Bang!
Li Ren's mother slammed various kitchen utensils in the kitchen to vent her anger. Knives, pots, spatulas... nothing was spared. "Coming back for no reason and still wanting me to cook for him! Sitting there like a king!" she yelled.
"Then... should I let him come in and help?" Zheng Yi Xin asked carefully.
"No need! It's already done! Don't come in and get in my way!" She slammed the dish of cooked food onto the table. "Take it out!" she ordered. Then she began washing the pots in the sink with force. Zheng Yi Xin and her brother didn't dare say anything more. One quietly placed the food her mother had cooked on the dining table, and the other obediently got bowls to serve the soup.
Sitting in the living room, Terry heard the commotion from the kitchen. Each loud sound made him jump. "Why does it sound like she's on fire? Didn't his sister say his mom had talked about him a lot?" he thought, looking at Li Ren. Li Ren looked at his expression and calmly said, "Appetizer."
After Zheng Yi Xin placed the dishes on the table, she waved at them, "Come over, it's time to eat," she said.
The two of them stood up and walked to the dining table. Once Zheng Yi Xin brought the utensils, they worked together to distribute the dishes to each seat.
The dining table was a rectangular six-person seat. Li Ren and Terry chose one side where two people could sit. Just as Li Ren was about to sit down, the collar at the back of his shirt suddenly pulled him up as if his feet were no longer on the ground. By the time he realized, he was already standing beside a single seat.
"This is my seat," Zheng Yi Rong said, then sat next to Terry. "You're sitting in my dad's seat," he smiled at Terry.
Before the words even left his mouth, the chair next to Terry was pulled back. Terry turned to look at the chair, following the hand on the backrest. It was a middle-aged man, wearing a hat, a white tank top, a dark blue jacket, and long pants.
"Uncle," Terry nodded politely.
"Mm," Zheng Yi Rong's father replied, then pulled out the chair and sat down. He looked at Li Ren, who was sitting across from him.
"Uncle," Li Ren said quietly.
"Mm," Zheng Yi Rong's father paused before responding.
Li Ren stood where he was, staring at Zheng Yi Rong. "Switch places with him," he said to Zheng Yi Rong.
Zheng Yi Rong, whistling and enjoying the tune, turned to Li Ren and quietly said, "I'm sitting here today."
'Tsk… On purpose, huh? Little brat?' Li Ren thought, angrily exhaling as he walked heavily behind Terry. "Get up, sit there." He pointed to the single seat.
"Huh?" Terry glanced at Li Ren, then at Zheng Yi Rong, and back at Li Ren. Seeing Li Ren slightly nod, signaling him to move, Terry quickly moved his behind to the single seat.
No sooner had Li Ren sat down than Zheng Yi Rong was smiling at him, making Li Ren feel uncomfortable. He shot a fierce glare at Zheng Yi Rong.
Soon after, Li Ren's family members gradually took their seats. Zheng Yi Xin sat to the right of Terry, while Li Ren's mother sat next to Zheng Yi Xin, across from Li Ren. Li Ren's mother glanced at him, but he lowered his head, not saying a word.
'Should I call her?' Li Ren struggled with the thought in his mind, like an angel and a devil arguing. 'If I don't, she'll get angry, right...?' he worried.
"Just looking at that face makes me lose my appetite!" Li Ren's mother's voice wasn't too loud or too soft, just enough for everyone at the table to hear clearly. Li Ren quietly stared at his food. 'Better not call her… If I do, she'll get even angrier…' he thought.
Seeing Li Ren still refusing to speak, Li Ren's mother slammed her hand on the utensils, then glared at him before picking up her utensils to start serving herself. The Zheng family followed suit and began to eat.
'Is it okay to start eating now?' Terry looked at everyone starting to eat, then glanced at Li Ren, who was still doing nothing. He then met Zheng Yi Xin's eyes. She immediately stood up and, using her own clean utensils, served Terry some food. Terry felt a little embarrassed and quickly stood up as well, bowing slightly to take the dish from Zheng Yi Xin.
"This is the first time you've been to our house, so the dishes are simple. I hope you still like them," Zheng Yi Xin smiled and said.
"Not at all, these dishes are much more elaborate than what I usually eat! Thank you," Terry nodded and thanked her.
Zheng Yi Xin glanced at Li Ren and saw that he was holding a spoon but waiting for others to finish serving before even touching the dishes in front of him. She noticed he hadn't moved to take any food and decided to take some for him. She picked up a piece of roasted meat and offered it to him. "Eat more, you're too thin."
"Starving himself at this age is his own fault!" Li Ren's mother remarked, not stopping her actions. Terry and Zheng Yi Xin paused for a moment. Zheng Yi Xin didn't dare to do anything more, so she quietly sat down and continued eating.
