Chapter 33

For the past two days, Jin Runshu hadn't seen her son. She knew he was busy with his own affairs, but she still missed him a lot. Yesterday, she waited at LK until 10 PM but didn't see Li Jingming come back, so she went home first. This morning, she came over early, thinking Li Jingming should still be at home. She was well aware of her son's schedule and living habits.

After taking out the key and changing her shoes, Jin Runshu was about to go upstairs to wake Li Jingming up. As she stepped out of the entrance, she saw a woman holding a knife standing in the kitchen. Since the kitchen was semi-open, she immediately saw Jessica. At first, she was startled—anyone would be scared to see someone holding a knife in their son's house. But she quickly realized that the woman was making breakfast.

"Mom!" Jessica called out in a daze.

In Korean, "Mom" is similar to saying "Oh my God" in Chinese. Jessica said it because she was startled, but it's also how Koreans call their mothers.

Jin Runshu didn't know Jessica was startled and called her "Mom." Seeing Jessica making breakfast for her son, she immediately assumed Jessica was his girlfriend. Jin Runshu thought, "She called me 'Mom' as soon as she saw me. My son must have shown her my picture and told her to call me 'Mom.'"

As she walked over, Jin Runshu became even more certain. The girl was wearing Li Jingming's clothes, which she had bought herself and would recognize. This confirmed her suspicions about Jessica and Li Jingming's relationship. If they weren't very close, why would she be wearing her son's clothes in the morning?

"Come, don't be shy, sit down," Jin Runshu said, waving her hand. She didn't have the mindset of a strict parent. As long as her son liked someone, she liked them too. All that talk about matching social status was just nonsense. If the Li family needed to rely on their son marrying a woman to maintain prosperity, they would have fallen apart long ago. This girl was gentle and nice, just a bit shy.

"Hello!" Jessica felt her language skills suddenly fail her. She didn't know what to say. What was going on? This must be Li Jingming's mother. His handsome face was largely inherited from his mother's beauty, so she recognized her immediately.

Jin Runshu sized up Jessica. She was pure, pretty, and cute, and Jin Runshu was satisfied with everything except her height. Li Jingming had hidden this from her so well. Even Li Shengmin and the others didn't know. Was there really a need to keep it a secret? It was a good thing.

Jin Runshu took Jessica's hand and led her to the sofa. She wanted to have a good chat with the girl, but she thought Jessica was a bit too shy. She didn't know if it was her natural personality or because she was meeting her mother-in-law, but since Jessica had called her "Mom" with Li Jingming's permission, she didn't mind being a mother-in-law.

As they walked to the sofa, Jin Runshu noticed her son curled up in a blanket, sleeping soundly. The sofa was large, and she hadn't seen Li Jingming there until now.

"Why did you let Kan sleep on the sofa?" Jin Runshu asked, a bit displeased.

"I, I, I'm sorry, last night, we, we..." Jessica was a bit embarrassed. She had come to stay and ended up making the host sleep on the sofa. Li Jingming's place was designed for his own living, and he never prepared for guests, so there was no guest room. Li Jingming had volunteered to sleep on the sofa, but Jessica wanted to argue, though she didn't have a strong enough position to do so, and she stammered.

"It's fine, I was just asking," Jin Runshu's attitude suddenly changed. She sat on a small sofa opposite the large one where Li Jingming was sleeping, and Jessica, to show respect, knelt on the carpet in front of the large sofa, which was essentially next to Li Jingming's "bed."

At first, Jin Runshu thought Jessica was well-mannered, kneeling next to a man, a traditional sign of a good woman. Then, as she looked at Jessica, she noticed something hidden behind her feet. Pretending to adjust her posture, she saw the box and recognized what it was. As a woman, she knew what it was used for. Jin Runshu found it amusing. The girl was shy, using her body to hide it, but it was like saying "I didn't steal the silver." No wonder Li Kan slept on the sofa and didn't wake up.

Jessica didn't know there was such a thing under the sofa. She thought she was being a bit impolite when Jin Runshu suddenly became warm and said, "It's okay, it's all this rascal's fault. I'll help you teach him a lesson later."

How did it become Li Jingming's fault? Jessica was confused.

"I know you young people like it passionate, but the sofa isn't good. It's fine now, but when it's cold, you might catch a cold," Jin Runshu continued, sharing her experience. "It's good that you know to take precautions, but you're young and might not want too many ties. My husband and I are free at home, so you can leave it to us."

"What are you talking about?" Jessica asked, puzzled.

"Never mind," Jin Runshu said. She had been a young girl once and knew girls could be shy. She would talk about this later. First, she needed to wake Li Kan up. He had just done that to her and was now sleeping so soundly, completely without feeling.

"Li Kan! Li Kan!" Jin Runshu tried to wake him up by pinching his nose. Jessica watched, feeling sorry for Li Jingming.

