CH 8

Xiao Ying watched as the man fell into a memory, returning to when he had met his mother, “I met your mother by accident when I was thirty-two years old. At that time, your mother hadn’t yet graduated from college. In fact, we were not even friends at first, just barely acquaintances. I could not help falling for her as we stayed together more and more.”

The man smiled sadly, looking at his son, who seemed so reminiscent of his lover, “Your mother was a very cheerful, assertive, and stubborn woman. I’m not sure that I can even describe her as a woman, she was the type of person who did not hide what she was thinking. She wore her hair short, liked sports and activity, and was as decisive as a man. When she got serious even I was in awe of her heroism.” He reached out to caress Xiao Ying’s cheek, “So, once she fell in love with me, she confessed immediately. We were as happy as children together….I love your mother so much, so very much, but….” His eyes dimmed, “It was only one year later when we started to fall apart. We often had small differences in opinions and your mother felt that our personalities were not suitable to spend a life together. She gave me one more year to change her mind; honestly, I couldn’t disagree with what she said either. We really did have too many differences for anything to work out, but….I was unable to let go. I kept her with me until she inevitably found out about my family background.”

He laughed at himself, “She said that she was a girl from an ordinary family, that she was not good enough for someone like me. She couldn’t accept being looked at and regarded as a gold digger, and I couldn’t force that future onto her. She left a letter for me and ran away without so much as a hug goodbye.”

Xiao Ying looked on as the man exhaled heavily, “After she left, my heart was broken. I didn’t have the will to do anything and agreed to anything my parents arranged, including a marriage. Even after so long though, I could not forget her and started to try and find where she went, but she hid too well…. I almost gave up finding her until I found you….” He shook his head, “Even with her personality, I wish she would have told me that she was pregnant with you.”

He hugged Xiao Ying tightly, “She was a decisive person. She left me decisively, gave birth to you decisively, and chose not to marry decisively. But, Jun Ying was really a good mother to you…Xiao Ying, she was better to you then she ever was to me.”

“Mom is the best mother,” Xiao Ying, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly remarked, his eyes full of determination and assurance that could not be swayed.

His father took notice of Xiao Ying’s sensibility and went on to introduce himself formally, “You have heard about the past between me and your mother, now let me introduce myself again.” He straightened his tie, “My name is Xiao Yao and I am your father. I love you. Your mother also loved you. Although I do have a son who is one year younger than you, please do not worry about him, his existence is not of my own will….I was drugged by that woman. In short, I will raise and provide the best for him, but everything that I have will be inherited by you. Only Jun Ying’s blood is worthy of my will. So Xiao Ying, are you willing to live together with me?”

Xiao Ying didn’t answer him, staring off into space with empty eyes; he murmured instead, “Where is my future, Xuan?”

“Huh?” Xiao Yao spoke out in confusion of who Xiao Ying was talking to.

“This is a choice that you have to make yourself, baby. I can’t tell you what you should do.” Mo Jingxuan refused to change this part of Xiao Ying’s life. It was the one decision that would decide his future, and there was no room for regrets.

After some internal debate, Xiao Ying looked clearly at his father, “Mom never mentioned you in front of me, but I have seen the photos she kept of you. She put them in her treasure box at the end of her bed.” He looked off at Mo Jingxuan once more, “Mom puts all her important things in that box.”

“Mom doesn’t hate you, so I don’t hate you, and Xuan said that my future is not here.”

This was the second time that Xiao Yao heard the name Xuan come out of his son’s mouth in the short time he had known him, and he frowned but didn’t interrupt the child’s next words.

“I’ll go with you!” The boy was still so small, but the resolution with which he decided his fate made him seem much more like an adult than most would ever grow up to be.

Xiao Ying was again gathered into his father’s arms and held close as he stood up, “Good! Very good! As expected of mine and Jun Ying’s son, you know what you want and you take it!”

Without a hint of panic on his face from suddenly being brought up into the air, the child did not stop there, calmly saying, “I don’t hate you. But I don’t like you either.”

Xiao Yao froze but was not fazed, “You don’t need to accept me immediately; as long as you are willing to come with me for now, the rest is fine. We can take our time.” He was about to leave when he remembered the doctor, who was only just now standing up from her position near them. He sincerely expressed his gratitude, “Madam, thank you for your kindness to Xiao Ying. I don’t even want to think of what could have happened if no one had been by his side.”

“You, if you are going to come back after everything and claim that you will be his father, then please take up the responsibilities associated and shoulder them well. Grow with Xiao Ying and shower him with plenty of love from now on, okay?”

Xiao Yao nodded, “Yes.”

Smiling, Bai Xinrui took a few steps forward and held Xiao Ying’s hand, “Auntie hopes that Xiao Ying will never be lonely again. Live happily with your new family, alright?”

Xiao Ying agreed with a bright smile before grabbing Mo Jingxuan and swinging his arms happily, “Xuan, I will never be lonely again! Now I have lots of people who like me, just like you!”

