Reaching Out (Zhu Xingjie FF)

24

Zhu Xingjie

Her voice, her face, her mannerisms. There's bo doubt about it. It's her! But who's that kid with her who keeps calling her mom?

"Zhu Jiero Rei! I said stop and sit down!" She sternly said that made the kid looked hurt and scared. He ran away then the next thing I knew he's hiding beside me.

"Hushhh~ your mom said that because the plane is about to leave. She's not mad." I don't know but these words just came out of my mouth.

"No! She's mad!" he yelled and hid more at my side covering his face using my arm.

"She's not and besides, did no one ever told you that big boys don't cry?" I uttered.

He slowly lifted his head that stunned me. His face looked confused and as if he is also recognizing who I was.

"D-daddy?!" he uttered that made my eyes widen.

"W-wh-"

"Jiero come he-"

"Mah, daddy!" the kid pointed at me. I looked at her that also shocked her but she immediately brushed it off.

"Jiero come here. Let's go back to our seat." She said , her voice in full authority and stern.

"No! I want to stay with dad!" he said and embraced me tightly. Jia insisted on taking him away when I stopped her.

"Enough! Let the kid stay." I said that made her just looked at me.

"N-"

"Ma'am please have a seat we're leaving soon." Letting out a sigh she walked to her seat and took her bag, then the next thing I knew she sat beside the window. My seat is for three and I sat at the end and Jiero sat at the center.

"Jiero. That's enough. You can let go now. We're seating here." She calmly said. Jiero slowly let go of me and turned to her.

"Xiexie ma." Jiero said and sat straight but still his hands are wrapped to my arms.

"I'm sorry." I heard her talk, almost a whisper. When I looked at her she wasn't looking at Jiero but to me.

"Jia~" I uttered. "Is he m-" I stopped when she slowly nodded looking down. Is that why she didn't even deny when Jiero started to call me dad? I looked at the kid who's kid hands wrapped in my arm now sleeping. "Why Jia?" She slowly looked at me, she opened her mouth as if trying to say something but closed it again. "Never mind. We'll talk when we arrive." I said. I fixed how Jiero is clinging to me so he could sleep comfortable but the kid seems not to want to let me go even when he's sleeping.

The travel went silently. When we landed we walked out separately, good thing Jiero's still asleep. I saw them waiting outside the terminal and when I was about to call them a car stopped infront of them and the person who got out shocked me. I always knew they're close but I never expected this. They embrace each other before the guy took Jiero from her. Lin Yanjun.

I felt rage, I wanted to ran to them and get mad but what right do I have? I already knew the reason why she suddenly left but I even gave up looking for her. What right do I have to get mad?

Jia looked at me before she got in the car. Her eyes looks apologetic. How I wanted to ran and beg her to come with me, how much I wanted to embrace her in the plane because I missed her so much. I told my manager that we could leave. Looking outside the window the scene repeated in my head.

"That girl. Isn't that DOA's Rieko?" My manager suddenly asked but I never replied when my phone rang.

Jie-ge!!!! Someone shouted in the other line.