TMDP CH 13

Chapter 13: Why did he come back again?

They arrived at the Han family’s residence just before 6 PM, which was around dinner time. Xia Ye had grumbled about bringing a gift, but Han Mingxiu insisted it wasn’t necessary.

“There’s no need to bring anything to your own house,” Han Mingxiu said.

Sitting in the backseat, Xia Ye turned his head to look out the window. Who said this is my house? He thought to himself. Crazy. If you don’t want me to bring anything, then fine. I’m not the type to make a big show of things, so if I’m rude, then so be it. I don’t need to flatter anyone.

From the front passenger seat, Han Junzhou turned around to speak to Xia Ye. “It’s really fine. No need to bring anything. The Han family isn’t particular about these formalities.”

“What do you mean by ‘the Han family’? Aren’t you part of the Han family?” Han Mingxiu frowned. “And why are you coming with us? I’m taking Xia Ye home. What’s the point of you tagging along?”

“Hmm?” Han Junzhou replied, unbothered. “I need to go visit my father, and my mom—your Aunt—called me this afternoon to come over for dinner.”

He spoke with confidence, then winked at Xia Ye. “To answer your earlier question, yes, of course I’m a part of the Han family. But our branch is different from yours. I’m from a different side of the family.”

Xia Ye caught the wink and understood Han Junzhou was trying to reassure him. He lowered his head slightly and smiled. He knew Han Junzhou had told him before that he didn’t take sides.

Han Mingxiu gave a bitter laugh. Right now, it didn’t matter which branch of the family they were from—no one was on his side.

As soon as Xia Ye stepped inside, he froze. He hadn’t expected to see her here. How could he have been so careless and forgotten about her?

Ming Ya—Han Mingxiu’s fiancée. Or, perhaps by now, she was already his wife.

This elegant, radiant woman was holding Xia Li while playing with a small puppy.

“If you like kids so much, why not have one of your own?” Han Junzhou teased as he squeezed in from behind. “Every time I come over, you’re always holding Xia Li.”

“You’re the worst, Uncle! You know I can’t have children, yet you keep mentioning it… Xia Li is so adorable; maybe he can be my son instead.” Ming Ya held the child as she approached, smiling warmly at Xia Ye from afar. “You must be Xia Ye? Hi, I’m—”

Before she could finish, Xia Li interrupted her.

“Daddy!” Xia Li exclaimed as he spotted Xia Ye, wriggling with excitement to leap out of Ming Ya’s arms. She quickly let him down, unable to contain the energetic child. Xia Ye rushed forward, squatting down just in time to catch his little one, wrapping him tightly in a hug.

His heart was racing, not only from the joy of seeing Xia Li but also from the shock of the earlier exchange.

Ming Ya had casually called Han Junzhou “Uncle.” Ming Ya couldn’t have children. Ming Ya wanted Xia Li to be her son.

Was this the reason Han Mingxiu had come back after three years?

His wife couldn’t have children, so they were here to take his?

Fear and anger surged within Xia Ye. All he wanted to do was scoop up Xia Li and make a run for it.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Xia Li asked, wrapping his small arms around Xia Ye’s neck. He could tell something was off—his dad was holding him so tightly, trembling slightly.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” Xia Ye buried his face in Xia Li’s soft, sweet-smelling shoulder, his voice muffled as he whispered, “Daddy just missed you so much.” His voice, combined with his hair brushing against Xia Li’s chubby cheeks and chin, made the child giggle.

Xia Li’s innocent, joyful laughter soothed Xia Ye’s tense nerves, and he found himself smiling too.

Han Mingxiu watched them from the side, entirely unaware of the turmoil going on in Xia Ye’s mind. All he saw was this adorable father-and-son pair, and his heart softened.

These are my people, he thought. My partner, my son. Soon, I’ll have a family of my own.

Unable to resist, Han Mingxiu leaned over and tugged at Xia Ye. “You just got discharged; don’t keep squatting like that. Your legs will go numb, and then you’ll get dizzy when you stand up.”

Xia Ye raised his head and shot Han Mingxiu a fierce glare, shaking off the hand that was reaching out to support him as he slowly stood up. “We’re leaving,” he said, holding Xia Li’s hand.

