Chapter 304: Rough & Tough

When Hyson followed Mu Chenyan to the kitchen, he asked thoughtfully, "What is he doing here again?"

Mu Chenyan was preparing the ingredients to make the sugar sculpture for Hyson as she answered, "I believe you have the answer to your own question."

Hyson pressed his lips together as his brows knitted up, "He is here for my mum."

"Bingo!" said Mu Chenyan. "I always knew my cutie is smart."

"Well, I learned it all from you," said Hyson. 

"Of course, you learned it from me," Mu Chenyan sounded pleased. "Your mum doesn't have the talent." Hyson narrowed his eyes at her and she rephrased her words, "I mean to say that your mum is a softie. Even after everything she went through in life, she didn't learn how to read people. She is still quite trustful. It really frustrates me how easily she gets attached to people."

"Hey! Those qualities make my mum who she is. And I love her just as she is," said Hyson.

Mu Chenyan chuckled softly, "Okay, mum's little bunny!"

"I am not a bunny!" retorted Hyson as he puffed up his cheeks.

Mu Chenyan poked his puffed-up cheek saying, "Now, you definitely look like a bunny. An adorable one!"

Hyson pulled out the chair of the small dining table in the kitchen and sat down to observe what Mu Chenyan was doing. Seeing her working on the ancient sugar art, he was impressed. He even felt like recording it. But then, he dropped the idea and concentrated on how her hands moved. It looked like delicate work and her hands were doing it carefully and skillfully.

Hyson's eyes moved upward from her hands and stopped on her face. To be honest, if one didn't know Mu Chenyan, they might assume that she looked delicate but he, who had actually seen her since he was young, it was hard for him to associate the work delicate with her. Mu Chenyan was a rough and tough person. There weren't any qualities of a delicate, graceful, or sophisticated woman that he had seen in the elite circle. 

But even then, she knew how to act gently. Although that gentleness was limited to him and Raelle, it was at least there. She was an elegant lady who wouldn't shy away from applying hard means to achieve what she desired. 

Noticing how Hyson had been staring at her, Mu Chenyan looked up at him, "What's on your mind? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm thinking how awesome you are," answered Hyson honestly. 

Mu Chenyan laughed out, "Oh? Am I that awesome?"

Hyson nodded his head, "You managed to raise someone like Raelle, it already proves how badass you are."

Mu Chenyan's laughter only grew with his words, "As if raising my Elle was a difficult task." Shaking her head she continued, "I really wish she was a little difficult. At least, I would have felt like I did something for her. But she had always been so good that I hardly feel like I managed to do anything for her."

"Your opinion doesn't really count," said Hyson. "Only third-person can see the situation clearly. And I can see it." Hyson smiled at her as he went on, "Since the time we were young, I have always admired you a lot."

"Just because I raised Raelle?" asked Mu Chenyan in surprise.

Hyson shook his head, "Not really. That's just a small part of your life. Mu Chenyan herself is a stupendous woman. I can't possibly describe your qualities in words. And neither can I tell you why I respect and admire you so much. But one thing is for sure, if there is any other woman I love apart from my mum, that's you."

Mu Chenyan paused when she heard him say that. She felt her heart brimming up with a warm feeling because of his words. It was clear that she neither had a blood relation with Hyson nor with Raelle. But at the end of the day, if anyone asked her, she'd say these two were her life. 

If someone told Mu Chenyan when she was in her rebellious phase that one day she'd make two kids her whole life, she would beat that person up. But now the irony was that it became true. She who used to stay far away from kids had ended up meeting Raelle and then Hyson. And these two peculiar kids managed to ensnare her.

"If you continued to talk like this, I might start crying," said Mu Chenyan.

"Then I'll quote Raelle's words." Mu Chenyan raised her brow at him as he continued, "'If you cried, you'll get dehydrated.'"

Mu Chenyan laughed out loud at Hyson. And seeing her, Hyson couldn't help smiling as well. He thought it was really easy to make Mu Chenyan happy. But he didn't know that it was only easy for him. Others didn't have such an easy time with Mu Chenyan. Most would hardly dare look straight at her much less being so relaxed to joke around with her.

"Yanyan," called out Hyson in a serious tone.

"Hm?"

"Do you think mum misses her family?" asked Hyson.

Mu Chenyan's eyes widened a little when she heard this question. But she soon understood why he asked this question now of all times. The way Yue had reacted the two times she saw Zhai Yanjun must have been a stimulant to remind Hyson that whether he liked it or not, his mother still valued her past and her family. And unfortunately, even Mu Chenyan could do nothing about it.

Anyone could see that Yue was truly happy to see Zhai Yanjun whether it was before or today. It definitely showed that she had missed him. But Mu Chenyan couldn't blame her for that either, she already learned how Yue had taken care of Zhai Yanjun for four years. And if the incident of that year hadn't happened, she might have been the one to raise Zhai Yanjun as well.