Chapter 4: A Motherless Child

Mubai frowned and asked, "Xi Lin, tell me what鈥檚 wrong."

"I don鈥檛 like Auntie Chu," his son replied directly.

He understood his son鈥檚 thoughts immediately.

"You don鈥檛 want me to marry her?"

"..." The boy was silent so Mubai took that as a yes.

"Why don鈥檛 you like her?" Mubai continued his line of questioning, "She has been extremely nice to you, hasn鈥檛 she?"

One of the reasons Mubai agreed to the marriage was because he had seen how good Tianxin treated Xi Lin. He didn鈥檛 mind who he married but if he had to marry one, he might as well find one that could be a good stepmother to Xi Lin.

Tianxin was the best candidate because his whole family approved of her and she was kind to Xi Lin.

Therefore, it came as a surprise for his son to reveal that he didn鈥檛 like his fianc茅.

"She鈥檚 nice to me because I鈥檓 your son. I鈥檓 just a tool for her to get to you."

Mubai鈥檚 face dropped. "That鈥檚 not a nice thing to say."

"The truth is never good on the ears!" Xi Lin said with wisdom beyond his years, "Why do you care? You鈥檝e never asked for my opinion about who you should marry anyway. I鈥檓 just the extra baggage."

Xi Lin hopped off the counter and stalked off in an angry fit.

"Stand right there!" Mu Bai ordered sternly, "Xi Lin, who taught you to speak like this to your own father? Where are your manners?"

Xi Lin was already upset, being lectured only made him more morose.

He turned around obstinately, his eyes swirling with sadness and dissatisfaction.

"Nobody taught me, I have no mother to teach me, do I?"

Mubai was stunned...

When he came to, Xi Lin was already gone.

Mubai ran out to chase after his son. He caught up to him at the restaurant鈥檚 entrance. He turned Xi Lin around and was surprised to see tears rolling in his son鈥檚 eyes.

Xi Lin had always been a quiet child. He could spend a whole afternoon in silence in the company of a good book.

He was in all meanings of the word, a model child. He was not given to childish fits and outbursts.

His behavior today was definitely out of the ordinary. This was also the first time Mubai saw his son so upset.

When he divorced Xinghe, Xi Lin was only one-year-old. The mother wasn鈥檛 a part of the boy鈥檚 life for the past three years.

Mubai thought this meant that Xi Lin had gotten used to being raised in Xinghe鈥檚 absence, but he didn鈥檛 realize his son had merely been stuffing his emotions deep down.

Looking at his son, Mubai had no appetite to continue the dinner anymore.

After a brief phone call to his mom, he brought Xi Lin home. In the car, Xi Lin kept his eyes on the scenery outside the window. His small figure spoke of loneliness and forlornness.

Mubai sat beside him silently. When they passed the hospital, his thoughts went to Xinghe.

He wondered if she had woken up.

Mubai couldn鈥檛 help but be reminded of her current situation.

He was sure Xi Lin wouldn鈥檛 bear to see his mother like that.

Mubai decided to temporarily not let both of them meet to spare Xi Lin the sadness...

When they arrived at Purple Jade Villa, their home, Xi Lin was already asleep.

Mubai was carrying his son into their living room when his cellphone rang.

"Sir, please let me carry the young sir," their maid, Mrs. Yu said.

After gingerly passing Xi Lin over to her, Mubai pulled out his phone. It was an unknown number.

"Hello?" He began and was quick to realize it was from the hospital.

"Is this Mr. Xi Mubai? This is First Hospital."

"Yes, Mubai speaking. How can I help you?" Mubai enquired although he was certain it had everything to do with Xia Xinghe.