Blinded chapter 28
In the end, Chang Xiaojia had to face Chang Guanshan on his own.
Xie Li opened the room door slightly to glance outside. Seeing Chang Guanshan standing in the living room by the window, he told Chang Xiaojia, “I’ll be right here. If anything happens, just call me.”
Chang Xiaojia softly responded with an “okay.” As he tried to push the door open, Xie Li grabbed his arm. Adjusting the bathrobe around him, Xie Li touched his face and reassured him, “It’s okay, don’t worry.”
Once Chang Xiaojia left, Xie Li didn’t close the door completely; he left a crack and leaned against the wall to observe.
Upon seeing Chang Xiaojia, Chang Guanshan, contrary to Xie Li’s expectations, didn’t express immediate anger. He simply asked, “I heard you were sick recently?”
Chang Xiaojia softly replied, “Mm.”
Chang Guanshan asked, “Are you completely better now?”
Chang Xiaojia didn’t answer directly and instead asked, “Why did you come back early?”
Leaning against the window, Chang Guanshan explained, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come back when you were released; unforeseen circumstances delayed me. Now that things are settled, I came back immediately to see you.”
Chang Xiaojia remained silent.
Chang Guanshan extended his hand, saying, “Come here, let Dad give you a hug.”
Chang Xiaojia stood still, not moving.
Chang Guanshan said, “Haven’t seen each other for so long; don’t you miss me?”
Only then did Chang Xiaojia slowly walk over, allowing Chang Guanshan to embrace him. After gently patting his back, Chang Guanshan let go.
Looking at him, Chang Guanshan remarked, “you’ve lost some weight.”
Chang Xiaojia lowered his gaze to the ground without looking at him.
Chang Guanshan put his hands in the pockets of his casual pants. At fifty, he looked no older than forty. He was tall with facial features resembling Chang Xiaojia’s. Appearing gentle, he usually wore glasses when facing the media, always in well-tailored suits, giving a good first impression.
Now, facing Chang Xiaojia, he portrayed the image of a tolerant father. He even used a somewhat indulgent tone to ask, “Is the person in your room brought back from prison?”
Listening to their father-son conversation, Xie Li initially felt a familiar tone in Chang Guanshan’s way of speaking to Chang Xiaojia. It took him a while to realize that the tone was somewhat similar to the one Chang Xiaojia’s older brother, Chang Xin, used with him. It seemed Chang Xin had learned from his father how to speak to his younger brother, but he hadn’t mastered it as well.
Chang Xiaojia answered Chang Guanshan, “Mm.”
Chang Guanshan remarked, “I don’t think it’s good. What do you think, Xiaojia?”
Listening to their father-son dialogue, Xie Li couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable with Chang Guanshan’s gentle and persuasive tone, especially in this situation.
Evidently, Chang Xiaojia shared this sentiment. He began to act stubbornly, saying, “I like him.”
Chang Guanshan surprisingly smiled. He asked, “What do you like about him?”
Chang Xiaojia started to act petulant. “I like that he’s good-looking, has a great body, and is skilled in bed.”
Chang Guanshan didn’t get angry. He simply lowered his tone, saying, “Xiaojia, you’re a boy.”
Chang Xiaojia denied without hesitation, “you think I’m a pervert.”
Chang Guanshan seemed somewhat helpless. “You’re my son. How could you be a pervert? You just don’t understand. You were led astray in prison.”
Chang Xiaojia’s face remained expressionless, and Chang Guanshan sighed, saying, “Feeling tired?”
Chang Xiaojia didn’t respond.
Chang Guanshan reached out and patted his head. “If you’re tired, go to sleep. I know you have trouble sleeping. Staying up late is bad for your health.” After a brief pause, he added, “I originally came to see if you were sleeping well.”
Chang Xiaojia said, “You can leave first.”
Chang Guanshan smiled faintly. “Alright, I’ll leave. Get a good night’s sleep. Remember to come to the main villa tomorrow night, and we’ll have a family dinner together.”
Chang Xiaojia remained noncommittal.
As Chang Guanshan turned to walk towards the stairs, passing by Chang Xiaojia’s room, he glanced through the crack in the door and saw Xie Li leaning against the wall. The gaze wasn’t menacing, but it carried a chilling indifference.
Waiting until Chang Guanshan’s footsteps had left the first-floor hall, going through the garden towards the front villa, Chang Xiaojia pushed open the door and returned to the room.
Xie Li held his hand and felt that both of Chang Xiaojia’s hands were cold. He hugged him, asking, “feeling cold?”
Chang Xiaojia shook his head.
Xie Li inquired again, “Scared?”
Chang Xiaojia remained silent.
Chang Guanshan seemed like an affectionate and enlightened father, but Xie Li believed that his true nature wasn’t as it appeared on the surface. That was probably why Chang Xiaojia was afraid. Xie Li hugged Chang Xiaojia, lying on the bed. He felt a bit uneasy, sensing that this matter might not be easily resolved. However, he didn’t want Chang Xiaojia to perceive his emotional fluctuations, so he could only comfort Chang Xiaojia, saying, “It’s okay. I’m glad your dad didn’t make things difficult for us.”
Chang Xiaojia’s face was pressed against Xie Li’s chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
Before long, he fell asleep.
Xie Li lay still, and after a while, even though his mood was still restless, fatigue eventually overcame him. Embracing Chang Xiaojia, he sank into sleep as well.
Although he went to bed late the night before, Xie Li woke up early the next day. He had been jogging for almost a week and didn’t want to break the routine. So, gently moving away from the sleeping Chang Xiaojia, he got up, changed into workout clothes, and went for a run.
It had rained during the night, and the morning air by Qing Shui Lake was cold and refreshing. The ground was still slightly damp.
As autumn progressed, each rainfall brought colder weather. Xie Li’s short-sleeved sports shirt was about to be replaced with long sleeves. He jogged along the lakeside, maintaining a steady pace until he slowed down near the entrance to the Chang family estate.
Once inside the garden, Xie Li saw Chang Xin approaching in sportswear.
Upon spotting Xie Li, Chang Xin smiled and greeted, “Morning.”
Xie Li nodded, “Morning, Mr. Xin.”
Chang Xin walked up to Xie Li, stopped, and said, “Heard my dad visited Xiaojia last night.”
Xie Li didn’t inquire about the source of Chang Xin’s information but calmly replied, “Yes, Mr. Chang paid a visit.”
Lowering his voice, Chang Xin advised, “Listen to me, no matter what my dad says to you, just follow his instructions. Don’t defy him.” After conveying this, he patted Xie Li’s shoulder, stretched his arms to loosen his shoulders, and continued jogging away.