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CHAPTER 615
**Flashback**
“Hey, this is a secret between us men. Never you let your mother know,” Kim Jingguo warned.
“Oh, I think she knew way before she married you but she was blinded by love and even though she knew she came second place in your heart, it was okay with her.”
“Hmm, I am sorry about it all, you know.”
“I know. But I am not the one you should be apologizing to. It is mum.”
“I cannot go and tell her that. It would break her heart even further.” Her lips pulled back into a charming smile. Her husband still cared for her.
“Well, I guess you do not have to go say it over again. So it is easier.” Kim Fan smiled.
“Huh?”
Ignoring his father, he averted his gaze over to the door of the living room. “Because she is…”
Taking that as her cue, she walked right in and completed her son’s words for him.
“Because I heard it all, Jingguo.”
**Flashback Ends**
Her proud smile still displayed on her beautiful face. That coupled with how roughly she let her hair go, she looked truly like a queen.
“I am just glad that you two have spoken and cleared things up. So no more hurting for you ma.”
She nodded her head in agreement, took another sip of her drink and tightened her face a bit. Once she dropped her cup she smiled at him.
“You hurt me too. I know it was the truth and a little way of you bringing my mind to the reality of what I did back then. Friends called me stupid marrying man who did not love me but I was hopeful and I am happy that it came to this.”
“But he still likes her.”
“I know. One cannot just change what has been. It is a matter of the heart. If it was easy, I wouldn’t be with him so I understand. And honestly, your father has tried so much in loving me. It must hurt him as well, that is why I shower him with so much love to make up.”
“It is good. He is just lucky to have you and I am sure he knows that too.”
“Yeah.” She let out a sigh before gulping down all of her drink and went to get clean water to drink to rinse her mouth. “I would be going back up now. You drink and go have a good sleep. Try not to think about her too much, it would help.”
“Thanks, ma.”
“Anytime, my love.”
He smiled and watched as she left the kitchen before fixing his gaze back to his drink. Unlike her empty glass, he hadn’t gotten anywhere.
“Hahaha.” He chuckled at himself and resumed drinking.
“Hmm, I never knew this was a ploy to get me. No wonder it felt like you were helping me but adding fuel.”
This time around he already had the drink in his mouth and from the shock, he sprayed it all out before turning around to see his father by the door.
BUMMER!
Could his luck not be any good? How could he have his father here just when his mother had left?
It felt to him that something was not right and that perhaps his father had heard everything and if that was the case, then things really were not looking up well.
“Ahem!” He cleared his throat and walked into the kitchen, moving straight to take back the position his wife just left. “You mind telling me what you are doing at this hour?”
‘Well, s you can see,” he spread both hands, turning his body at his side, before gesturing to the drink in front of him. “I was just having a drink. Nothing more.”
“So mind telling me what your mother and you were discussing just now?”
‘Umm, I bet you might have heard wrong. I need to get to bed. Awwn I am already feeling sleepy.” He made a pretend to yawn and stood up.
Without paying attention to his dad, he was about to leave when a cold voice echoed out his name, sending chills up his spine.
“Kim Fan put your ass down on that chair.”
GULP!
“Umm father, it is late and I…”
“I was not asking. It was an order. Sit. Now.”
He turned around and wanted to try again but when he looked at his father, the glare on his face told him he was not playing one bit.
“Hmm,” he let out another sigh before closing his eyes and when he opened them, gone was that earlier glare. “How could you do this to me, Fan?”
“I’m sorry?” He shrugged his shoulders at him. It was obvious he was nowhere as close to being sorry.
“Son, we are supposed to get each other’s back you know.”
“I am sorry but mum found out and any day, I would pick her side. She is fragile you know You haven’t seen how much this issue broke her heart yet, have you?”
“No, but I can guess. I know she loves me so much.”
“Okay. You might not but I have. Twice actually and they were not pretty scenarios. So when I found out that you two had still not talked it out, I knew I had to do something.”
He sighed again, then sat down and poured himself a glass of apple juice as he looked at Kim Fan. “I am sorry for making you handle the problem I was to take care of.”
“No, dad. You did not fail as my father. You need to know that and mum loves you. I saw you had a better chance at love than I did. You might not have realized it but you ended up with a ladylike mum, you are lucky.”
“Well, I guess I am a lucky bastard if you put it that way. Just that I do not deserve her but life gave her to me.”
“So cherish her, okay? If you do, I wouldn’t have to take her side all the time because there would be no sides to take,” Kim Fan advised.
“Thanks, son. Here, cheers.”They raised their glasses together and cheered to themselves before drinking in joy.
“So what are you going to do?” Kim Jingguo asked.
He dropped his glass and looked at his father in the eyes. “Honestly, I think I want to give it a go again. I want to win her.”
“But she is…”
“Married. I know. I know and you cannot use the business deal on me to leave her. You know and everyone knows Li Jing is an asset. So whether it is good for the company is not an option. But I love her way beyond that and I would get her.”
“I would not persuade you but sometimes the best thing is to let go.”
“Huh?”
“Yes. Take a look at me, when Quigyang said she did not want our marriage because it was business and not out of love, I was devastated but then I had to let her go. Who knows, perhaps I would have been in an unrequited marriage and I do not think it is best.”
“But business…”
“Fan.” He raised his hand to stop his son from speaking further. “Kim Fan, if there is anything that today’s episode has taught me, is that one should not force things and allow what would be to be. You really need to think things through.”
“I love her.”
“If you love her great but do not let it turn into an obsession when she doesn’t want you back like I did and made my wife suffer in silence because in the end, if your future family crumbles, you would never forgive yourself.”
“I understand.”
“I would never forgive myself if my old flame ad ruined what your mother and I have built. So keep that in mind. That was why I said the best thing is to let go. It may hurt but the harder you hold on to it, the more hurtful it becomes.”
He could not argue against his father. He knew he had years of experience and given their family’s trend of unrequited love, he had more experience and knew what he was saying.
“Even if you forget everything I have said today or that happened at home, never forget this. Free yourself and make light your burden.”
Saying that he raised his cup in the air, toasting to no one in particular before retrieving his hand and placing the cup on his lips.
Kim Fan watched as he pried his lips open and the liquid freely flowed in and down his throat.
At that moment only one thought came to mind. ‘Free yourself and make light your burden.’
The way and manner the drink flowed freely gave him a sense of how free he could be if he really let Li Jing go and not fight back. He was at a crossroads of what to do but the answer was clearly plain in front of him.
“I would not forget father. I would keep in mind and see how things go.”
“Morally, you are to leave her alone. So I advise you do so. Unless otherwise where she loves you and needs saving but I doubt that or she won’t go against her grandfather for him.. Be wise.”