Chapter 26 Midnight Murky Shadows

“Your father was not only good at housework but also good at doing business. Your father bought three apartments with all his savings, and we could make a very good living by rent. Although the rent was not that much at that time, the consumption at that time was also very low, thus a few hundred dollars were enough for us to spend in a month.”

Chu Yunxiu’s eyes were misted with water, “Not long after you were born, I forced your father to go out and earn money in order to live a better life. Although your father wanted to stay at home and take care of us, I didn’t consider your father’s mood. He spoiled me so much that even if he was unwilling to leave us, he went to the southern border of Yunnan to trade jade but he never came back.”

Speaking of which, Chu Yunxiu burst into tears, “It was all my fault. I was too selfish and willful. Otherwise, your father wouldn’t have disappeared, and you wouldn’t have grown up without a father. Woo, woo, woo, it was all my fault. I should not have forced your father to do business… woo.”

“Mom, could you please stop crying. I don’t blame you. Since Dad did not want to leave us, he would have come back to us if he was safe. But he hasn’t come back yet. Why are you so sure Dad isn’t dead?”

Eyes rimmed red, Ling Yun helped Chu Yunxiu wipe the tears and asked softly.

Chu Yunxiu choked and said, “After your father had disappeared, I thought he was dead too, even the public security bureau sent me his death certificate. In fact, I found long ago that your father was still alive because I often woke up in the middle of the night and saw your father standing outside the window looking at me. However, he had already left when I run out to find him.”

Lingyun opened her mouth in astonishment and said inconceivably, “Mom, do you miss my father too much that you start to hallucinate?”

“It can’t be an illusion. I have seen him more than once, but we never met face-to-face. As soon as I found him and run out to chase him, he would leave immediately. I couldn’t catch up with him.”

Chu Yunxiu said excitedly, “I had thought it was because I missed your father too much that I had those illusions. However, I was unreconciled. Thus, I secretly installed a camera outside my room. He wore a hat every time and I couldn’t take a picture of his whole face, but how could I not recognize his figure and back?”

Speaking of which, Chu Yunxiu took out a U disk, plugged it into the computer and opened a file. Her face flushed with excitement, “Look, this is your father.”

Lingyun was stunned and speechless when she saw the man on the screen. Wearing a hat and a mask, the man stood outside her window as motionless as a clay sculpture at midnight, looking inside quietly.

The picture showed there were several times when Chu Yunxiu’s room suddenly lighted up, the man immediately turned away. When Chu Yunxiu came out, his figure was lost already.

The thought of such a man often stood outside their window at midnight made her hair stand on end.

Ling Yun’s face dignified and said, “Mom, are you sure he is my dad? Does anyone want to do something against us?”

She was right to think like that. After all, though Chu Yunxiu was more than 40 years old, she was brilliant and a widow, it was not surprising that some psychopathic would peep at her at night.

“No, that’s definitely your dad. Although I don’t know why he does not want to see us, I’m sure that must be him.”

Chu Yunxiu said with an affirmative look.

“It seems that my mother misses my father so much that she takes this sick voyeur as my father.”

Lingyun secretly made up her mind to capture this sick voyeur and eradicate her mother’s paranoia. Otherwise, she didn’t know whether this would make her mother crazy or not.

Frowning, she asked carefully, “Mum, had this person appeared many times?”

“This person? This person is your father.”

Chu Yunxiu mock-exasperatedly rolled her eyes, stretched out her white jade-like fingers and stroked the man’s face on the computer screen infatuatedly like touching the lover’s skin, “Your father must have something difficult to say that he chose not to meet us. Many times, I felt that he was secretly protecting me behind, but I could not find him.”

My God, my mother must be possessed. This matter must be solved quickly. Lingyun asked cautiously with her eyes twinkling, “How often does he come?”

“The first time I saw your father was about three years ago after you went to school and stayed there. Unfortunately, there was no particular time for his appearance. Sometimes he appeared a dozen times a year and sometimes he came only once half a year. Otherwise, I must stop him and ask him what his difficulties are.”

Chu Yunxiu leafed through the recording time of the camera and replied. But soon she raised her eyebrows excitedly, “But when I went to negotiate with the development company today, I felt that he was protecting me behind. So, I was not afraid at all.”

Lingyun heart frozen suddenly, “This becomes awful, the pervert now has developed to the point of following my mother in broad daylight. Does he can’t help but going to get started?”

She stood up immediately and stretched. She was going to change her clothes. “Mom, I’m changing clothes and I’m going to take over my shift.”

“Going to work? Is it your night shift today? Then what are your going to take over in the early afternoon?” Chu Yunxiu carefully packed up the U disk which seemed was taken as her spiritual sustenance.

This made Ling Yun more and more determined to seize the sick voyeur as soon as possible. “Going on like this, mom will be tortured into a maniac even if she doesn’t get lovesickness.”

“Oh, elder sister Li has something to do at home in the evening. She has to leave a little earlier. I’ll go to work in advance to replace her.”

“Elder sister Li? Is that the nurse who looks like a man and has bad breath? Does she bully you again? Why does she always make you cover her shift? Let me tell you that nice people are bullied and don’t be a yes-man. If she thinks you are the one she can bully easily, she will eat you up for the rest of your life.”

