Irresponsible

Kang Jun stayed still and silent as Kang Mingyu cried. He allowed the boy to fully give himself to releasing his pent-up pain despite the fact that Kang Jun had to go back downstairs soon.

When Kang Mingyu was done, Kang Jun wiped the residue of tears off of his face.

"Better?"

Kang Mingyu didn't speak or move.

It was like the boy was frozen in time. The pain of his arms and knees still remained but now his eyes and his chest began to hurt also. He regretted crying. Many people had told him growing up that men shouldn't cry but he couldn't help it sometimes. If he had been with anyone else but Kang Jun, Kang Mingyu would have held back his tears forever.

"No? If you need to, keep crying. I'll be right here." Kang Jun was ready and willing to stay with the boy. If the rest of his family had to wait for him, so be it.

If they really needed him, they'd come for him.

They were already used to Kang Jun doing as he pleased anyway.

The boy was quiet for a long time prompting Kang Jun to continue patting his head. Kang Mingyu would speak when he was ready, at least that's what Kang Jun hoped, but once the silence continued on for a little bit too long, Kang Jun decided to break the ice.

"Miss Lu told me to tell you to chose a date to go out with her. She misses you."

Kang Mingyu's eye gleamed, for the first time since Kang Jun had entered the room, as he looked up."Just me and her?"

Kang Jun frowned.

"Of course not." The man said those words without a second thought.

Now it was Kang Mingyu's turn to frown. "I want to talk to auntie."

"No"

It was already 11 pm and Kang Jun knew that she was at a family party. He didn't want to bother her but then, Kang Mingyu's eyes began to water.

This kid…

If it was any other day or moment, Kang Jun wouldn't have given in to Kang Mingyu's manipulations but because of what had just happened, regardless of if the child was or was not, he took his phone and called Lu AnLing.

The phone began to ring.

Kang Jun put the phone on speakerphone so they could both hear her. He didn't worry about anyone coming up since he would be able to hear it from afar.

At the sixth ring, AnLing answered. "Hello?"

He didn't answer her, instead, he handed the phone to Kang Mingyu.

The girl on the other end sounded confused but because she was keeping her voice low she sounded a bit like she was hiding a secret. They had probably bothered her. Kang Jun's heart ached. He began to regret calling her but at the same time, hearing her voice calmed his anger slightly and allowed him to think rationally.

"Auntie?" Kang Mingyu's voice was a bit horse.

"Hi cutie, what's wrong?" Lu AnLing said, her voice changing completely from the one before.

The line suddenly went quiet. Kang Jun gazed at Kang Mingyu who struggled with his words. Seeing this, the man felt a little helpless but he wasn't going to interfere in their conversation.

The boy ignored Lu AnLing's question. "Sorry to bother you so late at night…"

"No need to apologize, honey. I wasn't really doing anything important. You're no bother. Call me anytime." Lu AnLing's voice contained a sense of knowing. She knew that something was wrong and she knew that the boy wouldn't tell her so she didn't probe.

In times of great need, a person just ever needs a person by their side.

Hearing her reply, Kang Mingyu smiled.

"Auntie?"

Lu AnLing: "Yes?"

"Can we go out?"

AnLing didn't answer immediately.

"Uh… sure. When?" Lu AnLing answered.

If Kang Mingyu was like Kang Jun he would say something crazy like 'right now' but Lu AnLing doubted that that would happen.

"Any time you aren't busy," Kang Mingyu replied kindly.

Lu AnLing breathed a sigh of relief.

The reaction given by Lu AnLing was heard by the two on the other side of the line causing Kang Jun to crack a smile but it soon disappeared when he heard the words that escaped Kang Mingyu's mouth next.

"But can it be just you and me?"

Kang Jun gave him a look and then cheekily, the boy gave him a look back.

The line was quiet.

Kang Jun walked over and pressed on a button on the phone, which made it so Lu AnLing could not hear them but they could hear her. "She's going to refuse you."

Kang Mingyu: "How do you know?"

