After receiving the text, Chen Mu could already guess what had happened to make his parents call him back home. It's been a while since he's seen them anyways. The last time he saw them they had just come back from Hawaii and was flaunting their love to his face and sprinkling fairy salt dust to make him find a partner.
He put down his phone to see Susu struggling to untie the knot that she tied behind her apron. Her fingers were great at backwards texting, but definitely not for apron untying. He let out a quiet laugh, half-suppressing his smile as he walked over and skillfully loosened the knot. She obediently stayed in place with her hands on her sides.
"Done." The apron loosened, and she quickly pulled it off, "Phew, I thought I would be stuck sleeping with this apron."
He chuckled lowly by her ears and wrapped his arms around her from behind. His head rested on her shoulders as her light floral perfume filled his nostrils. With his eyes closed, he captured this amazing feeling of his longing dream since childhood becoming reality. At this moment, he felt that everything is completely in the right place.
"Susu, I need to go to my parents for a bit. Are you going to be okay staying by yourself?" He asked while pulling her in for a tighter embrace, as if he wanted to bring her far away to a foreign place.
"Uh huh, sure. I'll be right here when you come back." Her hand reached backwards and ruffled through his hair. After a while, he grabbed his jacket and gave her a peck on the forehead before leaving to his parent's house.
- Chen residence -
"I'm home." Chen Mu said as he walked to the living room where his parents would usually be enjoying their private time after a long day of work. He walked in and like the usual, his parents were sipping tea waiting for him patiently. The only thing that is different is their mood.
It's like he could see dark, thunderous clouds above their heads and his mother was obviously sulking.
"Oh! My son is finally home!" Chen Xin Ya, Chen Mu's mother said in a slightly upset manner. Still, she got up to give him a hug and patted him on the back before sitting back down next to her husband, Chen Ting.
Chen Ting rubbed his ears and pointed at his cell phone, "Son, I'm getting old, but I don't want to be deaf before turning eighty years old. Care to explain why my ear drums almost exploded right after your mother and I got off the airplane?"
Chen Mu saw the unpacked luggage behind the couch and could tell that they were not pleased at the moment. Before he could say another word, Chen Xin Ya said, "Yin Zin Leung called. If you're wondering what this is about."
Chen Mu nodded as if he had expected it, "Who else would disrupt you guys like that? But mom.. and dad.. I did what I had to do. I couldn't just stand back and watch Susu get hurt. You guys watched her since she was young too. You two knew how she was struggling throughout childhood in that family. I told you guys everything!"
"Not everything, son. We know that Susu has suffered in that family, but this is within her family. Why did you interrupt and act the way you did? Was this how we taught you?" Xin Ya asked with an indifferent tone while stirring the lemon in her water.
Chen Ting added, "In addition to that, Yin Zin Leung threatened to terminate the contracts with the company along with our friendship. He said that Susu's family name was still Yin, so you had no rights to interfere their dinner. He requested for you to give them each an apology."
"Mom, I have every right to do what I did. If I didn't stand up for her, those people wouldn't know what respect really means. If those crap that I have lectured from this afternoon is still considered as a family just because they have the same surname, then I can make her my family! I could go to the wedding halls tomorrow and marry her. There! Change her surname to Chen. I'll take care of her if none of you accept her."
He was furious at Zin Leung's words, "If he says that because Susu still has his family name, then I'll make her a Chen! There, I will have every damn right to interfere now while they can escort their asses out of our sight. They've tortured her enough, and I won't allow anyone to make her shed another tear."
His face flushed and blood boiled in his bloodstreams as he clenched his fists tightly. Suddenly, Xin Ya bursts out in laughter, "Pfft hahahahaha, I'm sorry! Sorry, hubby! I can't pretend anymore! Hahahaha, this is too great!"
Chen Ting looked at his wife and gave up in their acting, "Aiya! Always you. This is why he could see through our lies all the time!"
"Mom..? Dad..? Y..you two aren't angry?" The wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out as he heard and saw his parents laughing and patting each other's back.
Xin Ya wiped away a drip of tear from the corner of her eye and walked to him, "Geez, have some confidence in us. Do we look like the type who would get mad over a wrecked dinner? We've watched Susu since what? Since she was like five! I've long thought of her as my daughter and wanted to dote on her. I was a bit upset earlier at you, though."
"At me..?" His head tilted slightly sideways, looking confused.
"Yes! For once in your life, you got a girlfriend! Did you know how quiet I was while listening to the damn Zin Leung shout into our ears about you taking Susu away?! From all the things that he spat out, we just wanted to confirm the main point out of the whole situation!"
"...and the main point...of your whole show... is..." Chen Mu felt flabbergasted at his parent's playful super top notch acting.
Xin Ya clapped her hands excitedly as her smile reached her eyes, "Of course it is for you to admit that you and her are together! You just declared your love for her in front of us! And for you to say all that with confidence, you must be dating her with marriage set as a goal~ Is mommy right?! Hmmm? Hmmm?"
Chen Mu was speechless, "I..I need a chair. My legs are going weak. Here I was thinking how to explain to the both of you and try to extinguish the flames. Yet all along, I was being played? Arghhh, damn! You two must have gone on vacation for so long that you missed me dearly. What a hit to my heart!"
He covered his chest like he had been shot. Chen Ting's sly tone caught Chen Mu's attention instantly, "Your mother and I aren't those strict ass parents who value business. Business comes and goes. If the partner already shows the signs of disloyalty, then we might as well let them. Right?" His meaning was quite clear about what he wanted Chen Mu to do.
"I thought you would value the friendship." He was quite shocked at his father's straightforward decision to terminate the contract with Yin Corps.
"Hah! Friendship and business do not mix. And plus, using friendship to gain advantages over business is not something I tolerate. Plus, they said some pretty petty things that got on my nerves. So, why not do them a favor and do as they say?" Chen Ting may seem friendly on the surface, but once angered; he could be as fierce as a dragon's fire breath.
"By the way.." Xin Ya patted Chen Mu's shoulder.
"Yes, mom?"
"Just lecturing wasn't enough! I heard Karen's face was covered in sweet and sour ribs while Tian Yuo's feet had tap danced holes in his shoes when they left! Sheesh, if there is a next time, don't do things so half-assed! Your parents taught you better! You need to lecture them less and slam more dishes to their faces. Your words were barely enough! Thank goodness Lily finished it off for you."
"Oh... okay...So that was what you meant when you asked earlier if that was how you raised me..."
'Never underestimate mothers...' he repeated in his head.