Huanying! Welcome to Shanghai, China. The place of all the peculiarities. Where everyone have their own stories about the families living there, especially the Xu's. Their ancestral house that they own for many generations have an infamous garden w...
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"Fuck!" A male voice said and everyone but Mei turned.
Mei felt his bones break. Bruises popped out on his skin like a rash. The hollow space between two of his back teeth began to ache.
"Hello?" Timmy called brightly, because this was his home. He didn't think anything this bad could happen here.
"Shhh!" Mei said curtly. "Tyler, go hide behind the tree. Run. Now!"
Tyler, who was very aware of who it was, shot up and ran.
"Mei, what's wrong?" Timmy asked as Mei stood and slowly turned around.
"It's Edison."
Timmy immediately got to his feet. Johnny and Vin looked at each other, feeling the fear radiating off Mei and Timmy now. They stood simultaneously.
"Who is Edison?" Vin asked.
"Tyler's other father," Timmy answered and Mei could've cried in relief that he didn't have to say it himself and Vin didn't asked more about it.
From the shadows of the honeysuckle by the gate, Edison finally materialized.
"Can you see him?" Mei asked desperately. "Is he really here?"
"He's here," Timmy replied.
"You threw a party and I wasn't invited?" Edison asked and his shoes made loud explosive sounds on the gravel walkway as he approached, not a crunch like with normal footsteps, but angry, heavy bangs like stomping on paper caps. Edison was a large, confident man. His anger had never been to make up for any physical inadequacy or insecurity. His anger didn't need a reason so profound. He would get angry if Mei didn't wear what he wanted him to, without telling Mei what he wanted first. That was why Mei didn't bring many clothes with him. He had so few pieces that he had actually picked out himself.
Mei tried to tell himself that maybe this wasn't so bad, maybe Edison was worried or just wanted to see his son. But Mei couldn't fool himself. He wasn't going back to him. And Mei knew that Edison wasn't here to take him back. That left only one thing.
He had to protect Timmy and Tyler and everyone else there. The simple act of him coming back had placed them in a danger he never thought would follow him here. Or maybe the day he left ten years ago had caused this to happen, a series of events that led up to this one. Either way, this was all his fault.
"It's alright, everyone. Edison and I will leave and talk," Mei said. He then whispered to Timmy, "take care of Tyler."
"No, no," Edison replied. As Edison got closer, Mei felt his body jerk, like an electical shock. Tears came to his eyes. Oh, God. He had a gun. Where did he get a gun? "Please, don't let me interrupt."
