Words I Was Afraid To Hear

After having dinner, Xiu Jin and Aoi bid good night and left the villa by the sea, giving Xiu Lan a ride back to the estate .

Midori had an awkward feeling when Manta arrived, as he addressed his real mother appropriately, then running to clutch onto her clothes . This awkwardness dissipated when Midori held Dmitri after Xiu Lan brought him to the villa .

After her parents left, Midori felt the need for her brother"s little family to catch up on their own, so she also expressed her desire to leave .

Before she went into their car, her brother spoke with her .

"M"dori-chan . . . " he placed his palm on her head .

She pouted, hating the nickname . "Nii-san, I"m a mom now . " She gently gestured by lifting her son who was fast asleep in her arms subtly .

Masaichi removed his hand as he chuckled . "Hai, hai . Remember to always put your family first . You need not learn through experience like we did . "

Midori smiled then nodded . "Hmmn . "

"Chūi s.h.i.te kudasai . *"

"Hai . Oyasumi, Nii-san . " She got inside the car .

Dan made a couple of beeps as courtesy before he drove their car away .

Masaichi"s gaze followed their car until the car"s rear lights disappeared into the distance .

Suddenly, the front door of the villa creaked open .

"Otousan . . . can we sleep now?" Manta"s little voice got his attention . The little boy was rubbing his eyes as he yawned .

Masaichi turned to look at his son with a tender gaze . He picked him up and made him lean on his shoulder as he carried the little boy upstairs .

Agatha Yang opened the door to the smaller bedroom, which they prepared beforehand for their son to occupy .

After tucking him to bed, Manta"s parents quietly went out and into their own bedroom .

As the couple lied beside each other on the bed, the husband heard the wife sigh deeply .

"What are you thinking about?" Masaichi Xiu turned his head to look at her .

"Maskun . . . I"m really sorry . . . about everything . " Her face was full of guilt .

"Don"t say that . You can be sorry about a lot of things, but not everything . " He showed her a gentle rea.s.suring smile . "You can"t be sorry for marrying me . . . and for having Mantarou, so you can"t be sorry about everything . "

She had a smile, but there was still regret in her eyes .

"Maskun, are we safe here? Do we need to go back to City T?"

His face turned stern . Even he was not certain of the answer .

He turned his body to better face her . "My parents had called in some clan members to get to the bottom of everything . Our men here in City S also heightened the security of our family . It is safe . . . for now . "

"What are your plans for Ming Rushi?" She remembered how the woman brought her to the jewelry launch where her husband found her .

"As they say, "Keep your friends close . . . and your enemies closer . "" He smirked and wrapped an arm around his wife .

_________________

"Oh yeah . . . what did you tell your wife when you left to go here? Are you sure n.o.body saw you?" Romina Ta asked as she was chopping some carrots .

"I made sure . She doesn"t ask much . She trusts me anyway . " He shrugged and continued to play with the newton"s cradle on the kitchen island .

She snickered . "Will I lose too much hair if she found out that you stayed with a woman for hours?"

He chuckled . "Should we call her and find out?" He gestured with his phone .

"Don"t you dare!" They both laughed .

After several minutes, the aroma of the beef stew filled the kitchen .

Romina Ta placed two sets of stew and rice on the bar counter . Then she sat beside the man, and they ate side by side .

"Hmmm . . . good . This is good food . " Lu Shaoting complimented as he chewed .

"Thanks . " Romina Ta slowly sipped some of the stew, then placed a spoonful of it on her steaming bowl of rice .

He snickered . "Too bad he chose someone else . He could"ve enjoyed your cooking . "

She gave a fake laugh . "He had a lot of chances to try it, but he always dodged the opportunity .

She remembered how Masaichi Xiu rejected every dish she made, whether lunch or dessert . He did not even try the cookies she made during home economics cla.s.s . He always reasoned out that people might misunderstand .

"He"s a fool . " Lu Shaoting continued to clean off the food on his bowls . "Seconds, please!" It was as if he was declaring it .

"No . Go home to your wife and child . It"s getting late now . " she scolded .

He pouted like a kid . "I never forgot about having my own family . . . but right now, let me be the family that you need . "