Losing Someone

In the airport, everyone kept glancing at the young man due to his looks and the way he present himself.

He is taller compared to his peers, but he looks younger than them because of his baby face look. However, despite his young look, he gives off a matured feeling by the way he present himself. The way he stood, the way he waits for his luggage, and even the way he looks at people. Maybe it was because of how he was raised to be responsible and mature at a young age.

"Brother, you are so handsome. Here." A young girl, around at age of 6 or 7, ran towards him and offered him a big candy lollipop. He was quite surprised, not that much since he was used to girls flocking to him but today is the first time he experienced that instead of a teenage girl or a woman, it was a child.

He looked at the candy lollipop that the girl was holding. "You only have one candy, are you sure you want to give it to me?" He asked as he squat down to looked at the girl's eyes.

The girl smiled brightly, as his face was getting near to her, she can closely see his handsome face, and she flushed before answering, "Of course, it is because I want to marry you. My dad said that if I marry someone then I have to give that person a dowry, so you must accept it."

The man was shocked with what he heard however when he saw her chubby face, he looked at her pleasantly and thought that, he would have been lucky if his sister was this cute. Then he remembered Qiao Ning Xi, clearly she is not this cute.

"My hand is hurting." The little girl pouted as she looked at him feeling wronged. It is true that her hand was hurting, basically, the man was lost in his thought that he forgot about the girl in front of her offering him a dowry.... a candy.

"Alright. I apologize by accepting this." He pointed at the candy and was about to reach it when the girl accidentally released it. She couldn't hold it anymore, so the only thing she could do was to watch the candy fall off her hand and slowly shatter.

The man was lost at what suddenly happened and silence surrounded that airport for a second before the little girl burst into tears.

"WAHHH"

He panicked when he heard her crying and more people keep looking at them. Some were thinking he was bullying the little kid. While others, who were already watching them from the start, was also feeling sad for the little girl.

"Why are you crying aren't you a big girl?" He tried to comfort and carried her in his arms while saying those. The girl was sobbing but answered, "That was my dowry!"

The man smiled lightly when he heard what she said and told her. "Alright. Alright. Don't worry. I will be responsible for you that's why I will marry you. This brother will marry you so stop crying, my pretty little wife." He then patted her back.

Meanwhile, a brawny man was frantically looking for his daughter. Even though he looked really manly, he was crying like a woman. He admits that he is strong, but every strong man has a weakness, and his, is his adorable and lovable baby.

He was answering a phone call when he suddenly realized that his baby was missing. He believes that his baby will never leave his side without telling him, not like her mother, who suddenly left him and his daughter without telling them.

"Look at that. Handsome men are really not trustworthy. Looked at him bullying a child."

He stopped when he heard people whispering. He feared that the child that they were talking about was his baby, but he remained still, processing what to do next until he heard a cry.

The cry is familiar, but he wasn't sure and even if it is not his daughter, he wouldn't let any people hurting other people's daughter.

He believes that if he helps other people, someone will also help his daughter if ever she is in danger.

"This brother will marry you... My pretty little wife."

He was furious when he heard the man and saw the little girl in the man's arms cuddling him and was sobbing.

"Who's gonna marry who? What do you think are you doing with my daughter?!" He yelled that made all the people who heard him turn their heads towards them. While, the man was in shock and froze looking at the man, if he was not wrong, the father of the little girl in his arms.

He processed the situation he is currently at, and realized that it was definitely misleading especially after what he just said.

Damn.

"I'm so sorry for shouting at you like that." The father bowed his head and apologized to him.

Earlier, when the father suddenly rushed to him, he snatched his daughter back before trying to hit him. Luckily, some kind stranger stopped him and told him what happened as the stranger was watching them from the start. Then, he also explained his side about the dowry thing.

The father calmed down and realized that he misunderstood the situation but still asked his daughter before believing other people, and he was surprised with her answer. "I want to marry this brother. He is really handsome." The little girl said while holding the man's hand.

He felt betrayed like how the little girl's mother left him for a younger and more handsome man, but the father didn't forget to admit his mistake and apologize. Then he left the man his number before they left as they were in a rush.

The man was still thinking about had just happened when he received a call from his sister. He didn't answer it first, wanting to see if she would call again, and she didn't. A minute had past, but his sister didn't call him again, so he was flustered and called her instead and luckily, she answered.

