"You are trying to protect an innocent man from the horrible truth of his father," Zhenyi said, caressing his face. "I don't hate you. I don't see a reason for hating you. Ryuu did what he thought was right. You are doing what is right. I don't mind. Also, Bà texted me to inform me that he was expecting us for dinner at his place. Also, he is missing Zian. It's been a month since he saw his precious grandson."
Long Jie shook his head as if he couldn't understand his father-in-law. "Doesn't Bà feel tired? He had three grandsons and a granddaughter. Still, he is missing Zian? How does he even have the energy to keep up with four over-energetic kids?"
Zhenyi rolled her eyes. "If the country doesn't have a three kids policy, I'm sure Bà will have a home full of little grandchildren." Long Jie choked on air as he heard his wife say.
"Zhenyi, how can you talk about Ryuu like that?"
"Come on, Jie, you know that I am right," Zhenyi said, shrugging. She couldn't understand how Alcina and Ryuu had so much time and energy to produce two children in three years when she was having a hard time raising one. Ryuu and Alcina had another son named Tang Nanxian.
"Da. Da. Da." Zian came running to Long Jie and grabbed his hand. He was trying to pull his dad with him. "Play. Ziu. Say. Play."
Long Jie looked at his wife and smiled at her. He let Zian take him where his son wanted to. When he saw what Zian wanted to say, he shook his head, "You want to try swing? It's dangerous, son."
Nope. He wasn't going to let his son try this dangerous wing even if it was for children.
Not at all.
What if his son fell down and hurt himself?
Zian was such an easily satisfied child that he didn't know how to be stubborn like his mom. Instead of throwing a tantrum like other kids, he gave his father a big innocent smile as he opened his arms and waved them up and down. He knew that stubbornness and tantrum didn't work for his parent. He used another approach that would surely work, "Dada. Ziu. Bub. Uh. Now. Da. Da. Swing."
Now how in hell Long Jie was supposed to say no to his son?
You see, this boy was his only child. Someone he loved and cared for more than anyone else. If Zian wanted to try this wing, he would just let him as long as it was safe.
"I love you too, my dear but can you not use it every time I say no to you?" Long Jie made him sit on the child's safe swing and begged him. "I can't even tell people that my son just smiles at me and says how much he loves me and I lose my resolve. Your sweetness and your mom is bad for my resolve."
"Dada. Ziu bub. Uh." Zian shouted in excitement as Long Jie pushed the swing safely.
"Yeah. Yeah. Dada loves Zian too," Long Jie said, rolling his eyes. He would never tell anyone how much he felt warmth in his heart whenever Zian said he loved him.
Long Jie had never enjoyed this time with his own parents. Neither Song Lily nor Long Shaoming gave him the love he always craves for. But this was something he never wanted for his son.
When Long Jie was taught about responsibilities and duties as a member of the Long family, he would teach his son what loving and caring meant. Not just for others but for himself too. He wanted Zian to have all the love and familial love he and Zhenyi never received.
From a distance, Zhenyi was capturing this beautiful scene on her phone. She was the same woman who used to run away from children. But this silly and beautiful baby of hers made her see how beautiful motherhood could be.
She didn't know what a mother's love felt like but it would be the same as the kind of love she had for Zian, right? Some days, she used to wonder if Tang Reine loved her in the same way she loved Zian. If it was so, she wanted to hell her mom that she loved her too even when the latter wasn't with her.
"Zhenyi?" Long Jie suddenly called out her name, jolting her out of trance.
Zhenyi looked at him with a smile and raised her brows. He waved at her asking her to come over and she found her feet walking to him on instinct. She would always go to him no matter where he was because she belonged to him in the same way he belonged to her. They were made for each other. Even though the way they met was quite a cliche, she ended up falling for this man. And today, she was living her happily ever after with him.
"Come sit on the swing. I will push you," Long Jie once she reached him.
"What?!" Zhenyi laughed. "I'm not a child."
"I know you are not! You know what, Cat eyes? We both have a child in our hearts that didn't come out. Let's give that child a time to come out. Let's behave like a child with our child," Long Jie said with a smile and made Zhenyi sit on the swing as he pushed her in the air making her laugh and giggle endlessly.
"My dear dangerous wife, I love you!" Long Jie shouted as Zian danced on his legs at his mom's giggle.
"And Mr Long, I love you more!" Zhenyi shouted as both Long Jie and Zian laughed and giggled with her.
"Ma. Da. Zian. Bub. Uh!" This was Zian copying his parents.
Aiyoo, how they forget him.
"We love you the most, Zian!" Both Zhenyi and Long Jie said at the same time, with the most beautiful smile on their faces.