Mo Jingxuan held his forehead as he excused him; he was still a child, after all. He could not be expected to know what to say and what not to say. He would just have a nice, long chat with him later once he was alone.

“Eh? Bai Xinrui watched the child as he played but thought nothing of him having an invisible friend, brushing the matter to the back of her mind. “Auntie is leaving then!” And she really left, afraid that staying any longer would only invite the two to see her tears, reluctant to part.

The father and son pair watched until the doctor turned a corner and could no longer be seen. Xiao Yao took that moment to carry Xiao Ying towards the black car he had arrived in and fastened him into the back seat. Following him in, he directed the driver to the airport and leaned back.

“Yes sir,” the driver nodded, and the car started in an orderly manner.

Looking at the smooth leather around him and the sleek design of the car, Mo Jingxuan suddenly lost any confidence he had held towards his extravagant manner in his last life, frowning sadly.

Xiao Ying frowned as well, pulling on his father’s sleeve, “I have to go home first. I want to take all the things that belong to grandma and mom.”

Patting the child’s soft hair, Xiao Yao reassured him, “Don’t worry, someone has already cleaned it up. All of the things left behind will arrive at the imperial capital with us.”

The boy was visibly relieved until he remembered something and looked anxiously around him, “Xuan?” He had almost left without making sure that Xuan was with him!

Mo Jingxuan was still beside Xiao Ying and pinched his palm gently, causing the boy to grip his fingers tight.

Xiao Yao watched the ups and downs of his son’s face silently before asking, “Who is Xuan? You’ve mentioned him three times already.”

“He—” in the middle of his sentence, Mo Jingxuan pressed his lips, cueing Xiao Ying to clamp them shut tightly. After shaking the hand he had yet to let go of until the pressure on his mouth left, Xiao Ying continued, “Xuan is a toy that grandma made me, he is very important.”

The reply relieved Xiao Yao for a reason he did not quite understand, “Well, I will call the person who packed the luggage and tell them to pay special attention to your toys then.”

Seven hours later, the plane arrived at the Imperial Capital Airport. The two got into the car that was waiting for them there and went straight to the Xiao family’s old house without stopping.

As they stood in front of the Xiao family compound, Xiao Ying lost his composure for the first time, and his mouth opened slightly. In the classically designed garden, every courtyard, every plant, every tree, every bridge and every pond, it was all natural without the slightest trace of modern craftsmanship. The portrayal was exquisite, the luxury shining through while not gaudily so. At first glance, heaven on earth was the only way to describe the paradise.

Contrary to Xiao Ying’s novelty and awe, Mo Jingxuan could not be more familiar with this place, where he was imprisoned by Xiao Ying for five years….During those five years, not once was he allowed to step outside of these walls, his world shrinking to but a fraction of his dreams.

He had thought that coming to this place again would bring back those memories, that he would need some time to adjust his mentality before he was used to it. Miraculously, however, the disgust and rejection he had once had had inexplicably disappeared.

Since when had his mindset changed? The year he escaped in his previous life? Or maybe the three years of wandering as a ghost? Perhaps when the man had hugged his bones into death? No matter when or why though….Mo Jingxuan knew that the chains that bound his mind so tightly had been released, and they were certainly not something to invite back.

“This will be your home from now on.” Xiao Yao interrupted the two from their shock, “You are the only master of this place from this moment forward.”

Closing his mouth, Xiao Ying rubbed his neck in a rare state of embarrassment.

Xiao Yao stretched out his hand for his son to take, “Let’s go in, I’ll take you to your room.”

After hesitating faintly, Xiao Ying took the hand, and the two walked through a long corridor before arriving at the residential area, a two-story villa with a combination of Chinese and Western architecture.

As soon as they stepped into the entrance, a cold voice rang out, “Are you finally willing to come back?”

Xiao Yao glanced at the beautiful woman and did not disguise the disgust he held for her, “I remember I said that I never want to see you again.”

The woman smirked, “The premise for that is that you don’t find me another son.”

“He is my son with Jun Ying, he has nothing to do with you, Zhao Lingjun. If I hear that you come anywhere near him, don’t blame me for being rude to the Zhao family.”

“You dare?” Unable to maintain her indifferent attitude, Zhao Lingjun pointed angrily at Xiao Yao, “You still have that bitch in your eyes? Without me, Yixiu wouldn’t exist! Yixiu is your own son, and you actually want to attack my family because of this bastard child? You—!”

“Shut up,” Xiao Ying’s voice was ice cold.

The never seen before attitude of her husband made Zhao Lingjun tremble with her mouth shut. She stared at him with a mixture of shock and hatred showing, but to her great chagrin, she was ignored completely as Xiao Yao turned to carry Xiao Ying to his room past her.

Xiao Ying looked at the woman as he passed her, not a hint of emotion showing on his small face. There was a saying that he had held dear for as long as he could remember, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. As long as he was not offended, he would not act, but once he was, he would repay it ten times over.