The Fairy Fox: Shen Yan and Lu Yin

Chapter 16

Shen Yan met his parents outside the hospital entrance when he was making his way back. They were also looking for him. He was in a daze, seeing his mood everyone wanted to ask but after asking they didn't get any response. They guided him to the car after he responded perfunctorily. Shu Lili decided to drive everyone home, it was already after working hours. Shen Yan in his daze had decided to sit at the back with his dad, everyone was worried. They couldn't do anything since the person involved kept reassuring them that he was fine.

Shen Yan felt overwhelmed with information, he didn't even realise when they arrived at the house. Everything was done automatically, when Shu Lili wanted to go up to his room with him, he stopped her immediately and said he wanted to be alone. She understood and didn't insist, seeing this situation the Shen couple wanted to invite her to dinner but Shu Lili refused. She had a dinner appointment with her friend whom she hadn't seen for a long time. She kissed Shen Yan goodbye on the cheeks, said goodbye to the couple and left the Shen villa. The couple watched their son make his way to his room robotically while spotting very worried expressions.

Something had happened in the hospital during that time their son was outside but they couldn't guess what it was. Their son looked very lost, madam Shen also noticed that there was a certain despair and a light of hope. It's been over nine years since they last saw their son so expressive. After he went to that far away university in city A their son came back changed. He had tried to conceal it but how could they as his parents not notice this change?

Their son was a cheerful person but he had become gloomy, despondent and distant. He kept everyone at a distance as if he was afraid of something. Mother Shen noticing the changes in her son had made a secret enquiry into his matters. His basketball coach couldn't shed any light into the matter, he too was also helpless. He just told her when it started. After much enquiry mother Shen had deciphered that her son was involved with four other kids.

She had looked into the security footage of the compound he used to live in and had discovered something. She knew her son was in a relationship with one of those kids but she couldn't pinpoint who. Watching the footage of their interactions she had discovered that in this group of five two were in a relationship, so she had eliminated them. While searching she had found that her son seemed to be living with the other boy who was very tall, because of their close interactions she couldn't tell who was her son's partner so she had concluded it was the girl.

Her son had always seemed not interested whenever she spoke about her BL stories so she had assumed that he wouldn't be involved with a boy until today. When mother Shen saw Lu Yin she had thought he looked familiar and yet she couldn't pinpoint where she had seen him before. It was after that brief moment when she saw her son and Lu Yin staring at each other that she had an epiphany and finally realised the truth.

Lu Yin was probably her son's love, the one who had caused her son to change so drastically. Shen Yan had just seen him for a few minutes and yet he had looked as if his soul was sucked away. How is it that this boy's influence over her son had gotten worse over the years?

"That person we saw earlier his name is Lu Yin." Father Shen was confused, he didn't understand how this was connected with their son. Seeing his confusion mother Shen rolled her eyes. She couldn't find any humour in her husband's confusion at this moment, "He is your son's ex."

Father Shen abruptly turned to look at her. What she said didn't make sense! Why was his son's ex a man?

"Do you remember that after Shen Yan went to that university in  America,  I conducted an investigation into the matter that had changed our son? Don't you remember that tall boy who lived with him briefly in that apartment? That's him, it's only after I saw these two when they met each other I connected the dots."

The light-bulb in father Shen's brain finally lit up. What the hell ah!? His son was gay? Then what is he doing getting engaged to a woman, is he trying to swindle her?

"Honey it worries me that they just met for a few minutes and our son looks like he has lost his soul.. and that Lu Yin has a daughter now who is eight years old. If we count the years he probably cheated on our son and broke his heart!" When mother Shen put the pieces together the picture it created wasn't pleasant. How could her son love such a two-timer?

"Aiyah our son is gay?"

"Shen Ke Lan you are focusing on the wrong thing here. Your son is broken hearted because he was probably two-timed and now that pain has come back, what are you thinking about?"

The parents downstairs were worrying about different things. Their son didn't come down to have dinner that night. The atmosphere at the table was very solemn and the Shen parents barely touched their food. They only had this one son, and this son of theirs had never disappointed them.

The next morning the Shen parents were surprised to see their son coming down for breakfast all dressed up for work. On the surface he seemed to have worked out whatever was bothering him but the Shen parents knew that this matter was far from over. Their son was a very stubborn and tenacious person, he couldn't suffer losses willingly. The mood on the breakfast table was tense, the Shen parents tried to make small talk but their son only responded perfunctorily. They gave up and let him be. This sort of atmosphere continued for a week. The Shen parents had reached their limit by this time.

Shen mother was debating whether to go look for that Lu Yin, it was only her reasoning that kept her back. She always remembered that little girl's words to her. What could she possibly say to that boy? Please love my son back? What a joke! That would make her son appear like a loser which she couldn't tolerate!

Father Shen was still hung up on the fact that his son had a relationship with a boy. He grew up in such an environment since his wife was obsessed with such relationships and he had always indulged her. But how did his good son turn bent? He really didn't see it coming. While the parents were still worrying Shen Yan was gathering information.

The very same night he had found out the truth he had called Xiao Mo to get more information. Xiao Mo had obviously been expecting he would call some day as he didn't sound very surprised to suddenly receive this call from him. He had sent the father-daughter pair to this city in the hopes that they would meet and find closure. He too hadn't known Lu Yin had given birth, he thought he had lost the child after the fight that's why he didn't tell him, plus it wasn't his place to tell.

After that phone call Shen Yan had felt so disturbed he couldn't process anything. Why was everything so complicated when it came to him and Lu Yin. He had thought that that year nine years ago he was the one who had suffered the most and was justified in his anger and resentment towards Lu Yin. Only now did he realise that Lu Yin had probably suffered as well, perhaps even more than him. Lu Bai had explained the conditions needed for a fairy fox to actually conceive. Perhaps deep down he didn't trust that Lu Yin really loved him even after he had accepted him.

He always felt that he had perhaps coerced Lu Yin to be with him. After gathering information he found out that this wasn't the case. How lonely and heartbroken must Lu Yin have been during that period? He was so absorbed in his emotions he failed to notice how much he was hurting the person he claimed to love. Why was this relationship so complicated?

Now Lu Yin probably didn't want anything to do with him. Both had hurt each other in different ways. Shen Yan was thinking that since they have both moved on then perhaps it is best they give up on these feelings? But what about Qiu Yue, his daughter? His very own flesh and blood. Who knows what Lu Yin had gone through to deliver her safely.

He had spent the past few days trying to convince himself to let go, loving someone and being with them shouldn't be this hard, this hurtful and this complicated. Whenever he tried to convince himself and felt that he could move on memories of him and Lu Yin would always come uninvited. He would think of him and miss him.

Why was a romance that didn't last even a month so lingering and refusing to be let go? He even went to Qiu Yue's school, he saw the little girl and realised on closer inspection she does look a lot like him. Shen Yan was stuck and he didn't know what he wanted or what to do.

 He was scared, scared of Lu Yin's rejection.