The Qu Family (1)

"Don't you think his name is too feminine?"

He could hear his mother's voice.

Zhou Zhiling sounded as cold as she had been when they last met, but this time her voice had an edge of softness when she said this.

"Just because it's Mei doesn't mean it's feminine." His father's voice defended, "It's not 'little sister (mèimei)', it's 'blackberry (hēiméi)'."

"Oh, I thought you chose 'beautiful (měilì)'."

"I was just following what you did with Guoguo, if she's fruit then he's berry."

"That doesn't make sense."

"You say that now but didn't I tell you that Qu Guo sounded masculine and you didn't listen?" Qu Ye mentioned, his tone petty. "I won't listen, he's already Qu Mei, let him be Qu Mei."

"One is a leaf (yè), one is a fruit (guǒ), one is a berry (méi). I'm surrounded by vegetation." Zhou Zhiling complained fondly.

"Shouldn't you be happy? You love your garden so much you even have your garden in your family."

While they chattered over him, Qu Mei grew more confused than he already was.

Qu Mei: It was crazy acknowledging that your life turned into a horrible novel, then I come back to said life all of the sudden. But since when did Mother have a garden?? Just how short-lived was that garden of hers that I never found it?

"Papa! Mama! Guoguo is home!" The seven-year-old Qu Guo dashed into the nursery with her school bag. "Did you guys just come home? Nanny told me it's fine to see my little brother now!"

Qu Ye grunted as he hoisted her up and into his arms so she could finally meet her newborn baby brother, she's been anxiously waiting since being told he was born just yesterday.

She gasped happily, "My brother is so fat!"

Qu Mei: Sis, I'm not that fat... ఠࡇఠ

"What's his name!"

"Qu Mei." Zhou Zhiling's single glance toward her husband was evil.

"Mei...?" Qu Guo, being a regular child, was reasonably confused.

Qu Ye sighed helplessly.

As his father began to patiently explain the whole meaning and intent behind his newborn son's name, Zhou Zhiling silently looked down at the baby in the bassinet.

"He looks like me." She muttered, sounding pleased with herself.

It was true Qu Mei would grow to resemble Zhou Zhiling, unlike Qu Guo who was the carbon copy of Qu Ye. Unexpectedly, between the couple, Qu Ye had been the one with a delicate image while Zhou Zhiling was the literal opposite, a tomboy in appearance and personality.

In the past, Qu Mei tried so hard to look feminine to somehow gain Sang Qian's attention, since Sang Qian preferred feminine men. But combined with the knowledge of how glad his mother is for her only son to look like her and his rage for the novel that was his life, he felt like embracing just how handsome he was this way.

Qu Mei: I mean when I'm already blessed with unparalleled looks, I might as well accept my fate. Too few have been burdened by a handsome face… I'll gladly take responsibility.

Zhou Zhiling's eyes softened, but Qu Mei's eyes were yet to clear up so he couldn't see, she picked him up and hugged him gently. "I hope you don't hate me too much because you look like me."

If Qu Mei could speak, he'd have spoken, but all he could do right now was frown.

Qu Mei: Is that how she feels? But she's always been so mean to me, right now she's…

Zhou Zhiling was the typical tiger mom, she pushed Qu Mei to be the top of his class, good at instruments, compared him to other children who were somehow better than him and didn't know how to properly communicate with him, it was always Qu Ye's job to be soft on him and his sister while it was Zhou Zhiling's job to exercise discipline.

Qu Mei didn't want to lie, he once favoured his father more because of this, but he decided to be a good son this time.

No matter what his mother said, he'd do without complaining. Despite the difficulty of the mere idea.

He'd be a son his parents would be proud of and live his life to the fullest, this time no fooling around.

...

"Eh, is that Qu Mei trying to walk?" Qu Ye was quick to discard his newspapers at the sight of his son struggling to secure his footing.

Zhou Zhiling's fingers froze above her laptop keyboard while her head snapped in the direction of her son. "A'Suo, has Qu Mei ever tried to walk like this before?"

