A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 1

The early autumn wind already carried a hint of winter’s chill. Within the green-tinged shrubbery, rows of tender young buds swayed in unison with the breeze, looking quite adorable.

It was the peak of the morning rush hour. The flow of cars was like a long dragon, clogging the entire road so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through.

A cream-white electric scooter slowed down and finally came to a halt before a zebra crossing.

Lin Tingwan propped his left foot on the ground. While waiting for the long, two-minute red light, he caught sight of the budding low shrubs in the green belt, which reminded him of his own “little sprout” of a child. He pursed his lips and smiled silently.

In the fast lane, a black sedan slowly rolled down its window.

The man in the driver’s seat lazily rested his forearm on the window frame, skillfully fishing out a cigarette and lighting it.

The smell of smoke drifted toward Lin Tingwan with the wind. He sniffed, turned his head to glance sideways, and saw the pitch-black, glossy, and domineering front of the car. He held his breath, intending to budge his scooter forward a bit. Just then, the smoking man heard the movement and lazily tilted his head. Their gazes collided in mid-air.

Lin Tingwan saw the driver’s face clearly.

Handsome features, two heroic eyebrows, and a pair of eyes that looked seventy percent like Guagua’s…

Lin Tingwan’s smile froze instantly. His eyes widened in disbelief as if he had been punched squarely in the face.

The man was clearly stunned as well, murmuring uncertainly, “Lin Tingwan…?“

Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Tingwan’s scalp went numb. His heart instantly leaped into his throat, and a surge of terror flooded his chest.

“I—I’m not Lin Tingwan, you have the wrong person!” Guilt-ridden and panicked, Lin Tingwan twisted the handlebar. The little cream-white electric scooter, like a nimble fish, suddenly lunged forward.

“Fck! If you aren’t Lin Tingwan, why are you running?!“

Kuang Ye snapped out of his daze and slammed the steering wheel. He immediately started the car and gave chase.

It was November, and City B had entered early winter, yet Lin Tingwan wearing only a thin jacket, was drenched in sweat. He repeatedly glanced at his rearview mirror. The black beast followed him easily, like a fierce Great White shark biting at his heels and refusing to let go.

Seeing that he was about to be caught, Lin Tingwan broke into a cold sweat. He choked back a sob and yelled over his shoulder, “Don’t chase me anymore!“

Driving leisurely as if toying with the little scooter, Kuang Ye remained indifferent. Instead, he pulled back his lips, revealing a grim smile.

“Stop!“

How could Lin Tingwan dare to stop! He wished he could use both feet to run on the ground instead!

The little scooter gave a final desperate burst of speed. The Mulsanne seemed to have finally run out of patience and suddenly accelerated.

Just as the Mulsanne was about to overtake and cut off the scooter, the electric bike suddenly swerved. Taking advantage of the terrain, it zipped up a slope and onto the sidewalk.

Kuang Ye hadn’t expected the little scooter to change lanes so abruptly. He jerked the steering wheel, and the tires screeched violently against the pavement, letting out a piercing roar.

Amidst a chorus of angry horns, Kuang Ye’s face turned livid as he watched that cream-white electric scooter weave through the sidewalk like a flexible fish until it finally vanished from sight.

Kuang Ye ground his molars so hard he tasted a faint hint of iron before he could barely suppress the surging violence in his heart.

He closed his eyes, rapidly searching his memory, and quickly recalled the license plate he had glimpsed for a fleeting second.

“BJ-CN5812.“

Kuang Ye slowly opened his eyes, staring fixedly at the spot where the scooter had disappeared. He let out a laugh through gritted teeth.

“Run. Let’s see just where you can run to!“

After switching routes several times until Kuang Ye’s car was completely out of sight, Lin Tingwan finally stopped his scooter with a lingering fear, haphazardly wiping his face. After gasping for breath and calming his heartbeat, he saw it was already past 8:10 AM. Daring not to delay any further, he hurried toward his company.

Rushing with all his might, he reached the office by 8:30 AM. He clocked in during the final ten seconds, then took three steps in two to catch an elevator just as the doors were closing.

Two girls were standing in the corner of the elevator. Seeing him enter, they glanced at him, but since he was an unfamiliar face, they continued whispering their gossip.

“Did you hear about the new President Pei?“

Lin Tingwan leaned against the elevator wall, panting softly. Hearing the name “President Pei,” his ears perked up. Were they talking about Pei Shaoyu, their new division leader?

“The grapevine says he was very strict at his previous unit. He rarely calls people to his office, but if he calls you personally, you’d better prepare for a layoff notice.“

“Surely it’s not that exaggerated? Does he have personnel authority?“

“He’s a leader who dropped in from above and manages three business departments… Word is his family background is quite powerful. Firing someone is just a matter of a single sentence to him.“

“…He’s actually quite handsome. Is he really that ruthless?“

The other girl gave a cryptic smile. “Here’s a free tip. If President Pei smiles at you, do not get lost in his looks—that is a massive danger signal! He’s a famous ‘smiling tiger’!“

“That’s too much.“

“Not an ounce of exaggeration. Everyone knows he’s a heartless, total freak-level workaholic!” the girl said decisively.

“Eleventh Floor—”

Lin Tingwan exited the elevator without a word. Returning to his workstation, he set down his bag and exhaled a tired breath.

