A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Lying to Me

Lin Tingwan rode his little electric scooter, carrying the milk and fruit he had bought, and arrived downstairs at Feng Xueqing’s house.

He gave Feng Xueqing a call and stood in the cold wind, tucking his hands and feet in while waiting for a while. Feng Xueqing came out carrying a child who was as limp as a noodle from sleepiness, constantly sliding down her arms.

Lin Tingwan hurried forward and handed the bags to Feng Xueqing. “Sister Xueqing, sorry to trouble you again.”

Feng Xueqing gave him a reproachful look. “You’re just too polite, it’s such a small thing and you still bring gifts… Why make a trip so late? Guagua could have just slept at my place.”

Lin Tingwan smiled without answering. The child in her arms woke up immediately upon hearing the familiar voice. He forced his eyes open, and Lin Tingwan’s face magnified before him. The child immediately grinned and giggled.

“Daddy!”

Lin Tingwan followed with a smile.

Guagua got down from Feng Xueqing, and before walking toward Lin Tingwan, he remembered to sweetly say thank you to her.

“Ah, this child is truly sensible.”

Seeing his son, the heart that had been dangling all day finally settled steadily back into Lin Tingwan’s chest. He reached out to hug Lin Guagua, who threw himself at him, and couldn’t resist planting a large kiss on that fair, tender little face. His smile widened: “Missed Daddy, didn’t you, Guabao?”

“Missed you so much, so much. Daddy, you eat.” Guagua fished something out of the little pocket on his chest. Lin Tingwan didn’t even look; he opened his mouth, and sweet and sour juice burst inside, followed by a wave of fruity fragrance.

“Auntie gave it, yummy red fruit-fruit.”

Feng Xueqing let out an “Oh my”: “Our Guagua is truly a filial son, he knows to save the yummy things for Daddy.”

Guagua smiled with his face tilted up, looking quite proud.

Lin Tingwan spat out the cherry pit and rubbed the child’s head. “Let’s go back.”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Feng Xueqing watched their departing figures as the sound of the father and son talking drifted back with the wind.

“Daddy, was the red fruit-fruit very yummy?”

“Yummy. Do you want to eat cherries, baby? Let’s go buy some.”

“I don’t want to eat them, red fruit-fruit is very expensive, won’t eat.”

“It’s fine, if baby wants to eat, we’ll buy them.”

“Won’t eat, won’t eat. I ate so much, I’ll eat all of Daddy’s money up!”

Feng Xueqing stood and watched for a good while, sighed in her heart, shook her head, and went back inside. They say it’s not easy for a single woman to raise a child, but it’s also hard for a single father.

Lin Tingwan supported the bike with one foot on the ground. He leaned down to touch Guagua’s little face which was wrapped tightly in a scarf and hat with his forehead that had been chilled by the wind. He felt a bit bad.

“Are you cold, baby? I think Auntie Feng is right; we should buy a car.”

Guagua hugged his waist tightly, his eyes bright as he shook his head: “Daddy, look, I’m boiled!”

Lin Tingwan looked confused. Guagua suddenly laughed, pointed at his mouth, puffed out his cheeks, and exhaled hard. The weather was a bit cold, so the exhaled breath quickly turned into white mist.

“Haha, I’m boiled open!”

It took Lin Tingwan a moment to realize what he meant.

When water boils, it lets out white steam.

Seeing his own breath turn into white mist, Guagua thought he had been “boiled open.”

Lin Tingwan really didn’t know where he got all these whimsical ideas and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Alright baby, Daddy is going to drive.”

“Daddy, I’m not afraid of the cold at all. I like ‘Little White’ (the scooter). Don’t buy a car-car.”

Lin Tingwan’s eyes felt a bit hot, and he sniffled.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Guagua hugged Lin Tingwan’s waist with both arms and whined cutely, “Daddy, don’t buy a big car-car, baby doesn’t like big car-cars.”

“Baby, we still have money…”

“Don’t care! Don’t care! I don’t want a big car-car, I just want Little White!” Guagua covered his ears, his mouth babbling. He stomped his foot, and the frog shoes on his feet croaked “Gua” “Gua” incessantly.

Lin Tingwan was attacked by this double magical sound. He had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender: “Fine, fine, fine, we won’t buy a big car-car.”

Guagua covered his mouth and giggled, his big eyes flashing with a cunning light.

He knew, after all. They rented a house, and he ate so many things; it cost Daddy lots and lots of money. Daddy had to work overtime all the time, so very, very hard. He didn’t want Daddy to work hard.

“Daddy, I love you,” Guagua said, his two little hands pressed tightly against Lin Tingwan’s large hand.

“Daddy loves you too.” Lin Tingwan leaned down to kiss Guagua’s little cheek.

It was nearing early winter, and the night wind was quite biting, but he didn’t feel cold at all. As long as he touched his little treasure, he felt warm all over.

If Kuang Ye asked that question again, he thought he could give the answer without any hesitation.

