended up becoming the third wheel? Absolutely absurd!”

“But this mother-in-law never expected her son to actually fall in love. Her original plan was just to find a woman to serve her while using the marriage as a cover for her twisted attachment to her son. This way, she could openly dominate him without raising suspicion. After all, such an ugly secret was something the daughter-in-law would be too ashamed to expose.”

“Wow, what a scheming, shameless woman!”

The onlookers silently condemned her in their hearts, throwing scornful, disgusted glances at the mother and son.

Under the weight of countless judgmental stares, the mother and son sat as if on pins and needles, their faces burning with embarrassment. Yet, knowing that their own status was far beneath that of those present, they didn’t dare lash out.

If it weren’t for Yan Yiyi’s family background, they wouldn’t even qualify to network in such a setting. They had originally hoped to use this event to gain favor and make useful connections.

But now, instead of gaining any advantage, they were being publicly humiliated.

Still, it didn’t matter. Compared to their relatively unknown background, it was Yan Yiyi who should be more anxious. Surely, she would step in to stop this.

The mother and son exchanged a look, silently telling each other, “Stay calm. Don’t panic.”

“Oh, and another thing—the reason the mother-in-law pushed her son to pursue the young woman, aside from her seemingly obedient and gentle nature, was to take advantage of her stubborn and traditional father. In his eyes, once a daughter marries, she belongs to her husband’s family. Her life and death are no longer his concern. No matter how much she suffers, she is forbidden from complaining to her parents because enduring hardship is part of being a wife.”

“So, even if she is utterly miserable and disgusted by her circumstances, she has no choice but to swallow her suffering alone? She can’t even confide in her closest family?”

“Exactly! Like I said earlier, the young woman once tried to hint at her parents about her suffering, but they didn’t take it seriously. Instead, they blamed her, saying that rather than overthinking things, she should just have a child to distract herself. They even accused her of not being favored by her mother-in-law because she couldn’t conceive, telling her to reflect on her own shortcomings.”

“What the hell? What kind of brainwashed parents are these? Absolutely disgusting! This gives me major Zheng Sisi déjà vu.”

Xu Yinyin was indignant: “But Zheng Sisi had no mother, and her father was domineering. This young woman has a mother, though! Even if her father can’t empathize with her situation, shouldn’t her mother at least care? Did she really do nothing?”

“The mother did care. She even went to her daughter’s house for a secret visit. But the evil mother-in-law was too cunning, leaving no traces of wrongdoing. The mother left empty-handed but remained suspicious. She secretly investigated and eventually discovered the bizarre fact that the mother and son slept together every night.”

“At first, she found it too shameful to even talk about. But thinking of her daughter’s suffering, she mustered up the courage to tell her husband—only to be met with a barrage of scolding, as if she were the one causing trouble.”

“Let me guess—because of her husband’s anger, the mother ended up dropping the matter?”

“Exactly. Without the father’s support, the mother was powerless. She had too little authority to take any real action. All she could do was offer emotional support, urging her daughter to endure just a little longer—until the truth came to light. At that point, they could abandon their so-called dignity altogether.”

“Oh, come on! How long is she supposed to endure? The mother-in-law is so devious—who could ever catch her red-handed? Even if someone did, they wouldn’t necessarily expose her. Why would they risk bringing trouble upon themselves?”

“Exactly! That’s why this is a dead end—there’s no way out.”

“Ugh, I feel so bad for this little sister!”

Tears shimmered in Yan Yiyi’s eyes. Xu Yinyin’s words had perfectly captured her pain and helplessness. Yet, at the same time, those words granted her a sense of release.

She wasn’t afraid of people talking about her. What she feared was that too few people would talk, allowing her mother-in-law’s arrogance to grow unchecked and trapping her in this hellish family forever.

“Wait a minute, this so-called dead end has a solution. She can get a divorce.”

The onlookers silently nodded. Yeah, divorce would solve everything.