“Oh! Xiao Xia, you’re here!” Mrs. Han, Tang Xi, called from the direction of the kitchen. Xia Ye looked up to see her bringing a platter of prawns to the dining table. “Come, come, we’re almost ready. Dinner will be served soon.”

“Auntie, hello. Thank you for taking care of Xia Li these past few days. I’m really grateful,” Xia Ye said, bowing politely in thanks.

“No trouble at all, Xia Li is such a sweet, well-behaved little boy,” Mrs. Han replied with a smile. “Xiao Xia, you’ve done a great job raising him.” Xia Ye blushed slightly, smiling with a small swell of pride.

“Cousin-in-law is playing favorites,” Han Junzhou grumbled. “She only sees Xia Ye and doesn’t notice me at all.”

“She doesn’t notice me either,” Han Mingxiu added. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s over at Ming Ya’s, playing chess. Ming Ya, call your father and the others over for dinner,” Tang Xi replied.

“Xia Ye watched this scene unfold with an expressionless face. Even Han Mingxiu’s in-laws were being invited over by the Han family; this setup was no small gathering.”

With the little puppy in her arms, Ming Ya went to make the call, while Han Mingxiu turned to Xia Ye. “No rush to leave, right? My mom prepared a few special dishes just for you. Won’t you join us for dinner?”

Han Junzhou chimed in, “My cousin-in-law’s cooking is really good! She’s just a bit lazy, so it’s rare for her to cook.”

“Tsk, Han Junzhou!” Mrs. Han raised her voice, clearly displeased. “Come here and help! Who are you calling lazy? Need a little discipline, do you…?”

The lively atmosphere felt strange to Xia Ye. It looked relaxed and even amusing, but the group gathered here to dine together made him uneasy.

He was here with his child, sitting down to dinner with his ex-boyfriend, his ex’s parents, his ex’s wife, and his former in-laws. Was this some kind of ambush?

Xia Li pulled Xia Ye over to where Ming Ya was standing, pointing at the puppy in her arms. “Doggy, mine!” he announced. Ming Ya clarified with a smile, “Xia Li seems to really like animals. Mingxiu brought this Samoyed puppy home two days ago. Xia Li said he’d wait for you to name it together.”

Xia Ye stared in surprise at the little white puppy. Its round, dark eyes shone brightly, and its fluffy white fur made it look like a small, smiling cloud. Wobbling slightly in Ming Ya’s arms, it stuck out a tiny, pink tongue and licked Xia Ye’s hand playfully. Startled, Xia Ye jerked his hand back.

Xia Li tugged on Xia Ye’s shirt. “Daddy, name it!”

Xia Ye glanced again at the adorably silly puppy, feeling a bit reluctant, but he firmly took Xiao Li’s hand and guided him back to the sofa. Putting on a serious face, he said, “Xiao Li, we can’t name it. That’s not our dog.”

“But it’s mine!” Xiao Li protested, visibly anxious.

Xia Ye shook his head. “We can’t keep a dog at our place; Grandma Wang would get mad.”

“Here, here it’s allowed,” Xiao Li insisted, stamping his feet in frustration. Xia Ye frowned, unsure how to explain it to him.

Han Mingxiu stepped in to ease the tension. “Xia Ye, it’s just a puppy. Isn’t it okay if—”

“I’m teaching my son. This has nothing to do with you,” Xia Ye interrupted coldly, shutting him down.

“….” Han Mingxiu had no choice but to keep quiet.

“I want candy,” Xiao Li pouted and walked over to the table, opening a decorative jar on top. Xia Ye had already noticed the intricately designed jar on the table, but he hadn’t expected it to be filled with sweets. Xiao Li confidently grabbed a handful of candy and handed one to Xia Ye. “Please, open it for me.”

Xia Ye narrowed his eyes. This kid was eating candy so openly? Well, at least he remembered to say “please.”

Shaking his head, Xia Ye put the candy back in the jar and said, “Did you forget? No candy, or you’ll get cavities. Only one piece a day. How many have you had today?” He glanced at the small trash bin near the table—there were at least five candy wrappers inside.

Xiao Li’s pout deepened as he sulked back to sit beside Xia Ye.

Trying to please his son, Han Mingxiu quickly peeled a candy for Xiao Li. But seeing Xia Ye’s disapproval, he reluctantly popped it into his own mouth instead.

