He had always believed Cui Xuemei had "love" for him.
Until later-
Chu Ci encountered all kinds of difficulties in the entertainment industry. He had no backing, no resources, and no connections. For a long time, he received no suitable scripts, and he had no choice but to accept the company's proposed strategy of gaining fame through notoriety.
As he watched insults against him flood the internet, Chu Ci grew increasingly depressed. He was no saint. Even knowing the company was doing this so he could earn more money in the future, the undisguised malice from netizens still upset him so much that he could not sleep.
With trembling fingers, Chu Ci called Cui Xuemei, hoping for some comfort from her, even just a sentence or two.
But when the call connected, all he heard was the clatter of mahjong tiles. Cui Xuemei sounded somewhat perfunctory. "Cici, did you need something?"
"I..."
Only after deliberating over his words for a long time did Chu Ci muster the courage to say, "Mom, I'm not feeling very well right now... Could... could you come see me?"
It was the first time since reaching adulthood that Chu Ci had shown Cui Xuemei his most vulnerable side.
"Not feeling well?"
Cui Xuemei's attention was entirely on her mahjong game. Hearing Chu Ci's words, she said dismissively, "Go to the hospital if you're not feeling well. What good does calling me do? I'm not a doctor."
"No..."
Chu Ci hurriedly explained, "It's not physical. It's mental. There have been a lot of comments insulting me online lately, and I feel awful."
He poured out all his grievances at once. "I don't want to ride other people's popularity either. I want to focus on acting and do honest work, but I don't have resources or connections, so this is the only way I can break out..."
"Cici, Mommy's busy right now."
Cui Xuemei was in no mood to listen to Chu Ci's troubles. "Go to the hospital if you don't feel well. Don't wear yourself out."
"No..."
Before Chu Ci could finish, Cui Xuemei hastily said, "I have something important to do right now," and hurriedly hung up.
Chu Ci lowered his eyes and sat in a daze for a long time.
Was that important thing... playing mahjong?
In Mom's eyes, was mahjong more important than him?
The twenty-year-old Chu Ci's lips curved up slightly, but there was not the slightest trace of a smile in his beautiful phoenix eyes.
His constitution had always been weak, and after reading so many malicious comments from netizens, his mental state deteriorated as well.
Chu Ci had to go to the hospital for medicine every few days. He had also tried asking Cui Xuemei to keep him company, but all he ever received was her perfunctory reply: "Cici, I still have things to do."
During this time, Chu Ci's father contacted him too.
Of course, Chu Ci's father had not suddenly contacted him out of concern for his situation. Like Cui Xuemei, he had happened to learn that Chu Ci had become a celebrity and wanted to seize this rare opportunity to ask him for money.
Money, money, money.
His pestering annoyed Chu Ci beyond endurance, so he gave it to him.
Apart from the money he sent his grandmother every year, the money he gave his father was all the savings Chu Ci had.
Later, when Cui Xuemei called again to ask for money, Chu Ci told her honestly, "I already gave all my money to Dad." To his surprise, Cui Xuemei responded by berating him.
"Are you an idiot? Why did you give him so much money? He hasn't raised you all these years. How does he have the nerve to ask you for money? You're a fool too, giving it to him just because he asked."
Chu Ci merely remained silent.
Had... Cui Xuemei raised him, then?
Both of them had done everything they could to contact him only after learning that he had become a celebrity. Chu Ci knew what they wanted was money.
Seeing Chu Ci remain silent, Cui Xuemei also realized that what she had just said was a little excessive. "Cici, I... I didn't mean it that way. I just think, why should he get to take the money you worked so hard to earn that easily?"
Hearing this, Chu Ci's lips curled in self-mockery. "Wasn't I the same when you first asked me for money?"
"How can you compare me to him?!"
Cui Xuemei retorted, "I carried you for ten months and went through all that hardship to give birth to you. Of course the bond between us is deeper than the bond between you and that good-for-nothing..."
Chu Ci knew they had a bad relationship, but he had never expected Cui Xuemei to call his father a "good-for-nothing" outright.
At the time, Chu Ci was still plagued by the malicious comments flooding the internet and was in no mood to deal with Cui Xuemei's petty nonsense. Imitating her dismissive manner, he left her with, "Anyway, I'm out of money. Don't ask me for money again," and hung up without mercy.
Afterward, Cui Xuemei called many more times. Annoyed beyond endurance by the calls, Chu Ci simply switched off his phone.
He never expected Cui Xuemei to show up at his home.
Chu Ci had begged Cui Xuemei to come see him many times, only to be coldly refused each time. This time, after he said he would "never give her money again," she came to his home.
How ironic.
For some reason, Chu Ci's eyes began to sting.
He had imagined his mother visiting his home countless times, but no matter which scene he imagined, it should never have been like this...
"You have to give me money."
Sitting on the sofa, Cui Xuemei looked down at Chu Ci. "I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. Without me, you wouldn't be here today. Now that you've made a name for yourself, you want to kick me aside? Not. A. Chance."
For the first time, Chu Ci found Cui Xuemei frighteningly unfamiliar.
"But..." He licked his pale lips and explained helplessly, "I really don't have any money left."
That was not a lie.
What he had given his father really was all his savings.
"Then give me the money you paid in rent."
Cui Xuemei surveyed Chu Ci's room critically. "Renting a place like this can't be cheap, can it? You're away working all year round. You don't need to live somewhere this nice."
Chu Ci had never expected Cui Xuemei to say something like that. "But I rented this place specifically for Grandma. The surroundings are very suitable for her to spend her old age..."
"Then there's even less need."
Cui Xuemei raised her brows slightly. "What sort of place hasn't she lived in? Letting her live somewhere this nice is simply a waste..."
Realizing she had gone a little too far, Cui Xuemei began doing everything she could to make herself seem pitiful again. "Cici, in all my life, I've never lived anywhere this nice."
Chu Ci softened once again.
He really did give Cui Xuemei the rent money.
Unfortunately, each time he softened, all he got in return was Cui Xuemei taking a mile whenever he gave her an inch.
"Ah."
After reading through what had happened to the original owner, Chu Ci sighed. "You can't go soft on a scumbag like Cui Xuemei."