Chapter 52 - Retaliation Comes To An End

'Oh my God, what happened? Did I press him hard or he didn't like me kissing him? or Did I said something crazy? What did I do wrong?' Li Na felt flustered and confused seeing Little Tiger struggling in her arms like a fish grappling for water.

Worried and clueless as to how to handle Little Tiger, Li Na looked over Lu Jianjun asking for his guidance.

Expressionless, Lu Jianjun stood there leaning on the wall with his crossed arms when he saw her expectedly staring at him, he replied, "Put him down," and Immediately, Li Na released Little Tiger as she put him on his feet. She crouched down on her knees leveling them together. Instantly, Little Tiger turned his body sideways, towards his father's direction, and before he could dash towards Lu Jianjun, Li Na held Little Tiger's both hands and bought him back to his designated place.

"Lu Baihu, look at me."

Startled, Little Tiger froze instantly. Li Na took a heavy breath, readying herself to deal with Little Tiger. Her baby is as aggressive as she used to be in her childhood. And why not, they belong to the same zodiac sign, born in Tiger years. Aggression against the person they don't want to see is in their basic characteristics and Li Na found this extremely amusing regarding Little Tiger.

"Baby, Look at me..." Li Na cupped his little face and turn him to face her. Now that Li Na knows their past relationship and how ignorant she was to Little Tiger, she understood why Little Tiger is running away from her. He's simply guarding his little heart against her, to prevent breaking it again. And she knows he's doing his best to avoid her but now that... she's not only willing to protect his hearts but also want to cherish him. So she had to make him trust her one more time.

Li Na lightly creased his soft cheeks as she kisses his forehead and said coaxingly, "Baby, please...spare a look at Mumma,"

" Mumma is extremely sorry... I did wrong to you, but I promise...I promise it won't happen again, I won't hurt you again, never ever nor I'll allow anyone else to hurt you. Can you please give me another chance?"

Little Tiger's body stiffened at her words but he didn't dare to look at her, his eyes lowered as he occasionally tried to peek glances at his father from a side eye, silently, asking Lu Jianjun for help, he was feeling extremely uncomfortable right now.

'Dad? I don't like this...

Dad? Why is he not helping me?' Little Tiger felt more and more restless. Li Na's word and tender voice were making him muddlehead and indefensible.

Since Little Tiger was born and grew up to understand things and until now, he was never pressured to do anything against his will. He lived with a fixed and comfortable pattern despite having Li Na as the only unstable and disturbing person in his life, that he was trying to get close before he accepted her the way she was, separated and aloof.

She was bound to him, by blood and flesh only and no emotions involved. But her impact on Little Tiger is immense which was like a double-edged sword for him. And right now, by apologizing she is penetrating his inner circle, his comfort zone. He doesn't know how to deal with this. He just wants to be with his father, safe and not disturbed. His wait for her was ended like ages ago.

"Xiao Hu, sweetie..." Li Na called him seeing his frightened face and his panicked eyes.

Suddenly, Little Tiger bites her hand which was ċȧrėssing his cheeks to free himself from her grasp.

"Ha..." Li Na couldn't help but laugh softly. His bite wasn't hurting at all, in fact, Little Tiger isn't even exerting his full strength to hurt her and she could sense that. He was just threatening her to leave him in his own way. Li Na couldn't resist his adorable tricks as she leaned forward and kissed him again. Plus, she didn't retreat her hand and let him bite as much as he wants. She was delighted, at least he was responding to her, either way, she felt extremely happy and amused by his actions.

Confused by her smile, Little Tiger looked at Lu Jianjun's calm and composed expressions and he frowns as his lips pressed together forming cute dimples.

"Little Tiger, " Li Na said and turned him to face her. "Baby, it's fine. You're fine...You don't have to burden yourself anymore. Okay? D-Don't cry..." his eyes filled up as she hugged the little bun softly. " It's Ok, Baby. You don't have to feel pressured. I won't shut you again."

Li Na wished she had a magic wand so that she can heal Little Tiger's wounded heart as it's impossible to heal them in a short span of time.

She knows even if someone mention of her name in front of him, that's enough to tear open his unseen wounds. The emotional strain is more fatal than any physical pain.

She wishes to use that wand to disappear every single of his struggling emotion and throw them out of his life forever. She can love and protect him from all the dark shadows.

Her previous life was a solid example of how she has protected and kept her family safe members from all the schemings and never let them knew what her life was aside from them.

Of course, now, she knew that the people she cared about the most are all safe.

It's was very easy to gossip about the entertainment industry with the maids and get them to talk about the A-lister celebrity, Mei Lein. Everyone was cautious to talk about anything related to Li Na, yet she gets to grasp something. As just a week ago Mei Lein appeared at the grand primer of her upcoming Hollywood movie. Which means her twin sister is safe. And as for Zhang Han, well, ladies love to talk about him. The color he wore in a signing ceremony he attended recently. And about her mother and father, the world knew them as a power couple and any harm to them would create endless gossips for months. Though, she didn't hear about any of the influential people's death new, so she could say, that life is pretty much normal out there.

Especially, without her.

Mei-Xing wasn't a public figure but an unknown identity which has the potential to shake the root of those people who deserve to be fixed. Let them be from business or underworld. She has the ability and strength to do so but she was lacking in the rightful position. And she was a step behind to achieve such a position worldwide. A position people sees as it only belongs to a worthy man as the most woman doesn't have the endurance to claim it.

Previously, she regretted being reborn as Li Na and questioned herself, what good this life could bring to her? And indeed this life has something more worthy and priceless to fight for, which she would never have as Mei-Xing. It wasn't status, wealth or power but the newly added little member in her small family.

