The Reborn Mom: Trapped in Her Son's Rivalry Drama

As Lin Xu was about to pull Ji Tingyang away, a man hurriedly called out, "Hey, hey, hey, don't go yet."

Lin Xu turned around. "Is there something else?"

The man, clearly a little drunk, staggered over, his eyes fixed intently on Lin Xu. "Don't be in such a rush to leave. Since you're here, why not stay for a few drinks with us?"

"Ji Tingyang is drunk. I'm taking him home," Lin Xu gently declined.

As for whether she would return after getting him home, that was another matter entirely.

The man, clearly intoxicated, did not catch her meaning. He gestured toward the sofa. "Just lay him down on the couch for a nap, come on, let's have a drink."

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Lin Xu.

In this club, many men, once drunk, seemed to lose their inhibitions, treating young women with unwarranted familiarity.

Lin Xu furrowed her brows and was about to sidestep him, but before she could, someone intervened and restrained his hand.

The man's hand was held firmly in place by a strong grip. He tried to pull it back, but couldn't break free.

"Who the hell—"

The man looked up, furious, and immediately locked eyes with Ji Tingyang's cold, dark gaze.

Ji Tingyang's expression had completely shifted from his previous hazy state to one of chilling clarity. The air around him seemed to crackle with an unsettling energy. "Don't touch her."

His grip tightened, and it felt as if the bones might snap. A faint, audible crunch echoed from the man's wrist.

The man, suddenly sober from the pain, broke out in a cold sweat. "Y-yes, yes, Mr. Ji. I'm sorry. Please let me go..."

Lin Xu placed her hand gently on Ji Tingyang's arm, signaling him to ease up. He immediately released the man's wrist, sending him stumbling backward.

Once Lin Xu and Ji Tingyang left, the tense atmosphere in the room seemed to thaw, and everyone exhaled in relief.

"Old Lan, you dare lay a hand on Ji Tingyang's people? Are you looking to get yourself killed?" someone remarked.

The man, rubbing his sore wrist, felt a pang of fear. "I was just drunk, you could've warned me!"

Everyone knew the consequences of angering Ji Tingyang, especially after the last person who had dared make a move on Wen Li ended up bankrupt, even though they'd never even met her.

Had he acted as he intended, he shuddered to think of the consequences.

However, one thing was clear now: Ji Tingyang had finally let go of that canary from his house. He had a new lover.

The new lover, currently in the car, sat with a cold, unreadable expression, her head lowered as she stared at her phone.

By the time Ji Tingyang had sobered up enough to leave the club, he cast a glance at Lin Xu, who had been silent the entire ride. His heart tightened with unease.

Just a few days ago, Lin Xu had said that if he went to a nightclub and started misbehaving, she would not allow him into their home.

But no, he had only gone to a club, not a nightclub.

Straightening up a little, Ji Tingyang asked, "Were those people your friends?"

Lin Xu, breaking the silence in the car, responded, "Not exactly."

"They seemed unreliable—too sleazy in their speech and actions, no manners. They couldn't keep their hands to themselves when they saw a girl." In just a few minutes, Lin Xu had accumulated quite a list of grievances about them. "You should stay away from them in the future. Be careful, they might lead you astray, and if you—"

She trailed off, as if realizing she sounded like a mother reprimanding her child, warning them not to do this or that.

In the past, Ji Tingyang had often heard his classmates complain about how annoying their mothers were, always meddling in their affairs, even their choice of friends.

Back then, he had envied what it must feel like to be so cared for.

And now, he understood. It really was that nagging.

Ji Tingyang relaxed, leaning back into the seat, a subtle smile curving his lips as he listened to her continue her endless monologue. It stirred a warmth in his chest that he couldn't quite place.

Then, suddenly, her voice stopped.

"...Have I been too controlling?" Lin Xu asked, a look of regret flickering in her eyes.

She remembered how many rebellious children started resenting their parents' constant supervision, which eventually strained family relationships.

She, too, had once hated hearing her parents' constant lecturing, vowing never to become that kind of person. She had aspired to be a modern mother, different from the one she'd known.

Before they came to the club, she had already been prepared for what she would encounter, but when she saw Ji Tingyang being dragged by others, drunken and disoriented, her anger flared.

She had tried to hold back, but eventually couldn't resist. She had scolded him, and now, thinking back, she felt despondent at having become the very person she once resented.

Had anyone not known, they might have thought it was Lin Xu being scolded.

Ji Tingyang quickly reassured her, "No, you can control me however you like."

But his words failed to lift her spirits.

Ji Tingyang opened his mouth, wanting to comfort her, but as a man who was used to being the one giving orders, he couldn't find the right words.

His mind raced, and his eyes caught sight of a barbecue stand. He quickly suggested, "How about we grab some barbecue?"

"Mm?"

At the roadside stall, Lin Xu's table was filled with plate after plate of skewers, the smoky scent wafting through the air as they cooked over the charcoal. She picked up a piece of beef, taking a bite. The rich, tender juices exploded in her mouth as she happily swung her legs, as though the somber atmosphere in the car had been a mere illusion.

Ji Tingyang sighed in relief.

He remembered how his mother used to love barbecue when she was down. His father would secretly take her out, and by the time they returned home, she would be in a much better mood.

They thought they had kept their little secret, but the smell of the barbecue on their clothes always gave them away.

He used to sneer at the idea of eating street food. It seemed unsanitary. Even if his parents took him, he refused to go.

Yet, here he was, taking Lin Xu to a barbecue stall.

"This lamb skewer is good. You should try it," Lin Xu offered him a skewer.

Ji Tingyang hesitated for a moment before taking it from her. After a brief moment, he bit into it.

"Not bad."

It was, indeed, quite delicious.

Lin Xu beamed, her eyes sparkling. "Your dad used to sneak me out for barbecue. I wanted to invite you and your siblings, but your dad said this was our little world."

Ji Tingyang was speechless.

It was definitely something the man who always monopolized his mother would say.

Lin Xu continued, "I used to regret not being able to go for barbecue together, but now it's come true. If next time we can bring Zhe Qiu and your sister, it'll be perfect."

Ji Tingyang absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over the cup on the table, pausing before finally saying, "We will."