Li Ren took small bites of the rice on his plate. As soon as he swallowed the first bite, he began to cough violently. He put down his utensils and covered his mouth. Terry, seeing this, stood up and wanted to get him a glass of water, but Li Ren had already gotten up and quickly walked to the kitchen to pour himself some water.
Li Ren's mother glared at him as he ran to the kitchen and said, "Eating like it's a matter of life and death! If you don't want to eat, just don't! It's so annoying to watch!" She scolded, then aggressively poked at the rice clumps with her spoon.
"Mom... he just choked, maybe the rice is too dry?" Zheng Yi Xin frowned and couldn't help but speak up for Li Ren.
"If the rice is too dry, shouldn't he add some sauce? Is that my problem?" Li Ren's mother retorted.
"No...That's not what I mean…" Zheng Yi Xin didn't dare say more. Each word felt like adding fuel to the fire, so she just continued eating. Out of the corner of her eye, she occasionally glanced at Terry, who seemed at a loss. 'Should I try talking to him? Otherwise, it might seem rude… And Mom might lose her temper again…' she thought.
After much inner turmoil, Zheng Yi Xin decided to take the initiative and break the silence. "What do you do for a living?" she asked.
Terry looked at Zheng Yi Xin, a little surprised. 'I really thought I was going to sit through an awkward dinner! Thank you, savior!' If emotions could be seen, Terry would probably be in tears right now.
"I'm actually currently unemployed," Terry replied, pretending to whisper. Meanwhile, Li Ren quietly returned to his seat.
"Hah," Terry's answer immediately piqued Zheng Yi Rong's interest. "An unemployed man wearing designer clothes and driving a fancy car? Are you a kept man?" He then turned and patted Li Ren's arm, laughing. "Hey, I thought he was the one you snagged, a rich catch." Li Ren jerked his arm away and glared at Zheng Yi Rong, 'I really want to rip your mouth apart!'
Zheng Yi Rong's lack of filter also made Zheng Yi Xin furrow her brows. Even their usually silent father spoke up, "Zheng Yi Rong, eat your food."
Although their father's tone wasn't harsh, it was enough to silence the reckless Zheng Yi Rong. Zheng Yi Rong rolled his eyes and said, "What's the big deal? Can't I make a little joke?" Then he continued eating his food.
Once things quieted down, Zheng Yi Xin asked again, "So, how did you two meet?"
"It was fate, haha~" Terry squinted and smiled. Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi Rong couldn't help but snicker. "Not long ago, he passed out at the bus station. I just happened to be there, so I took him to the hospital, and that's how we met." He shared the story like it was one of his proudest achievements.
Li Ren gave Terry a sideways glance, his eyes full of disdain. 'What's he so full of himself for?' Just then, Terry turned his head and locked eyes with Li Ren. He stuck his tongue out in response to Li Ren's disdain, causing Li Ren to roll his eyes. Seeing Li Ren's expression, Terry couldn't help but squint and laugh.
After hearing Terry's brief story, Zheng Yi Xin looked at Li Ren with worry in her eyes and asked, "Are you okay?"
Before Li Ren could answer, their mother, still chewing her food, scolded, "If he weren't fine, he wouldn't be sitting here! He's nearly thirty and can't even get his life together? Do I have to teach him how to eat and sleep too?"
"Mom..." Zheng Yi Xin looked at her helplessly. 'Why does it have to be like this? Why does she have to make the atmosphere so tense? I haven't said anything... I was just showing a little concern... Is it really necessary to scold him so much...?'
Their mother sneered and said, "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Terry couldn't help but frown at the suffocating atmosphere. He looked at the innocent Zheng Yi Xin, then at Li Ren, who had endured countless cold remarks. He forced himself to remain calm and kept eating his food. It had returned to the same stifling atmosphere, and the version of him he had known was gone again, as if that brief moment of irritation never existed.
"Say something. Aren't you good at talking? I'm giving you the chance!" Their mother said to Li Ren.
'Suddenly asking me to say something... What do you want to hear...?' Li Ren kept his head lowered, shoveling food onto his plate.
Clink!
A spoon flew out of Li Ren's cup and hit him, then fell to the ground, startling everyone at the table. Zheng Yi Xin and Terry both stood up, one gently holding her mother back while the other looked at Li Ren's reaction.
"What?!" Their mother shouted at Zheng Yi Xin.
Zheng Yi Xin let go of her mother's arm and quietly returned to her seat. Terry also sat back down. He glanced at Zheng Yi Xin, raising an eyebrow to check if she was okay. She just gently shook her head.
"Enough." Their father said to their mother, but she shot him a sharp look. Zheng Yi Rong, on the other hand, had a look of amusement, as if enjoying the drama.
