After ending the call, Shen Ruozhen changed his clothes and went out. He had been stuck in the apartment for two or three days. When he came out of Bomanjia's building, he was dazzled by the bright sunlight.
He walked along the street, turned at the corner onto the adjacent street, and entered a restaurant.
It was non-business hours and there was no customer in the restaurant, but fortunately the manager recognized him and called him "Mr. Chu" affectionately.
Shen Ruozhen found a seat by the window so that he could look out at the traffic on the street. It was very congested at this time of day, so when the Chu family's car slowly drove over, he waved and ordered two cups of coffee.
Mrs. Chu came alone. She was still dressed beautifully, with her hair combed neatly, but upon closer inspection, she could see that her eyelids were a little swollen, and her rouge and powder could not cover up the haggardness on her face.
Shen Ruozhen stood up from his chair and waited for Mrs. Chu to get close to the tabletop so that they could face each other. In just three short days, his mood and situation were completely different.
The waiter brought two glasses of Yirgacheffe with a fruity aroma. Mrs. Chu sat down and looked around the restaurant: "Why did you meet here?"
Shen Ruozhen said: "This restaurant is opened by Qian Hua."
Mrs. Chu said "Oh" softly. Qian Hua was Chu Shichen's good friend. They always played together at home and abroad. She had tried to persuade and scold him, but they could not separate the two prodigal sons. She had been worried about him countless times.
After taking a sip of coffee, which was slightly sour, Mrs. Chu said, "Qian Hua is the boss, so he must have brought you here for dinner."
Shen Ruozhen had been here two or three times and remembered each time very clearly. He said, "The first time I came was for trial operation. I encountered the owner of the yacht company looking for Qian Hua to make a scene. Because I knew that Chu Shichen was not rescued, I became suspicious and decided to investigate the party accident."
Mrs. Chu looked sad when she heard the name "Chu Shichen". She didn't care about the whole investigation, but asked about irrelevant details: "What delicious food did Qian Hua prepare for you?"
The meal was very sumptuous. Shen Ruozhen said, "It was roast beef, a very large plate."
Mrs. Chu was as expected: "Xiaochen likes to eat beef."
Shen Ruozhen clasped his fingers together on his knees. He not only encroached on Chu Shichen's family affection, but also his friendship. Qian Hua always regarded him as a good friend, but he just lost his memory.
Mrs. Chu hadn't finished speaking yet: "But you don't like beef or mutton. You won't touch anything with a strong flavor. You don't like grilled or fried food. You eat vegetarian food four days a week, and you must drink hot coffee no matter what season it is."
Shen Ruozhen said solemnly: "Yes."
"Don't wear fancy clothes. Wear something loose and fitted." Mrs. Chu said, "You gave Aunt Tang such detailed measurements. It's obvious that you're used to wearing suits."
Aunt Tang and Sister Xiu took care of the food and clothing. Shen Ruozhen said, "So you found out everything."
Mrs. Chu said, "You are three centimeters taller, how can it be a lie? I can feel it when I look up at you, and you are tall and straight, while Xiaochen always can't stand straight."
Shen Ruozhen felt that he had been seen through. He said self-deprecatingly, "I thought I was thorough, but in fact, I revealed too many flaws."
Mrs. Chu said: "A mother's eyes cannot leave her child. How could I not notice it?"
Shen Ruozhen asked: "Then you have never doubted me?"
Mrs. Chu said feebly, just like the day Shen Ruozhen confessed, "I don't know."
Any tiny difference cannot be hidden from a mother, let alone "Chu Shichen" who has been completely transformed. From small things like clothing, eating habits, walking and lying down to big things like knowledge, conversation, personality and abilities, Shen Ruozhen and "Chu Shichen" are too different.
Mrs. Chu attributed all the differences to the explosion and to "Chu Shichen's" amnesia.
She tried to rationalize all the unusual things, and repeatedly told herself that this was "Chu Shichen", her child.
The suspicion that should have come long ago was delayed until now. In addition to Shen Ruozhen's concealment, it was also inseparable from her self-deception.
Mrs. Chu glanced out the window and said, "Have you been with Mingzhang these two days?"
Shen Ruozhen said: "Yes, it's in the apartment next door."
Mrs. Chu's delicate brows relaxed, as if she was worried that he was not doing well, and she felt slightly relieved after hearing that.
From the moment they sat down, Mrs. Chu did not say a word of blame, nor did she mention the subsequent treatment. In the quiet intervals, Shen Ruozhen even had the illusion that nothing had happened and that they were just mother and son drinking a cup of coffee together.
But how could it be possible? Shen Ruozhen was afraid that he might misunderstand her, so he took the initiative to say, "You blame me."
Mrs. Chu said, "I'm sorting out your things at home, the incense burner, paper and pens, and the full closet of clothes. Since you've moved out, why don't you pack your luggage?"
Shen Ruozhen said ashamedly: "Everything I bought for the house was for 'Chu Shichen'. I am no longer one of them."
"Should I throw the things away?" Mrs. Chu said, "I can't bear to part with them. I was very happy when I bought them. Is it the same when you buy gifts for us when you are on a business trip?"
The hot coffee had gone cold, and Shen Ruozhen's throat felt sour and bitter, so he didn't drink a single sip.
