Wang Mu Chen intertwined his fingers with Xiao Bo. They walked downstairs following Mrs. Wang to the dining hall where everyone was busy chit-chatting.
Song Yi Ming tried to start up a conversation but he was ignored by all of them and soon he felt left out in that huge room filled with so many people but he couldn't voice out cause they were all more powerful than him in the society.
Wang Elders, Li family, Feng family even the branch families Caos and Qis were not to be messed with.
So, he stayed quiet with a disgruntled expression on his face as Song Yi Ming realized that even though he was invited as their guest it was just for formality and that he was no match for their wealth and power.
Li Zhao Yang noticed his former friend with whom he severed ties after Chan Hua, [Wife of Song Yi Ming], his best friend died.
At first, he thought of ignoring him but as a person with a broad mind Li Zhao Yang was about to talk with Song Yi Ming when the doors opened and he retracted his thought of talking with him.
It was his son Li Feng Mian entering the room along with an unfamiliar man who also seemed familiar.
Zhao Yang frowned trying to recognize the boy beside his son and soon he could see the features of his best friend, Chan Hua in that boy which made him even more baffled.
Song Yi Ming's eyelashes fluttered as he saw his eldest son Wei Chen hand-in-hand with Feng Mian, he smiled.
Li Zhao Yang looked back and saw Yi Ming being happy and that was when it struck him.
The boy beside his son was his best friend Chan Hua's first son, Song Wei Chen.
>>>But why is my playboy son with Wei Chen? Don't tell me they're in a relationship...
Feng Mian went to the Elder Wangs first and greeted them. Wei Chen stood beside him all awkward cause as they walked inside so many people saw them together and the headlines of tomorrow's news were ringing inside his head.
Though Feng Mian kept his promise and didn't hold his hand they walked side by side and for some reason, he pinched Wei Chen's cheeks in front of everyone before they entered the dining hall and the crowd gasped witnessing the scene.
Wei Chen suppressed his anger, gritting his teeth.
>>>This bastard! He knows what I am afraid of and still, he made that scene in front of everyone on purpose.
>>>He looked at me as if I was his lover called me cute pulled my cheeks and even ruffled my hair???
>>>Like seriously it was better if I had just held his hand if I knew he was going to do all that...ugh!
"That boy beside my son, he is your eldest son, right?" Li Zhao Yang queried clearing his throat.
Song Yi Ming pursed his lips into a thin line and just nodded to his question.
"Do you know what their relationship is? You better tell Wei Chen not to get involved with my son. He is-"
Zhao Yang was cut off sharply by Yi Ming who looked pissed off.
"Why, because your status is above us? You think..." Yi Ming clenched his jaw and didn't complete his sentence.
"No. Don't you hear the rumors? He is my son but Feng Mian is a playboy. I just don't want him to break Wei Chen's heart. Argh, never mind, when did you ever listen to me anyway?" Zhao Yang grumbled.
"Oh, he is a playboy?" Song Yi Ming sneered, "...he got your superior genes of playing with people then."
"Yi Ming!"
Zhao Yang glared at him getting angry and his voice that raised a few decibels got the attention of everyone in the room.
Wei Chen too looked at his father who got up from his seat and bowed to everyone in the room.
"I thought I was invited here to talk about the marriage between my youngest son and young master Wang Mu Chen but I was wrong seeing how you were all busy without noticing my presence."
Song Yi Ming, who used to be quiet and afraid of powerful people voiced out for the first time in his life as he got furious about the situation he was in and he didn't care about anything anymore.
"It seems you don't like the idea of it then you should have said so from the start without wasting my time. I am not as wealthy as the people in the room here are, you see. I need to go to work to earn money, unlike you powerful guys."
Zhao Yang and Wei Chen were the most shocked people in the room to hear Song Yi Ming's sassy voice.
Cause he was not such a person always calculative, trying to lick everyone's foot to get favors from them, and would never raise his head before powerful people than him.
"I thought Wangs had a big heart. It seems I was wrong. If Wangs don't want to be responsible then you should have said so from the beginning-"
Song Yi Ming was cut off by Wang Zi Xin[Mr. Wang/Mu Chen's father].
"Mr. Song, you are misunderstanding. It is not like that-"
But Song Yi Ming didn't give him a chance to speak,
"Oh, please. If you don't want to be responsible for my youngest son Xiao Bo, it's fine. Nothing much will happen to him. He won't be married for his life, his reputation will be ruined forever and he will be all alone in his old age. it's not a big deal, right?"
Grandpa Wang banged the table,
"Song Yi Ming, when did we say Wangs won't take responsibility? Don't cause commotion and spread useless rumors. I know people like you want to latch on to us like leeches to get benefits but you should know your place before trying to dream high. If not you will regret it when I wreck those your wings trying to soar high for good."
At those words everyone in the room became quiet.
They all thought it was over for Song Yi Ming cause he enraged Elder Wang, the great Wang Jun Hie, known for his ruthlessness. Even though he was in his sixties now his authoritative voice didn't change at all.
Wei Chen was also scared cause his father never was a person to oppose anyone all he would do was some petty tricks to earn money and become powerful so he didn't understand why his father raised his voice.
