บท 43: Their past (18) (EDITED)
Later that day...
"I can just ignore them," said Xia Sinian with a blank look on his face. An hour after falling asleep, Xia Sinian woke up and, to his surprise, found himself planted in the same position as Li Bingbing. To his relief, she finally talked to him. It didn't take long for him to find out why Li Bingbing was pissed off. "Don't you trust me?"
Li Bingbing pursed her lips, "I... I trust you..." Although it was hard for her to do so since the chance of him cheating behind her back would be high now that he was handsome, she must trust him because he is her partner.
As if reading her mind, Xia Sinian held her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Her mind blanked. The kiss electrified her and sent her to a new dimension. Her skin shivered and produced goosebumps all over her arms and back.
"I will never cheat on you, Bingbing." Xia Sinian said with a serious face, "You are the only girl I love. No one will be able to replace you in my heart...," he paused for a second before diving in for one more kiss, "no one."
"Promise?" Trust was the hardest thing for her to give, especially now that Xia Sinian was as attractive as her father and the other men that tend to cheat. Li Bingbing was afraid. She was afraid of being betrayed by another man. Her father already betrayed her and left an unhealable scar in her heart, so she never wanted to be betrayed by the second man that she opened her heart to. There wouldn't be anything left in her heart if he did betray her…
"I will never betray you, Li Bingbing, I promise."
When Li Bingbing saw the determined look in Xia Sinian's eyes, she could only leave the rest for him. He was her first love, and she was willing to take the risk in giving all her trust to him. She took a deep breath and produced a smile at last.
---
Upon returning to school, Li Bingbing and Xia Meilin sat in their last year of high school. Because of their grades from the previous grade, they had the same section, the special section for top students like them.
Since the section is for the best among the best, only the top 5 students of each level were admitted. Because Qing He High School is among the best schools in the city, the competition for the top spots was fierce. Usually, the average grade to fall into the top would be around ninety-six percent. However, sometimes the competition would be so fierce and suffocating that the requirements skyrocketed to a stunning ninety-eight percent.
The students who did make it to the special section held the traits of modern time geniuses. Some of the top students who excelled would even skip class because of the special treatment they receive. Why would a genius who knows all the material bother wasting their time in a school that has nothing else to offer?
Having said all that, the school followed the same routine every semester: the teachers teach all the material, the students would study for a month, and then they would have their exams. To conclude this cycle, the results come out after two weeks of the last exam. The faces of happiness and despair color the final day.
Because Li Bingbing was a prodigy, she couldn't care less about the school nor the exams. Furthermore, if it were not for Xia Meilin, Li Bingbing would skip class in a heartbeat and never look back.
Li Bingbing felt the impact of Xia Sinian's absence, so emptiness and boredom controlled most of her time. Despite Xia Sinian not being around, she had a solution. Li Bingbing and Xia Sinian agreed that she could visit him in the apartment he was staying near the university during weekends. Satisfaction brushed her face because she had nothing to do after work in the weekend.
Li Bingbing couldn't wait to graduate. She wanted to stay with Xia Sinian when she does. She even went as far as to count the number of days left until she left this accursed school. She snapped and swore many times as the days didn't fly fast enough. Her mother thought that her daughter finally turned insane after witnessing one of her spasms when she stopped by her room.
...
Meanwhile, Mu Xijiu received a message from her ex-husband. She didn't open the message until she got in a comfortable position in her office after finishing all her tasks. When she saw the message, her face darkened, and the color of her eyes faded.
The more she read the message, the narrower her eyebrows became. Why on earth would Li Hua want to meet with her? At the end of a message, Li Hua shared a location for them to meet up. She replied in a simple manner. Since Mu Xijiu wasn't going to run away from him anymore, she went to see him in the place that he gave her.
Waiting at the table was Li Hua. His eyes locked onto the figure of Mu Xijiu as she walked in. He was surprised to see how much Mu Xijiu changed. Flashbacks played in the eyes of Li Hua as he recalled the first time he met Mu Xijiu. It felt like her younger self sat in front of him again. The fire in her eyes returned brighter than ever, and the wrinkles on her face disappeared. Her skin was smooth and fine like a peeled egg. Even her hair, which showered down her shoulders and chest, regained its former silkiness and softness.
She wore her office attire, which was relatively plain yet mature. The attire consisted of black heels, a long skirt that laid atop her panty-hosed legs, and a white shirt covered by a black button-shirt.
"I would like some caramel Frappuccino," said Mu Xijiu to the waitress.
"Anything else, ma'am?"
"No, thank you."
The waitress asked for permission to take the menus from them. After the waitress left, Mu Xijiu turned to Li Hua. "If you are going to talk about taking my daughter away, I won't let you." She said with an air of seriousness that surrounded her. Her cold eyes penetrated his figure, exposing him.
