The Cage Of The Past

"Then daddy can only live in a room with your Mommy?" Rouzhen Gu finished his sentence and look at Chao. He was nervous because he had promised this little demon and sure enough he had his ear up and clearly will disapprove of him to be Xiaoxi's husband in the future. Chao showed so much protective to her Mom and Rouzhen witnessed how this little guy loves her.

"Han, tonight you sleep with Mommy and I will sleep with your Daddy!" Chao said in a loud voice. He is not afraid of Rouzhen. He thought that if this Uncle wants to be with his Mom, he should fulfill his promise by marrying her.

"Really? I can sleep with Mommy tonight?" Han feels happy and can't believe that Chao will do such kind of sleeping arrangement.

"Yes, you can!" Chao gave a defiant glance at Rouzhen who is now mute while looking at him.

Xiaoxi is busy in the kitchen and she didn't hear their conversation but she feels a bit strange about their current situation since Rouzhen and Han were with them again.

Rouzhen's plan was unsuccessful. He thought of sleeping with Xiaoxi's room tonight but the little demon didn't allow him to do it. He heard Chao's words that they two will sleep together in his room. He quickly went to the kitchen and said to Xiaoxi: "Tomorrow we all move back to my house!" his mood wasn't good at all.

"Why?" she raised her eyebrows.

"I said we all need to move back to my house, stop asking me!" his voice is deep and domineering.

"Rouzhen, you can't decide for me and my children!" she sneered at him.

"I will marry you, why I am not allowed to make a decision? In the future, you will follow me then!" he snapped at her.

"You! I honestly hated the way you talk!" she brutally said it to him.

Rouzhen walked behind her back and hugged her tightly. "Do as I said! Never talk again or else you know the punishment!"

She's stunned hearing what he said. She's washing the vegetables in the kitchen sink when she felt Rouzhen arms wrapped around her waist and his face buried on her neck. Her phone ring before she could utter another word.

"My phone rang, would you please give me a little space?" she asked.

Rouzhen just whispers in her ear: You can answer it while I'm hugging you!"

She had no choice. She dried her hands and took the phone out of her pocket to answer it. She saw it was Chaoxing who called her.

"Xiaoxi let's have dinner tonight and visit at a karaoke bar after dinner!" Chaoxing voice echoed at the other line.

"But I'm not convenient now! Xiaoxi Chen's eyes unconsciously swept around Rouzhen's face. Rouzhen let go of her and leaned his body on the kitchen sink and watching her accepting the call. The light shone on his face and he is listening to their conversation. There was a slight gloom on his face when he heard what Chaoxing had said.

"Isn't Chao is living in school now? Please let's have dinner together, I will pick you up! Okay?"

"It is inconvenient for me this time! Wait until I have spare time and I am not busy. I will treat you a good dinner later on!" Xiaoxi Chen instantly said.

After hearing her answer, Chaoxing let her off. Then she slightly groans but then laughs.

"Okay as you said! I will look forward to it!" Chaoxing hung up her call.

Xiaoxi Chen put back her phone to her pocket and when she raises her head she saw Rouzhen Gu smile victoriously. She sneered at him again then immediately return her attention to what she's doing.

For a few minutes, Rouzhen silently observed her movement and he is still standing near her without a word. She looked up inadvertently, caught a glimpse of his handsome face and thought about her children, mostly Chao who have a huge resemblance to him.

She shook her head to remove her weird thoughts. Silently think she's just being moved by Rouzhen's successive chasing on her.

Rouzhen was confused about the way she saw Xiaoxi's glances at him. He felt suspicious of the call Chaoxing made a while ago. A jealous thought ran down his head and he thinks that there will be a man waiting with her outside and asking Chaoxing's help to invite Xiaoxi for dinner. He remembers the last time Xiaoxi said she had a boyfriend, and it seems so true as she shows a strange attitude often when he mentions her about marriage. He was a bit confused right at this moment because, after the series of investigation reports submitted to him by his private investigator, it said that Xiaoxi doesn't have another man after she left him.

Rouzhen Gu's eyes carelessly cast on her face and caught her smile. "Does she lie to me about the boyfriend thing?" he asked silently. Her beautiful face and small eyes look so happy but Rouzhen doubts if it was meant for him.

Suddenly, he scowled and asked in a bad cold tone, "Why are you smiling?"

Xiaoxi Chen stares at him suddenly, hearing what he said, she's annoyed at him. The way he asks her is like a jealous husband who suspects his wife of cheating. For a while, she took a deep breath in her ċhėst and said impatiently: "Are you jealous of the call I received? Rouzhen Gu it is just an invitation for a dinner with friends!"

"Who's friend then?" he snapped.

"My best friend of course!" she stared at him and drop her head, thinking that Rouzhen is domineering. And why would she explain to him abruptly? Besides, Chaoxing is a woman, why would he be jealous and seems his look accuse her.

