Meet the Parent

Wen Rui didn't notice himself drifting off, the exhaustion of facing an entire week in this new, scary world finally catching up with him. The quiet purr of the engine was like a soothing lullaby and he didn't notice when it switched off.

When he finally came to, there was silence all around besides for the occasional evening bird call that he could hear from through the windows that were wound down halfway. A light breeze few in, ruffling Wen Rui's hair with cool fingertips but he didn't feel a biting chill because the trench coat he had been holding in his arms was draped snugly around his shoulders.

He was alone in the car. He sat up and opened the doors, looking around.

The cemetery that they were at was a ways from the city. There weren't any tall buildings in sight, just green hills and farmland. Zhou Ye was seated on a large stone a couple of metres away from the car. His back was to Wen Rui and all Wen Rui could see of him was a dark silhouette, an unlit cigarette held between two fingers.

He didn't know that Zhou Ye smoked. Wen Rui had never smelt it on him before. Even if Zhou Ye knew about Wen Rui's childhood history of asthma and was considerate enough to avoid smoking in front of him, it was unusual for there to be completely no trace of smoke on him at all times.

Zhou Ye must have heard the door because he turned around to face Wen Rui. His expression was impassive as ever. Wen Rui wasn't sure if he'd imagined the flicker of pensiveness on Zhou Ye's face that had disappeared as soon as he'd noticed.

"Feeling better?" Zhou Ye asked.

Wen Rui fidgeted with the lapels of his coat, smoothing it out an unnecessary number of times to give his hands something to do.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Thanks for waiting, you should have woken me up."

Zhou Ye stood up. In his long black coat and the stillness of the atmosphere, it was like the world had narrowed down onto him as a focal point and Wen Rui found that he couldn't look away.

"Let's go then." He shepherded Wen Rui towards the entrance of the cemetery. Even beyond the gates, Wen Rui could already see rows and rows of neat tombs that covered the hills. He was surprised that they were let in at this hour and even more surprised when the security guard handed over a white lily bouquet.

Wen Rui looked up at Zhou Ye, who nodded at him to accept them. "I asked a personal assistant to bring it over," he explained, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to make an employee drive hours to deliver funeral flowers. "We forgot about them earlier."

Right. Of course. This visit was an impromptu one and it hadn't occurred to Wen Rui to bring anything either. This was the first grave he'd ever visited personally. Before, during the Tomb-Sweeping Festival, he would follow his parents to the graves of their ancestors to clean them. But it had always been a mere formality, Wen Rui standing in a corner and doing as he was told when asked to, without him paying attention to the proceedings.

Today was different, however.

The walk over to his mother's grave was a long one. Her tomb was in a remote part of the graveyard, right at the top of a hill. Wen Rui didn't complain about the walk, mutely trailing behind Zhou Ye as they continued in silence. He hugged the bundle of flowers closer to his chest but was careful not to crush the petals. A subtle sweet scent permeated the air and he inhaled in the fragrance of the bouquet and tried to recall if this was a smell that his mother liked.

Had liked.

The cobalt blue dusk took over the sky just as they reached. Wen Rui placed the bouquet down gently in front of his mother's headstone before bending his knees to trace fingers over her photograph.

"Ma," he choked out. "I'm here." At this moment, he sounded small and helpless, like the young child who would seek her out at night whenever the thunder woke him up.

The woman in the photograph was younger than the mother in his memories, with long gentle waves and a smile that tugged at his heartstrings. This was his mother when she'd still been a maiden. Whoever had prepared her grave and chosen this picture had intended to preserve a memory of her before that disaster of a marriage.

It must be the Jiang Family, perhaps even Wen Rui's maternal grandparents. Wen Rui knew that his grandpa and grandma on his mother's side did not approve of his father. As a result, Wen Rui didn't get to see them often when he was younger, although the couple of times he had, they had been kind to him. Back then, he hadn't realised why grandpa and grandma just couldn't get along with his pa, to the point where his mother would take him back to her parents' home for lunar new year visiting without his father in attendance.

