The time for Yang Shao’s arm follow-up had arrived, coinciding with Yang Tao’s school break. Although Yang Tao hated hospitals and was terrified of the smell of disinfectant, he mustered his courage to accompany his dad.
Even though it was Yang Shao seeing the doctor, Yang Tao was more nervous, hiding behind his dad with a wary look at the doctor, even though he couldn’t understand a word of their conversation.
The little boy’s intense gaze eventually caught the doctor’s attention. Amused by Yang Tao’s cuteness, the doctor tried to lighten the mood, reaching out toward him.
“Come here. Uncle will check your arm too.”
Yang Tao shuddered, urging his dad to leave quickly. Only after stepping out of the hospital and breathing fresh air did Yang Tao feel alive again.
Seeing Yang Tao trembling, Yang Shao teased, “So scared of hospitals, as if they’d eat you.”
Who wouldn’t find hospitals intimidating? All Yang Tao knew was that every time he went for a vaccination, the nurses and doctors at the health center holding syringes looked terrifying.
Yang Tao stood on tiptoes and lightly touched Yang Shao’s arm. “Daddy, is your arm better now?”
“Not yet.” If it healed this quickly, he wouldn’t have to worry so much about money.
The father and son took the bus home, habitually getting off near the commercial street. Yang Shao thought of finding a small noodle shop nearby to grab a quick meal when Yang Tao suddenly pulled out a lottery ticket from his pocket.
“Daddy, did our lottery ticket win?”
Yang Shao had completely forgotten about it. He hadn’t expected Yang Tao to carry the ticket around with him. The lottery shop was just ahead, and the draw date seemed to have been yesterday.
“Let’s go check it out.”
A sign outside the lottery shop advertised someone winning a 500,000-yuan jackpot. When would such luck ever come their way?
Just as they were about to enter, Yang Shao’s phone rang. He told Yang Tao to wait while he answered a call from his aunt.
“Yang Shao, are you busy?”
The recent upheaval caused by Chen Qiusu had left Yang Shao feeling restless, and he had forgotten to call home to check in. Half his life had passed, and he felt like he had failed both his elders and his child. He hadn’t achieved anything and felt utterly useless.
“No, is uncle’s back any better?”
“The same as before. When you’re old, it’s hard to recover from aches and pains,” she sighed. “Your younger cousin wants to buy some kind of study device. Your uncle and I don’t understand that stuff. He could buy it himself, but I’m worried he’ll get cheated. And I don’t have time to go into town to help him, since I have to care for your uncle.”
His younger cousin was much younger than him and attended high school in the county. He was more capable, with consistently good grades, and was always well-behaved.
Yang Shao replied, “I’ll buy it. Don’t worry about it. Once I get it, I’ll mail it to his school.”
After hanging up, Yang Shao stood there in the wind. He had said he’d send his uncle some money, but he still hadn’t. It wasn’t that he forgot—it was because he simply didn’t have any to spare. He was just dragging it out as long as he could.
“Daddy! We won!” Yang Tao had slipped into the lottery shop without him noticing and handed the ticket to the owner.
The owner checked the numbers. “Oh, it’s a winner.”
Yang Shao glanced at the advertisement next to him, feeling a bit stunned, before hearing Yang Tao excitedly exclaim, “We won 100 yuan!”
Yang Shao froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. Of course. If money came so easily, the world would have far fewer troubles.
The lottery shop owner exchanged the small prize on the spot. Yang Tao, thinking 100 yuan was a lot, held his dad’s hand and skipped along joyfully.
“Daddy, isn’t my luck amazing?”
Being a child is great—so easily satisfied, and a little reward can make them happy all day.
Yang Shao, slightly infected by Yang Tao’s cheer, said, “Yes, 100 yuan. That’s how much I earn for half a day’s work. You bought the ticket and picked the numbers, so how should we spend your winnings?”
As they passed by Yang Tao’s favorite toy store, Yang Tao glanced at the display window.
Without Yang Tao saying a word, Yang Shao could guess his son’s thoughts. However, the price of the toy gun was displayed on the shelf, and 100 yuan could barely cover a single part. Under normal circumstances, Yang Shao might have chipped in, but not now.
He explained honestly, “We don’t have enough for the gun. Plus, you still need to come with me to buy a study device for your uncle. How about this? I’ll treat you to a kid’s meal instead.”
Though he didn’t get the toy gun he had been dreaming of, Yang Tao found some solace in the idea of a kid’s meal. Curious about their relatives, he pestered Yang Shao with questions all the way there.
Upstairs from the toy store was a bookstore that sold study devices. The two of them picked a moderately priced one, paid, and Yang Tao eagerly insisted on carrying it. He just loved buying things.
On their way back downstairs, they passed by the toy store again. Yang Tao stole another glance at the display window, which didn’t escape Yang Shao’s notice.
Yang Shao picked him up with one arm and carried him to the toy gun display. “Take a good look. Once you’ve had enough, we’ll go eat.”
Yang Tao pressed a finger against the cold glass. “Daddy, can you buy it for me someday?”
“Sure. Once my arm heals and I can start working again, I’ll buy it.”
The toy store owner, a snob, looked disdainfully at the shabby father and son who only looked but didn’t buy. He sneered and lowered the blinds, blocking the view of the toy gun.
