Chapter 41: Family Ties (Part 1)
In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival was approaching.
Today was Little New Year.
Qi Xu had the photos they took at the school printed out. Xie Yang was still sorting through them, planning to select a few to frame and create a photo wall.
Time may pass, but pictures can last forever.
Xie Yang picked up the photo of Qi Xu looking at him in the corridor and another of him looking out towards the corridor from the classroom.
Putting the two photos together, Qi Xu had once told him that the meaning behind these photos was, “When you were looking at me, I was looking at you.”
These two photos held special significance for him, and he liked them very much.
Every meeting during their youth had made his heart race.
Xie Yang was about to go to the study to ask Qi Xu if he wanted to frame these two photos and hang them in the living room when his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Xie Yang paused.
He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he last contacted his father.
Three years?
Or maybe five?
It had been so long that he couldn’t recall.
Was there even any need for them to stay in touch?
Before Xie Yang could answer, the call ended. A few seconds later, the phone rang again.
“Hello?”
“Why didn’t you answer the phone?” Xie Chuan’s first words sounded accusatory.
Xie Yang’s expression instantly turned cold. “I was busy and didn’t notice the call.”
Realizing his tone was off, Xie Chuan quickly changed the subject, “Um, Xie Yang, your aunt said today is Little New Year and invited you to come over for dinner.”
Xie Yang was taken aback and didn’t respond.
He hadn’t expected the purpose of his father’s call. They hadn’t had a meal together in years.
It felt sudden.
Like they had silently agreed to never contact each other, and suddenly, the other party was extending an olive branch.
He didn’t feel flattered, just bewildered.
Not hearing his response, Xie Chuan added, “You should be on break now, right? Your aunt has prepared a room for you. Since the New Year is approaching, why don’t you pack your things and stay over after dinner?”
Xie Yang went to the balcony, looking at the roses he had planted. They had many buds now. He touched one and got pricked by a thorn, cutting his skin.
He frowned slightly, looking at the shallow wound on his palm, feeling irritated. “No need. I plan to go back to my hometown for the New Year. I don’t want to disturb you and Aunt.”
“How can that be?”
Xie Chuan blurted out, then quickly softened his tone, sounding a bit abrupt.
After a long pause, he said, “Dad hasn’t seen you in years and always thinks about you. Now that you’re on break, you should come and stay for a while so we can have a good talk.”
Hearing this, Xie Yang couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. He slowly said, “If you want to see me, we can video chat anytime. There’s no need to make it so complicated.”
Xie Chuan hesitated, then said, “Are you still holding a grudge against your aunt? That incident happened so long ago. Don’t take it to heart. At the time, your aunt’s tone was harsh, but later we found out it was because Xie Yuan was being naughty. It wasn’t your fault. She’s known she was wrong all these years and has always wanted to mend things with you. This year, she insisted we bring you home for the New Year.”
Xie Yang took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.
So, just saying “Xie Yuan was being naughty” was supposed to settle everything?
“I don’t need to come for dinner. I have things to do. I’m hanging up now.”
He didn’t give his father a chance to persuade him and ended the call.
His relationship with his aunt had never been good. She would never suggest he come over for dinner, let alone spend the New Year there.
Moreover, he had been on break for several days. It was only just before the New Year that his father called him back.
Claiming to have missed him all these years, yet not a single call in all that time.
The poor lie made Xie Yang feel disgusted.
Leaning on the balcony railing, Xie Yang’s thoughts drifted far away.
He was still young when his parents divorced. It happened so suddenly that he couldn’t understand how their once harmonious family could suddenly fall apart.
It wasn’t until he grew older that he gradually learned the whole truth.
The story was quite clichéd, and the ending was no exception.
Back then, his father had a respectable job that required frequent business trips with his boss. He was shrewd and capable, earning his boss’s trust and excelling in his career.
At the time, the boss’s daughter had just graduated from college and worked as his secretary, while Xie Yang’s father was the boss’s assistant. The secretary and assistant often had work-related interactions. Because the father had earned the boss’s favor, he frequently visited the boss’s house. Over time, the father and the boss’s daughter became romantically involved, even though the father already had a family. They continued their affair in secret, often meeting when the boss was away. Six months later, the daughter became pregnant with his father’s child.
