Chapter 94 - Let Your Sons Be

Feng Xuan was tangled with the sheets when she started to stretch. Her hands and feet reached for Qing Chen, but as most mornings, he was already out of the bed. She bolted upright and threw the blanket aside, pinning her hair above her head as she went down the stairs.

"Oh my," she said when she entered the kitchen and found her husband already finished cooking. "Is it that late already?"

"No," Qing Chen smiled and flipped a pancake on a plate. She saw that it was only seven in the morning. "I just got up really early."

"Do you have somewhere to be?" she asked, taking a seat.

"I'd drop by the Father's before heading to work." He took off his apron and placed a plate in the middle of them, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. "How's your head?"

At the mention, Feng Xuan's hands went to her hair, massaging. She felt a dull ache but nothing too serious. "It's fine. I probably just need to eat and take a bat—" then flashbacks of what happened the night before started to come back to her. She was at Wang Yimin's house, Qing Chen fetched her, they were in the car, they ate a burger, and when they got home… Her hands flew to her lips. Then to her chest. She was still in the lace bodysuit she wore. "Oh my God!"

Qing Chen just chuckled as his wife found a shirt from the laundry room and used it to cover her body.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You look really comfortable." Qing Chen took a bite of the pancake and squirted more syrup at the top. 

Feng Xuan's cheeks were flaming. "How embarrassing," she uttered under her breath when she retook her seat.

"You didn't seem to be so embarrassed last night." Qing Chen's head tilted to the side. "You were pretty confident."

Her cheeks burned hotter. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her ankles twisting together. All she remembered was one moment she was kissing Qing Chen, her hands hot on his body, then she saw a little darkness tugging at her. She didn't notice in which part she let it took over. "I fell asleep in the middle of it." 

Qing Chen's smile turned into a grin. "No worries." He raised a cup to his lips and his gaze drifted to her lips. "Who knew what could've happened last night."

She bit her lips. Yeah, what was she thinking jumping on her husband like that? She felt like she wanted to knock on her head. Qing Chen put the fork in front of her mouth and she took a bite. "Your cooking is getting better."

"It ought to." Qing Chen had taken over their meals during the time that Feng Xuan was injured.

She took the fork from him and sliced herself a bigger part. Qing Chen was just watching her as she took a bite. "What? What are you looking at?" she could feel the heat travel all the way down to her neck. 

"Nothing," he said and gave her a mischievous grin. Then she noticed how it looked like his face was emitting light. Like he was glowing.

"You seem to be happy this morning."

Qing Chen turned away from her, as if he was thinking. Then he looked at her eyes and answered, "Yeah, I guess I am." He finished his cup and walked towards her. "I have to get going soon."

"Okay." She was just wiping her mouth when he spun the chair she was sitting on and pressed his lips on hers. It immediately made her heart leapt. They tasted sweeter than the syrup. Her body jumped when he bit her lip. "Qing Chen," she gasped.

He chuckled against her lips before giving her a soft one and another at her cheek. "Oh, wife," he said and squished her face on his palms before disappearing to a bathroom.

Before he got in the car, he gave her probably one of the biggest smiles she saw in her life. He even winked at her.

Her eyebrows rose to her forehead. What has gotten into him today?

**

Qing Lok was pretty sure it was too early for lunch when she heard a housemaid waking him up. "What is it?" he asked, refusing to move from his bed.

"Young Master Qing Chen is here. He wanted the whole house up."

His eyes flew open and he sat up so fast he felt dizzy. "Chen?!" He made his way downstairs and saw his brother reading the newspaper with a glass of water in front of him. "What's going on?"

Before he could hear an answer, he heard a yawn from behind him and saw Wuming still half-asleep. Their father was trudging down the stairs with a glare. Their grandmother walked in with a tray of tea and coffee.

"What is it now, Chen?" their father took his seat.

"Well," he folded the newspaper. "I'm reporting. I'd rather do it in the mornings. I don't want to come home late to my wife."

They all groaned. "What's going on with you, Chen?" Wuming had his face covered with his hand like he could fall asleep again. "Finally woke up on the right side of the bed after all these years?"

"Yes."

Qing Lok fought the urge to roll his eyes as he quietly sipped on his tea. Qing Chen slapped the newspaper on the table. "Update on The Zookeeper."

They all suddenly felt awake as Qing Chen recounted yesterday's events and how there were a few bodies found in the dead Mr. Zhang's house. "We have to find the message. Surely, he left something." Qing Chen pulled out his phone. "Speaking of, I think the police already found it. Detective An wants to meet at the office."

Their father grunted. "Just look at you both's recklessness. Didn't I tell you not to do that?"

Surprisingly, Qing Chen only smiled. "Believe me, Father. It'll put things in order." He turned to Wuming. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," groaned their oldest brother before making a show of slipping to the floor before bolting up right to his feet.

Qing Lok was still tending to his tea when Qing Chen called him. "Aren't you going to change?"

"Huh?" he was caught off guard he almost spilled the tea.

"Get moving. We leave in fifteen minutes."

**

Xie Changying was finishing her tea when her grandsons left the house.

"I'm going to go after them. This is a mistake," said Qing Zihao, rising from his seat.

"No, you're not. Sit down."

"I am not going to sit down. They are going to put us all in the ground."

Her eyes darted to her son and felt like her heart was cracking. She did not want to face the fact either. But their boys were no longer boys and now wanted to make their own decisions. "Stop hindering your sons."

Qing Zihao was taken aback.

"You want Wei to stay here, that's only possible when you're not in charge. You want Chen to be more invested in the mafia, this is him taking control. You want Lok to mature, he's being really responsible." Xie Changying felt her throat swelled. "This is the only way that you—we don't lose them."

Qing Zihao turned away from her, but she knew that hunch of the shoulders and the hand on the mouth. She rose from her seat and patted his son's back as he cried on her shoulders. "Let your sons be."