"Your dad remarried," Qin Xiang pointed out. It was because Jing Si's father had remarried—and Jing Si had three older half-siblings whom his mother treated as her own—that he'd wanted to test the waters. He admitted he hadn't thought it through; it was just a whim.
With his parents home, Jie Jingchen kept his voice low as he warned, "I don't want what happened today to ever happen again."
Qin Xiang didn't push it. "Got it."
"Call me when breakfast is ready." Satisfied, Jie Jingchen finally let him go, though he was no longer in the mood to cook.
After Jie Jingchen left the kitchen, Qin Xiang, frustrated, kicked the stove. 'What did I do to deserve this?'
When Mrs. Xie entered the room, Mr. Xie's survival instincts kicked in. He pulled a washboard out from under the bed and knelt on it.
"Honey, I was wrong." Mr. Xie was experienced in these matters. When his wife was unhappy, it didn't matter who was right or wrong; a proactive apology was guaranteed to calm her down.