With Guagua in his life, there was truly nothing worth regretting.

After several initial coordination meetings, the Fuchuan cooperation officially moved forward. Besides Lin Tingwan, Pei Shaoyu picked two more people from their department to execute this project together.

Although there were plenty of hands, the project was complex and the workload was heavy. Everyone was busy beyond measure during this time. Because Lin Tingwan had to pick up the child and couldn’t work late, he basically never rested during lunch breaks when others were off. Several times, he settled his meal with bread and yogurt at the office.

12:13 PM. The colleagues in the office had all gone to eat. Only the sound of keyboard clicking came from Lin Tingwan’s workstation.

Suddenly, an insulated bag descended from the sky, blocking Lin Tingwan’s screen.

Lin Tingwan looked up and his pupils trembled when he saw it was Kuang Ye.

“I came here for a meeting today and didn’t want to eat at the company, so I ordered delivery. I figured I couldn’t finish it alone, so I brought it to eat with you. You don’t mind, right?” As Kuang Ye spoke, his hands didn’t stop, taking the containers out of the insulated bag one by one and arranging them on the empty desk next to Lin Tingwan.

Lin Tingwan pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine, I’m not hungry, I…”

Before he could finish, his stomach very honestly let out a loud gurgle.

Kuang Ye arched an eyebrow high.

Lin Tingwan’s face turned bright red.

Kuang Ye gave a chuckle and shoved a pair of chopsticks into his hand. “Just eat, consider it helping me out.”

“Ah, I’m about to finish this material.”

“Work is never finished; there’s no rush for this moment.” Kuang Ye spoke brookingly, taking the mouse to save and close the file for him.

The moment their hands touched, Lin Tingwan pulled his hand back as quickly as if he’d been electrocuted.

Realizing his reaction was a bit excessive, Lin Tingwan gave Kuang Ye an embarrassed look. Kuang Ye, however, acted as if nothing had happened, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He was biting a piece of pork rib likely the gristle making a loud crunch-crunch sound. Listening to him chew, for some reason, Lin Tingwan felt as if Kuang Ye were chewing on his own bones.

“Eat. Why are you looking at me?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Lin Tingwan shrank his neck and resignedly began to eat.

He didn’t know which place Kuang Ye had ordered from, but it was exceptionally fragrant. Originally intending to just take a couple of bites for appearances, the aroma made Lin Tingwan unable to help but focus on eating.

Lin Tingwan ate quietly with his head down. Kuang Ye looked at the crown of his black hair, his gaze landing on his snowy-white, smooth nape. That gaze was deep and heavy, like a wolf looking at its prey.

“I have to come to the company for a meeting tomorrow too. If you aren’t going to the cafeteria, send me a message.” Kuang Ye acted as if he truly just wanted someone to share delivery with, leaving with this sentence after finishing. He didn’t forget to take the trash with him on the way out.

Lin Tingwan watched his back with lingering fear and made up his mind: no matter how busy he was, he had to go to the cafeteria.

However, he still couldn’t avoid Kuang Ye in the end. After Kuang Ye failed to find him a few times, he didn’t say much, but whenever he came for a meeting later, he would also go to the cafeteria, and every time he would catch the exact moment Lin Tingwan was eating.

Lin Tingwan was confused. If it was an accidental encounter, it was too coincidental. But if it was Kuang Ye intentionally wanting to eat with him, he felt he was being conceited. After all, during the meal, Kuang Ye only sat at the same table but never specifically conversed with him or made any extra moves.

Although there wasn’t much interaction between them, soon, most of the project team knew that Lin Tingwan and Kuang Ye were alumni and had a private acquaintance.

Pei Shaoyu was also in the project team, so he naturally found out.

One day, after Lin Tingwan finished a piece of material and handed it to Pei Shaoyu for review, Pei Shaoyu finished reading and gently placed the material aside.

Lin Tingwan thought he hadn’t written it well and pinched his fingers nervously. Looking at Pei Shaoyu’s expressionless face, his breathing grew light.

“President Pei, is there anything that needs changing?”

“No.”

“Oh, then, then…”

Pei Shaoyu leaned back in his large office chair, his sharp gaze shooting toward Lin Tingwan. His tone was flat, exuding a sense of sternness: “Xiao Lin, I believe I told you that I don’t like it when people lie to me.”

Lin Tingwan carefully recalled his work during this period and didn’t know where he had gone wrong. He looked at Pei Shaoyu blankly.

Pei Shaoyu stared at those misty eyes, his fingers slowly tapping on the desk.

One tap.

Two taps.

Three taps.

It felt like he was tapping on Lin Tingwan’s heart.

Lin Tingwan tensed all over, feeling an invisible pressure mounting. The heater was on in the room, but he was so nervous he broke into a sweat.

“I’d like you to explain. You and Kuang Ye knew each other before, didn’t you? Why did you lie to me?” Pei Shaoyu asked.

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