Chapter 188 - Keep Asking
"What are you both doing here at this time?"
Shui Koshing was taken aback when he saw his son coming down the stairs with Raelle. It was 2 in the morning and he was just about to leave for the airport to catch his flight.
"We came to see you off," answered Shui Xian and looked at his wife helplessly.
Needless to say, the one who woke him up at this time and even dragged him was obviously Raelle Xiang who felt the need to see Shui Koshing off.
"I met you both last night because I didn't want to disturb you at this time," Shui Koshing didn't know whether he felt happy seeing them or felt like wanting to reprimand them for doing this.
Shui Xian patted his father's shoulders, "Well it doesn't matter now. We are already awake and we are also here. How about we drive you to the airport?"
"No!" Shui Koshing instantly refused. "This topic is not up for discussion at all."
"Fine," Shui Xian didn't push his father since he could see he wasn't going to agree. Instead, he took the suitcase from the servant and walked towards the door.
"What are you doing? Don't we have people to help with that?"
"I can do this much for my father," replied Shui Xian not even bothering to turn to look at him.
Raelle came to stand beside Shui Koshing and said, "Bà, let him do it."
Before her, Shui Koshing could only shake his head in defeat. He also followed and walked out the door where Shui Xian had already put the suitcase in the car. Now, he was instructing the driver about something in a serious manner.
"Son, why did you hire so many servants?"
"For you."
"Then let them do my work."
Shui Xian put his hands in his trouser's pockets. "They can do your work when I'm not around. And it was just a tiny suitcase. Why are you reacting like carried something huge?" He took a pause and added, "Besides, you should be glad I'm not questioning why you're taking a commercial flight when we own our own jets." He glanced at Raelle and went on, "Your daughter even owns a bloody airline!"
Shui Koshing looked at Raelle with pride in his eyes, "My daughter sure is mighty and strong."
"That she sure is," agreed Shui Xian. Then he took a step over and hugged his father, "Take care of yourself out there. There is no need to be filial to thankless relatives. And don't even think about getting soft-hearted. Don't forget that they are all looking for a chance to suck our blood dry!" Shui Koshing looked at Raelle and noticing the direction of his eyes, Shui Xian told him, "She knows. I told her everything."
Shui Koshing nodded in understanding and promised to take care of himself before he got in the car. While Shui Xian gave instructions to the steward who was following his father back, Raelle leaned against the side of the car and said to Shui Koshing, "Bà, is Tai Leng a beautiful place?"
Shui Koshing looked at her side profile from the window and blinked while thinking about his hometown. "Beautiful. It's really beautiful. There are mountains, a water creek, tall trees. There are also natural hot springs. It really is beautiful."
"How far is it from Xinji?"
Shui Koshing smiled at her question, "It's not that far."
Raelle nodded her head, "Bà, take care. Don't feel sad there. Even if the place changes or times changes or even if those people in your memories are no longer there, don't forget that it won't change the beauty of your memories."
Shui Koshing didn't know what to say to her in reply so he just nodded his head. As Shui Xian came to stand beside her with his arm around her shoulder, they both waved at him.
Both of them only went inside the house when they could no longer see the car. As they were ascending the stairs, Shui Xian asked, "Isn't Xinji where Xiang family's ancestral home is?"
"It is," she replied.
"Xinji is really close to Tai Leng. I can't believe we were so close to each other."
"We weren't," said Raelle. Shui Xian raised his brow at her inquisitively, "I've never been to Xinji in my life."
"What?"
"Opa and Yanyan went to Xinji twice every year. Once to sweep the ancestral graves and the second time when it's my grandmother's birthday. But they never took me with them. So, I have never seen what the Xiang family's ancestral home looks like."
Shui Xian fell into deep thought, "So, you've never even met your relatives?"
"It seems you don't know much about the Xiang family," said Raelle as she got on the bed. "You do know that Xiang family is a military family?"
"That I know," answered Shui Xian. "In fact, who doesn't know that? The contributions of the Xiang family had always been noteworthy."
"Do you know why people only remember Xiang Clan in good words? And why the Clan is so reputable?" Raelle turned to look at him, "All of my ancestors died on the battlefield. Mostly, when they were young. Take Opa's elder brother, for instance, he died only when he was twenty-three and he was supposed to get married in a week." Raelle laid down on the bed and continued to tell him, "Opa is considered the only one in generations who managed to live past seventy and that's only because he had to retire early."
"You really have no relatives? Like none?" inquired Shui Xian in surprise. He just couldn't believe it. "I mean there must be someone from the branch family?"
"There is no one," answered Raelle. "As I said, all of them gave their lives for this country. Patriotic bloodline as they call it. I'm the last descendant of the Clan."
Shui Xian had heard about the stories of the Xiang family from his grandfather when he was young but he never knew that there were really not many people left in the legendary Clan.
"It seems the legacy of this military family ends with you," said Shui Xian. He even patted his chest saying, "And thank goodness you're not in the army."
"The legacy didn't end," Raelle told him. "Opa's son is still in the military."
"You mean your fa..." Shui Xian abruptly stopped and didn't dare to finish his sentence.
However, with Raelle's intelligence, could she really not tell what he was about to say? "Yes, I'm talking about my father."
Shui Xian stared at her, "You don't mind talking about him?"
"I have his DNA and if that alone is enough to call him my father then yes, he is my father and I don't mind talking about him. Why would I?"
Shui Xian went silent for a while.
"Oh, and I forgot to add, his son and daughter are also in the military. His son is in Air Force and his daughter is a part of the Special Ops. So, as I said, the legacy is still there."
Shui Xian's brain was thrown into turmoil once again when he heard that. She knew everything. She knew who her father was and she knew she had siblings. And that made him wonder why she still acted like she had no one? Or perhaps, she truly believed they had nothing to do with her.
Raelle noticed how lost he looked, "Hubby, stop thinking and go to sleep."
"After dropping that bomb, you expect me to go to sleep?"
"What bomb did I throw at you?"
"Your siblings are in the army! Air Force and Special Ops. Are you kidding me?!"
"Didn't I tell you before? In my life, you only have to care about the people I introduced you to. The rest doesn't matter. The rest has no place in my life. Even if we share the same blood, it has nothing to do with my life. It shouldn't have anything to do with your life either."
"I understand that. I just never thought you'd know the details about everything when you claim that you don't want to have to do anything with them."
"I don't like surprises." Shui Xian knew that. She had told him that very early on that she didn't like surprises. And that's why she didn't fancy gifts as well. "And that's why I have to be in control. I always want to be in control. If I don't know the details, how will it work for me?"
"Hmm... It's actually good that you know everything in detail." He sighed inwardly as he laid down. "Oh, by the way, did I tell you?"
"What?"
"I like it."
"What do you like, Hubby?"
"You telling me all of this."
"Have I ever hid anything from you?" she questioned.
"No. But you only tell when someone asks you. And oftentimes, I don't have the right questions for the answers I'm looking for."
"Then keep asking until you get the right answer." She glanced at him, "I'll keep answering no matter how many times you ask."