Their service car parked right on the covered front porch. The large oak double door is widely open as men in black roam about the very vast front lawn. His guard opens the door for him, but he feels too lazy to move out of the car. The sight of his mother standing near the door, he finally moves out.

“Baby, are you alright?” his mother hugged him close. He missed this kind of setting.

“I am fine Mom. I’ll just go and talk to Dad,” he said, parting from the gesture.

“He is in his study room. Don’t mind his words baby, he is just scared that something might happen to you,” his Mother lets him go as he follows his Father’s secretary to the study room.

The house is very big complete with many rooms and furniture and everything. One might get lost inside but then he had been in this place for almost five years now, so he knows where to go and where to leave.

The male secretary opened the door for him as he moves to get inside. The door closed with a soft click.

His Dad is sitting behind a large table surrounded by stacks of paper. The wrinkles are already visible in his face and even the white hairs on his head. He looked years older than his actual age in Tao’s eyes.

“Sit,” his Dad’s clipped voice made him move quickly to get to the leather seat opposite the table.

“Explain.”

He suddenly became conscious of his Dad’s inspecting eyes looking over his glasses. He had placed down his pen and folded his arms, leaning on the large swivel chair.

“She is not my girlfriend,” Tao started, his voice shaking a bit.

“Then who is she?”

“My tutor,” came his short reply.

“Tutor? Am I hearing this right?” his Dad leaned forward, “Since when do you need a tutor?”

“Dad, you have been too busy to even notice my academic needs. It is not because I am the president’s I am already that well equipped in all aspects. You had been so busy that you barely had time to even check on me if I am doing fine or not. Do you even know that I have problems dealing with my Math subject?” he was not able to hold it back as he looks at his passive father.

“Is that what you’re friends taught you? To answer back and raise your voice?”

Tao was silent and the next words his father said made him regret ever being their son.

“I will confiscate your unit and double the security. You will go home right after your class, no going out even during your free time. Every move you will make will be monitored and reported accordingly so don’t think of doing anything like that. You should know that your father is the President and that every move you make reflects to me, no matter how little. You should bear that in mind,” then he dismissed him with a wave of his hand as Tao stands up to leave and get to his room upstairs. He was just thankful that his phone was not part of the confiscated things.

He was visited by his mother when it was thirty minutes before his class but he asked to be excused, feeling so drained and helpless.

There was an e-mail on his computer as it tings. He stood up and lazily opened it. It was from Jia,

From: Jia

Subject: Let’s have a chat

To : Tao

Message:

                Hey! Open up your cam! Let’s have a chat (^-^)

 

A smile appeared on his lips as he opens up his webcam and the chat room. There goes Jia, all smiles but frowns when she sees him.

“You look like you had been scolded,” she said, looking so worried.

“Big time and to top it all up, I am back at the palace,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“I can see that. Why?” she asked.

The image of him and Fei on that bubble tea shop crossed his mind but the nagging voice of his father obliterated the picture in one sweep.

“It’s just about my problem with Math,” he sighed in defeat.

“I know it is not just about Math,” she said.

He looked down, “When will you come back?” he asked without looking up.

“You’re making this hard. Stop that drama, I don’t want to cry again,” she replied but then she is already crying.

That was enough to push him to shed tears as well.

“I just miss you so much that it hurts,” he sobbed.

Their service car parked right on the covered front porch. The large oak double door is widely open as men in black roam about the very vast front lawn. His guard opens the door for him, but he feels too lazy to move out of the car. The sight of his mother standing near the door, he finally moves out.

“Baby, are you alright?” his mother hugged him close. He missed this kind of setting.

“I am fine Mom. I’ll just go and talk to Dad,” he said, parting from the gesture.

“He is in his study room. Don’t mind his words baby, he is just scared that something might happen to you,” his Mother lets him go as he follows his Father’s secretary to the study room.

The house is very big complete with many rooms and furniture and everything. One might get lost inside but then he had been in this place for almost five years now, so he knows where to go and where to leave.

The male secretary opened the door for him as he moves to get inside. The door closed with a soft click.

His Dad is sitting behind a large table surrounded by stacks of paper. The wrinkles are already visible in his face and even the white hairs on his head. He looked years older than his actual age in Tao’s eyes.

“Sit,” his Dad’s clipped voice made him move quickly to get to the leather seat opposite the table.

“Explain.”

He suddenly became conscious of his Dad’s inspecting eyes looking over his glasses. He had placed down his pen and folded his arms, leaning on the large swivel chair.

“She is not my girlfriend,” Tao started, his voice shaking a bit.

“Then who is she?”

“My tutor,” came his short reply.

“Tutor? Am I hearing this right?” his Dad leaned forward, “Since when do you need a tutor?”

“Dad, you have been too busy to even notice my academic needs. It is not because I am the president’s I am already that well equipped in all aspects. You had been so busy that you barely had time to even check on me if I am doing fine or not. Do you even know that I have problems dealing with my Math subject?” he was not able to hold it back as he looks at his passive father.

“Is that what you’re friends taught you? To answer back and raise your voice?”

Tao was silent and the next words his father said made him regret ever being their son.

“I will confiscate your unit and double the security. You will go home right after your class, no going out even during your free time. Every move you will make will be monitored and reported accordingly so don’t think of doing anything like that. You should know that your father is the President and that every move you make reflects to me, no matter how little. You should bear that in mind,” then he dismissed him with a wave of his hand as Tao stands up to leave and get to his room upstairs. He was just thankful that his phone was not part of the confiscated things.

He was visited by his mother when it was thirty minutes before his class but he asked to be excused, feeling so drained and helpless.

There was an e-mail on his computer as it tings. He stood up and lazily opened it. It was from Jia,

From: Jia

Subject: Let’s have a chat

To : Tao

Message:

                Hey! Open up your cam! Let’s have a chat (^-^)

 

A smile appeared on his lips as he opens up his webcam and the chat room. There goes Jia, all smiles but frowns when she sees him.

“You look like you had been scolded,” she said, looking so worried.

“Big time and to top it all up, I am back at the palace,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“I can see that. Why?” she asked.

The image of him and Fei on that bubble tea shop crossed his mind but the nagging voice of his father obliterated the picture in one sweep.

“It’s just about my problem with Math,” he sighed in defeat.

“I know it is not just about Math,” she said.

He looked down, “When will you come back?” he asked without looking up.

“You’re making this hard. Stop that drama, I don’t want to cry again,” she replied but then she is already crying.

That was enough to push him to shed tears as well.

“I just miss you so much that it hurts,” he sobbed.