Chapter 71

Yang Yunran had never lost control of his emotions like this before.

He maintained a distance from many things in the world—a quiet observer, always rational and avoiding entanglement in controversies. Yet, at this moment, he completely lost his composure. Seeing Yang Wanyu, his mind went blank, and he recalled his mother, Yang Xue.

He remembered all she had sacrificed for him, her slender frame carrying heavy burdens. Tears welled up uncontrollably.

Seeing him like this, Yang Wanyu’s heart clenched in an instant. Perhaps she had only seen him for a second when he was born, but after years of separation and longing, the joy of recognizing him instantly overwhelmed her. Seeing him so healthy and tall brought immense relief.

Like a millennia-long downpour, it soaked every corner of Yang Wanyu’s soul.

He was her long-lost child, the precious existence lost in the vast sea of humanity. It was evident that he, too, had missed her dearly and held deep affection for her.

Yang Wanyu’s eyes glistened with tears. With an IV still in her hand, she reached out with trembling hands and gently caressed Yang Yunran’s cheek. Time stood still, leaving only wordless emotional exchanges between mother and son.

Neither spoke.

Xu Xing walked over and bent down to support him. “Yunran, the floor is cold. Come, stand up.”

Yang Yunran shook his head, his face pressed tightly against the edge of the hospital bed, unable to lift his head, struggling to suppress his tears. After some time passed, Xu Xing opened the door, and a nurse came in to remove the IV from Yang Wanyu. Using his arm, Xu Xing helped Yang Yunran stand up.

Yang Yunran was unsteady on his feet, his eyes swollen like walnuts.

Xu Xing spoke solemnly, “Your mom’s infusion is done today. What do you want to eat tonight? Let’s go out together. You haven’t seen each other in so many years; there must be a lot to catch up on.”

Yang Yunran nodded, his voice hoarse. “Mom, how’s your health? I’ve reviewed the medical records and showed them to doctor friends. They said your surgery success rate is very high, and you’ll be completely fine after the second surgery. Is that true?”

Yang Wanyu said, “The doctors said the same thing. But your father is always worried about me traveling too much. I haven’t been back to China for several months. He kept your situation from me until yesterday, showing me your photos. As soon as I saw them, I knew you were my child. You’ve grown so tall, so handsome, so talented—singing, dancing, acting—you’re a big star…”

Yang Yunran pursed his lips at her words. “Please don’t search my name online…”

Suddenly, he remembered his not-so-good reputation online, recently becoming a topic of discussion again. While he himself didn’t care much, it could hurt people who liked him.

Wouldn’t Yang Wanyu be upset if she saw him being attacked by netizens? Yang Yunran couldn’t help but think of her as a mother. They were so similar—the curve of their eyes when they smiled, the light in their eyes, the gentle tone when they spoke. Soft folds at the corners of their eyes and earlobes, with earrings on both sides.

They were bound to be somewhat unfamiliar because they hadn’t seen each other in many years, and the child was now twenty-two years old. But this kind of estrangement miraculously didn’t exist between them.

Perhaps it was because Yang Yunran’s usual aloofness and politeness towards Xu Xing, Yang Liming, and Chen Fangru were completely gone.

At this moment, he was just a mother’s child, letting down his guard, and becoming short and gentle. His eyes would turn red at the slightest provocation. He didn’t seem resilient but rather like someone deeply wronged, with many grievances to share, though he didn’t express any.

He was more concerned about Yang Wanyu’s experiences over the years, her well-being, and whether she had suffered.

And of course, she replied, “Everything has been smooth sailing, except for my continuous search for you over the years, searching and searching, but never finding you.”

Yang Yunran was stunned at her words, immediately thinking of Zhao Youmo. He glanced at Xu Xing, who nodded at him and said, “Your mom knows about the mistaken identity. I told her yesterday.”

Yang Wanyu took a moment to process this, then said, “Yunran was raised by foster parents, fortunate enough to have their protection amidst life’s many hardships.”

Yesterday, Xu Xing also told her, “After Yunran found out about the mistaken identity, he had little contact with his foster parents. He went to another city to work on his own, leading a very tough life. He wore a heavy mask every day and recorded shows for performance fees.”

Yang Wanyu was astonished. “Did his foster parents abandon him after finding their biological child?”

Xu Xing replied, “Not exactly abandon him, but after finally finding their long-lost child, their attention was focused on him, and they neglected Yunran’s emotional needs. I only saw him once before rushing back to be with you. From what I observed, he is sensible, polite, and appears cheerful but has some issues with loneliness and personality. Yunran has endured a lot of unnecessary hardships over the years. Now that we’ve found him, we need to treat him well and make him feel that, while his foster parents might not have loved him enough, his biological parents will always love him the most.”

Yang Wanyu asked many questions about Yang Yunran’s situation, as well as Zhao Youmo’s. Upon learning that Zhao Youmo was vacationing on an island with his parents, she didn’t ask much more. She only said, “That day he was kidnapped, I was in the hair salon, dyeing a customer’s hair. He went out on his own to buy candy. It was just a moment, just a moment of not watching him… and he was gone.”