Now he knew. What could he say? The Jiang Family, who were also veterans in the business world, were excellent judges of character.

Except for their poor little daughter.

"Ma, I'm doing all right." Wen Rui managed a wobbly smile as he reminded himself that he was here to comfort her soul. "I've learnt to be independent now, I'm an idol with concerts and I have a drama series coming up, I can't wait for you to watch it, I'm excited about it too."

He wasn't, not really, it was just a job to him. But he wanted desperately to be a good son for once, even though it was too late to give back to her because she was already gone, he wanted to say things that he knew would make her proud.

"I'm also…I'm living well. I'm making my own money, I'll have my investments and take care of myself. I don't need—no one needs that man." At the thought of his father, an irrational surge of anger rushed through Wen Rui. This lonely grave in a remote cemetery was considered an expensive plot and would have cost his grandparents a small fortune to procure. But it wasn't the place Wen Rui's mother should be buried in. She should be in the grave that had been booked for her a long time ago by the Wen Family so that she could be with her husband in eternal rest.

No need to say, his father had betrayed her when she'd been alive and then once again, now that she was dead. Was he keeping that booked grave in the Wen Family plot for Lu Xiamei?

Wen Rui was going to make sure that didn't happen. That grave could remain empty, he didn't want his mother sleeping in it anyway, but he wasn't going to give Lu Xiamei the satisfaction of having it either.

His fists clenched. He was so absorbed with trying to hold back his tears of frustration and grief that he didn't notice Zhou Ye looking at him until a hand clasped him firmly on the shoulder.

Zhou Ye knelt next to him, the hem of his black coat flaring out.

"Auntie," he greeted, his murmur so soft it was nearly concealed by the cricket song. "I'm Zhou Ye, Wen Rui's husband."

Wen Rui raised his head abruptly but Zhou Ye's next words made his protest die on his lips.

In the growing darkness, there was a bright earnest glimmer in Zhou Ye's black eyes. "Regardless of the reasons for the marriage," he said, speaking slowly and seriously like he was making a solemn promise. "I will take care of Wen Rui from now on. So Auntie, please rest well."

Wen Rui opened his mouth to speak but no words would come. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, two figures kneeling in front of a headstone well into nightfall. He didn't feel like moving and Zhou Ye, although he had better places to be, didn't hurry him either.

He couldn't stop thinking about what Zhou Ye had just said.

[Ma, what do you think he means by that?]

Somehow, Wen Rui didn't feel like Zhou Ye was saying this out of pure obligation. He couldn't put his finger on it but ever since he woke up with amnesia, he could sense that the dynamic between Zhou Ye and him had changed. The Zhou Ye he knew now was so different from the Zhou Ye in high school that he could be a stranger. And yet, this stranger was now his closest person. He also didn't give Wen Rui bad vibes at all, quite the contrary in fact.

Confused, Wen Rui didn't know what to think.

It was only when it started drizzling, that Zhou Ye finally stood up again.

"We should head back," he said. "We can visit again, anytime you like." He reached out a hand to help Wen Rui back onto his feet and Wen Rui hesitated for a split second before accepting. There were pins and needles in his legs and he tripped and stumbled, only to be pulled against a firm chest.

"Thanks," he said, embarrassed at the close proximity.

"No problem," Zhou Ye replied, tightening his hold for a brief while before letting go. "I'm used to your clumsiness by now."

This light jibe was enough to wash away the melancholic atmosphere. Wen Rui gave his mother one last small smile.

"I'll come and see you again soon, Ma," he promised.

[Okay, have a safe drive home, both of you. And remember to take a hot shower once you reach, don't catch a cold!]

He knew what she would say in reply.

Side by side, he started walking down the hill with Zhou Ye, and behind them, a young woman in a photograph laughed forever.