Suo Fengjie was Qu Mei's nanny at this time, Qu Mei only had a vague expression of her when he was younger, but she didn't last too long with him.

Probably for a good reason too, he's been noticing how little she cared for her employers' baby. She only knew how to pretend, but she had a nasty habit of sleeping whenever and wherever not minding that a one-year-old baby was waddling about the house. Although Qu Mei was grateful he didn't have to deal with her, it was still disappointing to find this out.

She stuttered an answer, "No? I haven't seen him do that..."

Qu Mei: She's not lying, but that's only cause she's not even watching.

"A'Mei, walk towards me!" Qu Ye cheered him on, if the man had a glow stick or a banner, he'd be waving it crazily in the air in his excitement.

Qu Mei huffed and puffed, his face turning red as he pushed his jello-like muscles to move him forward.

As expected, before he could land a real first step, he fell face-first onto the faux fur rug.

"A'Mei!"

Qu Ye rushed to his rescue, and before he could stop it, Qu Mei felt his baby body charging up for another wailing fest.

He cried pitifully, inside there was his adult soul that was even more pitiful as he couldn't do anything but keep crying even if he didn't want to.

"Don't cry, it was a good first try." Qu Ye soothed, "Papa is proud of you."

Zhou Zhiling finally left her laptop and walked over, sitting down on the rug and taking the wailing Qu Mei from his father. She was surprisingly talented at calming babies, more than Qu Mei expected anyway.

Soon Qu Mei was lulled to sleep in his mother's slender arms.

"Children at this age won't understand your reassurance no matter what you do, just make them sleep." She told her husband when Qu Mei quieted down.

"A'Suo." Zhou Zhiling's intense gaze switched to her son's nanny. "Why does Qu Mei have a bruise?"

The sleeping child had fair skin and a soft face, he wore a short-sleeved romper, revealing a soft purple spot on his milky elbow.

"Ah, that was…" Suo Fengjie began to stutter, her eyes desperately avoiding the woman's cold stare.

Suo Fengjie: When did that happen? How did I not notice it? Did he get hurt while I was sleeping? Just apologize!

"I'm so sorry, ma'am." She bowed deeply, squeezing her eyes shut.

"If I forgive you now, what will happen to my son in the future?" Zhou Zhiling was eerily calm, there was no expression on her face but Qu Ye knew she was angry.

As he too was displeased with the nanny, he didn't bother to stop her, only caressing Qu Mei's soft hair.

"When I let you keep taking care of my son, will you sleep through a fire or a break-in?"

Suo Fengjie tensed.

"I'm sure you know what I'm planning to do." Zhou Zhiling smiled as if she was imitating a kind expression. "Take your things and don't make me tolerate you any longer than I need to."

Fortunately, she knew what was good for her, so she bowed again and accepted her fate. "Yes ma'am, thank you for everything."

The Qu Family had been classified as a middle-class family in society, with the head of the family only being an infamous producer who got to his position through hard work and talent. But Zhou Zhiling came from a military background, her grandfathers and grandmothers were veterans and former generals, colonels and sergeants and her father was the former First Class Upper General.

Her mother, however, had been an influential politician until her retirement.

So although those military officer relatives before her were mostly dead, her name still had some authority. Some might even say her influence could be great enough to bring down a wealthy family.

Zhou Zhiling herself was once a military officer with a bright future until she got bored and switched careers, leaving her older siblings to follow in their ancestors' footsteps while she went off and got married to a then small-time producer.

Despite her not being in a specifically threatening position, it should be said that no one dared to mess with her.

For now, Qu Ye may just be a producer with no name, but within ten years, he'd be amongst the most influential, adding to the family's prestige.

"We need to find a new nanny." Qu Ye sighed, "I don't know what's so difficult about watching a child."

"Then you watch." Zhou Zhiling snapped.

Qu Ye began to whimper. "My dear, I didn't mean it, I don't know what I'm saying. Forgive me…"