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Chapter 164 Childhood Friends (19)

Hu Li explained: "Your mother knew you were coming to my place today, so she came to see you right after she got off the plane. I only found out about it when I called her this morning."

Duan Xu just arrived home, and for a moment she didn't know how to tell Duan Xu that Hu Bing had returned home.

Hu Bing said: "Mom will not leave when she returns to China this time. Your uncle Victor and I plan to settle in China, along with your sister."

Duan Xu remained silent.

The little girl approached Duan Xu and wanted to hold his hand, but Duan Xu dodged her.

"Juliet, don't be rude. Say hello to your brother properly." Victor scolded in a low voice.

Juliet pursed her lips and said in unskilled Chinese: "Hello, brother. My name is Juliet, and I'm your sister."

Before going to Hu Li's house, Hu Bing repeatedly reminded her to be friendly to her brother.

Duan Xu looked at her and said, "Don't call me brother."

Perhaps it was Duan Xu's calm eyes that frightened Juliet, and she burst into tears.

Juliet ran over and hugged Hu Bing's thighs, saying in French: "Maman, you've been here for a long time, but you've been gone for a long time, in France."

(Mom, I don’t want a brother. I want to go back to France.)

Hu Bing was very embarrassed. She felt sorry for her daughter and guilty towards her son.

She hugged Juliet and coaxed: "C'est bon, bébé, va bien s'entendre avec ton frère, ton frère va t'aimer."

(It’s okay, baby. Just get along well with your brother. He will like you.)

Seeing the loving mother and filial son, Hu Li glanced at Duan Xu worriedly, but she didn't see that he was sad.

Hu Li smiled awkwardly, "The food is ready, let's sit down and eat first."

Hu Li deliberately arranged Duan Xu's seat next to Hu Bing, and Hu Bing seemed to be hesitant to speak several times.

Victor saw Hu Bing's embarrassment, and he took the initiative to say: "I heard that Duan Xu is studying at Capital University, and he is very good."

Duan Xu raised his eyes slightly, "Thank you."

"what's your major?"

"finance."

Hu Bing smiled and said, "Xiao Xu was the best at math when he was young, so he is suitable for studying finance."

She couldn't help but look at Duan Xu's profile frequently. Duan Xu had grown up and there was almost no trace of his childhood left.

Hu Bing still remembers that Duan Xu was very beautiful when she was a child. When she was three or four years old, people thought she was a little girl when she was taken out.

Thinking of the past, Hu Bing's eyes turned red again.

Duan Xu picked up a piece of pork ribs that was placed far away and put it into Chen Ye's bowl. Hu Bing then turned his gaze to Chen Ye. "You are Li Guo, right? Your aunt saw you and held you in her arms when you were little. Do you remember?"

"I don't remember." Chen Ye answered honestly.

Hu Bing chuckled, "How is your mother? I haven't seen her for many years. I'll go to Tianhe to see her when I have time."

"She's pretty good. She teaches every day and travels during holidays."

Chen Ye ate the ribs in the bowl, and Duan Xu peeled two shrimps for him. He did these things as if no one was around, but Chen Ye felt a little embarrassed, especially in front of Duan Xu's biological mother.

He whispered, "That's enough, eat your own food."

Duan Xu stopped putting food into Chen Ye's bowl.

The meal was awkward.

After dinner, Hu Bing hesitated for a long time and said, "Xiao Xu, Mommy has something to tell you alone. Can you go upstairs with Mommy?"

Her tone was somewhat humble, but Duan Xu did not respond.

Victor frowned. He loved Hu Bing very much, so he could accept her past, but he didn't want to see Hu Bing being so humble in front of his own son.

Victor said to Duan Xu: "Hu Bing has missed you a lot these years. She has never forgotten that you are still in China. I heard that Chinese people are very filial. Duan Xu, you should understand her."

Hearing these words that sounded like moral kidnapping, Chen was a little angry. If he really thought so, why didn't he come back?

The eight-year-old Duan Xu was left alone in someone else's home. Fortunately, the Li family were all good people. If they were bad people, Duan Xu would have to live a dependent life.

However, Duan Xu did not speak, and Chen felt that it was not easy for him to say anything and interfere with Duan Xu's family affairs. He held Duan Xu's hand, and Duan Xu looked down at him.

