9. don't blame mom

Not good, they shouldn't provoke those powerful figures...

"If i put more pressure, i can single handedly rip your heart out...Can you imagine that upon  yourself !!!?"

Xie Hun dangerously growls, hand held the chest of the other auctioneer, which transformed into canid wolf paws with pointy thick nails.

Ready to strike and murder right here and then.

"Give me this child and let go of the other slaves."

XiaoXiao demanded and seeing the hesitance on the auctioneer's eyes, she digs her claws deeper onto his neck,

"I said, LET GO OF THE OTHER SLAVES!!!"

to which he surenders.

"T-take...take every-..."

Before he could finish XiaoXiao lets go of the man, making him drop to the ground, coughing and choking while in tears.

Only when she turns to see Wang Yi did she feel painful regret yet her eyes turns soft, swallowing up all the anger just this once.

XiaoXiao gently picks up the trembling child onto her arms, who was freed by Xie Hun by breaking open the chains.

"Poor child...don't worry, you're saved now."

At this point everyone has already ran off, and just like promised the auctioneer released other captives.

Once the tie has been taken off, little Wang Yi finally sees the world and found himself in a warm embrace of a woman, whose voice he recognized and knew so well.

"A-auntie..."

The child chokes out, finally being able to speak after a whole evening.

Upon seeing the familiar face he longed for so long, he couldn't hold it back anymore as he burst into tears, mouth covered in drool.

"Shhss, now now, auntie is here...it's over. It's all over. There's nothing to fear, auntie's here."

She nicely wipes his drool away with a handkerchief before tightly snuggling into him along with gentle rocking movements, soothing the shrinking on her arms child.

Expecting he would be comforted it only lead him to cry even louder with hiccups.

it broke XiaoXiao's heart to hear how this child sobbed.

Wang Yi was relieved that he could let it all out the things he bottled up for the past month, where he was terribly wronged.

XiaoXiao's mother instict kicked in.

"It's okay, it's okay...you have me now. I'll be your guardian. You're not alone anymore, you hear that? I'll be your  mom from now on..."

"Hic-...M-mom? Mom..."

Before Wang Yi knew it, he has already passed out from crying like a baby,  the exhaustion in his little body being too much.

When the child blinked his eyes open, he found himself in a foreign environment, in front of him sat his auntie XiaoXiao, who held his tiny hand, scrubbing.

Just like before XiaoXiao had her face covered with a veil.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he was in a bathtub, butt naked, while getting personally cleaned by no other than his auntie XiaoXiao.

Even though he was of merman species, he was very weak what prevented him from transforming into his original form anytime soon.

Therefore it was understandable that he was horrified, instantly shame rising.

"Ah!!!"

The woman glances at his surprised face, gently rubbing over his bruised hands to soothe any pain.

"Awake..? How do you feel? So many bruises...I can't believe they did this to you."

XiaoXiao then reached out a hand to check the child's temperature, leaning over.

Little Wang Yi, despite not understanding much, still had dignity. After all it was human nature to shy away when being nude. Especially in front of a woman.

"You're so skinny...sigh, these people are inhumane. This must have been very painful for you, child..."

How embarassing it is that he found his face boiling when auntie XiaoXiao gets so close to him, now touching his cheek.

He found himself unable to utter a sound.

Upon noticing how quiet the little boy was, XiaoXiao became worried.

"Ah, that's right. You must be very hungry, little one. Let's get you out of here."

XiaoXiao picks him up, covering his tiny figure with a towel, then with gentle rubs she dries his body, soon  dressing him in clean clothes.

Wang Yi could only watch her with his big eyes, staying silent as she took care of him.

It was very comfortable and soothing.

--an hour later--

"Are you telling me this child is Wang Yi!? Wang Jian's son!??? God, this is my first time seeing him!"

Wang Yi, as he put the food into his mouth, quietly observes the adults, who stood far aside, discussing.

He had unpleasant feeling inside as he continued watching.

"Keep it down...he might hear you."

"Look, I really didn't realize it until I saw his face..."

"Still! That doesn't change the fact that we saved him... Do you seriously intend to keep him? He's Wang Jian's child for God's sake!! Can't you take back your words of being his foster mother-!??"

"Xie Hun! Didn't you see what they did to him!?? How can you say that!!!"

Sigh.

" I can't believe you would say this... Can't you understand me, brother in law? I honestly expected better from you..."

"...."

Xie Hun found himself in dilemma, as much as he understands XiaoXiao's longing to get back the chance that she lost of becoming a mother, Wang Yi was absolutely unacceptable.

After a while of silence and serious debate, Xie Hun also sighs in defeat.

