my friend's father

chapter 7

To say that that night after Xiao Zhan's gesture towards Yibo hadn't messed with both of them would be a lie. After arriving home, the businessman found himself thinking why after that action he felt differently about his son's friend. Yibo looked so helpless and small there before him that it was impossible for him not to feel touched by him.

He was sitting in the living room of his house with a glass of whiskey in his hand, his lost gaze fixed on the crackling of the fireplace. In his mind was Yibo's words, how he was used to judgmental looks, prejudice and his maturity in resolving them. For someone so young to act like this is because they had been through a lot. How difficult must Yibo's life have been up to that point?

His thoughts were brutally interrupted by the door being opened in a truculent manner. Mei Ling entered the businessman's house like a real hurricane.

- Are you serious, Xiao Zhan? - the woman was enraged and threw the papers that were in her hand at the other.

-What do you think you're doing here? I thought my position was already clear. You are prohibited from coming near my son.

- A restraining order? Honestly, Xiao Zhan. - the woman was unhappy with his attitude.

The businessman was grateful that his son went to write his internship report at Yibo's house.

- What do you think I would do after the joke you made? Did you really think I would stand by and watch you do these stupid things with A-Yuan? - He wouldn't spare his words this time. - I've put up with you over the years because of him, but trust me you won't make the same mistake.

- I did and would do anything for my son. You said yourself that he liked girls too, so I think he's just confused.

- You really must be crazy. You put a naked woman in his hotel room, that's not just morally wrong, it's a crime. This is called sexual harassment, you idiot. - he was elated. - You're lucky I didn't call the police. Do you realize how much this affected him? You should behave like a mother, but you act like a pimp.

- I'm doing what any mother would do in my place. You only accept this abnormality because of that brother of yours, so yes, it's up to me to bring reason back into my son's head.

Xiao Zhan walked  around the room, in his mind he evaluated whether his non-violence policy would remain in effect for a long time with that woman.

- You shouldn't even be here in the first place. Abnormal are you who can't understand that there is nothing wrong with A-Yuan, he is the most amazing boy I know, kindest and sweetest. About my brother, you have no qualifications to talk about him, neither morally nor professionally. He is better than you just by breathing.

- This is also your fault for allowing these types of people to get close to him.

"These kind of people?" A-Yuan is much more mature than you think, even more than you apparently. You were never present long enough in his life to know, you were never there when he needed you, you never even played your role as a mother. I took on this responsibility alone because you weren't capable, so watch your mouth very well when talking about him.

- I wasn't prepared, but I never stopped loving my son.

- Love? Quite frankly. - Xiao Zhan throws the glass he had in his hands against the wall with force. - I was also the same age as you, the difference is that I understood the responsibility that came with his birth. However, you just wanted a way to drag me down the aisle.

- Lie! I've loved you.

- Oh, please! We both had sex once and I barely remember it because I was so drunk. If you hadn't woken up next to me I wouldn't know who you are. So stop talking about the past as if it meant something. The only thing that matters to me is my son.