Chapter 308: Hand Signs

"You are sure Yanyan would succeed in tricking Aunt Yue this time around?" Shui Xian asked again for confirmation. Since he learned how much his mother loved and cared about Yue Yue, he wished to do something for her. But he didn't know what to do at all. However, he was certain that he wanted Yue Yue to spread her wings and soar.

"I'm absolutely sure," answered Raelle as she took her clothes and walked to the bathroom. Looking back, she added, "The incident with Hyson this time around has already made Yue realize that she has to do something for her son. After all, she doesn't want Hyson to hide behind me. Although she knows anyone of us will always be there for Hyson, she still wants to take a stand for her son."

Then she walked into the bathroom to take a shower and change her clothes. Shui Xian sorted her things and sat down on the sofa. He was wondering how Mu Chenyan managed to convince Yue Yue to come out of her hiding. But he was thankful for it as well. It seemed Mu Chenyan was even more surprising than he expected her to be.

Then he took out his phone and scrolled through his messages. Well, since last night he had received over twenty messages from Zhai Yanjun. Shui Xian was wondering why Zhai Yanjun sent so many messages and when he read through them, he was speechless. 

Each message described how he spent his day with Yue Yue, Grandfather Xiang, Mu Chenyan, and Hyson. Shui Xian knitted his brow and shook his head but he wasn't gonna say anything to Zhai Yanjun for this. After all, it had been a long time since Zhai Yanjun actually detailed him about how he spent his day. 

There was a particular message that caught Shui Xian's attention.

Jun: [I was driving home when I passed by the book store, I don't know why but I parked the car and bought a book to learn hand signs. Do you think this is enough?]

Then another message was sent about half an hour after that one.

Jun: [How about you get some tips from your wife? She knows sign language, I'm sure she'd have some tips for me.]

The message had come at midnight but Shui Xian only saw it and replied, [Why do you want to learn sign language?]

He thought he'd have to wait but the answer from Zhai Yanjun came almost instantly.

Jun: [As if you don't know why I want to learn sign language.]

Xian: [Maybe I really don't know.]

Jun: [You're acting dumb.]

Xian: [I am acting dumb.]

Jun: [*angry emoji*]

Jun: [Bro, I want to talk to Aunt Yue!]

Shui Xian wasn't surprised by that answer. His lips curled up as he typed, [You recognized her?]

This time Zhai Yanjun took a while to reply. Just when Shui Xian thought that he won't reply, Zhai Yanjun's call came. 

"So, you already knew she is my aunt?" came Zhai Yanjun's voice from the other side as soon as Shui Xian picked up the phone. "Xian! Say something, damnit!"

"It's so not like you to curse," said Shui Xian lazily.

"I don't care," retorted Zhai Yanjun. "I just want to know how do you know about Aunt Yue?"

"Bà told me," answered Shui Xian. "But I already felt like I knew her when I first met her. Although the last we met her was when we were about four, I have seen her pictures. Since mom was so close to her, she always opened old albums to look through whenever she missed her. It took me a while to recall it only because, after mom, no one really opened that old stuff."

Zhai Yanjun went silent for a while. And after a moment, he said softly, "She still loves me."

"How do you know that?"

"I can feel it," retorted Zhai Yanjun. "The way she looks at me told me that she really missed me. And just that thought alone is enough to keep me happy for a while."

"Yanjun, it's better if you don't tell anyone in your family about her," said Shui Xian. "First of all, I don't think anyone from your maternal family cares. Secondly, we aren't certain about the incident that forced Aunt Yue to hide from everyone."

"I'm not an idiot," said Zhai Yanjun. "I can see the apprehension in her eyes. She is afraid that I'd tell someone about her and that's why she isn't even openly accepting her relationship with me."

"Why do I feel like you're sulking?" asked Shui Xian in amusement.

"I am," Zhai Yanjun actually accepted it readily. "She is my aunt and I have to find excuses to see her. Isn't that unfair to me? And Yue Fai is my cousin but he looks so guarded around me."

"Fai is like Raelle," told Shui Xian. Raelle had just come out of the bathroom when she heard him say that. Shui Xian also lifted his eyes and they looked at each other. But Raelle wasn't curious about what this was all about, so she went to dry her hair without paying him any attention. Meanwhile, Shui Xian continued, "They both are like hedgehogs. Always keeping their thorns erect. It's hard for them to trust people. The only reason Fai is like that towards you is that he doesn't trust you."

"But I think he blames me," said Zhai Yanjun. "Although I don't know what happened with Aunt Yue, I'm certain it wasn't anything good. My maternal family doesn't even talk about her. If I hadn't asked grandfather, I would have even forgotten that I have an aunt as well."

"He doesn't blame you," said Shui Xian. "From what I know about Fai, he isn't an unreasonable person. He won't hold you accountable for something you didn't do."

"You seem close to him," said Zhai Yanun sourly. He was envious of how even Shui Xian seemed to know Hyson better than him. Even though Hyson was related to him!

"I won't say I'm not close to him," replied Shui Xian. "He is a cute little brother. I really like him. But as for how I know him well, it is as I already told you. Raelle and Fai are best friends. They might act differently but deep down, they both have the same core. So, the more I understand my wife, the more I seem to understand her best friend as well."

"Why are we not like that?" asked Zhai Yanjun.

"Let's not compare our friendship with theirs," was Shui Xian's response. Even he would get envious of Raelle and Hyson's friendship. So, he didn't want to even think about it.

"Well, at least you're willing to say that what we have between us is friendship."

"Forget about that. Just remember my words. Don't let anyone from your family know that you met Aunt Yue," reminded Shui Xian once again.

"Xian, I heard that the first time you said it," replied Zhai Yanjun. "I just want to dig into the past."

Shui Xian looked over at Raelle before he asked, "Do you think it's the right thing to do?"

"What do you mean? I don't even have the right to know what happened in my own family? I might be young back then to know the details but I am no more a child. I deserve to know what happened in our family that my own aunt had to leave us."

"You just want to know why she left you."

Zhai Yanjun pursed his lips before saying, "Well, that's true. Don't you think I'd have turned out to be a different person if she was in my life? I vaguely remember that I was a happy child when she was around."

"I also heard that from Bà. He said both of us loved to cling to her like octopus."

Zhai Yanjun had a small smile on his face but he suddenly lost it as he clenched his fists and said, "If not anything else, I have to know why she lost her voice. I'd do anything for that."

Shui Xian thought about his words and secretly nodded his head. He also was curious about that and the reason why he didn't ask Raelle was that he felt like she didn't know it either. And neither did Hyson know about it. 

And he wasn't wrong either. The only information Hyson and Raelle had was after the birth of Hyson. And the details of Yue's life before Hyson's birth were a secret that Yue never shared with anyone. Even Mu Chenyan wasn't clear about the details. She only knew everything vaguely. But as smart as Mu Chenyan was she still knew better than others, she just never tried to probe Yue in detail because she didn't want to hurt her. 

"I think the truth might end up hurting everyone," said Shui Xian.

"I'm not afraid," answered Zhai Yanjun.

"And what if the truth brought a storm that might destroy your family?"

"It's not like this family is any better now," retorted Zhai Yanjun. "Nothing can stop me from learning the truth."

Shui Xian sighed out, "Then good luck! Let me know if I can help with anything."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."