Mrs. Chu didn't know what to do with Shen Ruozhen's clothes, so she closed the door and left it alone for the time being. She asked the driver to take her out for some fresh air and walked along Jiang'an Avenue past Yisi's building.
"I went to the sales department, and the office of the chief operating officer was locked. You didn't go to work." Mrs. Chu said, "That's right. You left your ID and keys behind. You probably won't go to the company."
The staff in the department are very busy, and from time to time they mention what "Mr. Chu" has instructed and what "Mr. Chu" has arranged.
At that moment, Mrs. Chu suddenly thought, what would it feel like if a person's career achievements were recorded under another person's name
After leaving Yisi Building, Mrs. Chu asked the driver to go to Yaxi Bay. She walked on the beach and recalled the past year.
"When you proposed to work in the company, I thought you would last a week at most. I didn't expect you would not give up even after being fired once."
"You fought with Li Zangqiu and played the good guy to stop Xiao Hui and Li Heng's marriage. It made me feel that this family has a pillar again."
"For Yisi, you went to Harbin to ask Lao Zhou to come back, and even jumped into the river to beg for his forgiveness, but it was clearly not your fault."
"When I talk to you and nag you, you never get impatient. I don't need to beg you, you take the initiative to be considerate and respectful to me, and tell me that it's never too late to do it as long as I want to do it."
"Xiao Hui cried non-stop at home and even smashed her computer. This year she has more feelings for you as a brother than in the past twenty years."
Looking back on the whole thing, Mrs. Chu had to admit that Xiang Mingzhang was right that day. Shen Ruozhen helped the Chu family solve their problems. Without him, there would be no Yisi today.
A fake Chu Shichen did everything that the real Chu Shichen had never done, and fulfilled the duties of a son and an elder brother.
But Shen Ruozhen did so much, but did not want any shares or touch the family property. When he confessed, he only admitted his guilt and did not mention his hard work. When he left, he refused to take even a piece of clothing with him.
The Chu family provided protection for Shen Ruozhen, and Shen Ruozhen worked hard for the Chu family. Mrs. Chu couldn't figure out who benefited more and who benefited less.
If the merits and demerits cancel each other out, then how should she be blamed
She cherishes the mother-son relationship very much, so for more than a year, she has kept her doubts and worries deep in her heart, as if she was immersed in a beautiful dream that she didn't want to wake up from.
When Lawyer Lei told her the unfamiliar name "Shen Ruozhen", she was not shocked. She just felt a sense of enlightenment and even still had a glimmer of hope. She asked the other party if he had recovered any memory.
That day the truth was revealed, and she finally broke down and cried for her child.
But what she hated and blamed was herself. "Chu Shichen" was found dead and his body was missing, but she, as a mother, escaped from everything and started a new life happily.
Mrs. Chu sniffed and said, "Actually, I understand. The party was Xiaochen's idea. His innocent death is the fault of the murderer. It's not Mingzhang's fault, and it has nothing to do with you."
Shen Ruozhen said guiltily: "But I stole his identity, so I am also guilty."
Mrs. Chu asked, "Do you remember when we watched the fireworks in the garden on New Year's Eve?"
Shen Ruozhen remembered that Mrs. Chu once said that when Chu Zhe was alive, she would set off fireworks for her every Spring Festival. After Chu Zhe passed away, she just watched others set off fireworks, which were just as beautiful anyway.
He admired Mrs. Chu's open-mindedness at the time: "Whether you say something is good or bad depends on how you think about it, and how you choose to live your life also depends on how you live it."
"I was in Yaxi Bay, looking at the sea that swallowed Xiaochen, and I thought..." Mrs. Chu said, "If I hadn't rescued you, what would I have been like that night, and how would I have spent the past year?"
Shen Ruozhen's clasped fingers twisted together, turning pale from being squeezed: "Do you regret saving me?"
Mrs. Chu looked at him, at this face that looked exactly like "Chu Shichen". She wanted to be open-minded again and give each other a chance.
"Perhaps saving you," she replied, "is God's comfort to me."
Shen Ruozhen was stunned, and his eyes suddenly turned red.
Mrs. Chu had already shed tears, which were sliding down her cheeks. She took out the autobiography from her purse. A corner of the page was worn off, but she had read it over and over again and could recite it by heart.
"Xiaochen can't write such beautiful words."
Shen Ruozhen did not dare to forget the original intention of the meeting. As promised in his autobiography, he said: "I am willing to accept any punishment."
Mrs. Chu raised her palm to her cheek, covering her tears, and said, "But I don't blame you, how do you want to punish me?"
Shen Ruozhen's nose was sore. He had buried his head in Xiang Mingzhang's collar that day and cried without letting anyone know. Now he had no time to wipe his tears away as his eyelashes were already filled with tears.
"You were wrong to lie to me," Mrs. Chu said, "but I promised last time at Meijinlou that I would forgive you if you made a mistake."
—What mother would not forgive her own child
The premise is mother and child.
If Mrs. Chu is willing to forgive him, does that mean... Shen Ruozhen loosened his hands and grabbed his knees with a slight tremor.
He was extremely nervous, fearing that he was being too sentimental. After a while, he finally cried out again after enduring for so many days: "Mom..."
This time, Mrs. Chu responded, "What should I call you, Ruozhen?"
(End of this chapter)