Chapter 3: Dead man walking.
Qie Xieling had never seen his dad this mad at him. In fact, his dad never got mad at him when he broke things in the house nor when he deleted all his dad's gaming history by accident.
His dad would speak to him nicely while explaining why what he did was wrong. Dad was very different from nana Wen. When nana Wen was mad she would fling her slipper and it would always land accurately.
So when he saw his dad walk past him and ignore him like he was non-existent Qie Xieling's heart sank. He bit his index finger hard trying to stop the tears from flowing.
"Let's go," said his father as he patted his shoulder urging him to follow and Qie Xieling took a few steps forward a little terrified to go home.
As a little kid, he probably thought his dad would abandon him now and he will be stuck with his strict father. How miserable would that be? Qie Xieling's steps paused as he shook his head his eyes red.
Qie Ranzhe turned his head back when he realised the little footsteps that were supposed to be behind him weren't there. His heart lurched seeing his son like that but comforting was not his best suit.
He was the type of father that when baby Lin Lin was crying he would give him money and the kid would stop crying but even he knew in this situation a couple of bills won't solve the problem.
Qie Ranzhe sighed before picking up his son. "Don't worry about your dad. You know how many times I have angered your father and got kicked out of the bed but I always crawl back in so.... we will figure it out," he said and Lin Lin who had lost count of how many times his father had been evicted from the master bedroom nodded his head.
Qie Ranzhe smiled while pinching his cheeks and said, "You gave that kid a shiner though. I thought you didn't listen when I taught you to fight."
If Wen Qinxi heard him say this he would surely kick him out of the house entirely. Like most fathers, Qie Ranzhe couldn't help but feel a slight sense of pride that his son could stand up for himself. The thing he was upset about though was his son's reason for doing it.
The figure of a tall handsome man in a dark grey suit and black shirt holding a child was incredibly eye-catching. A few moms and teachers took second glances their expressions that of admiration or rather sultry.
Who in this international school didn't know that there were two new gay dads that everyone was drooling over? It was so bad that the both of them didn't dare go to the PTA meetings or school events alone otherwise they would be eaten alive by those moms.
As expected when Qie Ranzhe and Qie Xieling stepped outside in the parking lot, Wen Qinxi had already been stopped by a very young teacher who from the looks of it wouldn't stop talking.
Wen Qinxi was still polite to her but hus brows were creased slightly showing his impatience. Qie Ranzhe wasn't polite at all. He opened the passenger door while saying to his husband, "Let's go," his sharp piercing gaze aimed at the young lady.
The young teacher felt a biting chill creeping into her bones being looked at like that. Damn, she heard that Mr Qie was quite possessive but she didn't think it would be this terrifying.
He buckled his son in the booster seat and closed the door before walking to the front passenger seat and opening the door for Wen Qinxi.
Wen Qinxi looked like he had been granted amnesty as he entered the car. Qie Ranzhe caressed Wen Qinxi's waist while at it and when his husband sat in the car he reached for the seat belt.
Wen Qinxi didn't even react like this was the normal order of business. With a click, Qie Ranzhe buckled the seat belt and kissed Wen Qinxi's temple. The touch was light but so heartwarming that jealousy seeped through the young teacher's eyes. 'Why was it so hard to find a man who would treat her just like that?' she thought as she waved them both goodbye.
Qie Ranzhe didn't respond at all. He just opened the driver-side door and pushed the start engine button while holding down Wen Qinxi's hand that was waving back.
The young teacher, "..."
They pulled out of the parking lot and Qie Ranzhe finally cleared his throat asking, "Are we heading home?"
Wen Qinxi glanced at his son sitting there quietly with his head down before looking ahead. "Let's go home," he replied and Qie Ranzhe rubbed the back of Wen Qinxi's hand with his thumb trying to comfort him.
This car ride would have remained peaceful if it weren't for Manchu's unexpected phone call. As the SUV came to a stop at a red traffic light a call came through and Qie Ranzhe answered thinking it was important.
"Ey, I heard Lin Lin got into trouble at pre-K. I didn't think preschool was like a prison with fights breaking out easily," he said and because the call was connected wirelessly everyone heard him.
Qie Ranzhe had a feeling that Manchu was about to say something stupid so he tried to interrupt with him saying, "It's nothing. It was just a small disagreement."
"Lucky thing you taught him how to fight. I bet he left the little brat with a medal of honour. Hahaha, your boy must be at the top of the food chain now."
Qie Ranzhe, "..."
Lin Lin, "..."
Wen Qinxi cut the call and turned to look at his husband first then his son then back to his husband. The two of them had on colourful expressions as they already knew that the hole they were currently in had just gotten bigger.
It was so bad that Qie Xieling could hear his dad yelling upstairs when he was downstairs in the corner for a time-out. He didn't want to hear it but his dad was so heated that his voice could wake the dead. Fine, that was an exaggeration but he could hear everything.
"... you told me he was just getting training to fend off kidnappers but you went behind my back and taught him how to fight," said his dad and soon his father's soft voice whispered,
"I was afraid it wasn't enough so I taught him a few things. I just didn't think he would beat up a classmate... You can't hold this against me. Remember when we got called because he swore a lot and he got that from you? He will pick up some of our bad habits."