Noticing the tension, Ming Ya handed the puppy over to the housekeeper and asked him to move the puppy’s bed out of Xiao Li’s sight, hoping the child would forget about it soon.

Not long after, the Elder of Han Family, Han Junze came home. He greeted Xia Ye warmly and, after washing his hands, called everyone to the dining room.

“Did Junbo’s family didn’t come with you?” Han’s wife asked her husband as she untied her apron.

“They had some unexpected guests. They’ll be here a bit later, so let’s start eating first,” Han Junze said, pulling a chair out for his wife.

As Aunt Juan led the still-pouting Xia Li to his designated high chair to help him eat, Han Mingxiu took a seat across from his father, pulling out the chair beside him for Xia Ye. Xia Ye reluctantly sat next to Han Mingxiu, with Han Junzhou on his left and Han Junze, the family head, seated next to him. Mingya sat on Han Mingxiu’s other side, beside Han’s mother, completing a circle around the table for the six of them.

“Xia Ye, try your Aunt Han’s dishes,” Han Junze invited warmly. “These stir-fried shrimp, sweet-and-sour ribs, and steamed lemon fish are her specialties. Have a taste.”

Xia Ye picked up a rib, remarking, “Uncle, you’re amazing to know which dishes Aunt made right at a glance.”

Han Junze chuckled. “Over the years, these are about all she’s mastered. You probably had the same ones last time you came by.”

“Dear?” Mrs. Tang, Han’s mother, gave him a playfully menacing smile. “Did you have to expose me like that in front of Xia Ye?”

The whole table laughed, and Xia Ye quickly finished the rib, complimenting its taste.

The atmosphere was relaxed, but Xia Ye felt on edge, ignoring Han Mingxiu’s attentive gestures. He couldn’t fathom what went through this man’s mind, serving food to someone else right in front of his wife. Mingya, for her part, seemed unfazed by her husband’s behavior and kept chatting happily with her mother-in-law. Xia Ye wondered if this calm tolerance was a survival skill learned from marrying into a wealthy family. Not willing to stay for the melodrama, he silently finished half a bowl of rice before setting his chopsticks down.

Just as Xia Ye was considering how to excuse himself, the doorbell rang. The butler answered, admitting a middle-aged couple carrying a large bag.

“Junbo, Jiawen! You’re here, come join us!” Mrs. Han called warmly. “What did you bring with you? Looks heavy!”

“Watermelon,” Han Junbo, Han Junze’s younger brother and the director of Yunbang Hospital, lifted the bag slightly to show her. “A friend of mine brought over a large Huabao melon, so I cut half to bring here.”

“Dad, you didn’t have to,” Mingya sighed. “Aunt Juan mentioned we don’t really eat watermelon here anymore!”

“Why would Mingxiu’s preference affect everyone else’s?” Han Junbo asked, looking amused. Spotting the unfamiliar young man at the table, he turned to him, smiling. “You must be Xia Ye, Xia Li’s father? I’m Mingxiu’s second uncle. Do you like watermelon?”

Xia Ye looked puzzled.

“Take the watermelon to the kitchen,” Junbo’s wife gently urged him. “Don’t make Mingxiu feel uncomfortable.”

“Who’s ever heard of being disturbed by the smell of watermelon?” Han Junbo muttered as he carried it off. “In all my years as a doctor, I haven’t encountered anything like it.”

“No one knows what’s going on with him,” Mrs. Han added, laughing. “He used to love watermelon, but in recent years, even the smell makes him feel queasy. Last time at a friend’s house, they served watermelon, and he ended up excusing himself—it was mortifying!”

Realization dawned on Xia Ye. So, Han Mingxiu was so disgusted with him that even the smell of watermelon triggered nausea? What a pity that he, Xia Ye, couldn’t emit any pheromones now; otherwise, he’d love to sicken him on the spot.

With a cold expression, Xia Ye suddenly stood up. His silver chopsticks, placed improperly, clattered loudly to the floor, drawing everyone’s attention as their conversations stopped and they looked at him.

“I’m leaving. Thank you for the meal. Xia Li, we’re going.” Xia Ye looked over to see Xia Li still sitting, distractedly playing with his toys as he ate. Annoyed, he called sharply, “Xia Li, I said we’re leaving. We’re going home.”

Xia Ye couldn’t bear to stay another minute.

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– End of chapter –

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