Jialue purposely screwed up his eyes in a smile, as he looked most like Gu Mengmeng when he beamed like that.

  “If the four of us die, mother will cry horribly.” Jialue batted his eyelids as he purposely presented his face right in front of Elvis. “So in reality, do you wish to make mother cry, or not?”


  Elvis reached out one huge hand and rubbed Jialue’s face roughly. “I will not make her cry.”


  Jialue used both hands to hold onto Elvis’ wrist and tilted his face to peek out from the side of Elvis’ palm. “You don’t want to make mother cry…… so you can’t do anything to us four, right?”


  Elvis gritted his teeth.

  This punk was his son. He looked very much like Gu Mengmeng, but had Lea’s brains.

  Faced with this impish fellow, Elvis could not bring himself to be vicious at all.

  He shook his head in exasperation and placed Gu Mengmeng back down. He then picked up Jialue by the crook of his neck, kicked Kanwu forward and shot a look at Hede. “Come hunting with me.”


  Kanwu was just about to refuse when Elvis said coldly, “If you wish to get promoted quickly and catch up with Chixuan, you guys must work harder than him.”


  Kanwu’s words died in his throat. He glanced at Chixuan before following Elvis out without another word.

  Lea was outside the cave, raising a fire to prepare their meal. At that moment, only Chixuan and Gu Mengmeng were left in the cave.

  Gu Mengmeng knew Elvis was purposely creating an opportunity for her, and indeed, she didn’t have much time left.

  From past experience, Chixuan would always leave by noon the next day whenever he returned home.

  Gu Mengmeng tugged at Chixuan’s hand. She gently caressed the bruises on his face. “Does it still hurt?”


  Chixuan shook his head. He hesitated, but still spoke up. “Yesterday night, it was he who saved us.”


  That person…… no need to ask, it must be Cole.

  Gu Mengmeng pursed her lips and nodded.

  Actually, she had already guessed it.

  If it was someone else, Chixuan would have no need to keep it a secret. He would have just told them.

  He had steadfastly refused to tell Kanwu as he guessed that his three brothers hated Cole as much as Gu Mengmeng did. That they might have even chosen death rather than be rescued by Cole.

  “He acted as he did for you.” Chixuan’s manner was quiet and calm. “Mother, if I am willing to come back to your side forever as your obedient son, will you consider accepting him?”


  Gu Mengmeng was stunned……

  So her son was giving her a third option.

  A third option that would not require abandoning her son or taking dangerous risks.

  Ha, she said before that her son was more important than her own life. So now, the time of reckoning has come.

  Was she willing to sacrifice herself—to endure some suffering and suppress her disgust—and accept Cole.

  If only she was willing to sacrifice, to suffer and bear her disgust—her son would not need to undergo the risk of having a bewitching spell cast on him.

  Gu Mengmeng felt herself shrinking, as if all reason had been sucked out of her.

  In her mind, only one sentence was left echoing: She was unwilling.

  She could die for Chixuan, but was unwilling to accept Cole for him……

  She could not imagine herself reaching such selfless heights.

  She was not a good mother after all.

  Chixuan looked at Gu Mengmeng’s stunned expression and thought she was considering the possibility. He tugged at her hand. “Mother, think back carefully. Although he has committed many crimes, he has never really harmed you. Isn’t that right?”