Chapter 52: Not Surnamed Gu

Gu Xinyao and Dugu Rou guessed roughly who was outside, so they slipped out through another door. They had no intention of meeting anyone from the Dugu family. This was not only because the identities of both sides were far too sensitive, but also to ensure the future safety of Gu Xinyao and Dugu Yi. Therefore, when Dugu Muqing and Gu Yu walked into the room, all they saw were Ah Fei and Dugu Yi, who was still silently eating his meal.

"Yi!" Gu Yu called out softly. Having not seen him for a few days, for some reason, he felt somewhat nervous. The day his son was taken away, he had wanted to stop it, but then the thought occurred to him: how tragic would it be for a man to have no descendants? That thought made him tacitly permit Dugu Muqing's actions, and now he did not know how to face his son upon reuniting.

Dugu Muqing did not have so many conflicted thoughts. Right now, her only goal was to take this son away. She would absolutely never allow that woman Gu Xinyao to take her son, Dugu Muqing's son, off to some messy, godforsaken place, nor would she allow the Dugu family's bloodline to wander outside.

"Yi! You left the hospital without authorization. Do you still hold your parents in any regard at all?" Dugu Muqing started off with a cold interrogation, not caring in the least what condition Dugu Yi was currently in.

Having just finished a portion of his meal and preparing to put down his chopsticks to wait for Gu Xinyao, Dugu Yi raised his head and saw a man and a woman standing before him. Within his limited memory, he had a slight impression of these two people, but it was far from complete.

"Dad? Mom?" he asked cautiously, probing the air. If his memory served him correctly, this was how he was supposed to address them.

Seeing his son behave with such cautious apprehension, as if terrified of making a mistake—a far cry from his usual poised and distinguished demeanor—Gu Yu felt a pang in his chest. He took a step forward, wanting to grasp Dugu Yi's hand, but was evaded in the next instant by Dugu Yi.

"Yi, my son, I am your father. What has happened to you?" Being avoided by his own son caused a tight knot in Gu Yu's heart. Even when he had treated him wrongly in the past, Dugu Yi had never shown such a blatant rejection of his proximity. If something drastic hadn't happened, how could it have come to this?

Upon seeing Dugu Yi at this moment, Dugu Muqing was reminded of what Fang Ke had told her—that the woman would stop at nothing to enter the Dugu family. Her son's sharp and capable mind was certainly not something Fang Ke would welcome, which was why she had used Lake Jade Slumber. Fang Ke had essentially sought to control her son. It was her own mistake, but how on earth had he ended up like this?

Although Dugu Yi knew that the man and woman before him were likely his biological parents, in his memory, "parents" was merely a noun devoid of any dynamic emotional significance. Therefore, the feeling brought by these parents was far inferior to the warmth and familiarity he felt toward his wife, Gu Xinyao. He stood up, walked a wide circle around the table to Gu Xinyao's side, and stood behind her, glancing over toward them from time to time.

Seeing how close his son was to his daughter-in-law, going so far as to dodge him just to get to her side, Gu Yu experienced a whirlpool of mixed emotions, his eyes suddenly growing hot.

"Dad, Yi was injected with Lake Jade Slumber by that Doctor Fang. He can't remember a lot of things. Please... please don't blame him." Gu Xinyao patted the hand of Dugu Yi beside her and explained to Gu Yu.

Hearing this answer, Gu Yu's eyes grew completely damp. He turned away and secretly wiped his tears.

When Dugu Muqing heard this answer, she felt no surprise, but her fists clenched tightly.

"Since that wretch injected him with that poison, you have even less reason to take him away from the Dugu family. Come back with me!" Dugu Muqing had no intention of letting Gu Xinyao take Dugu Yi away. Even if he had become foolish or mad, as long as he was her son, he had to stay in the Dugu family. Were they planning to go elsewhere just to disgrace the Dugu family further?

Frightened by the abrupt, gloomy turn in Dugu Muqing's expression, Dugu Yi shrank closer behind Gu Xinyao. Even though his memories had returned, the cowardice lurking deep within his soul flared up at this moment.

Gu Xinyao turned her head in surprise to look at Dugu Yi hiding behind her. It seemed he had not recovered as well as she had imagined. Turning back, she squared her shoulders and said, "Dad, Mom, I am taking Yi away from Utopia, to find a place where no one knows us and start over. I have checked into Lake Jade Slumber; its effects are completely irreversible. Staying in the Dugu family is not conducive to Yi's recovery."

Dugu Muqing was not someone easily persuaded. She would never allow anyone to defy a decision she had made. Therefore, she walked right up to Gu Xinyao, pointed at Dugu Yi behind her, and said, "He is a child of the Dugu family. Whether he stays or goes is not for an outsider like you to dictate. If you are unwilling to return to the Dugu family, you are free to go as far as you like. With the influence of the Dugu family, finding a good match for my son will not be difficult. If not for the fact that you cannot bear him children, why would I have had to let someone else act as a surrogate, and how could things have ever—how could things have ever... In short, I must take him away."

As she spoke, Dugu Muqing grabbed Dugu Yi's arm, attempting to drag him along with her.

"No! I won't go! No!" Dugu Yi struggled. Pulled by his arm, he dragged his feet backward while his other hand grabbed tightly onto Gu Xinyao.

Gu Xinyao had not expected Dugu Muqing to resort to force. While holding onto Dugu Yi's hand with one arm, she stepped forward and forcefully pried Dugu Muqing's grip off him.

