1193: [Bonus chapter] All That

[Bonus chapter] All That

1"Here is your sparkling water," said Tang Hebe as she gave Raelle the water. And then she gave a cup of coffee to Xiang Weimin saying, "Justin told me that you like black coffee. So, here it is."

Xiang Weimin smiled at her, "Thank you!" 

"Justin is a clever little boy," commented Raelle. "You even found out all the likes and dislikes of my brother? Aren't you very smart, eh?"

"I'm smart," said Justin.

"Oh?"

"You said that," reminded Justin.

Tang Hebe suppressed her smile while Xiang Weimin gave his son a proud look. Justin did have a way to talk to Raelle and it was very unexpected too.

"Now I know what 'getting slapped with your own words' feels like," said Raelle. "Thanks for the new experience, little man!"

"You are welcome!"

"Oh, you are getting cheeky!"

Justin grinned at her without any restraint showing his tiny-tiny teeth.

Tang Hebe's eyes softened when she saw him acting like this. He was so much more livelier than she could remember. And she knew it was because of these two people who made him feel very comfortable. She knew that Justin was a sensitive kid. He had always been able to feel others' emotions very clearly.

She still remembered that when she first hired a nanny for him, he was so small but he always cried whenever the nanny tried to hold him. Later, she learned that the nanny wasn't doing her job properly and had even pinched him whenever she got the chance. So, he would always cry around her.

If people didn't like him, he could always tell. Just like earlier when her mother came, he only said hello and then ran to hide in his room. He even locked the door and didn't want to come out. Maybe he did feel the hostility her mother had towards him, so he went to hide. He only opened the door when she told him that the bad woman was gone.

However, he was still in a very dull mood until Raelle and Xiang Weimin showed up. 

She didn't know if Raelle was really her nemesis or the blessing. For so long, she considered this woman as her rival and now, the same woman was able to guide her son out of the loneliness and darkness that he was embracing slowly.

"Don't look at me like that," said Raelle. "I still look the same."

"No," said Tang Hebe who was jolted from her daydream. "I think you look different after the engagement."

"There is nothing different though," said Raelle.

Tang Hebe shrugged, "What I can do if you can't see it?" She looked at her drinking the water and asked, "You really don't wanna have anything else?"

"Water is really good enough," was Raelle's response.

"How boring!"

"I asked for sparkling water so that you won't say that plain water is boring. And yet, it's still boring?"

"It's boring. It's still water."

"If you wanna have a pointless argument with me just say so, don't look for excuses here."

"Who wants to argue with you? I don't wanna go bald."

"Oh, but you are already bald."

Tang Hebe touched the hat she was hearing and glared at her, "It's a bald spot. I'm not really bald. Don't get on my nerve here."

Raelle didn't say anything to her, she looked at Justin, "Little buddy, you wanted to show my brother your plants, no?"

"Yes!" Justin jumped down the couch and held Xiang Weimin's hand as he pulled him towards his personal space. Xiang Weimin looked at Raelle who gave him a nod and Xiang Weimin blinked and followed Justin out of the living room.

"Now, that only you and I are here, how about we get real?" suggested Raelle.

"Huh?" Tang Hebe was dumbfounded.

"What's up? Who made you upset?"

"Can you even see that?"

"Why can't I?" asked Raelle. "I'm not blind."

"You know my son is very good at seeing people's emotions but I don't think you have the trait. So, it's surprising that you can tell what's up."

"I might not be very keen when it comes to it but I have a sharp observation. I have studied human emotions all my life. Wouldn't I be a failure if I can't even read an open book like you?"

"I'm not an open book," said Tang Hebe.

"Are you sure?" asked Raelle. "Okay, if you say so. I'll just believe you for now."

Tang Hebe pursed her lips but still told her honestly, "My mother was here earlier."

"That explains it," said Raelle. 

"What does it explain?"

"Your crappy mood," answered Raelle. "But on a serious note, you still have expectations from your family? Why be so disappointed when you've been disappointed enough already?"

"Isn't that the thing?" asked Tang Hebe. "I thought I was disappointed enough but it turned out, I was wrong. My family could really let me down more than I ever expected. It's funny that I still thought we were family even if I didn't want to see them again. Now, I am starting to feel disgusted by the blood flowing through my veins."

"That bad?"

Tang Hebe nodded her head, "Yeah. That bad."

"You're really something," commented Raelle. "I don't know if I should I call you an idiot or..."

"Yes, I'm a fool. I'm stupid. I'm an idiot. I'm all that. I won't deny any of that. There is nothing wrong with your words. I really am all that. And maybe more than that too. I keep feeling like they can't get any worse but they keep showing me what kind of extravagant hope I have to believe that they have a bottom line. Clearly, they don't."

"If you wanna cry, go ahead. I don't mind."

"Will you lend me a shoulder?"

"No. But I won't make fun of your tears either."

Tang Hebe chuckled at her and slowly that chuckle turned into sobbing as her tears fell down. Raelle really didn't make fun of her tears. She wasn't that unempathetic either. But she really couldn't bring herself to offer her shoulder to lean on. 

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