I Can't Bear to Let Go

"I've thought it through! I'm not afraid of hardship, not afraid of exhaustion. I will press forward, fearless!" Leonard Yuan looked at his father, his determined eyes meeting his father's gaze.

Arthur Evans looked into the boy's fearless and honest eyes. He had a thousand things to say, but they were all stuck in his chest, unable to come out. After a long moment, Arthur sighed, stood up, and turned his back to Leonard.

Su Li's gaze followed Fourth Uncle, and in that instant, she felt as if he had suddenly aged ten years.

After a long while, Arthur Evans let out a deep breath and said, "My son is grown now, he has his own ideas. If you insist on going, then go. Don't worry about matters at home—your mother, your sister, and I will be fine. Just focus on your studies over there. Come back in a few years and show me all you've learned."

Hearing this, Leonard's face lit up with joy. He kowtowed to his father and said, "Thank you, Dad! I won’t let you down!"

"Arthur, how could you just agree! It's so dangerous—how can you let Leonard do something like this?" Mrs. Charlotte Evans was shocked, clutching Arthur Evans's sleeve and crying.

"Oh, it’s not that dangerous, really. Look at Edward—he’s sailed the fleet back and forth several times, and nothing’s ever happened to him, right? Those cargo ships are huge. Even if they hit a storm at sea, they won’t sink." Arthur Evans sighed, patting Mrs. Charlotte Evans’s shoulder. "Don’t cry, the children are watching."

But Mrs. Charlotte Evans couldn’t stop her tears. She pounded on Arthur Evans’s chest a few times, sobbing, "You’re so cruel! You’re his real father—how can you be so heartless!"

Arthur Evans let her hit him and said, "Charlotte, Leonard is my own son. How could I not care for him? He has ambition, and that’s a good thing. As parents, we shouldn’t let our selfishness keep him locked by our side. We should support him in chasing his dreams and be his strongest backing. We all heard what Leonard said—he cares for the people, for the world. He’s bound to achieve great things, leave his mark on history. Your son will become an extraordinary man. As his mother, you should be proud of him."

Mrs. Charlotte Evans still sobbed, wiping her tears. "I understand everything you said. But I just can’t bear to part with him. Leonard is a piece of my flesh—how could I let him risk his life and suffer?"

Seeing Mrs. Charlotte Evans crying so sadly, Su Li quickly shot Leonard a look.

Leonard understood and hurried to his mother's side, acting cute: "Mom, I'm not going there to suffer! There are already lots of our people in France, we've bought our own house and yard, found our own teachers. Sis has been running things over there for years—everything's ready and waiting! Besides, life over there is way better than here, it's not some wild place. I heard they have cars that move without horses, and you can ride machines that fly in the sky like birds!"

As Leonard spoke, he spread his arms wide like wings, mimicking a bird flying, and circled around Mrs. Charlotte Evans: "Look, Mom, maybe that's how those machines fly! See how big these wings are, flapping away!"

Leonard ran ahead, and his little brother, finding it funny and curious, toddled after him, imitating Leonard and pretending to be a bird too.

Mrs. Charlotte Evans looked at her two sons' silly antics and couldn't help but laugh through her tears. She said, "You rascal, always sweet-talking to coax your mother. Of course I'm worried about you, you heartless boy."

Leonard grinned, stopped, picked up his little brother, and snuggled up to Mrs. Charlotte Evans with him. "Mom, don't worry, I'll only be gone two or three years at most. It'll go by in a flash. Please say yes!"