“Really?!” Jiang Xinghuai quickly lifted his head, his eyes full of mischief.
——The grievance he had just shown was all an act.
Fu Yan knew he had been tricked, but helplessly looked at him without saying anything.
“Then it’s settled.” Jiang Xinghuai leaned in close, smiling radiantly.
Jiang Xinghuai’s eyes were big. When he tilted his head with that smile, he looked a little silly, like a big boy.
Watching him act silly, Fu Yan couldn’t hold back. After keeping his face tense for a while, he ended up smiling along too.
“Don’t just laugh.” Jiang Xinghuai nudged him with his elbow. “I really do want to go with Kang Cheng.”
“Better think it over again,” Fu Yan said.
“Don’t say that.” Jiang Xinghuai stuck close, clinging to him. “I’m really not going just to play. It’s not just a passing whim, I… I just feel that—”
“It’s really too dangerous.” Fu Yan restrained his smile, raised his hand to block the face that kept rubbing against his shoulder. “Eat first.”
Fu Yan’s attitude on this matter was unusually firm. Jiang Xinghuai’s usual tricks of acting spoiled and being playful were completely useless. Fu Yan sternly turned his face back toward the food: “We’ll find another time to discuss this.”
Jiang Xinghuai was already hungry anyway. With a huff, he decided to fight again later, lowered his head, ate two bites, then stopped.
The dishes weren’t good. It was all vegetarian, stir-fried in a big pot, some not fully cooked, and not much oil or flavor.
From the virus outbreak until now, when it came to food, Jiang Xinghuai hadn’t exactly been starving, but he’d certainly never had it this rough. At the very least, there had always been canned meat. However much he wanted, he could eat as much as he pleased.
He couldn’t get this food down.
Jiang Xinghuai cautiously sneaked a glance at Fu Yan, then quietly turned his head and took a bite of the beef jerky Kang Cheng had given him.
“If you don’t like it, then don’t eat it.” Fu Yan noticed but didn’t force him.
Jiang Xinghuai chuckled slyly.
“Wait until I’m done eating,” Fu Yan added. “There’s instant curry rice in the car. I’ll fix it for you when we get back.”
Jiang Xinghuai chuckled again, tilted his head, and slowly leaned toward Fu Yan…
“But curry rice is instant food. The nutrients are lost. Fresh vegetables are rich in vitamins,” Fu Yan suddenly said.
——Jiang Xinghuai froze.
Fu Yan spoke as he casually turned his head and glanced at him, giving him a once-over, and said, “Only with balanced nutrition can you grow taller.”
Jiang Xinghuai stiffened for a moment, then slowly sat up straight, rolling his eyes.
Damn it, he just knew.
Old fox.
“Eat.” This time, it was Fu Yan who smiled, patting Jiang Xinghuai’s head.
“Yesterday we still had drumsticks, today there isn’t even minced meat.” Jiang Xinghuai muttered, tearing half of the beef jerky and dropping it onto Fu Yan’s plate. He lifted his head and looked around the huge cafeteria, letting out a sorrowful sigh. “How many people must be here? If we keep eating like this, can the army really supply enough?”
“Not including the soldiers, there are fifty thousand civilians left,” Fu Yan said.
“So many?” Jiang Xinghuai was surprised.
“Many?” Fu Yan smiled. “Before the virus outbreak, the total population of the region this base is responsible for was over three million. A few weeks have passed. The survival rate of humans trapped in the city keeps dropping, while rescue operations are becoming harder and harder. Up to today, only fifty thousand surviving civilians have been rescued in total. Do you still think that number is many?”
Jiang Xinghuai was stunned.
“But don’t worry about the food problem. For now, food reserves are sufficient. It’s just that from now on, there won’t be much chance to eat fresh vegetables.” Fu Yan added.
Jiang Xinghuai swallowed the beef in his mouth. He stretched out his hand shakily, picked up a piece of green vegetable, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Still awful… how did Fu Yan even eat this…
As Jiang Xinghuai kept eating, the tip of his nose suddenly twitched.
“Do you smell that?” Jiang Xinghuai asked.
Fu Yan lifted his head, followed the scent in one direction, and immediately frowned.