Yang Wanyu had harbored a heavy heart for many years, but now she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Feeling guilty, she said to Xu Xing, “Once my surgery is successful and I return home, we should visit Yunran’s foster parents. This child has suffered a lot.”

Xu Xing replied, “Yunran has indeed endured many hardships.”

Yang Wanyu continued, “Anyone would care more for their own child. I feel responsible for what happened to Yuomo—is he called Yuomo now? I deeply regret losing him. I failed both children. I went through so much to give birth to Yunran, but before I even had the chance to hold him, he was taken into another woman’s arms. I wonder if they treated him well…”

Xu Xing remained silent for a long time, not mentioning Yang Yunran’s car accident.

He said, “His foster parents were better off than average families. They provided for him and had high hopes of grooming him as their successor, but things didn’t go as planned when he became a celebrity. It wasn’t what they wanted. However, they did raise him safely, which makes them good parents. I’ve arranged for my secretary to connect with his foster father, offering some resources and partnerships to repay their kindness for raising Yunran.”

Yang Yunran knew more about what lung cancer patients could and couldn’t eat than Xu Xing. At dinner, he couldn’t help but monitor closely, “Mom, no desserts. High sugar and high fat are not good. And there’s peanuts in this—you’re allergic, you can’t eat it.”

Holding her chopsticks, Yang Wanyu looked at him. She had changed out of her hospital gown and was wearing a white sports jacket. “How do you know I’m allergic to peanuts? Did your dad tell you?”

Of course not!

Yang Yunran realized he had slipped but was surprised to find out that Yang Wanyu was indeed allergic to peanuts.

“Because I’m somewhat allergic to peanuts,” Yang Yunran said. “I guessed it might be genetic.”

Xu Xing chimed in, “It’s truly like mother and son. When Yunran first met me, he was so polite. How could he be this affectionate?”

Yang Wanyu laughed. They resembled each other, especially when they smiled—both had slightly pointed ears, a sharp chin, giving them an intelligent look.

Yang Yunran didn’t respond. He knew her tastes well and served her dishes several times. Xu Xing, whose chopsticks often stopped mid-air, eventually served Yang Yunran. “Don’t just watch your mom, you need to eat too. You’re too skinny. Do all celebrities have to be this thin?”

At 8:30 PM, the driver took Yang Wanyu back to the hospital. Yang Yunran stayed until her bedtime before reluctantly leaving.

He didn’t want to leave, fearing it was all a dream.

“Yunran, your mom is asleep. Come back to see her early tomorrow,” Xu Xing said, guiding him toward the elevator.

Yang Yunran tensed for a moment before slowly relaxing.

Xu Xing spoke softly, “You’ve had a long flight and must be exhausted. Go home, take a good shower, and get some rest. Adjust to the time difference.”

Yang Yunran nodded. Xu Xing continued, “Tomorrow, I’ve arranged for a team of expert doctors to give you a consultation. There’s no rush to go home, right?”

Yang Yunran replied quietly, “No rush, I took ten days off.” He initially wanted to refuse the consultation but eventually accepted the kind offer.

In the car, Yang Yunran asked, “Does Mom know about Zhao Youmo? Did you tell her?”

Xu Xing shook his head. “Don’t overthink. Your mom knows and said she plans to see him when she returns home. But from the moment she saw you, it was clear you were her son. She loves you and cares deeply for you, without a doubt.”

Yang Yunran didn’t doubt this.

Even if Yang Wanyu didn’t have strong feelings for him and preferred Zhao Youmo, he would still nurture their relationship and do everything to be good to her without expecting anything in return.

Having taken three consecutive flights and not resting upon arrival, Yang Yunran was indeed tired. With piano music playing in the car, he closed his eyes to rest and nearly fell asleep.

His phone lit up several times in his hand.

Xu Xing glanced at it.

The contact name was “Brother Jiang Yi.”

Xu Xing’s expression darkened.

To quickly understand Yang Yunran, he had his secretary investigate everything about him. Upon learning about his sexual orientation, Xu Xing pondered for a long time. “Has he never had a girlfriend?”

The secretary, after glancing at the records, said, “Young master had a former boyfriend who went through gender reassignment surgery. Does that count as having dated a girlfriend?”

Xu Xing replied, “That’s enough.”

Yang Yunran’s romantic history appeared rather unconventional.

Xu Xing, despite his reservations, was quite concerned about his current relationship, and had his secretary thoroughly investigate this “Jiang Yi.”

Jiang Yi’s background was modest, with three generations of farmers and no college graduates in his family.

However, Jiang Yi’s own achievements were quite impressive, especially compared to Yang Yunran’s previous partners. As an internationally recognized young bioengineer, recipient of numerous biology awards, and a potential Nobel Prize nominee, he stood out favorably against titles like “second place in a talent show,” “top five divorce lawyer in Hong Kong,” “transgender individual,” and “idle rich second generation.”

So when Xu Xing saw the WeChat notifications, he knew exactly who it was.

