Gu Rong warmly hugged her as soon as Chyou's head popped into his office. "How have you been? Aish, it feels like I am seeing you after ages."
Upon his request, Yating brought her to Gu Corps, who wanted to meet Chyou ever since the whole pandemonium ensued.
He looked at her from head to toe and furrowed his brows. "You are not skipping your meals, right? You look so thin."
She smiled. "I promise I am eating well, Uncle."
Yating was standing beside her but Gu Rong hadn't yet acknowledged him. It was as if he was purposefully ignoring his presence. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
The last dinner hadn't ended so well for them. Things were said that hurt both father and son and since then, there was complete silence between them.
"How is your work going, Uncle?"
At that point Yating was sure that he would surely throw a jab at him for not helping out with the business and wasting his time at Dream High, which would only turn the conversation into an argument. But surprisingly, Gu Rong didn't use any sarcasm this time.
Yating frowned suspiciously.
How come he is so quiet today?
Gu Rong held her hands and lightly smiled. "I am glad you threw away that cheater from your life. I am sorry. I know it's hard to forget…"
His jaw slightly clenched, his gaze looking somewhere faraway. "Selfish and greedy people like him ought to be cast away without any mercy. Otherwise they make our life hell even before we realize it. That's why, don't think about Cheng Yin anymore. You are free to think about my son tho-"
Yating looked at him in horror. "I was right. I shouldn't have brought her here!"
Chyou cleared her throat. If it was before then she would have laughed but today, she wasn't sure how to react.
Gu Rong threw him a perplexed look and looked away.
Idiot son. This is the time you should use to charm your way in her heart! Could you be any slower!?
Yet Gu Rong didn't utter a word in retort. Chyou looked back and grinned. "Hehe Yating~ I am in the mood for some cake! Will you bring some, please, please?"
And leave you alone with him? I don't know what nonsense he will talk to you about!
"Pleaaaaaaaaaaasssseeeeee??" She gave a pitiful look.
Gu Rong glared at him. "If she is asking for cake, then why are you still standing? Get going already!"
He let out a sigh. "Fine…"
He threw a warning glare at his father.
You better not mention anything useless! Especially hinting anything about our relationship!
Gu Rong simply ignored him, making his brow twitch.
After Yating grudgingly left, Chyou looked back at Gu Rong and softly chuckled. "Did you and Yating fight?"
He paused. "It's nothing new."
"Hm but you are reaaaaaly ignoring him today. Where is the usual adorable banter that I always see?"
Gu Rong's gaze flickered as he held a distant look in his irises. He glanced at Chyou and hesitated. "Did you ever…"
"Hm?" She tilted her head.
"Did you ever think you wanted your mother's love in those years when you and Mrs. Zhu was distant? Even though Zhu Xiaosi loved you so much?"
Chyou blinked. The question made her realize what could have happened between the father and son.
She smiled. "I did. I missed her even though we lived under the same roof. Dad loved me a lot. But I was just a child then. So I wished I had Mom love me too just like I saw other mothers love their children at school."
"Oh. And now? If…If Mrs. Zhu wouldn't have changed, would you have still missed her?"
"I guess I would have accepted reality and learned to live without her. But somewhere in a tiny corner of my heart, I might have still probably continued to yearn for her love even if only a little bit."
Chyou read an inexplicable emotion in his posture and said, "But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have cherished Dad. In fact I would have loved him a lot, looooooot more. Because I cherish the present he is giving me. So it's hopeless to chase after a future I wouldn't have gotten anyway."
"I see," he slowly nodded.
She then asked, "Did Yating mention his mother?"
He stiffened and lowered his gaze. "No…"
She scrunched her brows. "Tell me the truth. Am I not your favorite Chyou?"
His eyes shone with grievance. "I was just trying to make him understand that hanging around that selfish brat Ma Dong wasn't a good idea! He and his family used my son's kindness and friendship and stole money as compensation from me for the accident at high school years ago. They only looked at us as rich thighs to hug! But that idiot still thinks his friendship was and is still genuine!"
"But Yating felt that I was targeting his choices and…" he trembled, "for the first time in these years he said that it would have been better if…she would have been here too. W-well he is free to leave then! He doesn't have to suffer with a tyrant father if he doesn't have to!"
Gu Rong was shaking hard and at a loss of breath as he said that.
"First, you should sit down, Uncle," Chyou made him sit on his chair.
She stared at his trembling hands and misty, frightened irises.
"You don't have to say things that you don't mean, Uncle. Isn't Yating the apple of your eyes?"
"What does it matter? He always fights with me. He always does the opposite that I want him to do. And now he wants his mother. If I am facing so many problems with my son, clearly, I failed."
"Hm? You didn't fail. You should see just how many times Xiang and Dad have arguments and clashes," she scratched her head. "But that doesn't mean they don't love each other."
He clenched his fist. "But he mentioned his mother for the first time in his life…"
She shook her head. "That doesn't mean you lacked anywhere. It just means that you two simply need to have a proper conversation and listen to each other."
He frowned. "I have always listened to him."
She popped the balloon. "Not really."