UNCLTRD chapter 46

On their third return to the snowmobile, Yang Shao finally admitted defeat. He was lost.

Huddled together on the snowmobile, Yang Shao joked, “Son, you’ve really gained weight. I can barely carry you anymore.”

The harsh environment weighed heavily on Yang Shao. If not for Yang Tao, he might have succumbed to despair.

“Daddy, are we… not going to make it back?”

Yang Shao’s heart sank. Holding Yang Tao tighter, he tried to banish the fear clawing at him.

Through tears, Yang Tao’s voice choked, “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t wanted to get the scarf, we wouldn’t be lost…”

“It’s not your fault.” Yang Shao had just tucked a few pieces of candy into his pocket. He pulled one out, unwrapped it, unzipped his jacket, and popped it into Yang Tao’s mouth. “Let this be a lesson—don’t be so careless in the future.”

The chocolate was bittersweet with a touch of sweetness. Yang Tao rubbed his tears against his dad’s chest, pursing his lips in silence.

His dad gave him the scarf—his dad must be cold too. Yang Tao squirmed in Yang Shao’s arms, trying to take off the scarf and return it.

“What are you doing?”

Yang Tao tilted his head up. “Daddy, you wear the scarf.”

“Me holding you is enough. Aren’t you like a little heater?”

Yang Tao remained insistent, clearly feeling guilty and wanting to make up for it. Yang Shao could only accept his son’s gesture of kindness to make him feel better.

The scarf ended up draped over Yang Shao’s head. He claimed it was to block the wind, though it wasn’t very effective. The dangling ends covered Yang Tao’s head, making him slightly warmer while nestled inside the down jacket.

For now, Yang Shao decided against wandering aimlessly while holding Yang Tao—it was too exhausting. He also didn’t want Yang Tao to overthink, so he thought of talking to distract him.

“Yang Tao.” But after calling his name, Yang Shao wasn’t sure what to say. Words felt feeble and insignificant against the harsh snowstorm, unable to dispel the fear brought by the cold.

Yang Tao peeked out from under the scarf, looking up at his dad with big, expectant eyes. After a moment, he asked, “Will Uncle Chen come to find us?”

Yang Shao paused. Chen Qiusu didn’t even know where they had gone or what they were doing. Venturing out in such heavy snow to search for someone was risky in itself.

Thinking of Chen Qiusu, some words suddenly came to Yang Shao’s mind—what if there wasn’t another chance to say them? Though the thought wasn’t optimistic, the current situation indeed seemed grim.

“Yang Tao, I want to tell you a secret. I haven’t told anyone before; you’re the first to know, not even Uncle Chen.”

Yang Tao blinked, his curiosity piqued. “What is it?”

“Well, about Uncle Chen…” Yang Shao licked his lips and coughed lightly. “Uncle Chen… he’s also your real father.”

Yang Tao stared blankly, not quite understanding what his dad meant. Yang Shao coughed a couple more times. His limited vocabulary made it hard to explain this in a way that was tactful, vivid, and easy for Yang Tao to understand.

“You see… just like how other kids have two dads or two moms, or a mom and a dad—you also have an alpha dad.”

The curious child lowered his gaze, deep in thought. Yang Shao was nervous about revealing this. It was a challenge to a young child’s ability to accept such news.

Yang Tao had grown up in a single-parent family, accustomed to life with just one beta dad. He had spent a long time coming to terms with having only one parent. Even after Chen Qiusu entered their lives, it had been framed as “helping Uncle Chen,” not as adding a second dad. How could Yang Tao suddenly accept having an alpha father?

“But before, you told me you and Uncle Chen had a fake marriage,” Yang Tao said, not fully understanding what “fake marriage” meant but knowing it wasn’t real.

Yang Shao sighed inwardly. “Because at that time, I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Then why aren’t you like other dads? Why didn’t you live together before?”

Some things couldn’t be fully explained to a child—adults always had their reasons.

“Well, when I and he first met, we didn’t exactly… let’s just say we had a lot of differences and couldn’t be together.”

How big were those differences? Was it the kind that couldn’t be resolved even after apologizing?

“Are you going to be together now?”

They weren’t even sure if they’d make it back alive—how could they think about being together? Yang Shao pursed his lips, avoiding the question. Instead, he asked, “Does he treat you well? Do you like him?”

Yang Tao nodded without hesitation. Yang Shao continued, “Now that you know he’s your father, do you dislike him?”

If this question had been asked before Yang Tao met Chen Qiusu, he might have said yes. He knew too little about having another parent and had spent years yearning for a complete family but facing an empty house after school.

But now, Chen Qiusu treated him so well—he was the best person in the world besides his dad. He even gave him grandparents and a great-grandmother.

