209 A Long Wai

August 13, 20XX (Tuesday)

Zhao Manor

Grandpa Zhao cleared his throat to interrupt a growing migraine in the form of Mother Zhao and Father Zhao bantering about the children being taken into the library. Yang and Mei Li were giggling at the side with Yue. Mother Zhao and Father Zhao were the ones most disagreeable with their plan to adopt, but now, they looked as if they were the ones that wanted to adopt the kids. Grandma Zhao merely ignored everything and talked to the Matron about the orphanage she was in charge.

"Chang and Ling Ling, Do you know who I am?" Grandpa Zhao asked, trying to be gentle with his serious face.

Chang and Ling Ling nodded and chimed, "You are CEO Zhao's grandfather."

Father Zhao patted Chang and interrupted, "There are four CEO Zhao's here. I am also a CEO Zhao. Why don't you call me Grandpa to avoid confusion?"

Mother Zhao and Aunt Qinyang instantly agreed, "You may call me Grandma."

Uncle Zhao smiled, "I am also Grandpa."

Chang was the one to turn to Mei Li and Yang and ask, "What should we call CEO Zhao and Miss Wu? Can I call Miss Wu, My Angel?"

Ling Ling pouted and crossed her arms, "I want to call Miss Wu, Angel too!"

Mei Li giggled as Yang grinned at the two bantering kids. Grandpa Zhao snorted, "You can call your angel, Mother, and your CEO Zhao as Father."

All the adults in the room were snickering as the two children's faces looked too comical in their shock. They had wide eyes that almost cover their forehead, and jaws dropped. Suddenly, the two kids blush and fiddled with their hands nervously in their seats.

Chang sneaked a side glance to Mei Li and muttered, "We can't call them that... We aren't their children."

Ling Ling pulled the ends of her pigtails and covered her embarrassed face with her hair as she nodded. She did not dare look up to met her Angel and CEO Zhao's eyes. Their birth parents left them in an orphanage; she doubts other people would want them too.

"Do you know why you are here?" Yang asked after he took the two children in his parent's side and settled them into his and Mei Li's laps.

Ling Ling looked up to Mei Li and answered, unsurely, "To meet new friends?"

Mei Li smiled and played with Ling Ling's hair before she corrected, "You are here because we want you to meet our family, and to ask you if you want to join our family."

Chang looked at Yang and said in suspicion, "The Zhao family is rich, we cannot inherit it. We do not share blood. Rich people always need to give their fortune to their blood."

The bluntness from Chang's words made every Zhao member disappointed with themselves. The reality of their close-minded attitudes sunk, but at the same time, they were happy that he understood their situation somewhat.

Yang put a hand on Chang's head and said, "Rich people have to give their fortune to direct blood because if they didn't, distant relatives would claim it as their own instead of the adopted children, causing fights. As an orphan, you will be bullied. As our adopted child, you will be bullied ever more, but if we adopted you as a Zhao, you might not be able to take the bullying."

Chang took some time to process Yang's words and then hesitantly nodded, "So we are taking Miss Wu's name to avoid bullying in our future life?"

Everyone in the room nodded.

Chang shrugged, and the tears he was trying to stop began to fall as he choked out his words, "I don't care what name I will have. You may even give me to a servant to be her son, and I would take it. I can clean the table if I have to. Having a family is all I ever dreamt off, this is the best days of my life."

Yang hugged Chang tight into his embrace as the boy began to sob as he murmured, "Thank you. I cannot say thank you enough. I am so happy. Thank you."

Seeing Chang crying, Ling Ling burst into tears too. She burrowed her face into Mei Li's neck and wailed, "I will have a family. I will have a mom. Thank you. Ling Ling doesn't need anything else. Ling Ling can make her own bed, clean the room, and take a bath herself. Ling Ling will be good. Thank you..."

Mei Li and Yang tried to calm the kids as the rest of the people in the room were starting to cry at the emotional scene of the grateful children. To think they would accept being anyone's child as long as they had parents. How hungry were they to have a family? Mother Zhao leaned her head into Father Zhao's shoulders, guilt eating up her heart. Her hurt because of the thought of Grandma Zhao and Mei Li being orphans like these kids. Mei Li must have had the yearning to have parents too. Now, she knew why Mei Li was adamant to adopt in such a short amount of time of knowing the children.

It was easy to forget the importance of something when you have it in your possession. Only when you see people, who don't have it that you realized how blessed you are. Mother Zhao may have a strict father, but she was still love. To think of having no one as support at all, made Mother Zhao guilty for even trying to go against Yang and Mei Li's decision to adapt.

The process of adoption will be long, even with the power of the old Royal Family of Xing. It would be a long wait for all of them. The Matron's heart was heavy for them. All orphans longed for family. She was glad that soon there will be two less orphans in the world.