When the affair was discovered, the boss was furious.
The father had only one option: divorce his wife, marry the boss’s daughter, and become part of their family.
Becoming a live-in son-in-law wasn’t what the father initially wanted, but he quickly accepted the boss’s arrangement.
He asked Xie Yang’s mother for a divorce.
Xie Yang’s mother was a strong-willed woman who couldn’t accept her husband’s infidelity and wouldn’t try to save the marriage.
Even though they had Xie Yang, they decided to divorce.
Within the same month of the divorce, the father swiftly married his new love and became the live-in son-in-law.
Xie Yang’s mother also packed her bags and left home.
Young Xie Yang was left behind in his hometown, living with his grandmother.
Over the years, his parents never visited him, as if they had forgotten he existed.
When his grandmother fell ill and passed away, it was a heavy blow to the young Xie Yang.
By then, both of his parents had remarried and started new families. He was like a burden neither wanted to bear.
But he was too young then, and despite their reluctance, his parents had to take responsibility for him.
So, Xie Yang sometimes stayed at his father’s house and sometimes at his mother’s house.
He lived as a guest in their homes but never stayed long.
His father once brought him to his aunt’s house, a luxurious villa.
His father and aunt had a son three years younger than Xie Yang.
This young master didn’t like his newly arrived older brother. He was going through a rebellious phase and often did things to attract his parents’ attention.
Xie Yang’s arrival made him feel like he was losing his parents’ attention, so he treated Xie Yang poorly.
Once, he deliberately put his mother’s jewelry in Xie Yang’s pocket and claimed to have seen Xie Yang steal it from her room. With evidence and a witness against him, no matter how Xie Yang explained, he only received a slap from his father and endless scolding from his aunt.
The situation was obviously flawed, and everyone knew the truth, but no one, except Xie Yang, cared about what really happened.
The pampered young master, even when lying, was never blamed.
After all, their goal was aligned.
They simply wanted to drive away this unwanted burden, so they made a big deal out of the incident.
After that, Xie Yang never went to his father’s house again.
He knew he wasn’t welcome there.
Thinking about these past events made Xie Yang feel even more depressed.
When Qi Xu came to find Xie Yang, he saw him plucking leaves off the small potted plant, almost stripping it bare.
“Baby, what are you doing?”
Lost in his thoughts, Xie Yang snapped back to reality when he heard Qi Xu call him, realizing he had been tearing off the leaves.
Qi Xu helped him up and led him to wash his hands. The hand soap stung the small cuts from the rose thorns.
Qi Xu noticed him flinch and carefully examined his palm, finding several small cuts.
Seeing Qi Xu’s concerned expression, Xie Yang whispered, “It doesn’t hurt.”
Qi Xu sighed, “Next time, don’t mess with these plants.”
Xie Yang smiled appeasingly, “Got it.”
He didn’t tell Qi Xu about his family issues, feeling it was better not to bring up the mess at home.
He hadn’t planned to dwell on it, but around 3 PM, just as he was falling asleep, his father called again, inviting him for a simple dinner.
The call lasted half an hour, mostly his father talking while he occasionally responded.
He hadn’t expected his father to play the family card, first sharing his hardships as a live-in son-in-law, how difficult it had been, enduring humiliation for years, finally getting through it, and now being able to bring him home. His father claimed that this was why they hadn’t been in touch all these years and hoped Xie Yang could understand his past endurance and difficulties.
Xie Yang found it quite amusing, but he knew if he didn’t agree, there would be a third and fourth call. His father definitely had a reason for wanting to meet him so urgently.
He also wanted to understand what his father was up to, so he explained to Qi Xu that he couldn’t have dinner with him tonight.
Qi Xu, knowing Xie Yang wanted to handle his family matters himself, couldn’t help but frown, “You know you can refuse, right?”
Xie Yang shook his head, “We haven’t been in touch for years. Suddenly calling me over so urgently must mean something’s up, and it’s related to me. It’s better to bring things into the open rather than letting them fester in the dark.”
The past made Xie Yang wary of his father.
But if the matter really involved him, he needed to address it.
Qi Xu said, “If you can’t handle it, call me.”
Xie Yang replied, “I know. If I can’t manage it, I’ll ask for your help, okay?”