……

A faint light cut through the mist, and the engine’s roar pierced the wind. The sound of a snowmobile echoed in the distance. Yang Shao felt like his brain had frozen; his heartbeat unconsciously synchronized with the engine’s rhythm. Holding Yang Tao tightly, he stood up abruptly, almost losing his balance from the sudden dizziness.

Yang Tao craned his neck. “Is it Dad?”

In this desolate mountain, the sound of the snowmobile was unmistakable. The snow kicked up by the vehicle seemed to reflect a bright light. Yang Shao’s heart leaped into his throat. He wanted to ask the same question: Is it Chen Qiusu? But his instincts told him it must be—it had to be. Holding Yang Tao, he took a few steps forward.

“Dad!” Yang Tao’s desperate cry sliced through the wind. The person on the snowmobile instinctively raised their head.

“Dad! Dad!”

Yang Tao struggled wildly. Yang Shao unzipped his jacket to let him out.

The snowmobile came to a halt beside them. The rider removed their helmet, their stern expression mixed with worry.

“Dad!”

Yang Tao reached out and leaped into Chen Qiusu’s arms, startling him into catching the boy.

When he learned the two were missing, Chen Qiusu immediately contacted the snowfield staff, who began searching right away. But he couldn’t just sit and wait—he had to find them himself. Throughout the journey, his heart was a storm of anxiety, anger, and fear.

Amid the endless white snow, it felt like no other colors existed. The creeping sense of despair threatened to swallow him whole—until he finally spotted the familiar snowmobile. He was furious—he was going to give Yang Shao a serious lecture!

But as soon as he held Yang Tao, his originally sharp gaze softened, and he firmly grasped Yang Shao’s wrist. Despite the thick clothes and the extremely cold temperature, he could still feel this person’s body warmth.

Chen Qiusu’s lips moved, wanting to say something, but he couldn’t find the words. Yang Shao felt a bit guilty under his gaze and silently called Chen Qiusu’s name in his mind.

“Dad! Wuwu…” Yang Tao’s heartbreaking cry pulled Chen Qiusu’s thoughts back. He was a little dazed. Was Yang Tao calling him?

“Dad! I knew you would come find us…”

Chen Qiusu was now sure that the “Dad” was indeed meant for him. He blinked in confusion, but Yang Shao didn’t explain anything, only telling Yang Tao, “Stop crying, or your face will freeze.”

Yang Tao quickly stopped crying, burying his face into Chen Qiusu’s chest.

Both of them were covered in snow, likely frozen. Even though Chen Qiusu had many doubts and was angry, he still prioritized their safety.

“Let’s go back first.”

He handed his helmet to Yang Shao, then put Yang Tao on the seat of the snowmobile and climbed onto the front himself.

Yang Shao paused for a moment with the helmet in his hand. Yang Tao urged him softly, and only then did he snap back to reality and follow.

The snowmobile hadn’t even started when Chen Qiusu’s vision blurred. Yang Shao had placed the helmet on his head. Just as he was about to turn around, two hands firmly wrapped around his waist. Yang Tao was lying on his back, and Yang Shao whispered into his shoulder, “Let’s go.”

By the time they arrived at the ski resort, it was already dark. Dozens of people were helping to search, and with so many people involved, Yang Shao felt guilty. He awkwardly followed Chen Qiusu and gave an apologetic smile to the staff.

After a brief check, neither of them had major injuries. Yang Shao’s face was frostbitten, and Yang Tao had frostbite on his bottom. Yang Shao breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit more confident, and looked up at Chen Qiusu.

Chen Qiusu kept a serious expression as he led them back to the room. “We’ll go back first thing tomorrow.”

Neither of them dared to complain. Yang Shao, rarely trying to please Chen Qiusu, awkwardly smiled and suggested, “You didn’t tell your parents, right? It’s not a big deal, so let’s not make them worry.”

“I already told them,” Chen Qiusu replied, his tone firm. “Contacted the staff, called the police, and informed the family. You two went missing. How could I hide such a big thing from them?”

“Ah?” Yang Shao dared not argue. After all, Yang Tao was the eldest grandson of the Chen family. How could they explain if something happened to him?

Chen Qiusu sighed heavily, trying to suppress his anger. “I just spoke to my dad on the phone and reassured him. The storm’s too severe tonight. We’ll head back early tomorrow, and get checked out again when we get to the city.”

There was no need to make a fuss about it. Both of them were fine. Frostbite was normal—winter frostbites were even worse than this.

Yang Shao only argued in his mind. He observed Chen Qiusu’s expression and tried to ease the tension with a dry laugh, “You’re not still mad, are you?”