Chapter 7.2 - 7th Stop: The Taste of Jealousy (2)
“Xiaole, Xiaole!” Mucheng was looking for her son all over the house and was very worried when she couldn’t find him. “Where did this child go to?”
Because of his health problem, she was very strict with Xiaole since he was young. She forbade him to run around like other children but there were still times when Xiaole disobeyed her out of playfulness.
“Xiaole, it’s time for your shots of crystals!” She shouted and walked out of the house but she still didn’t see him. Then she heard water flowing in the bathroom and she heaved a sigh of relief. She smiled and opened the door. “Xiaole, you’re here…”
He was stunned and he stared back at her.
There was a naked man in the middle of the bathroom. His tanned skin sparkled under the sprinkles of water.
It was Guangxi. He was taking a bath and his strong body made him look exactly like a Greek sculpture. He was totally dashing and had attracted her attention.
“Is it an unwed mother’s hobby to look at suave looking men in the showers?” He chided.
Mucheng paused for a moment and banged the door shut. She cupped the sides of her face which was boiling and red due to the embarrassment. Oh goodness! What was she doing? What did she see? She was totally embarrassed this time round.
Guangxi opened the door just when she was lost and didn’t know what to do. He walked out of the bathroom with only a towel around his lower torso.
She turned around immediately. “You, you should put on some clothes first!”
“Your bathroom is so small, there’s nowhere for me to put my clothes.”
“Then…get into your room now!”
“Why are you so nervous?” The more embarrassed she was, the more he felt like teasing her. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen a naked man before? You have given birth already, haven’t you? What’s all the pretence for then?”
“You…!” He had almost driven her mad. “Why must you take a bath in the middle of the day?”
“Blame it on the sun here. It’s so hot and there’s no air-conditioning, so I had to bathe lest I get sticky.”
“For… forget it, you can do as you please!” She was terribly upset and wanted to walk away at once but he immediately pulled her arm.
She shook again and Guangxi felt that her reaction was really funny. “What is the matter? Are you afraid that I’ll eat you?”
His teasing remark made her feel totally embarrassed and angry. “Didn’t I warn you about touching me?”
“What? Do you think I want to touch you?” Guangxi was really upset that she had taken him to be a pervert. “I just wanted to tell you that Xiaole’s with me. Weren’t you looking for him?”
“What?” She turned around, shocked.
“Mummy, I’m here. I was taking a bath with Uncle Alien.” Xiaole said with his face beaming with happiness as he walked out of the bathroom.
“You two were taking a bath together?” Mucheng was shocked for a moment. She felt her heart ached as the two of them winked at each other in unison. “Xiaole, didn’t I tell you not to disturb Uncle Ren?”
“It’s okay.” Guangxi expressed his disregard for her comment. “I found your son to be pretty interesting after all.”
Xiaole’s interesting? Mucheng became frantic. She wasn’t going to let this man to be too close to her son. She can’t let them develop feelings for each other --- “Please, I beg with you. Please keep a distance away from Xiaole in future!”
“What did you say?” Guangxi became angry upon hearing her remark.
“I’m afraid that you’d be a bad example for my son.” She made up a lame excuse. She pulled Xiaole over and said. “Xiaole, let’s go now.”
“But…” Xiaole was reluctant; he really liked this Uncle.
“Hey, what is your problem?” Guangxi burst. “Am I a devil? Or I have a contagious disease and you’re afraid that I’d spread it to your son? I’ve heard that you don’t let Xiaole go out and play on his own. Are you a little too protective? He’s now at the age when children love to move around. What’s wrong with him going out then?”
Mucheng’s face became pale. “You… you don’t know a single thing at all! Why are you lecturing me then?”
“I’m not lecturing you; I’m just giving you a suggestion. Why don’t you try to train Xiaole to be independent instead of being so overly-protective?”
The problem was she had to protect him well. If not, she would lose him…
Mucheng clenched her fist. “It’s none of your business how I want to raise my son!”
***
Damn it! Did she think that he was a busybody? He wouldn’t even respond if it wasn’t because of the fact that Xiaole was sticking around him all day long.
Guangxi got more and more upset whenever he thought of the incident of him quarreling with Mucheng. It was actually none of his business how the mother and son interacted with each other. But after spending these few days with Xiaole, he found that he was actually a rather obedient child. Even though he loved to stick around him, Guangxi found his wild imagination rather interesting too. He even felt that it was actually exciting to hear Xiaole talk about his Alien Daddy.
He knew that it was a story that Mucheng had made up to coax Xiaole and only children with the most kindred and pure souls would buy her story.
He had lost that kind of soul for a very long time already. It suddenly occurred to him that his heart actually ached slightly whenever he hears Xiaole’s child talk.
Even though Xiaole’s mother loved him dearly, Xiaole was still desperately seeking fatherly love. This was perhaps the kind of loneliness that children in single parent families would somehow feel.
His situation was similar to Xiaole’s. He only had his mother. He couldn’t even remember how his father looked like… Did his father love his mother? Did he and his father have any happy memories together?
He couldn’t recall a single thing. He had lost his past memories after the surgery 6 years ago. He didn’t know his past, including all the love and hatred that he had experienced before.
All he knew was everything that he has now was given to him by his mother. Therefore, he should follow her wishes and do as she please in life. He should also repay Yiqian as she took care of him with lots of love and gently encouraged him when he was in need of it back then.
His life these 6 years has been a lonely one. It seemed like he was on the top of the world but in actual fact, he felt like there was a part of his heart that was missing. He wasn’t too sure what this was but sometimes when he accidentally encounters Mucheng’s sorrowful gaze at him, his heart would start to feel something.
He found that he cared for the mother and son. The more he got along with them, the more he cared for them.
That was the reason why he asked her not to be so overly-protective of Xiaole! He meant good, but that woman treated his kindness like cheap dirt…
“Uncle Alien, why are you frowning?” Xiaole asked innocently. “Are you upset?”
Guangxi realised that he was in a daze. “I say, Xiaole, aren’t you bored that all you do daily is just going to school and staying at home?”
“I am bored.” Xiaole admitted. “But sometimes, Brother Tuoye will come over and play with me. Moreover, I have you to chat with me now, Uncle Alien.”
“Brother Tuoye?” Guangxi raised a brow. Isn’t he rumoured to be with Mucheng? “Why do you call him Brother?”
“That’s because he’s my best friend.” Xiaole answered.
“But I heard that he’s thinking of wooing your mother?” Guangxi probed.
“How can that be?” Xiaole was shocked. “He’s my brother. He’d be committing incest if he’s together with my Mummy!”
Incest? Guangxi chuckled. Trust this lad to come up with this radical thought. But he liked it, it was so well-said!
He unconsciously stretched his hand and tousled with Xiaole’s hair. “I must say that you seem to be pretty smart sometimes.”
“Of course.” Xiaole became very happy at the comment. “That’s because I’m Mummy’s son.”
That woman may be a hard nut to crack but it seemed like she had educated her son well. Guangxi paused for a moment. Then he suddenly said, “Xiaole, do you want to go roller-skating?” He found a pair of roller-skates when he was cleaning up his own room. He guessed then that perhaps he knew how to roller-skate.
“Yes, I’d love to do that!” Xiaole nodded his head hard. He was very envious when he saw the other children at the kindergarten roller-skating away. “But Mummy wouldn’t allow for me to do so.” He said in disappointment.
“Let’s just ignore her! Your Mummy keeps treating you like a glass doll. Her over-protectiveness is just too unbearable.” Guangxi stood up and said to Xiaole, “Let’s go and get you a pair of skates now and I can teach you how to roller-skate.”
