CH 21

Luo Qin’s hand stopped in midair and Lin Zhixia took a step back. 

“You clearly promised me,” Lin Zhixia’s voice was filled with deep grievance, “You promised not to take Xiao Ai away from me.”

Luo Qin’s stone heart felt like it took a blow from a chisel. He rushed to explain, “It’s only temporary. Just until my dad leaves the city.”

“I truly believed your words before but now, I feel like I was wrong to trust you. I think you and your dad have a lot in common,” Lin Zhixia said lowly, his eyes wide, “You agree with him. You don’t think someone like me deserves to raise your child. That’s why you had no problem humiliating me like that four years ago.”

Luo Qin was frozen, stunned by Lin Zhixia’s vicious words. 

“Is the Luo family really so great? Then why didn’t I feel privileged at all the whole time I lived with you? Every morning I would open my eyes and think; how is Luo Yao going to criticize me today? Is Luo Qin going to treat me like I don’t exist?”

Lin Zhixia hugged Lin Keai closer in his arms, “Why is everyone in the Luo family so indifferent, arrogant, self righteous and damn infuriating? Luo Qin, I will not let Keai grow up to be like that.”

Lin Zhixia said everyone in the Luo family was infuriating. This obviously included Luo Qin. 

Lin Keai observed them blankly and Lin Zhixia put him down, saying, “Xiao Ai, dad is tired today and can’t hold you up anymore. Want to walk home holding hands?”

Lin Keai nodded his head vigorously and reached out to take Lin Zhixia’s little finger with his hand. He turned around and said to the still silent Luo Qin, “Bye, Uncle Luo! Good night!”

Lin Zhixia didn’t even look at Luo Qin as he turned around and left. He didn’t care to see Luo Qin’s expression or his reaction to what he had said. 

Perhaps Lin Zhixia had lashed out because Lin Keai had been taken away without a word by Luo Zhengyan. Maybe he was just exhausted from the anxiety and the fear of Lin Keai being taken away from him forever. 

But he was tired of trying to guess Luo Qin’s true intentions and he suddenly erupted. 

In this moment, Lin Zhixia realized that he was not as forgiving as he had thought. 

He had been trying to convince himself to move on from his hurt. Hypnotizing himself to believe that Luo Qin only treated him like that before because he was angry over the original’s evil deeds. 

Alright, Luo Qin had justified grievances…but so did Lin Zhixia! 

Lin Zhixia came to this world inexplicably. He took the punishment for the actions of someone else. Because of his life experience, Lin Zhixia was used to bearing all consequences and suffering silently. He was used to being treated without kindness. 

He told himself he would be fine if he just left. He didn’t owe Luo Qin anything and Luo Qin didn’t owe him. No one was worthy to bear the blame. 

But then Luo Qin appeared before Lin Zhixia again, interrupting his quiet life and bringing unwanted changes. He was very gentle with Lin Keai and treated Lin Zhixia very different than before. 

He sincerely promised not to take the baby away. 

And Lin Zhixia believed that promise. He let down his guard, let Luo Qin come around when he wanted and even questioned his own behavior. Was he too hypocritical and selfish in wanting to keep Lin Keai away from his other dad? Luo Qin obviously cared for the little bean. 

But where had his blind trust gotten him? In the end, everything was a lie. 

He had compromised and retreated, yielded to Luo Qin again and again. But still the Luo family treated him with disgust and contempt. 

There was the sound of footsteps behind them. Lin Keai looked back and saw that Luo Qin was following them. 

“Uncle Luo?” Lin Keai whispered. 

Lin Zhixia ignored him and started walking faster. 

Luo Qin continued to silently follow them. 

When Lin Zhixia went inside the house, he stood by the front door and used his phone as a flashlight to illuminate Luo Qin’s figure through the glass. 

After he saw that light from inside, Luo Qin turned and left. 

Back in the car, Luo Qin sat and recalled his discussion with Luo Zhengyan in the study. 

