At the words "pretending to be sick," the onlookers around them could not help drawing a sharp breath.
Cui Xuemei naturally heard their murmurs, and her expression gradually darkened. "Stop talking..."
As though he had not heard her, Chu Ci continued on his own. "Worried that you had no one to look after you in the hospital, I specifically asked the director for leave and flew over to see you. Unfortunately, I searched every hospital and couldn't find you."
Cui Xuemei lowered her head guiltily.
"In the end, we ran into each other outside a mahjong parlor."
"I went an entire night without sleep. It never occurred to me that your 'hospital stay' and 'surgery' were lies, and you were only asking me for money so you could keep playing mahjong."
Cui Xuemei kept her head down and said nothing.
"After that, you still contacted me often, but it always came back to 'money.' Sometimes it was one or two thousand, sometimes ten or twenty thousand. If I remember correctly, the most you asked for at once was a hundred thousand?"
A hundred thousand was no small expense for the original owner.
He had to rush between engagements, take advertising jobs, and accept scripts almost every day. Back then, the original owner had no time to consider the quality of a script or how unlikable his role was. As long as he could earn money, he would agree to the director's demands.
The original owner never got a proper chance to hone his acting skills. Coupled with his later need to leech off hype to land scripts and advertisements, he gained more and more anti-fans, and labels like "washed-up celebrity" and "pretty face" were heaped on him.
The original owner had always been frail, and with his relentless daily schedule, his hospital visits grew increasingly frequent. More than once, doctors advised him to put work aside and get some proper rest, but each time, he readily agreed to their faces, then carried on as usual behind their backs.
Let's Fall in Love was the first variety show the original owner had joined for "zero pay." In fact, by then, he had vaguely sensed that he did not have much time left, so he wanted to be his true self for once, without leeching off anyone's hype.
But the original owner had never expected that he would not live to see the end of filming for Let's Fall in Love.
The moment the figure "a hundred thousand" came out, the people around them began looking at Cui Xuemei differently.
"That's a hundred thousand!"
"Our daughter's bride price was only a hundred thousand."
"Who would've thought she'd have the nerve to ask for that much..."
The faint snatches of conversation reached Cui Xuemei's ears, and she looked embarrassed. "Enough, Chu Ci. How much longer are you going to keep making a scene? Whatever it is, we can talk about it at home."
"Wait. I haven't finished tallying the accounts."
Watching Cui Xuemei, who was on the verge of breaking down, Chu Ci said unhurriedly, "One thousand, two thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand... Unless I've miscalculated, I've transferred you several hundred thousand over the years, haven't I?"
"You swore that you wanted that money to take better care of me. But when I got sick a while ago and hoped you could visit me in the hospital, what did you say? You said you had things to do and had no time to stay with me..."
Chu Ci swept his gaze around before finally settling on the mahjong table in the middle. His voice was mercilessly mocking and scornful. "So the thing keeping you busy was mahjong? In your eyes, mahjong has always mattered more than me. Then why bother telling all those lies before..."
"I said enough!"
Cui Xuemei interrupted him loudly.
"Didn't I carry you for ten months and give birth to you? Isn't it only right for children to be filial to their parents? You've made so much money as a celebrity. What's wrong with giving me a little? I admit I haven't been a good mother, but didn't I try everything I could to make up for it afterward? Haven't I bought you clothes and shoes? Haven't I been trying to make it up to you?"
"If you think buying me clothes with money you scammed out of me by pretending to be sick counts as making up for it, then I have nothing to say."
Chu Ci shrugged indifferently.
In Cui Xuemei's mind, Chu Ci had always been an obedient, well-behaved, sensible boy. This was the first time he had openly, unabashedly shown his rebellious streak.
With three other people still watching the spectacle, Cui Xuemei felt she could not save face, so she could only scold him in an even harsher tone. "Is that how you speak to your elders? Whatever else, I'm still your birth mother. Watch your attitude."
Chu Ci fell silent for a few seconds.
The spot where he stood was rather strategically placed, with his back facing the three onlookers. In other words, only Cui Xuemei could clearly see his expression.
When Chu Ci went so long without speaking, Cui Xuemei thought she had frightened him. She cleared her throat and was about to say a few gentler words to ease the tense atmosphere, only to see Chu Ci casually mouth something at her.
Cui Xuemei stood very close to Chu Ci, so she saw exactly what he said.
"You-don't-deserve it."
Cui Xuemei felt anger surge in her chest. At the sight of Chu Ci's provocative expression, she could not help raising her hand.
The slap never landed on Chu Ci's face.
Because he coldly caught her wrist.
"Let go of me..."
Cui Xuemei had not expected Chu Ci to be so strong, and her voice began to tremble. "I... I'm your birth mother. What... what are you going to do to me...?"
"What am I going to do?"
Chu Ci raised an eyebrow slightly.
Under Cui Xuemei's terrified gaze, he yanked the mahjong cloth off the table without warning.
The mahjong tiles that had been neatly arranged on the table instantly scattered across the floor. Some landed by Cui Xuemei's feet. Frightened by Chu Ci's sudden movement and the clattering of the falling tiles, she remained frozen in her previous pose, not daring to move.
Chu Ci was very satisfied with Cui Xuemei's reaction. His lips curved casually. "I want to sever ties with you."
Looking at the mahjong tiles scattered across the floor, Cui Xuemei swallowed nervously.
Only at that moment did she truly feel that he was no longer the Chu Ci anyone could push around.
"Consider those several hundred thousand my retirement money for you. From today onward, you and I have nothing to do with each other."
After all that buildup, this was the real point of today's visit.
Chu Ci had never intended to get the money back. He did not need to think to know that Cui Xuemei had long since spent it all. Even if she really did have money left, he did not believe she would obediently hand it over.
Besides...
That was money the original owner had given Cui Xuemei willingly.
All Chu Ci could do was sever ties with Cui Xuemei, then move into a beautiful, spacious house with Grandma.