Chu Yunxiu vigilantly raised her head, looked at Ling Yun and began her tireless teaching.

“It”s not like that, since her illness has been treated by Ding Ning, it is greatly improved. Now she is very nice to me …”

Lingyun subconsciously explained but only to find her mother’s cold sight was behind her back. Sticking her sweet tongue out, she turned around, hold Chu Yunxiu’s arm and explained coquettishly.

“It’s not what you think. Ding Ning had an accident a few days ago and is hospitalized in our hospital. He happened to meet elder sister Li and me and treated her by the way.”

“Ding Ning is in the hospital? What has happened? No wonder I haven’t seen him come back these days. I thought he went back to his hometown.”

Chu Yunxiu asked surprisedly.

“He is fine. Now he’s living in senior officials inpatient ward. You have no idea how happy he is. Mum, I know you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. In fact, you still care about him, don’t you?”

Ling Yun smiled, loosened her mother’s arm, and continued changing clothes.

“Hum, I care nothing about him. What I care about is my rent. When you see him, you should tell him that his rent is seven days late. If he doesn’t pay it, he must get out of here. I just want to rent it to someone else and collect more rent.”

Chu Yunxiu said grumpily, “In addition, don’t blame me for not reminding you. You should have less contact with Ding Ning in the future. If you dare to fall in love with him, don’t take me as your mother.”

“Mom, what are you talking about? How does Ding Ning provoke you? Who doesn’t like him in the whole community? Only you dislike him all day long.”

Ling Yun pursed her mouth and grumbled while wearing clothes.

“The child is good, but you have to remember that you are a Ninghai native. At the very least, we have four apartments. We can easily get twenty to thirty million if we sell them. What does Ding Ning have? He has no mother and his dad is a butcher. The most important thing is that he is not a native. He comes from Luochuan, a town I have never heard of, might be in some remote mountainous areas. He has nothing. You marry him for what?”

It seemed like Ling Yun cared nothing at all. Chu Yunxiu knew that she didn’t listen. She earnestly suggested, “You are so beautiful and a native. If you want to marry, people who come to propose may even wear out our doorstep. You can find any kind of person you like…”

“That’s enough! A native, a native, you only know natives. Why don’t I think how great the natives are.”

Ling Yun covered her ears impatiently, “I am an adult, I know what I want. Could you please not interfere in my life?”

“I interfere in your life? I am using my life experience to teach you to avoid detours. Look at what is your attitude? What wrong with natives? Natives are great. Ninghai is a first-tier city. Many people try everything they can do to get into this city, but they can’t even get a Ninghai household registration. Ding Ning has nothing good. He doesn’t have money, an apartment, a car or even a job. If you two live together, how can he support you?”

Chu Yunxiu’s voice suddenly raised as she scolded Ling Yun with the exasperation at her failure to make good.

Lingyun stared at her obstinately, “Don’t look at people in the crack of the door and look down on them. Ding Ning is a capable person. He can make big money with his medical skills easily. He saved a rich girl a few days ago. They offered him millions, but he refused.”

“Hum, just brag for him as you want. He’s a poor student who can’t even find a job. He can get paid millions yuan? Are you kidding me?”

Chu Yunxiu sneered scornfully, holding her arms, “If he is really capable, he should buy you an apartment in Ninghai. Not too big, 200 square meters will be enough. However, the apartment must be inside the second annulus and your name must be written on the property ownership certificate. As long as he can do that, I will marry you to him without demur.”

“You … you are crazy. I am too lazy to talk with you.”

Ling Yun was so angry that she almost passed out. The price per square meter inside the second ring was no less than 100,000 yuan. A two hundred square apartment is worth 20 million yuan. Even if she has great confidence in Ding Ning, she doesn’t think he can earn 20 million yuan.

What’s more, writing her name on the property ownership certificate, no one would agree to this.

“If he can’t do it, he doesn’t have the skill. If he doesn’t want to write your name on the property ownership certificate, he doesn’t love you enough. What else do you like about him? Therefore, you should stay away from him as early as possible. You are 21 years old this year now, it is time to be in a relationship. You should get married after two years of relationship. Leave this matter to your mum. I will contact my sisters and will definitely help you find a good man who is handsome, rich and loves you.”

Chu Yunxiu earnestly said, “Till then, you will know that some people are destined to be only passers-by in your life. When you find your own happiness, you will find that it’s nothing but puberty germination.”

“You… are truly unreasonable. I won’t have any marriage interview and don’t give me a reason to run away from home. I’m going to work!”

Ling Yun rolled her eyes, put on her shoes agitatedly and snapped the door shut. She sighed helplessly. Such a mother made her feel speechless.

Chu Yunxiu looked at the closed door and shook his head helplessly, thinking that it was true that a grown girl could not be kept at home. But on the issue as big as marriage, she could not be so capricious.

The marriage interview plan must be started right now. Chu Yunxiu immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number. A smile hung on her face as soon as the phone was put through. “Sister Wang? I’m Yun Xiu. Let me tell you something. I hear that you have a nephew who has just returned from studying abroad, right?”