Don't touch my child!"
He yelled—his voice cracked, and his grip tightened. His trembling body made Yu Anan worried. The child didn't understand anything, but he sensed his dada's shaking, his fragile, almost-tearing voice. Naturally, as a child, fear bloomed in him. Grabbing Yanam's collar, Yu Anan tried to raise his head, and when he finally looked up and saw the pale, ghostly face of his precious dad—
He hiccupped.
And then burst into sharp, panicked cries.
Tears streamed down his cheeks. His tiny body shook with fear—not of the stranger, but because Yanam was scared. This was his helpless instinct, his tiny way of protecting the person he loved most.
Yanam saw Yu Anan crying and tried to comfort him, even while he himself was on the verge of breaking down.
He summoned all the courage left in his trembling body.
He swallowed painfully.
"Mr. Tian… kindly leav… leave my apartment. I don't know why y-you are here, but… but I am asking you to leave."
He patted the crying Yu Anan, who cried even louder at the sight of the stranger's cold gaze. His small face scrunched, clearly disgusted and fearful.
This scene only made Tian Xing's mood worsen.
He stood in the hallway, where a long-eared blue bunny plushie lay on the floor. He stepped on it deliberately, crushing it under his shoe, eyes filled with hate as he looked at the small thing clinging to Yanam.
He stared directly at Yu Anan—
and the child cried even louder at seeing his plushie stomped so cruelly.
"What if I refuse?"
He took out a pack of cigarettes, placed one between his lips, lit it with his small golden lighter, and blew out smoke as he looked straight into Yanam's eyes—eyes that still held the trembling child tightly like a koala.
Yanam expected this answer. He had practiced this moment a hundred times in his mind.
He knelt down, gently placing the weeping Yu Anan on the couch. He wiped the tiny tears away, holding the small hands with trembling but gentle fingers, quietly assuring him that daddy was okay.
Yu Anan looked at him—his weeping now a muffled cry, slowly calming because Yanam touched him.
"What do you want?"
Yanam asked, eyes still on the child, a small gentle smile softening his tremble. He had forced himself to calm down in those few seconds.
Tian watched—and walked closer.
"A start from where everything ended. Yanam, I know you also regret—"
"No. I don't."
Yanam's grip on the little hands tightened.
"Why would I even regret, Mr. Tian? Who the hell are you to me?"
He turned. And stand up slowly and walked towards Tian. He raised his head.
And his eyes—cold, distant, unfamiliar—met Tian's.
"Start from where everything ends? Huh…"
He let out a small, mocking chuckle.
"Looks like you have nothing left. No one at your side… If you're going to beg me, then at least make yourself pathetic enough for me to pity you."