Crisom Thread

Chapter 2 - Unwritten Laws

Author's POV

It was the 9th time Tao was checking himself in the mirror, he wanted to look good for his first official meeting with his new family and Kris. He wanted to like them, to become a part of this family...this was, after all, his new life. He heard a knock on the door and a woman entered the room. She looked at him with a smile but he could feel the sadness coming from her, just like he felt from Ming's expressions yesterday. 

"Good day, Young Master, my name is Lee Fang and I'm the main housekeeper. If you need anything, please tell me, I am at your service." the woman said. "She looks like a nice lady." thought Tao. "The rest of the Wu family is waiting for you in the dining room." 

"Thank you Mrs. Fang." Tao walked to the dining room and as he entered, he felt all eyes turn to him, examining him with a mixture of approval and disapproval. Tao's eyes immediately went to Kris, but he didn't smile; his expression was cold, a vast difference from his expression the night before. 

"Zitao, allow me to introduce you to my family." said Kris, standing up. Tao felt a little disillusioned hearing Kris call him 'Zitao' again. 

"Welcome to our family Zitao, I'm Wu Lihong, Yifan's father." said an older man, greeting him. Tao bowed 90 degrees in the direction of his father-in-law. Mr. Wu had been a widower ever since Kris' mother passed away when Kris was 17 years old. 

"Nice to meet you sir. eh...Yifan?" he said, with a curious look on his face. 

"Oh yes, my son's birth name is Yifan, but he lived for a few years in Canada with his aunt and uncle, who call him Kris." 

"Only my family here calls me Yifan." Kris pointed out.

"We're glad to have you here, please make yourself at home." said Mr. Wu with a warm smile.

 "You've already met my aunt Ming. This is her husband, Richard Martin. He's Canadian." continued Kris as Tao bowed to the couple and Richard shook his hand. "This is my cousin, Lily." Tao smiled at the 13 year old girl who kept a stoic face and grabbed Kris' arm ignoring Tao. She didn't like the fact that her dearest cousin now had a 'wife', she was jealous. 

"Yifan-ge, you promised to be buy me a new horse saddle!"

"Of course, Lily! You know I always keep my promises." he replied and pinched her cheek. "Don't do that! I'm not a little girl anymore!" said Lily, pouting as Kris laughed.

Tao watched them with a wistful look on his face, he wished that he would be able to have a good relationship like that with Kris someday. 

"Tao, please take the seat next to Yifan." Ming said, pulling her daughter back to her side.

"No! That's my seat!" Lily exclaimed. "Lily behave! Zitao, please excuse my daughter's behavior." said Ming as she looked at her daughter at with disapproval. 

"It's alright, I don't mind, she can have that seat." Tao said, smiling at the girl. Lily's expression changed, uncertain now, whether she liked him or not. Kris stayed quiet and only looked briefly in the direction of the raven-haired boy. 

The Wu family always had either breakfast or dinner together, it was a family rule that Kris' mother wanted to keep and had asked them to continue even after she passed on. He liked that, his own family had similar traditions and were very close. His parents were actually very sad that he left in the conditions he did, because they love Tao and want him to be happy. But there was no other way to solve their financial problem. His older brother was already married and his wife, expecting a baby, so he had to be the one chosen to marry Kris. His father had secretly promised him that if they were able to recover and repay the Wu's, he could return home and end the marriage with Kris. Tao had thanked his father and believed in the promise, and although it was wrong of him to have any kind of hope in it, he did. Nevertheless, he believed that everything happens for a reason and perhaps the crossing paths of his and Kris Wu's life were meant to be.