Relatives in a Foreign Land (4)

"Xiao Feng, are you thirsty? Zi Yun, go get my grandson a drink," Uncle Wang said as soon as they entered the house, immediately bustling about.

"No need, Grandpa. I'm not thirsty. Wow… Grandpa, your house is so beautiful and clean," Zhuifeng said, marveling at the pristine and elegant interior.

Uncle Wang shook his head indifferently and sighed. "It's all because of my son. I told him not to waste money on all this, but he wouldn't listen. As long as the house keeps out the wind and rain, that's enough. He barely comes home, and your cousin doesn't want to spend time with an old man like me either. What's the point of all this extravagance?"

Running his fingers across a potted plant on the coffee table, Zhuifeng said casually, "Money is meant to be spent, Grandpa. Besides, this is just Uncle's way of showing his filial piety."

Uncle Wang sighed again. "I understand that, but if I had a choice, I'd rather he spent more time at home with me, just talking. What's the use of a fancy house when it's so empty?"

Zhuifeng fell silent, his heart heavy. It was true—parents rarely care about material gifts from their children. What they truly yearn for is emotional connection and comfort. A simple phone call, a conversation, or the knowledge that their children are thinking of them is enough to bring them happiness. Yet, like his mother, his uncle had chosen the nation over family, sacrificing personal connections for duty.

His eyes reddened as he suddenly felt the urge to cry. He realized how selfish he had been—trading his life for a mere two years of freedom, not thinking about the pain it would bring his mother. Is this really worth it? For the first time, he began to doubt the life-for-life bargain he had made.

"Xiao Feng, what are you thinking about? Come sit with Grandpa and tell me what you've been through all these years." Uncle Wang's voice brought him back to reality.

Forcing a smile, Zhuifeng turned to Zi Yun, who had just brought him a bottle of water. "Thank you, Sister."

But as he smiled, the scars on his face became even more pronounced under the bright living room lights. Zi Yun, who hadn't noticed them clearly under the streetlights earlier, froze in shock. Her expression stiffened, and the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Hurry up and come over!" Uncle Wang urged impatiently.

Seeing Zi Yun's reaction was like having salt rubbed into an open wound. Zhuifeng's heart tightened, and he silently put his hat back on before walking over to sit by Uncle Wang.

"What's wrong?" Uncle Wang asked, puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.

"It's nothing," Zhuifeng replied, pulling his hat lower. "Grandpa, do you remember the question I asked you when you left Chongqing?"

Uncle Wang furrowed his brow, thinking for a long moment before answering, "You mean about your parentage?"

"Yes. I never expected my childish suspicion to be correct—I'm not their biological son."

"What?!" Uncle Wang was so shocked that he leapt from the sofa.

Alarmed, Zhuifeng quickly helped him sit back down and handed him the untouched water. "Grandpa, are you okay? Don't get worked up—it's bad for your health." He gently patted Uncle Wang's chest, worried about his heart.

After a few deep breaths, Uncle Wang finally spoke. "So they treated you poorly because of this? Is that why they ruined your face? Just because you're not their biological child? Then why did they take you in at all?" His breathing was steadier, but his face still burned with anger.

"Grandpa, things aren't as simple as you think." Zhuifeng took a deep breath and began explaining how his biological parents had entrusted him to his adoptive parents, detailing their reasons and the conditions they had set.

"…So that's how it is." Uncle Wang seemed to relax a bit, but a trace of dissatisfaction remained. "Even so, your biological parents were too selfish. Starting a business abroad? Fine. But why couldn't they wait until you were older, or take you with them? And to leave behind such an unreasonable set of conditions? Were they out of their minds?"

Knowing that Uncle Wang's son had hidden his true identity from him, Zhuifeng chose not to reveal everything. What he had told Uncle Wang was the truth, but only part of it. Even so, hearing his criticism, Zhuifeng felt a twinge of guilt on behalf of his parents. Unsure of how to respond, he stayed silent.

Uncle Wang mistook his silence for sadness and quickly reassured him. "But let's not dwell on the past. What's done is done. They brought you back and are treating you well now. Let's leave it at that."

"Grandpa…"

Uncle Wang clasped Zhuifeng's hand in his own and patted it gently. "You're a grown man now. Why are your eyes always red, as if you're about to cry? Speaking of which, if your face wasn't injured by your parents, how did it happen?"

"Uh…" Seeing the sweat on Uncle Wang's brow from his earlier agitation, Zhuifeng decided to tell a white lie. He didn't want to upset the man who had cared for him so much during his childhood. "I… accidentally burned it in a fire."

"You burned it yourself?" Uncle Wang looked at him skeptically, ready to press for details when the doorbell suddenly rang, interrupting him.

"Zi Yun, who is it?"

"It's Master Wang—he's back," Zi Yun replied.

"Dad, what's the emergency?" A middle-aged man swept into the living room like a gust of wind, his tone anxious.

Uncle Wang glanced at him, then said grumpily, "Does it have to be an emergency for me to call my son home?"

"Uh…" The man lowered his head, looking a bit ashamed.

Seeing his son's discomfort, Uncle Wang softened. He stood and pulled Zhuifeng to his side. "Xiao Feng, this is your uncle Wang Jian—the man who's always so busy he doesn't have time to come home." His words were laced with reproach.

"I called you back so you could meet my god-grandson. Oh, Feng'er, what's your surname now? Forget it, it doesn't matter—your uncle's too busy to remember trivial details like that anyway."

Watching his grandfather's childlike sulking and his uncle's awkward attempts to save face, Zhuifeng couldn't help but feel amused. Still, as the junior, it would be rude to laugh out loud. Instead, he took it upon himself to play peacemaker. Suppressing a grin, he extended his hand and said, "Uncle, don't mind Grandpa. He's just joking. My name is Shangguan Zhuifeng. I grew up almost entirely under Grandpa's care. I wonder if I have the honor of calling you Uncle?"

"Shangguan Zhuifeng?" Wang Jian froze momentarily, as though trying to recall something, but the memory eluded him. Seeing Zhuifeng's hand still extended, he quickly grasped it and said, "So you're Xiao Feng? Don't be so formal—if you call him Grandpa, then we're naturally uncle and nephew. By the way, who are these people?" He gestured to Qiu Nuo and the others stationed around the living room.

Clearly experienced in dealing with high-profile situations, Wang Jian immediately recognized that these weren't ordinary bodyguards. Their posture and demeanor screamed professionalism. However, seeing that his own security team hadn't reacted aggressively, he concluded they weren't a threat.

"Straightforward—I like it," Zhuifeng thought, impressed by Wang Jian's directness. Smiling, he replied, "I'll call you Uncle Wang then. These are just my friends, here to ensure my safety. Uncle Wang must be well-traveled—you wouldn't be intimidated by them, would you?"