Free Web NovelChapter 218: LOST TIME
Liuxian looked at him helplessly.
"I’ve recovered."
Guiying gave him a look.
"I wasn’t asking."
That single sentence immediately earned a quiet chuckle from Butler Wang.
"I’ll inform the kitchen immediately."
Guiying nodded before remembering something else.
"Oh, and another pot of tea please."
He looked toward the road leading into the orchid garden.
"My father has probably had a long journey."
Butler Wang inclined his head.
"I’ll have it prepared."
Barely five minutes later, the faint hum of an approaching golf cart reached the quiet pavilion.
Guiying instinctively looked up.
The cart gradually came to a stop beneath the shade of the surrounding trees, and before anyone stepped down, the rich aroma of freshly prepared food drifted through the air.
While they had been waiting, the staff had transformed the small tea setting into a proper outdoor lunch. Platters of grilled meat, freshly made burgers, roasted lamb chops, braised beef, grilled chicken skewers and several side dishes now covered the table, while a separate selection of lighter dishes had been placed closer to Liuxian’s seat.
Another teapot rested beside an untouched cup.
The driver stepped aside as ShangYan climbed out of the golf cart.
Little Tao followed immediately behind him.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Little Tao bowed politely.
"It’s nice to meet you, Young Master. Mr. Liu."
Guiying acknowledged him with a small nod.
"It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Tao."
His attention soon returned to ShangYan.
For a brief moment, neither father nor son spoke.
Then a gentle smile spread across Guiying’s face.
"It’s nice to see you, Father."
The single word landed far more heavily than Guiying had expected.
Father.
ShangYan’s lips parted slightly.
The worry, guilt and hesitation that had followed him throughout the past month seemed to disappear in an instant, replaced by an emotion so overwhelming that his vision blurred almost immediately.
His eyes reddened.
Before he even realized what he was doing, he had already crossed the remaining distance and pulled Guiying tightly into his arms.
Liuxian quietly stepped aside without saying a word.
This wasn’t his place.
This moment belonged to them.
"I’ve been so worried."
ShangYan’s voice trembled against Guiying’s shoulder.
"You suddenly disappeared that night. I... I know what you heard must have broken your heart."
Guiying smiled softly before patting his father’s back.
After allowing him a few more moments, he gently eased him out of the embrace.
"It’s okay."
His smile never disappeared.
"There were many things that broke my heart that night, but finding out you were my father wasn’t one of them."
ShangYan looked at him.
"I know you’ve come to apologize."
Guiying slowly shook his head.
"But none of that was your fault."
ShangYan laughed bitterly as he lowered his eyes.
"But it was."
His fingers tightened unconsciously at his sides.
"If I had fought harder... if I hadn’t given up..." His voice gradually became hoarse. "You wouldn’t have suffered the way you did. You would’ve grown up as the pampered third-generation heir of the Xue Family instead of enduring everything alone."
Guiying quietly listened.
The memories of another lifetime flashed through his mind without warning.
In that life, he had never even learned that Xue Deyong wasn’t his biological father.
He had carried that misunderstanding to his grave.
Compared to that ending, this lifetime had already given him far more than he had ever imagined possible.
The pain was still there.
But this time...
There were people willing to share it with him.
ShangYan took a slow breath before speaking again.
"There’s something else I came to tell you before I begin searching."
Guiying looked at him curiously.
"You weren’t the only one who received shocking news that night."
ShangYan forced a faint smile.
"While you found out that I was your father..."
He paused briefly.
"...I found out your mother is still alive."
Guiying’s fingers loosened around the teacup he had just reached for.
The porcelain slipped slightly against the saucer, producing a soft clink that echoed through the space.
He slowly raised his head.
His lips parted, yet for several seconds no words came out.
Finally, he managed to speak.
"Are..."
His voice caught.
He swallowed before trying again.
"Are you saying..."
His gaze drifted toward the portrait that had remained etched into his memory ever since the dinner.
"...the person in that portrait is my mother?"
ShangYan nodded.
"Yes."
A complicated smile crossed his face.
"I found out he’s still alive somewhere."
Guiying’s eyes widened.
ShangYan continued quietly.
"But your grandfather refuses to tell me where he is unless I become the next CEO."