“Damn.” Jiang Xinghuai also saw the situation ahead. He swallowed down the tasteless vegetable in his mouth and said unhappily, “Why the hell do they get to eat meat?”
It was a group of a dozen middle-aged men who had just come out of a special serving window. Each one was dressed in suits, arrogant and puffed up, with shiny bald heads and big, round bellies.
What drew the most attention were the trays in their hands.
They were piled full of meat. The waves of aroma drifting over made everyone crane their necks and sniff the air, trying to find the source.
After glancing a few times, Jiang Xinghuai understood. This was fucking the privileged class.
He lowered his voice and leaned close to Fu Yan: “Don’t scientists and their families get special supplies?”
“What family?” Fu Yan, unhurried and at ease, tilted his head to look at him.
“Dad,” Jiang Xinghuai called him.
“…………” Fu Yan said, “Eat.”
“The meat’s getting closer and closer to us.” Jiang Xinghuai looked over enviously. “It smells so good.”
Fu Yan smiled and patted his head. “Come on, I’ll open a can of meat for you.”
“Two.” Jiang Xinghuai stood up.
“Alright.” Fu Yan took his hand and led him forward.
The cafeteria doors were up ahead. The passage between the rows of dining tables wasn’t wide, only about enough for three people to walk side by side.
So when that group of middle-aged, beer-bellied men walked toward them from the front, Jiang Xinghuai and Fu Yan deliberately stepped aside.
But the bald man leading them acted as if he hadn’t seen the two at all, holding his tray and walking straight toward them.
Jiang Xinghuai felt a sudden tightness at his shoulder. In an instant, Fu Yan pulled him into his arms with one hand.
Jiang Xinghuai wasn’t hit by the tray, but the meat and soup splashed all over the ground, splattering his pant leg.
“Ah, sorry, my hand slipped.” The bald man said the words, but there wasn’t the slightest look of apology on his face. When he saw that the one he had bumped was just a kid, his expression immediately showed faint impatience. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you see us coming? Don’t you know to stay out of the way?”
Jiang Xinghuai had already been startled. However, after hearing this, he immediately became angry.
After standing straight, he glanced at the meat on the ground, then frowned as he looked at the distance between them and the bald man: “Funny, I think you did it on purpose.”
“Kid, what do you mean by that? The corridor’s only this wide. Isn’t bumping and squeezing normal? Besides, I already apologized.” The bald man felt his face had been stepped on, his expression darkening. “I haven’t even asked you to pay for my meat, and yet you’re the one biting back first. Do you even know who you’re talking to?”
Jiang Xinghuai laughed when he heard that, raising his middle finger: “Sorry, I don’t give a damn who you are.”
“Hey!” The bald man grew furious, stepping forward—
Jiang Xinghuai rolled up his sleeves—
Fu Yan reached out to shield him, pulling him back—
The next second.
“Xing Xing.” A deep, heavy male voice sounded from behind the bald man.
Jiang Xinghuai froze abruptly, the hand he had raised stiffening in midair.
Fu Yan’s brows knitted sharply, instantly realizing who this man was.
The bald man also turned back in surprise, asking, “President Jiang, you know him?”
The crowd parted. Standing in the middle was Jiang Liangyuan.
Fu Yan looked over and, at first glance, confirmed it immediately.
Jiang Xinghuai probably resembled his mother in most features, but his eyes were very much like his father’s.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Jiang Liangyuan called his name again.
Because Jiang Xinghuai didn’t move at all, or rather, he didn’t even glance in that direction.
Fu Yan unobtrusively stepped half a pace forward and held Jiang Xinghuai’s slightly trembling hand.
“President Jiang, this is your son?” the bald man asked again, then gave an awkward laugh. “Truly didn’t recognize one’s own family. This must be Xing Xing, right? Uncle really didn’t do it on purpose just now. I’m very sorry.”
Jiang Xinghuai still didn’t speak.
From the moment Jiang Liangyuan’s voice had sounded until now, he hadn’t made any reaction other than stiffening.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Jiang Liangyuan took a few steps forward, frowned, and reached out, wanting to pull him.
Only then did Jiang Xinghuai snap out of his stiffness, hurriedly taking a step back to hide behind Fu Yan.
Jiang Liangyuan froze, but quickly came to his senses and looked toward Fu Yan: “Who are you?”
