D-4 (15)

"What do you mean Ah-Yang? You have always eaten it before." Mother Xie said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Though her voice remained gentle, her tone carried an unmistakable hint of blame as if Xie Yang was the one acting unreasonable.

"What's wrong with you today, Xie Yang? You've been acting off since the morning. Do you think your mother would deliberately make dishes you don't like?" Father Xie scolded in an unpleasant tone.

Xie Yun shifted uncomfortably in his seat and poked at his food while keeping his head down but his expression seemed to be blaming Xie Yang as well.

Why did he feel the need to act out? Why couldn't he have just eaten in peace? Why couldn't he suck it up for once?

All of them seemed to be thinking the same thing with their hearts on their sleeves as if afraid Xie Yang wouldn't understand their thoughts.

"Is there something wrong, Ah-Yang? Tell mom, she'll help you with it." Mother Xie spoke in her signature gentle voice.

Her gentle voice was full of invisible thorns which even she herself remained unaware of.

"Isn't your family too damn much? Not knowing your basic preference but having the gall to blame you for not eating something you usually avoided. Just who do they think they are?!" Leo raged.

Xie Yang pressed his lips tightly and didn't say anything. He didn't lash out, didn't complain, didn't explain, just silently took in the scene of his "beloved" family members blaming him with a tired expression on his face.

He silently bowed his head and started to eat. He avoided all the dishes which required him to search for bones and just quietly ate his meal.

This move stifled everyone on the table. They had expected Xie Yang to back down and explain like he always did but this time he didn't even bother to try and placate them leaving them full of unresolved frustration leading to a silent, uncomfortable dinner.

"Is our diligent Student Xie not going to talk back? Truly a paragon of filial piety! Us mortals simply can not compare!" Leo taunted sarcastically.

Xie Yang paid no mind to his taunts and focused on eating the vegetable side dishes and soup avoiding any pieces of fish.

His intentional dismissal pissed off the already steaming Leo who stormed out, unwilling to stay and watch Xie Yang let his family walk all over him.

This gesture invited resentment from Mother Xie who was used to his obedience. She couldn't understand why the dishes he had ate without complaint before suddenly became so intolerable for him.

His silence further angered Father Xie who was used to his respectful attitude. He couldn't understand why the scolding he had listened to without retort before suddenly became so unbearable for him.

Xie Yun uncomfortably ate his meal in silence, his eyes shifting between their parents and his brother. He opened his mouth to speak multiple times but in the end stayed silent.

Following the awkward dinner, Xie Yang went to help Xie Yun with his homework. Xie Yun was amazed by his brother's ability to act as if nothing happened and gave a thumbs up in his heart.

After helping Xie Yun, Xie Yang obediently went to Father Xie's study and heard an earful from him. He didn't retort and waited for his father to finish his chiding before asking for his important documents.

Having let out his frustration, Father Xie felt a lot better and gave him the documents while grumbling about focusing on his studies rather than competitions.

He didn't question Xie Yang's need for his important documents attributing it some competition related need. Xie Yang didn't correct him and went back to his room afterwards.

In the study, watching Xie Yang's back leave, Father Xie felt an indescribable feeling in his heart as if he has lost his eldest son. He hurriedly dismissed the feeling while scolding himself for being paranoid.

How many times has he scolded Xie Yang? How many times had Xie Yang listened and tried to better himself? He believed Xie Yang's off behaviour from this morning was still affecting him and decided to go to bed early.

Inside his room, Xie Yang carefully stashed his important documents in a drawer. He turned around to go to bed, only to come face to face with Leo who was standing with his arms folded seemingly waiting for an explanation.

Xie Yang sidestepped, avoiding bumping into him (even though he'd pass right through) and turned off the light before going to bed.

This avoidance reignited the somewhat calmed anger inside Leo who stormed over to Xie Yang's bed and demanded, "Why?"

"Why, what?" Xie Yang asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know exactly what I'm asking, don't you dare try to avoid me. I want a proper explanation for your behaviour otherwise I swear to god Xie Yang, I won't help you with anything ever again." Leo threatened in a low voice.

Xie Yang sat up in bed and met Leo's eyes before answering in a cold tone.

"You want a proper explanation? Fine. I didn't bother to lash out because I couldn't care less about them. Even if they had cried, raged or made a scene, I still wouldn't have cared because since the day they kicked me out, we became blood related strangers."

After saying his piece, Xie Yang buried himself into the quilt almost turning into a cocoon.

Leo was shocked by Xie Yang's reply. He had come along after Xie Yang had already been kicked out and hadn't actually ever interacted with his family but he had seen his memories and knew just what kind of entitled trash they were.

Today could be considered his second meeting with his family. His first meeting had been in their previous life when Xie Yang once ran into them at a hospital though they looked several times more older and haggard than now.

At the time, Xie Yang requested for some privacy so he had left them alone for the meeting and didn't intrude on his memories of the meeting either so he was unsure whether they changed for the better or not.

But judging just off of the fact that Xie Yang didn't choose to continue his contact with them, he leaned towards the latter.

Leo ruffled his hair and sighed before going over and sitting on the edge of the bed. He gently rubbed the area where he assumed Xie Yang's head was over the blanket.

Xie Yang couldn't feel his touch but he felt his presence and sunk deeper into the quilt, unwilling to get out.

"How come our ruthless Chairman Xie suddenly become so softhearted? Crying over what strangers say?" Leo joked in a softened voice.

His voice when taunting and provoking was extremely sharp, hitting right where it hurts yet when he deliberately softened it, it seemed to be full of affection and indulgence.

Leo waited for a long time for Xie Yang's answer. Just when he suspected Xie Yang to have fallen asleep, a small voice retorted.

"I didn't cry." a hoarse voice answered from inside the quilt.

"Of course, how could these strangers ever make our brave Chairman Xie cry?" Leo indulgently added.

"Humph." said a muffled voice.

"Then how come our strong Chairman Xie suddenly become so sad?" Leo asked as he switched from rubbing Xie Yang's head to his back.

"Their indifference contrasts so heavily with Kai's meticulous care, it made me miss him even more. I don't want to stay here any longer." a hoarse voice mumbled.

"Hmmm? Is that so? So, our strong Chairman Xie became so sad because he missed his husband?" Leo asked amused.

"Hmmm." replied the quilt cocoon.

"Did our Chairman Xie trick a single dog into eating a bowl of dog food?" Leo asked with a suspicious tone.

The quilt trembled as the figure inside laughed in a pleasant tone, the hoarseness complimenting rather disturbing the sweet voice.

"How did you find out about my evil plans? Hehe it doesn't matter you've already fallen into my trap!" said the quilt cocoon, in an evil voice though his tone betrayed his jovial mood.

Now, it was Leo's turn to laugh. He had always cursed Xie Yang and his husband for their PDA. Now that Xie Yang referred to showing PDA as an evil plan, it both amused and frustrated him.

Seeing that it had gotten late, they both decided to call it a night. Leo went to stay by the door and stand guard.

He had ceased this habit since Xie Yang married Zhou Kai but now that he was in an unfamiliar environment, he felt it was necessary to stand guard.

Outside, Leo greeted him one last time.

"Goodnight Xie Yang."

'Goodnight Leo.' replied Xie Yang before drifting into a restless sleep.