"You are already a mother, please behave yourself!" He gloomily dropped the words.

Xiaoxi Chen was shocked and a little angry. "I can do whatever I want!"

He harshly replied: "What did you say?"

Xiaoxi Chen was startled and looked at him instantly. His face had a gloomy expression. He seemed so very angry but did not say anything again. She lowers her head and explained it to him without hesitation. "It was Chaoxing who asked me to go out for dinner and karaoke hopping. I didn't have time, it's not easy to leave Han right now. I declined her invitation because I wanted to stay with my children!"

She said in succession and even felt strange to herself why she did explain it to him thoroughly. And when he heard her explanation he froze a little and then his anger melted instantly. The raging emotions he had for a while disappeared and he began to laugh slowly. "Hahaha! Honey, I just want to know the truth!"

His laughter makes his facial expression look better and ease her nervousness. She wanted to throw tantrums at him but she can't do it as their children might hear them. "It's just my best friend. You are being unreasonable and felt jealous, huh?"

His deep and melodious voice came to her ears like a song. When she heard his laughter she shook her head and saw him walk over then quickly pulled her closer, bent his head and gently kiss her slightly open mouth.

He groans in an instant, and quickly feel her hands pushing him gently. "Our children might see us, stop being flirtatious Rouzhen Gu!" she said in embarrassment.

He released her from his arms and winked at her then whispered: "They are busy playing inside their room. Don't worry I will not do something inside the kitchen," he smiled at her. "Let me help you, mother of my children!"

Her face blushed when she realized what he had told her. "Mother of your children? Rouzhen Gu, stay away from me!"

"Hahaha! Why are you blushing?" he teases her.

She was embarrassed to see his big hand caught her small hands in the basin at the kitchen sink. A warmth touched surged in, and she tried to draw back her hands but he was holding it tightly while looking at her red face.

"Daddy, are you going to cook for us?" Han suddenly ran over, looking at his father with a smiling face and behind him was Chao who is now staring at him with a warning look. He quickly releases Xiaoxi's hand. "This little demon knows how to bully me!" he thought silently.

"Uncle, I'll lend you half of my bed tonight for helping Mommy preparing our dinner. Mommy, you sleep with Han tonight and I will sleep with Uncle in my room!" Chao said.

"Huh!?" Xiaoxi Chen was surprised to hear Chao's arrangement, she knew her son was being protective of her. She nodded immediately. "Since this is the first time we sleep in one house, you and Han both sleep with me tonight, Rouzhen can sleep alone in your room!" Xiaoxi said afterward.

"Alright!" children said in unison.

"It is not good!" Rouzhen Gu shook his head to protest. "Children I want to sleep with your Mommy, I am your Daddy and it will be unfair if I sleep alone. And from now on Chao, you can call me Daddy too!"

"No Uncle, wait after you get married to Mommy. It's too early to call you Dad!" Chao patted Han's shoulder and said. "Little brother, let's go back to my room and play again!"

"Okay, can we disassemble your toy robot again? I wanted to put it up again with my own!" Han said.

"Okay. No problem, I will teach you how to disassemble and installed it back. Let's go!" Chao held Han's tiny hand and they descend to his room.

Xiaoxi Chen was embarrassed by her son's words. Seeing his face darkening, she whispered, "'Don't worry I'll explain it to them, you don't need to feel obliged. I'm not going to marry you. We can be friends, it's all for the kids. I will tell them we don't have a relationship too!"

Rouzhen Gu stared at her for a long time and sadness cross in his eyes. He did not speak because what she said is unacceptable for him. It was a very awkward moment between the two of them, Rouzhen felt insulted but he managed to control his anger then said: "You hated me so much. I knew it. I can give you everything but you can't give your love to me. How I wish I could return the time. I could return to that night five years ago! How I wish to tell myself, I shouldn't wear that mask, the moment I spent my first night with you!"

Her heart quivered hearing what he said. "Why are you telling this to me? Why you make me feel guilty?"

"I am willingly giving you my whole being! Just that, this time I don't have enough strength to give you the title of Mrs. Gu, simply because you refuse to be my woman!" he slowly said: "In other words, I might stay as an eligible single man forever who had a child because the woman I dream to be with doesn't love me. I will follow my obligation as a married man to you, so will do the same to me? How is it? Is that fair for you?"

She was shocked, confused and didn't want to promise him. For a split second, Xiaoxi Chen just feels like a clock and forget to stop.

"You don't understand?" he raised his eyebrows.

She nods and shook her head.

"It means we act as husband and wife. Be obedient to me until such time you learn to accept me!" he said in a low voice. "To be an obedient woman I will do the same thing. And be the mother of our children!"

