Chapter 70: Can I Have Them All?

"Heh." Xie Xu sneered, "I'm not angry with you. I just think my mother deserved better. Someone who claimed to love her so deeply couldn't even make it to her funeral. Do you know how many times I called you? Hmm? I still remember every single call, and what was the answer each time? A cold, automated voice telling me the number you dialed is busy. Heh..."

Xie Haocheng tried to explain, "No, Xu, please listen to me. My phone was out of service during that period, so I didn't see your calls. I was in a closed-off phase, completely cut off from the outside world. If I'd known about Bai... that she'd passed, I would have come back immediately..."

"Didn't anyone around you tell you? Hmm? What could possibly be more important than losing your wife? I truly can't understand."

Xie Haocheng licked his lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "I had my reasons."

Xie Xu had no desire to understand these so-called 'reasons.' Every time it was the same: always talking about reasons, reasons, but what reasons are there that can't be spoken aloud? And so, each conversation ended in discord.

Xie Xu turned his head away, unwilling to listen to his tired excuses.

The atmosphere grew awkward again.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Xie Haocheng composed himself, "Come in."

The door opened, and the butler peeked in, "Mr. Xie, young master, the event is about to begin. Shall we head downstairs?"

Xie Haocheng glanced at Xie Xu; the outcome today was exactly as he'd expected.

He sighed.

If he never revealed the truth, the boy would probably resent him for the rest of his life...

He said quietly, "Alright."

...

The very first thing Xie Xu did after leaving was look for Lu Yiqi. He returned to the place he'd left her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He frowned slightly.

Where had that woman run off to? Hadn't he told her to stay put and wait for him? She was always such a handful.

Grumbling, he quickened his pace, searching all around for any sign of her.

Strange. Where could she be?

As he searched, he noticed a group of women gathered ahead.

Normally, he wouldn't care about such trivial matters, but he'd already looked everywhere and hadn't found Lu Yiqi.

His gaze returned to the group.

He walked closer.

He discovered the women had formed a circle, each holding something different in their hands. Lu Yiqi was at the center, treated like a little darling.

Miss A offered, "Do you want this little cake? It's super delicious."

Miss B said, "My donut is amazing!"

Miss C chimed in, "Try mine, try mine! This is my favorite, and now I'm sharing it with you!"

Lu Yiqi glanced from one to another, unsure which to choose.

Xie Xu halted, three question marks practically appearing above his head.

What was this?

A large-scale feeding frenzy?

What had happened in the ten minutes he'd been gone?

He cleared his throat, trying to draw Lu Yiqi's attention, but she was completely absorbed by the food, oblivious to Xie Xu.

Instead, she swallowed hard and looked at the women with sincere eyes, "Can I have them all?"

"No!" the women answered in unison. Afterward, they exchanged glances and turned away from each other.

None wanted to lose, and together they insisted, "You have to choose just one!"

Lu Yiqi was left feeling aggrieved.

So unfair.

But she really wanted to eat them all...

To make a choice in front of such delicious treats—it was so, so, so hard.