Chapter 372 - Should've Stayed Dead

"Wuming," his father warned again, now with a new burning glare in his eyes.

"It's alright, darling," their mother said again. "It's alright." Her soft face turned stony all of a sudden, like all of the openness and brightness, windows of her soul suddenly shut. "What is it that you want me to say… son?" she returned the endearment like a dagger across the table.

"Nothing at all. I just want to ask why you're so confused that I was a devil's son when I came right out of your w.o.m.b?"

Qing Chen's eyes flew to the small knife that her mother just clutched at her right hand. She was holding it hard enough that her knuckles turned white. He knew that she would not really poke Wuming's eyes out but who knew what kind of woman she had turned into after all of these years?

He nudged his brother's foot under the table. Wuming nudged back. His brother was not going to back down on this. If his mother would ask a fight, they would do this right on this table.

Much to Wuming's disappointment, it did not happen. Their mother sighed deeply as if trying to calm herself and praying that she really would.

"I was only afraid that you would become like me," she said. "It turned out you really did. I just wish that you are happy with what you are doing."

"What? Are you like, thinking that you're a better person than I am because — I assume — that you already quit this kind of job?"

Their mother's eyes were filled with alarm. Wuming was also wishing that he could put a stop with what he was saying but his mind was elsewhere. It was not going to stop. He had been wanting to talk about this before.

"You're like me, aren't you? You killed people for money."

The alarm in their mother's eyes were filled with rage. "I did what I did to survive. You don't know the whole story."

"Yeah, because you left instead of telling us everything about this. Your family meant little to you. We would've helped you."

"I didn't want you boys to become someone like me. I didn't want blood on your hands."

Wuming laughed. Honestly, Qing Chen could not stop the bitter smile that escaped his lips. He was sure that Qing Lok had the same expression on his face. "Did father ever tell you what was the first thing that he did after we 'cremated' someone else's body?"

Hao Suyin's face did not move.

"He hunted down the gardener whom we suspected was sent to kill us. Then he made us torture him. Then we killed him." Wuming shook his head, feeling the weight on his chest. "It was the turning point for the three of us. That night… we officially became killers. So don't tell me that you didn't want us to become you."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" said their father with a slam of his fist against the hard wood. "Your mother had come here to make amends. She didn't return back from the dead to start a war with her own children. It was like you didn't want her back!"

Wuming blew raspberries with his lips. "Who said we wanted her? We just want to know where she was so we would know who was trying to mess up our lives. Now that she's here, maybe she could try and clean up her own mess." With that, Wuming stood up and threw his napkin on his untouched food. "I'm leaving."

"Wuming!" their father called after him. "Qing Wei!"

Wuming didn't turn back.

**

Qing Chen was also wishing that he could just also leave the table, but he was not going anywhere until he had the answers to the things that had kept him up for the past few nights. 

He was the reasonable son so he was going to listen. It was what would leave his soul in peace. "I'm not leaving," he said and started eating. "I'm going to hear what she has to say." He turned to Qing Lok. "What about you?"

Qing Lok stared long at his mother. He could tell that her eyes were pleading for him to stay. It was also the thing that made him stood up. "I don't think I can do this today. I'll go."

Their father glared up at him as he walked out of the dining area. When his eyes landed to Qing Chen, it was as if the tension on his shoulders loosened a little bit. He was relieved that at least one of their sons actually stayed. "It's going to be a long story."

Qing Chen shrugged. "I got all day."

**

"This is bullshit," Wuming said as he packed his bag. There was not much that he took with him. He had always made a note to pack light.

"What's going on?" asked Addison as she tossed her bathroom items in a small waterproof pouch. "A maid stopped us from getting down the stairs."

"The mistress of the house is officially back. And yes, she's not dead. She's very much alive and she's here with my traitorous father. That's why we're leaving."

"Where would we go?"

"In a place where we don't own the building or the land that we're standing on."

"Outside the city then," concluded Addison. "Aren't you at least going to listen to her reasons?"

Wuming shook his head. "That woman hated me—or hates me—whatever, I don't really care anymore. I don't want to see her again. She should've stayed dead."

"You might regret this decision though," said Addison quietly as she zipped up her bag. She tucked her oversized shirt under the first pair of jeans that she got from the floor earlier.

Wuming turned to her and closed his bag. "Do I look like I'm the kind of person who regrets anything?" he shook his head. "I don't regret. Ever… not unless I missed a kill. Just like at breakfast."