"Then...let's do it like this. This will be kept a secret between us, but we can let people know that we initially took Wang Yi as a slave. No one has to know your relationship except that of master and slave."

"That's what I intended too...when we are alone we can be like mother and son, but like before I'll be his respected teacher and he is my diciple and my servant."

"Right."

"If Xiao Bo was alive...those two would be like cousins,"

"Playing together..."

Xie Hun found himself relaxed witnessing his sister in law, XiaoXiao, looking alive and motivated again. After meeting Wang Yi, she went back to being in full spirits.

Maybe the child appearing once again in her most vulnerable time was a fated encounter destined by God, letting Wang Yi and XiaoXiao reunite again to heal each other's, what they thought, meaningless life.

Seeing the stranger that's next to XiaoXiao look somewhat similar to his uncle Xie Yun, Wang Yi

guesses that was her brother in law, Xie Hun.

So it's uncle Xie Hun...

Suddenly Wang Yi recalled his biological mother's absence words that she uttered the day before her death, reminding him to revenge for his father.

That's right...all the things that lead to today was caused by the one and only XiaoXiao.

Now after recognizing his identity, it seemed like XiaoXiao no longer wants to claim to be his guardian given how these adults were hesitating and secretly talking on their own, not wanting him to listen.

It was so obvious what they were discussing about.

Hah...

In the end it's all the same.

Foolish to think that I...could enjoy her care and love.

So

i'm going to get abandoned again, aren't I?

The child thought bitterly, soon his eyes lands on the knife that cut meat at the table where he ate.

If that really were to happen soon, then I'd rather die than being thrown away by auntie XiaoXiao.

Wang Yi squeezes his little fists aggressively at the mere thought as he glares at the sharp edge of the knife, finding it tempting.

"In that case i  should be the first to get rid of them, the sooner the better. That way I will feel less attachment, so I won't regret.

...because It will kill me if auntie XiaoXiao is gonna get rid of me first. So it's better for me to move before her."

Wang Yi contemplated inside, making a choice.

Soon his eyes turns void as he picks up the knife.

In the end he decided to go for it.

If I get caught, it doesn't matter because I won't run. I'll accept the penalty and face death if I must.

As long as i've fulfilled my mother's wish, it should be fine.

But if I get away with it, what I will do is...

I'll live under the ocean in seclusion.

With almost inaudible steps Wang Yi walks towards her private bedroom, keeping the knife behind his back.

Once he reached, he didn't find himself being nervous, rather he was now filled with revenge and hatered wanting to get over this all quickly.

"..."

But what he witnesses before his eyes was quiet shocking.

His auntie XiaoXiao layed there in her slumber robes, face no more covered, the fresh scars on her face out in the open for naked eyes to see.

The scars were on her cheek, eyebrows, eyes.

That wasn't what was the most shocking, though.

It was more odd that while she had a warm smile on, silent tears flowed down her face..

Wang Yi began to sweat. This was the first time he have seen the changes in his auntie XiaoXiao after all the chaos that occured.

Those scars...were they all caused by my biological mother...?

Then XiaoXiao's gaze lands on the little boy.

"Ah, it's you..."

"you've finally came..."

"...Xiao Bo."

She crawls on her bed to come closer to him, bringing a hand up to place it on his cheek, caressing sweetly.

While she looked at him with a fond smile, soon her lips began to tremble as she bit them in order to hold back.

But not long after, she fond herself losing and broke into a loud cry, now full on weeping.

"X-Xiao Bo..."

"mom is sorry. Mom is very very sorry..."

"I-i couldn't...I couldn't protect you.

B-but... Please, please don't hate mom...I beg you."

Taken aback at the fact that XiaoXiao was in deep agony, Wang Yi was certain enough that she's mistaking him for someone else.

"Hic- do, do you blame mom...? It's my fault. It's all my fault. Just don't hate me, don't hate me...that's the only thing i cannot bear."

"I really can't stand it if you do..."

XiaoXiao presses their foreheads together after kissing it.

"I- I really missed you, Xiao Bo...don't let go of me, please. Stay with me, alright? I beg you, that's all you have to...do. So,"

"Don't...don't give up on mom. Let me be w-with you, hic-"

Despite their eyes met, the boy stood there dumbfounded, as he stares at the  way she choked on her tears while trembling.

How can auntie act like this... This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Just how can I get rid of auntie if she's like this...i-

"These scars...they look painful. Are they still hurting you?"

The boy found himself wondering, but not being able to say it out loud.

He was afraid that if he does, then the dream like reality that XiaoXiao is  currently on will be ruined by him disappointing her, where the only comfort for her is to shed tears.