281 Deal with Chen Zhong

January 7, 20X2 (Tuesday)

Zhao Manor

When the next day came, Father Zhao and Jerome were grinning as they ate breakfast with the family. The two children were sandwiched between Yang and Mei Lin as both parents helped their children to eat, offering food when the children would look at a certain dish. Mother Zhao and Aunt Qinyang had thought that they were still not ready to have the responsibility of being parents, but now, they have to admit that they were utterly wrong.

Yang and Mei Lin had shown them that they did not help taking care of the kids and were efficiently doing what was expected of them and more. Yang had helped the children into their new kid chairs, and Mei Lin had covered their chests with the napkin. Both new parents had shown that they could do it and, at the same time showed their teamwork as a couple. Everyone on the table had shown their amazement at them.

Father Zhao and Jerome had to conceal all the things they wanted to report as the children were still near. Chang and Ling Ling were matured for their age, but everyone agreed that news of torture and future events of spies and anything cruel was not meant to reach the ears of children. Both Father merely acted as if nothing had happened and ate their food, silently. They could wait, the future and sanity of their grandchildren would be put in danger should they wouldn't wait.

"Mom, I am full," Ling Ling said as she pulled the fabric of Mei Lin's sleeves.

Chang nodded and agreed, "I am too. I ate many things even the carrots."

Yang chuckled as he patted the young boy's back, "Carrots are good for you."

Mother Zhao could be seen rolling her eyes at Yang, knowing that her son should not be the one to say those words as he hated vegetables with a passion too. In her opinion, Mei Lin should be the one telling the kids that but then again at least, Yang would not spread his bad habit with his kids. Mei Lin pushed the plate out of their reach so they would not be cluttering the floor if the children were taken out of their seats. Aunt Qinyang and Uncle Zhao jumped up into their role and took Ling Ling and Chang out of their chairs.

"Let Grandaunt and Granduncle take you to the library; we have something there for you." Aunt Qinyang told as Ling Ling was put into her embrace and Chang was gripping into Uncle Zhao's hands with a sheepish grin.

Mei Lin waved her hands as the children turned back to say their goodbyes to their parents. Ling Ling then blew them kisses that made everyone in the table soften and laugh. Chang had only nodded goodbye as he waved his head like a responsible adult that made his fluffy cheeks bob up and down.

As soon as the doors shut, Jerome's happy face turned sour immediately as he said, "We have information."

"Did you get everything from the Spy?" Mother Zhao asked, letting down her porcelain teacup gently on the paired plate. She was impatient to know everything. They have been trying to discover everything and have been so unsuccessful for months that any discovery was heaven sent.

"We got more than we thought we would," Jerome answered and for once in his lifetime, did not taunt Mother Zhao to another round of bickering.

"You won't believe who the spy was." Father Zhao staged whispered into his wife's ears, teasing Mother Zhao with a little poke on her side. Yang and Mei Lin could see that Mother Zhao was not amused by Father Zhao's jokes. The newlyweds held their amusement from being shown in their faces, knowing that Father Zhao was going to be bitten next. Grandma and Grandpa Zhao were in the sideline observing everything. They left all of it to them since they were not as powerful and as energetic as they were in their prime.

As expected, Mother Zhao glared at her husband, pinched his ears, and twisted it as hard as she could. Father Zhao yelped like a little kid; tears started welling up on the edges of his eyes. Yang chuckled with sadistic glee. Mother Zhao lectured her husband like a mother would rant to her child, "If you keep on taunting me like that, you will sleep elsewhere."

"It was Father Chen, Dear! Let Go, Please!" Father Zhao immediately answered. His hands were trying to pry Mother Zhao's hold on his ears gently.

Jerome snickered underneath his breath, eyes flashing in sadness as he remembered memories of his late wife being as cruel as her best friend now. Mu Lan had also liked to twist his ears if he tried to make jokes that were not funny to her. Jerome's eyes shifted to his calm daughter seating like am elegant princess sipping her tea as if the world could be burning on her back and it would not make her calmness waver. Mei Lin had grown up to be more of Zhao Hui Ying's than Xue Mu Lan's. Regardless of her many similarities with her birth mother, Mei Lin's elegance and habit resembled the Zhao matriarch more.

Mother Zhao let go of her hold with widened eyes. Of all the people she had expected, never had she thought it would be that person. She even considered of the possibility of Chen Zhong himself but never his father. Mother Zhao's hands clenched in anger; to think that she had trusted them enough to take care of Mei Lin before. If her husband and sister-in-law had not cooperated to plot Yang and Mei Li to meet, Mother Zhao knew she would be facing many problems with the Chen family.

"We can make a deal with Chen Zhong..." Nobody expected Mei Lin to utter these words. All attention shifted to her.