Fortunately for Lu Xinyi, they were back at the Shen Villa and were having their lunch when the twin decided to ask those awkward questions. Lu Xinyi turned her gaze to her grinning husband who was sitting across her with Shen Zhichen.
She kicked his s.h.i.+n and threw a glare at his direction.
“You better ask your Uncle Yi. He probably knows where they come from,” she replied to Little Yuyan.
Oh, wasn’t he already trying to get her pregnant? But because she wanted to attend Silver Leaf Academy, they couldn’t have a child until her plans had been settled. At least, Lu Xinyi wasn’t opposed to make love with him if they had a chance to be alone.
“Are you sure you want me to? Why don’t we discuss this tonight so you’ll know. I’ll make sure to cover all the bases for you. I don’t mind refres.h.i.+ng your memory of how it is done.” The mischievous grin on her husband almost made her puke blood from his shamelessness.
“Darling, if you aren’t careful with your words, you might find yourself sleeping alone tonight.” Lu Xinyi’s face was void of any emotion as she picked up a shrimp with her chopsticks and placed it on his bowl. Her husband eyed her warily before turning his attention back to the twins.
“We’ll discuss this later. Finish your lunch first.” Shen Yi told the twins, which they obliged to do.
An hour later, Shen Yi was left with the twins at the garden, sitting on one of the benches while sipping his tea. The twins sat beside him, eating a cup of ice cream in their hands.
“So Uncle Yi, are you going to answer my question?” Little Yuyan asked. She lowered her gaze, unsure that Uncle Yi wouldn’t answer her.
“Fine. I said we’ll discuss it, didn’t I? Let see, what do you know about the babies?” Shen Yi brought down his teacup at the table and clasped his hands together.
Shen Zhichen finished his ice cream and tapped his chin with his finger, thinking of how to answer his Uncle Yi.
“Well, our nana said that when two adults love each other, they can have a baby,”—then his smile vanished from his face—”but I think our daddy doesn’t love our mommy.”
Something about the forlorn glance Shen Zhichen gave him bothered Shen Yi. He knew he shouldn’t pry on their lives. He didn’t even know what really happened to their mother.
“Why do you say so?”
Shen Zhichen hesitated at first and gave a worried look to his sister who started crying silently beside Shen Yi.
The little guy started telling Shen Yi how their father claimed they weren’t his children because their mommy was sleeping around with different men which wasn’t true. Their father refused to take them in saying that even if they were his, they would only become a burden in his life; hence, their Mama An, their own grandmother, took them in and let them use the Shen family name.
Shen Zhichen hung his head in hopelessness.
“Mama An said our mommy loved us, but if our daddy didn’t love her, why did they make me and Yuyan and then leave us alone? Our daddy doesn’t love us.”
Shen Yuyan wailed louder and had a hard time controlling her tears. n.o.body wanted them except for their Mama An who was really sick right now that she couldn’t take care of them.
Something was snapped within Shen Yi when he heard the little boy’s question. Hadn’t he felt this way too when his father and mother divorced when he and Shen Xue was still young? Why did they even bother to let them be born into the world if they were going to leave them miserable?
“You see, Zhichen. Sometimes people don’t need to be in love with each other to make babies. Having a baby is a big responsibility so two conscientious adults should know the consequences of their actions.”
The little boy frowned, not understanding what his uncle meant.
“All women like your mother and Aunty Xinxin got special eggs inside of them—”
“Just like a chicken?” Little Yuyan asked, truly interested in their topic.
“Yes, just like chicken, but they need a seed to make this egg turn into a baby. Can you guess where the seed comes from?” Shen Yi inquired.
“From Daddy?” Shen Zhichen tilted his head slightly.
“That’s right. A seed from the daddy and an egg from the mommy join together in the mom’s tummy. That’s where the baby grows—in a special sack there called the womb.” Shen Yi explained to the twins.
“Do you have to water it so it will grow?” Little Yuyan crawled and sat on Shen Yi’s lap. Her round brown eyes blinked at him.
“No, no,”—Shen Yi shook his head—”but Mommy and Daddy must do their best to take care of the baby while it’s growing inside Mommy’s tummy. Mommy should look after what she eat and drink so the baby wouldn’t get sick.”
They stayed that way for several minutes with the twins’ barrage of question coming Shen Yi’s way, which he answered carefully and honestly. Half an hour later, Shen Yuyan was already dozing off in Shen Yi’s lap.
Shen Yi stood up and held the sleeping girl in his arms.
“Uncle Yi?” Shen Zhichen held his uncle’s other free hand as they walked back inside the house.
“Yes?” Shen Yi was getting used of the twins calling him Uncle, but he was more surprised that the twins were more attached to his wife than him, their blood relative. He supposed their need of maternal love was too strong so they opted to choose Lu Xinyi’s company.
“Can’t you be our daddy? We don’t like our real daddy very much. We love Aunty Xinxin too. Yuyan said she wants her to be our mommy.”