Chapter 521 Danger! Watch Out! (Part One)


    Cherry, Jackson, and Joe arrived at the restaurant early for their dinner that night with Mond and Jean.


    They were ushered into a private room by the receptionist.


    Cherry and Jackson peered over the menu while Joe enjoyed the free snacks served when the


    receptionist ushered Mond and Jean inside the private room. Mond lingered by the door and nced at


    Cherry, then Jackson before he stepped inside. He kept his eyes down, avoiding Jackson''s, as he sat


    down beside Jean.


    Joe''s face lit up when he saw Jean and Mond. "Auntie Jean! Uncle Mond!"


    Jean crouched down, with her arms out, to catch the running Joe. She hugged him tight and gave him


    a kiss on top of his head. "Hi, Joe, sorry, we''rete."


    "It''s okay, Auntie Jean," Joe kissed her on the cheek.


    Cherry stood up to greet Mond with a hug. "How are you, Mond?"


    Mond replied with a curt smile.


    "I''ll call the waiter to get our food," Cherry announced before she walked out of the room.


    Joe sat beside Jean and showed her his drawings. Jackson and Mond fidgeted in their seats, silent.


    "So, things went well?" Jackson finally broke the ice and asked Mond.


    "Of course!" Mond almost shouted without looking at Jackson. Mond''s face grew red while he waited


    for Jackson to reply.


    Jackson was surprised with Mond''s reaction and he watched Mond as he tried to calm down. Mond


    was the only family he had got besides Cherry and Joe.


    "Mond, do you hate me?" Jackson asked. He had always wanted to know but didn''t dare to ask.


    "I think you know the answer to that question," Mond replied with ice in his voice. This time, Mond


    looked into Jackson''s eyes when he replied.


    "I know Grandpa had hurt you once before. But he''s gone now, and he was doing what he had to. I


    never hated you and I hope you can stop hating me for -" Jackson exined but Mond interrupted him


    before he could finish.


    "So you''re being nice now? Weren''t you there with Andrew when he turned me away? When you got to


    live with suchfort, I had to do everything by myself because I had no family!" Mond vented out. He


    red at Jackson, but he knew he didn''t hate his brother. He just needed to vent out his anger.


    Jackson didn''t know what to say. Everything Mond said was true. He knew Mond only had the money


    Grandpa gave him and he had nobody but himself.


    Cherry returned to the room and the two men pretended nothing happened.


    But Cherry knew something happened while she was away from the room. She noticed Mond''s sad


    face and Jackson''s guilty expression before they could change their mood.


    "Jean, Joe,e sit closer," Cherry requested, with a smile on her face.


    "Mommy, I''m going to sit between Daddy and Uncle Mond. So all the boys can sit together. And we are


    three, and you and Auntie Jean are only two, so we win!" Joe cheered and ran to sit beside the two


    brothers.


    "You''re such a naughty boy, Joe," Jean remarked. Joe always put a smile on Jean''s face, no matter


    what she was going through at that moment.


    The waiters entered the room, with tes of food in their hands, which they ced at the center of the


    table.


    Joe''s eyes went big when he saw all the food. "Wow, Mommy, there''s so much food!" Joe eximed.


    "Are we having a party?"


    "Yes, Joe, it''s our party, and Auntie Jean and Uncle Mond are our guests. We want them to have fun,


    right?" Cherry exined.


    "Auntie Jean is also your sister, and Uncle Mond helped you. That''s why you invited them to our party!"


    Joe cheered.


    Cherry smiled at Joe and turned to Mond. "Mond, thank you for joining us tonight. We really are


    thankful for all the help you gave us," Cherry said.


    "You''re wee, Cherry. And I came for you," Mond reiterated. He was surprised at Cherry''s words


    because he was not used to praises.


    Cherry continued. "Mond, you are my husband''s brother and my sister''s friend. We would like to get to


    know you better. And if you''re not unwilling, we''d love to see you more often," Cherry proposed.


    Jackson was surprised at Cherry''s announcement. She didn''t know the real story between Jackson and


    Mond but she must have known something since she was trying to fix their rtionship.


    Mond stared at Cherry, unsure what to do next. Mond was willing to be friends and had a better


    rtionship with Cherry. But friends with Jackson? His hate might have subsided but he was still angry


    at Jackson.


    Jean stayed silent, waiting for Mond to respond.


    Cherry kept the smile on her face while she waited for Mond to say something.


    Mond shifted his eyes away from the two women. He knew they waited for an answer.


    "Okay," Mond stammered.


    Joe smiled and pped. He grabbed Jackson and Mond''s hands," Now that Daddy and Uncle Mond


    are going to be friends, you should shake hands."


    Forced by Joe, Jackson and Mond shook each other''s hand but quickly took it back after a few


    seconds.


    "Come on then, let''s eat! Mond?" Cherry offered Mond a te of chicken, who took it. Cherry knew the


    only way to repair Mond and Jackson''s rtionship was to change Mond''s mind. He had been alone all


    his life and it was not easy for him to trust anyone, including his own family, especially his own family. It


    would take time.


    Mond felt himself loosen up at Cherry''s invitation. He had never had anyone taking care of him before,


    aside from Jean.


    "Mommy, you love me the most, right? Because you helped Uncle Mond first instead of me!" Joe


    crossed his arms and pouted.


    Jackson leaned over to Joe," Joe, do you remember what Mommy just said? Uncle Mond and Auntie


    Jean are our guests. We should treat them nice."


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    "Daddy, you don''t like me anymore, either!" Joe turned to Jackson, then Cherry. "Don''t you like me


    anymore?"


    Cherry and Jackson exchanged looks and shook their heads. Sometimes, it was hard to figure out what


    went on in their son''s head.


    Joe turned to Jean for help," Auntie Jean, Daddy and Mommy don''t love me anymore!"


    "Don''t be angry, Joe. I''ll help you with your food," Mond replied. He ced a heap of chicken and


    vegetables on Joe''s te.


    "Thank you, Uncle Mond! I''m so happy!" eximed Joe.


    Mond ruffled Joe''s hair and grinned at him. It looked like that was what Joe wanted.


    The rest of them dug into the food that Cherry carefully ordered for the five of them. Jean offered


    Cherry soup, which she carefully set down beside her te. Cherry watched as Jean asked Jackson


    about work, and Mond yed with Joe in between bites.


    The dinner party was over and the five of them were outside the restaurant to say their goodbyes.


    Cherry watched as the traffic continued to zoom past them on the street. Day or night, the city was


    busy as ever.


    Joe held out his hand to Jean, who took it. She wanted to cherish every moment she had with Joe.


    Joe smiled as Jean held his hand tight. He looked around his family, who had smiles on their faces. As


    he turned his attention back to Jean, he noticed a store on the other side of the road selling his favorite


    Peking sugarcoated haws. He tugged on Jean''s hand and pointed to the store. "Auntie Jean, I want to


    eat sugarcoated haws."