QT: Against My Will-Chapter 599 - 10.11 - Xiao Pu’s First Day In School - Rebirth Of The Heart
Three times a week, the ritual unfolded in the same heartbreaking way. Edward and Seraphine would arrive to pick up XiaoPu for three days.
As soon as XiaoPu saw them, his cries would punctuate the air. His tiny arms would hit Edward’s chest as if trying to push him away, and his small teeth would sometimes find Edward’s fingers.
Seraphine tried to comfort XiaoPu, gently patting his back in an attempt to calm him. However, her touch only seemed to exacerbate his distress.
The little boy lashed out at her next, his small hands swatting her away as if her very touch were unbearable.
They finally managed to secure him into the hover car’s seat, his cries still filling the air as they closed the door.
The vehicle lifted off the ground and disappeared into the distance as XiaoPu’s mother could only watch on.
What was happening during those visits? Why was XiaoPu so unhappy? And most of all, what could his birth parents do to make it right when their hands felt so tied?
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As the hovercar glided through the air, Seraphine turned her attention back to XiaoPu, "We’re taking you somewhere new today," she said softly, caressing his hair, "You’ve grown up so much, and we think it’s time for you to meet someone very special."
XiaoPu no longer cried, but he was visibly upset. He was aware that his tears didn’t have the same effect on Edward and Seraphine as they did with his mother; his brows knitted together, and his small hands balled into fists. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
The hover car finally descended, landing smoothly on a secluded stretch of land far from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Before them lay a villa, its grandeur accentuated by a pristine lake that reflected the sky like a mirror. A lush garden, bursting with colorful flowers and meticulously trimmed hedges, stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The tranquil scenery vanished when a sudden slap echoed against the car door. A sizzling sound followed, and the door’s locking mechanism disengaged, causing it to swing open. A pair of black eyes peeked through the opening, immediately snapping everyone back to alertness.
"PuPu!" Stinky Bun crawled inside the hover car, and before he could drag the confused XiaoPu outside to play, his daddy picked him up.
"Didn’t I tell you to stay inside and watch the house?" Edward stepped out of the car to prevent the boy from destroying it further, flicking his son’s ear.
"Daddy, Daddy." Stinky Bun decided to watch the house from the outside.
Bing Shi got on her tiptoes and kissed her son’s cheek, "We are home!"
Stinky Bun sent a flying kiss in his mommy’s direction, "Mommy, mommy!" Welcome back, mommy! He then gazed at the boy in her mommy’s arms.
"PuPu?" Is XiaoPu feeling better? The boy asked, knowing how his little brother used to get sick way too often.
After Seraphine introduced Stinky Bun to Xiao Pu, he locked his eyes with the unfamiliar toddler, his expression was a blend of curiosity and caution. He seemed puzzled by both the identity of the little boy and his inexplicable ability to open the hovercar’s door with just a slap of his tiny palm.
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Once they were inside, Edward set Stinky Bun down on the polished marble floor and took off his dirty slippers, putting on a new pair, "Alright, why don’t you show XiaoPu around the house while we prepare lunch?"
Bing Shi helped XiaoPu take off his shoes and helped him put on a pair of cute slippers.
Stinky Bun’s eyes sparkled with delight. "PuPu!" Come, XiaoPu! He eagerly grabbed XiaoPu’s still-clenched fist and began leading him through the grand hallway.
As they entered the opulent villa, XiaoPu couldn’t help but gaze in awe at the high ceilings, intricate designs, and luxurious furnishings.
Stinky Bun led him through the winding corridors, their small footsteps echoing on the marble floors. They reached a room filled with toys, a paradise for any child.
"Pupu!" This is your room! Stinky Bun announced proudly, showcasing XiaoPu’s treasure trove of playthings.
Stinky Bun had long accepted that XiaoPu was the favored child in their household, always getting more toys and privileges!
But it didn’t bother Stinky Bun much, since he knew that privileges come with responsibilities. XiaoPu’s knack for winning over their parents with house chores meant Stinky Bun had a variety of toys to borrow without lifting a finger.
XiaoPu remained cautious but seemed to slowly let his guard down, intrigued by Stinky Bun’s collection. (He didn’t understand Stinky Bun and thought that it was the other boy’s room). For a moment, the tension in his small body seemed to relax, and his hands unclenched from their earlier tight fists.
XiaoPu picked up a toy car and joined Stinky Bun on the play mat. Edward and Seraphine would rarely buy him toys, and they never brought him to such an opulent place before. (The boy didn’t know that Edward and Seraphine didn’t want to overshadow his birth parents in a materialistic aspect.)
"Eddard an’ S’raphine dey take you ’way from mommy an’ daddy too?" XiaoPu asked, articulating each word carefully.
Stinky Bun looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded his head, "Edd Sprh!" They always want to kidnap Stinky Bun into a sleeping land! He spread his hands, miming the size of the sleeping monsters XiaoPu had just named.
"Dey are big and bad!" XiaoPu repeated, imitating Stinky Bun’s gesture, spreading his own small hands wide, "Dey make YunPu ecesize all de time!"
So another boy was being taken away like him and made him do exercises too! XiaoPu’s real parents would always fight for him, while Edward and Seraphine treated him as if he were just an object to be borrowed and make him suffer, then returned!
Stinky Bun jumped to his feet, stretching his arms out as wide as they could go, "Bad!" Yeah! Huge and bad like this!
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"..." Xuan Mu paused his knife mid-chop, listening to the muffled yet excited chatter emanating from the playroom, "We’ve been trying for two years to get XiaoPu to open up, and his brother, who he met for the first time. Does it in two seconds flat..."
"Well, even though he didn’t open up, he still expects us to come and pick him up, doesn’t he?" Bing Shi smiled as she stirred the pot on the stove, "Have you ever seen him happy when we returned him to his parents?"
"Hm...maybe he resents the training I’ve put him through?" Xuan Mu mused, tasting the sauce from the spoon his wife offered to him.
"Right..." Bing Shi chuckled, hitting him with her elbow, "I think we’ve been too hard on him."
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A few years later...
XiaoPu’s birth parents had relocated to a modest apartment in an improved area of the city. The atmosphere in their new home was a mix of excitement and nervousness, like the calm before a storm.
XiaoPu stood in front of a full-length mirror, dressed in his new uniform—neatly pressed trousers, a crisp white shirt, and polished shoes. His backpack was filled with new stationery and a water bottle dangled from its side.
His eyes were a warm brown, mirroring his mother’s. His hair, a soft black, curled slightly at the tips, much like his father’s.
While his birth father captured the moment with photos, his birth mother meticulously packed his lunchbox with his favorite snacks and a substantial sandwich. Seraphine, on the other hand, ensured his backpack contained all the necessary school items.
XiaoPu shot a defiant glare at Edward, his eyes filled with resentment. He didn’t know why they were keeping Stinky Bun’s identity a secret from everyone.
He found out that Stinky Bun had a twin (a body double) that only showed up when they had to visit Stinky Bun’s grandparents or similar events.
XiaoPu couldn’t tell this secret to anyone because it would put Stinky Bun at risk. At first, he thought it was because Edward and Seraphine were ashamed of having a song that struggled to keep up both mentally and physically. However, he later realized that Stinky Bun’s twin was always the one absent in their private life.
One day, Stinky Bun’s twin was sent abroad for studies and died under mysterious circumstances.
Everyone thought that Edward and Seraphine mourned their son’s death by not stepping outside of their house, but Xiao Pu knew better. Their seemingly indifferent reaction behind the closed doors was a stark contrast to the sorrow that gripped the rest of the Ashtor family!