"I just do." Kang Jun shrugged.

Kang Mingyu frowned at Kang Jun. It felt as if the man had jinxed him but he was right. Kang Jun had spent a little more time with Lu AnLing than Kang Mingyu had and he had already determined certain key parts of the girl's personality.

If anything ever happened to the Kang's 'little young master' under her watch she would be dead. She couldn't allow that. At least with Kang Jun with her, it was assured that Kang Mingyu would be safe.

"…Honey, I don't think that's such a good idea. Let's just all go somewhere together. It'd be more fun that way." Lu AnLing replied.

It would have been quite irresponsible for her to accept such a request but thankfully, Kang Mingyu was a good boy so she didn't need to argue with him like she would have to do with Kang Jun.

****

Downstairs, in the dining room, discussions had already begun.

"Father, tell me frankly, how bad is the situation?"

Elder Kang sighed. "That depends on the efforts it'll take to fix it."

"What subsidiary does it involve or is this about the main branch?" Kang Liu Ran asked. He leaned calmly against the back of his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

He was the perfect example of serenity.

This was mainly due to the fact that all business under his control had been going smoothly for the past three months. Profit had even increased by 15%.

If the problem lied with someone, he could only assume it to be Kang Jun. And if the robotic man had truly messed up then it would be a godsend.

This was a chance for either Kang Nianxi or himself to wedge themselves between Kang Jun and Elder Kang.

"We'll discuss when your brother is back."

"Why don't you just tell us now? What would be the harm? Brother will find out about it anyways." Kang Nianxi asked.

Elder Kang waved his hand at his grandson. His decision had already been made."No matter whose branch or subsidiary has been affected Kang Jun will take the lead."

"Why?" Kang Nianxi said. The annoyance within him went through the roof when he heard Elder Kang's words.

Why Kang Jun?

It was always Kang Jun.

That year Kang Nianxi had worked so hard and was able to acquire a great many projects, he even acquired several other companies and made more money than they'd made in the last five years.

What made Kang Jun the favorite.

Kang Nianxi knew how Kang Jun had saved the company but that was years ago! It shouldn't matter anymore.

Kang Nianxi: "He might be responsible, but elder brother lacks interest in finding himself a wife and an heir. He keeps avoiding any talk of marriage. It would be irresponsible to allow him to stay as the family head."

Mo Ruyi's mouth twitched but she kept quiet. Kang Jun might have been her only son but she had no way of refuting Kang Nianxi's claims.

Truth be told, when Mo Ruyi and Kang Mu were first looking for prospective marriage partners for their second son, Qiao Lan had always been their bias but when the eldest of the Kang sons had fallen in love with her, they couldn't refuse.

They believed that Qiao Lan and Kang Jun would have made a great couple.

What a shame…

BAM!

Elder Kang slammed his hand hard on the tabletop. Under the pressure, the table shook causing almost every single person seated to slightly jump.

"Are you calling me irresponsible?!" Elder Kang screamed.

Seeing this, Kang Nianxi shut his mouth and receded into his chair. He had known that he had spoked too rashly.

Beside him Kang Liu Ran made no movement.

Kang Nianxi glared at Kang Liu Ran. His eyes saying, 'You bastard, you started this.' but Kang Liu Ran completely ignored him. He hadn't done anything. It was his elder brother's stupidity that brought this upon himself.

The vein in Elder Kang's neck bulged.

Beside him, Secretary Rong leaned over and put his hand on Elder Kang's shoulder.

"Master, please, calm down. Your blood pressure will act up again."

"Yes, father. Please calm down. Nianxi misspoke." Kang Mu's apologized profusely. His voice was rigid. He wanted to prevent his father from being angered. In his childhood, well through to his adulthood, he had experienced his father's anger first hand and he could say with certainty that it had worsened with old age.

It was to be expected from a former underground king.

Turning to Kang Nianxi, Kang Mu sneered, "Apologize to your grandfather, NOW."

Kang Nianxi didn't dare disagree.

"I'm sorry, Yeye."