Because of You: Junping and Yuerong

Chapter Fourteen: A Stamp of Love?

After the kidnapping, my mother showed up and attempted to hover. By that I mean she acted upset and worried like a mother hen, tried to blame Yuerong, and then (once finding out that he actually was part of the reason we were rescued) yelled, pleaded, and berated my father about giving me my part of the inheritance to keep Uncle from getting it.

I don't know if she realized how foolish she sounded, but eventually my dad had enough and yelled at her. The thing is, as bad as their relationship was, I never heard him yell at her. She has screeched and yelled and even thrown things at him, but I have never heard him raise his voice at her, so when he did, we were shocked. My mother, me, even the servants.

"You are Junping's's mother. If you can't genuinely be concerned about him be quiet! We all know the only thing you're worried about is making sure he has money so he will take care of you in luxury when I've finally had enough!"

He left the room and headed straight to his study. My mother, pale, silently went to her room. When I woke the next day, she was already gone once again.

The kidnapping had bothered my father quite a bit, but I'm not sure if he was worried about me or if was more worried about Yuerong's grandfather. There was never any proof against my uncle besides the words of the kidnappers, and of course my uncle denied everything. My father actually didn't really believe it himself, saying that uncle was bad and greedy, but he'd never harm family. Pfft.

However, one day when Yuerong and I were walking up the drive to his house, we saw my father leaving. He looked shaken but just hurried out to his car and was driven away. Yuerong immediately asked his grandfather about it when we got in the house, but all Grandfather would say was that "he needed to clear things up with my father and his brother." He smiled at us both, patting my shoulder, and walked out.

"I love your Grandfather, Yuerong. But you know he's scary, right? I'd love to be that scary someday."

I thought Yuerong would laugh. We'd often talked about Grandfather and the mysteries of his life and how there were some things he never talked about. But this time Yuerong looked after his grandfather and then looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

"No, Junping. I wouldn't want you to be that scary. To be that scary, you'd have to go through a lot and lose many things you loved. I don't want that you ever happen to you."

I was startled at the change in the mood. "Yuerong. I . . ." He cut me off. He smiled.

"It's okay, Junping. Let's go. I want to beat you at that new game but we need to review for a half hour first."

I sighed. The ASTs were coming, and he wasn't going to let me forget it.

After the kidnapping, Yuerong seemed to be even more invested in my going to university than ever before. Every once in awhile, especially when I slacked off or got something wrong that he thought I should know, I'd hear him mumbling about "getting me away from those people." It made my heart warm hearing his concern, and I became determined that his efforts weren't wasted. It's not like I didn't tease him sometimes though. I liked how he fussed over me and after me. No one had paid such attention to me before.

So, I did study. I studied as if everything was riding on it because it was. My father even stood up for me when my mother found out I was going to be taking exams and applying to other schools than the ones she wanted. I voiced my concern about what she would say when she found out I really wasn't going to major in finance at a dinner with Yuerong and Grandfather, but Grandfather told me not to worry about it. He said that he had spoken to my father about my future after the kidnapping. Both Yuerong and I had looked up and stared at him at that, but he said nothing else.