Before he could even recover from the panic of running into his former “friends-with-benefits” partner, a deep, magnetic voice rang out at the office doorway.

“Is Lin Tingwan here?“

The eyes of the entire office snapped toward the tall, slender man in a sharp suit standing at the door.

The man was handsome, wearing a pair of rimless glasses, his expression indifferent.

Lin Tingwan’s mind went blank.

President Pei?!

Lin Tingwan scrambled up from his chair, stuttering his reply, “I—I am.“

Pei Shaoyu’s gaze settled on him for a moment, an emotion flashing quickly behind his lenses.

“Xiao Lin, please come to my office for a moment.“

Under the sympathetic gazes of his colleagues, a trembling Lin Tingwan grabbed a notebook and jogged to keep up.

“If you are personally called to President Pei’s office, you’d better prepare for a layoff notice.”

The words he had just heard in the elevator involuntarily surfaced in his mind, fueling his panic. His brain frantically tried to recall if there had been any blunders in his work lately.

Pei Shaoyu pushed open the door to the manager’s office and beckoned the flustered Lin Tingwan, who was standing awkwardly. “Sit.“

Lin Tingwan’s heart drummed. He carefully sat on the very edge of the chair, his fingers gripping his notebook so hard the knuckles turned white. He waited for Pei Shaoyu to speak.

Pei Shaoyu observed the young man before him: soft black hair fell obediently over his forehead, a straight nose gave him a clean and handsome look, and his bright eyes were wide open, revealing a hint of boyishness.

It was hard to imagine that this clean-looking youth, who looked like he had just graduated university, was actually the father of a three-year-old.

Seeing Lin Tingwan’s tight mouth and the cold sweat on his forehead, Pei Shaoyu couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Are you hot?“

It would have been better if he hadn’t laughed. The moment he did, Lin Tingwan’s heart nearly skipped a beat.

“A massive danger signal!”

“No, no, I’m not hot.” This time, Lin Tingwan didn’t even dare to sit. He stood up, his body stiff and his voice trembling. “P-President Pei, if there is anything I’ve done wrong, I will change. Please give me a chance, don’t fire me!“

He had a child to raise, he couldn’t lose this job.

The youth’s cheeks were flushed red and his eyes were moist, looking so pitiful it seemed he might cry the next second. Pei Shaoyu quietly appreciated the sight for two seconds, and before Lin Tingwan’s tension could escalate further, he slowly smiled. “Xiao Lin, did you misunderstand something?“

He pushed a folder on the desk toward Lin Tingwan. “We finally secured the cooperation with Fuchuan. The company has appointed me to take full responsibility. I’ve looked at your work summaries from the past year, and the materials for those projects were written very well. I want you to join the Fuchuan project.“

Lin Tingwan’s mind was a mess, having already hallucinated a life of poverty with Guagua after being fired. Hearing this, he looked up in disbelief, letting out a dazed “Huh?“

Fuchuan Group was a major client the company had been focusing on this year. Usually, when such a big partnership was secured, the department head would bring their “inner circle” along. After all, the contract amounts were huge, and year-end bonuses would be substantial.

As a “newbie” who had only been with the company for a little over a year, he usually handled low-paying, high-effort projects. He never imagined a “pie falling from the sky” like this would land on him. Thinking about the large sum of money he could get at the end of the year, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and his heart pounded.

“Do you have any thoughts on this?“

“Of course! President Pei, thank you for giving me this opportunity!” Lin Tingwan’s eyes were sparkling and bright, looking very beautiful.

Seeing that brilliant yet shy smile, Pei Shaoyu’s mood inexplicably improved. His own smile became two degrees more sincere as he nodded. “Spend the next two days organizing the preliminary materials. We’ll have a meeting next Monday.“

“Mhm, okay!” Lin Tingwan nodded vigorously. He walked to the office door before remembering something. He turned back and said sincerely, “President Pei, thank you truly for being willing to trust me. I will work hard and definitely won’t let you down!“

“Don’t thank me, you earned this through your own hard work. I’ve looked at the proposals submitted by everyone in your department, and yours was the best.” Pei Shaoyu smiled. “I don’t know what your previous leader’s style was, but with me, I only use people who are capable.“

Lin Tingwan was a bit dazed. He hadn’t expected Pei Shaoyu to have done such thorough homework, nor that he would say such things to him.

“President Pei, you’re a bit different from what I imagined.“

“Oh? How does everyone evaluate me?“

Lin Tingwan bit his lip, realizing he had misspoken. His face turned beet red.

Pei Shaoyu didn’t press him further. He said warmly, “I look forward to this cooperation. Go on, get to work.”

“Okay, okay.” Lin Tingwan clutched his notebook and bowed once more to Pei Shaoyu.

Back at his desk, Lin Tingwan couldn’t help but hide his face behind his monitor and smile silently.

He was so lucky!

Lin Tingwan couldn’t help but fantasize about how many things he could buy for Guagua with that generous year-end bonus. His brain, clouded by excitement, wasn’t as meticulous as usual. Consequently, while organizing the files, he didn’t do much research into the gossip surrounding Fuchuan Group.

Fuchuan Group was a famous family-owned enterprise in City B. The person in charge was surnamed Kuang. That wasn’t exactly a common surname.