Chapter 53 - Madam Liu

"Welcome home, son."

Madam Liu's graceful and enchanting voice resounded throughout the cozy building.

Lee Tao simply nodded his head as he walked toward her.

"I bet you were behind all of this, right?" Lee Tao said.

"What do you mean?" Madam Liu replied with a confused expression hanging on her face.

"The breakfast is about to turn cold. How about you eat first before we start chatting?" She suggested.

Lee Tao squinted his eyes at her. 

However, he didn't say anything further and took her suggestion.

The breakfast's aroma and the fragrance were indeed alluring for him. 

'Tch, if you weren't such a good cook, I wouldn't have even agreed to come back here.' Lee Tao clicked his tongue as he sat down and began feasting himself.

Each breakfast dish has its own unique and distinguished taste that Lee Tao just couldn't get enough of.

"Mother, you should hand over those recipes to Tang Lingling so she can cook these kinds of food for me." Lee Tao said while continuing to stuff his mouth with multiple different kinds of food.

Madam Liu showed a gentle expression as she glanced at Tang Lingling.

"Xiao Tao said to hand over the recipes to you… What do you think, Tang Lingling?" She asked in a gentle tone.

Meanwhile, Tang Lingling felt a cold chilling running down her spine as she hurriedly shook her head.

"M-Madam Liu must be jestering. With my insignificant talent, there's no way I can possibly cook such dishes." Tang Lingling said as she kindly refused her.

Who was she joking about?

If she had even shown any sign of agreement, she feared her life might be over.

'Madam Liu is too fearsome…' Tang Lingling thought as she stood still on the side.

Not even the maid that came to inform Lee Tao dared to make any sound as that would ruin their reunion.

"I see… then it's a shame that my Xiao Tao can only come back home to enjoy my cuisine." Madam Liu covered her mouth as she chuckled softly.

Her eyes were laid upon Lee Tao, who had an unrefined manner when eating her food.

"Xiao Tao, you don't have to rush to eat everything. No one can steal them from you." 

Madam Liu's eyes suddenly narrowed as she mumbled softly. "No one can steal from my son…"

Sometime later, Lee Tao rubbed his stomach after finishing the entire breakfast feast.

"Haaa, if only the Tianyun Academy could hire a better chef, then I wouldn't have suffered from malnutrition." Lee Tao complained.

Madam Liu raised an eyebrow upon hearing his complaint.

She tilted her head and stared at Tang Lingling. 

"Have you not been taking good care of Xiao Tao?" Madam Liu asked.

'Young Master… Please be careful of your words. My life is literally on the line here.' Tang Lingling cried inwardly when she felt the intense glare from Madam Liu.

"M-Madam Liu, I-I have been doing my very best to take care of the Young Master." Tang Lingling replied with a somewhat awkward smile.

Madam Liu narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Tang Lingling.

Right when she was about to say something, Lee Tao yawned loudly.

"Welp, breakfast is done, so how about we get to talking regarding the event I want to hold." Lee Tao said as he patted his shoulders lightly.

Tang Lingling noticed his signal as she nodded her head.

Without hesitation, Tang Lingling walked behind Lee Tao and began massaging him.

Madam Liu decided to drop the topic in reprimanding her when she saw Tang Lingling's swift action in helping her son's needs.

"We haven't even seen each other for a long time yet you came back home to discuss business only?" Madam Liu suddenly said as she showed a pitiful expression.

"Mother is very lonely in this large house alone without anyone to talk to." She added.

Meanwhile, Lee Tao showed a disgusted look at Madam Liu.

"Oh please… stop acting like a pitiful and innocent mother. You are a shrewd and devious mother that no one would ever want to have." Lee Tao grunted coldly.

He was pretty sure that if he didn't come to her for assistance, then no one within the Tianyun Kingdom would attend his auction event.

The influence of Madam Liu in the Tianyun Kingdom is too vast for anyone to be able to comprehend.

After all, rumors were everywhere that not even the current emperor of the Tianyun Kingdom dared to make her kneel or bow in front of him.

"When did my Xiao Tao become so heartless?" Madam Liu responded pitifully. "What did I do to make you say such cold words toward me?"

Lee Tao twitched his mouth.

'Your acting skills are even more fearsome than mine…' Lee Tao commented silently as he coughed.

"Anyway, what are the stores that you are giving to me for my auction event?" He then asked, outright ignoring her questions.

Madam Liu clicked her tongue slightly when Lee Tao didn't buy her acting skills.

'Xiao Tao is too smart for someone his age… Normally, a son would quickly embrace their mother when they feel sad.' She sighed softly.

Taking a small sip from the teacup, Madam Liu smiled at Lee Tao.

"That event of yours… I want to be there with you." She said with a loving gaze.

"Absolutely not!"

"If I'm not there then the event shall be nullified." 

"Hmph, then I shall hold the event in another kingdom. It's not like the world only has the Tianyun Kingdom. There is the Kunlun Kingdom in the East, and in the West, there is the Qingzhou Kingdom." Lee Tao snorted.

Madam Liu heaved a soft sigh as she placed her teacup down.

Afterward, she took a seat closer to Lee Tao and whispered sweetly.

"You're right, Xiao Tao. There are a lot of kingdoms out in the world besides the one we're living in." 

Lee Tao nodded his head.

"Since you know it as well, then mother should know when to give in. After all, the options for my event are limitless."

Madam Liu chuckled softly as she crossed her legs, revealing some of her smooth and fair skin.

"Oh… I seemed to have forgotten about this." She mumbled.

"But it seems like I have ties with those two kingdoms you have just mentioned, and if I asked them to ban someone from doing something… I doubt they would refuse me."