## Chapter 7: Let's Go Crazy Together!
The house Jane rented in this hutong wasn't safe. Every night, there would be drunk troublemakers deliberately looking for problems.
Jane got dressed and expressionlessly pulled out a knife from under the sofa.
Then she opened the door, knife in hand.
The person pounding on the door outside paused, then revealed an apologetic smile, with an expression that was both official and anxious.
It was actually Payne's special assistant.
"Mr. Lin," Jane raised an eyebrow, discreetly putting away the knife. "It's so late. Do you need something from me?"
Lin nodded, hurriedly explaining, "Miss Jane, could you come see Mr. Payne? He's not in a good state right now. I'm really out of options, so I had to ask for your help!"
...
Two hours earlier.
Tonight's Parker family dinner was the same as always.
The servants were busy rushing about, cleaning every corner until not a speck of dust remained.
Eight private chefs hired by the Parker family, each with their own responsibilities, displayed their already exquisite culinary skills to perfection.
Payne was always the last to arrive.
He pulled out his chair and sat down, lifting his eyelids to look at the empty seat across from him. He sneered, "What kind of 'family' dinner is this? Just three people total. Old man, can you stop putting on this show in the future?"
The elder Mr. Parker in the main seat glared at him, silently warning: You little brat, behave yourself!
Payne pretended not to see.
The large dining table was cold and empty. Besides the elder Mr. Parker in the main seat and the newly seated Payne, there was another middle-aged man with a decent face but a slightly overweight build.
That was Payne's father, Parker Wenhai.
Three people, two pairs of father and son.
Even a glance was irritating.
A servant standing at a distance, unfamiliar with the Parker family's internal affairs, tugged at the sleeve of the person beside him and whispered, "Hey, did you see? The madam didn't come again! Are they divorced?"
"Don't talk nonsense. That's not the case."
"Then why does the madam never show up?"
"Shh, don't gossip about the master's family."
The atmosphere at the dining table wasn't good.
The elder Mr. Parker threw his napkin aside and glanced sideways at Parker Wenhai, asking, "Ruoxian still refuses to come?"
"Dad, you know Su Ruoxian's temperament. She won't even see me, let alone come for dinner," Parker Wenhai shrugged, looking unconcerned. "It's fine. I don't want to see her cold face either."
In their earlier years, the couple had maintained appearances in public despite their estrangement.
Now they lived separately and didn't even pretend anymore.
The elder Mr. Parker looked outside and sighed, "Alright, let's eat."
The meal proceeded just as unpleasantly.
During dinner, Parker Wenhai's phone rang several times, with incoming calls clearly labeled with a woman's name.
He didn't answer at the time, but after the meal, he said goodbye to the old man and hurriedly left.
Before leaving, as if remembering something, Parker Wenhai paused and said to Payne, "If you go to your mother's place, give her my regards."
Payne snorted, not bothering to respond at all.
The barely touched dishes were all cleared away.
A servant placed something in Payne's car. Payne glanced at it—a perfectly packed purple clay pot in a red wooden container.
The old man spoke, "I had the chef make soup. Take it to your mother."
Payne didn't move.
The old man sighed again, "Go on."
Payne got into the car and leaned back, closing his eyes to rest.
Whether it was from the strong liquor he had just drunk or the cold wind he had been exposed to earlier, his head was beginning to throb again.
"Mr. Payne, where are we going?"
"Back to Yu Jing." Remembering the old man's instructions, Payne frowned irritably. "Actually, let's go to Bamboo Mountain Residence first."
"Yes, sir."
Assistant Lin slowly started the car.
Yu Jing was Payne's private residence, the villa where he most often stayed. It was located in Cloud City's most expensive area, surrounded by prosperity and with excellent views.
Bamboo Mountain Residence... was where Payne's mother, Su Ruoxian, currently lived.
It was a traditional courtyard house in the suburbs.
Su Ruoxian lived there alone, having lived in seclusion for several years with no intention of moving out.
Assistant Lin looked at Payne through the rearview mirror with some concern, hoping that today's confrontation would be minor and not too ugly...
When they arrived, the door was closed. Assistant Lin knocked twice before someone came to open it.
"Young Master is here. Please come in."
The servant stepped aside respectfully and said, "Madam is in the courtyard."
With his tall stature and long legs, Payne took just a few steps to bypass the lush bamboo grove and saw the woman sitting quietly on a meditation cushion.
Su Ruoxian was no longer young, but she had taken good care of herself. With perfect bone structure, even with the traces of age on her face, one could still see the beauty of her youth.
Under the lamplight, there was a gentle tranquility about her.
Before Payne could call out "Mom," he saw Su Ruoxian's gaze.
Cold, harsh, and dismissive.
Tearing away any trace of that gentleness.
Payne's hand at his side tightened, and he swallowed the word that hadn't yet left his mouth. He said flatly, "The old man asked me to deliver this soup. Since it's delivered, I'll be going."
After walking two steps, there was a thud behind him.
The red wooden purple clay pot, along with the insulated bag, had been thrown into the trash can.
A rich, delicious aroma floated in the air—the scent of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup that had been simmered for more than twenty hours.
Su Ruoxian wiped her hands and said calmly, "Don't come again in the future. I don't want to see you."
Under the light, Payne's tall, straight shadow stretched long. Lost in thought, he suddenly laughed, his deep, pleasant voice saying word by word:
"But what can you do? I'm your only son. When you die, I'll still have to bury you."
Bang! The sound of a table being overturned!
Immediately after, a teacup flew straight at Payne's back!
Payne didn't move. The cup fell from his body and shattered on the ground.
"I don't have just you as a son. I still have Parker Ze! He's more obedient than you, more excellent than you, more considerate than you!"
Su Ruoxian was like a hysterical madwoman, crying and shouting in rage, "Why wasn't it you who died!"
"Payne!"
"Why wasn't it you who died back then?!"
"Get out, GET OUT!!!"
Under the dark night sky, this angry roar echoed for a long time.
"Yes, it wasn't me who died. Sorry to disappoint you."
Payne smiled self-mockingly and left without looking back.
Assistant Lin, following closely behind, didn't dare to breathe.
"Go to the hotel. Don't go back to Yu Jing."
Payne closed his eyes in the back seat, his voice somewhat hoarse.
Assistant Lin nodded and changed direction.
This was Payne's habit. When he was in a bad mood, he wouldn't return to his private residence.
Twenty minutes later, Assistant Lin reminded him, "Mr. Payne, we've arrived."
"Mm."
As Payne got out of the car, his tall figure actually swayed. Assistant Lin was about to offer support, but Payne had already steadied himself.
Assistant Lin took a few quick steps and pressed the elevator button.
The elevator ascended quickly, but in this brief interval, blue veins suddenly bulged on Payne's forehead, and even the color of his pupils changed slightly.
Assistant Lin hissed and immediately took out his phone to call for help.
"Mr. Payne's migraine is acting up again. Bring the medicine box and painkillers! Quickly!"
Payne refused.
Once his migraine started, painkillers had no effect. Doctors were helpless; they couldn't alleviate it. He could only endure.
"You can go off duty."
Payne leaned back on the presidential suite's large bed, waving his hand to dismiss people.
Assistant Lin withdrew with deep concern. He didn't dare leave and wasn't at ease, so he made another phone call to urge:
"Painkillers, pain-relief injections, send them over quickly!"
[End of Chapter 7]