Li Jingming was dreaming about an old man patting his head and preparing to pass on his power. Suddenly, his mother came and pinched his nose. He opened his eyes groggily and saw his mother, who looked like she was about to slap him to wake him up.

"Mom, why are you here?" Li Jingming rubbed his eyes. He didn't dare to be grumpy with his mother.

"Still sleeping, always sleeping, you're like a pig," Jin Runshu said, angry at Li Jingming's state. As a woman, she couldn't stand seeing Jessica, her "future daughter-in-law," being bullied and then cooking breakfast.

"If I'm a pig, what are you?" Li Jingming joked. He was confused about his mother's mood. She hadn't seen him in a while and should have been happy to see him.

"Still talking back!" Jin Runshu said angrily. "Get up."

"Uh," Li Jingming scratched his messy hair. "Where are my clothes on the sofa?" He had worn them when he went out to buy Jessica's underwear and could wear them again today, but he didn't know Jessica had washed them.

"I washed them," Jessica said softly.

"Oh," Li Jingming was still groggy. He waved his hand, "Go to the changing room and get me a new set." She had stayed at his place for a night, and now he had to lose face in front of Uncle Shengmin. Asking her to run an errand was the least she could do.

Before Jessica could say anything, Jin Runshu kicked Li Jingming's leg, "You have hands and feet, why are you bossing her around?" In her eyes, Jessica was a meek wife.

Li Jingming was confused. What had his mother been up to with Jessica? Why was she acting so strange?

Li Jingming went to change his clothes, and Jin Runshu took Jessica's hand and said, "You can't be too lenient with him. If he treats you like this now, he'll bully you even more in the future." She said this, but she actually hoped Jessica would continue to be good.

"Right, what's your name, where are you from, and how old are you?" Jin Runshu realized she hadn't asked these questions yet.

Jessica understood that Li Jingming's mother had misunderstood their relationship. She couldn't suddenly say, "Auntie, I'm just staying here, I washed clothes and made breakfast on a whim, and the clothes I'm wearing are Li Jingming's." Even she wouldn't believe it, let alone Jin Runshu.

"Yes," Jessica said, not knowing what else to say.

By the time Li Jingming came back, Jin Runshu had learned that Jessica was from the United States, which explained why she and her son got along. If she were in Korea, Jin Runshu would have known about her. Jessica was a bit young, though. She continued making sandwiches, and Li Jingming was called aside by Jin Runshu, "She's only eighteen!"

"So?" Li Jingming asked, confused.

"Not even an adult yet!" Jin Runshu said, looking at her son, who seemed unconcerned.

"What does that have to do with me?" Li Jingming was even more puzzled. Why was she suddenly talking about Jessica's age?

Jin Runshu was furious, "Do you have a conscience? How can you say it has nothing to do with you?"

"Like what, what?" Li Jingming scratched his head. Had he sleepwalked and completed his night attack plan? That didn't seem likely. Jessica was fine and hadn't cried or made a fuss.

"I saw what you hid under the sofa!" Jin Runshu said, angry at her son's denial.

"That's from Uncle Shengmin..." Li Jingming tried to explain.

"Don't mention him. I'll talk to your father when I get home. How could he keep such a big secret from me?" Jin Runshu interrupted, gritting her teeth. If not for this "little person," she might have had a grandchild by now. "I knew the whole Li family only listens to you."

"Alright, I'll go home now," Jin Runshu said, eager to share this non-existent good news with Li Rong. She didn't care that she had just seen her son.

"Auntie, I made sandwiches, don't you want to eat?" Jessica called out politely as Jin Runshu was leaving.

Jin Runshu waved her hand, "I already ate breakfast. You two eat. And since you called me 'Mom,' you don't need to call me 'Auntie' anymore."

After Jin Runshu left, Li Jingming was still confused. He looked at Jessica, "Mom?"

"It's a misunderstanding," Jessica said, waving her hands frantically.

"What did you say?" Li Jingming asked, puzzled.

Jessica proudly lifted her head, "I didn't say anything!"

After hearing Jessica's account, Li Jingming wanted to grab her by the collar. What kind of hero was she, refusing to speak even under pressure?

Li Jingming, thinking about how to deal with the situation, took a bite of the sandwich Jessica made, imagining biting her arm. But the strange texture immediately brought him back to reality. He forced himself to swallow and said, "I'm full."

"Is it that bad?" Jessica asked, puzzled. Her sandwich-making skills were pretty good.

"How could it be? It's just very... textured," Li Jingming said with a forced smile. How many things had she put in there? If Jessica lived in the Middle Ages, her cooking skills would have gotten her burned as a witch for making evil potions.

Jessica took a bite and asked, "Where's the bathroom on the first floor? Oh, I need to throw up." She ran out at a speed that didn't match her usual slow pace.

Jin Runshu, why did you leave so quickly? Li Jingming looked up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle.