To Love You Again

830  Two Masks

Ever since Lu Jin was young, he had this inclination that his father was somewhat different than other people.

How different? He could not fully describe it in detail. But if he would give an example, then he would go back to the time when he first became aware of the two masks his father wore.

.....

The Lu family was said to be blessed with two sons. The elder son that resembled the handsome father was smart and talented.

The young Lu Jin was always praised by the elders. Even at a young age, he was very mature and well-composed.

When the adult looked at him, they could see his bright future ahead of him filled with great achievements. There's no need to say who would inherit the family's head position in the future.

In the face of their flattery, the mature child would only smile. However, when people deliberately mentioned how different he was from his incapable younger brother who only know how to cry, the young Lu Jin would not be so kind to them. He would always say.

"My brother is not yet even five. There's no need to compare him to me. Besides, my brother is the cutest among the children of his age. He is already peerless."

The young talented and mature Lu Jin had only one flaw. And that was he was overprotective toward his only brother.

He doesn't know where he inherited this kind of possessiveness and obsession.

His mother was a kind and generous woman. While his father was amiable and patient. No one among his parents seemed to have the trait of being obsessive.

Anyway, the young Lu Jin think that this kind of trait was not that bad. But one day, he learned where his 'obsessiveness' came from.

As a talented young master, Lu Jin always competed academically. And he always comes first.

But one day, he got sick and wasn't able to focus on the examination. The result was he earned second place. This was his first failure for being the first.

Lu Fanrong did not dwell on his rank. She was still proud of his achievement. The young Lu Jin expected that his parents would not dwell too much on it. His mother always told him that mental health and their well-being come first before anything else.

Lu Jin expected that it would be the same for his kind and benevolent father.

So when he came to his father's study room to report the result of his examination, he did not expect the usual amicable man glowered.

"You failed?"

Lu Jin felt a sudden chill. Was his father angry?

Not taking it to heart, Lu Jin explained.

"I got sick on that day and I am not able to finish the last test. I will take care of my health so it won't happen again."

"Who cares about your health if you won't be able to achieve something so easily like getting a first place?"

Lu Jin suddenly doubted his ears. He looked up to his father with confusion. What he saw made him freeze.

His father who only wore a gentle smile and warm gaze was currently looking at him with so much coldness that it made Lu Jin feel cold in his heart.

Who....who is this man?

This was the first thought that came to his head.

There was no way his kind and gentle father would make an expression like that.

Ming Zhi Yi stood up and approached the frozen kid. He looked down at him.

"Pulled up your pants."

Lu Jin just only stared at him with a blank look.

"Have you gone deaf? I said pulled up your pants!"

Lu Jin flinched. He doesn't know what was happening. But his father's eyes were so frightening that his body moved on its own and followed his words. As he folded the hem of his pants to his knees, he was shocked by the sudden pain in his legs.

His father was holding a stick. It was an arm's long and quite painful when it hit his calf.

Every hit was painful. For a pampered young master, he was never been hit or punished. Today was the first. And it happened so fast that he could not dwell on the pain. The young Lu Jin could not figure out what was happening.

But his young body could not take so much pain in one day. He immediately kneeled and tears formed in his eyes.

"...Did I do something wrong, Dad? Why are you doing this to me?" The mature Lu Jn did not realize that he was sobbing.

The pain had just sunk into his mind.

Ming Zhi Yi frowned seeing his weak child.

"You are already breaking just with this? I am already being merciful in only getting you 09:05

a couple of hits since it is your first time. Nex time that you failed again, you would receive a longer session of discipline."

Lu Jin cried. The shock was too much even for a mature boy like him.

"They said you resembled me in every aspect that's why I chose you. But I did not think that my son would be this weak. I will not allow you to cry next time. If you do, I will discipline you more."

Lu Jin bit his lips. He was truly scared now. What happened to his father? Why did he suddenly become so frightening?

He was confused and scared.

Before Ming Zhi Yi left the room, he stared with a menacing gaze at the young child. He coldly reminded the young Lu Jin.

"This matter is only between us. If you let your mother know about this, I will have no choice but to reel in your brother."

Lu Jin's teary eyes turned wide.

His cry baby brother won't be able to take this!

"H-he is...he is still too young." Lu Jin whimpered.

"So? I was younger than the both of you when I first received my disciplinary session. But you two are being held like fragile glass in their hands. This made you weak and naive."

Ming Zhi YI opened the door. "Your brother resembled your mother too much. Only a couple of sessions would brake him. But you are different. You are like me. I have to shape you and discipline you well so you will be able to use your smart head in the right way."

After leaving those shocking words, his father left.

Lu Jin was a smart kid. Although he was confused by the sudden change in his father, he followed his father's words and did not tell his mother about it.

On the next day, his eyes were puffy. His legs were sore and bruised. He initially doesn't want to eat together with the family. He was still afraid of the incident with his father, but when he saw the scene at the dining table, Lu Jin felt like he become stupid.

The scary father he met yesterday night was smiling gently like usual. He was filling up Lu Fanrong's plate with meat and sliced the chicken meat for Lu Yin Ze. When Ming Zhi Yi saw him, he smiled at him.

"You wake up. Come here, let's eat."

His mother Lu Fanrong also saw him. "I was about to wake you up but your father said you must be tired." Lu Farong then noticed his eyes. "What happened to your eyes?"

Lu Jin glanced at his father in a daze.

His father was still the usual gentle father. The scary man he had seen yesterday night seemed like an illusion. Could it be he was just dreaming of yesterday night?

But he could feel the pain in his legs.

Or was it another person who just looked like his father?

But his smart mind dismissed that thought. No one could enter his father's study except him.

Lu Jin did not answer and just stared at the man.

The smiling Ming Zhi Yi pulled the chair beside him.

"Lu Jin must have been watching television until late at night. I told him to not watch too late. But he did not listen."

Lu Fanrong did not doubt her husband's words. Instead of getting angry, she smiled instead.

"That's alright. I am always worried that Lu Jin worked too hard. He studied really well and never played with others except with his brother and Guan Yaoyao's sons. I think it's okay to play games or watch some shows sometimes."

Lu Jin was silent. When did he watch shows? What his father mentioned never happened.

Lu Jin observed his father's expression carefully. Ming Zhi Yi smiled at him. "What are you doing? Come sit beside me. Let's eat."

The young Lu Jin could not find any trace of pretense in his father's expression. His father's act was so flawless that Lu Jin started to doubt his own memory.

Check out my new book SNTY