<h4>Chapter 17 - The Storm</h4>


    Is Lu Chen testing her?


    Xiu Mei wondered as she gawked at Lu Chen for his sudden question.


    So she gave her honest and serious answer. "No."


    Seeing Lu Chen’s brows furrow, she hurriedly exin her side. "It’s not like I hate Lu Qiang. He’s an adorable and bright kid but the one who should be showering him maternal love is his biological mother, right?"


    Lu Chen paused for a few seconds looking at her face before looking away. He started. "Lu Qiang’s parents are dead."


    "..."


    What?


    Xiu Mei was so stupefied with what she had heard that his words buffered in her mind. She had heard Lu Qiang speak of the same words but Lu Chen suddenly popped out iming as his father so she assumed that Lu Qiang wasn’t in good terms with his parents.


    "Isn’t he your...?"


    Lu Chen looked back at her again before shaking his head. Holding the handle of his cup, he took a sip of the tea once more.


    "Lu Qiang..." He watched his reflection on the tea as he lightly swirled it around the cup. "...my stepson."


    "..."


    At this very moment, Xiu Mei was having difficulty taking in all these news.


    Lu Qiang’s parents are really dead.


    Lu Chen is his stepdad.


    Who would’ve ever imagined that Lu Chen would willingly be a stepfather?


    "Lu Chen’s father was my cousin and his mother was a friend of mine. The both of them suddenly passed away a few months after his mother gave birth to Lu Qiang." Lu Chen exined as he watched Xiu Mei’s changing expression.


    "Lu Qiang was left in my care legally when no one stepped up from the mother’s side to take care of him."


    Xiu Mei felt like crying. Hearing such tragic events happen leaving Lu Qiang an orphan, she suddenly felt bad denying little Qiang to call her mom.


    Realizing that he grew up with no one to call Mom, he must’ve been thirsty for a mother’s love. For a kid, aplete family with a Mom and a Dad was what they could ever wish for.


    Some kids have the luck to be born in aplete family while some didn’t. In little Qiang’s case, he both had none. She was touched by Lu Chen for voluntarily taking the ce of little Qiang’s Dad even though he probably didn’t have any experience in child rearing.


    His protectiveness to his son, maybe it was only the way he knows how to express his love as a parent.


    Xiu Mei was deep in contemtion as Lu Chen continued exining.


    "I could only do limited things as the father. Especially the fact that I don’t have any experience in child parenting. That’s why I need your help."


    Lu Chen pulled out the folder beside him and handed it over to her. Wondering what he handed over, she flipped open the folder revealing the first page.


    "...Marriage Registration form?"


    Xiu Mei was inplete confusion as her brows creased. She looked at Lu Chen asking for further exnation.


    "Marry me." Lu Chen stared deep at her eyes. "Be Lu Qiang’s mother."


    PAH!


    The sound of the sudden closing of the folder upied the silence. The both of them could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room and their own breathing.


    Xiu Mei took a deep breath as she tried to press down the sudden re of exasperation she was feeling.


    It was aplete u-turn from the emotions she had awhile ago. She only knew that she was upset and angry upon seeing the marriage form and listening to his exnation.


    Lu Chen was bewildered by her reaction, not expecting it. He had thought that she would willingly ept it so they can now go over with it tomorrow. But contrary to his expectations, his female secretary exhibited great anger on her face as she red at him.


    He was about to speak when she took the opportunity in speaking first.


    "No."


    "..."


    Silence conquered the room for the whole minute. The two a.d.u.l.ts kept their staring contest. Xiu Mei was ring daggers at Lu Chen while he stared at herpletely surprised for her decline.


    "Why?" He finally reacted.


    Xiu Mei ced the folder on the table as she broke eye contact with him.


    "Mr.Lu, I am not interested in entering marriage with you or anyone as of the moment."


    "You just had your blind da-"


    "That was a request from my mother."


    "..."


    She red again at Lu Chen as she crossed her arms.


    "Mr.Lu, did you think marriage was just some game?"


    "..."


    "Just because there’s a son and there’s a father. So now you want a mother, you ask me to marry you?"


    "..."


    Xiu Meipletely snapped.


    "Marriage is a sacred promise between lovers to spend the rest of their lives together. It’s not just something that you would casually say to anyone you think is the worthy mother of your son."


    "..."


    Lu Chen was at a loss. He didn’t know how to rebuke her words because he knows that it was true. He suddenly felt apologetic for his hastiness.


    He wasn’t just simply asking her to be his son’s mother. He was also asking her to sacrifice the rest of her life for him and his son. It would be a loveless marriage.


    As the both of them sat inplete silence, Xiu Mei made the first move as she stood up from her seat. Lu Chen unconsciously follwed her movements.


    "I’m going home. I apologize for overstaying here." With that, she left the living room stomping in anger. Lu Chen could clearly hear the clicking of her heels on the floor.


    As he heard the doors closed, his eyes trailed onto the folder on the table. He closed his eyes a few seconds after, contemting on all the events that happened in that mere 20 minutes of their talk.