CH 59

Rival.

Zhen Wu and teacher heard Yue Gu Zai’s car and they ran to the door.

Zhen Wu wanted to hug Zhen Zhen. But at the door was an unfamiliar woman. He was curious why teacher looked stunned to see the woman.

‘Teacher, how can you stand in front of a little boy and cry like a little boy?’ Ling Jia teased.

‘You little bad girl,’ teacher said. ‘Were you waiting for me to die before coming home?’

‘I thought you would be dead by now,’ Ling Jia said. ‘It’s not my fault you have a healthy old body. I’m leaving now. I’ll come back when it’s your funeral.’

‘Wash your mouth,’ teacher said affectionately.

‘Mum, who is this woman?’ Zhen Wu asked.

‘She’s your grandma,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Grandma, I thought you’re dead,’ Zhen Wu said.

‘Little boy, who told you I’m dead?’ Ling Jia asked.

Ling Jia squeezed Zhen Wu’s cheeks.

‘Everyone told me you’re dead,’ Zhen Wu said.

‘Ling Jia, this little boy is only six but he disabled your security system,’ teacher said.

‘Is this little boy that smart?’ Ling Jia asked.

‘Of course,’ Zhen Wu said.

‘Old man, come here and see your grandson,’ Ling Jia said.

Ling Jia thought Yue Cheng Tian looked like a country bumpkin touching the technology and furnishings in the mansion like he did at the hotel.

Yue Cheng Tian caught the blue and white moon vase before it fell. If he broke the vase, Ling Jia would make him sleep on the floor.

‘Zhen Wu, greet your grandpa,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Grandpa,’ Zhen Wu called.

Zhen Wu thought Yue Cheng Tian looked like Yue Gu Zai’s older brother. Zhen Wu found it hard to believe Yue Cheng Tian was his grandpa instead of his uncle.

Ling Jia and Yue Gu Zai didn’t expect Yue Cheng Tian would rub Zhen Wu’s head.

‘Good boy,’ Yue Cheng Tian said.

‘Little boy, your grandpa likes you a lot,’ Ling Jia whispered in Zhen Wu’s ear.

Zhen Wu didn’t sense Yue Cheng Tian liked him.

‘Teacher, this is my husband,’ Ling Jia said.

‘You left home for this man?’ teacher asked. ‘What’s good about him? You should have chosen the kind and gentle Louis over him.’

Yue Gu Zai held Zhen Zhen and Zhen Wu’s shoulders and he pulled them a step back from the jealous Yue Cheng Tian.

‘Old man, your breath reeks of vinegar,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Teacher didn’t say anything wrong. It doesn’t matter if Louis is kind and gentle because I love you.’

‘Ling Jia, if Louis knows you’re back…’ teacher said.

‘Teacher, don’t tell Louis I’m here,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Old man and I will be going back soon.’

‘Little girl, you know how trouble someone,’ teacher said.

Lucky the new employees didn’t meet Ling Jia before otherwise teacher would have trouble hiding Ling Jia’s return from Louis.

‘I’ll ask Cesar to cook your favorite dinner dishes,’ teacher said.

At the dining table, Yue Gu Zai’s gang members joined him and his family for dinner.

‘Boss, can I swap my laborious duties with someone else?’ Cheng Yi asked.

‘Who do you want to swap duties with?’ Yue Gu Zai asked.

Cheng Yi didn’t want Huyen Yi’s dangerous duties. He couldn’t swap his duties with Chu Gian because she’s a woman, and the Bai fox was a doctor.

‘Forget I asked anything,’ Cheng Yi said. ‘I want to take work leave to relieve my stress.’

‘Cheng Yi, you just came back from Hawaii, why do you want to take work leave again?’ Bai Yu Tian asked.

‘Bai fox, who told you?’ Cheng Yi asked.

‘Ling Jia, these four are Ni Sheng’s most trusted and valuable members,’ teacher said.

‘Little Gu Zai is smarter than you and Louis put together,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Little Gu Zai chose competent people to help with his workload. Unlike you and Louis who wear yourselves out by overworking.’

Yue Gu Zai’s gang members looked curiously at Ling Jia.

‘Let’s eat dinner,’ Ling Jia said.

Teacher and Zhen Wu were happy to eat dinner with everyone, because usually they ate dinner with just the two of them.

‘This is my mum, Ling Jia,’ Yue Gu Zai introduced. ‘The man next to my mum is my dad, Yue Cheng Tian.’

‘Madam Yue, it’s my privilege to finally meet you,’ Cheng Yi said. ‘I admire the security systems you setup for Ni Sheng.’

‘Cheng Yi is a good boy,’ Ling Jia praised.

‘Madam Yue, I’m Chu Gian,’ Chu Gian said. ‘I hope you’ll share your beauty secret with me. Your beautiful face looks younger than my face.’

‘Chu Gian is a good girl,’ Ling Jia praised.

‘Madam Yue, I’m Huyen Di,’ Huyen Di said.

‘Huyen Di is a good boy too,’ Ling Jia praised.

Ling Jia liked Huyen Di’s straight-forwardness.

‘Madam Yue, I’m Bai Yu Tian, Ni Sheng’s principal doctor,’ Bai Yu Tian said.

‘Are you an herbal physician?’ Ling Jia asked.

Bai Yu Tian looked confusedly at Ling Jia. He was a doctor in the modern era, not an herbal physician.

‘Mum, Bai Yu Tian is one of the best doctors in the modern era,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Little Gu Zai, if he’s not an herbal physician then why are there faint scars all over your body?’ Ling Jia asked.

