System: Change the fate

ARC 2.19

The same morning at the first concubine's place, Huang mingli greeted his adoptive mother. 

'Ah xiaoli, Son. What happened to make you visit here this early?'

'Why mother, can't your son come and greet you?' He asked in a playful tone.

'Aiyaa, when did this brat learned to talk back to me? haha.....but jokes aside what's the real reason for your visit?' 

'Mother, I really just wanted to come and greet you.' He spoke with a bitter smile. Hearing his answer the first concubine narrowed her eyes. She lifted her hand and dismissed the servants. After making sure everyone is gone, she turned towards Huang mingli.

'Huang mingli !! How can you be playful at a time like this? You can't be so careless all the time. Did you forget about your mother's death? Don't you want to get justice for her sake? ' She glared at him.

'Yes, mother.' He clenched his fist strongly.

'Then how can you recklessly waste your time? Time and hard work is the most important thing now, Huang mingli! I also heard that you have been spending more time with your fiance. If you want to spend your time leisurely enjoying like this, then you should just forget your revenge.'

'Mother!!!'

'What?! I don't think you are capable of taking revenge for your mother, so it's better if you let it go. I feel really sad for your mother, she would be really disappointed for giving birth to such an incompetent son like you.'

'MOTHER!!! Please stop saying such things! I beg you!' He gritted his teeth as his eyes turned red due to anger and humiliation.

'Why? Did my words offend you? But what I spoke is the truth!! You are really incapable of making our plan work out! Just go! Go and spend your time with that fiance of yours and forget about your mother.' She spoke harshly. 

'STOP IT!!! I KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY REVENGE, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT. SO STOP SPEAKING ABOUT IT TO ME!!' He yelled at her.

The first concubine was shocked by his sudden outburst. He had never raised his voice against her, no matter how harshly she spoke. This was the first time he has used such tone to speak with her. She thought she pushed him too much this time. She composed herself and spoke in a gentle tone. 

'Xiaoli, I'm just worrying about your well being. I don't want you to be derailed from your goal. I know I'm being harsh on you and it hurts me every time I scold you with these harsh words but if I didn't say these words, you wouldn't have grown strong. I know you understand that too, right?' She spoke as her eyes got a little teary as if she was the one who got hurt by those words.

If this was before he spoke with Adria Huang mingli would have gone to his knees asking for forgiveness for making her cry but after his talk with her, he was able to think clearly. So he just stood there silently and watched her without speaking anything.

The first concubine was shocked once again by his actions. She felt something was wrong with him. As she opened her mouth to speak with him to find out what was wrong, a servant came in. She handed an envelope to her saying an eunuch asked her to deliver it to the first concubine urgently. 

The first concubine thought it was a letter from one of her spies, so she opened the letter as soon as the servant left. But the words inside the letter drained the blood from her face making her look very pale. Her hand that was holding the letter was shaking uncontrollably. 

"Did you thought your secrets are safe? Oh, unfortunately they are not! The skeletons in your closet, I know them way too well. What would happen if the son whom you have been grooming for all these years knows about those? What would happen if he knows about the real truth behind his mother's death? If you don't want that to happen come to the Dong shulin ( A.N- Dong- east, Shulin- forest) after sunset." was written in the letter.

Huang mingli who was watching the first concubine's face getting pale clenched hand tighter. He knew what were the contents of the letter, since he was the one who wrote it. He wanted to see her expression when she read the letter, that's the reason why he came today. He wished that the first concubine would throw the paper away claiming it to be nonsense but to his disappointment her pale face told him everything he needed to know. He could feel his whole body trembling in anger. He calmed himself, he wanted to still believe in her. After all she was the one who raised him for years. He wanted to give her the benefit of doubt.

'Mother? What's wrong? Why are you so pale?' He spoke in a concerned tone as he tried to reach out to her.

Seeing him reaching out to her she quickly folded the paper and placed it inside her sleeve. Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat. 

'Ah, i-it's the heat. Lately my body is weak due to the season change. So don't worry xiaoli. I will retire to my chamber now.' Saying so she laughed nervously while Huang mingli's face darkened.

'Mother, may I ask what was in the letter?' 

'Oh, it was just an invitation from a noble's house. Now, don't stand there asking those stupid questions, get back to work!' She spoke hastily.

'En, mother. Please take care of your body.' saying so he left the first concubine's place.

All along the way he clenched his hand really tight making his nails dig into his skin and draw blood. But he didn't feel anything, he only felt empty.

He could clearly tell that the first concubine whom he thought and loved as his mother has been feeding him lies all this time. He was naive but not stupid!!

Her pale face and her nervousness after reading the letter told him that there were some hidden truths behind his mother's death.

'Today, I will find the answers for my questions!! ' He spoke determindeadly.

A.N - Hi guys! Sorry for the late update. Last week was really tough for me. I'm glad everything is fine now. I will get back to updating regularly from now on. But!!! It's going to be once a week. I really want to update a lot guys but they have extended the timings for my online classes for the time being. Also there is a new assignment to do every single day so it's hard for me to get some time for my story. I could only write it during my weekends. So please bear with me. ❣️❣️❣️