Chapter 349 - We would be a family

"Go," Han Ye whispered to Xiao Lei as he gently gave her a push. 

As Xiao Lei glanced back at Han Ye, she smiled and nodded before catching up to her son. 

"Are you going to bring your girlfriend--" Xiao Zhihao's words were lodged in his throat when he saw his mother next to him. He then looked behind them, where Han Ye and Tian Le were talking at a fair distant behind. "What the..." 

Xiao Lei smirked and placed her arm around her son's shoulders. "You've been avoiding me the whole morning, kid..."

Xiao Zhihao glanced at his mother for a second before looking away. "I didn't..." 

"Liar..." Xiao Lei teased. She then asked in a gentle voice, "How are you feeling today? Better? How are your injuries?"

When she went home to clean up and change in the morning, she saw Xiao Zhihao who was watching TV with Tian Le in the living room, and when she saw the full extent of his injury, she was shocked. She had never seen him so badly injured before, and it scared her so much that she did not know what else to say at that moment. 

It was a good thing that Tian Le was there, or Xiao Lei would have gone all mummy mode on her son. She had stopped herself from asking questions relentlessly and she merely told the boys to clean up and get ready for brunch before going into her own room to change. 

Truth be told, she had cried a little while she was showering, blaming herself for being unable to protect her son, not just physically, but mentally as well. 

"I'm fine..." Xiao Zhihao answered her. He looked up at her and said, "They don't hurt anymore. Well, some of the cuts stung when I took a shower earlier, but otherwise, they really aren't that bad..." 

"I'm glad to know that..." Xiao Lei said with a sigh. She then pulled his head over and kissed the top of it. "I was so worried when Han Ye told me yesterday... You know you can always call me, right? You don't have to be afraid of anything." 

"I'm not afraid... I'm just... I don't want to burden you..." 

Upon hearing him, Xiao Lei stopped walking and she made her son stop as well. She then turned her body to face him fully. When her son was wondering what she was going to do, Xiao Lei raised her hands and pinched his cheeks, hard. 

"Argh! Mum!" Xiao Zhihao groaned as he tried to pull his mother's hands away. "You're embarrassing me!" 

"Xiao Zhihao... That would never happen," Xiao Lei said with a strict tone. "Don't ever think of that, and don't ever feel as if you would burden me in any way. You're my son, my responsibility. And until you have a family of your own, when you are old enough, you are mine to care for. And honestly, I'm both happy and a little peeved that you would call someone else other than me..."

Xiao Zhihao looked at his mother while feeling somewhat guilty. When his cheeks were finally released from being tortured, he said, "I'm sorry..." 

"Stop saying you're sorry," Xiao Lei said as she placed her arm around her son's shoulders again. As she dragged him along, she asked, "Did you really beat those boys' a*ses up badly?"

Xiao Zhihao nodded. "Are you mad?" 

To his surprise, Xiao Lei merely chuckled and shook her head. "Why would I? I'm glad you taught those boys a lesson. I've heard about it from Han Ye... They deserved it, but Han Ye was right, you shouldn't have used your fists." 

Xiao Zhihao merely looked away, embarrassed at how he lashed up yesterday. "Mum..."

"But I would let it slide just this once. Next time, tell an a.d.u.l.t, tell someone you can trust," Xiao Lei said in a calm tone. She then asked, "The kid they tortured... How's he? Have you heard?"

Xiao Zhihao nodded. "Quinn said that his wounds would heal..." 

He then sighed and said softly, "Physical wounds heal... But the trauma he went through... I don't think he would be able to go through that." 

Xiao Lei looked at her son, and at that moment, she felt so proud of him for being such a kindhearted and caring individual despite all that he had been through. She was actually also extremely proud of him for fighting back and winning the fight, but of course, as a sane mother, she was not supposed to let him know about it. She could only be proud of him silently. 

"One has to learn how to deal with their own traumas..." Xiao Lei said. "But it helps if he can have a friend..." 

Xiao Zhihao understood the meaning of his mother's words. He looked up at his mother and with a gentle smile, he said, "Thanks, Mum."

"Oh," Xiao Lei added, "I'm going to enroll you in martial arts lessons. If you're going to fight, fight properly. Look at yourself, wounded all over. Well, I'm glad at least your dad taught you a thing or two, or you'd have gotten seriously injured with the way you jumped those boys."

Xiao Zhihao smiled awkwardly. "But I still won." 

"This time," Xiao Lei said as she knuckled his forehead. "Next time, you might meet with someone stronger, someone who could easily take you down. And you might not be so lucky as to get off with these wounds..." She pointed at his body. 

Xiao Zhihao sighed and nodded. 

"And I think that going for martial arts class would be good for you," Xiao Lei said. "That anger in you... It's my fault. I should have taken it more seriously."

"Mum..."

"No, don't worry. I know that blaming myself is useless," Xiao Lei said with a wide smile. "Go for the classes and take your anger out in the right way. And we should take some meditation classes together as well. Both of us need to meditate."

"Mum, did something happen?" 

Xiao Lei sighed. "People from the past are popping up one after another..." 

She glanced back at Han Ye as she continued, "Some are good..."

And she looked back at Xiao Zhihao and said, "Most are bad..." 

Xiao Zhihao glanced at him, and after a while, he took her hand in his. "I'll protect you. I'll grow up faster and get stronger..."

Hearing him, Xiao Lei could not help but laugh. "Oh, my baby... Please don't get older so fast, I don't want to lose you to another woman." 

"You won't," Xiao Zhihao said with a grin. "That would never happen... But..." 

He lowered his voice as he continued, "Until then, you can use Han Ye as your shield. I don't like the idea of him being your boyfriend, but he has a pretty solid body. If anyone tries to hurt you, just put him in front of you." 

Xiao Lei's eyes widened slightly before she smiled from ear to ear. She could tell that her son actually liked Han Ye, but he was just being stubborn. "One day..." she thought happily as she caressed her belly. "We would be a family..."