“Ha! The evil mother-in-law had already anticipated this. That’s why she tricked the young woman into transferring her dowry into their shell company under the guise of an investment. Even if she divorced and was entitled to half of the assets, they could claim the investment failed—leaving her with nothing. This way, they could rightfully seize her personal wealth, forcing her to leave empty-handed. At that point, she’d have no money, no husband, and no way to return to her parents’ home. What then?”

“Ahhh! My fists are clenched! How can such shameless people exist in this world?!”

The onlookers’ gazes were like dull knives, slowly slicing through the mother and son, piece by piece.

“So, is there really no way out of this? This is so frustrating and infuriating!”

Just as everyone turned their hopeful eyes toward Xu Yinyin, a sorrowful yet deeply caring voice suddenly rang out—

“YIYI.”

Yan Yiyi turned around at the sound. Standing half a meter behind her were her father, Yan Feng, and her mother, Shen Xin.

Her father’s eyes burned with suppressed fury, while her mother had already been reduced to tears.

“Father… Mother…” Yan Yiyi was stunned by their unexpected arrival.

Yan Feng’s sharp gaze swept past the shocked mother and son standing behind his daughter. Then, he strode toward her, hesitating for a moment before placing a firm hand on her shoulder. His voice was heavy with regret as he said, “I was wrong. It’s my fault. Let’s go home.”

Yan Yiyi lowered her gaze to her father’s tightly clenched hand around hers, and at that moment, her tears finally burst forth.

Beside them, Shen Xin abruptly covered her mouth, letting out quiet sobs. But this time, the tears in her eyes were no longer just of sorrow and grief—they carried a sense of relief and joy.

She took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and then marched toward Chen Xu, spitting out a single word— “Beast!”

With a crisp slap, the tragic marriage came to an end, ushering in a new beginning.

“And you,” Shen Xin glared at Wu Lan, “Shameless old hag! A complete failure as a mother! Get ready to receive a lawyer’s letter. Absolutely disgusting!”

With that, she lifted her head high and strode after her husband and daughter.

Wu Lan and her son had utterly humiliated themselves. Covering their swollen faces, they stood up under the weight of everyone’s disdainful stares and slunk away in disgrace.

The onlookers wanted to cheer and applaud, but out of concern that Xu Yinyin might overhear, they restrained themselves.

After all, if it became known that her inner thoughts could be heard by others, where would they get such juicy gossip in the future?

“Wait, what’s going on here? How did the young woman’s parents suddenly show up and take her away? Did they finally uncover the truth?”

“Probably. No matter how traditional her father is, he wouldn’t just stand by after seeing his daughter suffer like this. He’s not about to make the same mistake as Zheng Sisi’s father, who only regretted everything when it was too late.”

“That’s true. In a way, even though Zheng Sisi’s story ended in tragedy, the impact she left on people was significant. That’s at least some small blessing in an otherwise terrible situation.”

“I just hope the young woman’s parents won’t let that disgusting mother and son off the hook. They should rot in prison!”

“Don’t worry. The young woman was smart—she left evidence when she made that so-called ‘investment.’ Stealing someone’s assets like that is a crime. That alone is enough to convict them, not to mention all the other dirty deeds they’ve done. She was just too hesitant and helpless before. Now that her parents have woken up, things are finally looking up.”

“No matter what, let’s give a huge round of applause to this brave young woman!”

The onlookers silently cheered in their hearts. Not only had they witnessed a major scandal, but they also got to see justice served. This kind of real-life karmic retribution was the most satisfying kind of drama.

---

Yan Yashan finished watching Xu Yinyin’s series of mind-blowing performances that night, and the appreciation in her eyes deepened.

How could she not see what Xu Hongshan was up to? He was using this family reunion banquet to let everyone witness his granddaughter’s astonishing abilities.

Not only did this highlight her character, but it also served as a warning to anyone scheming behind the scenes.

After all, in a world like this, who didn’t have a few skeletons in their closet?

And she knew them all.

If anyone dared to make a move—she’d strike before they even saw it coming.

