Chapter 367

He seemed to have plucked up his courage, but when he got close to Guo Momo, he shrank back again.

Glancing at her warily, PingAn turned and ran away.

Pei JianGuo sneered. "See, Guo Momo? People will eventually pay the price for their own choices. You thought you could just leave and come back and he would still be the same as when he was little, letting you do whatever you want. Your son has grown up now, and he hates you, hates you so much he won't even call you Mom."

Every sentence was like a knife stab to Guo Momo's heart, and she really couldn't hold back anymore. She slapped him across the face. "Pei JianGuo, who do you think you are, lecturing me? If it wasn't for your uselessness, PingAn wouldn't have been born unable to talk for years. If it wasn't for you failing in your duties as a husband and father, always trying to exploit me, I wouldn't have been driven to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore and had to leave. I told you before, selfish, self-serving people like you can't have a good life even if you marry a goddess. What, did I hit too close to home? I heard you got divorced again? Hahaha... Serves you right. You deserve it..."

After being divorced for years, their first meeting was like fire and water, neither willing to give way to the other - it really was a tragedy.

Pei JianGuo had never gotten violent with a woman before, probably because he'd never met one who annoyed him this much.

But after living with Lu KeQin for a few years, that good habit had disappeared. Just when he was completely fed up and about to resort to violence, Pei Yong came back carrying two watermelons. "Pei JianGuo, what are you doing?" he said sharply.

Seeing Pei JianGuo's raised hand, Guo Momo felt a wave of fear. The difference in strength between men and women was too great - if Pei JianGuo really attacked her, she wouldn't be able to fend him off.

Guo Momo quickly retreated several steps to stand to the side.

Pei JianGuo was also shocked into hesitation by Pei Yong's sharp rebuke. "Pei JianGuo, look how impressive you are, now beating women too?" Pei Yong glared at him furiously. "If you really want to vent your anger, I'll keep you company!" "Dad, of course you're taking her side! You don't even see me as your son!" Pei JianGuo angrily stormed off.

Only then did Pei Yong sigh and turn to look at Guo Momo.

In the few years they hadn't met, she looked better - visibly better. It showed that her decision to leave back then was the right one.

Pei Yong was probably the one who understood Guo Momo the best, because it wasn't until he got old that he finally escaped Wang Yue's control. He also admired Guo Momo's decisiveness - if only he could have been a little more ruthless back then, perhaps he wouldn't have ended up like this, expanding the pain to the whole family.

"It's good that you're back. Have you seen PingAn yet?"

Guo Momo nodded, the bitterness in her eyes turning to tears. "I've seen him already... I'm so sorry to PingAn."

"Don't think like that. At least before he turned 4, you took good care of him and helped him through the most confused, difficult days." Pei Yong shook his head. "Don't stand out here in the yard - come inside and sit."

After saying that, Pei Yong called to Chenye, "Chenye, take your younger brothers back home first. Grandpa has something to do today, you guys come play some other day."

The triplets and Little Six were quite obedient. Those kids were smart anyway, and had taken in the whole scene between PingAn and Guo Momo with their own eyes.

PingAn also quietly tried to slip out with them. At 9 years old, he was no longer small, and caught Guo Momo's notice easily, making the disappointment and hurt in her heart grow heavier.

"Come inside and sit," Pei Yong said to her, then went after the kids.

"PingAn," he called out, stopping PingAn's attempt to escape. PingAn had no choice but to stop and cautiously call back, "Grandpa."

Pei Yong went over and squatted down in front of him, rubbing PingAn's face with his big hand and smiling as he asked, "What's this? Do you blame your mom for leaving you? Didn't Grandpa explain it to you before? Your mom missed you terribly too when she had to leave to go to school. Look how she hurried back as soon as she finished her studies to come looking for you. Isn't that right?"

"I don't blame her, I just...don't recognize her. I can't call her that," he mumbled. He understood it all logically, and didn't resent or blame anyone.

Plus he had grown up playing with his young uncles all these years. No outsiders dared make fun of him or bully him, and he was doted on by Grandpa and Third Aunt. Second Grandpa and Second Aunt also often came to see him and brought him lots of snacks and toys. He really didn't feel like he was living badly at all.

When he was alone, he would imagine what his mother was like. Grandpa also often talked about how when he was little, his favorite thing was to sit by the door at Third Aunt's house waiting for his mother to come pick him up, because back then before Grandpa came back, if something came up he would have to stay at Third Aunt's place, just sitting there waiting for his mom like that. He truly didn't remember any of that, couldn't recall it at all.

He knew Grandpa wanted to see him being obedient and sensible, so he had always behaved well. But Guo Momo's return made him suddenly unsure what to do.

He was used to his current life, he liked it, and didn't really want anyone disrupting it.

So Pei Yong clicked his tongue. This was going to be a tricky situation.

On one hand he felt like he shouldn't make things difficult for the child. On the other hand, he still felt like his own family was in the wrong towards Guo Momo after all.

"If you don't want to call her that, it's fine, don't force yourself. But you know, it wasn't easy for your mom to come see you, and now you just ran off like this - won't she feel heartbroken? She must think you blame her and won't forgive her!"

PingAn thought it over seriously, then nodded heavily before throwing himself into Pei Yong's arms, tears spilling from his eyes. "But I don't want to leave Grandpa! I want to stay with you! Please don't abandon PingAn!"

"Silly child, how could Grandpa ever abandon you? Who's been telling you this nonsense? Grandpa loves PingAn the most, and still has to teach you properly so you grow up to be a real man who can hold up the sky, you know." Pei Yong assumed someone must have said something to give PingAn such ideas.

But PingAn said, "Nobody told me anything. I thought it myself."

He was young but not stupid. He understood things he was supposed to understand.

Other people all lived with their parents; he had been living with Grandpa the past few years because his dad and mom didn't want him anymore. He didn't need anyone to spell that out for him.

He wasn't upset about it, because he had a grandfather who was better than anyone else's. If they didn't want him, he didn't want them either. He only needed Grandpa to be happy.

That was why he was afraid - afraid that Guo Momo would take him away and not let him be with Grandpa anymore.

"Don't overthink so much, okay? Grandpa promises that as long as PingAn wants to stay with me, I will never abandon you. Alright?"

He had raised the boy these past few years and their bond ran deep. If Guo Momo really took PingAn away, he would miss him terribly too.

Of course he would also respect PingAn's own wishes. If PingAn wanted to go with Guo Momo, he wouldn't stop them; if PingAn wanted to stay, that was exactly what he hoped for.