Taming The Tiger

26. Family?

"From earth to Yu Hua!"

Ming Lei's vibrant voice brought Yu Hua's wandering soul back.

"Please tell me you are considering my words," Ming Lei said, pausing his noodle-placing to look at his friend.

Yu Hua could only shrug as it was impossible for him to follow Ming Lei's suggestion to quit his part-time work. Well, he might even need to find another part-time job, let alone quitting the one he had.

Flashback

Last night, he couldn't find his father at home, so he rushed to their hidden gambling house. As expected, his father was there, drinking and playing as if he had money. Seeing him like that, Yu Hua's blood froze in his veins. Shoving his way in, the actor grabbed his father's collar and hauled him out of the dirty place, ignoring the objections of the other players.

"My son! Whatare youu doiing heere?" the old man slurred his words as he looked at his son with glazed eyes.

"That should be my question!" Yu Hua snapped at him angrily. Luckily the weather was highly cold, preventing his head from burning.

The older man pushed the other away from him, "Iam your... father! cant shouttt mee!" he said and started to zigzag in the wrong direction.

Yu Hua rushed behind him and grabbed his arm firmly. Turning him around, he asked "how much did you lose this time?"

Mr. Yu looked at his son with a weird expression, then started to laugh like a maniac, "ALOTT!" he announced to the entire neighbourhood and black spots danced in Yu Hua's vision. He couldn't even finish paying for the earlier debt and its multiplying interest, and now his father was saying a lot!

Anger besieged him and he found himself shaking his father by arms with tears in his eyes. "HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO US! TO ME!" he shouted with a hoarse voice again and again until his frustration diminished a bit.

When his hands fell off his father, the latter clicked his tongue and took out a wrinkled ten yuan out of jacket's pocket. Looking at him with disgust, he said "youu always talk aboutt mmoney. Here!" and slammed the money on Yu Hua's hand before zigzagging towards the right direction this time.

Behind him, Yu Hua squeezed the life out of the money and threw it away. He fished out his phone with his still shaking hands and called his brother.

"What?" Yu Lan answered curtly.

"How many days did you leave father alone?" Yu Hua asked with a mechanical tone.

There was a silence at the other end of the line, then a weak voice answered "I was out most of the time."

The world collapsed on Yu Hua's head. It was around fifteen days! If his father went to gambling behind his back on the days he couldn't come home, then that 'a lot' he meant could be hundreds!

Disappointed, angry and helpless, Yu Hua whispered, "I wished you could show some pity to me" and ended the call. Staring at his phone screen with empty eyes, another realisation hit him; he was late to work for forty minutes!

Cursing himself, he called Ming Lei immediately, yet Jing Yong answered it. Unlike his own brother, the young actor was highly empathetic towards him. He told him to rest and assured him that he wouldn't leave Ming Lei alone during his shift.

Sighing in relief, the tired man went home and lay on his mattress without even changing his clothes. As he didn't want to see or talk with his father, he closed his eyes and forced himself into sleep.

End of the flashback

"There is something you're hiding from me," Ming Lei said with narrowed eyes, seeing his friend was lost in his thoughts again.

Yu Hua raised his head and looked his friend in the eye, "Yu Lan wasn't with father in the evenings, so he continued to gamble all this time."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Ming Lei roared, shaking with anger. Those two had really no love or respect for Yu Hua!

Yu Hua just shrugged, feeling detached from all human emotions. Maybe he used all he had. Well, the universe proved him wrong a second later as he received a call and seeing it was the CEO, he felt extreme panic. See? He was still able to feel emotions.

"Mr. Hu?" he replied with a small voice, hoping it wasn't something bad.

"Come to my hotel," Hu Jing Yao said directly, skipping the greeting part.

"I am working now," Yu Hua replied apologetically. As he left Ming Lei alone yesterday, he couldn't do it again. Also, this time Jing Yong wasn't there.

"Really?" the CEO asked with a tone as cold as ice. He waited for two days for the actor's call to thank him, yet the other didn't even bother sending a message. Now, he was stepping on his pride and calling him, but Yu Hua was saying he was working! The same excuse again!

"Unfortunately yes."

"Where do you work?"

WHATTT?!!