However, such formidable abilities came with both advantages and disadvantages. The downside was that her own safety required a powerful form of protection—one that was invisible yet so intimidating that merely mentioning it would deter anyone from acting recklessly.

That was precisely why the old master had insisted on bringing her back to the country. It wasn’t just for a vacation—he needed her to serve as a bridge, making crucial connections.

She glanced at Xu Hongtian with a teasing smile and said, “Old Xu, you really leave nothing to chance. Even I got caught in your net. How is it that the older you get, the sharper you become?”

Xu Hongtian immediately understood that she had seen through his intentions. He didn’t bother hiding it and openly admitted, “Ayan must be around twenty-nine this year, right? He’s not young anymore. As his grandmother, shouldn’t you be considering a good match for him?”

Yan Yashan shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled coldly. “So you really do have ulterior motives for my Ayan. But when it comes to fate, that’s up to the kids themselves. I can’t make that decision for them.”

“Don’t worry,” Xu Hongtian reassured her. “I’ve been in love before. I know that feelings are the most important thing in a relationship. That’s why I’m only asking you to introduce them. The rest is up to them.”

“But considering how much you favor your granddaughter, aren’t you worried that Yaoyao and Ayao might have an issue with it? After all, they were once the most popular candidates for successors.”

Yan Yashan had seen too many power struggles within wealthy families. Given how ambitious Xu Yanrui and his wife were, their blatant favoritism toward Yinyin would only put her in danger.

“Well, just see for yourself,” the old master said with a smile, motioning toward Xu Yinyin.

After finishing the juicy gossip about the wicked mother-in-law, Xu Yinyin had wandered over to the dessert section. She had just finished a delicate and beautiful little cake when she caught sight of Xu Yaoyao and Xu Yao not far away.

The two of them were surrounded by three elegantly dressed young ladies of similar age. On the surface, they seemed to be chatting, but judging from their haughty expressions and the malicious glint in their smiles, it was clear that the siblings were being bullied.

Since Xu Yao was a boy, he likely didn’t want to lower himself to argue with these women. However, at the same time, he couldn’t bear to see his sister being mistreated. The grievance and frustration in his expression were almost painful to watch.

“Xiao Qi, see that group of glamorous young ladies straight ahead? Dig up all their scandals for me. I want to enjoy them right in front of their faces.”

“Oh? This is getting exciting!”

“If Yaoyao starts developing resentment over the whole ‘real vs. fake daughter’ nonsense, it will only give Zhou Xinyi an opening to exploit. I don’t want history to repeat itself. So, I have to step in.”

With a bright smile, she walked toward them.

The woman in the red dress was smugly mocking Xu Yaoyao.

“I usually invite you out, but you never show up. Yet here you are at the recognition banquet for the real heiress. You’re about to be kicked out of your home, and you still don’t have any self-awareness? If you had just played nice with us earlier, we could’ve each given you a few hundred thousand, and you’d still have a way to survive. You really don’t know how to seize an opportunity.”

“Tch, a few hundred thousand wouldn’t even buy me a watch. Who are you trying to impress?” Xu Yao shot back.

The woman in the yellow dress sneered, “And where do you think your money comes from? It’s all from your grandfather. Now that he’s going all out to polish up the real heiress, he’s probably already forgotten about you. Whether you’ll inherit anything at all is still up in the air. Who are you showing off to?”

“You—”

“If I were you, I’d go cry to my parents right now, tell them to stop wasting money so recklessly, and at least leave you some scraps to get by. Otherwise, you might just starve on the streets!”

“You—” Xu Yao was furious but cursed himself for not being good at arguing.

“Who’s starving on the streets?” A sweet yet sharp voice suddenly cut in. “Was the banquet tonight not up to standard? Or do you all think our family’s feast is so beneath you that you’d rather go hungry?”

Xu Yinyin smiled as she casually scanned the trio in red, yellow, and green.

All three of them stiffened, their faces filled with shock.

That voice—wasn’t she the one who had just dropped that bombshell of gossip earlier? It was her?!

