Inside the garden, Hu was walking alongside his mother, his skin heated and his heart was beating like war drums.
His mother halted near the dragon fountain and persuaded him to follow his move. Hu attempted not to look into her eyes but it didn't matter how best he was at ignoring people, his weakness was his mother. He had missed those eyes that he wanted to drown in their tenderness. The eyes that could embrace him, warm him.
However, the space between them had gotten large and ice-filled the gap, yet he could feel the old era when the sun was glowing on his life by her presence.
"I am sorry for being in trouble because of Bella."
Hu shook his head, "it is fine, she is my sister. She is still wet behind ears, but there should be a strong motive that let her cross the borders."
Maria swallowed, looking at her son. He was a grown man now but the sorrow was still boiling in her blood, in her every cell for losing the moments she could be with him. Her hand extended and gently landed on his hand.
Running stifling and numb, Hu was trying to suppress his daze. Clenching his jaw, the bones and his vein bulged under his skin. The skittering heat in his head increased. The hidden child inside him was crying but no tears were allowed to sit in his eyes.
"Please, forgive me! I won't push the blame on others that I lost you but I came to see you so many times."
Did she? Did she come to take him with her? Because he preferred to be with his mother rather than being alone in a huge majestic manor.
"Father said you did not want me, that was why you left, said the same thing, his wife."
He uttered calmly, killing the shiver in his voice but this topic was the only thing that could bring twists in his stomach.
"This is not true, I swear to God that I had never left you. Either time I came to see you the guards stopped me. I begged your father to let me do it but he told me that I must be convinced with one picture each month."
Tears were shimmering in her eyes, Hu didn't know his mother, all he remembered were vague blurred images.
"He wanted me to be obedient and do what he wanted but I couldn't live like that, in a life that barely I could see him and most of the time were coming alerts about danger and we were supposed to change place."
Hu could remember this, this term of living continued until Mr. Tian died, and after that everything calmed.
"Let's not talk about this for now."
The woman nodded, but his behavior was at least better than the previous time that he didn't want to hear her.
"Do you want Bella to stay here?"
Hu bobbed his head, running his fingers in his hair, "yes, give her a second chance because of me. I will solve the matter with her university."
"She doesn't like her major, she has been proceeding because of her father. She wants him to rely on her."
"Why is she sacrificing herself?"
"She loves her father and when he becomes disappointed, she can't endure it."
"She can continue art, but when I suggested to help her, she refused rapidly, she wants to prove herself and it is unnecessary."
Maria Yang admitted with a nod, "I think it is better she stays with you for a while, it is good that Dandan is with her."
Hu swallowed, should he tell her to come and visit them anytime she wished?
"You can phone her to check up on her."
Why did he let out these words? Exactly, when he could be nicer. But breaking this ice was tough. He could beg her to stay here and refine things between them but his head was working beyond the heart.
"Oh, alright! Then I leave her to you."
She smiled and didn't expect more from him, as a child he had suffered so much without her and it was obvious that he despised seeing her.
Leading her inside, he saw his friends and Dandan who were now in the living room.
...
Outside of the mansion, Bella was rubbing her sweated palms against her pants. Fear had ignited in her whole body and was expanding.
"I am truly sorry, dad! I didn't..."
"You didn't want to cause my misery!"
She nodded, gulping and not being able to breathe properly, it was latched in her chest and was strangling her.
Her father's hand landed on her shoulders, his daughter was as pale as a corpse.
"Calm down, I know something is going on that you can't talk about it."
Like a sacred miracle, those words opened the way for air and she took a deep breath.
"I will fix everything."
The man put his arm over her shoulder and began to walk with her.
"I know, don't worry about the law university. If you want to quit it, I won't protest."
Her eyes rolled on him, he was disappointed, that was why he didn't insist on her. She couldn't let this happen, she couldn't give up because of Anastasia. That wench, she was aiming to ravage Dan and Bella both at the same time.
"I want to stay, I can't give up, it is unlike me. There are only two years left till I become a graduate."
Mr. Yang smiled, hearing this was a relief. But Mr. Chen was a man who held a grudge toward those who bloodied his name. He was strict but as he knew him, no one would be unpaid if they hurt his precious daughter.
The man's cellphone rang, patting his daughter's head after seeing the number, "go inside, I have things to take care of."
Bella bowed her head and slowly turned and left, snatching looks from her father.
Picking the phone call, Mr. Yang's eyebrows creased.
"Hello, Mr. Chen."
"Hello, Mr. Yang! I wouldn't have imagined that we contact each other in a situation like this."
"Same here, how can I help you?"
Mr. Yang was aware of the motive behind this call. This greedy man was tending to use the chance that came with the wind and abuse him. To earn the craving he couldn't catch three years ago, to make him wash his dirty work.