"What are you looking at?"
This must be the first time in Ru's life when she actually felt self-conscious under someone's gaze. And the person who was staring at her was none other than; Xiao Zhi Ren. They had planned to go to Ji Family Mansion on the following evening since Ru said she was free.
But when she met him outside the condominium building, he started staring at her. And his piercing gaze actually managed to get to her.
She was clad in dark grey cargo pants with a black slim-fit t-shirt along with a black leather jacket and leather shoes. Her fluffy hair was left untamed to fall all over her forehead. The tips of her hair seemed to be caressing her eyebrows whenever she walked. Her green eyes seemed like the greenest forest in which one would gladly want to lose himself. And Xiao Zhi Ren was indeed one of those people who would love to lose themselves in her eyes.
"Hey! I'm gonna charge you for staring," Ru announced while crossing her arms over her chest.
Xiao Zhi Ren gave a start and pursed his lips before saying, "You are not a zoo animal that I'll have to pay for staring."
Ru's jaw dropped... Well, not really but you got the picture. "Did you just compare me to a zoo animal?"
"Why? Are you offended?" Xiao Zhi Ren asked offhandedly while getting behind the wheel to drive himself tonight.
Ru took the passenger seat and huffed. "Of course, I'm offended. At least compare me to free animals. Zoo Animals are caged and I don't like things which are caged."
Xiao Zhi Ren wanted to continue but there were some indignance and disdain in her tone that made him shut up. It was weird for him that she was not offended because he compared her to animals but she did feel offended because he compared her to caged animals. He might not be sharp enough to understand why she was so against cages but he knew better than to ask.
The ride continued on silently after that with both of them lost in their own thoughts.
"Why do you hate your father?" Ru was the one who broke the silence yet again but her question startled Xiao Zhi Ren.
"Because he cheated on my mother." He answered trying to keep his emotions leveled but his tight grip on the steering wheel gave away his inner rage.
"But did he wronged you in any way?" asked Ru while her eyes still were looking outside the window pane at the slowly darkening night.
Xiao Zhi Ren was lost for words. He didn't know why but he was. Her question was simple but he had no answer for it. If he was being honest, the truth would be that his father never wronged him. He was the eldest son of the family and naturally, he was the life of the whole family including his father.
He had a very happy childhood until his mother decided to take him away from Ji Family. He even knew that it was his mother who hid from Ji Family and that's why his father couldn't be blamed for leaving him.
However, there was a strange pain in his head when he tried to think about his reason for hatred towards his father. Destroying their family? He convinced himself until today that was the reason but now it didn't seem reasonable. Then why was there a feeling in his heart that he was supposed to hate his father?
Ru could see his conflicted expressions and it made her curious.
She didn't want to be curious at first but last night, she suddenly recalled something her grandfather taught her.
"You're saying that if a man/woman cheats on his/her partner, the punishment is banishment from the clan?" She had asked after going through the rulebook. As she saw the old man nodding, she was dumbfounded. "Why? Isn't it too harsh?"
"Dear grandson, a man who can't even be honest to his own feelings or loyal to his own vows, how can you expect that man to be loyal to anyone?" Her grandfather's answer left her perplexed for a long time. At least 'till she actually understood that his words were right.
She had not just recalled that she also remembered that this rule was set by her own clan for the rest of the hidden families. And there is no one worthy to go against her family which was why she was curious to know how did Xiao Zhi Ren's father cheated on his mother and yet he was unharmed?
It didn't make any sense.