At the Ye family home.
Ye Hao didnât go to the office; instead, he worked from home.
Several days had passed since he was discharged but his wounds hadnât healed completely and he didnât have the strength to move his shoulder. He probably wouldnât be able to move his right arm for another one or two months.
Ye Hao was having breakfast with his mother.
Xia Jingshu sat on her wheelchair and her graying hair made her look older than her age. She was only in her sixties, but she looked like she was in her eighties.
Ye Hao occasionally placed some food on his motherâs bowl. His mother didnât have a good appetite and she hardly ate recently, so she looked very haggard.
âYe Hao, has the case been concluded? Has Han Xue been sentenced to jail for life?â Xia Jingshu couldnât help but ask when they were halfway through their meal. She had some legal knowledge and knew that Han Xueâs crime was serious enough to warrant a sentence of life imprisonment.
This woman had already gone mad, so she didnât want Han Xue to be released and potentially harm her son and granddaughter.
âNo, but Iâve contacted the police and they are conducting tests to see if she is mentally unstable.â
Xia Jingshu froze and she frowned as she asked, âWhat does that mean? Would she be able to escape the punishment of the law if she were mentally unstable? If she is released, what would we do if she tries to harm you or Xi Xi?â
Xia Jingshu grew a little agitated. She refused to allow Han Xue out of jail.
Ye Hao fell silent.
He felt sad for the woman he once loved and hated.
He didnât wish to see her in such a sorry state. He hoped that she would turn over a new leaf after she was released from prison and the thought that she would resort to even more extreme measures didnât cross his mind.
He wasnât sure how significant his role was in her descent into madness.
âAlright, mom, you shouldnât think about this anymore and leave this to the courts to decide. If Han Xue is deemed to be suffering from a mental illness, I will send her to a mental institution in the north-western part of the country,â he said.
Xia Jingshu said, âIn any case, I want her locked up somewhere. I donât care whether she is in prison or in a mental institution, but we canât let her out again.â
Xia Jingshu didnât care whether Han Xue was alive or dead as long as Han Xue was locked up somewhere.
They took 40 minutes to finish their meal as they chatted while they ate.
Then, Ye Hao brought his mother out for a stroll at a nearby park.
His mother was getting on in age and she would be 70 years old in two years. His mother had been in poor health, so Ye Hao didnât know how much time he still had with his mother who single-handedly raised him.
âOh yes, mom, Iâm planning to move into the castle but you should call me whenever you want,â Ye Hao said as he brought his mother to a pond. There were more than a hundred koi fish in the pond and there were many children who crowded around the pond, feeding these fish.
Xia Jingshiâs face that was full of lines broke into a smile as she watched the children.
âOf course,â she said.
No one knew how reluctant she was to see him leave. After he left, she would be the only person at home. Although the maids would continue living with her, they werenât her family members.
However, she couldnât move into the castle with her son because she had promised Yan Yan that she wouldnât interfere in their lives.
âYou should apologize to her and shower her with her favorite gifts. After all, she is a woman, so if she doesnât keep you at armâs length any longer, Iâm sure sheâd be very happy if you try to court her,â Xia Jingshu said as she turned to look at her son and her eyes shone with hope.
She truly wanted to see Ye Hao live happily ever after. She felt very sad for her son when she saw how he hadnât been happy during all these years.