There were several messages, one after another, asking:

“Baby, did you see your mom?”
“Have you rested?”
“How is she?”
“Make sure to rest well and get some sleep.”
“Reply when you wake up.”

Xu Xing’s expression turned complex. He saw Yang Yunran nearly asleep and decided not to wake him.

When they arrived home, Xu Xing hesitated between waking him or carrying him inside. He tried carrying him, and Yang Yunran woke up.

Yang Yunran rubbed his eyes. “Dad, are we there?”

“We’re here. We’re staying here for now, close to your mom’s hospital,” Xu Xing said.

Yang Yunran nodded and followed him upstairs.

In the elevator, despite being very tired, Yang Yunran started replying to messages.

“I saw mom. She’s doing better than I expected, much better.”

Jiang Yi: “So you didn’t rest this afternoon?”

Yang Yunran: “No, I’m going to rest now.”

Jiang Yi couldn’t scold him for not taking care of himself but felt a deep concern.

Yang Yunran looked up and then texted, “I’m home. I need to shower.”

Jiang Yi: “Can we call? Is your dad around?”

Yang Yunran: “He’s here. I’ll call from the bathroom.”

Xu Xing heard the phone buzzing repeatedly but resisted the urge to confiscate it. He had been preparing himself for a long time to accept that his child was gay.

He pretended not to know, asking, “Yunran, chatting with your girlfriend?”

Yang Yunran, drowsy, looked up confusedly. “It’s my boyfriend, Dad. Didn’t you find out?”

Xu Xing asked, “You… you like boys, right?”

Yang Yunran nodded, not hiding anything and coming out directly, fearing a reaction similar to Yang Liming’s. “Dad, I like boys. I love my current partner and plan to be with him for life. I can’t continue the family line, if that’s what you want. I’m sorry.”

His tone was apologetic, but his expression wasn’t, as he lowered his head.

Xu Xing sat down. “Sit down. I don’t have such expectations. Modern technology can address these concerns. What matters more is your happiness. You’re living in China as a public figure. Are you sure about this path?”

Yang Yunran nodded firmly, now believing that love transcends time and space, existing eternally.

Xu Xing saw Yang Yunran nodding off and said, “I don’t have any particular objections to your boyfriend. It’s your choice. But he’s older—already twenty-eight, soon to be thirty. Would you consider someone better? I can introduce you to someone… from a prestigious university, well-matched, your age. Do you have any preferences for appearance or height?”

Yang Yunran, confused, mumbled, “What did you say?”

Xu Xing sighed, “Never mind, we’ll talk tomorrow. Go to sleep.”

Yang Yunran ran to his room with his phone.

After showering, he collapsed onto the luxurious bed. Heaven knows how long it had been since he slept in such comfort. The silk sheets felt as expensive as gold against his skin.

Despite his exhaustion, Yang Yunran had to fall asleep on a call with Jiang Yi, an unwritten rule since the Jiang Fan incident.

In the morning, Jiang Yi was at school. The school board had set up an advanced lab for him and arranged a group of graduate students and postdocs, many older than him.

Jiang Yi had been wearing earphones for a while, though he could only hear Yang Yunran’s breathing in a very quiet environment.

New students were already gossiping about his young appearance, assuming he couldn’t hear them through the earphones.

“Professor Jiang looks so young, but to be a professor at A University, he must be at least thirty-eight. He doesn’t look it at all.”

“He’s into gene editing. Maybe he used stem cells on himself? That would make him look ten or twenty years younger. He might be forty-eight, with two kids.”

“I don’t believe it. I don’t think he has kids. He probably doesn’t even have a girlfriend! No ring on his finger.”

“Are you kidding? Do you want to date your professor?”

Jiang Yi had briefly introduced himself during the meeting, only mentioning his name, not his age.

Students had conducted their own investigations, finally discovering his real age: twenty-eight.

Jiang Yi’s first day at A University saw a surge of interest, with his lab coat photos spreading across school social media, landing him on the confession wall and the school’s heartthrob Bot.

The bolder students even asked him the next day if he had a partner.

Jiang Yi confirmed he did, without elaborating. His frequent texting and calls outside the lab, showing a soft demeanor, clearly indicated he wasn’t lying.

After leaving the lab, Jiang Yi leaned against the railing, still wearing his white coat.

He sent a text message asking, “How did your mother’s surgery go?”

Yang Yunran didn’t reply for a while.

About half an hour later, he finally sent a voice message, sounding on the verge of tears, saying, “It was successful. The doctor just said that as long as she takes good care of herself and doesn’t overexert, she can live for decades without any issues after this surgery.”

Yang Yunran followed the hospital bed back to the ward.

Yang Wanyu was still under general anesthesia and hadn’t woken up. Yang Yunran squatted by her bedside, resting his chin on the edge, gazing at his mother’s frail but youthful and still radiant appearance for a long time. He dazedly thought that if his mother didn’t have him, she could have a better life, a successful career, the best medical treatment, still be beautiful, and be loved.