Chapter 285: Chapter 285

The little boy crouched down, showing no disdain for the dirt, carefully arranging the corpse of the deceased puppy.

She frowned in disgust: "It’s dead, and you’re still touching it. Isn’t it bad luck?"

At that moment, a lightning bolt struck down, accompanied by rumbling thunder. Amidst the torrential rain, the little boy suddenly raised his head.

On his ghastly pale face, a pair of pitch-black eyes shone, emanating an eerie chill like a soul-locking ghost from hell.

That scene still occasionally haunts Helian Yu in her nightmares.

This son is nothing short of a debt collector.

Unfortunately, she injured herself during childbirth and can only have this one child in her lifetime. No matter what, she cannot abandon him.

Since then, Liu Runxi became even quieter, his entire being shrouded in a gloomy aura, something that Helian Yu found both unsettling and frightening.

Until five years ago, when their family moved to Qingzhou, Liu Runxi naturally enrolled in Lanya Primary School. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel★fire.net

Helian Yu suddenly recalled some details she had forgotten.

After arriving in Qingzhou, Liu Runxi started to change.

With his growth in height, the once gloomy little boy transformed into a refined and genteel young gentleman.

Although still taciturn, in the eyes of others, he had become an unattainable flower atop the high mountain.

Anyone who spoke about the mayor’s son would only express genuine admiration and praise.

Being so accustomed to the present Liu Runxi, she almost forgot about the gloomy and eerie little boy from her memories.

At first, she simply thought Qingzhou’s environment had nourished him, and she didn’t dwell on it, as people inevitably grow up.

It wasn’t until this moment, when the young man turned around and looked at her quietly.

Without saying much, those deep-set eyes just stared at her in silence, and in her sudden chill, she recalled that bitterly cold rainy night years ago.

Time flits by; the short little boy had grown into a tall young man, his childish face now transformed into handsome features. The only thing unchanged were his eyes.

Helian Yu was horrified to realize that he had never really changed.

He had simply concealed it far too well.

Gradual changes lead to qualitative shifts, and Shen You’an was the one who triggered the transformation in him.

It turned out his intentions had been buried so deeply, so early on.

This realization nearly made Helian Yu lose her balance.

The sky, which had just been clear, suddenly grew dark with the arrival of a thick cloud, blocking out the sun, and in an instant the whole world seemed cloaked in shadow.

Cold winds blew from afar, but the greenhouse behind the young man was vibrant with greenery and blossoms. In stark contrast to that was his lifeless and pallid, gloomy face.

The peculiar juxtaposition made Helian Yu’s scalp tingle, and she instinctively tightened her palms.

"Let me guess, Mother always sets your sights high. The noblewoman worthy of your attention must be none other than Miss Sun from the Yu family, isn’t it?"

The young man’s voice was extraordinarily gentle, yet, for some reason, it sent a sudden chill down Helian Yu’s spine.

"You... How do you know?"

The young man’s lips curled into a faint smile, and the golden rim of his glasses shimmered with light, lending him an air of nobility. The lenses reflected cold glints, his deep eyes flickering faintly, making him appear even more enigmatic.

This son of hers, at this moment, felt utterly unfamiliar.

This realization sent another wave of cold chills rising from her feet.

"Father is upright and principled, a true follower of the Heavenly Dao. Yet you, Mother, so relentless and conniving, aligning yourself with wolves—you aren’t helping him, you’re harming him."

Being mercilessly accused and ridiculed by her own son, Helian Yu felt her blood rush to her head, her vision growing dark.

As if the mockery hadn’t cut deep enough, the young man continued with ruthless precision: "As Father’s virtuous wife, you’re thoroughly unqualified. Your vision and methods are painfully mediocre. Here in Qingzhou, Father could still shelter you, but once you’re in Jingzhou, that place where people devour others alive without a trace—you won’t even know how you meet your end. The Yu family?"

The young man’s lips curled slightly again. "The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Those who gain the Dao are aided by many; those who lose the Dao are forsaken by all. The laws of heaven are evident, and justice lives in the people’s hearts."

Word by word, light as a feather, yet striking Helian Yu’s heart like a heavy hammer.

It was as if she were seeing the young man before her for the very first time, her gaze filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"Mother, your hands have reached too far, and your ambition is far too great. This is not good."

His gentle voice was like a pleasant spring breeze.

Taking two steps forward, he suddenly stopped, without turning back, yet a cold voice drifted over with the wind.

"I mean what I say. Feel free to test me."

The young man walked away, his tall and slender figure fading from sight.

Helian Yu stood dazed in place, uncertain whether it was the chill of the weather or the chill in her heart, only feeling her entire body frozen.