QT: Against My Will

XiaoPu almost sprayed the milk out of his mouth. He was quiet for a moment before asking, “What have you done?” He immediately covered his mouth.

“Why did you automatically assume that it’s my fault?” Xuan Mu held his forehead, “You don’t have to take care of Stinky Bun anymore. We are working on finding him a new nanny.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Xiao Pu got on all fours on the counter to beg him for forgiveness. He bowed and scraped, then backed off, head down in shame, “I won’t ever leave Stinky Bun again! I won’t slack off and will always ensure the little boy is entertained! I beg you, don’t replace me, please!”

“Nobody is replacing you,” Xuan Mu patted the little boy’s head, “Sorry, I thought you liked to play with the little guy and didn’t realise you can grow and mature. Don’t try to find a wife too soon though, we still need you here.”

XiaoPu rubbed his eyes, crying tears of happiness, “I always wanted to ask for a bigger body... But I was afraid it would cause you to get jealous of me.”

“How about a six feet tall chad with an eight-pack sound to you?” Xuan Mu twisted the little boy’s ears, smiling widely, “It takes more for me to get insecure over a snotty little acting coach.” Now that his wife was here, everyone became so much more daring in expressing themselves, “Why did you allow Stinky Bun to steal your snacks again? Did all the defence techniques I taught you flew out of your head?”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch,” XiaoPu covered his ears, “How do you expect me to defend myself against a literal God?! I have to use those snacks like a sacrificial offering, otherwise, my chip would be fried up! Oi, oi, oi, dad! Stop taking out your frustration on me and apologize to mom instead!”

“So you think I’m taking it on you now, huh?” Xuan Mu retreated his hand, tilting his head down, “Do you know what she told me? To not spend all my time on her but leave some of it for my sons and hobbies too.”

.....

That’s when XiaoPu realized why Bing Shi didn’t interact with them like a mother as much as Xuan Mu. XiaoPu, Kuro, Baby Shiro, and Stinky Bun, all established a bond with Xuan Mu over the years, in which she would not fit.

They thought she wanted to play and rest outside instead of being stuck inside the space together with them. Sometimes she would go into isolation for a whole week. She probably didn’t want it to look like she wanted to steal Xuan Mu away from them.

Xiao Pu was being influenced by Stinky Bun so much, that he would dare to do things which were previously unimaginable to him. He hopped down from his chair and began to push Xuan Mu out of the apartment, “Go. Don’t return until you give her all of your attention. I will take care of the little guy.”

Xuan Mu took a long drink from his cup until it was empty, “Thanks, Buddy.” Once they reached the entrance, he gave the empty cup to the boy. “I didn’t have time to repair the dishwasher yet, give it a look later and see if you could fix it.”

When Xuan Mu finally agreed to leave, XiaoPu went to wash the cups in the sink. He would love to visit the zoo together as a family one day. He felt terrible for feeling jealous of Bing Shi. She must have been on her own most of the time. Xuan Mu neglected nobody, even more so, he had been spending more time with them, and they’ve all taken it for granted.

· · ────────── · ???· ────────── · ·

After checking on XiaoPu, Lu Kai tapped his leg against the floor inside of Nathaniel’s office impatiently. No matter how much he fidgeted, he could not sit still. His attempt to keep the silent war going was crumbling with each passing second, ‘Should we wait until she calms down?’

‘Me? Waiting? Really?’ Ezikiel stormed out of Silvia’s dormitory room, muttering a few curse words under his breath, ‘I’m going to fucking stay by her side until she forgives me for whatever shit I’ve done.’

Xuan Mu stopped him, ‘Don’t go there empty-handed. Get her a present first.”

Lu Kai disagreed, ‘Wouldn’t a hug be enough? It’s the safest option.’

Ru Quan called his colleague nearest to Silvia to switch his position with him, ‘The worth you see in a hug is different than what most people see, but I agree that no gift is better than a wrong gift.’

Ziek stopped abruptly, pulling out his phone to check his bank account, clicking his tongue at the rows of zeroes. The money was not the issue, he could knock out a certain rich LAD (Ru Quan) and transfer a few bucks into his account.

The more serious problem was what he should give her as a reconciliation item. This was the biggest disadvantage of having a non-foodie wife. He couldn’t buy her a chocolate factory to make up.

Xuan Mu had to share some of his ideas because the men above were beyond salvageable, ‘Buy some tickets or get an invitation for a fancy party or an event; wherever she could showcase her gowns.’

That was actually a pretty good idea. Ziek placed his phone back into his pants pocket, his pace slowing down. She liked to dress for herself 30% of the time, and enjoyed the remaining 70% showing off to others.

Ru Quan backed out into the background; the only ideas which popped up in his mind were some world-exploring tours in the jungles and cities.

Nathaniel switched on his computer to see whether he got some interesting invitations. Imagining a date with his wife, his lips curled into a little smile.

The only good thing he was fond of about such parties was the food, drinks, and his wife attending with him. For her, it was to enjoy it as a fashion show, where everyone dressed up to impress whoever attended... and mind him, she loved to be impressed.