In the master bedroom Yuan Gun Gun laid on the bed and cried. She didn’t understand why a night ago Hao Yan Che held her in his arms and stroked her hair, but the next moment he threw hurtful words at her.

Yuan Gun Gun hated seeing Hao Yan Che hit their son. She thought their son was still little, and she wanted to explain the situation to their son when he was older. If Hao Yan Che was angry because their son was too young to understand the situation, Hao Yan Che could vent his anger on her instead of their innocent son. How could Hao Yan Che forget he was the father of her son?

Yuan Gun Gun couldn’t believe the man who hit Na Liu Hao was the same gentle man she thought she lived with. Was Hao Yan Che’s gentleness a mirage? If it wasn’t a mirage, how could Hao Yan Che be so cruel toward her and their son?

At night, Hao Yan Che returned to the master bedroom after drinking bottles of wine. He wasn’t surprised to see Yuan Gun Gun cried herself to sleep. He laid on the bed next to her. He gently wiped tears off her face.

Hao Yan Che thought Yuan Gun Gun slept the same way she used to in the past. But she was different to her past self, she dared to talk back to him and raise her voice. Why did she take their rotten little demon son’s side over him? Was it because he hit their son, and her maternal instincts took over? He regretted hitting their son. Even though their son was a genius the moment their son was born, their son was still only a bit older than a one-year-old. He was angry at their son for almost injuring her, but he should have reasoned with their son and shouldn’t have punished their son using force.

‘Hao Yan Che,’ Yuan Gun Gun murmured in her sleep.

Hao Yan Che wondered if Yuan Gun Gun dreamt of him in her sleep. He didn’t care if she was having a nightmare about him as long as she didn’t dream of Na Liu Ting Du. He hated himself for saying hurtful things to her out of anger. He would understand if she hated him. It was his fault for destroying their peaceful life together.

Hao Yan Che got out of bed, and went to watch over his son.

Na Liu Hao opened his eyes the moment he sensed the old man sitting on the chair in front of his bed.

Hao Yan Che ignored his son’s glare. He gently rubbed soothing cream on his son’s red cheek.

Na Liu Hao didn’t understand what the old man wanted. He silently let the old man rub cream on his cheek.

‘Little boy, you should know I’m your daddy,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Na Liu Hao stayed silent.

‘Daddy hit you because you almost injured your mummy,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Daddy won’t let anyone harm your mummy, including you.’

Hao Yan Che continued to rub the cream on his son’s cheek.

‘Little boy, remember you can only use your powers to protect your mummy,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘You can’t injure your mummy, not even accidentally. Don’t use your powers carelessly before you know how to control your powers.’

‘Stinky old man,’ Na Liu Hao said.

Na Liu Hao pointed at the old man’s hand print on his neck.

‘Your neck doesn’t need cream,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘It’ll disappear after two days.’

‘I want cream on my neck,’ Na Liu Hao insisted.

Hao Yan Che gently rubbed cream on his son’s neck.

Na Liu Hao was happy the old man listened to him.

‘I’m hungry,’ Na Liu Hao said.

Hao Yan Che put the soothing cream in a drawer, and held out his arms.

‘Daddy will take you to eat,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Na Liu Hao stood up on the bed, and let the old man carry him to eat.

‘Son, do you really miss Na Liu Ting Du?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

‘Yes,’ Na Liu Hao said.

‘Daddy will find him for you,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘It’s daddy’s way of compensating you for choking you.’

‘Really?’ Na Liu Hao asked.

‘Yes,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘Then I forgive daddy,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che was unhappy to let his son see Na Liu Ting Du.

Na Liu Ting Du hugged the old man’s neck. He thought at least he and the old man wanted to protect the same person, his mummy.

Hao Yan Che hated himself for not bringing Yuan Gun Gun home when she ran away. If he brought her home, his relationship with their son wouldn’t be strained. He hoped one day their son would trust him and feel safe under his watch like how he used to feel safe under Hao Yan Que’s watch.

After Hao Yan Che fed his son, he put his son to bed and slept in the master bedroom.

The following morning, Yuan Gun Gun woke up in the arms of Hao Yan Che. For a moment her hand hovered over his angelic sleeping face.

‘Little Chub, don’t cause trouble,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun remembered how Hao Yan Che treated her and their son a day ago, and retrieved her hand.

***

End of Chapter 203