Mu Jiu Chen raised the iron shovel in his hand and said expressionlessly, "You heard correctly, I do want you to go to the graveyard with me in the middle of the night."
Li Qing Shuo: "..." I dare not!
He Ming Run also looked at him, his face full of disbelief: "...Are you crazy? You don't really suspect that Aunt is still alive, do you?"
A trace of pain flashed across Mu Jiu Chen's handsome face, and his misty eyes also became cloudy. "Whether she is or not, we'll know tonight after we dig her up."
He took a slight breath and said, "Let's go quickly. I have to go on a business trip abroad for a week tomorrow morning."
Li Qing Shuo: "..." Can I not go?
Who would dare to dig up a grave in the middle of the night?
Mu Jiu Chen must be crazy, driven mad by missing his mother. His mother had been dead for so many years, and he was inexplicably going to dig up her grave now. He must have heard some rumor somewhere.
In the end, the three of them went together.
The autumn night wind was strong, especially standing in the graveyard. The wind blowing past his ears made it feel like someone was talking to him.
Li Qing Shuo hugged his arms, shivering.
Looking around, there were mounds of graves everywhere, with colorful joss papers and other items used for paying respects fluttering on top. The wind rustling them made the atmosphere even more terrifying.
He looked at Mu Jiu Chen, who stood motionless before the grave. Mu Jiu Chen was looking down, lost in thought.
"Mu, Mu Jiu Chen, when do we start? The atmosphere here is so strange." Li Qing Shuo felt like he was going crazy. This was the first time in years he had followed Mu Jiu Chen in doing something so absurd.
It was too much!
Mu Jiu Chen closed his eyes, concealing all the emotions in his gaze. He hoped that there would be nothing inside after they dug it up.
No matter what choice his mother had made back then, he would not choose to hate her.
His only hope now was that his mother was still alive in this world. One day, he would be able to see his mother again.
Even just seeing her one more time would be enough for him.
"Dig," his deep voice came.
He Ming Run glanced at the tombstone and said, "Aunt, I'm sorry, it's your son's insistence that we dig."
Li Qing Shuo quickly added, "Aunt, I'm sorry, it's your son's insistence that we dig."
Mu Jiu Chen: "..."
The iron shovel in his hand moved quickly. The soil on top had been compacted by decades, making it a bit strenuous.
The three of them exerted all their strength, and after 20 minutes, they saw the coffin.
Mu Jiu Chen dropped the shovel, looked at He Ming Run, and said, "Lift the coffin lid."
He Ming Run said nothing, bent down, and together they lifted the coffin lid.
Li Qing Shuo quickly closed his eyes. He did not want to see bare bones; it was too terrifying.
"Bang..." The two placed the coffin lid on the ground beside them.
Mu Jiu Chen hesitated for a moment, then shone the flashlight into the coffin.
Upon seeing it, his pupils trembled. There were no bones, only a few pieces of clothing his mother used to wear.
"Ah..." He Ming Run exclaimed in surprise. "How is this possible? Although we were young back then, we personally saw Aunt being buried."
Li Qing Shuo also suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing that there were no bare bones, no terrifying scene he had imagined, he said,
"Holy crap, there really isn't any." He was also very surprised.
Mu Jiu Chen looked for a while, then jumped in and shone the flashlight inside. Besides the clothes, there were no other clues, not even burial objects.
No bones, nothing. Mom was really still alive.
He was very excited. At this moment, his heart finally settled.
Mu Jiu Chen stayed inside for a while before coming out. The three of them then tidied up the grave before leaving.
There was no one guarding the graveyard here. It was a feng shui treasure spot found by the He family back then. Only on Qingming Festival would people come to pay respects, and no one would notice anything amiss.
After returning home, the three of them went to bathe separately.
After bathing, the three went to Mu Jiu Chen's room.
He Ming Run looked at him and said, "Aunt is really not dead!"
Mu Jiu Chen didn't know, but Aunt Li suspected it, so he acted on it.
"Who was the man my mother liked back then? As long as we find this man, we'll know if my mother is still alive. Grandma is probably the only one who knows the truth."
He Ming Run shook his head slightly. "No, Grandma probably doesn't know who Aunt liked back then either."
Mu Jiu Chen smiled bitterly. What was the point of knowing the truth? He still couldn't find any clues. But knowing she was alive was good enough.
Li Qing Shuo sat aside, not daring to make a sound.
What was going on with these families?
He Ming Run looked at Mu Jiu Chen, a flicker of pain crossing his handsome face. "Now, can you tell me the truth of the matter?" He Ming Run found that after this outing, he was not as expectant as before. No matter who he was, he wouldn't stay with the He family.
Mu Jiu Chen sat up slightly, looking at He Ming Run. "You said just now that you look like your mother, but that's not true. You look like your mother's sister."
Li Qing Shuo perked up his ears to listen. This matter was getting mysterious.
"What? My mother has a sister? How come I don't know?" He Ming Run was stunned.
Mu Jiu Chen frowned slightly. "I've only known about this for a few years. Once, when Grandma was sick, I went to see her. You weren't home. After Grandma fell asleep, I went to the garden for some fresh air and overheard a conversation that I found most terrifying in my life."
"Your current mother is your mother's younger sister. And your mother, as far as I can see, they are twins. However, the Wu family only had one eldest daughter. I don't understand what happened in between. I was also scared at the time."
"In that era, matching social status was very important. The Wu family only had one eldest daughter, and that was your current mother?"
"This person looks exactly like your mother. Compared to your mother, she's far inferior."
"But your mother is knowledgeable and well-spoken. I still remember their conversation. Your mother wanted to see you one last time, but your current mother discovered her and threatened her, saying that if she appeared again, she would kill you. Your mother was so scared that she couldn't delay and left the He family."
"However, you are very outstanding and have always been very much to her liking. You have also become the money-making tool of the He Group. I don't know if your father knows about this."
"You love your mother very much, and she treats you not badly either, even entrusting the group to you. So, I kept this secret."
"How is that possible?" He Ming Run couldn't believe this fact, his face pale and weak, and he slumped onto the sofa.
How could such a thing happen to him?
Mu Jiu Chen didn't find it strange. For families with a little more money, many unbelievable things happen for the sake of profit.
At that time, he was only shocked for a day or two. Thinking of his mother, he let it go, and his mood gradually calmed down. The only change was that he never called Wu Yuan "aunt."