CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: THE DELICATE MAIDEN

With a troubled smile, Su Chen thought about the object of his fantasies, and his mind involuntarily conjured images of his mother’s voluptuous figure.

Luo Xue loved her son unconditionally, but she clearly didn’t know the secret buried deep within his heart. Even if she did, she wouldn’t blame him; the closeness between them was something no one else could understand. Moreover, she knows that teenage boys often fantasize about the women closest to them.

This isn’t a serious issue and can easily be resolved through conversation and guidance. However, Su Chen believed his mother’s nobility was sacred and couldn’t be defiled, so he suppressed these feelings deep inside. This unexpressed repression was ultimately harmful to his youthful mind and body.

Su Chen was deeply immersed in his troubled thoughts, tormented by his deeply buried Oedipus complex and mature woman fetish. Unable to find release, he had often fantasized about his friend’s mother. Compared to the guilt of fantasizing about his own mother, the shame of humiliating his friend’s mother in his dreams felt somewhat more manageable.

Of course, no one else knew this. If Jun discovered that his dignified mother had been "fucked dry" by his so-called best friend, he would surely cut ties with Su Chen—perhaps even want to kill him.

Su Chen forced a bitter smile. Because his mother and Jun’s mother were close friends, he had frequent opportunities to interact with these stunning mature women. His mother doted on him and his constant exposure to these women—just as beautiful as his own mother—had led Su Chen to shift his fantasies onto his friend’s mother.

Plagued by his secret, Su Chen didn’t realize it was inevitable, and that the primary blame lay with his mother.

To understand this, one must delve into Su Chen’s family background.

Su Chen was born into wealth and power, with the Luo Family of the capital and the Ye Family of Pallet City standing among the nation’s top political arena. To uphold their prestige, the men dedicated themselves fully to expanding influence, and Su Chen’s father, Ye Yaoyang, was no exception.

Busy with his thriving company, Ye Yaoyang was rarely home—sometimes only once a month—often leaving his wife and children for long stretches. Thus, Su Chen grew up mainly under his mother’s care, surrounded by his sisters. This unusual household dynamic forged a distinctive bond between him and the women of his family, shaping his character from an early age.

In Su Chen’s eighteen years of memory, there were hardly any vivid recollections of his father. Instead, his memories were dominated by his mother. The deep bond between mother and son gradually solidified over time, nurtured by his father’s constant absence and later by their divorce, until it became an inseparable part of their shared existence.

The bond between Su Chen and his mother was deeper than outsiders could grasp. He always kissed Luo Xue goodbye, and until the age of fourteen, they even bathed together occassionally. She ended the habit when he turned fifteen, yet barely a year had passed, and Su Chen knew that if he pushed, she would still give in.

This closeness between mother and son explained Su Chen’s deep maternal fixation. Even though he admired innocent

young girls—despite having a close relationship with Zhang Yingying, the school belle—he secretly craved the allure of mature women.

As Su Chen’s thoughts wandered, his younger sister, Ye Rou, pushed the door open and said timidly, "Brother, it’s time to eat!"

Hearing his younger sister’s voice, Su Chen stirred slightly. As he gazed at her face, his mind involuntarily recalled the impure thoughts—his fleeting desire to make her his own. This complex and peculiar look in his eyes intensified.

Though Ye Rou couldn’t fully understand the strangeness in her brother’s gaze, she could feel it. Girls are often sensitive to such things, and she sensed that her brother was different today. His gaze made her blush and her heart flutter, yet she didn’t dislike or resent it; instead, she felt a faint happiness.

An indescribable feeling stirred within her. Ye Rou, who loved clinging to her brother more than anything, saw nothing wrong with the way he was looking at her.

Su Chen desperately suppressed his thoughts. But seeing his sister’s cheeks flushed, only intensified his unease. The forbidden thoughts instead of fading grew clearer and more vivid.

"Damn it..." he cursed inwardly. Suppressing the urge, he forced himself to nod calmly and walk over to take his sister’s hand. "Let’s go," he said. "After we eat, I’ll play with you, sis."

Su Chen wanted to divert his attention.

"I wish Brother would stay and play with me, but I can’t," Ye Rou said, her face lighting up at her brother’s words before she pouted adorably. "Aunt Lin just called and said she wants you to come over this..."

Hearing the invitation, Su Chen was momentarily surprised, then realized what was going on. He had just saved her last week, and with some recent distractions, today’s invitation was likely a gesture of gratitude to his family—or perhaps a message for his aunt, Mayor Luo Ning of Pallet City. Given her doting affection for her nephew and Secretary Song’s position, it would be awkward for her to handle such matters directly.

Su Chen nodded slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed his younger sister’s expression. Almost instinctively, he reached out and gently pinched her pouting lips. "You’re so grown up now, yet still so spoiled. How about this? I’ll come home early every afternoon from now on to play with you!"

"Don’t pinch! It hurts!"

Ye Rou instinctively swatted her brother’s hand. She protested with a mix of embarrassment and playful annoyance.

Though she and her brother had been close before, this was the first time he had ever touched her lips. The fleeting sensation sent a tingling jolt through her, leaving Ye Rou feeling bewildered.

Su Chen was also startled by his own actions. Seeing his younger sister’s bashful reaction stirred something within him, making his heart flutter.

If only she weren’t my younger sister... A girl like her must be easy to win over, right?

The thought flashed through his mind before he quickly dismissed it, afraid that further contemplation might lead to more wicked thoughts about his sister.

As they entered the living room, they found Luo Xue had already set the table. Gazing at his mother, Su Chen felt a complex mix of emotions. He regretted his earlier depraved thoughts. Though he had dreamt of such things about her before, those were passive dreams, not active desires. This was the first time he had truly entertained such thoughts about her, and it felt deeply immoral.

Facing his mother, he felt somewhat guilty.

"Why are you just standing there? Come sit down and eat. After you finish, if you’re feeling energetic, go visit Aunt Lin for a while." Luo Xue knew her son was intelligent and, having spent much time with her older sister, had picked up some understanding of political maneuvering. She didn’t need to spell it out.

Su Chen understood well that this seemingly casual visit was actually a strategic maneuver. The real battleground lay between his aunt Luo Ning and Secretary Song, using him and Aunt Lin as proxies to gauge each other’s positions and make their intentions known. If everything went smoothly Secretary Song, Aunt Lin husband would likely align himself with one side by the end of this visit.

"Okay, I’ll be there in a moment. By the way, where’s sister? Isn’t she coming home for dinner?" Su Chen asked, avoiding his mother’s gaze. He quickly picked up his bowl and chopsticks pretending to be famished as he began shoveling food in, hoping to divert attention from his uneasy conscience.

Neither Luo Xue nor Ye Rou noticed Su Chen’s unusual behavior. After all, they couldn’t possibly imagine the shift that had occurred within him in such a short time.

Luo Xue placed some vegetables in Su Chen’s bowl with a gentle scolding, "Slow down, no one’s rushing you."

"Your sister had a sudden matter and won’t be home until later tonight," Luo Xue replied casually, assuming her son was just asking out of habit. She had no idea that his mind was preoccupied with far more significant matters.

Su Chen nodded. Since his sister had started university, her university was quite far from their neighborhood. Although still within Pallet City, the round trip took considerable time. Most days, she stayed on campus during the day and returned home only for dinner.

Su Chen was eager to finish his meal quickly and head to Aunt Lin’s house. He needed to escape his mother and younger sister for a moment, hoping to calm his racing thoughts.