Li Ren slowly put down his spoon, picked up the fallen one, and placed it back on the table. He sighed, still looking down. "I just want to make a bit more money..."
"Even if you don't eat and don't sleep, the money you bring home is still not much! My life is still not great! Don't talk like I'm the one who made you this way!"
Li Ren kept his head down, taking deep breaths. He suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, like something was swelling up inside him, ready to burst through his frail body... 'Please, let this end soon…' he thought.
"Aunty..." Terry reached out to stop her, his heart tightening as he saw Li Ren's state. He clenched his fist, unable to bear seeing him continue to endure such pressure. 'So pitiful…' Terry thought. 'What should I do...?' Facing all of this, Terry felt powerless, as the lines between friend and outsider blurred in his mind.
However, their mother ignored the attempts to intervene and continued berating Li Ren. "What does your miserable life have to do with me? Don't blame everything on me! Don't pile all the sins on me! Did I owe your family in a past life? You're all like an ungrateful brat!"
'Ah…' Li Ren felt an invisible force pushing tears out from his eyes, as if they would fall at any moment.
"Mom..."
"Quiet!" She waved her hand at Li Ren and said, "Don't you dare say you're doing this for my sake, I can't afford it!"
Once again, the room fell into silence. The only sound was the breathing of those present. But in Li Ren's ears, a sharp noise rang louder and louder... then it vanished.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…
A familiar touch brushed against Li Ren's back. He turned his head slightly, then returned his gaze to the ground.
Terry had come to stand beside Li Ren.
Li Ren took a deep breath, then slowly spoke:
"You really never think of my feelings when you talk."
His mother looked at him, "Your feelings? You want me to consider your feelings?! What about my feelings?!" She pointed at her chest, each word making her appear as if she were tearing apart, her voice filled with anguish.
Li Ren's world seemed to freeze, everything around him quiet and still.
'I understand... it's hopeless... This will never be resolved…' He thought. His mother's scolding continued, but... 'What did she say?'
"Always running away when there's pressure! You don't want to take responsibility, and you don't want to solve the problem, so you disappear!"
'What did she say?'
"You've had a home but you wandered outside for three years without returning! Even I think of you like an orphan!"
Cough…
"I want to go home too..."
Li Ren said slowly, as if a warm feeling brushed against his cheek, then dripped down…
"But where is home?"
He lifted his head and looked around, "Here?" He glanced at Zheng Yi Rong, "Have you ever thought of me as family?" He then looked at his mother, "Have you ever thought of me as your son?" Finally, he lowered his head again.
"This isn't my home at all. This is your home."
Clink!
Their mother casually grabbed a nearby ornament and threw it at Li Ren.
"You damn brat!"
"Ah!" Li Ren cried out in pain, clutching his head. Terry grabbed Li Ren's arm to pull him back, but he was pulled away by another force, breaking free from Terry's grasp. "Ouch..." The sharp pain in Li Ren's scalp made him feel like his hair was being tugged until he fell to the ground. He pressed down on Zheng Yi Rong's hand tightly to relieve the pain.
"You bastard..." Zheng Yi Rong gritted his teeth and cursed.
Chaos.
This was probably the only word that could describe the current situation.
"Let go!" Terry covered Li Ren's hand with one of his own, while using the other hand to grab Zheng Yi Rong's arm. His face no longer held its usual smile, now staring angrily at Zheng Yi Rong. Zheng Yi Rong glared back and said, "You, let go."
"Enough!!" Their father slammed his hand on the table and yelled. Zheng Yi Rong let go of Terry's hand, and Terry quickly helped Li Ren up, checking on him. He gently pressed his hand against Li Ren's head, which had gone numb from the tugging. "Are you okay?"
Li Ren kept his head down, his hand trembling slightly as he gently pushed Terry's hand away. "I look pathetic, don't I...?" he said. Terry didn't respond.
Li Ren stood there, his hair disheveled, his clothes in disarray. He looks…
Empty. Broken.
"Welcome to my home..."
Those were his last words. Then, he picked up his things and left the house.
Terry hesitated for a moment before turning to look at Zheng Yi Xin, who nervously waved her hand and mouthed to him: "Hurry up and go after him!"
Terry quickly nodded, grabbed his things, and rushed out.
As she watched her son disappear from her sight, their mother angrily continued shouting, "I should've just aborted you from the beginning! I should've known you came from a hell bad blood!!"
The scene had come to an end. Zheng Yi Xin tried to comfort her mother while cleaning up the table and floor. Zheng Yi Rong and their father, on the other hand, continued eating their meals as if nothing had happened.
Li Ren walked slowly, steadily, until his mother's voice grew fainter and eventually disappeared into the night.
TO BE CONTINUE...