Zi Xingxi was the very definition of resilience. It didn't take her long to bounce back as she changed the subject entirely. As for the new subject, Zi Han didn't like it very much.
Zi Xingxi had watched the footage of the Marshal and his kid when they came over to harass her father. At first, she had focused on the Marshal but soon her gaze shifted to Yi Chen. Something was off. Her years of experience told her that this young man had fought with someone recently.
Though his posture was upright and his expression as blank as a sheet of paper she could still see the subtle signs. A mischievous grin crept up her face as she glanced over in her son's direction her eye twitching.
While she was searching for Yi Chen's most recent image she called out to her son. "Han Han, do you remember what the person who hit you looks like."
Zi Han's body visibly stiffened recalling that painful incident. According to his mother's personality, she will turn over every rock in the entire federation just to find the culprit who messed him up. Why, why did that guy have to hit him in the face? Tsk, next time he will pick his fights carefully.
"Um, I..... I don't remember his face clearly," he said trying as much as possible to restrain his emotions from appearing on his face. Ah, but he was such a novice at this. He wouldn't and couldn't win against an old fox like Zi Xingxi.
"Trust me with that face of his you would remember him at a glance. It's an unforgettable face," she said while staring at him like an interrogator grilling a suspect to confess his crimes. She was always like this.
When he was six he robbed her egg tart from the fridge and at that time he had no idea how valuable that sweet dessert was to her. That's the thing, Zi Xingxi can share anything with her son that includes her shoes, makeup and even perfume (That's a story for another day) but not her egg tart.
Her crazy obsession with egg tart stems from her relationship with her husband. That was the dessert he bought for her the day he confessed his feelings so she wouldn't share it with anyone including her son.
So when this little thief robbed it from the fridge despite her placing a big sticky note saying, "Mummy's property," and repeatedly telling him that that egg tart was Mummy's, he was interrogated for a full three hours. Back then little Zi Han was so stubborn he refused to admit it. That day his story changed several times accusing rats, a ghost and a robber climbing through the window even with the evidence of his crime smudged on his face.
That gruesome three hours left a psychological shadow on him. This meant that it didn't take him long to crack under her stern gaze. Zi Han could lie to anyone but not his mother. Under her probing gaze, he was already sweating bullets.
Zi Xingxi smiled like a rogue watching him squirm like this. "Here, take a look. Was this the guy who hit you?... Take your time, I can wait," she said displaying a holographic image of a handsome face unique to the federation.
Secretary K sympathized with Yi Chen. Zi Xingxi was petty when it came to her son which meant her retaliation was going to be severe. "That..... um..... I, I uh," stammered Zi Han. He felt bad throwing this man under the bus more especially when he was the one who escalated things on purpose. If his mother went to find trouble with the other party then wouldn't that be embarrassing? It's like a school tyrant's mother going to find trouble with the bullied party because her son got beaten. How shameful is that?
"I uh um what? You know you can't lie to me," she said as the image vanished at the wave of her hand.
Zi Han looked at her with a helpless expression his eyes begging her to let it go. The answer was clear. Zi Han fought with Yi Chen in sky city and oh boy was she going to make him pay.
Seeing him looking like SpongeBob staring at her pitifully she couldn't help but comfort him, "I just want to talk to him."
Secretary K almost rolled his eyes hearing this. Since when did she start acting reservedly? Even Zi Han didn't believe her. Seeing the worry in her son's eyes deepen she said again, "I seriously just want to talk to him,"
After saying that she whispered something into Secretary K's ear before he left with an 'I was right' expression. What talk to him? She was obviously going to retaliate.
Zi Han felt so awkward that he started a random conversation. Maybe it was to dispel his guilty conscience. "What about my grandma? You never mention her," he asked.
Zi Xingxi took out two coin-shaped objects that seemed a little peculiar while replying, "I am an artificial womb baby... Your grandfather didn't like the drama that comes with marriage so he picked high-quality genes that matched his at the gene bank and here I am.'
Zi Han, "???"
"How unromantic," he said now realizing that his mother's certain behaviours could be because of this. She had a unique approach to being a mum. Sometimes she behaved more like a dad than a mum. Other mums in the neighbourhood would run over when their babies fell while they were playing in the playground but his mother would remain sitting with a beer in her hand while asking, "Is it bleeding?" If not then she would wave her hand and say, "Then you are fine."
Don't misunderstand her. She loved him to the world's end but she just had a unique way of showing it.
"Do you have a mech?" he asked completely going off-topic with the questions. It seemed the questions were now flowing out of him like a barrage of comments.
"Yes.....," she replied as a three-dimensional image appeared in front of him. It was a silver and green mech that stood tall exuding a majestic aura that sent shivers all over Zi Han's body.
This mech was part of an exclusive series special to high ranking dignitaries of the federation. That included the Marshal, the late prince and of course, the leader of the Bloodgarde. The fact that it was in Zi Xingxi's hands was because her father gave it to her.
"Chro-chronos?" stammered Zi Han his heart dropping to the floor. Zi Han wasn't into luxury vehicles and fancy homes but he was absolutely into mechs. Which kid in the federation wasn't? There were plenty of mechs in the military and the prime minister's office with exceptional specs but this mech, Chronos, was part of the famous three known as the three calamities. The other was with the marshal and the last one was currently missing and no one could find it.