Upon Xie Yang's entry, the sounds of conversation abruptly stopped leaving only the bubbling and sizzling of pots and the unending chatter of the T.V. broadcaster.
The people in question were Mother Xie, Father Xie and Xie Yun who upon noticing Xie Yang turned to face him with a hesitant expression on their faces.
Xie Yang stared at the group of people he once considered family with an expressionless face bordering on cold and indifferent.
Maybe because he had been with Kai and experienced his care and concern, he no longer felt any heavy emotional fluctuations in his heart.
An uncomfortable silence descended, with no one daring to break the delicate balance. At this moment, the Xie family felt their unease which has persisted since Xie Yang left, grow.
All of them seemed to accurately feel in their heart that they had lost something precious which can never be recovered again. At this moment, even though Xie Yang was standing right in front of them, he still felt so far away.
Xie Yang suddenly smiled looking at them just like his usual self and asked, "Mom, what's for dinner today? I'm starving."
The distant feeling seemed to vanish immediately and they collectively felt the tension die down with his smile and casual question.
They must have become a bit paranoid because of Xie Yang's off attitude and new style this morning. Look! he's still the same son and brother they know! Always dependable and obedient!
"I made your favourites Ah-Yang. Quickly wash up and change, dinner will be ready in another twenty minutes." Mother Xie replied in her signature gentle tone.
"Ge! After dinner can you help me with my homework? Mr. Wu assigned us a brutal homework!" Xie Yun bemoaned.
"Xie Yang, come to the study after you're done helping your brother." Father Xie instructed.
'Not even asking whether I can do it and just assuming that I will. Not even considering that I might be tired after a long day of school. They are lucky, I still have some pending work otherwise I wouldn't even have come back home.'
Xie Yang's eyes narrowed as he assented and finally went up to his room to change.
Inside his room, his smiling expression turned frigid. Looking around the bare room which gave him no sense of familiarity, only cold hostility only worsened his already bad mood.
Noticing the window, a small expectation lit up in Xie Yang's heart. He rushed over to the window and looked out to see Zhou Kai still standing there waiting for him.
As expected, his husband didn't disappoint him! Only leaving after making sure he was safe.
Just this small act of concern from his husband filled his heart with an indescribable warmth. Even the group downstairs didn't seem as irritating to deal with now.
Xie Yang put down his bag and took a change of clothes before going to the bathroom to freshen up.
This time, unlike in the morning Xie Yang took a quick shower and changed into lounge wear and got out.
He came down just in time for dinner. Mother Xie was bringing dishes out to the dining table when she noticed him and asked him to help her bring the other dishes out while Xie Yun watched T.V.
Xie Yang silently complied, no longer dwelling on the double standards. He used to hold a grudge but he uncharacteristically let it go because of their brotherly relationship.
Xie Yang was never one to show to mercy to anyone who slighted him. This kind of concession from him could only be presented to his biological relatives due to their blood bond. He even let them use the money he had saved up for Xie Qingsheng's (Father Xie) treatment without demanding it back.
To him, the moment they kicked him out, the family bond between them had been broken.
Not retaliating against them was the last mercy he gave them who were already pretty miserable. He considered it pay back for all the things they had provided for him growing up.
Of course, Zhou Kai at the time had been very unhappy with his decision especially since he had come out clean about his past experiences to him making him even more worried for him.
He had fiercely resisted his decision of not getting his money back. That was the money, he had saved up from wining competitions and was a rather substantial amount though it was still nothing compared to his current net worth, equivalent to the amount his company made every 10 minutes.
That had been the first time, his husband had been upset with him and he had to specially coax him.
He had his reasons for not retaliating besides their blood bond being, he did not want to bother with them. He had been living well until now and no longer cared for their betrayal.
They say the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. Seeing their already miserable condition, what little desire he had left for revenge also disappeared. It was almost like karma found it's way.
After putting down the dishes, Xie Yang sat down while Mother Xie called over Father Xie and Xie Yun. They all started eat after everyone was seated.
Xie Yang looked over his "favourite dishes" and felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He felt his good mood because of Zhou Kai dissipate into gloom.
All the dishes on the table contained fish. One thing about Xie Yang, he absolutely despised eating fish because of having to look for tiny pieces of bone.
He had once choked on a fish bone when he was young and avoided it like the plague choosing to rather go hungry than eat it ever since young.
He also found the task extremely annoying and thus always avoided eating it unless he was sure it was boneless.
His husband knew this just from observing him eating lunch ones a day yet the family he lived with and ate most of his meals with did not know this basic preference of his.
He just held the chopsticks in one hand and his rice bowl in his other and just stared at the spread of different kinds of fish dishes.
Mother Xie noticed that he wasn't eating and asked puzzled, "Ah-Yang, why aren't you eating? I especially made your favourite dishes so that you would eat more."
Father Xie and Xie Yun who had been eating with gusto stopped and stared at Xie Yang mirroring Mother Xie's expression.
Oh and one thing about Father Xie and Xie Yun? They love fish.
"Mom, I don't like fish." Xie Yang said, his tone icy but his expression, one of resignation.
Silence. You could hear a pin drop.