Once he left the mansion, DX went straight to Kai Xin's apartment. As he was parking, he frowned when he saw a familiar car that was parked right in front of the entrance of the building.
Not long later, his mother and Old Mo came out from the lobby before entering the car that was waiting for them outside.
Having guessed the reason they would be here today, DX immediately gave Old Mo a call. The moment the butler answered the phone, he snapped, "Put me on speakerphone!"
Old Mo did as what he was told before placing the phone between him and Old Madam Du.
"We are on speakerphone now..." said Old Mo.
"Mother, what do you think you are doing?" asked DX tersely as he watched his mother's car drove away.
Old Madam Du frowned when she heard the accusatory voice coming from her son. She quickly glanced behind and when she saw DX's car that was parked opposite the entrance of the lobby, she turned back to face the front. In a snide tone, she said, "Since you can't think using your brain, I have to do the thinking for us! Have you seen the market today? What the hell were you thinking?!"
"I'll handle the media on my own. The market is merely reacting to a small rumor! You should have known that it would bounce back sooner or later!" sighed DX.
"If you don't cut the rumor now, it would only get worse!" said Old Madam Du. She intended to protect the company that her husband left her and her son.
"Stop interfering with my life, mother!" said DX as he rested his head on the steering wheel. He felt a little dizzy and he suspected that it was caused by all the stress that was building up in him.
"Du XiAn! Don't forget that I am your mother! I can interfere anytime I want!"
"Don't forget that I am President Du! I am the one who makes the decision now!"
"Du XiAn!" snapped Old Madam Du. She found it hard to believe that her son dared to talk to her in such a manner. He had always been somewhat cold and unfeeling, but he was always respectful of her.
Sensing that Old Madam Du was about to cry, Old Mo spoke up, "President Du, I don't think it's appropriate for you to talk to the old madam in such a manner. No matter what, she is still your mother."
"Old Mo, I won't have to speak like this if she gives me a choice. Pull up the partition. I'm going to tell you guys something," said DX as he massaged his temple. He had a little headache that he knew would only get worst.
Old Mo followed his order before saying, "Partition up, President Du."
"Mother, Kai Xin is pregnant with my child."
He heard the gasps and gave them a second for the news to set in before continuing, "Whether you like it or not, she will be the future Madam President Du."
"...So what if she's pregnant? We already have two illegitimate Du heirs. We can accept another one. However, she will not be your wife for as long as I'm living!" said Old Madam Du. She was adamant to find someone who would be more appropriate to be her son's wife. With her uncouth behavior, Kai Xin would never be able to be the support her son needed.
"Regardless of what you want, she will be my wife. Even without the baby, I'd still marry her sooner or later. She's the woman I set my eyes on and you have no say in this."
"Du XiAn, why can't you understand what I'm trying to do for you?"
"Mother...Why can't you just understand me?" snapped DX.
When Old Madam Du heard the sharp tone, she held her tongue.
DX tried his best to control his emotions before he continued, "I studied everything that you want me to study. For you and the company, I gave up my own dreams. I went for all the blind dates you set up for me. Whatever you asked of me, I've always done it...But just for my marriage, I want to make my own choice..."
"XiAn, she's not the right person for you. Listen to mother...She's just using you for money and fame...I've seen plenty of girls like her. Song Qiao is different! She comes from the same background as us and she's more than capable to help you out in the company."
DX sighed. He did not want to say this to his mother but she left him no choice. He needed her to understand the message that he was sending her now.
"Mother, is my father the right person for you?" asked DX.
"That's not fair..."
"You are going to turn me into him. A man who has never loved his wife. I don't want that kind of life...It would be cruel to Song Qiao as well..."
With tears welling in her eyes, Old Madam Du cried, "Fine! Do whatever you want!"
He knew that his mother was crying but he pressed on, "Mother...Old Mo...Please keep the pregnancy to yourself...I'm sure you don't want to lose a grandchild the way you lost my unborn older brother, right?"
When she heard him, Old Madam Du gasped, "How did you know..."
Two years before DX was born, Old Madam Du had a miscarriage at 24 weeks. They later found out that it was a maid who, because of jealousy, secretly fed Old Madam Du's meals that were laced with small portions of abortion medicine.
When Du Jin found out about it, he had the maid forcibly committed into an asylum until the end of her life. On the same day, he replaced all the staff in the house except for Old Mo. It was something that only Du Jin, his wife, and Old Mo knew. Old Madam Du and Old Mo had never told DX about the earlier pregnancy.
With a heavy heart, DX closed his eyes as he explained, "I'm not an idiot. I've known it ever since I was a child. Dad told me about it so that I would not fight against any of your arrangements..."
Old Madam Du wiped her tears off as she still tried to say something, "XiAn..."
However, DX interrupted her by saying, "Mother, please let me finish...Kai Xin is not raised in our world. She's not like what you think. She's been through a lot and I don't want her to have to spend all her time fending off attacks from everyone. I don't want my closest family to constantly be fighting against each other. Can you please promise me that you will leave her alone?"
When she heard the tiredness in his voice, Old Madam Du gave up, "Fine! Do whatever you want! Old Mo, I'm done talking!"
Old Mo nodded and hung up the call before looking at Old Madam Du. In a surprised voice, he asked, "Are you really going to back down?"
"What am I supposed to do? I only have this one son! Am I supposed to push him to the brink of insanity?" asked Old Madam Du as she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. After a while, she said softly, "I've done my best...If he doesn't want to listen...If he fails to protect the company that his father spent his entire life protecting, then let him answer his father when they meet again in the afterlife."
...