Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 405: It’s Me

"That's right, you still have a chance."

Ye Rong took a deep breath and casually tossed her expensive handbag onto the floor.

She stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, her tone softening.

She raised her hands and gently placed them on her daughter's shoulders, lifting the fallen strap of her silk nightgown back into place. Her eyes locked onto Li Wanran’s.

"Since they were yours once, you just need to put in a little effort—they’ll still be yours. Zhiyue and Xiazhi… they were your children to begin with."

"But..."

That one syllable escaped her lips as Li Wanran recalled what her son had once told her:

“Don’t listen to Grandma too much.”

She clearly remembered those words, but at this moment, she was like someone drowning in the depths of the sea, desperately trying to grasp anything she could.

"But... the kids are with Liu Changqing now. And he’s already married to An Yuanyao… He won’t let me see them..."

“You beat her once.”

Ye Rong cut straight to the point, her eyes fixed on her daughter.

"Since you were little, the two of you were evenly matched in school, in dance. You once took her husband away from her. You did it once—you can do it again."

"I..."

"Besides, don’t forget… how much Liu Changqing loved you."

Ye Rong’s words seeped into Li Wanran’s ears.

The alcohol-fueled fog in her mind seemed to lift, just a little.

Ye Rong continued.

"He went straight to work after high school just for you. He took care of the house, learned to cook—all for you. He loved you that much… If he’s cold toward you now, it’s only because he’s too disappointed."

"He… was disappointed?"

"That’s right. If you hadn’t divorced him, there’s no way he would’ve ended up with An Yuanyao. He never really loved her. They’re just two failed lovers clinging to each other for warmth."

"……"

"As long as you show regret, he’ll notice you again. All men are like that..."

"But I..."

"This isn’t regret. You’re just reclaiming what was originally yours."

Ye Rong cut her off, her voice smooth and almost hypnotic.

"Those two kids are yours and Liu Changqing’s. You’re their biological mother, not that An Yuanyao. She’s just a stepmother. As long as you admit your mistake and put in a little effort, the kids will come back to you."

"……"

Li Wanran stared at her mother, who was saying all this.

She... couldn’t tell right from wrong anymore.

"You’re already thirty-five. You won’t have another chance to have kids. Do you really want your own children calling another woman ‘Mom’ for the rest of their lives?"

Ye Rong leaned in closer, her lips brushing against her daughter’s ear as she whispered:

"Think about Zhiyue. Think about Xiazhi… Two such adorable kids. Do you want to see An Yuanyao sitting in the parents’ seat at their weddings someday instead of you?"

"They used to love you the most..."

"Liu Changqing loved you for so many years..."

"Do you really think you’re not better than An Yuanyao?" freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Not better… than the woman who used to be your best friend?"

Already dulled by alcohol, her mind muddled and vulnerable, Li Wanran couldn’t help but be swayed by her mother’s carefully planted suggestions.

Nothing hurts more than once having something and then losing it all.

The reason she had let herself go, living alone in this old house every day, was because...

She missed it.

Missed those beautiful times she once had.

And now, Ye Rong had come into her life precisely when her mind was at its weakest—and fed her these carefully crafted words...

Li Wanran was slipping.

She thought of her son. She thought of her daughter. She thought of…

Liu Changqing.

They were... hers to begin with.

Not… An Yuanyao’s.

“I… I still have a chance.”

Those words escaped her lips. A thought struck her, and she struggled to drag herself across the bed.

She reached out and grabbed her phone from beside the wine glass.

Muttering to herself over and over:

“If I just call him… If I just say I want to see the kids… This isn’t regret. I just want to see the children again. Yes… that’s it…”

She repeated the words like a mantra, trying to convince herself.

Her weak hands tapped into her contact list. She had never deleted his number.

The last time they spoke was right before the New Year.

She pressed "Call."

Beep... Beep... Beep...

The room fell silent.

Neither mother nor daughter said a word. The only sound was the phone ringing.

Then, a soft static buzz followed by the call being picked up.

Liu Changqing’s voice came through the speaker.

“Hello, who is this?”

Li Wanran had changed her SIM card not long ago, just to avoid her mother tracking her down after being blocked.

So Liu Changqing had no idea who was calling.

Hearing that once-familiar voice, Li Wanran’s throat went dry.

She licked her lips and spoke.

“It’s me...”

[...]

“I want to see—”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Before she could even finish the sentence, the call was disconnected.

She froze, staring at the phone in disbelief.

She immediately tried calling again.

But this time, the call wouldn’t even go through.

And in that moment, she finally realized—

She’d been blocked again.

Staring blankly at the screen in her hand, Li Wanran looked completely dazed.

Ye Rong, who had watched the entire scene unfold, took it all in.

Her eyes dropped for a moment in thought.

Then she looked back at her daughter and said calmly,

“He’s just pretending. That’s not what he really wants.”

“Who was that?”

Still lying in a hospital bed recovering, An Yuanyao looked over and asked as she watched Liu Changqing put away his phone.

“……”

He paused for a moment. Looking at An Yuanyao’s face, he hesitated slightly.

Given her current emotional state, Liu Changqing didn’t want her to know it was Li Wanran who had called.

Otherwise… she’d start imagining things again.

“Just someone selling insurance.”

That’s what he said as he slid the phone back into his pocket.

“Maybe my number got leaked or something. I’ve been getting random calls lately.”

He added an explanation and looked at his wife.

“But don’t worry, I’ll go get my number changed later.”

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