"I know, but that isn't why I want to talk to you." Li Hua said as he clasped his hands together. "I won't take her away from you, I know that would be pointless." He took a deep breath and felt the air fill every corner of his lungs before pushing all the air out.
"Then why did you call me here?" Mu Xijiu raised a brow. His words threw her mind astray as she couldn't figure what his motive was. Her eyes intently watched his body language for any hints because she wanted to prepare for whatever he has to say next.
"I want to start anew with you and her." With those words leaving his mouth, his mind and heart relaxed as if a huge weight was lifted. In fact, he felt so relieved that he produced a smile right after, which made him look like an idiot in the eyes of Mu Xijiu.
Mu Xijiu chuckled when her ears caught his shocking words, "Start Anew? Stop joking around, Li Hua, you're already late for that."
"I know but... can't we be friends?" He knew that there was no way he Mu Xijiu could ever accept him back into her life, but he still wanted to be close to his former wife. Asking for her friendship was the only realistic way to keep his former family close to him.
Were her ears failing her? He wanted them to be friends? Mu Xijiu scoffed at his words, "What made you change your mind?" She wanted to reject his request, but she felt curious about what Li Hua has to say, so she decided to give him an ear.
Li Hua didn't answer immediately. He watched as the waitress placed the drink in front of Mu Xijiu. After she left, he opened his mouth and said, "You know that I have always loved you, Xijiu." Genuineness lingered in his eyes. "I did everything for our family." A tone of regret entwined with the words that traveled across the table.
"Did you? From what I remember, you did it for your selfish desires. You want to be rich and you want to be known by others, you couldn't be content with our normal and simple family. That's why you went and seduced some rich and younger woman and married her so that you can have a share of her inheritance. You did this all for us? Don't make me laugh. You make me sick." By the time she finished saying all that, she managed to pick-up, sip, and put down her coffee at least a dozen times.
"I know that my methods were a bit…crude and might have been wrong, but I wanted Li Bingbing to have a better life, free of worries." Li Hua explained. Despite the bold claims that he threw at her face, his words didn't carry any lies nor malice. It took her by surprise.
"Then go ask her if she wants the life that you prepared for her or not, she has the last say in it." Li Bingbing defended her mother when their relationship wasn't great on the night when Li Hua and his men raided their home. Now that they were much closer, Mu Xijiu was confident enough that Li Bingbing won't leave her.
บท 44: Their past (19) (EDITED)
Li Hua lowered his head. Li Bingbing has rejected him so many times already. Even if he kept on showing her his genuineness and hard work, Li Bingbing won't even bat an eye towards it. Rubbing the plates of his head, he opened his mouth after what seemed like hours of silence, "I am still her father, Xijiu."
"You were once the father she admired the most, but after you left us, you crushed her. Even if I allow you to see her, even if I allow you to visit us, do you think that she would like to see you?" Mu Xijiu wasn't a vengeful woman; she was willing to forgive and let go even if she was the one who suffered the most. In fact, despite all the hardships she endured because of this man, she still loved him to a degree. However, because of the things that happened in their relationship, Mu Xijiu knew that they can't have their happy days back... It was already too late for that.
This apology doesn't change the fact that he married someone else and even had a child with her. Even if she was his first wife, Mu Xijiu preferred to avoid unnecessary headaches and didn't want to involve herself in a rivalry.
To be friends with her ex-husband was fine. In fact, she was happy for him and proud of him because he finally decided to address the problem. She caught the change and regret that manifested in his body. But it would still take time before she can accept him as a friend.
"If it's you, she will listen to you," whispered Li Hua as he looked at her. "She doesn't have to come with me, I won't force her into an arranged marriag—"
"You forced her into what?!"
Li Hua gulped when he saw the dead look on Mu Xijiu's face. Her cold eyes sent a shiver down his spine. That was why he quickly added, "I only asked her and never forced her!" He lied since he had no other choice, or else he would be on the floor, beaten up by the woman in front of him.
In the past, despite Mu Xijiu looking sweet and fragile, she was a wild person, much like Li Bingbing. The words that left her mouth were the opposite of how she looked. Furthermore, when it came to debate, she would never lose an argument. Therefore, Li Hua couldn't let his mouth blabber mindlessly.
Mu Xijiu was good with her words. She could say anything and that would irritate the opposition. She was even crafty with her choice of words, so she used this as an advantage in court. Thus, she was not an easy person to go against since she can make anyone slip their tongue. To add to that, she picked up on the small details that her opponents often leave out subconsciously, meaning that she'd use every little thing against them. This was where Li Bingbing's sharp tongue and observation came from.
Although she remained skeptical about his last statement, her face relaxed when she heard what he said, "You should never force her to marry someone she doesn't want. Besides, she's already dating someone else."
"I heard. I can't believe that she likes someone fat and ugly like the heir of the Xia family." Li Hua was truly disappointed with her choice of men. He still believed that Fei Yang, the handsome heir of the Fei corporation, was better than Xia Sinian. What she saw attractive in that balloon still baffled Li Hua!