Wen Qinxi, "WTF!"
Translation, Qie Ranzhe was a dead man walking.
Chapter 4: "Lin Lin hit someone."
Qie Xieling stood by the corner in tears but when he heard the door close he hastily wiped away his tears and put on a stern expression pretending like he heard nothing.
Qie Ranzhe walked downstairs while tugging his tie down. Halfway down he called out, "Lin Lin, you can come out of time out now."
Qie Xieling pursed his lips as he turned to look at his father who had on a dark face after being chewed out by his dad. He could tell that his father had been kicked out of the master bedroom again and it was because of him this time.
When they entered Qie Xieling's bedroom, his father wordlessly entered the walk-in closet looking for pyjamas. Qie Xieling nervously bit his index finger while standing by the door not sure how to ask.
After gathering some courage, he asked, "Will dad... ever forgive me?" his voice barely audible but Qie Ranzhe heard it.
He turned to look at his son and said, "He will... What you did was very wrong. You shouldn't have hit that boy more especially for a girl."
Qie Xieling knew he was wrong and shouldn't have done that but if he was being honest with himself he might have done it again just that this time he would do it with no witnesses around. Yah, that's how much he didn't like Luo Muchen.
"Here, let's get you ready for bed and we can figure it out tomorrow," he continued to say as he walked out of the walk-in closet with a set of pyjamas in his hand.
While he was running a bath for Qie Xieling and Qie Xieling telling him that he was doing it wrong, Wen Qinxi was sitting in the bathtub soaking with a glass of wine in hand.
He knew parenting was especially rewarding but it was also hard. Lin Lin had done so many things in the past that would have him pulling his hair out but he didn't think he would get called to school because his son beat another kid worse off for a girl.
He knew his son thought of her as his only friend but still. Maybe if he were to have a second one his son wouldn't feel so lonely or have a strong attachment to his first friend.
Scratch that. There was no way he was having two Lin Lins running around his house. One of him was already a handful.
Just as he was devising a plan to get Qie Xieling more friends, Wen Danzhe called him. Wen Qinxi sighed before accepting the call and putting it on loudspeaker.
"What?" he said and Wen Danzhe placed his hand on his chest pretending to be hurt.
"You... how could you treat me like this. I used to be your most favourite person," he said while his mother who was standing in the kitchen smacked his hand away when he was reaching for the dumpling.
"Uh Uh spill it. I know you want something," he said and Wen Danzhe couldn't help but laugh nervously while trying to walk away from his mother.
"Nooo why would you say that? I just called to check in on my nephew that's all," he said but in truth, he was calling to ask about the female celebrity who GameX had just contracted to advertise their updates.
"Can you believe that brat beat someone today? I am so mad at him. You should have seen the little boy. He looked like he had survived a fucking tornado," said Wen Qinxi unable to hold back.
The cell phone was suddenly grabbed out of Wen Danzhe's hand and the voice of his mother came through with slight anxiety. "Who beat Lin Lin? I will go beat up their entire family. Who dares bully my angelic little grandson," she said having not heard what her son said clearly.
"No ma, it was Lin Lin who beat another kid not the other way around," explained Wen Qinxi only for a du du du tone to sound on his cell phone as another call was incoming.
He cut his mother off while she was yelling saying, "Wait a minute." When he saw it was his mother-in-law he patched her into the call.
Half a second later Grandma Qie's voice came through. "Xi Xi, where is your husband? I have been trying to call him since afternoon but he hasn't picked up my calls," she said only for Wen Danzhe to jump the gun and say,
"Lin Lin hit someone."
Grandma Qie's response wasn't at all as expected. She let out a low, "Oh," and that was it.
Everyone, "..."
"His father was like that when he was young. He got angered easily and he was so fucking petty. I bet the other kid looks way worse than my little fighter."
Wen Qinxi, "..."
"That's where he got it from. It definitely runs in the family," said nana Wen and madam Qie couldn't even refute that.
"I know he didn't suffer a loss but I did. You three have a habit of leaving me out of things. If I didn't call you would have continued with your group call without me," she continued to say and Wen Qinxi could see it clearly now.
Lin Lin attached strongly to his first friend the same way Qie Ranzhe's mother attached to them. From the day they got married his mother and his mother-in-law became so close that you would think they grew up together.
They did everything together whether it be manicures or drinking champagne on a yacht. You wouldn't see one without the other.
"What secret group call. You promised you would come here to play mahjong but cancelled our plans last minute," said nana Wen and Wen Qinxi realised that this call was going to end up being a banter between these two.
"Didn't I tell you that I was going to terrorise my ex-husband's wife today? She had the balls to sell gossip about my son in law and she thought I wouldn't find out that it was her. So I had to humiliate her. Hahaha, you should have seen her face."
Nana Wen angrily interjected saying, "We could have done it together. I also wanted to see it. You are no fun."
Wen Qinxi, "..."
Wen Danzhe, 'Can I just have my cell phone back?'
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