To Go Home

Chapter 1

Bai Luo Yin looked up at the mansion-like house, glare prominent on his face. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to go back to his dad. He wanted to go back to his own room, to his own small house. He didn't want to live in this unnecessarily big building. He just wanted to go home.

But he couldn't.

His dad had received a call the morning before from his mother. She wanted Bai Luo Yin to live with her and her new husband in their big house. His dad hadn't wanted him to go but she'd insisted. After a lot of discussion they came to a compromise – Bai Luo Yin would live with her for a month, and if by the end he still wanted to come home then he could and she wouldn't contact him again unless he wanted her to.

Bai Luo Yin had refused continuously. He had to stay here and look after his dad, grandmother and grandfather – without him how would they get by?

His mother told him they would be sent on a holiday to a place of their choosing for the month he was away, all expenses paid.

Bai Luo Yin still protested. How would he get to school? The mansion was too far away and he would definitely be late every morning.

His mother told him he would get driven there by the chauffeur in one of the SUV's of his own choosing.

After many more excuses he finally gave in. His mother clearly had an answer to anything he would say so what was the point?

He said goodbye to his father that Saturday morning and watched the taxi containing his only family drive away to the airport. He sighed and begrudgingly climbed into the back seat of one of the Commanders many cars. He rolled down the window and stared at the passing scenery in thought, a deep frown on his face the entire way.

When he'd first seen the mansion he'd gaped in incredulity at its sheer size. How many people lived in this house? His mother had said it was just her, the Commander and the Commander's son but surely that can't be? How could three people keep and maintain such a large building? Why did they need so much space?

Bai Luo Yin thought longingly of his home where they only had a small space but knew and used every single inch of it. How could he adapt to such drastic living changes? He'd only just arrived and he already wanted to leave and never look back.

That brought him to where he was now, standing on the gravel path leading up to the huge front door of the equally as big house, glaring.

He stood there for a short while, seriously contemplating whether or not he should just turn around and stay with Yang Meng for the month. However, just as he was about to spin around and run for it the front door was pulled open forcefully and a man around his own age stormed out, fury written across his face. He didn't even spare Bai Luo Yin a glance as he stormed past him, pulled open a random car door and promptly drove away.

Bai Luo Yin wished he could have gone with him when he'd turned back to look at the doorway and seen his mother beaming at him.

"Luo Yin!" she exclaimed and smiled happily at him. The smile, however, did not reach her eyes; there was worry clear in them. Bai Luo Yin guessed it had something to do with the man from a moment ago.

They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, it was only broken when Jiang Yuan coughed and indicated for him to follow her.

"Come in! Come in! How long have you been standing out here for? You must be freezing! Here, just drop your bag there and the staff will take it to your new room," she told him, fake smile still on her face.

Bai Luo Yin looked at her in disbelief. "The staff?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

She nodded excitedly and led him into what looked like a dining room. "This is where we will eat all of our meals together, as a family," she told him. He glanced around the room and sighed inwardly. It really was too big and grand. He felt like he didn't belong here, he wasn't used to wealth and that was perfectly fine with him. He'd much prefer to not eat in this room as a family. He grunted in response and continued to follow Jiang Yuan around the huge building.

She showed him the 'family room,' this is where they'd spend some 'quality time' together. Next she showed him where the kitchen was – this would be useful for when he refused to eat with them. Then the many bathrooms, the music room – they had a freaking music room! – and finally his bedroom.

"This is your room, Bai Luo Yin. I hope you like it, I tried to design it how I thought you'd like," she said to him. Bai Luo Yin looked around the room and scrunched up his nose slightly.

It was too big, too rich. The bed was huge, had too many pillows. The walls were painted a baby blue – his most hated colour – and the worst thing about the room was that it was practically empty. It was so big that it seemed void of anything and he hated it.

He wanted to go home.