Qi Xu smiled, “Good, that’s better.”
…
It had been many years since he set foot on this land. Looking at the luxurious villa in front of him, memories surged, and the abusive words from the past seemed to echo in his ears, making it hard to breathe.
He gently pressed the doorbell.
The one who opened the door was Xie Yuan, the half-brother who had wronged him so many years ago.
Xie Yuan looked at him with surprise, scanning him from head to toe, then whistled nonchalantly, “Yo, long time no see, brother.”
The word “brother” coming from his mouth made Xie Yang uncomfortable. He responded coolly, “Can I come in?”
“Of course.”
Xie Yuan stepped aside, giving him room to enter.
He could still feel Xie Yuan’s sticky, unpleasant gaze on him, making him uneasy.
Xie Chuan was sitting on the sofa. Xie Yang greeted him.
“Dad.”
Xie Chuan, who was watching financial news, glanced at him. He wasn’t as warm as he had been on the phone, simply saying, “Please sit.”
There was silence in the living room. Xie Chuan asked the maid to call his wife down.
After a while, Shi Shulan walked down the stairs. She paused when she saw him, then replaced it with a polite smile. “You’re here.”
Xie Yang politely greeted her, “Auntie.”
Perhaps it was the way Shi Shulan looked at him, and the way he looked at her, both were somewhat surprised. The arrogant and domineering mistress of the wealthy family in Xie Yang’s memory no longer had that imposing demeanor; she had become elegant and graceful.
Shi Shulan said, “I’ve had Wu Ma prepare a room. Stay here tonight.”
Xie Yang glanced at her unexpectedly. He had thought it was just his father’s empty words. Perhaps she was unaware, but she not only knew about it but also suggested it herself.
There was clearly still some tension between them.
And he knew that Shi Shulan didn’t like him, even strongly opposed to his father’s previous marriage, including the child his father had with his ex-wife.
Xie Yang politely declined, “No need to trouble yourself, Auntie. I plan to stay in the countryside for a while.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Shulan and his father exchanged a glance, their expressions noticeably stiffened.
Xie Chuan said, “Since you’re here, stay for the night.”
Shi Shulan added, “It’s almost Chinese New Year. There’s no one at the countryside. Why not stay here and celebrate the New Year lively?”
Xie Yuan, playing games on the sofa, chuckled, earning an angry glare from Xie Chuan. Xie Yuan quickly suppressed his laughter.
Xie Yang found it increasingly strange. He didn’t know the twists and turns inside. After some thought, he changed his mind and said, “A friend invited me to spend Chinese New Year at their place, so there’s no need to bother. I probably won’t consider going back to the countryside for now.”
Xie Chuan sighed in relief, “Alright, I’ll have Auntie prepare a gift for you. It’s impolite to go empty-handed.”
There was a hint of impatience in Auntie’s expression, but she smiled gracefully, “Of course.”
Xie Yang understood why he felt strange. What exactly had happened in the countryside that his father didn’t want him to go back temporarily? It seemed deliberate in hiding something.
Xie Yang said, “No need to trouble yourself. I’ve already prepared the gift.”
Xie Chuan didn’t say much and just called out, “Let’s have dinner first.”
After dinner, Xie Chuan talked to him alone for a few minutes, which surprised Xie Yang. His father seemed to want to go back to their hometown to pay respects to his grandmother in a few months. The conversation was subtly related to the grandmother or that house in the countryside, even asking if Xie Yang planned to return to live there after graduation. If Xie Yang intended to return, his father could arrange for someone to renovate and refurbish the place.
Xie Yang didn’t hide anything and straightforwardly said he had no plans to live in their hometown and didn’t need to go through so much trouble.
His parents hadn’t gone back in so many years, and he suspected they wouldn’t in the future either.
No one lived in the house. Even if it was renovated beautifully, it would be useless.
It was ironic to think about how they didn’t visit Grandma while she was alive but now wanted to make up for it after she passed away.
After hearing this, Xie Chuan didn’t say much. Before he left, he suddenly asked about the property deed for that house.
Although he phrased it vaguely, Xie Yang’s sensitive mind sensed throughout the evening that his father was eager for this answer.
