165: No sense of humor

No sense of humor

Dominic and Sebastian easily accepted Heaven's change, giving her a chance to mend their crumbling home. Although there were days Dominic doubted her intentions, he eventually convinced himself his wife had changed just like that.2

He believed that was normal, and it happened to a lot of people. 

However, for others, it wasn't that easy.

The servants in the Zhu Mansion had a hard time believing the changes in the manor. It was almost overnight, after all. What more if someone close to Dominic and cared a lot about Sebastian sees Heaven's change? For example, Axel. It would be a hard pill to swallow.

"What in the world?" Axel scrunched up his nose, watching Heaven and his nephew chat in the dining. "Bro, who in the world is that?"

He gasped in disbelief, turning his head to Dominic. Axel and Dominic were currently on the balcony, which was connected to the dining area. In the morning that Sebastian dragged his uncle to the lobby to wait for his mother, Axel had a terrible expectation of how it would turn out. Considering how unaffectionate Heaven was, he had expected the worst.

The reality was different, though. 

"Axel, watch your mouth. That's your sister-in-law." Dominic just cast his brother a side-eye, holding the phone in his ear.

"Sister-in-law, hah!" Axel scoffed, but then Dominic raised a hand as a gesture to shut up as he started talking on the phone. 

"The heck?" Axel turned his head back to the dining, darting his eyes between Heaven and Sebastian, mumbling. "Goodness. She's giving me goosebumps. Wasn't she stabbed? I didn't hear that she bump her head or something."

The last time Axel saw Heaven, she spewed a lot of nonsense to which he didn't pay any heed. But seeing how she was treating Sebastian, everything she said resurfaced in his head. Still, he didn't want to believe it. 

He arched a brow, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "A leopard doesn't change its spot," he muttered to himself, humming as he cast Dominic a look. 

His brother was busy, which wasn't new to Axel. The brothers could be hanging out, but Dominic would be doing his work in between. Axel was already used to it and he knew his brother would surely spend at least half an hour to settle what needed to be settled. 

'This is not good!' Axel jumped from his seat while Dominic didn't pay him attention. He marched back to the dining to quench his curiosity. 'Basti could've poisoned his mother and cloned her — who knows?'

Heaven and Sebastian were chatting happily when they heard Axel's voice, turning their head to the balcony where he came from. 

"Hey," called Axel as soon as he stepped foot inside the dining. He dragged one of the chairs near Sebastian, plopping his butt down comfortably. "What are you guys talking about so happily?"

The smile on Sebastian's face instantly disappeared, looking at his uncle with disinterest. "Something that is none of your concern."

"Eh… don't be like that." Axel's face twitched, but he took his nephew's answer quite well. He was used to Sebastian just like how he was used to Dominic's personality. 

"We're talking about dinosaurs." Heaven flashed Axel a smile. "Do you know why the T-Rex had gone extinct?"

"Huh?"

"Because they can't perform CPR."

"…" Axel just stared at Heaven, keeping a straight face. "Is that a joke?"

"See? That's why I told you it's none of your concern." Sebastian sighed while shaking his head, setting his attention on his mother. "Uncle doesn't have a good sense of humor, mommy. He will not appreciate such a hilarious joke."

Heaven giggled as she moved closer to her son, patting his head mildly. "It's okay, baby. But you don't have to say it like that because you might hurt your uncle's feelings."

"I don't think he has feelings."

"Basti, how can you say that?" Heaven chuckled, gesturing for him to finish his snacks. "Anyway, how was the homework I helped you with?"

"I got a perfect mark."

"Really?!"

"Yes. Though I have another one."

"Should I help you again?"

"Yes." 

Sebastian and Heaven moved on with their topic, conversing like a normal mother and child. Meanwhile, Axel, who attempted to investigate, was ignored completely. 

"We had an activity where we have to write who was our favorite person in the world. I wrote mommy as my favorite person in the world," Sebastian shared, warranting an 'aww' from his mother. "And then we have to write who was our least favorite, and I wrote Uncle."

"Hey, I'm still here and I can hear you." Axel frowned, clicking his tongue. "That's unfair. Shouldn't I be your favorite person?"

Heaven and Sebastian turned their heads in Axel's direction as the latter argued. "I'm your coolest and most handsome uncle, after all! How can I fall to your least favorite?"

"You're my only uncle." Sebastian blinked. 

Axel's face twitched while Heaven purse her lips to hold her chuckle. She looked away when Axel glared at her, clearing her throat as she snatched Sebastian's attention. 

"At least your uncle is still on your favorite list." Heaven grinned. "Anyway, you should finish your snack. I'll help you with your homework after."

"Alright."

As the mother and son ignored Axel once again, the latter grumpily crossed his arms. He watched his nephew and sister-in-law, but his attention dwelled on Heaven more. Narrowing his eyes, Axel was almost deceived, as if Heaven was always like this.

'It doesn't seem like she injured her head,' he told himself, assessing Heaven's head to see if she had any scar on her forehead. 'I don't believe her and I'm sure my brother wouldn't fall to her tricks so easily. For sure, my big brother is just going with the flow for Basti's sake.'

Axel mentally nodded, convinced at his conclusion. After all, Dominic was always like that. He would endure his wife's insufferable existence for the sake of their son and to give Sebastian a complete family. 

"Basti, don't tire your mother too much. She still needs rest." Just then, Dominic's voice echoed in the dining. When Axel looked up, all he saw was Dominic closing the sliding door of the balcony as he went inside.

"Darling, do you know why T-Rex had gone extinct?" As Dominic dragged the seat across from Heaven and Sebastian, Heaven repeated the joke.

"Because of a comet fragment?"

"Ehh… no." Heaven giggled while Dominic arched a brow. "Because they can't perform CPR!"

"The heck?" Axel scoffed. "As if my big brother…"

Axel's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when the corner of his brother's lips curled up, saying, "That's hilarious."

"Uncle said it wasn't funny."

"Don't mind him." Dominic cast Axel a side-eye. "He doesn't have a sense of humor, after all."

"That's what I said, but I think he's still in the denial stage." Sebastian nodded, rendering Axel speechless.

"…"

Of all the people who could say that to Axel, he couldn't believe Dominic and Sebastian had the nerve to say that!

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