“Sis, you came just in time! These people are bullying me and Yaoyao!”

Xu Yao’s desperate tattling made the three girls roll their eyes. Look at you, so pathetic.

But Xu Yao simply lifted his chin proudly, his smug expression practically shouting: You guys have no idea who you’ve messed with. Prepare to meet your doom, foolish mortals!

And sure enough, the three foolish mortals had no idea what was coming. They only knew that since they had no shameful secrets to hide, there was nothing juicy for her to expose.

Xu Yinyin gently patted Xu Yao’s head in reassurance.

The girl in the yellow dress scoffed, “Ugh, disgusting. He’s so grown, and you’re still doing a head-pat kill?”

Xu Yinyin withdrew her hand, crossed her arms, and smiled. “Not as disgusting as you bathing your sixteen-year-old brother every day. A head pat is nothing compared to that.”

A gasp rippled through the group as the other two girls turned in unison toward the one in yellow, their eyes full of suspicion.

The girl in yellow quickly waved her hands. “Our housekeeper was on leave! I had no choice!”

The other two were about to nod in acceptance when Xu Yinyin continued, “Your brother is fully capable of taking care of himself. He’s not disabled, so why insist on the housekeeper bathing him? That’s a rather private matter, don’t you think?”

The girl in yellow clenched her lips in humiliation, glaring at Xu Yinyin. “What does this have to do with you?! Do you just enjoy prying into other people’s business?”

“Compared to the way you act all high and mighty about other people’s affairs, prying into a little gossip is nothing. Weren’t you just full of opinions earlier? Why are you suddenly speechless when it’s about yourself?”

“You—!”

“Oh, I see now. It’s because your brother has repeatedly harassed and molested your housekeepers. Your parents warned you about it, even blamed you for not watching over him properly. So instead of hiring new staff, they decided to make you take responsibility. How touching—such deep sibling affection.”

A collective gasp filled the air, followed by hushed whispers spreading through the crowd.

The girl in yellow flew into a rage. “My brother just doesn’t understand gender boundaries yet! He’s only curious—he hasn’t actually hurt anyone! What’s the big deal?!”

The gasps grew even louder. So there really is always a pack of rotten parents behind every rotten child.

“No one reported him because your parents paid them all hush money,” Xu Yinyin said lightly. “But not everyone can be silenced with money and power. From what I know, the victims have banded together and reported the case. It’s already been officially filed, and the police are heading to your house as we speak.”

“Impossible! They took the money! They promised not to say anything!” The girl in yellow looked utterly shaken.

Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang from inside her purse. She scrambled to answer it, and as she listened, the blood drained from her face. Without another word, she turned and bolted.

The girls in red and green exchanged horrified looks. Suddenly, they recalled how they always felt watched whenever they visited her house. So… it was her perverted little brother all along?!

Both of them immediately crossed their arms over their chests, rubbing their arms as chills ran down their spines.

Xu Yinyin tilted her head. “Hmm, I seem to recall someone getting upset just now because my sister never wanted to hang out with her. Who was that again?”

Her gaze lazily swept between the red and green dresses. The girl in red shuddered, guilt written all over her face.

Catching this, Xu Yinyin smiled at her. “Weren’t you talking so loudly earlier? Why are you suddenly so timid? I only mentioned a little something, and you’re already shaking. If I were to bring up what you did to your so-called best friend, you might just drop dead from fright.”

The gossip-hungry onlookers eagerly perked up their ears. Say it! Say it! Don’t make us beg on our knees!

“No, wait. The one who should be dropping dead from shock is actually your ‘closest’ best friend.”

Xu Yinyin then turned her gaze toward the girl in green, saying nothing, just smiling.

The crowd practically started bouncing in place, their hearts screaming: Please, we’re begging you! Give us the full melon! Eating only half of it is torture!

---

Sansukini: I mean, knowledge is power. (ᗒ ᗨᗕ) Yinyin is fully utilizing that on the bullies.

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