Chapter 253: Seeking Out Wen Jun
“Hiding like this isn’t a solution either. How about this, Jun’er? If she comes looking for you tomorrow, just interact with her as you normally would,” Wen Xiuyi said with a sigh.
Wen Jun: “…”
Although he possessed some memories, as someone with social anxiety, he really didn’t know how to face this mother who had suddenly cropped up out of nowhere.
“Yao’er, why don’t you go instead? Take the initiative to launch an attack?” Wen Jun looked toward his younger sister. Their family’s younger sister was much better suited for this kind of thing.
Wen Yao shrugged. “She might not even be pleased to see me. Didn’t you hear what Nanny Shi said? She barely asked about me at all; what she wants is a son.” As Wen Yao spoke, she even playfully blinked her eyes at Wen Jun. Her schadenfreude expression made Wen Jun feel like punching her.
He couldn’t bring himself to actually punch her, but ruffling her head a few times was perfectly fine.
Wen Yao only managed to escape from her older brother’s clutches with great difficulty before saying, “Have you all forgotten? In the original book, the only one she wanted was Datou. They believed Datou was young, and that after living in the capital for a few years, he would completely forget about this place. Who knew that boy was incredibly crafty? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought about coming back to find my brother and me, who had been sold by Dad, after he gained power later on.”
Wen Xiuyi lifted his head and glared at her. “Watch your language.”
“Hehe, a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue. Dad, don’t worry about so many minor details. In short, Datou’s brain is very sharp, and he hasn’t had a bad life following us now. Haven’t you all noticed that ever since Datou started talking, he has never once asked about her?” Wen Yao said.
Wen Xiuyi and Wen Jun exchanged a glance, both recalling the past. It seemed to be true; ever since Datou learned to speak, he really had never asked about Lady Liu. If they hadn’t taken the initiative to bring it up this time, Datou wouldn’t have mentioned this person at all.
“But my heart is still incredibly worried.” Wen Xiuyi made a show of clutching his chest, howling in mock pain.
Wen Yao and Wen Jun exchanged another glance, rising together to walk straight out the door.
“Hey, hey, hey! You two little heartless things, aren’t you going to show some concern for your dad? Eh? You two unfilial children!”
Amidst Wen Xiuyi’s clamoring, the siblings left his room. Walking outside, Wen Yao said to Wen Jun in a low voice, “I don’t think she will necessarily go straight to the academy to look for Datou. Brother, I feel she will probably come looking for you first.”
Datou was still young after all, and she had been away from home for two years; Datou might not even recognize her anymore. But Wen Jun was different; Wen Jun was older, possessed memories, and had been mother and son with her for so many years. There was bound to be some maternal and filial affection there. Therefore, Wen Yao guessed with a high probability that Lady Liu would look for Wen Jun first, and then have Wen Jun bring Datou to recognize her.
Wen Yao analyzed it for Wen Jun, and Wen Jun also felt it made sense.
Seeing his older brother’s brow furrowed, Wen Yao patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Brother, just treat her like one of your patients and communicate normally.”
Wen Jun hesitated to speak, but finally grit his teeth. “Fine.”
The siblings went their separate ways back to their respective rooms, but Wen Yao still made dual preparations, asking Xun Feng to stay close to Datou for the next few days to prevent Lady Liu from pulling a forced abduction.
In any case, Xun Feng had nothing to do, and there was nothing wrong with following a few little turnip heads. After sending them to the academy, he simply found a spot on a tree next to their classroom to rest.
Qiu Zhi had already given them a heads-up; this was someone close to Prince Fu, so the academy staff naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for him.
Meanwhile, on Wen Jun’s side, Lady Liu indeed came looking for him just as expected.
Upon seeing Lady Liu for the first time, Wen Jun still recognized her at a single glance. This was a memory from the original body in his subconscious, except that the current Lady Liu was completely different from the Lady Liu in his memory.
The Lady Liu in his memory always wore an expression as though everyone owed her, carrying bitterness and resentment. But the current Lady Liu was high and mighty, dripping with jewels, and her face was radiant with health.
