Chapter 202 - Unknown Thoughts
"Tomorrow, can I play with my classmates after class?"
Xiu Mei’s movements halted as she turned to look at her son. She stared at him for a few moments before she returned to her senses, quickly grabbing the tablet. Glee apparent on her face as she excitedly typed her words.
’Are you going to play at school?’ Xiu Mei asked.
Lu Qiang stopped for a second to think. "My classmates and I will play basketball so I think we’re going to play at school."
He faintly remembers seeing a court when he was roaming around the school yesterday. He assumed that they will be playing there with his friends and classmates.
Xiu Mei pursed her lips as she thought about it. She thought whether she should ask for Lu Chen’s thoughts first before allowing him but then, he did give her free reign on Lu Qiang’s activities. Besides, spending time with his classmates like playing basketball will be a good experience for her son. Since that was the reason why they enrolled him in a primary school in the first place—so Lu Qiang could mingle with kids the same as him and so he could grow up and experience a normal childhood.
After thinking for a couple of seconds, she finally allowed him.
’Okay.’ She wrote. But before Lu Qiang could celebrate, she gave him a curfew to follow if he wanted to be allowed to play with his classmates in the future.
’But you can only play for two hours, and then you have to go home. Understood?’
Lu Qiang smiled and nodded. "I promise, Mom! I’ll definitely go home after playing for 2 hours."
After the two reached their agreement, Lu Qiang started working on his homework while Xiu Mei sat beside him watching him work on his assignments. The two of them harmoniously stayed like that for a short while before Xiu Mei left for the kitchen and started preparing their dinner.
Lu Chen will be coming home anytime soon and surely, he had a very long day so she wanted him to just relax as soon as he got home. They heard the front door open. Xiu Mei glanced behind her and saw Lu Chen’s figure entering the door.
"I’m home." Lu Chen muttered while still removing his shoes. Xiu Mei approached his figure and so Lu Chen subconsciously opened his arms and pulled her for a hug as soon as she was within his reach.
"I’m home, my wife." Lu Chen whispered as he pressed a kiss on her head. Xiu Mei let herself be hugged as she pressed a kiss on Lu Chen’s cheek as a response. They didn’t stay like that for very long.
Xiu Mei grabbed his stuff and wrinkled suit to the living room while Lu Chen loosened the tie around his neck. He walked over to where his son was sitting and looked over his shoulder to see his homework.
"Dad." Lu Qiang greeted.
"Mhm."
Xiu Mei tugged Lu Chen’s sleeve and showed him her tablet. ’Our son will be playing basketball with his friends tomorrow.’
Lu Chen could already imagine Xiu Mei’s proud tone while reading what she wrote. But his brows jumped in surprise. His son was going to his first hang out with his friends on his third day of school? Basketball? As far as he knows, Lu Qiang was never thought with other sports aside from martial arts.
He glanced at his son who was also staring at him as if he was waiting for his response, even though it wasn’t really needed.
Lu Chen chuckled as he stroked his son’s hair.
"Well, enjoy yourself with your friends tomorrow." He uttered in a gentle tone. Lu Qiang’s eyes twinkled, nodded at his father’s words.
"Then I’ll go up first to change." Lu Chen said picked up his other stuff and went upstairs.
After eating their dinner, and after Lu Qiang finished his homework, Xiu Mei went with Lu Qiang to his room. While her son was taking his night shower, she packed up his clothes that he would need to bring tomorrow.
Lu Chen entered the room while she was still folding her son’s clothes.
"Do you need my help?"
Xiu Mei shook her head and carefully placed the folded clothes on the carpeted floor.
’You should go take a rest first. You must be so tired today.’ She wrote.
Lu Chen sat beside his wife and pulled her into his arms. He grabbed the unfolded cloth and started folding it just like what his wife was doing.
"I’m fine. It’s just the usual stuff. Besides, we’ll still have to tell bedtime stories to Lu Qiang tonight."
’Okay.’ Xiu Mei mouthed after staring at him for a few seconds. This time, she couldn’t hide her emotions very well from Lu Chen’s eyes. He saw a trace of distress on her eyes for a split second before it disappeared on Xiu Mei’s face.
He watched his wife’s back silently as she carefully packed up Lu Qiang’s clothes inside his bag so that it won’t get wrinkled tomorrow. His thoughts unknown to anyone inside the room. After that, they tucked their son to bed while Lu Chen read him his bedtime stories before withdrawing to go back to their room.
Xiu Mei did her usual routine and saw Lu Chen leaning on the headboard still working on his laptop after coming out of the shower. He looked so busy and focused on what he was doing so she didn’t disturb him and sat silently beside him.
She took a peek at what project he was doing and saw that he was reading the financial report for this year. She glanced at his serious face for a moment and back at the graphs on the screen as if she was thinking about something. She bit her lower lip and distracted herself before she could continue with her depressing thoughts.
She picked up her phone and started chatting with her girlfriends. It was the very first time that the two of them didn’t talk with each other after staying like that for so long.
Though, Xiu Mei still couldn’t help but glance at his screen from time to time as she felt itchy in helping him with some of his work even though she wasn’t allowed to. After what seemed like a long while, Lu Chen finally shut down his laptop and went to the shower. Xiu Mei glanced at the bathroom door for a moment before withdrawing her gaze.
Xiu Mei was just about to lie on the bed to sleep when Lu Chen called her as soon as he came out of the bathroom.
"Wife."
Xiu Mei rose from the bed and turned towards Lu Chen. He extended his arm towards her holding the towel in his hand. She glanced at his dripping wet hair and understood his message. A helpless smile appeared on her face as she gave in to Lu Chen’s childish request.
She motioned for him to sit beside her while accepting the towel from his hand. She started scrubbing his hair dry while Lu Chen’s gaze stayed on her wife’s gentle movements.
He was staring so hard at Xiu Mei that she couldn’t pretend and ignore it anymore. After he stared at her for like the whole ten minutes, she paused on her movements to return his gaze.
She tried her best to express the message with her eye, ’Is there something wrong?’
He seemed to have not understood his message as he only kept staring at her in silence. Xiu Mei started reaching out to her bedside table to take her tablet but his hand suddenly grabbed her wrists, pulling her to him.
"Wife." He uttered, his voice sounding a bit down than usual.
She tried to turn her head to glance at his face but Lu Chen kept her head on his shoulders by pressing his hand behind her head.
"Wife, I’m sorry."
"???"
Sorry? Sorry for what?
Xiu Mei was at a loss. What was he apologizing for? Did he do something wrong back in the office?
She thought about the possible things that Lu Chen would apologize for. A ridiculous thought appeared inside her mind.
Perhaps, did he got involved with some kind of woman today or what? And then it went on the news but she was unaware of it?
"Wife, I’m sorry for being a terrible husband."
".....?"
Xiu Mei gasped. So was it really a woman?! Did he really hook up with some woman today without her knowledge?! And now he was feeling guilty and repentant that’s why he’s being like this?!
Ah... the more Lu Chen doesn’t explain it to her, the more her imaginations run wild.
Seriously, what was he talking about?
Argh! It’s so hard to communicate with him like this ah!
"I shouldn’t have left you alone at all." He muttered under his breath, but Xiu Mei could hear it very well.
"?"
Ah? Now, what was he talking about?
Wasn’t it about a woman?