Because I Cannot Hurt You

Shuang quietly said, "People learn from their mistakes."

"But do you want to take that gamble?"

Silence.

Jack Si put the cap and screwed the balm bottle shut. He took a tissue and wiped his finger.

"No, right? They have already lost ten years. Uncle An was hurt and broken. Sure it would look like a tempting idea to reunite with your first love, but is that really easy? Would you like to spend your life with a man who is a sort of a ticking bomb? One moment he trusts you, and everything is blissful, and the other moment he just walks away, and everything is not so blissful. And then the pain cycle begins all over again. Stronger and harder than the last time."

She said nothing.

"A heart cannot take that many setbacks. Not from the person who you are supposedly taking your wedding vows with."

There was a brief period of silence.

"Dad never really loved Caihong's mother, right?" She looked down at her reddish palm.

"That's a tricky question again. He might have married her to forget his painful past and move on. He wanted to have a reason if there was even a slim possibility between him and Aunt Han. But you said that it seems he still has feelings for her. First love is hard to forget. I understand," his gaze was a little glassy and distant as he spoke. "So do you."

Shuang slightly trembled.

"So perhaps he doesn't love her. But he surely respects her a lot."

Shuang nodded.

She tapped her fingers on her knees. "I think she knew what she was getting into when she married Dad. I know Dad. He wouldn't have hidden it from her. His feelings. He wouldn't have kept her in the dark and still married her."

Jack Si smiled. "Then she is one hell of a woman. How many wives could be really that understanding?"

"Maybe she had her own reasons."

"You should ask Uncle An about her someday."

She slowly nodded. "I did once. I asked what his first wife was like."

"What did he have to say?"

"He said that story is for some other day."

He smiled. "You don't have to beat yourself over his happiness with Han Zongying. I think he didn't want it. He was too hurt to accept her again. Look at the bright side. If they had reunited, then he couldn't have married your mother."

She rolled her eyes. "I pity him for that."

"Don't. Otherwise, how would he have gotten another lovely daughter like you?"

She paused.

"And how would you have gotten him as your father?"

"Your tongue is getting better," she smiled.

"It always was. You are just noticing it now."

She chuckled.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to head back home?"

She shook her head. "Yunru and Zizi were going to the hospital today to check her suicide file. Maybe they got the piece that we are missing."

---

But they didn't get any information from Yunru. He canceled the meeting at the last moment saying that he had an urgent case to work on.

But late at night, Xinyi got a call from him. "Yunru."

He said nothing for a while.

Xinyi stepped out into the corridor and spoke in a hushed tone as everybody was asleep.

"What happened, Yunru?"

"Sis. We should stop investigating Aunt Han," he said in a quiet but firm voice.

Xinyi blinked.

"Why? We are getting close. You know what Shuang and Jack Si said, right?"

"I know. And I know we are close, but we have to stop this."

"Why?"

"Because I have figured it out, more or less."

Xinyi widened her eyes in surprise. "Then why didn't you tell us before?"

"Because it's for everyone's good that it doesn't come out."

Silence.

"Yunru, you are making me worry," Xinyi anxiously said.

"Because it's a serious issue. It will be painful, and I don't...want to see anybody getting hurt," his voice shook.

He hung up after that.

When she woke up Zhiyuan and brought him out to tell everything, he had a grim look on his face. He looked at her and said, "I will talk to him."

---

The next morning at the breakfast table, Caihong couldn't help but ask, "I saw the news about two men getting arrested and an actress getting busted for having an affair with a CEO."

Xiaosi simply coughed as he sipped his coffee. "Is that so?"

"Did you do it?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Why would I?"

"I think they are Lei Shing and Lei Shu's exes. I heard you mentioning those same names to your assistant."

His brow twitched.

Caihong sighed. "Xiaosi, I want you to stay away from her family's affairs. It's good that you feel like an elder brother who should avenge them, but our families are separate. I don't want Mrs. Lei Biya banging our door again with accusations that you are trying to plot something by acting like a nice guy. Just do your work within the business deal."

"Yes…" 

He stared at Caihong, who gravely nodded. His lips lifted in a smile.

"Why are you smiling?"

"It's just I like it when you are so concerned about me."

"Of course. Because you don't know how to take care of yourself."

Xiaosi leaned and smiled. "Then will you go on a date with me?"

She almost stumbled. "What?"

"Date."

"H-How are they connected?" She asked while slightly blushing.

"Well, isn't it a good chance to take care of each other while spending some romantic time together?"

Her cheeks flushed.

Date…

He grinned. "I will take good care of you to compensate for you taking care of me."

She whispered and looked away, "I-I don't need any compensation…"

"I insist."

Xiaosi made a cute face. "Please? I don't remember our previous dates. So, I want to make new memories with you."

Caihong stiffened.

They never went on a date before in all these years. Thinking about it made her chest hurt.

But then determination shone in her eyes.

The past was the past. No point in crying over the wasted years. 

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yes.. Let's go on a date."