"If you don't want to talk, we can go back now."

Duan Xu said: "Wait for me for a while, I'll come down after chatting."

Seeing that Duan Xu had made up his mind, Chen nodded, "Okay."

Duan Xu and Hu Bing went upstairs, while Chen Yese and Hu Li sat in the living room.

Hu Bing felt a little uneasy as she entered Hu Li's study upstairs. She looked at Duan Xu with red eyes. There were too many people downstairs just now and she had been controlling her emotions. Now, it was just her and Duan Xu, and she could no longer control her longing for Duan Xu.

Hu Bing stretched out his hand to touch Duan Xu's cheek, but Duan Xu took a step back, and this action hurt Hu Bing.

She almost choked up, "Xiao Xu, didn't you want to come up and talk to your mother just now because you hated your mother for abandoning you?"

Duan Xu said: "No."

"You were so young, only in the first grade at that time, you must hate me. I didn't take good care of you when you were little, and we didn't meet for many years afterwards. I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as a mother."

There were tears on Hu Bing's face. Duan Xu looked at her, but his heart was calm. Some emotions did not appear when they were needed, and even if they appeared later, he would no longer be able to empathize with them.

Duan Xu said almost calmly: "Duan Chenglin cheated on you, and the mistress came to you, so you divorced. I know you were not in a good mental state at the time and couldn't take care of me, so you went abroad for recuperation. I don't blame you. If I were you, I would also choose the path that is beneficial to myself."

At the beginning, Hu Bing and Duan Chenglin's marriage was loving. Duan Chenglin restrained himself for a while, but soon returned to his old ways. His romantic and debaucherous behavior constantly tormented Hu Bing, and she almost fled abroad, never wanting to see Duan Chenglin again.

After that, she married Victor and they had the lovely Juliet. Hu Bing thought about returning to China immediately, but she felt that she still couldn't face it. As soon as she came back, she would think of those days and nights of internal friction and torment.

She even felt that she could not face Duan Xu, not only because of her guilt towards Duan Xu, but also because Duan Xu was Duan Chenglin's son, the son of the man who had brought her psychological trauma.

Duan Xu's body is stained with her blood and Duan Chenglin's blood.

This was actually a big reason why she abandoned Duan Xu. She transferred her hatred for Duan Chenglin to Duan Xu and didn't want to see Duan Xu.

Now that she has finally calmed down, Duan Xu has become indifferent to him.

Hu Bing said: "You can understand mom, does that mean you can forgive mom? Mom and Uncle Victor have bought a house in the capital, near your aunt's house. Can you move in and our family of four live together?"

Duan Xu said firmly, "No need."

"Why?" Hu Bing said: "Mom can make it up to you. Your childhood, the love you never got, mom can make it up to you. Mom will make you the happiest person."

The sun shone in through the curtains. Duan Xu had his back to the light. Hu Bing couldn't see his expression clearly, but he could hear his cold voice clearly. "I had a happy childhood. Aunt Zhou and Uncle Li were very good to me. Li Guo was always with me. You don't have to make it up to me."

Duan Xu was even glad that Hu Bing sent him to the Li family and met Chen Ye.

A feeling of jealousy arose in Hu Bing's heart. Her child now treated others as relatives. But soon Hu Bing smiled bitterly. What right did she have to be jealous? She was the one who abandoned Duan Xu.

Duan Xu said, "You are living a happy life now, and so am I. Don't think of me as a homeless vagrant, and there is no need to drag me into your happiness. Just maintain the status quo, you and Uncle Victor live a good life, and I live my own life."

Hu Bing knew that if she didn't look for Duan Xu, she and Victor would live happily ever after, but as a mother, how could she really let go of the baby in her belly?

"Xiao Xu, Mommy doesn't force you to live with me, but can you spare one or two hours every week to have a meal with Mommy? No, half a month will be enough."

Duan Xu nodded. He really didn't hate Hu Bing at all. Of course, he loved her, but the love had worn away over time. So Duan Xu agreed to Hu Bing's request, which was harmless and would not affect his life.

The sadness between Hu Bing's brows faded. She certainly did not give up on mending the relationship with Duan Xu, but the gap between her and Duan Xu could not be bridged by just a few words. She believed that if there is a will, there will be a way. One day, Duan Xu and she would be on good terms again.