Lady Liu also almost failed to recognize her own son at first glance. If those brows and eyes weren’t exactly identical to a young Wen Xiuyi, Lady Liu wouldn’t have dared to believe that this gentle, jade-like, calm, elegant, and distinguished man before her was her son.
“Little Jun?” Lady Liu murmured, calling out this name from her memory.
Physician Jin, who was off to the side, merely cast a glance at her and immediately knew who this person was.
Hong Hai didn’t recognize her at all, stepping straight forward to ask, “Madam, if you want to see a doctor, you need to line up to get a number. Are you looking for Physician Jin or Physician Wen?”
Lady Liu was startled. Physician? Her son was already working as a physician? She had never allowed her son to study medicine. In the brief time since she left, her son had already become a physician?
The look Lady Liu cast at Wen Jun carried a trace of scrutiny, actually making her suspect whether she had found the wrong person.
Who knew that Wen Jun would stand up and say to Hong Hai, “Brother Hai, this is my mother. She came to look for me.”
“Ah? Little Jun, you actually have a mother?” Hong Hai looked astonished, the words slipping out of his mouth completely by reflex.
Lady Liu’s face instantly changed color.
Hong Hai quickly covered his mouth. “Sorry, sorry.” Apologizing, he slickly slipped away.
Physician Jin sat there, finding it incredibly difficult to suppress his laughter. This boy Hong Hai was truly… full of surprises.
However, he still cast a glance at Wen Jun and said, “Little Jun, your mother likely has something to discuss with you. Lead her to the backyard to sit down.”
“Yes, Master.” Wen Jun gave a respectful bow to Physician Jin before finally walking up to Lady Liu.
The current Wen Jun grew tall and handsome; Lady Liu only reached his shoulder now.
Wen Jun made a gesture of invitation. “Let’s speak inside.”
“Alright, alright.” Lady Liu followed Wen Jun into the backyard.
Only then did Hong Hai trot back over to Physician Jin’s side, marveling, “I thought Little Jun’s mother was dead. Tsk tsk, this look doesn’t seem like someone from a poor family either. Why did she stop caring about Wen Jun and the others?”
Physician Jin tapped him on the head. “Hurry up and brew some tea for the guest. Don’t pry into these things so much; does a person’s family matter have to be told to you in full?”
Hong Hai shrank his neck, rubbing his head as he went to brew tea.
In the backyard, the mother and son sat opposite each other, yet neither uttered a single word.
Hong Hai came to deliver the tea and quietly withdrew again, though he still hid by the door to eavesdrop and peek.
After a long time, Lady Liu looked at her silent son and took the initiative to speak: “Jun’er, are you still blaming Mother?”
Socially anxious Wen Jun thought: Someone save me.
“No.” Just two simple words, completely devoid of any discernible emotion.
Lady Liu’s tears immediately began to fall, pit-a-patting down.
Wen Jun: “…”
Taking a deep breath, Wen Jun took the initiative to speak: “Didn’t you go to the capital? Why have you come back.” His tone remained just as flat as before.
But to Lady Liu’s eyes, this estranged manner made her feel that her son’s words were filled with resentment—resenting her for abandoning them.
“Jun’er, are you resenting Mother?” Lady Liu asked.
Wen Jun fell silent. Did he resent her? He didn’t, but what about the original body? The original body probably did. If it were him being abandoned by his mother, he would definitely be very heartbroken.
During his time at the hospital, he had seen far too many families who couldn’t afford medical treatment and simply abandoned patients at the hospital, among whom were no shortage of young children. Those children’s bewildered, helpless, and frightened eyes were something he could never forget in this lifetime.
This was also why a doctor couldn’t empathize too much; otherwise, it would easily cause a healer to be unable to heal themselves.
It was precisely because he had witnessed too many joys and sorrows, partings and deaths, that he had cultivated his current detached disposition. As long as he finished his shift and returned home, he didn’t like to speak or interact with people, except for his dad and Yao’er.
