Not knowing how to deal with this situation he softened his vicious expression and asked, "Why, why are you crying? I didn't even hit you."
That voice that was two parts similar to his grandpa further destabilised his already messed up emotions. After staring at him for a second or two Tong Tong suddenly burst into tears wailing, "Grandpa!! Wuwuwu, I want my grandpa."
Rui Fei, "Fuck....."
The supposed weak chicken was now clinging to his body crying grandpa this, grandpa that with Rui Fei's face covered in black lines. This is why he should have stayed plastered at Ji Yao's side.
"Let go..... I am not your grandpa," he said trying to push him off his body but the kid was as sticky as hot wax refusing to come off easily. While the two struggled with each other in the middle of nowhere Rui Fei felt a cold chill run down his back.
He suddenly had a bad premonition. Closing his eyes with a grim expression he turned his head and said, "It's not what it looks like."
Ji Yao who had felt the commotion outside had come out to take a look only to find Rui Fei kicking an explosive ball of seraphic energy at Lan Wu's successor. He had no idea when these two crossed paths and pissed each other off so much that they had to settle scores using this absurd game.
Who would have thought he would find the pair cuddling in the middle of nowhere with one crying his eyes out like a rejected lover. No matter how one looked at it Rui Fei looked like scum bullying the weak. Rui Li and Rui Yewan who had followed Ji Yao trying to convince him that nothing was going on instantly shut their mouths as they took a step back.
They would much prefer to distance themselves from this and pretend they didn't know Rui Fei that way they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. But just as they took a step back Ji Yao's glowering gaze made them freeze on the spot. Alas, it was too late to cut familial ties.
Tong Tong who was now holding on to Rui Fei's thigh wiped his tears and snort while saying, "Ca-captain don't..... *sniffle misunderstand. He, he looks like my grandpa wuwuwuwu.... are you my father? Though you look a little young you must be my father."
Rui Fei, "WTF!"
Rui Li, "..."
Rui Yewan, "Oh shit....."
"Uh no..... I didn't, I..... I don't have a kid. What are you talking about? Let go... you, let go," he said as he pushed Tong Tong away while denying the accusation.
Ji Yao also knew that it was impossible but dang his chest felt stuffy after that. The thought of Rui Fei being with a woman reminded him of the woman in the paintings. This stifling feeling grew stronger with a sour taste stuck in his throat.
Swallowing down the sour taste he asked, "What's your grandfather's name?"
Tong Tong tightened his grasp on Rui Fei's thigh as though afraid he would run away and said, "Huishe, Huishe Nan..... leader of the Huishe clan. My father's name is Huishe Yue but who knows.... he might have changed his name," with the latter sentence said with his gaze on Rui Fei.
Ji Yao pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming on. How on earth did Lan Wu get hold of Huishe Yue's cub and throw him on his ship.
"That's my uncle and.... tsk, just let go so we can talk properly," replied Rui Fei jerking his leg to shake off the kid but that wasn't going to happen. Rui Fei wanted to tell the kid the truth but it didn't seem like the right place to tell someone that his grandpa isn't this cub's grandpa and his uncle is definitely not this cub's father.
"See Yao-ge..... I am innocent," said Rui Fei wondering if he had to drag this kid on his leg back to the ship.
Ji Yao sighed as he moved forward and took Rui Fei's hand. "I know," he said as he led Rui Fei back to the ship with that kid still clinging to him.
Two minutes later the five of them were sitting around a table with a jug of iced jasmine tea at the centre and Tong Tong scooching closer to Rui Fei with his head lowered. It seemed right after the protective wall around him crumpled he couldn't hold back anymore.
He was especially clingy as he was afraid to lose the only family member he had in this world. With both his hands wrapped around his cup of ice cool tea he looked especially obedient that one wouldn't believe he was the one strangling Rui Fei's leg just now.
Ji Yao glanced over at the shoulders rubbing against each other but didn't say anything. He silently looked away and drank the entire cup trying to dilute the sourness still lingering at the tip of his tongue.
'What is there to worry about? They are obviously related,' he thought as he poured a second then a third. It seemed to get rid of this awful taste he would have to drink something stronger.
The pair of brother and sister watched on as their saozi emptied the rest of the jug himself. Slackjawed they stared on wondering how much Ji Yao would have to drink to quench his thirst.
Rui Fei who felt something off with his love leaned a little closer to him and called out, "Baby.....," with his hand on Ji Yao's wrist.
"Ha... I thought it was Yao-ge," he murmured sounding a little aggrieved. His voice was especially low but everyone heard it. Was their Captain acting like a jealous lover?
"Oh shit," blurted out Rui Li making everyone shift their gazes towards her. She ignored their looks and whispered in Rui Yewan's ear, "Wait until he finds out they aren't related. He is going to overdose on vinegar."
"You two want to share with the rest of us what you are whispering?" said Ji Yao with his hand squeezing the cup tightly till his knuckles turned white. The sentence was arranged as a question but the tone was off. It was imperative and domineering making the two shudder.
"Uh uh, no need. It's time we tell this kid the truth so we can move on," said Rui Fei trying to move this subject along. He had a wife to coax for heaven's sake.
Hearing this Ji Yao tried to pull his hand away from Rui Fei's but the hold on his wrist tightened further. Rui Fei didn't plan on letting him go.
"Huishe Yue isn't your father," said Rui Fei dropping the bomb with no considerations.
CRACK!
That was the sound of a porcelain cup cracking in someone's hand.