Because I Cannot Hurt You

*Thud*

The picture album suddenly slid down from Han Huizhong's hands. He slightly jolted in his chair and stared at the album lying on the floor. He slowly bent to pick it up and sighed. He was resting in his room. Today, the villa felt awfully silent to him.

Zhiyuan, Xinyi and Zizi were at the reunion gathering. The kids were in the other room. The door slowly opened and Han Huizhong raised his brow as he looked towards the door. Three small heads popped in one below the other.

"Grandpa!"

"Grandpa!"

"Grandpa!"

Siying, Leina and Chyou called out to him like a tuned symphony. Since their parents were out for the gathering, they felt that it was a good idea for the kids to be together. That way, they will get to play with each other and nobody will get bored and feel lonely.

The only one who heavily opposed this was Xiaosi, considering how Han Huizhong had scared him last time by telling him that he had locked Chyou in a room. But, Caihong somehow managed to convince him. Plus, Chyou insisted on being with Siying and Leina too.

"What is it?"

His small lips pursed in a thin line. "Missing Mama Dada. Aunt is not here too…" his shoulders slumped in sadness. "Mama Dada not take me with them."

Leina and Chyou complained too. "Yes! Mama Dada not fair!"

"We want fun too!"

He snorted. "It's an adult's party. Kids aren't allowed."

The kids felt wronged.

Han Huizhong propped his arm. "Weren't you all playing?"

Leina raised her chubby little hand. "We played all games! Now it's boring."

"Then do homework."

Chyou seriously said, "We did homework too!"

"So why did you come to me?"

"Play with Grandpa!" The three kids cheerily said.

His expression turned ugly. 

What a pain!

"Go away!"

Siying furrowed his adorable brows and his squishy cheeks puffed up. "Mama said we can play with Grandpa!"

His mouth twitched. 

Xinyi! Just come back and let me punish you!

The kids trotted towards him and curiously looked at the album. "What is this?"

Han Huizhong shrugged. "Pictures."

Their big, watery eyes sparkled in delight. 

"You want to see?"

They furiously bobbed their heads. "Yes!" They exclaimed in unison.

Han Huizhong cleared his throat. "Hop on my lap."

The kids merrily jumped onto his lap and they eagerly waited for him to open the book.

Ugh...Han Huizhong grimaced. My reputation if anybody sees these brats on my lap…

He opened the album and eight pictures came into view at once. They mostly belonged to Zhiyuan and Zizi's growing-up pictures, but some of the pictures had their college memories clicked in too.

The kids were thrilled. "Mama Dada?"

Leina pointed at one picture. It was a group picture on the basketball court.

"Yup, that is your mother Ah Cy and your pharma boy father Liang."

Chyou and Siying found their parents too. "Mama Dada! They look different!"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course. These pictures are all from eight-nine years back. Brats! Look at your Aunt Zizi. Nothing but a spoiled arrogant princess. Yunru gave such a perfect name to her," he sneered.

They giggled.

Chyou chirped. "Aunt Zizi looks so pretty!"

"That's the only thing she excelled in," he said in disdain. "Dolling up and nothing else. No wonder her grades were always poor."

His gaze fell on Caihong and he narrowed his eyes. He coldly flipped the page. The kids were excited to see the younger versions of their parents. They looked carefree and happy. 

As he flipped onto another page, his gaze turned dark and icy. It was Zhiyuan and Xinyi's wedding picture outside the civil marriage bureau. If he could, he would have already gone back in time and stopped himself from making that grave error of marrying Xinyi with Zhiyuan.

Chyou brightened. "I know! It's a picture when Mama Dada marry! I saw in movies!"

Siying and Leina beamed. "Mama Dada together!"

"Don't be so happy!" Han Huizhong angrily said, "Heh. It's nothing to get happy over…"

The kids blinked their eyes in confusion.

As Han Huizhong flipped over to another page, he stared at the picture. His expression was solemn as he saw Xinyi holding baby Siying. It was clicked in the hospital a few hours later when Xinyi held Siying for the first time after he was born.

In it, she was lovingly holding onto Siying in her arms with a gentle smile on her lips. Her eyes were moist that expressed how overwhelmed she felt carrying the little life in her embrace. It was a beautiful picture of a mother and her baby together.

Han Huizhong slipped into a trance. It was a day in the past when Xinyi was suddenly starting to act oddly. He remembered that day as it just happened yesterday.

*Three years ago*

The morning at the breakfast table seemed incredibly gloomy for some reason. Xinyi was hardly eating anything and she seemed to be in a daze most of the time. There were slight dark circles under her eyes.

Han Huizhong narrowed his eyes. "What is wrong with you? Did Zhiyuan do something again?" He angrily laughed. "I think my beatings weren't enough for him the last time."

Xinyi jolted out of her stupor and quickly said, "No, Grandpa! I-It's nothing."

"Then why aren't you eating anything? You are looking like a ghost."

But he could hardly blame her after that incident.

She faintly smiled. "I am not hungry…"

Han Huizhong felt that for the past few days, she was not looking well. Yes, that incident had shaken her up for sure, but somehow this behavior seemed too different.

Xinyi went back to her room. Han Huizhong remained seated on his chair with a grave expression. He called his assistant. "Find out what Xinyi is up to. Did something happen to her in the last few days?"

When he got his assistant's report an hour later in his study, he trembled hard. He looked at him, stupefied. "... Xinyi is pregnant?"