Dad was about to talk about something Xu Qianli had been curious about for many years. Xu Qianli's ears perked up, and he waited attentively.
Finally, he would be able to understand the background of his parents—who they were, why they hadn't returned to Beijing for so many years, and why they had never taken him back to visit his grandparents. These mysteries were about to be unraveled.
There was a long silence before Xu Zhi said, "Your mother and I, we were never supposed to be together. And yet, against all odds, we fell for each other, couldn't resist being together, and then we had you. That's also why we had no home to return to."
Xu Qianli listened with total befuddlement.
"Dad, I don't understand what you're saying."
"What do you mean you and Mom weren't supposed to be together? Are you saying it was wrong for you to be together?"
"The two of you—one's a Xu, the other's a Chen. You're not siblings, so what's the issue?"