Ling Jia’s heart ached to see the faint scars on Yue Gu Zai’s body.

Bai Yu Tian thought it was pointless to say he was a surgeon not a plastic surgeon.

After a restful night sleep, Ling Jia secretly woke up Zhen Wu and she snuck him into a black car.

‘Grandma, why are you taking me out in secret?’ Zhen Wu asked.

‘Little boy, do you want to give my identity away?’ Ling Jia asked. ‘Don’t call me grandma when we’re outside. Think about it, would your dad let me take you out if I asked for his permission?’

‘You’re right,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘Dad is overprotective. He’ll be angry when he finds out I’m not at home.’

‘Little boy, don’t worry,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Your dad is my son. I won’t let him ground you.’

Zhen Wu believed Ling Jia. Last night, they played family games together after dinner. Ling Jia won most of the games and she flicked Yue Cheng Tian and Yue Gu Zai’s face black and blue.

‘Grandma, why did you take me to dad’s work building?’ Zhen Wu asked.

‘Little boy if you call me grandma again, I’ll sell you,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Call me aunty. I want to see if I can crack open the treasure vault.’

‘Grandma, I want to see the treasure vault with you too,’ Zhen Wu said.

Zhen Wu chased after Ling Jia, and he accidently bumped into a fierce man.

‘Do you dare to hit my imperial grandson?’ Ling Jia asked coldly.

Zhen Wu didn’t understand why Ling Jia referred to him as her imperial grandson all last night too. Did he look like a little prince?

‘Little girl, don’t interfere in my business,’ Mr Biao said.

Mr Biao thought Ling Jia was lying to protect Zhen Wu. Ling Jia was too young to be Zhen Wu’s grandma.

‘I fight for justice,’ Ling Jia said.

‘Kick this little girl and little boy outside,’ Mr Biao said to a guard.

‘Yes, Mr Biao,’ a guard said.

Ling Jia hated having a person point a finger at her face. She twisted the man’s arm behind his back, and pressed his vital acupuncture points to immobilize him.

‘Mr Biao have I told you I hate someone pointing a finger at my face the most?’ Ling Jia asked.

‘No… no…’ Mr Biao said.

‘Wow,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘How did you restrain Mr Biao?’

Ling Jia used Mr Biao’s body to show Zhen Wu how to restrain another person.

‘Let go of Mr Biao,’ the guard said. ‘He’s the head of Xu Gai.’

‘Who is Xu Gai?’ Ling Jia asked.

‘Grandma, today dad has a meeting with Xu Gai’s members,’ Zhen Wu explained.

‘Yikes,’ Ling Jia said. ‘Little boy, we better run before your dad finds out we’re here.’

Ling Jia let go of Mr Biao’s arm. She held Zhen Zhen’s hand and they ran away.

Unfortunately, Ling Jia and Zhen Zhen were surrounded by guards when they were near the meeting room.

‘Little girl, did you think you can run away?’ Mr Biao asked.

‘Hit me if you dare,’ Ling Jia said.

Yue Gu Zai walked out of the meeting room to see the commotion.

‘Dad,’ Zhen Wu called.

Mr Biao’s face whitened. He foolishly threatened to hit Yue Gu Zai’s son.

The Xu Gai’s members left the meeting room to negotiate a contract with Ni Sheng on a less tensed day.

On the way home, Ling Jia tried to placate Yue Gu Zai.

‘Little Gu Zai, I promise today is a once off,’ Ling Jia said. ‘This situation won’t happen again. Zhen Wu, isn’t that right?’

‘Yes,’ Zhen Wu said.

Yue Gu Zai continued to frown.

‘Little Gu Zai is big now,’ Ling Jia said and cried. ‘He doesn’t love or need his mum anymore. I understand, I’ll leave.’

‘Mum, you can stop the crying act,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘It only works on dad.’

‘Do you promise not to be angry if I stop crying?’ Ling Jia asked.

‘Mum, if you don’t want dad to kill me then stop crying,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘If your dad dares to hit you then I’ll make him sleep on the floor,’ Ling Jia said.

When Yue Gu Zai, Ling Jia and Zhen Wu walked into the living room, Zhen Zhen ran to Yue Gu Zai’s side while Ling Jia was shocked to see Louis sitting on the sofa.

‘Gu Zai, what took you so long to come home?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Yue Gu Zai rubbed Zhen Zhen’s stomach.

‘Zhen Zhen, you can experiment in the lab if you’re feeling restless,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Louis stood, he walked to Ling Jia and he hugged her. He dreamt of seeing her again for many years.

‘Xiao Jia,’ Louis called.

Yue Cheng Tian would have killed Louis if he didn’t know how much Ling Jia loved him. He also knew if he killed any of Ling Jia’s friends, she would leave him.

‘How long has it been since we saw each other?’ Louis asked.

‘Gu Zai, doesn’t your dad mind Louis hugging your mum?’ Zhen Zhen whispered in Yue Gu Zai’s ear.

Zhen Zhen thought Yue Cheng Tian looked like he wanted to kill Louis.

‘Dad minds,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘What can he do? There are many men who wants to be with mum. But mum chose to be with dad because she loves dad.’

‘Gu Zai, if you were in your dad’s shoes and you saw another man hugging me, would you do nothing too?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Zhen Zhen wouldn’t be gracious like Yue Cheng Tian if another woman hugged Yue Gu Zai in front of her.

‘I wouldn’t let another man hug you,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Gu Zai, I pity your dad,’ Zhen Zhen said.

***

End of Chapter Fifty-Nine