A Round Trip to Love 2: Separate Routes

Chapter Seven

During the peak season of Spring festival, my brother and I pack up to head home for the holidays. Father had passed away two years ago from illness, leaving my lonesome mother all on her own at home most of the time, so no matter what, this trip home to spend the new year with her is a must.

Lu Feng sat on the bed brooding while keeping an eye on me sorting out my bags, being unusually quiet. As I make use of both hands and feet to force the numerous presents into my luggage, I wonder what might be troubling him.

"You should make a trip back to America." I urged him. We are both missing our fathers now, he really should go back and reunite with his mother and sister, spend some quality time with them.

"I don't feel like going back." He replied full of sullenness.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to pick a fight with my mom, whenever we meet she carries on about the same topic, it's really annoying."

" ............" Lu Feng is twenty-five, it is indeed time for him to start thinking about settling down and starting a family. His sister is considered enlightened, fully understanding her brother's sexual orientation, however the obstacle with the older generation is much harder to overcome.

My situation is not any better, or more accurately, worse than his.

"We just have to keep dragging our feet on this matter, that's all we can do for now." When we reconciled at the hospital, his whole family got wind of the news, aggravating their persistence on getting him married as soon as possible.

"Drag ......"

"In any case, year after year has gone by, after a sufficient period of time they might just give up ...... perhaps you should just lay off a little with your antagonism towards your mother, we are good the way we are right now, let's just avoid getting tied up in knots over this."

" ...... Xiao Chen, I have never told you about my Father's last words in his will."

"Mmm?"

"Either break up with you within six months, or the Lu family will disown me."

" ........." While the gravity of those words have yet to fully sink in, I turned my head to look at him blankly.

"Which means to say, in another month's time if we are still together ...... I will lose everything." He smiled bitterly at me, "Do you understand what I am saying? Everything I have now ........."

I maintained my composure and sat myself down. It did not seem appropriate to allow a lengthy silence in this situation, I should say something, but what can I say? Lu Feng, I do not want to be the burden dragging you down, let's just break up ...... or, Lu Feng, stay with me, give up on all these useless materialism ......

If I ask him to give up everything, and become a man with nothing to his name, what can I give him as recompense. I, ...... what do I have that I can give him?

"What should I do?" He lowered his voice, I have never seen him looking so lost and powerless.

"I ...... don't know." My voice quavering.

"What do you want me to do?"

" ..........." That is too cunning of you, you cannot bring yourself to say anything, so you just leave it to me? "I really ...... don't know." I turned my head away, afraid that my tears would fall.

Lu Feng's arms reached out from my back, hugging me, his head buried in the curve of my neck: "What is in your mind, can you tell me honestly?"

" ........."