Chapter 529 - Recognition

Xiang Wai didn't answer him and Xiang Weimin didn't force her to do so. He would give her space to think about it on her own. He knew his sister, she never liked being forced into anything. So, whatever her decision would be, she had to come to it on her own. He won't be saying anything unnecessary to make the matters worse. It was not worth it.

But he could tell that his words had gotten to Xiang Wai since she seemed to be lost in thought. And she exactly was thinking about what he said. It would be a lie if she said he had never thought about her paternal family. There was no doubt that her father was a good person, even if she usually didn't accept it before him. However, she couldn't deny the love her father offered her. 

Since the time she understood the biasedness of her maternal grandparents, she had wondered if her paternal family was also like that? Or maybe they were different? From the vague memory of her childhood, she knew they were different. And she used to believe all grandparents were as loving as her paternal grandparents. And that's why she wanted to get close to her maternal grandparents when she first moved here with her mother.

Needless to say, it didn't go well.

"Let's find a place to rest," suggested Xiang Wai as she extracted herself from these thoughts and looked at her brother. Seeing the beads of sweat on his forehead, she was hurt and wanted him to just sit down somewhere. He didn't have to put himself into this situation just because he didn't want to face too many questions or sarcastic pity of the Song family.

"I'm okay," he answered even though his legs were really shaking. 

Xiang Wai frowned at him, "Ge, does it matter how they look at us? They have never liked the fact that we followed our father and joined the army instead of turning out to be geniuses like them. You should stop hurting yourself for them."

"I just don't want to be questioned what happened, or how much it hurt blah blah blah. I'd rather bear with this pain than have to give an explanation to everyone." He didn't like talking unnecessarily. Much less socializing. Why would he put himself in a situation where everyone would come to question him? He'd rather just be invisible. 

Xiang Wai found a couch beside the dessert table and helped him sit down. She looked at the outer courtyard which was decorated tonight and filled with guests by now as well. Everyone was a person from the field of science, technology, medicine, painting, and whatnot. But what they all had in common was that they were all scholars. 

Scholars who didn't match the temperament of soldiers like them. It was a disaster to be here tonight for them.

"It's a grand birthday banquet," said Xiang Wai with her eyes narrowed. "Don't you think so, Ge?"

"It certainly looks like it," replied Xiang Weimin.

Xiang Wai tapped her chin thoughtfully, "And when did our mother become so important in this family to deserve such treatment?"

It was quite ridiculous how their mother, Song Xin'ai was the only daughter of the Song family. And yet, she barely had a presence in this family. She had three outstanding brothers. The brothers were so brilliant that they kept burying her in their shadows all her life. No matter how great she was, she could just never compete with them. 

It wasn't that she was ordinary but she was still considered average when she stood beside her brothers. And these brothers even married equally outstanding wives from the same fields as they were in. How would anyone like Song Xin'ai's choice, Xiang Hulin? He was, after all, just a soldier. So what if he came from a legendary family of generals? It did not elevate his status in front of these stubborn scholars who were full of themselves.

"Did she get awarded for her research or something?" questioned Xiang Wai.

"Do I look like someone who pays attention to such things?" retorted Xiang Weimin. "Because I'm certainly not interested in her life."

Xiang Wai shrugged, "Neither am I. Forget it." She looked around and asked, "Want to eat something?"

"No," he answered. 

"Professor Song, your children are all grown up now," a woman in a green dress commented with a huge grin on her face while she came towards Xiang Wai and Xiang Weimin with Song Xin'ai in tow. "I must say, they both have exceptional features."

Song Xin'ai smiled at the woman and introduced, "This is my daughter..."

The woman waved her off and interrupted, "Oh, please! Do you think you need to introduce them? No way. I know them. This is Major Xiang Wai and Lieutenant Xiang Weimin."

"Hello!" Xiang Wai and Xiang Weimin greeted the woman politely. No matter what differences they'd have with their mother, they'd never embarrass her in front of strangers. Besides, unless they were in a bad mood, neither one of them would be disrespectful to a stranger.

Song Xin'ai chuckled in surprise, "I didn't know you'd be familiar with them."

"I'm not exactly familiar with them personally," stated the woman as she tapped her manicured nail on the champagne glass in her hand. "But I had the honor of attending one of those military banquets where all the higher-ups would gather. I saw them there. And believe me, I've only heard good things about them. You must be proud of them."

Song Xin'ai continued to smile in response without a word. Xiang Wai and Xiang Weimin couldn't possibly tell what was on her mind. Was she proud of them? 

Well, that was the question they had long stopped dwelling about. Why would they? Her recognition meant nothing to them.. Just because she wasted all her life trying to find some recognition from her parents, they weren't gonna follow in her footsteps and do the same.