Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume #1)

87 They Should Be More Worried

Shao Hai stuck out his tongue when Guanyu ran out of the teahouse. Ah, winning against her really felt good! Although ... he felt even happier looking at the small person in his arms.
Shao Hai looked at Jing Yi and grabbed his hand as if they had known each other for years. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. She's gone. I drove her off for you."
"Mn." Jing Yi nodded and curiously looked up at the other boy. He had never talked to any children his age. What was he supposed to say now?
Shao Hai was in as much of a pinch as Jing Yi. He had liked him at first glance but he didn't know anything about him. How did people normally get to know each other in such a situation?
Oh! Shao Hai perked up. His father always introduced himself first when he met someone new! He should try the same. "I'm Shao Hai! The man I came with is my father, Shao Chen. He's good friends with Mister Zhong."
He felt like he had done the right thing bringing that up. After all, Guanyu was Mister Zhong's daughter and this was Mister Zhong's teahouse. If Jing Yi was here and Guanyu was bothering him, he should have something to do with the Zhongs. If their families had something to do with each other, Jing Yi would feel closer to him if he knew that his father knew Mister Zhong.
Unfortunately, Shao Hai was wrong. Shao Chen might be friends with Zhong Gang who was Mister Zhong's cousin but the one Jing Yi cared about the most was his mother. As a result, he didn't care too much and just nodded.
Shao Hai was at a loss. Why wasn't it working? Maybe Jing Yi didn't have to do anything with the Zhongs after all? Shao Hai felt like he should get to the bottom of this. "Zhong Guanyu called you Jing Yi. So is Jing your family's name?"
Jing Yi shook his head.
Qiu Ling's eyes lit up watching this scene. So his beloved didn't like that boy. Ha! This was to be expected. His taste was so much more refined! Naturally, he wouldn't be won over that easily.
Just then Madam Zhong took a look over. Seeing her son still being hugged by Shao Hai, she smiled. It seemed these two might become great friends. She should help her son a bit. "Jing'er, why don't you take Shao Hai to elder sister Nie's room? I'll bring you some snacks over."
Jing Yi, who was finally told what to do, looked at Shao Hai expectantly.
The other boy didn't really understand what was going on but he still nodded and hurriedly followed Jing Yi to the preparation room. He couldn't help but look at Madam Zhong again though. "Who was the pretty sister just now?"
Jing Yi smiled brightly. "That's my mommy!"
"Oh!" Shao Hai's eyes grew wide and his ears turned red again. Ah, Jing Yi sounded so nice!
He followed him closely, still holding onto his hand even when they sat down at the table in the preparation room. Nie Huang smiled at them and made them tea but otherwise left them to themselves.
Now it was Shao Hai's task to get Jing Yi to talk. He cleared his throat and slid closer to Jing Yi. "So, if your family isn't named Jing, what is it called?"
Jing Yi looked at him. "It's Zhong."
"Zhong?" Shao Hai repeated the name. Did he hear wrong? That sounded like uncle Zhong's name?
Jing Yi nodded. "Mn." Although if it was up to him, he'd rather have been called his mother's surname. Wouldn't that be much better?
Shao Hai smiled at him. He felt like they were making a lot of progress. At least, Jing Yi didn't only nod or a shake his head this time. Who knew, they might be holding a real conversation soon!
"So, is your Zhong the same Zhong as uncle Zhong's Zhong?"
Jing Yi blinked and stared at the boy next to him. His Zhong ... and uncle Zhong's Zhong? What was he talking about? "It's just Zhong."
Now it was Shao Hai who was blinking in confusion. Huh? How could it be just Zhong? It had to be some kind of Zhong, didn't it? He tried to think of all the characters his father had taught him to write. He could think of at least two Zhongs.
Ah, well, it didn't matter anyway. He looked up at Jing Yi again and smiled. His father always said that it was best to be open with your feelings in front of someone you liked. Thus he pulled him into his arms again. "It's alright. I'll like you whatever kind of Zhong you are."
Jing Yi blinked. Uh? Shao Hai had hugged him again? Even though he didn't understand anything? Jing Yi hesitated but finally smiled just as brightly as Shao Hai and even hugged him back.
Mn, Shao Hai was really nice! He might just be his favorite person. After his mommy.
Thankfully, he kept this thought to himself. Otherwise, a certain dragon king would certainly have been furious that someone had dared to vie with him for the second place in his beloved's heart.
Anyway, Qiu Ling was already very worried about the condition of his beloved. When the two children left for the preparation room, he got up immediately and wanted to follow them. Unfortunately, halfway through a slender hand grabbed his shoulder. "Daoist Master, didn't you promise something just now?"
Qiu Ling coughed. "I did. But I should still take a look!"
"Over there is only a room for preparing the tea. There is nobody inside besides the children and our tea master."
"I haven't seen your tea master. Maybe he's a bad person."
Madam Zhong shook her head. "She's a lovely girl."
"She might want you to think that. Who knows who she really is?"
"My husband's cousin hired her himself."
Qiu Ling looked up at her solemnly. "Madam Zhong, are you sure your husband and his cousin only share their looks?"
"Er ..." She suddenly remembered how Zhong Gang always scratched his head when he was at a loss. It was just like her husband. Maybe she should worry after all? Her husband wasn't that good at judging people ...
"You see! I'd better go and take a look. Not that something happens to your son."
He finally got up and wanted to go over but Madam Zhong grabbed onto his sleeve this time. "Where do you think you're going? You're a guest and that is a room for the servants working here. If anyone goes there to check on them, that should be me. I even got some snacks for the children."
Qiu Ling gritted his teeth. This was the first time in his life someone had denied him en—
Ah, no, wait. This wasn't the first time. His other mother-in-law had once done the same when she felt like he had gone too far. What was it with these mothers? Shouldn't they be a bit more worried when their sons were in such dangerous situations?! What if that despicable child did something to Jing Yi?! He had already dared to hug him and hold his hand! Who knew if he wouldn't do something even more atrocious?!