[A/N  :   Hi guys, I'm back with an update. This was written a couple of months back. Currently I'm working on the last chapter of part II of this story. Thanks for your patience with this story.  Thanks for your comments and votes. I'm not very good at expressing myself but I'm really grateful for your support. ❤️❤️ ]

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While JingYu was out, Chang was at the store busy with his usual tasks when a visitor with a familiar appearance entered. The man nervously looked around the store before finally noticing Chang.

They held eye contact for a drawn-out moment, before the man decided to approach Chang.

"You're back." Chang spoke first. His demeanor was hostile.

At first the man was confused but he came to a realization soon after. "You got my wallet?"

"No. If you're about to pretend that you left it by mistake, don't even bother."

The main inhaled deeply. "Where is he..?"

"He's out. Probably with his boyfriend." Chang answered casually.

The man could not hide his surprise upon hearing his words.

"Yep, there's a lot you don't know about him." Chang added bitterly.

There was a soft look in the man's eyes.

"What do you want Lei?"  Chang cut to the chase.

"I just.. wanted to see him..and.."

"Oh... so after like 16 years you finally decided that you wanna see him?"

"Chang-"

"He's a good kid but.., right now... he's a mess. And I don't want you coming here and making it worse for him." Chang's tone was stern.

"He's my son." The man's voice wavered.

"He has no interest in getting to know a father who abandoned him. Don't come here again unless you want to put him in a tough position.."

"I just want a chance to make it right.."

"You have the worst timing!"

"Chang, I do respect the fact that you're looking out for him.. but it is up to him to decide whether he wants to meet me or not." . Lei folded his arms.

Chang could see where JingYu got his stubbornness from.

"Do you know that your son doesn't give a shit about graduating from high school?" Chang asked.

Lei pondered over his words. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

Chang scoffed. "See this is exactly why I don't want you around him! I don't want him turning out like you!"

The man did not seem to have taken any offense. "Yes I did not finish high school. But I run a successful business, so I'd say I turned out alright." He responded calmly.

"Don't you want better for JingYu?? I do though he's not even my son."

"Of course I do."

Chang seemed unconvinced.

"Look I don't know what you think but your sister is the one who drove me away. I didn't abandon them of my own will." Lei pointed out.

Chang frowned. "Why should I believe that..?"

"You don't have to believe me. Just ask your sister. I bet she gave you a different story."

"If you cared about your son, would you have just left so easily even if she wanted you to? You suddenly want to get to know him... probably just cause you're lonely."

A strange smiled appeared on Lei's face. "I'm not lonely. I live with my son..."

Chang stared at him as if he was insane.

"My other son." The man added.

They faintly heard the door open.

"What's going on here?" A voice intervened.

JingYu seemed to have recognized the man just from seeing his back.

As soon as Lei turned, JingYu's frown intensified. "I sent your wallet through mail this morning."

His father nervously composed himself. "Can we talk?" He asked expectantly.

JingYu's gaze was cold at first.

After a long moment of consideration he nodded.

****

Lei followed JingYu back to Chang's house while Chang remained at the store. They did not exchange a single word along the way.

Once they entered and sat down, an awkwardness filled the air around them.

Lei studied his son carefully for a moment while JingYu kept staring at his own hands. When JingYu looked up, there was a smile on the man's face.

JingYu raised his eyebrows in question.

Lei shook his head as if to brush it off. "Nah you just remind me of someone.."

"Who?"

This time Lei looked down at his hands before looking at JingYu again. "This must be really uncomfortable for you.."

"Yep. I'd start by pointing out the obvious too."  JingYu folded his arms.

Lei smiled again. "I think you got that sharp tongue from your mother."

JingYu stiffened. "You wanted to talk. What have you got to say?"

Lei cleared his throat. "JingYu...,I  don't know what stories you may have heard about me.. but I truly did not ever intend to leave you.."

"Don't even." JingYu rolled his eyes.

"You have the right to not believe me, but please at least hear me out. As much as I hate to tarnish the image you have of your mother, you need to know that she's the one who wanted me gone. I even reached out numerous times in the years that followed...but she refused to let me get close to you."

JingYu swallowed as the words he was hearing started registering in his mind. The man's tone and soft expression made it impossible to pass it off as a lie. Yet he did not respond.

"...Then I contacted your grandparents last month and as soon as they reluctantly admitted that you were sent here, I realized that I finally have a chance." Lei added.

JingYu narrowed eyes. "You know what I don't get? Mom sent me here thinking I needed a father figure in my life. She thinks I don't know that but I do. And if you were so eager to be in my life why didn't she consider letting you have your way?"

"She thinks I'm a bad influence. That's one of the reasons she wanted me gone in the first place."

JingYu gritted his teeth. He slightly felt like his head was spinning.

"Look all of this must be too much for you to process immediately. Let's just forget it all for now okay?" Lei said in concern.

JingYu was still lost in thought with a grave expression.

Lei decided to try a different angle. "So you have a boyfriend?" He asked smiling.

JingYu's eyes instantly shifted up to meet his. The mere mention of his lover made the anguish in his heart fade away momentarily. "If you know why are you asking?"

Lei's smile didn't fade. "How long have you two been together?

JingYu had to give it some thought. "A few months." He had not kept track of dates because his heart had been with Weizhou since way before they officially got together.

Lei wanted to admit that he would love to meet him but he figured it was way too soon.

"That's great."

"This is still awkward." JingYu admitted.

