79 ANOTHER PIECE OF GREAT NEWS {II}

Who said Xiangyang always had the best stories to tell?

Jingyao raised an eyebrow. "Who are you talking about? Maybe, if you tell us who you are talking about then it will be easy to help."

"You don't need to know who she is for you to help me out," Zhaolin said seriously.

Jingyao blinked twice and scratched his jaw. 

"Wait!" Xiangyang almost screamed. "You only loved one woman... No one girl actually and then she left..." He paused and tilted his head to Zhaolin. "Is it Bai Xueyan?"

Jingyao's jaw dropped forming an O.

"I never knew you were this sensible," Zhaolin stated.

Xiangyang's eyes popped and he turned to Jingyao who was as shocked as him.

Xiangyang swallowed... Bai Xueyan is back? And he wants her back? What happens to Xiao Shiya? 

"But..." Xiangyang stopped and swallowed again. "What happens to your marriage?"

"We all know he doesn't love Shiya," Jingyao said.

"It's not about love. We are talking about a bond, a marriage between two big families. This is no ordinary marriage between ordinary people... It will surely cause a set back and will ruin so many things..." 

They discussed as if Zhaolin was not in their midst.

"No. This is a big risk. I don't think you should do this! It will bring war... Which I'm very sure you won't like." Xiangyang said while making eye contact with Zhaolin.

"You are of no help to me then," Zhaolin said and downed a glass of water.

"Is Xueyan truly back?" Jingyao asked. "How is she? Where's she? What is she doing?"

"Yes she's back, but I'm not telling you where she is." 

The two were flaggerbasted. 

Thirty five minutes extra and the three left.

*****

Zhaolin drove straight to the school and on his way there he called Jiuwen and told her the he would pick Zhihao up himself.

Upon arriving he saw the little man outside with his hands in his pockets, smokes came out of his mouth as he spoke.

Zhaolin stopped some feet away, got down with a jacket in hand and strode towards Zhihao.

"Ah'zhi," he said when he reached the little boy and knelt on one foot and dressed him up. "Tell your friend bye," Zhaolin said and turned to Zhihao's friend and immediately taken by surprise. "Qingran,"

The little girl frowned, "How do you know me, mister?" She asked innocently.

Zhaolin didn't respond instead he smiled, "Come I will take you home."

"No way." Qingran firmly disagreed and moved an foot away.

Zhihao looked at his father, "Do you know her too?"

"Yes, who else knows her?" Zhaolin asked.

"Ah," Zhihao nodded. "Aunty Jiu said she's a friend's daughter. Is aunty Jiu's friend, your friend too?"

Zhaolin ruffled his hair, "Yes. We had all gone to the same high school..." And she would have probably been my wife now... Your mother... He added in his mind.

Zhihao jogged over to Qingran. "You don't have to be scared, come he will take us both. He's my father." He smiled brightly.

Qingran poked her head out to see the man smiling at her, then she looked back at Zhihao. "Really?"

"Yes,"

Five minutes later, they had hit the road already. He dialled a number multiple times but it didn't connect so he dropped his cellphone and concentrated on the road.

Qingran sat at the back alone as Zhihao had refused to sit at the back. He would watch her from the rear mirror.

She looks everything like that woman. Bai Xueyan... Bai Xueyan. He remarked in his mind.

"Would you want a cup of ice-cream?" 

"Yes! Yay!" Zhihao answered excitedly.

Qingran looked out the window pretending not to have heard it.

It made him smile, she's really had to get just like her mother. 

"Will you mind a cup too?" He didn't turn but watched her from the rear mirror.

Zhihao turned to see what she would say. 

"No." Qingran shrugged. "I mean I don't want." She said instantly.

Zhihao looked disappointed. "You don't want a cup? Then you want to two? Three? Or four? I will get you as many as you want. Just name it." The little boy blinked twice.

Qingran turned to him. "I don't want any," she shook her head.

"What do you want then?" Zhaolin asked.

"Nothing." Qingran answered.

Zhihao mouth formed an O. Then he nodded. "Father let's stop at KFC."

"Okay," 

After driving for a while they stopped at KFC and the two went in alone as Qingran had refused to follow them.

"Give me vanilla flavoured and a box of popcorn chicken," Zhihao demanded.

"Yeah,"

After his order was taken, Zhaolin looked around the menu to see what he could get for her. Well this was harder than I thought. 

"Give me strawberry flavoured ice-cream and a box of drumsticks and popcorn chicken."

"Yeah," 

He paid and they both left. 

Qingran was still seated quietly at the back seat.

Zhaolin placed the bag by her side then turned to drive.

"The ice-creams here are really good, try it." Now Zhihao was sitting at the back. He pushed his ice-cream over, Qingran looked at it like it was the weirdest thing on Earth. Her expression said she really didn't want.

"It's okay if you don't want to share mine. This," he touched the bag. "Is yours. So enjoy." Zhihao grinned at her.

Qingran still didn't touch the bag.

"I remember you told me you mistakenly broke one of your toys, let's go get it." Zhaolin said and stopped at a pet store.

Zhihao was about to refute when Zhaolin gave him a side eye. "Oh yes, not just one but three... And I really liked the three of them." 

Zhaolin couldn't help but smile. Now I'm teaching my son to lie...

"What's your take?" Zhihao asked Qingran. "What's your choice of pet? You want Barbie? Or you want frozen? I have minions, would you want one as well? Oh what of Tom and Jerry, have you watched them? Aye, you are a girl so I think," Zhihao scratched his little head. "You should go with Sofia the First. They are a lot more, but I only remember a few. Tell me, which do you want?" He asked smiling.

"None," Qingran immediately looked out the window again.

"Oh really?" He pouted. "You said you are my friend... But don't want anything from me. Don't you know that friends help each other?" 

Qingran didn't turn. "I just don't want it."

"I heard females fancy shopping, would you like to go on a shopping spree?"

Zhaolin had to turn back to look at his son. Where did he hear such?