Fu Yan ignored him. He turned back, lowered his head, cupped Jiang Xinghuai’s face in his hands: “Jiang Xinghuai.”
“…Mm.” Jiang Xinghuai looked at him, eyes filled with confusion.
It was all too sudden.
Fu Yan let out a very soft sigh.
“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.” He locked his gaze on him and repeated it.
In truth, ever since coming to this base, back in the tent at the temporary camp when he had heard Jiang Liangyuan’s voice, Jiang Xinghuai already knew that one day, he and Jiang Liangyuan would meet.
But he hadn’t thought it would be this soon.
He himself couldn’t make sense of it. Obviously, Jiang Liangyuan had left him at home. Yet, it was he who didn’t dare to face Jiang Liangyuan.
But in that instant, Jiang Xinghuai suddenly understood why.
He simply didn’t want the tiny bit of hope left in his heart for Jiang Liangyuan to be extinguished.
Jiang Xinghuai slowly lifted his head, his hand unconsciously clutching Fu Yan’s arm. When Jiang Liangyuan’s face entered his view, he suddenly felt dazed.
This was the first time in months he’d seen his father. He even felt the man before him had become a stranger.
“How did you come over here? Weren’t you with your godfather?” Jiang Liangyuan frowned, looking at him. “I told you to stay at home, not to go out. Didn’t Zhu Gaofei come look for you?”
Those words were nothing new.
Jiang Xinghuai quickly recalled how Jiang Liangyuan always treated him. But this wasn’t home, and with Fu Yan at his side, he couldn’t shout back.
That would be too humiliating.
He took a deep breath and managed to speak calmly, “My godfather is at home. I told him and then came over here.”
“Who did you come with? That so-called boyfriend of yours?” Jiang Liangyuan said, disgust appearing on his face. “Why are you so disobedient? I—”
“Obey, obey, obey you?” Jiang Xinghuai suddenly snapped. He stepped forward, his eyes full of stubbornness, and, like a little leopard whose tail had been yanked, let out a roar, “Obey you and stay at home to wait to die?!”
“Jiang Xinghuai!” Jiang Liangyuan shouted.
Jiang Xinghuai tilted his head slightly, his ears ringing.
Fu Yan furrowed his brows. He wrapped an arm around Jiang Xinghuai’s waist and pulled him back, putting distance between the two.
“Your aunt and An’an—one woman, one child—they only have me!” Jiang Liangyuan, however, stepped forward a few paces, eyes wide as he roared in anger. “You’re already 17. Can’t you be sensible? Can’t you learn to understand others?”
Fu Yan’s expression also darkened. He was just about to say something when Jiang Xinghuai suddenly spoke.
“My birthday is June 1st.” Jiang Xinghuai sounded as though he had calmed down, his voice even.
Jiang Liangyuan froze. Fu Yan also turned his head in surprise to look at him.
Jiang Xinghuai stepped out from behind Fu Yan, looked straight at Jiang Liangyuan, with no more avoidance or fear in his eyes, and repeated: “My birthday is June 1st.”
“What?” Jiang Liangyuan was clearly thrown off, his mind disrupted by the sudden subject.
“I’m already 18.” Jiang Xinghuai added.
“What do you mean?” Jiang Liangyuan’s brows furrowed tightly.
“When I was young, maybe I needed a father.” Jiang Xinghuai spoke slowly, word by word. “But now I’ve grown up. I don’t need you anymore.”
Jiang Liangyuan stared at him wide-eyed, stunned, not knowing what to think.
“Let’s go.” Jiang Xinghuai said to Fu Yan.
Fu Yan held his hand with one of his own and said nothing. With his other arm wrapped around Jiang Xinghuai’s shoulders, shielding him in his embrace, he led him away.
Jiang Liangyuan finally noticed something was wrong between the two of them. Frowning at Fu Yan’s back, he asked: “Who are you?”
Jiang Xinghuai’s steps only paused for a moment before he continued walking forward.
“Who is he!” Jiang Liangyuan realized something, his eyes locking on their joined hands. Overcome with fury, he rushed forward to block their path.
“Oh, let me introduce him,” Jiang Xinghuai said. “This is my new dad.”
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