TMDP CH 34

Chapter 34: He Can’t Afford Any “What Ifs”

Crash!

The sound of shattering glass filled the room as a cup fell to the floor, shards scattering everywhere. Xia Ye felt as if he had been struck hard—his entire body tingled from head to toe in numb disbelief.

“Daddy’s going to die!” Xia Li wailed uncontrollably. “I didn’t mean to! Waaa… I’m sorry! Waaa!”

Ever since Xia Ye had yelled at Xia Li over two years ago, the child had stopped calling Han Mingxiu “Daddy,” instead referring to him as “Uncle Han.” Despite Xia Ye apologizing to Xia Li privately and reassuring him that Uncle Han was indeed his daddy, Xia Li refused to address him that way. Yet now, in front of Xia Ye, Xia Li was screaming “Daddy” at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with despair. The sound alone was enough to shake Xia Ye’s very soul.

As the boy kept crying and apologizing, his voice echoed through the room like a thunderclap. For a moment, Xia Ye couldn’t breathe. He clutched his neck, hoping to relax the tightening knot in his throat. After several deep, labored breaths, he managed to speak, urging Xia Li to calm down and explain what had happened.

But how could a panicked five-year-old articulate anything clearly? Between his tears and gasping sobs, Xia Li’s face had turned an alarming shade of red and purple.

Xia Ye was trembling with anxiety. He repeatedly coaxed Xia Li to calm down and take deep breaths, all the while instinctively reaching for his car keys—even though he knew they couldn’t magically bring him home instantly.

Just as Xia Ye felt completely lost, Aunt Juan hurried into the room carrying a blanket and pillow. “Oh, my sweet Xia Li baby! Why are you crying again? Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. It’s all right, everything’s fine. Come here and let Granny Juan give you a hug.”

“Aunt Juan! Aunt Juan!” Xia Ye, seeing an adult finally appear, urgently called out. “Aunt Juan, it’s me, Xia Ye! What happened? Why is Xia Li crying like this? He just said…” Xia Ye paused, swallowing hard before continuing, “Is Han Mingxiu all right?”

Aunt Juan was startled to hear Xia Ye’s voice but quickly realized they were on a video call. She swiftly picked up Xia Li, seating him on her lap, and grabbed the tablet to face Xia Ye. “Young Master Xia Ye, don’t worry, don’t worry. Young Master Han is fine. Madam said he just fractured his toe. He’s conscious and should already be out of surgery by now.”

Hearing Aunt Juan’s explanation, Xia Ye’s heart eased slightly—but only slightly. Half of his worry still lingered. “What happened exactly? How did he end up with a fractured toe? And why does Xia Li keep apologizing?”

“I’m not entirely sure about the details,” Aunt Juan replied. “The Master and Madam took Young Master Han to watch Young Master Xia Li’s baseball game today. After the game, when they were heading to the parking lot, a motorcycle almost hit Xia Li. Young Master Han stepped in to shield him and got hit instead. Young Master Xia Li fell too, scraping his knees and palms, but the hospital already treated his wounds.”

Aunt Juan lifted Xia Li’s pajama legs to show Xia Ye. One knee had a piece of gauze taped over it, while the other was only slightly red and bruised. “The Master and Madam are still at the hospital with Young Master Han…Seeing that Xia Li was unharmed, Madam Han had Old Gao bring him home to rest. But who would’ve thought the poor child would still be crying even now? He must’ve been terrified.” Aunt Juan held Xia Li close, patting and rubbing his back affectionately.

Xia Ye nodded and forced a smile to comfort Xia Li. “Your daddy is fine, Xia Li. Don’t cry anymore, okay? Is your knee hurting?” He suspected the near-miss with the motorcycle had scared the boy so much that he hadn’t yet recovered.

With Aunt Juan holding and soothing him, Xia Li’s emotions gradually stabilized. He sniffled, nodded, and then shook his head before choking out in halting sobs, “It’s… me… I wasn’t good. Daddy—uh, Uncle Han said not to… play while walking. I… I accidentally let the ball roll away, and then the car… hit him.”

The boy’s words were interrupted by hiccupping sobs, but he seemed more grounded now. He reverted to calling Han Mingxiu “Uncle Han,” bringing a bitter smile to Xia Ye’s lips.

Although Xia Li’s explanation was fragmented and incomplete, Xia Ye could roughly piece together what had happened. He rubbed his temples, envisioning the scene. It seemed Xia Li’s carelessness had caused Han Mingxiu’s injury. Xia Li’s grandparents had been present and witnessed their son’s accident, which must have frightened them terribly.

Xia Ye sternly reviewed a few key points about road safety with Xia Li. Seeing the boy nod earnestly with tear-filled eyes, Xia Ye could tell that Xia Li had truly learned his lesson this time. Not wanting to scold him further, he asked Aunt Juan to stay with Xia Li for a while longer. Aunt Juan assured him she would, waving the pillow she had just brought in. She told Xia Ye she had even brought her quilt and would spend the night in Xia Li’s room to keep him company. Xia Ye thanked her before ending the video call.

Once the call ended, the room fell silent. Xia Ye collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained. In the absence of other sounds, he could hear the rapid thudding of his own heartbeat. Unable to suppress it, a strong and sweet omega pheromone scent filled the room. Thankfully, no one else was around, and the doors and windows were all shut.

The fright Xia Li had given him still hadn’t subsided. Xia Ye raised an arm to cover his eyes, his mind in turmoil.

Xia Li’s panicked cries earlier had truly shaken him to his core.

If Han Mingxiu had suffered something truly serious because of Xia Li, how would Xia Ye explain it to his parents?

And if something had really happened to him…

They hadn’t even reconciled yet. How could Xia Ye face himself if Han Mingxiu was no longer there?

The more Xia Ye thought about it, the more scared he became. The fear turned into a deep sense of grievance, and that grievance burned into anger.

Han Mingxiu kept saying he wanted to make amends and fix things between them, but they hadn’t even cleared the air yet.

How could he possibly allow something to happen to himself?

⸻⸻⸻✿⸻⸻⸻

– End of chapter –

NEW CHAPTER RELEASED/UNLOCKED EVERY MONDAY.

If you enjoy this translation, consider giving it a high rating on Novel Updates! 😉

Stay tuned, and happy reading! 📖✨