"I know. I know!" Lei agreed, dramatically raising his palms in defense.

"Where do you live?" JingYu asked as he felt like the ice had been broken.

"Shanghai."

"You came here twice to see me all the way from there?"

"Yes. It was worth it." Lei smile again.

JingYu's wall was still up, hence here merely continued. "Are you...like.."

"Married?" Lei cut in.

JingYu nodded.

"Not anymore. My wife left. I live with our son." Lei answered, despite knowing that he was opening another dam.

As expected, JingYu froze in shock. "Son.." He said more to himself.

"Yes JingYu. Your half-brother."

JingYu's jaw-dropped. "Wha-  Does my mother know about this?!" He asked furiously.

Lei was taken aback by JingYu's reaction. He was not expecting JingYu to be this much concerned about him not knowing that he had a half-brother.

"No JingYu. She did not know." Lei lied. As much as he hated JingYu's mother for making him leave, he did not want to see JingYu hate his mother. 

"Why not? Why didn't you tell her?" JingYu was at the edge of his chair.

"I felt like it was none of her business. Look.. calm down. Let's just stop dwelling on the past. We can have a new start."

JingYu started shaking his head. "I need time. This is too much." He laid back restlessly.

"I know. I'm sorry for springing all of this on you out of nowhere. Take all the time you need JingYu."

The moment that followed was quiet.

"How old is he?" JingYu asked in a relatively calm voice.

"Sixteen...but you look younger than him." Lei giggled.

JingYu scowled.

"Kidding. I'm only kidding." Lei covered his mouth.  He sensed that his son's resolve was slowly crumbling..

"I should be going now. But I'll be in touch." He stood up and handed over his business card which contained his mobile number.

JingYu accepted without any hesitation.

*****

The first thing JingYu did as soon as his father left was call Weizhou and ask him to come over.

When he arrived JingYu led him to his room.

" What's going on?" Weizhou asked in confusion.

JingYu sat down on the bed holding his boyfriend's hand. "I've something to tell you.". He kept his head bent.

Weizhou lowered his head to study JingYu's face . "What is it?" He squeezed the hand that held his.

JingYu finally looked him in the eye. "I met my father.". He gave a lop-sided smile.

With widened eyes Weizhou inched closer. "Wha...When?? How?"

"He came here looking for me."

Weizhou lips remained parted in shock.

"ZhouZhou everything I had been told about him was a lie. He had never wanted to abandon me." JingYu's eyes were glistening.

Weizhou's hands reached out hand held onto JingYu.

"...I was robbed of so many years of having him in my life. I grew up thinking he didn't give a shit about me..." His voice started to crack.

Without speaking Weizhou let his left hand tenderly caress one of JingYu's cheeks, prompting him to continue.

"..But all the while he'd been trying to find a way to..."  He left the last part of his sentence fade.

"JingYu...at least you know now!" Weizhou turned JingYu's face to directly look at him.

JingYu nodded. "Yeah..". He tried to suppress a smile in vain.

Weizhou inhaled deeply. "I'm so happy." He embraced JingYu tightly.

JingYu breathed in Weizhou's familiar scent and started kissing the back of his neck emotionally. 

"Thank you for telling me." Weizhou muttered against JingYu's neck.

JingYu pulled back from the embrace and responded with a kiss on Weizhou's lips. Overtaken by their feelings, they threw caution to the wind and started making out heavily while the door was still unlocked.

As JingYu attempted to remove Weizhou's shirt, he made JingYu pause. "Babe uncle could walk in any minute." He said worriedly.

JingYu groaned in annoyance. "Let him."

"JingYu!" Weizhou lightly punched JingYu's chest.

"See this is one of the reasons why I want us to have our own place." JingYu pointed out.

Weizhou sighed while fixing his shirt. He ran a hand through JingYu's hair. "Tell me about him.. your father.." He said softly.

JingYu took Weizhou's other hand and placed kisses on his fingers. "What do you wanna know?"

"What is he like? Where does he live?"

JingYu chuckled. "Nope. Not telling you where he lives. Can't risk you going to pay him a visit too."

Weizhou pouted and pulled on JingYu's hair. "You brat!"

"Owww, okay okay I take it back."

Yet Weizhou kept pulling it.

"If you don't stop, I won't tell you the most shocking part!" JingYu let out.

"What's that? There're more?" Weizhou stopped to ask.

JingYu nodded. "Apparently I have a half-brother." It still felt unreal to him as he said it.

Weizhou frowned . "No way.. You're kidding."

JingYu raised his eyebrows.

"But.....wow.." Weizhou looked down letting it sink in.

"And he's just two years younger than me!" JingYu complained.

Weizhou watched him with an awe-struck expression for a moment. "Wow.."

"I know."

"You have a brother."

"Half-brother."

"My God. I wonder if he looks like you." Weizhou could not hide the mixture of excitement and curiosity he felt.

"Nobody could be as handsome as me." JingYu stated as if it was obvious.

Weizhou giggled at his lack of modesty. "Um..he's your half-brother. He's probably quite handsome."

"Why are you getting so excited over it anyways ha?" JingYu bit his bottom lip and started tickling Weizhou.

Weizhou could not contain his laughter as JingYu relentlessly kept tickling his neck and waist.

JingYu had finally let him in. This was something positive for JingYu and sharing it with Weizhou was something he did eagerly. Up to now, everything he hid from Weizhou were negative things that he did not want to burden his lover with.

This was a start.

And Weizhou couldn't be happier.

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