Chapter 16: Triggered
"Say what you need to say. I'm busy."
Kang Jun gave no other answer and after a long minute of silence he was about to hang up but then a response came.
"Come home, NOW!" Elder Kang said.
The voice on the phone was faint and calm at the beginning, but it grew to be a harsh absolutist tone. Kang Jun could still refuse, after all, he had the same tone himself but for his grandfather to ask twice, meant that there was something too important to discuss on the phone.
Kang Jun headed to the Kang Main House fast. So fast in fact, that a trip that usually took 25 minutes, took less 15.
If he could wrap everything up fast, then he would be happy.
Once he entered the Kang family house, the maids and butlers were shocked to see him. They greeted him kindly, regardless, but because he was in a sour mood his greeting was colder than it had been the last time he had visited.
From a hallway, Rong Yu, his grandfather secretary appeared with a faint smile on his face. The man had been working for his grandfather for almost 40 years now and so he walked around the house as if he owned it.
"Ah Jun, you're finally here. Your grandfather is waiting for you in the study." Rong Yu walked over to Kang Jun and shook his hand firmly.
Kang Jun greeted him and then walked straight to his grandfather's study and knocked.
"Come in." Elder Kang's voice rang loud and true despite his age.
Kang Jun did as he was told and walked straight towards Elder Kang, stopping right behind a chair. He didn't sit down or speak, he just stared at his grandfather emotionlessly.
Elder Kang sat at his desk comfortably leaning against his chair. He flipped through a few documents on his desk. When Kang Jun came in, Elder Kang calmly lifted his gaze from the papers.
There was a moment of silence as the men stared at each other, then Elder Kang began to speak.
"Doctor Chong called me last night, and do you know what he said?"
Kang Jun remained silent.
"He said that Mingyu was sick."
"Mmm."
"And, he said that you're the one who called him. Yes?"
"Yes." Kang Jun's face remained unchanged and waited for the old man to get to the point. Time was of the essence of course.
Since the beginning, Kang Jun knew that Doctor Chong had no choice but to report to Elder Kang, especially when it had something to do with his great-grand children but Kang Jun had made him swear to deliberately forget to mention the situation with AnLing. With how nosey they man was, Kang Jun was assured that he had made the right decision.
"I though that he was accompanying Qiao Lan. How did he end up with you?"
"Circumstances." Kang Jun couldn't be bothered to explain it to his grandfather.
He could explain the whole situation but it would be a waste of his breath. He knew the old man wouldn't do anything about it and he would surely not scold Qiao Lan so Kang Jun didn't say a word about it.
It had nothing to do with Elder Kang either way.
Meanwhile, Elder Kang was beginning to get annoyed by Kang Jun's short replies.
"This fight between you and Qiao Lan has gone far enough. She is still young and inexperienced in taking care of the children. But you can't just take the child from her."
"It's not inexperience."
Elder Kang said with a sigh. "You know nothing about taking care of a child so why do you keep involving yourself? You know your late brother would not approve of your manner."
His brother?
What did it matter what his brother thought of him?
Elder Kang: "Nevertheless, she is still your sister-in-law. Treat her kindly."
Kang Jun tapped his fingers on the chair in front of him. He was beginning to get impatient. This conversation was bringing them nowhere. If this was really what Elder Kang wanted to discuss with him then it would have been best to explain it on the phone and spare him such an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Kang Jun was done with niceties. "I don't expect you or anyone to understand me."
After hearing those words, Elder Kang's heart squeezed, releasing his pent-up emotions. He slammed his hand against his desk.
Once triggered, Elder Kang's anger was like a typhoon. It would depress and decimate all things around.
Kang Jun wasn't taken aback. In fact, he didn't even flinch.
"It would be best for Mingyu to be under my care." Kang Jun Provoked. He couldn't care less about what the Elder or anyone thought of him, but he had to make his intentions clear.
Elder Kang's face darkened exponentially.
"Kang Jun, I will never allow it." Elder Kang sneered.
Kang Jun could tell that he was holding himself back.
What for?
Only Elder Kang knew but Kang Jun didn't question it.
Elder Kang: "As long as you remain a bachelor I refuse to allow it. To a child, a mother is like a god. If you plan on taking care of my grandson, I must agree with your parents… as unreasonable as they may be; you must take a wife."
"Give me time."
Kang Jun's quick reply instantly changed Elder Kang's mood. He sat back into his chair and looked his grandson in the eye.
"Three months. That's all the time I can give you. In three months, Qiao Lan has plans to go abroad to visit your brothers grave. She plans on staying at the manor, along with the two children for six months." Elder Kang threw a file out on his desk as he spoke. "What do you plan to do?"
Kang Jun didn't reach for the folder.
"If I marry, do you really think you can take him away from her?"
Elder Kang laughed.
"As long as there is a suitable candidate to be his guardian, of course, I can. I adopted the child, not her. No matter who I decide to change the child's guardianship to is my choice and mine alone but I won't interfere with Qiao Lan unless you present yourself as a worthy guardian."
Elder Kang grabbed his walking cane, got up from his chair and walked over to Kang Jun.
He rubbed his thumb on the ball of the cane.
"Your answer?"
Kang Jun's face remains expressionless.
"Fine"
With that, Kang Jun began to walk for the door, but he was interrupted by Elder Kang's voice.
"I'm not done. There's something else we need to talk about."
"Mmm." Kang Jun sighed and nodded, going back to his original oratory ways. "First, I need to make a call."
Kang Jun stepped out.
Once he was gone, Elder Kang looked away from the door and stared at the file and then looked towards a picture on his desk which contained a ten-year-old Kang Jun, a small child, and a teenaged boy. Behind them, there was a young Elder Kang who smiled warmly. The teenaged boy was the closest to Elder Kang while Kang Jun and the other boy were closest to the foreground.
Elder Kang reached out to touch the face of the teenage boy and sighed.
That night, Kang Jun and Elder Kang spoke for a long time. When they were done, it was so late— or rather, early— that Elder Kang told Kang Jun to stay but he refused.
If he stayed he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anyways, so he left the Kang household without turning back and stepped into his car. His head began to pound. He laid back in his seat for a moment and tried to relax but no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to do it. There was too much to do and too many thoughts on his mind.
He needed to drive around for a bit to clear his head.
Before he knew it, night had turned to dawn and dawn had turned to day and his drive had taken him straight to Hotel Helios.
He needed to go to work but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to drive away.
He took out his phone and called Mr. Long.
"Clear my schedule."
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