The Reborn Mom: Trapped in Her Son's Rivalry Drama

After Lin Xu finished purchasing the clothes, she went on to browse shoes and bags. Just as she was about to eagerly continue to the jewelry section, Ji Tingyang immediately stopped her.

"It's already noon. Aren't you hungry? Let's grab a bite first before continuing to shop. Otherwise, you'll have no energy to walk later."

At first, Lin Xu didn't feel hungry, but hearing his words, her stomach suddenly growled. "Alright, let's go have lunch."

Ji Tingyang secretly sighed with relief.

The driver had been waiting at the mall entrance for some time, and the two walked toward the car.

As they crossed the street, a giant electronic screen on the building across suddenly shifted, and a handsome man with a chiseled face appeared on the screen. He flashed a charming smile, raised a perfume bottle to his lips, and kissed it gently.

In an instant, the women on the street were mesmerized, their hearts racing, wishing they were the ones to be kissed.

"Ah! It's Ji Zeqiu!"

"Honey, don't kiss it! Kiss me!"

"If I wear this perfume, it's like he's kissing me, right? Ah!! I must buy it!"

Screams erupted in the crowd, each one echoing the immense popularity of Ji Zeqiu.

Lin Xu stared at the face on the screen, which resembled Ji Tingyang's by at least sixty or seventy percent, and froze for a moment. "That's... Zeqiu?"

Ji Tingyang also noticed the person on the screen. His expression remained indifferent as he pursed his lips and simply answered, "Mm."

"Is Zeqiu a big star now? How impressive."

When Lin Xu was unconscious, she had only seen a few snippets of her children's experiences and their final outcomes. As for everything else, she knew nothing.

In these past few days, Ji Tingyang had never mentioned his younger brother or sister, so Lin Xu knew even less.

But now, the little child who had always been in his mother's arms had suddenly turned into a household name.

Lin Xu was eager to see more of her younger son's handsome face on the screen, but the advertisement time was fleeting, and it quickly switched to another ad.

During lunch, Lin Xu kept searching for information about Ji Zeqiu on her phone.

She read through his journey from debut to fame, the hardships he had endured, and the more she read, the more her brows furrowed.

Lin Xu felt an immense sadness for not being able to take part in her children's growth. As a result, she studied the materials with great care, trying to engrave every detail into her mind, as though convincing herself that she had experienced it with them.

However, she was so engrossed in the information that she didn't notice Ji Tingyang's subtle, troubled expressions, as if he was struggling to say something.

When Lin Xu noticed that Zeqiu belonged to the entertainment company, Chenxing Entertainment, she suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.

"Chenxing is a competitor to our family's group, right?"

In her mind, Chenxing had always been a rival to the Ji Group. Had it been acquired by Ji Group over the years?

"Yes," Ji Tingyang's words shattered her final illusion.

"Why is Zeqiu with Chenxing? Doesn't Ji family also have an entertainment company?"

Lin Xu had always believed that Ji Zeqiu had debuted under the Ji family's entertainment subsidiary. When she saw how hard it had been for him to rise to fame, she had felt both sympathy and confusion. 

Why, when he had the backing of Ji Tingyang, would he have to struggle so much?

It was only when she saw the name of the company that everything became clear.

Ji Tingyang, under Lin Xu's gaze, focused on the sharp knife edge on the table, remaining silent.

"Did you two have a fight?"

The last time Ji Tingyang mentioned that their youngest son and daughter didn't often come home, Lin Xu had already started to suspect. Now, Ji Tingyang's tacit admission confirmed her suspicions.

Recalling the events in the novel, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

Could it be because of Wen Li?

She remembered that the two villainous sons in the story both liked Wen Li, leading to a rift between them.

The more Lin Xu thought about it, the more she believed she had uncovered the truth.

—

With her thoughts occupied, Lin Xu had no desire to continue shopping that afternoon, and asked the driver to turn the car back toward the villa.

Ji Tingyang, relieved, was spared the torturous shopping experience.

He truly didn't understand how his father managed to endure such long shopping trips with his mother.

He loosened his tie, looking slightly more relaxed and handsome.

Ji Tingyang was about to head to the bedroom but changed direction when his gaze landed on the door at the end of the hall.

He pushed open the door and found Wen Li, her back to him, talking on the phone.

"The weather is cooling down, so make sure to wear more clothes... Hmm, everything's fine here..."

"Let's go on a date tomorrow... As long as I'm with you, I don't care where we go..."

Her shy smile reflected on the window, piercing Ji Tingyang's eyes.

He strode over, snatched the phone from Wen Li's hand, and the screen displayed the name Xiao Yu in bright letters.

Wen Li's face turned pale, and she reached out to grab the phone back.

Before she could, Ji Tingyang hung up angrily and threw the phone to the floor. He seized her chin, his voice cold as he said:

"Wen Li, I allowed you to go out, not to go on a date with Xiao Yu."

Wen Li's eyes filled with tears as she choked out, "You have someone new now, why can't you let me go?"

Newcomer?

Before Ji Tingyang could process what she meant, Wen Li continued, "You already have Lin Xu, giving her cards, shopping with her. Why can't you just let me go?"

Ji Tingyang paused, wanting to explain that Lin Xu was just his mother. But when he thought of Lin Xu's youthful appearance, those words seemed hard to believe.

He could only stiffly deny, "She... she's not... not what you think..."

Wen Li's tears finally fell, landing on his hand. Her voice was fragile as she said, "Please, let me go. There's no future for us."

Ji Tingyang, as if burned by the tears, loosened his grip on her chin.

He stood motionless for a long time before muttering softly, "Wen Li, it was you who provoked me back then."

Back then, after the death of his parents, he had fallen into a deep depression. All his relatives were trying to seize the wealth his father had built. During that time, he was lost and numb, and Wen Li was the first to approach him.

"If time could rewind, I would never have chosen to get close to you," Wen Li said coldly, tears still brimming in her eyes.

Upon hearing her words, Ji Tingyang's face turned ashen. He stared at Wen Li for a long time.

Finally, he turned and walked away.

Before leaving, he coldly said, "I'll tell the housekeeper to have you rest at home tomorrow."