Cheney said, “This morning, when you were sweeping the grave in the cemetery, I used your key and matched it in the nearest place.”
I stepped forward and spread out my palm. “Hand over the key.”
“No.”
My face was black, and he was unmoved. He calmly said, “I spent my own money and matched the key. Why should I give it to you? I am not going to give it.”
I nodded. “OK, I’ll find someone to change the lock tomorrow.”
“Then try another one. I want to see which shop dares to change this lock for you.”
“Cheney, this is my own private space. Don’t you think it’s really too much to break in like this?”
“When you forcibly appeared beside me and used me, you didn’t feel too much? If you come out to mix, you must always pay it back.”
I looked at his serious appearance, and my heart was annoyed. He has a lot of reason. I snorted, went back to my parents’ room and closed the door. After sitting in the room for a while, Lockie’s number called again.
I picked up “Lockie, I’m going home.”
“Just in time, I tell you, I have found a solution.”
I’m looking forward to “what can be done?”
“I discussed it with my dad and decided to announce that Romeo is my illegitimate child. As long as I come forward to recognize this matter, there is no need for those boring media reporters to continue to dig deep into Romeo’s past.”
I reach for my forehead. How is this different from Echo’s method? Either Echo or Lockie. This is not what I want.
I shook my head. “Lockie, this method won’t work.”
“It’s not that you don’t know me. You can get married. There is nothing bad that’s going to happen if you give Romeo to me now. Besides, I’m not saying that if I grab him, I won’t let you mother and son recognize each other again. Are you still afraid that I will take your son alone?”
“You know I don’t mean that.”
Lockie’s brisk voice came, “Then don’t tell me anything that will bring trouble or not, just because of your father’s relationship with my father and your relationship with me. At this time, I came forward to recognize Romeo, and there is nothing wrong with it.”
“Lockie, I…”
“Don’t talk back, this is my dad’s opinion, my dad said that after all, the child was born in October, and we must ask for your consent. If you disagree, our friendship will be ruined also. Make a choice.”
I struggled and didn’t say anything.
Lockie continued, “If you don’t talk, then I will take it as your consent. I tell you that Romeo’s stay with Echo is definitely not a long-term solution. Instead, it is safe and worry-free in my home. There are many people taking care of this young master at home. You can rest assured that I will definitely not bring him bad.”
He said, not giving me a chance to speak. “It’s settled. I’ll discuss the details with my dad. You have a rest.” Say that finish, hang up the phone directly.
I sat on the bed, picked up the pillow, and my heart was full of agony and chaos.
In the evening, Cheney stayed at my house again for dinner. While we eat, he asks a question, “Have you seen the news? Your good buddy is in trouble.”
I swallowed the noodles, and I don’t know if he saw Romeo’s picture. Maybe if he saw Romeo, perhaps he didn’t doubt anything, or did he?
“That’s nothing.”
“Oh, everything he hid came out. In the past, I thought that he was better than Rashad. Now it seems that Rashad was better than him.”
When he mentioned Rashad, I think of Rashad’s faux pas that night.
“Don’t compare him especially, Rashad,” I said, disgruntled.
Cheney said, “That child must be six or seven years old.”
I looked at him. “It’s not that big.”
“It seems that you know each other.” Cheney laughed.
I’m guilty. “Cheney, I’m not fooling you. I just judged it casually according to the child’s height. I didn’t mean to give you the wrong information, but you are quick-mouthed.”
The more I talk to, the more mistakes. If I don’t pick him up, I just bow my head and continue to eat.
Cheney said, “All these years, you only have contact with Lockie, and now he has been exposed to such a piece of controversial news. When I think of the child who called you before, I dare to guess that the child is not Romeo’s son who is very daring.”
I looked up at him. He shows a wide smile, “It seems my guess is correct, no wonder that boy is so arrogant, it turned out to be Lockie’s child.”
I still choose to keep silent. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to answer these questions.
“Looking at Lockie playing with his son, I think he might be a good father,” Cheney said.
When I heard him say this, my eyebrows turned slightly, and I asked through this topic, “Lockie likes children very much.”
“No wonder.”
“What about you? Do you like children?”
“I don’t like it, it’s too noisy.”
I hung my eyes, didn’t say anything more and continued to eat noodles. After eating, I cleaned the bowl and went back to my room.
Cheney is lying on the sofa, watching TV, and said, “Lockie is a very responsible boy. He came forward and admitted that the child was his.”
I stepped aside, picked up my mobile phone, and read the news. After a few seconds, Cheney said with the mentality of theatrics, “Now, the shares of the Irwin group can be lively.”
I looked at him, “If you have children, can you link the shares?”
“The point is, the child is an illegitimate child, the existence of it means that the heir’s conduct is not good enough. Nowadays, investors are very cautious, not to mention having an illegitimate child. That may be a problem, and they dare not let people know casually. Therefore, the boss of every enterprise will have his own private investigator. You know, if a person loses, it is not just himself.”
I feel sad in my heart. I have brought trouble to the Irwin family. Cheney glanced at me and added, “But you don’t have to worry too much. Kingston’s method won’t let the Irwin group fall. After all, Kingston is not old.”
Without saying anything, I turned and went back to my parents’ bedroom. While walking, Cheney followed. “Shall we sleep here tonight?”‘
I looked at him and said with a serious expression, “Cheney, I want to rest alone tonight. Go to the next room and sleep.”
He came in, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at me. “You are fine this morning. What happened? Who annoyed you?”
“No one annoys me, I just want to think about something quietly by myself.”
He got up and said, “Then you have a good rest.”
It is surprising that Cheney just left. I lay in bed, edited the text message for Lockie, deleted it, edited it again, deleted it again.
For the first time, I felt that the word “thank you” was so pale. In the end, I still didn’t send this text message.
I don’t think these two words are what Lockie wants to see. I want to thank him for his kindness. Lockie and I still have a long way to go in friendship. There is always a chance for me to repay his kindness.
The next day, Lockie sent someone to bring Romeo back from Echo. Perhaps because of the announcement of the relationship, Lockie took Romeo to City A in a very high-profile way for several days. In Lockie’s words, he wants to make everyone felt a normal situation. The Irwin Group’s shares were indeed affected, but within a few days, it was restored.