Mu Xijiu chuckled, "You'll be surprised to see how much he has changed." She said before she sipped her drink. She smiled after putting down her drink and stared into his eyes and whatever laid beyond them.
"What do you mean?" asked Li Hua in confusion.
"Just find out yourself." Mu Xijiu fixed her back and smiled. "Anyway, I don't mind having you in Li Bingbing's life. That's why I will try, but I won't promise anything. As for the friendship thing that you are offering me, I will think about it."
Li Hua was so delighted with what Mu Xijiu said that he can't help but grasp her hand, "Thank you, Xijiu!" His eyes showed a hint of true gratefulness, which made Mu Xijiu freeze for a few seconds.
Recovering from the sudden outburst, Mu Xijiu pulled her hand back, "Being friends is fine, but if you ask something more than that, I'm afraid that I have to reject you. We can't bring back the things we had before, Li Hua." Preparing to leave the café, she grabbed her purse from the floor.
"I... know." He curved his lips upward slightly before he looked down. This was his fault. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. He was blinded by his desires that he even sacrificed his own family for it. He bit his lips as regrets flew in his mind.
"Anyway, Li Bingbing's graduation is coming up, if you're not that busy on that day, then you should come." Mu Xijiu said.
"I would love to see her on her graduation day." Li Hua said with a gentle look on his face. He raised his head once more to face Mu Xijiu.
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I should go." She wiped her lips with a napkin and stood up. She hanged her purse on her shoulder and plotted her chair inwards.
"I can drop you by to your workplace." Li Hua offered as he stood up. He wasn't expecting her to accept his offer, but he did it out of courtesy.
"No thanks. I like having a peaceful life, so please let me have it. I don't want your missus to appear in front of my door." She turned and left him in the place.
----
When Mu Xijiu arrived home, she saw Li Bingbing preparing their dinner. She took off her coat and hanged it on the coat rack. "What's for dinner?" She asked out of habit. She knew that Li Bingbing was a terrible cook.
"Instant noodles with egg and cheese," said Li Bingbing with a grin. Li Bingbing always wondered why her mother would ask about dinner. It never changed after all. Does she lose her memory when it comes to food?
Mu Xijiu walked toward her and wrapped her arms around her waist, "That's not healthy, you know?" She smiled and kissed her daughter in the back of her head.
"Don't complain, this is the only food I can properly make." Li Bingbing huffed.
Mu Xijiu let go of her and went to put on a red apron. She tied the strings together and opened the refrigerator. She bent down and had a cursory look at what they had for the ingredient, "What else do you want for dinner?"
Li Bingbing's eyes sparkled when she heard what her mother said. She turned to her with a wide smile. Although she loved eating them occasionally, Li Bingbing was sick of having instant noodles for dinner every day, so her stomach craved for new and good food, "Can we have some chicken fried rice, egg roll bowls, and dumpling stir fry?"
"Let's see... to have those for tonight, it looks like we need to go to the supermarket to buy the ingredients." Mu Xijiu straightened up and placed her left hand on her waist and rubbed her chin with her right hand.
Li Bingbing pouted at her remark, "I don't want to go buy it alone."
Mu Xijiu giggled, "I'll go change first before we head out, okay?"
...
Since the supermarket was just nearby the place they were staying, Mu Xijiu and Li Bingbing walked toward it.
Upon arriving at the twenty-four hours supermarket, Li Bingbing followed her mother as she pushed the cart while Mu Xijiu was the one who picked the ingredients.
"Hey, sweetie, I'm free tomorrow, do you want to go out with me?" Mu Xijiu asked as she placed a tomato sauce inside the cart.
Li Bingbing rolled her eyes with the way Mu Xijiu talked to her, she was talking as if Li Bingbing was a five years old girl. "Sadly, I am not. I have a date with Sisi, I'm planning to visit him in his place."
Mu Xijiu pouted as she turned to Li Bingbing. "You're choosing your boyfriend over your mother?"
"I have already scheduled it tomorrow, you should have told this to me in advance."
"I am always busy, honey. I don't know when will the next time I'll be free, can't you at least make an exemption for tomorrow?" She clung to Li Bingbing's arm.
"Stop acting so childish, mom. You're not cute." Li Bingbing huffed before she continued on pushing the cart.
"You're such a rude daughter." Mu Xijiu puffed out her cheeks as she let go of her arm.
"Well, that's how genetics work." Li Bingbing chuckled.
Mu Xijiu sighed before she continued to get every ingredient they needed.
"If I changed my plans for tomorrow, where will we take me?" Li Bingbing asked curiously.
Mu Xijiu's eyes lit up, "I've always wanted to visit the planetarium again, do you want to accompany me?"
Mu Xijiu loved staring at the heavenly bodies and Li Bingbing knew this.
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