Chapter 22

It wasn't until a long time after Li Zekun had left that Taoran slowly came back to himself. He was already numb from the cold, unable to stand up. There was melting icy water slowly streaming down his legs as he lay prone on the smooth edge of the bathtub, without even enough strength to cry.

Tao Ran dozed off in the bathroom, but soon he woke up freezing. After he had regained some energy, he cleaned himself up, tidied the bathroom, and slowly walked out. Curled up on the sofa, Tao Ran's eyes wander in the darkness. One side of his cheek had swelled up, and he felt a burning itch mixed with the pain. He didn't know why Li Zekun treated him that way, as if he were a filthy nuisance, and as if Li Zekun's previous kindness and amiability were just disguises.

Li Zekun couldn't fall asleep all night and gradually calmed down. The impact of what Qiao Ming said to him today was too great. Qiao's second son grew up in Beijing since childhood, but Qiao Ming's return visits were very irregular. Li Zekun hasn't seen Qiao Ming for more than a year, and today, he unexpectedly met him, with Qiao Ming holding such a large bargaining chip.

Li Zekun spent four years looking for Cheng Xia's ashes.

He caused a big commotion in the hospital years ago when he clashed with medical personnel and was recorded by passersby on their cell phones, which was then posted on the internet. By the time Li Zhiqi finally discovered that his son was beyond saving, speculations and rumors about Li Zekun's identity had already flooded the internet. From Li Zhiqi's position, any misstep would be irreversible. He was simultaneously trying to suppress the incident and find someone to bring Li Zekun back to his mother's family.

Li Zekun's friends could only sigh at the quiet four years by his side. Nobody knew that when Li Zekun was in Shenzhen, he had nearly gone insane. He always thought about running away. He kneeled with his grandma and said that he would accompany Cheng Xia for the last stretch, not knowing how Cheng Xia was doing at that time. When Li Zekun was forcibly taken away, Cheng Xia's body hadn't been handled yet and was left alone in Beijing.

Later, Li Zekun swallowed a bottle of unknown medication and was sent to the hospital for gastric lavage. He called his father and threatened to accompany Cheng Xia. Li Zhiqi was even fiercer, laughing at Li Zekun and saying he could do whatever he wanted. If he died, he would scatter Cheng Xia's ashes and see where he could find them.

Li Zekun obediently went to England. In the first few years, his mother would comfort him when he called home and ask Li Zhiqi to let him see Cheng Xia when he returned. But later on, she started to avoid the topic. Plus, Li Zekun had been having nightmares every day about Cheng Xia disappearing. He contacted some friends in Beijing to inquire about it and finally found out that Cheng Xia's ashes suddenly disappeared from the funeral home.

Li Zekun furrowed his brows tightly, afraid to delve deeper into his thoughts. The feeling of helplessness filled him with fear. If Qiao Ming really knew where Cheng Xia was, he wouldn't dare to refuse anything he wanted.

Li Zekun crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray, feeling a heavy weight on his heart. When he realized it, he was already listening carefully to the sound outside. There was no sound for a long time, and he didn't know what had happened to the child.

He do too much today. Li Zekun could see in his mind's eye the mournful figure of Tao Ran crying by his feet whenever he closed his eyes. It was truly pitiful to watch. Yes, considering all the bad things happening outside, why was he getting angry with Tao Ran? The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt, but hesitating for a moment, he still didn't go out to check. He didn't want to give Tao Ran too much hope. After Cheng Xia comes back, he's not sure what might happen to him.

Taoran himself didn't even know that he had been staring at the closed door of the bedroom all along. Although he didn't have much hope left, he still longed for a miracle.

Why is it so difficult to like someone? Tao Ran finally closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

He was awakened by the loud sound of pots and pans in the kitchen early in the morning. Tao Ran felt a bit dizzy and squinted his eyes to take a look. He suddenly smelled a strong and heavy scent of traditional Chinese medicine, a realization that came a bit too late.

"Awake now? Rinse your mouth and take the medicine," said Li Zekun as he brought a medium-sized bowl in front of him. "It's Sunday today, after we eat, I'll take you to see the new house."

Taoran began to doubt whether last night's terrifying ordeal was just a nightmare. He numbly reached up and touched his cheek, which still hurt. Taoran looked up at Li Zekun with a slightly gloomy expression and spoke: "I..."

Li Zekun's voice unconsciously softened as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was wrong. I won't make you angry again in the future."

Li Zekun fell into silence for a moment, and then finally made a low 'Hm' before turning around and heading to the kitchen.

When Tao Ran looked at himself in the mirror in the bathroom, he realized just how disheveled he looked. He really didn't appear good, with dark circles under his eyes and swelling on his face that hadn't subsided. He looked completely desolate and miserable. In reality, Tao Ran didn't suffer much injury last night, but he did catch a cold. His throat was burning with pain and his mind wasn't very clear.

When he went out, Li Zekun was cooking porridge. After Tao Ran arrived, it was the first time the stove was used in this room. He sat on the sofa and drank Chinese medicine, thinking he could endure it, but the bitterness almost made him shed tears. After pinching his nose and finishing the drink, he poured himself a lot of boiled water.

Li Zekun hasn't come out yet. If it was in the past, Taoran would have gone over to wait by the door and follow him around, but this time he must have been frightened by the previous lesson, so he sat obediently on the sofa. With nothing else to do, he turned on the television. He searched online for cartoons and after a while finally settled on watching 'Tom and Jerry'.

Li Zekun was serving food in the kitchen when suddenly a characteristic lion's roar sounded in his ear, causing him to shiver and accidentally shatter the bowl in his hand.