Silence settled over the space.
Guiying lowered his gaze.
He replayed the sentence over and over in his mind.
He’s still alive?
Not...
She’s.
His mother...
Was a man?
He was sure the person he was on the portrait was a woman.
But in reality, it was a male Omega.
He slowly looked back at ShangYan.
Questions crowded his mind one after another, yet he wasn’t even sure where to begin.
In the end, all he could do was let out a quiet breath.
"It seems..."
A helpless smile appeared on his lips.
"...we both have a lot of questions ."
The heavy atmosphere eased ever so slightly.
Guiying looked around the table before pulling out one of the chairs with a smile.
"Well, since you’re already here, let’s have lunch together."
His gaze shifted between the three men.
"Liuxian."
Then toward Little Tao.
"Mr. Tao."
Finally, he looked back at ShangYan.
"Father."
A warmth settled into his smile.
"Please have a seat."
ShangYan nodded before taking the seat Guiying had pulled out for him. Little Tao thanked Guiying quietly before sitting beside his boss, while Liuxian naturally occupied the chair next to Guiying as Butler Wang and the maids began serving the dishes.
The aroma of grilled meat quickly filled the space.
Freshly made burgers, grilled lamb chops, roasted chicken, braised beef, steaks and several healthy side dishes covered the table, while a separate clay pot of slow-cooked soup and softer dishes had been prepared especially for Liuxian.
For a brief moment, nobody reached for the food.
The conversation they had just shared lingered quietly in everyone’s hearts, making the atmosphere calmer than before.
Guiying looked around the table before smiling.
"Father."
ShangYan looked up immediately.
"The burgers are really good."
Guiying pointed toward the platter with his chopsticks before pointing at the grilled lamb.
"So is the lamb. You should eat while it’s still hot."
A smile appeared on ShangYan’s face.
"I will."
He reached toward one of the burgers before his movement gradually slowed.
Looking at the table filled with food and the people sitting around it, something suddenly caught in his throat.
His fingers tightened slightly around the plate in front of him.
"This..."
His voice became noticeably softer.
"This is the first meal we’ve ever shared together."
The words quietly settled over the table.
ShangYan lowered his eyes before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I’ve missed twenty-three years."
His gaze slowly returned to Guiying.
"I don’t know what your favorite food is."
His eyes wandered over the dishes covering the table.
"I don’t know what you enjoyed eating as a child, what foods you refused to touch or what meals always made you smile."
Guiying quietly picked up a piece of grilled beef before placing it onto ShangYan’s plate.
"You know one thing now."
ShangYan looked down at the beef before raising his head again.
"I like meat."
Little Tao couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him.
"I think that’s become very obvious, Young Master."
Guiying laughed together with him.
"It really has."
Even ShangYan found himself smiling.
"I can see that."
The heaviness surrounding the table quietly faded.
Liuxian reached for the bowl of soup Old Li had specially prepared before serving himself a portion. Before he could take a sip, Guiying picked up the serving spoon and added several pieces of the soft vegetables into Liuxian’s bowl.
"Finish everything."
Guiying looked at him with a smile.
"Uncle Li prepared these especially for your stomach."
Liuxian looked down at the bowl before smiling helplessly.
"Yes, Doctor Xue."
Guiying chuckled.
"I’m not a doctor."
Liuxian picked up his spoon.
"No."
A smile remained on his face.
"But you’ve been acting like one ever since we reunited."
Guiying looked entirely unapologetic.
"Someone has to."
Liuxian simply smiled before obediently taking the first spoonful.
Across the table, ShangYan quietly watched the interaction unfold.
Neither of them had discussed it beforehand.
Guiying simply remembered Liuxian’s gastritis and naturally reached for the dishes he could comfortably eat, while Liuxian accepted the extra vegetables without a single complaint.
It was such a small exchange that most people would’ve overlooked it.
ShangYan didn’t.
His fingers slowly tightened around his teacup before gradually relaxing again.
For the first time since learning the truth, one of the worries weighing on his heart quietly eased.
His son...
Had found someone who genuinely loved him.
Little Tao finally picked up his chopsticks.
"Young Master, I have to admit, this estate is far more beautiful than I imagined."