"Why did you call?" He immediately asked. It's not that he was avoiding her or something. It was just he was not used to the change in their relationship.

The person on the another side, didn't answer for a while before asking. "Did you arrive at City H?"

The man was not surprised that she knew or why she asked that. "Yes, I just arrived."

"Then I need to talk to you personally. I'll send you the location. Come immediately."

******

The bell hanging on the door rang as the door opened, and a young man was seen entering dragging a suitcase and a bag.

There weren't other customers inside the coffee shop except for Qiao Ning Xi and the young man, who just entered which is her brother.

"Why do you want to talk to me here? We could have talk in the house. I really want to see mom. By the way, how is she doing?" The young man asked. The moment he mentioned his mom, he saw the change in Qiao Ning Xi's eyes. It was calm earlier but now, he could see hatred, eagerness, and determination in her eyes.

Qiao Jun felt it.

Yes. It's Qiao Jun. Qiao Ning Xi immediately called Qiao Jun when she left the Qiao Family. She needed to talk to him so he could be ready to fight and counter those mother-daughter incase they gave him a hard time.

She doesn't believe that Qiao Jun will keep his cool after knowing what happened to his mother. He might even attack Wei Ya and she knows that they will use it against them, her and Qiao Jun.

Qiao Ning Xi might have said that she is leaving but that doesn't mean that she is going to let them do what they want. She might have lose Mother Qiao but she still have Grandpa Qiao, so how could she just leave him there.

"What happened to mom?" He asked and eagerly waited for her to answer him. He felt it previously but now, he is sure. Not only that, but he knew that something bad happened to his mother. Likewise, he is currently trying to keep him self sane. Furthermore, he realized after Qiao Ning Xi's call that all he has left is his mother.

Father? He won't acknowledge that asshole as his father. Grandmother? She didn't care that much about him before and last time she didn't tell him what happened when he called her asking how they were doing. Grandfather? His grandfather treated him and his mother well, but he knew he couldn't rely on him after all, he understood that his grandfather isn't someone biased. He wouldn't unconditionally take his side against his other granddaughter.

"Mother is dead."

Qiao Jun was thinking about all the possible scenarios that could have happened to his mom but what Qiao Ning Xi said never crossed his mind. It's not that he doesn't believe that there are people capable of killing others, it's just that he believes that his mother is capable of fighting someone without much power like Wei Ya, his father's mistress.

His mom is tough and brave. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to her and most importantly, she loves him so much that she would make sure not to get hurt because she knows he would be worried about her.

"Huh?.. What do.. you mean? Qiao Ning Xi, it's not funny so stop joking like that! No matter how thankful I am at you informing me before, but this time I couldn't pretend like nothing happened after you make that kind of joke! Are you jinxing my mom?!" Qiao Jun slammed the table as he stood up his chair and yelled at her.

Luckily, there were no other customers because currently, he was making a scene.

Like what Qiao Ning Xi thought, he did lose his cool the moment he heard the news, and he was also being denial about it. She understood his action. She was shocked to the point of blanking, when she first heard the news, when in fact she is just an adopted daughter, and she doesn't care about Mother Qiao as much as Qiao Jun does. And he is also her biological son, so she understood his current mood, but she needs to make him completely believe her.

Qiao Ning Xi remained calm as she continued, "She hanged herself this morning, and I am not lying to you."

It was like a bomb was thrown at Qiao Jun, when he heard her say that. He knew that Qiao Ning Xi wouldn't lie to him like that, but he couldn't accept it. He never imagined that he wouldn't be able to see his mother alive and the last time he has seen her was his mother's birthday, where he forgot about it. Now, he wouldn't be able to spend any more of her birthdays. If he had known that something like will happen, he should have gone back immediately after Qiao Ning Xi told him what happened. He should have paid more attention to his mother and prioritize her than his study. He should have left Immediately. Furthermore, he should have shown her how much he loves her, cares about her and how important she is in his life.

Qiao Ning Xi watched him broke down and cried painfully. She is looking at a young man at the age of 15, crying and grieving of his mother's death while blaming himself.

She pitied him and sympathize with him. She doesn't know what to do except to gently pat his back.

He felt her warm just like how his mother used to comfort him. "I lost the only person I have. I lost my mom. I lost the woman that I love the most in my entire life and will always love. I don't have anyone else. What should I do?" He said between his sobs.

Qiao Ning Xi held his shoulder to reassure him and said,

"Don't worry brother. You still have me."