BIKER WITH BENEFITS

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THE HOMECOMING

Xiao Zhan P.O.V

I just landed in the Beijing Capital International Airport, China. I'm coming back to China for the first time after fifteen years. I am not really familiar with this city anymore. I was only ten when I left with my mom. It was a tough year. My mom and dad divorced and mom got my custody. Well I'm not sure dad wanted to have my custody either. I mean a man having an affair with someone else even when he has a wife and a son at home can be anything but sincere to his wife and son. My mom, Mrs. Feng Qing was well aware about her husband's infidelity but be it for her maternal home being poor or be it for me she was reluctant to get a divorce.

No matter her background, Mrs. Feng Qing was a really strong woman and she had an identity she wasn't willing to compromise on. And I am her precious son, who she can do anything for.

You can say I'm a little proud of being her son, but with my father, not quite. My father, Mr. Xiao FanYu is a doctor in Beijing city. He has his own hospital and he's a director there. He makes the rule in there and he takes quite a pride in his third baby, Beijing Multispeciality Hospital, though he treats it as his first baby anyway.

Why third baby, you might ask. Oh I forgot to tell you. I have a brother, a paternal half-brother to be exact. Xiao ZhuoChang, the highschooler half-brother of mine is going to enter college this year and is one of the reason I'm coming back to China. You see, I had no reason to come back because I have a completely settled life there. In Canada, I used to live with my mother in a picturesque but laid back village county called Westport in Ontario. Even I sometimes wondered why my mom would choose some small village in Canada to live. But later I realised she had her reasons. She probably wanted to be so far away that nobody can find her. She just wanted to be forgotten. I don't find any other valid reason to choose such a place.

Though moving from Chongqing to Ontario wasn't an easy task. Mom got some money at the time of the divorce and we used that to reach there and settle down. It was really really hard. I mean this is Canada we're talking about. It's not really a place a Chinese choose to move to. With the first language being English or French, I had to work hard. Mom even made a rule of only English or French allowed at home. It was fun too. Trying to find words we don't know the English of. And slowly it just became normal and I grew up just like any other Canadian kid. Mom opened a restaurant that only the office goers go to. Only on the winter festival would she get an order so huge that would be of use. But in any way Westport is more my home than Chongqing.

After exiting, my first requirement is a cup of hard and black coffee. I mean I'm a medical student for god's sake. Getting my coffee I tried looking for the car that was here to get me. And I almost missed it. If it wasn't for the 'inverted' paper my half-brother was holding with my name Sean Xiao written on it, I would probably have just taken a cab and went to book a hotel for the night. It's normal for me not to recognise my brother either way, because he was only four when I last saw him and naturally he isn't that little boy who would keep clutching on his dinosaur plushie anymore. He has already grew up to be a really handsome young man, or should I say young master?

Don't get me wrong, me and ZhuoChang normally talk over WeChat. But seeing someone on picture and seeing them in person are two complete different things. I checked the time on my phone while the driver gets my luggages on to the car and ZhuoChang stands at the side, probably contemplating what should he talk to me about. I called my mom and greeted her like I always do.

"Bonjour maman. I already miss you. Comment vas-tu?"

I could feel her smile on the other side of the phone. Mrs. Feng Qing who goes by Sina there was already in the restaurant and was ready to start the day when I was jetlagged here. Her carefree response resounded from the phone. "Bien. Sean, you better be a good boy there. Mama would know if you're not, okay?"

"Well mama always knows."

"Mhmm. Now get home safely and get some rest. I gotta start business here."

"Oui. Talk to you later, then."

When I looked up from the phone call, ZhuoChang was looking at me dumbfounded. He probably didn't expect me to talk to my mom in English or French. Anyway, you can't really blame him. We use French because it's convenient and at first no one would realise we're talking in French. It piqued mom's interest at the very first time she took me out on a holiday.

We were on our way to my dad's Beijing home with me and ZhuoChang sitting side by side at the backseat. And to be honest it was really awkward. No one really talked. To break the ice I started in my broken Chinese, "ZhuoChang, how is your college?"

And realised I totally couldn't express what I wanted to mean. But ZhuoChang seem to understand what I wanted to ask and answered accordingly.

"My college is good. Number one in Beijing. I wanted to pursue Art and it was the best college available."

He's a good kid. It's really unfortunate how dad tried to pressurise him into going to medical school because he needed someone to take on his duty of the hospital after he stands down. And that's exactly why I, Xiao Zhan, am here. To take over for him. I don't have any intension to do so. But I have no other option. Mom and dad divorced on a good term and dad's new wife came to our house with her and dad's son ZhuoChang. Mom knew Mrs. Jing WanYue and she never complained. And when she was informed that Mr. Xiao wanted me to come back and take over she gladly accepted. When I objected she just told me, China is my home and I should know it a little bit. If I don't find it okay to stay here, then I can just go back and she'll always be there to embrace me back home.

And seeing how she wanted me to find my roots I had to say yes. And now here I am sitting on the backseat of my dad's car with my half-brother so damn jetlagged. And by that you can gladly say, the coffee didn't work.

ZhuoChang saw me dozzing off and stopped abruptly what he was going to ask. But I saw this, and being that guy I just wanted him to say whatever he wanted to. I don't like surprises.

"Say it."

ZhuoChang was just as shocked to see me talk with my eyes closed. "You're not sleeping?"

"Say it. Whatever you want to say, just say it."

"Uh. It's nothing." But he then contemplated something and decided to ask me anyway. "What is it like in Canada?"

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Hey guys the first chapter is done... And I just wanted you guys to know that I don't know where I want this story to go.... I have a vague idea how I want to follow... But nothing more than that...

But anyway... Hope you enjoy and leave your opinions in the comments...
*Positive response only*

All the love
C 💕

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