Xie Yang evaded the question and simply said he had forgotten where he put it and needed to go back to find it.
Xie Yang felt heavy-hearted all the way home. Before he could go far, his mother called.
Seeing the caller ID, Xie Yang furrowed his brow. Was it just a coincidence?
“Mom?”
Rong Man exchanged pleasantries and got straight to the point, “Yang Yang, has your father contacted you?”
Xie Yang sighed, feeling caught in the middle and a bit uncomfortable. “Yes, we had dinner together tonight. What’s wrong?”
Rong Man’s tone became somewhat anxious, “What did he say to you?”
Xie Yang replied, “Not much, just that it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, and since it’s Little New Year, we should have a meal together.”
Rong Man hesitated but still asked, “Did he ask you about the house in the countryside?”
Xie Yang answered, “He did.”
Rong Man pressed further, “What did he ask?”
Xie Yang said, “He just asked about my plans after graduation, whether I want to return to our hometown to develop, and said if I’m interested, he can arrange for renovations.”
Rong Man’s tone showed signs of anger, “Next time he calls you, ignore him!”
Xie Yang didn’t know what had happened, but he vaguely felt that there was a problem with Grandma’s house. The property deed was in his hands, and if there was an issue, he needed to go back to the countryside to check.
After hanging up the phone, Xie Yang decided to prioritize his return to his hometown.
Back at the apartment, Xie Yang felt somewhat down.
Qi Xu cooked him a bowl of noodles, “Feeling upset?”
“Kind of.”
Xie Yang couldn’t eat at his father’s house just now, but now he was hungry.
Qi Xu asked, “Do you want me to help you pack?”
Xie Yang was puzzled, “Are you planning to take luggage home?”
Qi Xu smiled, “I want to accompany you to stay in your hometown for a few days.”
Xie Yang shook his head and refused, “Your family has called you several times, and it’s almost Chinese New Year. You should go home first.”
Qi Xu fell silent and asked, “How did you know?”
Xie Yang didn’t dare to say he had seen it on Qi Xu’s phone when he quietly played with it.
He wasn’t checking up on him, but sometimes their phones were together, and both had the same brand of phone, so it was easy to mistake.
Xie Yang glanced at him timidly, trying to get away with it, “I just saw it by accident.”
Qi Xu replied, “I originally wanted to take you home with me.”
Without thinking, Xie Yang directly refused, “But I’m not ready for that.”
Although Qi Xu always reassured him, the thought that he had “turned” Qi Xu made him too scared to face Qi Xu’s family.
He couldn’t help but wonder what parents from such a wealthy background would think. Would they be like in TV dramas, handing him a check to make him go away?
Or perhaps they would expel him from S City, or send Qi Xu abroad.
They could cut off their relationship, making sure they would never meet again.
Seeing Xie Yang’s furrowed brows and anxious expression, Qi Xu couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s not as complicated as you think. Stop watching those melodramatic TV shows with Su Huai.”
Xie Yang’s face flushed slightly, and he denied being a fan of such shows, “I don’t watch those.”
Qi Xu chuckled, “My mother will be very happy to see you.”
His mother had similar taste to him, and she might be captivated by Xie Yang at first sight.
Xie Yang held his hand and said softly, “Give me a little more time.”
Qi Xu sighed regretfully, “Alright, just come back quickly after you’ve taken care of things in the countryside, okay?”
Xie Yang nodded, “Yes, it should only take about a week. I won’t stay long.”
He hadn’t been back to the countryside in a long time. The house was likely covered in cobwebs, full of dust, and perhaps even moldy. He needed a few days to clean up, air things out, and get rid of the musty smell. He also had to buy New Year’s goods, couplets, and visit the neighbors to find out what had happened back home.
Qi Xu wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on Xie Yang’s shoulder, and said reluctantly, “I’m going to miss you a lot.”
Xie Yang couldn’t help but laugh at him, “You’re so clingy.”
“What did you say?”
Qi Xu tightened his embrace, pulling Xie Yang closer.
His hands slid under Xie Yang’s shirt.
Xie Yang quickly grabbed his shirt hem and pleaded, “I didn’t say anything. Did you mishear, brother?”
Qi Xu lifted him up and hummed, “It’s my turn for a midnight snack.”