Chapter 23: Are You Still Defending Them?

Zhou Tong responded, but his heart grew increasingly suspicious. Their own President Lu would never display such emotions under normal circumstances—something must have happened to make him act this way. Zhou Tong was a bit worried.

But this was near a large shopping mall, a place where danger was practically nonexistent and people were everywhere. After parking the car, he saw Lu Sinian get out and, without so much as a backward glance, stride away.

Zhou Tong furrowed his brow. Under these circumstances, he couldn’t just abandon the car, so he hurried to find a parking space nearby.

As for Lu Sinian…

After leaving the car, he headed straight into the mall, his pace swift and determined. The women passing by, upon seeing such a striking man suddenly appear, all flashed looks of astonished admiration.

“What a handsome man!”

“Look! There’s a heartthrob!”

Lu Sinian seemed oblivious to the attention. Lips pressed in a firm line, his expression was severe as he moved quickly through the mall, scanning his surroundings. It was obvious to all that he was searching for someone.

Then, as he caught sight of a woman ascending the escalator, he suddenly picked up his pace.

She wore a dark-red cheongsam, her hair cut just below the nape, a cascade of soft, small dark brown curls. From behind, she looked like a young girl, and more than a few men were casting admiring glances at her graceful silhouette.

Fu Siye, after stepping onto the escalator, did not stand still to let it carry him up. Instead, he quickly moved ahead to the woman’s side.

Yes, to her side.

This way, he could better see her face.

Until—

He saw her clearly.

The moment the woman noticed his presence, a look of profound shock flashed in her eyes. In the next instant, she seemed poised to flee.

But Lu Sinian was quick. He seized her wrist in a swift, unyielding grip, not allowing her even a chance to struggle, his gaze locked intently on her.

Seen from the front, she no longer looked like a girl, but rather a young matron. Still, no one would have guessed her true age—over forty-five, with an adult son.

There was a trace of panic in her eyes, but she could not break free. In the end, she spoke. “Let go of me.”

Lu Sinian fixed her with an icy stare and said in a deep voice, “Tell me—why?”

He had searched for her for so many years, yet she had never appeared. Now that he had finally found her, how could he let her go?

The woman seemed even more flustered, but no matter how she tried, she could not escape. Staring at the man before her, her expression was exceedingly complicated.

“Tell me—why?” Lu Sinian repeated, as if possessed by an obsession, his tone again low and intense.

“Can you let me go first?” The woman’s voice, too, had become layered with emotion. She no longer tried to run, knowing full well that with him here, escape was impossible.

Lu Sinian said nothing. The escalator reached its end, but he paid no heed to the stares around them, dragging the woman with him as he strode away.

“Let go—there are too many people here!” she implored, but Lu Sinian gave her no chance, forcefully pulling her into a private elevator meant for the mall’s executives.

Here, he was on his own turf.

Many recognized Lu Sinian and wanted to greet him, but... seeing the man—usually so gentle—now with a stormy face, his eyes cold and forbidding, they dared not approach. The message he conveyed was clear: strangers, keep your distance.

Soon, they reached the top floor of the mall. Lu Sinian led the woman into a room where no other soul was present.

It was clearly an office—there was a desk, a sofa, and a side door leading, presumably, to a lounge.

Once inside, Lu Sinian released her wrist, but stood firmly before the door, barring her escape.

He regarded her coldly. “Now, can you tell me?”

He had searched for her for so many years. Now, finally facing her, he was certain he could not be mistaken. Seeing the conflicted look in her eyes only confirmed it.

Now, with no one else present, the woman’s expression turned even more complex, and tears began to fall uncontrollably from her eyes.

Lu Sinian’s gaze sharpened, but he pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing.

She moved closer to him, gazing at his handsome face. She sniffled, as if summoning courage, and slowly raised a trembling hand toward his cheek.

Lu Sinian remained unmoving, his gaze still cold and tinged with resentment.

Just as her hand was about to touch his face, he turned his head away, denying her the chance.

Her lashes quivered, but she could not protest, because—

“I owe you too much...” Her tone was no longer evasive as it had been outside; instead, she voiced those words with difficulty.

Lu Sinian stared at her. “You treated me so well before—so why did you vanish without a trace?”

A deep sorrow instantly filled her eyes, but a moment later, she composed herself, gently shaking her head. “Sinian, it’s your mother who has wronged you...”

Just that one sentence, and she seemed at a loss for words. Lu Sinian’s brows drew together, his gaze cold and openly disappointed. “You disappeared for fifteen years, and that’s all you have to say to me? Why did you leave without a word—why?!”

His voice rose with those last three words, all his pent-up disappointment and anger boiling over.

For years, he had reined in his emotions. He remembered, when his mother was still there, his life was filled with sunshine. But after—

After his mother vanished, the world seemed to collapse.

At home, only his mother had shown him warmth; his grandfather, grandmother, and father had all been cold toward him, as though they resented him.

Three months after his mother’s disappearance, his father remarried—twice within ten years.

Yes, twice, for neither woman bore him a son, and his father divorced them both.

At home, because his mother held no status and because as a child his personality was unappealing, he was not favored. Still, as he was the sole heir, his family had little choice. Over time, they seemed to accept it, and their attitude gradually softened.

Now, the Lu Group was in his hands. No one could dislodge him, and under his management, everything ran smoothly. Only now did his father and grandfather feel at ease.

In truth, however,

Lu Sinian felt nothing for these people.

His only true obsession was his mother, who had suddenly disappeared.

“Can you please tell me why?” This time, Lu Sinian’s voice was much gentler.

Watching her tears fall in great, silent drops, he finally asked again, “Was it them who drove you away?”

The woman’s expression shifted, and she looked up at him, incredulous—as if shocked that he would even think so.

Then, she lowered her head and shook it slowly. “No, it had nothing to do with them.”

Lu Sinian let out a bitter laugh. “Even now, you’re still defending them?”