"Alright," he agreed, permitting her to sleep with Wen Xi Lan.
She had the right to, after all she was the child's mother and he knew how desperate his son was to be with his mother.
"Ho, ho." Jiang XinYan chortled with merriment.
"You agreed right. Ah-Lan you also heard your father agree too, right?" She asked the little dumpling.
Wen Xi Lan was in seventh heaven. In his head, all that was glaring in neon lights was: he could sleep with mother: He could sleep in his mother's embrace.
Wen Jun Xi could see how excited his son was and he suddenly felt reflective. He'd never seen him emit such an expression before. Twice in one hour, his son had spoken two sentences. That was such a huge fit compared to almost nothing.
Clearly, she had a huge impact on his son. And he could see finally that those psychiatrists had been correct with their diagnosis. Indeed, the child needed a mother's warmth in his life.
He need security of knowing he was loved by both parents.
As he was contemplating, he suddenly smelled her familiar perfume. She had suddenly leaned down, her face becoming two inches away.
Wen JunXi felt his heart skyrocketing like never before. It was as if the feelings that had died four years ago had retuned tenth fold.
He inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing into haze. She was two inches away, just a breath away from kissing distance.
Wen Jun Xi did something he never thought he could in his entire life, he held himself back from pursuing his desires.
Bracing himself, he fought the urge to kiss her right there and then. If it was before he would have done as he pleased-no-questions-asked. In response, she would have relented unto his advance with no resistance.
Because she now had a special identity, he could not afford to offend her.
Wen JunXi suddenly realised he'd always been the one to initiate their intimacy. He had always possessed her even without fully knowing whether she wanted the same thing.
Just as Wen JunXi was holding back his desires, Jiang XinYan showed no mercy.
She moved to his side and closely whispered to his ear.
"Wen JunXi, you now owe me a favour. Just remember that I, Jiang XinYan, show no mercy when I start collecting the debt owed to me."
Wen JunXi shuddered with a desire so strong he found himself gulping. She had a mischievous smirk on her face, the look he'd never seen on her before. Such a look was strongly enticing him to possess all of her.
However, what sobered him were the words she had spoken. Whether intentionally or unintentionally she had single-handedly warned him of the uneasy road to come.
As he watched Jiang XinYan scoup their son into her arms, playfully coddling him as she walked away to her seat. A deep feeling of bitter sweetness entered his heart.
Partly because he was jealous of his son. He had forgotten what it was like to be embraced by her and yet his son had received so much affection from her.
He could not fret over this however, he deeply adored that baby boy because of her. Wen JunXi wanted his son to experience his mother's warmth. The warmth he had been robbed off in all four years of his life.
His owed his son that much and more.
While mother and son enjoyed their night of sleeping together. The father was left to his own devices to contemplate his past with her.
...
[12 hours later]
Wen Xi Lan awoke in a startle, thinking that meeting his mother after so long had just been a phantom dream.
When he shifted, he saw her face and sighed in relief.
She was sleeping soundly on her side and had stopped hugging him sometime during the night.
Feeling wronged he was about to cuddle back in her arms when he felt pernicious eyes focussed on him.
He turned and startled as he saw that his father was watching him with a straight face.
Wen Xi Lan pouted his lips. Although he and his father barely communicated, he was attuned to all of his father's moods and expression.
The expression he depicted right now meant he had to get up instantly or there was hell to pay.
Before meeting his mother, Wen Xi Lan would have immediately obeyed that look without fuss. After receiving his mother's brief care and warmth, Wen Xi Lan felt rebellious.
He didn't get up, instead he opened his arms conveying a message to his father to pick him up.
Wen Jun Xi sighed deeply and helplessly. His reticent son was now finally acting like a young little boy, it was as if finally meeting her had jogged the terrible rebellious phase.
Wen JunXi took his son to the washroom and wiped his face, arms and body. He then he took out a set of disposable toddler toothbrushes and indicated him to brush his teeth.
Wen JunXi made sure Wen Xi Lan was thorough with his action. His care for his son was conveyed in these little precious moments.
After everything was completed, he implored him to change his clothes. Little Ah-Lan was still practicing how to change clothes on his own. This task he took very seriously every time.
Although Wen JunXi had no patience for everyone else, he would watch his son's sloth-like movements every time he clothed himself.
He learned not to give him any pointers after explaining the process to him once.
Wen Xi Lan was a smart and self-sufficient child, he picked everything up quickly. However, because he was still only four years old, he was very slow.
After completing everything, his father adjusted his shoes and then praised him for being a good boy. Before they returned to their seats, Wen JunXi squatted down to be eye level with his son.
He had a serious expression as usual, however, this time Wen Xi Lan could detect the difference. It was as if his father was anxious about something he was about to tell him.
"Ah-Lan."
Wen JunXi spoke his nickname. Wen Xi Lan startled, an emotion so rare blooming in his heart.
His father had never called him this way before. Ever. Only his grandmother did.
"Ah-Lan listen carefully. Although we have finally found your mommy, you cannot call her like that okay?"
Wen Xi Lan immediately frowned.
"Mommy has a problem, she doesn't seem to remember us. So, until daddy figures everything out and until she remembers us, you have to call her aunt for now, okay?"
Although it was very rare for his father to speak to him in such a loving tone, Wen Xi Lan felt wronged.
After so long he finally had a mommy, but now he was told he cannot call her by this. He felt very wronged.
He pouted his lips and wanted to cry, but knowing his tears won't affect his father he just kept pouting.
Wen JunXi saw that his son was about to cry and so did something he had only ever done when Wen Xi Lan was asleep, he hugged him.
"I know daddy is asking a lot but do daddy this favour. Hmm?"
Wen Xi Lan did not know that Wen JunXi would hug him to his sleep every night. He had always thought it was his grandmother. And so, to him this was the first time his father hugged him.
Wen Xi Lan grabbed this opportunity and tightened his arms around Wen JunXi. As he was deep into his father's hug, he suddenly realised the smell on him was so familiar. It was the calming smell of comfort.
As his little brain wired, Wen Xi Lan suddenly realised that he smelt this every night before he went to deep sleep.
Does his father only hug him when he's asleep? Wen Xi Lan wondered.
Then he smiled, his father was so silly. Clearly his father really liked him. Why was he so stern when they were awake?
"Alright." Wen Xi Lan agreed to his father request.
The fact that it was request and not a demand this time, made it easier for him to accept. Although this request was really not to his liking, Wen Xi Lan acquiesced seeing how desperate his father was