Chapter 32-1: I’ll Stay with You
When Lou Ming returned to the study on the second floor, instead of first calling his mother, he made a video call to Master Mao. “Master Mao.” Lou Ming frowned as he looked at Master Mao opposite him on the video call.
“Looks like you already met the Jiang family’s miss.” Even if it was something that involved his evil spirit breaking out, Lou Ming wouldn’t wrinkle his brows like this in front of him. So, when Master Mao saw Lou Ming’s expression on the video call today, he guessed the reason why Lou Ming contacted him.
“Sure enough, you tacitly consented to it?” Lou Ming was somewhat speechless, “I always thought that you were the person who understood me best.”
“I understand your point, but I also understand your mother’s.” Master Mao sighed, “Miss Jiang’s fate is one in millions, Madam Lou must have gone through a lot of effort to find her.”
“But with my condition like this, wouldn’t it only hold up others?” Lou Ming asked.
“If Miss Jiang understands your condition and is still willing, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.” Master Mao sighed, “I shouldn’t say these things, but I’ve watched you for so many years through the harsh road, what you did, and what you had to endure… Lou Ming, you’re worthy.”
“Master.” Lou Ming asked, “I want to ask if I take off the jade clasp, can the other party not be harmed?”
“Impossible.” Master Mao shook his head.
“Then… even if I don’t take the jade clasp off, if one day the evil spirit in my body broke out again, can you be sure she will be fine?” Lou Ming asked again.
“It’s also impossible.” Master Mao continued to shake his head.
“Then, why do you say this might not necessarily be a bad thing?” Lou Ming said, “You can’t. Just because you think I’m worthy, you’re willing to sacrifice the life of an innocent girl.”
“Do you remember what I asked you when I was young?” Lou Ming continued, “I asked you, Master Mao, I didn’t do anything wrong, why did I become like this? Why would I hurt others even though I did nothing?”
Master Mao sighed a long breath. How could he forget?
“You couldn’t answer. You could only deduce it was karma from the past.” Lou Ming smiled bitterly, “I thought back then, what did I do in my previous life that my present life is like this? I didn’t understand it, no matter how hard I thought about it, so I gave up thinking about it.”
“Miss Jiang’s fate is one in millions, if there really is karma from the past, then her fate must have been cultivated from her previous life too. If I harm another’s culmination of good karma for my own gain, I’m afraid I would stay just like this in my next life.” Lou Ming’s voice was full of self-deprecation.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Master Mao explained, “These past few years your control over the evil spirit in your body is really good. Also, during this time, the evil spirit’s growth has slowed down. If you pay careful attention, you won't hurt the Jiang family’s miss. Because of this, I gave tacit approval to your mother.”
“Master Mao, I know you care about me, but… I hope when my mother comes to see you, you wouldn’t help her with this again.” Lou Ming requested, “If you really can’t refuse, you should at least let me know.”
“I understand!” Master Mao felt quite ashamed as he hung up the phone.
Lou Ming looked at the blank phone screen and was in a daze for a long time. He knew he should call his mother next, but he didn’t know how to face his old mother.
Lou Ming once saw a sentence on the internet, it said after living alone for a long time, one will gradually get used to that kind of life. Although Lou Ming had long been accustomed to this lonesome life, he was more eager for a life where he could interact with others, where he can meet face to face, touch other people and be touched. The kind of life where everyone can laugh together by telling a joke.
Therefore, he felt unhappy during New Years and holidays, so he always insisted on making a phone call home.
Although he never hugged any of the juniors in the family, he couldn’t help saying a few words out of concern.
He can even clearly remember the little girl he met by chance fifteen years ago.
In his days of being alone, there were only a few people for him to remember so he can’t bear to forget even one person.
He always thought he was hiding his pain well, but he still couldn’t hide it from his mother’s eyes. His mother has been unyielding all her life. She followed his father from his turbulent years and now that the family has peace and wealth, Lou Ming became the only knot left in his mother’s heart.
Ding-a-ling~
The phone rang abruptly, interrupting Lou Ming’s thoughts. Looking at the name on the screen, Lou Ming hesitated for a while before reaching out to answer the phone.
“Ming Ming…” Madam Lou’s uneasy voice came through the phone. In fact, she had sent people to watch the small courtyard since Jiang Siqi entered. When Jiang Siqi ran out crying, Madam Lou waited for Lou Ming’s call but Lou Ming didn’t call her for quite a long time and she became too impatient to wait.
“Mom.” Lou Ming spoke with a complicated expression.
“Are you blaming Mom for acting on my own?” Madam Lou asked.
“Mom, you…” Lou Ming said helplessly, “Don’t do this next time.”
“It’s not okay? Is it that you don’t like Miss Jiang? If so, Mom can find others…”
“Mom, you know that’s not what I mean.” Lou Ming sighed, “You know my situation best. I believe Master Mao also told you the so-called people with an extremely noble aura can only bear my evil spirit from a certain distance, they can’t live a normal life together with me.”
“But Master Mao said the evil spirit has been very stable so that there won’t be any big problem.” Madam Lou emphasized.
“But I still can’t leave the small courtyard casually or go in a crowd. When I go to the Academy of Science in the dead of the night, I have to make a trip to Xiaohan Mountain and close the road for half a night.” Lou Ming said.
“What if she doesn’t mind?” Madam Lou asked.
“Mom, it’s not fair.” Lou Ming sighed, “Moreover, it also makes me feel like some kind of charity case.”
“How can it be a charity case, ah?” Madam Lou was annoyed, “Our family won’t treat her badly.”
“Mom, I’m always telling myself I live a very meaningful life that I’m not the least bit pitiful.” Lou Ming said with difficulty, “You’re going to make me feel pitiful if you’re like this.”
“…” There was no sound from the phone, but Lou Ming knew his mother must be sad. Lou Ming’s fingers trembled slightly while holding the phone.