She listened to him very well but she's confused and little by little, everything he said sinks in into her mind. She's wondering why this arrogant man suddenly changes, asking her to perform the duties like a married couple. She just stares at him seriously and thought about what he told her. He is not someone that she can easily marry, they are from different worlds.

"Are you married?" she insanely asked him.

He was stunned and his eyes went sharp. "No!"

"Oh!" Xiaoxi Chen thought that he might not want to get married. "Then why you want to have a child five years ago?"

He stopped and seemed to have a guilty look on his face.

She shut up immediately, realizing that she probably shouldn't have asked him. That is his privacy and he had the right to keep it private, and after a while, she said, "I'll cook, you go out and play with the kids!"

"Let me help you! They can play on their own!" Rouzhen Gu did not say anything more, no explanation. But he started to help her and bring over the vegetables.

"I don't need you to help me!" she said softly. "I can do it myself!"

She feels nervous as he stood near her. This seems to indicate that the atmosphere between them is improving, Rouzhen Gu's handsome face keep coming into her mind.

But he forces to stay and it makes difficult for her to move inside the kitchen while he is watching. She lost her concentration, she forgot to turn on the lampblack machine and she forgot that the vegetables weren't ready yet while the frying-pan was too hot and caught fire immediately. Rouzhen quickly moves then turn off the stove. "Whoah, that was so close. Be careful, you almost get burn!" he said.

Xiaoxi Chen's reaction was nervous then she snapped back at him. "It is because of you, I forgot to do my task properly. Kindly leave now? I can do it myself!" she said in a low voice.

"Honey, let me help you! The vegetable is not yet totally prepared. What happened to you? What are you thinking of?" Rouzhen asked in confusion and sweep the sight at her, walk over and wanted to cut the small cucumber.

But the cucumber was too small and his hand was too big and it was so funny to hold it in his hand, he couldn't cut it and when he tried to cut it, the cucumber broke into two pieces.

"Let me do it" Xiaoxi Chen look at his ungainly appearance, it is hard to imagine that this man is the CEO of the powerful company across China. Looking at his beautiful and perfect hand, it is an exclamation god's magic, everyone indeed has their talent.

Rouzhen Gu frowned. "It looks easy to do it but why I can't do it properly?"

"How would you like it to be cut?" she asked.

"Slice it in thin!" he said and passes the knife to her.

"Alright!" she holds the cucumber and begins to cut it.

He was surprised to see the round cucumbers deftly turning into thin slices in her hand, was a little surprised for a moment, her hand is deft!

His heart ached at the thought of her returning the seven hundred and fifty million dollars unspent. "Are you quite well in housework?"

As he said this, he looked at the well-organized apartment, he thought she would be a good wife in the future.

Suddenly she stopped and put the cucumber pieces on the plate. "Well, it's done!"

Saying this she is suddenly surprised that they started well of getting along with each other, no quarrel, actually it feels good to both of them. He smiled and Xiaoxi Chen looked at him. "And you don't seem to have done any housework, do you?"

He smiled in an instant, more coquettish than every time, Xiaoxi Chen stares at his smiling face, there was a moment of bleary-eyed, this man is too coquettish. Quickly lowered her head and her face immediately blushed.

He stared back sharply at her. "What a good cut you made!"

"Well!" she was caught by his eyes. They look at each other in a moment and no one dares to talk. It seems they are being dragged by sudden magic. Rouzhen stretches his arm and pulled her and kissed her slightly opened mouth.

"Hmmm!" they both run out of breath when Rouzhen's mouth pulled away. He smiled at her instantly.

"Rouzhen!" she only mentioned his name and bent down her head.

"Are you mad at me?" he asks.

She shook her head but didn't look at him.

"Are you happy tonight?" he asked again.

"Y-Yes!" she answered shortly. Having her son in an unexpected moment, she considered it big happiness. "As long as you don't hide Han, I think I will be happy every day!"

"Oh, what about me? Am I not considered to be your happiness too?" He was a little bold to ask it to her and his waiting for her answer.

All of a sudden for her it feels like a weird way of conversation like they've known each other for a very long time. Even she felt it somewhat abnormal. In his presence, she is always out of control. Normally, she did not like to talk to any man, especially in front of "strangers". But with him, she seemed to have nothing to worry about. Before she knew the man behind the fox mask, she had some strange feelings about him, but when truth revealed she's now at ease.

Strangers? She stares at Rouzhen Gu, is he a stranger?

She is totally confused right now. Struggling to answer the hidden question in her mind and heart.

She shook her head violently, a sudden flash of memory appeared in her mind, the night they spent together, five years ago. She had no strength to say no to him. Deep inside she knew she's madly in love with this devil but she dare not to spill it out.

Her face suddenly turns hot and she believes that she's becoming vulnerable right in front of him.