"Big brother, what did I do???" Han Zihao cried out in despair.
The poor guy looked rather pitiful.
First, it was those old geezers at the company who ruined his day; then it was his mother; and now it is his brother. It seemed like today was 'all you can scold Zihao day!!'. The biggest problem was that he had no clue what grave sin he had committed to receive their wrath!!!
He just came home completely exhausted after a hectic day at work, and these people were scolding him at every chance they got. He sighed as he towel-dried his wet hair and poured some wine into his glass.
When his question was answered by silence, he checked his phone again, and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
Twirling the wine in his glass, he asked,
"Big brother Normally, I would never ask you such questions, but you seem different today. Hmm, let's see... Is it a girl??"
Han Zhixin's face darkened when his little brother hit the target, soon followed by a snicker.
"So it is!!! Did I catch you at the wrong time??" Han Zihao smirked as he took a seat on the sofa and stared at the bright city lights.
"Zihao...." Han Zhixin warned in a grim tone, trying not to lash out at this stupid brother of his.
Han Zihao sighed.
'How did a handsome and innocent person like him end up with such a weird family?'
"Alright!! Jeez.. you are no fun!!!! I'll come to the point: Mom pestered me to call you since you weren't answering her calls. She wants you to come home for dinner tomorrow." he explained.
"Okay, I'll be there." Han Zhixin answered as he ran a hand through his wet hair.
Looking at the bright city lights, a cold and grim look appeared on Han Zihao's face.
"Big brother... I have some things to discuss regarding the company. I'll drop by your place in the morning." he stated.
Listening to his grave tone, Han Zhixin immediately straightened up. A troubled look passed through his pale blue eyes before he sighed.
"I won't be home, so let's meet at the Han Residence," he replied.
Han Zihao's eyes widened when he heard his response.
"Huh??? Big brother, are you stuck at the hospital??" he questioned. Han Zhixin sighed again; he could never keep any secret from this brother of his. He would sniff it out like a dog!!!
"I'm at Xiao Mei's!! So let's meet in the evening," he stated.
Han Zihao stiffened,
'Till now he was simply teasing him, but now it seems his brother was really at a girl's!!! That too, Xiao Mei!!! Woah!! This was definitely a big scoop.'
A mischievous smile spread on his lips as his eyes twinkled with curiosity.
"Ohhh... So I did call you at a bad time!!! Tsk Tsk, big brother, you are pretty quick!!! What magic trick did you pull for that demoness to let you into her den?? Sigh!!! Seems like it was pointless for mom to worry about you." he teased.
Listening to his younger brother's laughter on the other end, Han Zhixin grumbled in annoyance. "Shut up!!!!"
"Should I prepare for a big feast now that your maiden ship has finally sailed?" he teased more.
"It looks like I have to let Mom know how much her youngest son misses her." Han Zhixin stated as his lips curled into a smirk.
"Wha-what!! NO!!! Big brother, forgive me!!! I won't bother you anymore; you guys can continue whatever you are doing!! I'll meet you tomorrow." He replied in panic and disconnected the call.
'Stupid brother is always pulling up the mom card on me!!! Let's see how you'll explain this to mom tomorrow.' Han Zihao thought as a wicked smile appeared on his face.
"Big brother, don't be mad at me for selling you out!! Hehehe.." he whispered, sipping his wine.
Staring at his phone Han Zhixin shook his head at his little brother's antics.
'Now where did my woman run off to??' he thought as he stared at the door.
....
Dressed in a beige sweater and grey sweatpants, Han Zhixin walked into the little one's room.
Tang Li Mei, who was going through a few documents, froze when her eyes fell on him.
'It seems like I brought a sweater that was one size bigger for my father but fit this one perfectly.'
Soon her cheeks heated up, remembering their little encounter. A teasing smile spread across the man's face when he saw the bright red blush on her cheeks. He quietly walked towards the small bed and took a seat.
Tang Li Mei was completely alert when he approached, but when she saw him checking her baby's temperature, she relaxed. A warm feeling rose in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
"How's he now???" she asked worriedly.
"His fever has come down, so there's nothing to worry about now. He'll be fine by tomorrow," he replied with a gentle smile. Tang Li Mei nodded and got back to her documents.
The little one woke up when he heard voices around him. His gaze fell on the two people, and a weak smile appeared on his face.
"Mama!!" he called out, trying to sound energetic, but it came out a little weak. He raised his small hands towards her to be picked up.
Tang Li Mei, who was used to his daily habit of being picked up from bed, obliged his request and carefully picked him up in her arms to avoid any further harm to his injuries.
"Is my baby feeling better??" she asked.
The little one nodded and rubbed his tummy.
"Yes!! But Xun'er is hungry!!" he replied pitifully. A warm smile spread on her lips as she looked at his actions. Her baby sure knows how to make her smile.
"Alright, let's go downstairs to see what Aunt Lan has prepared to fill my baby's tummy," she replied playfully, nuzzling his tiny nose with hers. The little one's eyes sparkled as he snuggled some more in her arms and rubbed his tiny head on her shoulders. He felt at home when he smelled the familiar scent of his mother.
Han Zhixin observed them quietly as a weird feeling rose within him.
'Will she love their children like this too??'
But soon he sighed,
'Before all that, he needs to get her to agree to marry him; otherwise, all his dreams would simply remain a dream.'
They soon heard a knock, followed by Aunt Lan's voice.
"Young miss, young master, dinner is ready!!
"Let's go and fill that hungry tummy of yours, shall we??" she teased. Her baby had no clue about her teasing and simply nodded his head vigorously; he was famished.
As Tang Li Mei was about to get up, she stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulders. Specifically, his hands
"Let me carry him; it would get difficult for you when walking down the stairs," he whispered. Tang Li Mei felt anger rise within her heart.
"What do you mean?? Are you by any chance saying that I'm not strong enough to carry my child down a few flights of stairs??" She asked as her gaze grew cold and a chill spread around the room.
Han Zhixin immediately felt the change, and his face looked grim as he stared at her.
"Dr. Han I'm not like every other delicate noble lady who can't even carry a pair of shopping bags and needs assistance. As you can see, I can manage just fine!!! Chief Han, you should keep your opinion to yourself and not get involved in 'my' family issues." She stated it coldly.
Han Zhixin felt a sharp pain when he heard her say those words. He simply wanted to help her and get close to her. But he didn't know that he had done the exact opposite and pushed her further away. He sighed.
"Xiao Mei, that's not what I meant!! I simply wanted to lend you a hand," he explained as he stared at her cold and aloof face. Her cold grey eyes glared at him.
Tang Li Mei could see that her words had hurt him badly, and it pricked her heart to see him like this, but she hardened her resolve. If her behaving like this could push him away from her, then that's good. It was better for him to stay away from a person like her. And it would be even better if he understood that soon.
The little one looked at both of them, and a sad look appeared on his face.
"Mama, Papa, don't fight!!" he whispered as his eyes filled with tears.
Even though his voice was barely audible, the two of them heard him. Their bodies stiffened and their eyes widened as they glanced at the little boy.
Forcing out a smile, Tang Li Mei apologized to her little bun.
"Sorry baby, Mama and Papa are not fighting. Mama is simply explaining some things to Papa," she said as she patted his back.
The little boy stared at Han Zhixin, who looked confused but gave him a firm nod, which confirmed what his mother said. He smiled widely and hugged her tight.
"Okay!!" he whispered. He was happy that his mama and papa were together with him. That was all he wanted.
Han Zhixin, on the other hand, was confused since she didn't make a fuss like he thought she would after listening to her son call him that. He wanted to pry and ask her some questions, but she had already left the room.