He thought maybe now after Elder Wang's threat his father would kneel and beg for mercy. If his father knelt then as his son he also had to do that.
Wei Chen balled his fists just thinking about the embarrassment he had to face when he did that.
>>>Father... why...
But to everyone's surprise, Song Yi Ming wasn't scared at all. Rather he started laughing covering his face.
>>>Break my already broken wings...huh...hahaha...
Zhao Yang got up in shock and immediately whispered,
"Yi Ming, what are you doing? Apologise to Elder Wang, I will talk with him...think about your sons' future."
Song Yi Ming stopped laughing and then glowered at Zhao Yang menacingly.
"Apologise? For what?"
Then he looked at Elder Wang,
"You will break my wings? As if I had any. Go on do it, do whatever you want. What will you do, blow up my company? Oppress me using your power? Make me dirt poor? Or... will you rather kill me because I became thorn in your eyes? Do it, do whatever you want. Arrrrrghhh! Fuck this! Fuck everything. I am done!"
"Pa..."
Wei Chen looked at him anxiously cause the last time he saw his father going crazy like this was when his mother died.
A tear slipped through Song Yi Ming's eyes as he saw his son.
"Wei Wei... Let's leave here."
Wei Chen was stunned to hear his father calling him with a nickname.
He remembered those days before his mother died and when his father used to be a warm-hearted and kind person.
At that time, he used to call him, 'Wei Wei' and always play with him.
His father was not like what he was now but was a loving father who used to take him to school, attended all the parent-teacher meetings even participated in father-son running competitions and earned prizes.
But that all changed after his mother's death. There was no loving father anymore but was only a monster who abused his younger brother, mentally tortured him, and did everything to have money and power.
Yi Ming took out his phone, clicked something then walked to his eldest son, took his hand, and looked at Feng Mian,
"Sorry, young master Li, my son won't be accompanying you anymore. Look for another doll to play with, I have transferred back the money you have wired me earlier."
Wei Chen was now utterly speechless. His father and giving back the money he took? That wouldn't fit in a sentence.
It was impossible not even when the earth turned upside down.
>>>What is happening? Why is father...
What made his greedy, selfish, and money-minded father wreck everything he built until now, like this when all this time he was chasing after money and power sacrificing himself, him and his younger brother Xiao Bo?
Wei Chen didn't understand.
As they were about to walk out, Mrs. Wang followed by Mu Chen and Xiao Bo entered the room.
Xiao Bo's eyelashes trembled seeing his father and then he noticed that his father was dragging his elder brother out with him.
"F-Father... Dage ..." Xiao Bo mumbled low.
"Right timing, let's leave here Xiao Bo."
Song Yi Ming was about to take his youngest son's hand but Mu Chen intervened standing between them, grabbing his hand.
"He will not come with you, Mr. Song," Mu Chen's voice was deadly serious.
"Is that so? But where will he go if he doesn't come with me? Though you are such a gentleman wanting to take responsibility for Xiao Bo, your family don't want to," Yi Ming sassed out.
Mu Chen's eyes widened as he glowered at his father and grandfather.
"Their opinion don't matter. I have promised to take responsibility and I will do it. I will never take back what I said."
Song Yi Ming sniggered, "Young man, you are a lot better than people in this room. I have seen the contract copy you sent me. Now that you are Xiao Bo's guardian I don't have any obligation. He is yours to do whatever you want, I don't care and won't interfere."
"Pa..." Wei Chen wanted to oppose but Yi Ming showed his hand signing him to not talk.
Xiao Bo teared up hearing his father's words. Even though he knew his father never loved him how could he just give him to anyone as if he was a mere thing he wanted to throw away?
"F-Father... why..." Xiao Bo choked on his tears.
Mu Chen held the Younger's shaking body tightly and rubbed his sides to calm him down.
"What, why?" Song Yi Ming was nonchalant to his youngest son's tears.
"...*hic*... Why do you hate me so much? *Hic* W-What did I ever do?" Xiao Bo finally asked the question that he wanted to since his past life.
Song Yi Ming sighed, "Because, you..." He gritted his teeth and looked at Zhao Yang with red furious eyes,
"... never mind. You never did anything to me. The reason I hate you... you don't have to know rather think that there is no reason. Isn't it better that way to hate me to your hearts content?"
Wei Chen furrowed his brows listening to his father's words. He was so confused about his father's behavior today.
It wasn't like him at all.
"Alright, enough drama for today. Wei Wei, let's go. Oh, and Young Master Wang, please do invite us to your engagement party and the wedding. Even though I was never a father to him but as a person who raised him I want to see him start his new life."
Song Yi Ming said and before anyone could respond he dragged Wei Chen out along with him.
Zhao Yang, who was silent till now was dumbfounded seeing Xiao Bo and was still staring at him.
A nerve popped out on Feng Mian's clenched jaw as he saw Wei Chen leaving with his father.
Everyone in the room was in utter shock cause they never expected Song Yi Ming of all to behave the way he did.
Mu Chen wiped off Xiao Bo's tears and hugged him with a sigh. He was angry at Song Yi Ming for making the Younger cry again.
Xiao Bo lost consciousness in Mu Chen's arms soon, as he was mentally exhausted.
*****