Because I Cannot Hurt You

"Think about Chyou, think about Chyou, and think about Chyou! That's all I hear every single time. For once, just for once, can anybody think about me? I have to consider her feelings because she is a child. Then do my feelings disappear anywhere because I am an adult!? Do they lose their importance just because I am mature and older?"

Xinyi pursed her lips. "Caihong…"

"No Xinyi, let me speak. If things are unfair to Chyou, then things are unfair to me, too, and trust me, I know this very well. From the moment Mrs. An Meiying stepped into the An residence, I already knew my future. I wasn't going to get any mother's love. I already realized her fake love and concern for me. I was the same age as Chyou."

Her gaze dimmed. 

"But could I force her to love me? I couldn't and I didn't. There was no point. I accepted my fate. So, just like life forced me to accept the glaring missing part of my life, it will teach Chyou too. One day, she would surely understand."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Zhiyuan coming and she stiffened. She didn't want to face him and his questions, so she quickly got up.

"Please tell Zhiyuan not to contact me. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Caihong wait-" Xinyi tried to follow her but she was already gone.

Xinyi faced Zhiyuan and there was silence for a moment.

"What did Xiaosi say?"

Zhiyuan coldly smiled. "Nothing. He refused to say anything. He has turned into one crazy beast who mindlessly goes on a rampage. But I won't let him ruin anything more for us than he already has."

Xinyi nodded.

After a pause, he asked, "What did she say?"

She clenched her fist. "Everything. Everything that she had locked up in her heart…"

Zhiyuan said nothing.

Caihong had to go through so much hurt and grief all by herself, and he couldn't do anything to protect her.

"Let's go home, Xinyi."

She looked at him and realized the sadness and pain in his eyes. 

"...En."

Zhiyuan stopped walking midway. 

"Zhiyuan?"

"I remembered now. How did she talk to you now? Wasn't she angry at you for something?"

Xinyi froze.

"That's why she chose to ignore your message regarding Siying. Seems like you two have sorted it out, but why was she angry at you in the first place?"

Xinyi couldn't find any answer. He was staring at her, expecting his answer and she started panicking more.

"T-that...ah that! No, Zhiyuan, you are misunderstanding. Caihong and I talked and she said that she wasn't angry at me. She was in a bad mood about something else so she…"

Her heart was racing to lie.

Zhiyuan frowned.

He found it hard to believe that Caihong would take out her anger on some unrelated matter on Xinyi. But there was nothing to be said if they had already sorted it out.

"Okay."

---

It was evening when Yunru got off duty and reached home. He stepped inside his home and looked for Shuang. There he saw her sitting quietly inside the balcony on the floor and staring outside.

Yunru smiled.

Shuang rested her hands on her knees and blankly looked outside. Her mind was devoid of any thoughts.

Suddenly, she felt a cold, moist sensation on her cheek and she jolted out from her stupor. She raised her head and saw Yunru holding two cans of beer. He had pressed one of them on her cheek.

"It's too hot outside, isn't it? Damn, I am sweating buckets here."

Nevertheless, even after complaining of the weather, he quietly sat down beside her and offered her the can.

Shuang faintly smiled. She opened it and gulped down three quick sips. Yunru opened his own can and joined her. For a few minutes, nobody initiated the conversation. 

A moment later, Yunru extended his arm sideways and pulled her into his embrace while still saying nothing. Shuang rested her head on his shoulder. They continued sipping their beer.

This was a kind of ritual between them. When either of them was too stressed out about something, they just silently gave the other company and comfort they needed.

Yunru didn't know where they stood from a relationship point of view, but he was sure that they were best friends by now. He knew that if Shuang wanted to say or share something, she would do so on her own accord. Forcing a comforting talk was not an option either for her or himself.

"Yunru, you are sweating."

He smiled. "My apologies. Unfortunately, it's a bodily function that I cannot control, my lady."

"It's too hot here."

"Unfortunately, I cannot control the weather too. I am yet to gain that superpower. You will be the first one to know."

Shuang's lips automatically curved into a soft smile.

"How was the case at the mall?"

"You wouldn't believe who I met."

"Who?"

"The spoiled princess, Han Zizi."

She raised her brow curiously. "I see."

"The difference being that she was being bullied this time instead of doing the bullying," he chuckled.

"And her knight in shining armor came to save her," she amusingly said.

"Correction. A poor and lowly knight in the shining armor."

"So you won't deny the knight in the shining armor part," she teased.

Yunru pinched her cheek. "I am a knight in shining armor for all the people in this country. But for you, I am the Commander of the highest order."

"So cheesy."

"Thank you so much."

"I didn't compliment you."

"I insist on taking that as a compliment."

Once again, there was a brief period of silence.

Shuang said, "You know that I know that Mom is a lost cause, right?"

Yunru nodded.

"She asked my girlfriend to seduce my sister's husband," he clicked his tongue, "she is a bad woman."

She tapped her finger on his thigh.

"And she hurt your nephew too."

"A very bad woman indeed."

Silence.

"I am her daughter."

"I don't see the connection here."

Yunru took another sip. "Babe, I think you need to get an eye checkup."

"My eyes are just fine."

"Nope, they aren't. It isn't necessary that a murderer's son or daughter would turn out to be like his or her parent. The parents choose their path, the children find their own which isn't necessarily the same as them."

She said nothing.

"I never thought she would go that far. I should have realized that she had planned something when she called me to come back home."

He pulled closer to her and patted her head. "You are being too hard on yourself. You are not an esper or a spy that should keep tabs on her mother."

"Siying -"

"Is just fine. He is strong. He is my nephew after all. And if you ask sis, she would smack you for thinking such nonsense. The one who is responsible is already behind bars. The case is closed."

"Mr. Soo. Don't be so nice to me. You will spoil me."

He chuckled. "Gladly. Even if I spoil you, you would never reach your friend, Princess Han Zizi's level, so it's fine."

Her brow twitched.

"We were never that close as friends. She had Han Guang on her side who favored Caihong over me, so we were just on talking terms. Not much."

"Tsk. Such a waste. I pity the man she would fall in love with."

Shuang shrugged.

"Let's go inside before you melt like an ice cream."

"You won't seduce me to free her from jail?" He curiously asked.

She looked at him in disdain. "Who cares about her? Let her rot in jail for harming Siying?"

Yunru observed her for a moment. Since she was ready to go back inside, that meant her mood was lifted. She seemed in good spirits.

He smiled. "Let's go."

---

Han villa.

As Zhiyuan and Xinyi reached home with Siying, they immediately saw Han Guang rushing to his side. Siying was sleeping in Xinyi's arms.

"Ah, my poor Siying!" Han Guang sobbed. "I was so shocked to hear the news."

Zhiyuan raised his brow.

His aunt who never liked Siying or Xinyi was now showering love on him as a responsible grandaunt.

"I cannot believe that my sister-in-law could go to such lengths to harm my innocent Siying," Han Guang said, "She was always up to no good! She even framed my poor niece. Zhiyuan. I hope you didn't misunderstand Caihong."

She didn't even bother to talk to Xinyi.

Zhiyuan was in no mood to entertain her. Today was already an incredible day for them and not in a good way. First, Siying got sick and then they discovered Caihong's truth.

"We will talk about this later, Aunt. Xinyi and Siying are tired."

Han Guang fumed inside.

Ignoring me now!

"I am asking you this because Uncle...he…"

Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes. "What happened to Grandpa?"

Xinyi got a bad feeling. "What's wrong?"

Han Guang ignored her and looked at Zhiyuan.

"He locked up Chyou in a room as revenge for how Siying got hurt."