After listening from Lu Junhui about all the things Little Tiger had done to gain some attention from his mother, at first she didn't think much about Li Na but later on it really made her question the real intentions of Li Na. How could she be so thick-skinned?

Even if she doesn't believe everything Lu Junhui told her but Little Tiger's condition and hostility towards her are evident. And she had to question Li Na's intentions for Little Tiger.

Did she regret giving birth to him? After giving birth, there was such a drastic change in her that she fell in depression. It shouldn't be because of Lu Jianjun rejecting her. He has rejected marrying her, way before months, she gave birth to Little Tiger. And if she really gave birth to the child knowing it was Lu Jianjun's baby then she had a good chance to love his child and he might have agreed to marry her.

At least that's what he offered to her.

But Li Na chose to ignore Little Tiger. And every time she meets Little Tiger he suffered from some kind of damage, either psychological or physical. Being born premature, Little Tiger didn't leave a single stone to unturn just to impress his mother.

Despite the fact that he has weak bones and it could take him a few extra months than normal kids that he couldn't stand firmly on his own feet, Little Tiger pushed himself to balance himself and stood straight in front of Li Na. In that process, he has broken his leg bones multiple times due to which it took him so long to walk on his own feet. And during his surgeries, Li Na never took the initiative to see him.

At first, nobody blamed Li Na and they just told her to motivate and talk to him as they thought Little Tiger was just forcing himself off the limits so that he could walk like other children. It's a good sign that he was interested and so determined to get strong and healthy. So these kinds of accidents are natural to happen in recovery.

Even a normal kid will fall and get scraped his knees while learning to walk it's just that slightly extra pressure or hard fall and Little Tiger broke his bone. Everyone was extremely cautious about him but it's the thing Little Tiger did when nobody's around or when he woke up in the middle of the night. It wasn't just that he tried voicing and calling her mommy but that wasn't easy either. Still, his inability never stopped him from trying to impress her rather his dėsɨrė grew much stronger. As he tried to learn whatever he could while resting in bed and that's when they knew Little Tiger has an amazing grasping power and he's ingenious at computation. He was so desperate to show his progress to Li Na and earn some pampering from her but he was left dejected.

Slowly, he lost his interest and dėsɨrė as everyone around him motivated yet nothing worked. Many times, Lu Junhui and Bai Tian wanted to talk to Li Na but she wasn't affected. It prolonged until Lu Jianjun confronted Little Tiger and put a ban on Li Na. If she couldn't support Little Tiger then he won't allow her to destroy him further.

At the present moment, Li Na's eyes filled with tears thinking, how much pain he had suffered from all those injuries in such a small age. And how his self-confidence would have broken into pieces when he failed to melt her heart for him.

Little Tiger deserves to be loved unconditionally and not like a tool to get his father or the status been his wife.

Straightening his back, Lu Jianjun frowned and his expression became gravely serious as he observed. Li Na looked at Lu Jianjun and saw him staring at them but he didn't look like he was going to interfere, instead, his eyes were locked on Little Tiger as if he was expecting something.

Li Na understood what he might be thinking as she hugged the Little Tiger's back and crossed his both hands in front of him tightly making him defenseless. As she was also expecting from Little Tiger to cry loudly or at least yell out his buried sorrow and pent up anger. Although Little Tiger was showing some aggression yet he would just let his tears to flow out silently which isn't normal for a kid of his age.

Helplessness making Little Tiger frustrated and more angered as his father was also not helping him, right now, he was as mad as a bear with a sore head. His teary eyes persistently pleading to his father to take him. He felt insecure. He was crying at thought of being abandoned by his father and left with Li Na? Naturally, he knew his father's repulsion towards women, especially for Li Na. It's a miracle for him to see them together today.

Because Lu Jianjun wanted to give some space to bond the mother and son he didn't interrupt but he could no longer bear to see Little Tiger's tears and that doubtful look in his eyes like he's been abandoned which were like a stab in his heart.

Whereas Li Na was also on the verge of a breakdown when she felt a shadow above them. Her desperate grip loosened on the soft and little body in her arms. Gradually slipping away from her fingers. She can tighten her grasp on him but she didn't want to hurt him physically.

As soon as Little Tiger felt loose, immediately he dashed into Lu Jianjun's arms. Sniffing and sobbing, he buried his face into Lu Jianjun's ċhėst.

Li Na remained squatted down and her head lowered tears rolling down her cheeks as if she had lost all her strength to stand up. Her eyes became blurry with tears when she heard Lu Jianjun's calm voice from above, "Li Na?" As she lifted her head and saw a hand extended towards her. The man hadn't moved an inch, he was still stood near her with an open arm.

Silence fell in the room, besides Little Tiger's low sniffs nothing was heard. She gathered herself before giving her hand in his hands and she slowly stood up. But just as she found her balance and regain her footing, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

Lu Jianjun's steel-like arm wrapped around her slender waist as Li Na's whole body trembled in shock. Li Na didn't understand just what Lu Jianjun wanted to do. But knowing as Little Tiger's with them she knew he won't do anything inappropriate.

Whether broken or torn, Li Na instinctively closed her eyes and silently stood there in his arms. It was no wonder Little Tiger felt safe here as she can also sense that strong security. She felt protected as a sense of comfort sealing her deep inside. A comforting warmth one feels when they are with their loved ones.

She lifted her one hand and wrapped it around Little Tiger whereas the other one encircled under Lu Jianjun's arm slowly moving behind his back.

If the first time she hugged Little Tiger and felt like she had conquered the whole world then this hug felt like securing it. And even if she let down her guards no one can harm this world of hers.

Meanwhile, far away from this peace and comfort, a ripple of retaliation has come to an end. With the breakage of today's news headline in the international business market, a fully planned murder reached its conclusion. A grand celebration was organized which was hidden from the world. In one of the underworld base.