"Mom, please don't force Yi!" Having managed to snatch Dugu Yi back from Dugu Muqing's grasp, Gu Xinyao retreated two steps with him, shielding him behind her before speaking in a stern voice.

"I am forcing him? I am merely taking away my son, what did I do wrong?" Dugu Muqing advanced step by step, having no intention of dropping the matter.

"Mom! Enough is enough! Do you want to drive Yi to wish he were dead all over again? Do you still want people to force him into things he despises? Haven't you taken enough from him all these years? He may be a man, but he has done far more than any of your daughters ever could. I'm begging you, please let him go, won't you?" Gu Xinyao cried out, her voice hoarse and desperate. She admitted that she was useless, which was why she had allowed Yi to suffer time and time again; but now, was it a crime for her to simply want a peaceful, quiet life with him?

"Mom, Yi has already ended up like this. He has no way to do anything more for you. Please, I beg you all, let him go!"

Gu Xinyao adopted the most humble posture imaginable to plead with Dugu Muqing. She knew that with her own abilities alone, safely taking Yi away would be nearly impossible, and if she implicated Qin Rou and Shang Ran, she would never find peace of mind.

Dugu Muqing stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowed tightly. All along, she had believed that anyone who enjoyed the glory and honor of the Dugu family was obligated to sacrifice for it. Therefore, no matter how well Dugu Yi performed, she had never offered him a single word of praise. But now that he had been reduced to this state, should she truly let him go?

"Muqing, I'm begging you, let them go!" Gu Yu, who had been standing off to the side wiping his tears, finally walked over. His eyes were red-rimmed. As he approached Dugu Muqing, his demeanor softened entirely, sounding almost supplicating as he addressed her.

Dugu Muqing turned her head to look at him. This man, who had not given her a kind expression in nearly forty years, was actually using the word "beg." He was only lowering his pride because of their son, wasn't he? In the end, his heart still held no room for her at all.

"You are begging me to let them go? Even if they end up with no good future ahead of them? You still want me to?" Though somewhat moved, she remained deeply pessimistic about their prospects.

Gu Yu glanced back at his son, who was cowering behind Gu Xinyao out of fear from the earlier scuffle. His son had once been so brilliant, so responsible, yet because of his own erroneous decision, he could never be high-spirited again. He felt regret; he felt sorrow; he had experienced a sudden, painful awakening, and he only hoped it was not yet too late for what he could do.

"Yes... Yes, I am begging you, begging you to let them go. Even if you do it for my sake, please?" He looked at her, his eyes flashing with eager longing. He had never begged her for anything, not even when she had inflicted so many wounds upon him in the past. But now, he was begging her—solely to grant his son freedom and happiness, which was the only remaining responsibility he could fulfill as a father.

Dugu Muqing lowered her gaze, a bitter smile touching the corners of her lips. She was already decades old, and she too had once yearned for a beautiful romance. Yet, in the end, it had all amounted to fleeting smoke. Enough was enough; how much longer was she going to spend fighting and striving for dominance?

"Fine! I'll let you go!" Dugu Muqing closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were entirely devoid of ripples.

Hearing Dugu Muqing relent, Gu Xinyao's face lit up with overwhelming joy.

"Thank you—"

"I haven't finished speaking yet. You may leave, but from this day forward, Yi may no longer carry the surname Dugu. There is no longer any Dugu Yi in my Dugu family." Dugu Muqing waved a hand, cutting short Gu Xinyao's expression of gratitude, and spoke with a rigid expression.

Gu Xinyao froze. She had not expected Dugu Muqing to make such a ruling. The surname Dugu held little meaning for her, but to Dugu Yi, it was a form of recognition and identity. If they left now and Yi could no longer be a Dugu, would he actually be willing?

"Yi?" she asked the man standing behind her.

"Yes! From now on, I won't carry the Dugu name. I can take the Gu name. Xinyao, I'll take your surname." Dugu Yi's voice carried a hint of stubborn backbone. If he couldn't be a Dugu, then so be it; it wasn't as if surnames were in short supply.

Gu Xinyao felt slightly awkward about his unilateral decision to change his surname. His parents were still right here—couldn't he at least spare them a shred of face?

"Let's go!" Upon hearing Dugu Yi abandon his surname without a shred of lingering attachment, Dugu Muqing felt a surge of anger. With a flick of her sleeve, she turned and strode out.

Gu Yu cast a lingering, heartbroken look at Dugu Yi, and without another word, he too departed.

Gu Xinyao watched the figures leaving one after another, her heart filled with a profound sense of melancholy. Perhaps they had treated her and Yi wrongly in the past, but ultimately, they were his parents who had raised and nurtured him for so many years. Perhaps his absolute ruthlessness just now had broken their hearts as well.

"Yi, I promise you, our life together in the future will be very happy."

Gu Xinyao turned around and wrapped her arms around Dugu Yi's waist. In that turning motion, she caught him casting one last glance toward the doorway. Perhaps he wasn't as utterly ruthless as she had imagined, but now, there was no turning back. They could only look forward and keep walking ahead.

He wrapped his arms around her in return, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She could feel a faint dampness there.

"Mn!" came a muffled response from his neck. She figured he would surely miss his homeland, and perhaps even his parents.

Author's Note: With this chapter, the first half concludes. As for the second half, the two of them will embark on their new life. There isn't much content left for the new life, and this story will reach its conclusion shortly. o(n_n)o~