His dad had said, “If you don’t do it, then I will.”

And then, “I’d like to see if this Lin Zhixia could stop me.”

Lin Zhixia was right. The Luo family was indeed arrogant and self righteous. Luo Qin couldn’t even begin to refute Lin Zhixia’s words and he felt no anger from the accusations. 

Lin Zhixia’s wronged, helpless appearance hovered in Luo Qin’s mind. 

He closed his eyes and sighed. 

*

After that night, Luo Qin did not appear in front of Lin Zhixia for several days. 

Their life seemed to calm down but Lin Keai often pestered Lin Zhixia, asking where his Uncle Luo was and why he didn’t come around to play with him. Lin Zhixia was able to deflect Xiao Ai every time he brought it up. Although the little guy was concerned, he was easily distracted. 

In a child’s world, there were colorful snowflakes, sweet chocolate balls and friends who build blocks together. There was so much to experience. Feeling troubled would be easily forgotten in the face of all these fun things to do. 

“Dad, dad!” Lin Keai ran into the room happily, “Xiao Xun’s grandma wants to take us to eat fast food! Dad, can I go?”

His big eyes shone bright, making it hard to refuse. Lin Zhixia smiled and nodded. 

Lin Keai screamed happily and ran back out. How was it that just half an hour ago, this little guy had been sad about not seeing Luo Qin?

Lin Zhixia often envied Lin Keai, who didn’t have such heavy things to worry about. His biggest worry was how to eat all the delicious food he could. 

After blowing up at Luo Qin that day, Lin Zhixia had been on edge. The Luo family was like a ticking time bomb. Whenever he was idle, Lin Zhixia imagined he could hear the timer counting down. 

*

A cafe across the street. 

A certain seat by the window was sitting empty. A couple came in and tried to sit there and the waiter hurried over to say, “Sorry, this seat is reserved.”

“You reserve seats here? Is this a cafe or a fancy restaurant?” The woman laughed.

The waiter smiled and led them to another seat. Afterwards, the waiter looked back at the empty window seat. That handsome man had always showed up at the same time every day. Why wasn’t he here already?

Just after seven o’clock, Luo Qin appeared in the cafe. 

He sat down in the empty window seat, took out a laptop and continued his unfinished work. 

In the past few days, his schedule had changed. His itinerary used to be from home to work and back again. Two points with one straight line between them. But now his journey was from home to work to this cafe. 

This cafe just happened to be directly across the street from Lin Zhixia’s restaurant. 

He wasn’t stalking Lin Zhixia. He was just worried that Luo Zhengyan would do something to mess with them. So he came to observe every day. 

It’s not that Luo Qin couldn’t delegate this to a loyal employee but he was constantly worried for Xiao Ai and Lin Zhixia. Always wondering if at that second they were scared or sad. 

Luo Qin had never done something like this before and he had never lay awake at night worrying over someone. And the person in his thoughts happened to be a man that had disgusted him four years ago. 

The cafe door was pushed open again. 

Luo Qin looked at the computer screen intently, as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. Every once and a while, he would look up at the restaurant across the street. 

The seat opposite him was pulled back from the table, making a loud, harsh sound. 

Luo Qin looked up to see Qin Zhe. The indifference on his face turned a bit colder. 

“I thought for sure I was wrong to see you here. How can a big CEO be so idle?”

Qin Zhe’s voice was cold and he turned his head to look out the window. He wasn’t surprised that the view to the restaurant was clear and unobstructed. It was easy to see inside as well. 

In front of Lin Zhixia, Qin Zhe was gentle and calm. But in front of Luo Qin, Qin Zhe was aggressive and cold. 

Luo Qin picked up his coffee and took a slow sip. 

“I’m not surprised that university professors have nothing to do…”

t/n: me translating this chapter, slouching over my computer, grinning as Lin Zhixia and Qin Zhe gang up on Luo Qin: huehuehue, drag his ass!!