Yang Shao cursed under his breath. “Damn snob.”
Yang Tao didn’t understand what that meant but mimicked his dad’s tone, grumbling, “Damn it!”
Yang Shao burst into laughter. Just as he was about to tell Yang Tao not to imitate him, a tall figure appeared reflected in the glass. A deep voice sounded behind them.
“Don’t curse in front of the child.”
Yang Tao spun around in his dad’s arms, his eyes lighting up with surprise. “Uncle Chen!”
Ever since reuniting with Yang Shao, Chen Qiusu hadn’t been able to completely ignore his presence. Even he didn’t know why. Perhaps it was because he was a conservative man at heart, or maybe it was the alpha’s territorial instinct. Even though he hadn’t marked Yang Shao, having shared a physical relationship with him stirred complex feelings in his heart.
In the days since, he hadn’t received any messages from Yang Tao and had tried to contact him, but Yang Tao’s smartwatch calls wouldn’t go through. After some thought, Chen Qiusu came up with a far-fetched excuse: Yang Shao’s temper was bad, and he was worried Yang Shao might hit the child. So even though it was the weekend, he decided to wait at their usual spot on the off chance of running into Yang Tao. To his surprise, luck was on his side. He found the father and son cursing outside the toy store.
While Yang Tao was delighted to see him, he nervously glanced at his dad’s expression. Hadn’t he told Uncle Chen not to come? Why was he here?
Yang Tao quickly covered his own mouth, then his dad’s, and muffled a promise to Uncle Chen. “Uncle Chen, we won’t say bad words anymore.”
What a haunting presence.
Yang Shao, still seething, found the perfect target for his frustration. If it weren’t for Chen Qiusu, would his insurance money have been held up? And now, this man dared to show up on his own!
The atmosphere was a bit tense. Seeing that neither of them was speaking, Yang Tao tried to liven things up with something cheerful. “Uncle Chen, my dad and I won the lottery! We got 100 yuan, and we’re going to have a kids’ meal. Would you like to join us? Right, Daddy?”
Yang Tao was a master of diplomacy. Not only did he invite Chen Qiusu, but he also “consulted” Yang Shao for his opinion at the end.
Yang Shao neither agreed nor disagreed, simply carrying Yang Tao as he headed toward the fast-food restaurant. Yang Tao lay on his shoulder, reaching out toward Chen Qiusu. After hesitating for a moment, Chen Qiusu followed them.
At the table, there was only one soda and a kids’ meal, making it clear Yang Shao had no intention of hosting Chen Qiusu. He sent Yang Tao to wash his hands, where a line of kids waiting for the sink stretched long.
Left at the small round table were only Chen Qiusu and Yang Shao. After some thought, Chen Qiusu broke the silence.
“Yang Tao is still young; he’ll imitate what he sees.” Even though he hadn’t seen Yang Shao physically hit anyone, teaching a child to curse wasn’t much better.
Yang Shao couldn’t stand his sanctimonious attitude. He took a sip of soda and retorted, “Why don’t you manage yourself first? You can’t even control your own life.”
Yang Shao’s words always hit where it hurt the most. Chen Qiusu froze, his face stiffening. He had no grounds to argue when it came to his history with Yang Shao.
Fortunately, the noisy children around them helped ease the awkward silence.
Chen Qiusu didn’t argue but instead changed the subject. “Recently, I haven’t been able to reach Yang Tao on the phone. I can’t get through. Did you block me?”
That was precisely the case. Yang Shao wasn’t afraid to admit it. “Yes.”
“You could at least respect the child’s wishes.”
“Based on my own experience, I don’t think you’re a good person. Is it wrong for me to keep you away from my son?” Yang Shao didn’t want to admit it but had to—he was terrified that one day, Chen Qiusu would discover Yang Tao was his child.
What was fate trying to pull? Why did Chen Qiusu have to show up when he was at his lowest? Yang Shao was already struggling to cope with his own problems; how could he deal with Chen Qiusu on top of that? He wished more than anything for him to stay far away from both him and Yang Tao.
“What the hell do you want?”
The crude words made Chen Qiusu frown. “If you’re facing difficulties… you can tell me. Think of it as my way of making amends.”
Yang Shao was quick-tempered and wouldn’t respond kindly to any attempts at reconciliation.
Money was the last thing he wanted to discuss. Just the mention of it made his blood boil.
“I don’t need your charity. If it weren’t for you, how would I have missed out on the insurance payout? You want to help me? I’m afraid you’ll drag me down even further.”
Chen Qiusu was baffled. He didn’t understand what Yang Shao was implying. Wasn’t the insurance payout already settled?
“What do you mean?”
Playing innocent—wasn’t that a classic move for someone like Chen Qiusu? A so-called alpha acting all naive.
“What do I mean? Why don’t you ask your employees? I’d like to know, too.”
Yang Shao almost picked up the soda to splash it in Chen Qiusu’s face. The only thing stopping him was the eight-yuan price tag—he couldn’t bear to waste it.
Chen Qiusu wanted to press further, but Yang Tao returned from washing his hands. Seeing that his dad hadn’t bought a soda for Uncle Chen, Yang Tao quietly pushed his fries toward him.
“Uncle Chen, have some fries.”