A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 23

Inside the quiet room, the sound of heavy, excited breathing reminiscent of a beast capturing its prey echoed.

Lin Tingwan’s back was stiff as a board. He slowly turned his neck, his face flushed a deep, dark red. “You… you…”

Kuang Ye said, “Me what? You provoked me first. I tried to talk to you nicely but you refused, insisting on the hard way. Now that it’s here, you’re unhappy again.”

Lin Tingwan’s face turned snowy white. Seeing his piteous, tearful expression, Kuang Ye ultimately couldn’t bear it. He pressed Lin Tingwan’s head against his chest, stroking his back to soothe him, and said softly, “Alright, I won’t move against you. Can we just talk properly for a moment?”

Lin Tingwan felt a regret so deep he wanted to die. He shouldn’t have come! Kuang Ye’s tenderness felt to him like a slow-cutting blade. He couldn’t trust him at all; his mind was filled with “Escape! Escape! Escape!”

The instinct for survival gradually overcame his fear. Lin Tingwan somehow found the strength to forcefully pry away Kuang Ye’s arms that were shackled around his waist.

But before he could celebrate, Kuang Ye was clearly pushed to his limit by these repeated rejections.

Why bother coaxing? He doesn’t care even if I do!

Kuang Ye’s face darkened. Hardening his heart, he used his combat training; with a drop and a shove of his shoulder, Lin Tingwan was pinned onto the bed like a young rabbit, his vision spinning.

He let out a sharp gasp. Dizzy and disoriented, before he could scramble up, a sudden clack sounded in the quiet room.

Lin Tingwan felt a sting at his wrist—a brown leather belt was now cinched around his snowy-white arm.

Lin Tingwan trembled, forgetting even to plead for mercy as his mind went blank. Kuang Ye pinned his shoulders to the bed, gripped his chin, and kissed him fiercely.

Lin Tingwan’s crashed brain finally started working again, and he began to struggle frantically. At a time like this, resistance only incited a man’s deeper desire for dominance. Kuang Ye wickedly pinched his waist, his sharp teeth nipping and lightly grinding the soft flesh of Lin Tingwan’s snowy neck.

Lin Tingwan was most vulnerable to this; his entire body went soft, his delicate skin flushing red, and he couldn’t help but plead, “Woo… let me go…”

Kuang Ye turned a deaf ear, his palms roaming over Lin Tingwan’s face, neck, and chest.

He knew this body too well; he knew where to touch to make Lin Tingwan feel good, what amount of pressure would make him cry out, and exactly how to make him become very obedient and well-behaved.

Lin Tingwan felt scorched all over by the familiar rhythm of the touch, his body twitching slightly as if hit by electricity. His eyes were rimmed with red, brimming with mist.

Kuang Ye suddenly leaned in close, laughing low in Lin Tingwan’s ear, “With a body this soft, can you really satisfy your wife, hmm?”

When Kuang Ye wasn’t being “human,” he truly wasn’t human; he would say anything. Lin Tingwan was so angry his vision went dark in waves, and after a long while, he stammered out a curse, “You… you bastard!”

“Yes, I’m a bastard. Did you only just find out?” Kuang Ye locked him in his embrace with spread legs, his gaze traveling from the snowy neck to the skin hidden beneath the clothes, smiling wickedly. “This is nothing yet. I haven’t even done the more ‘bastardly’ things.”

He grabbed Lin Tingwan’s hand. Lin Tingwan was scorched by his body temperature and tried desperately to pull his hand back. But the large hand clamped on his wrist was as immovable as iron.

“Let go, let go!” Lin Tingwan was so anxious that sweat broke out on his nose.

The more he struggled, the more excessive Kuang Ye became, practically driving him into a corner.

As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Lin Tingwan was completely enraged. Unable to break free after several attempts, he gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and reached out with a twist.

“Ah!”

Kuang Ye was truly caught off guard. His face turned pale from the pain, his grip on Lin Tingwan loosened instantly, and his vision went black.

Lin Tingwan leaped away like a nimble rabbit. Meeting Kuang Ye’s fire-spitting eyes, he clutched his disheveled shirt and swallowed guiltily. “You… you didn’t respect me. Don’t blame me.”

“Lin Tingwan, you want to die, don’t you!” Kuang Ye was hurting in both his head and his “other” head, fuming with rage.

Seeing the fierce light in Kuang Ye’s sharp eyes, Lin Tingwan turned and ran without a second thought.

“Stop!”

The more fiercely he shouted, the faster Lin Tingwan ran.

“Believe it or not, I’ll tell your wife everything about us!” Kuang Ye roared.

Lin Tingwan’s sanity returned at that shout, and his footsteps gradually slowed.

Kuang Ye propped himself against the wall and stood up, his most vulnerable spot having been attacked, his face contorted in pain.

After a dozen seconds, he finally felt a bit better. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared at the teary-eyed little liar.

Crying? He has the nerve to cry? Who’s the one who should be crying!

Lin Tingwan accused him through tears, “You weren’t like this before.”

“Correct. I’ll use any means necessary to achieve my goal. I’m sorry you’re only seeing my true colors today.”

Lin Tingwan hadn’t expected him to be so shameless; he panted heavily in anger, his chest heaving like a broken bellows.

Kuang Ye: “I’ll say it one last time. Come here. Let’s talk properly.”

Lin Tingwan glared, and Kuang Ye didn’t yield an inch.

Under immense pressure, Lin Tingwan moved over unwillingly, choosing a seat furthest away from Kuang Ye.

Looking at him, Kuang Ye felt fire in his heart, wishing he could drag him back to bed and fuck him to death. But he knew if they didn’t clear things up today, this guy would probably move again the moment he got back. The thought made his teeth itch with rage.

Seeing his expression was off, Lin Tingwan spoke up alertly, “…Talk… about what? Just talking, don’t get handsy.”

Kuang Ye took a deep breath and beckoned, “Come here.”

Lin Tingwan dragged his chair and silently moved another step toward the door.

Kuang Ye: “……………”

“If you won’t talk, I’m leaving. Message her if you want. My wife won’t care.”

This place was truly not a place to stay long. Lin Tingwan felt it was better to run first.

Kuang Ye sneered, “Your courage has grown.”

A fierce look appeared on his face, like a hungry wolf eyeing its meal. Lin Tingwan’s already pale face turned three shades whiter.

“Fine. I won’t play with you anymore, and you stop playing with me.”

“Playing what?” Lin Tingwan said.

Kuang Ye looked at him coldly, his sharp jawline like a frozen blade. “You f**king don’t have a wife or a marriage at all!”

Lin Tingwan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He looked at Kuang Ye in disbelief.

Kuang Ye laughed instead. “What, nothing to say?”

Lin Tingwan desperately suppressed the question that was about to escape his lips and quickly calmed down. Kuang Ye definitely hadn’t discovered the truth about Guagua, otherwise his tone wouldn’t be like this, and the two wouldn’t be meeting in a scene like this.

But he was afraid. Truly afraid, shaking all over, even his voice was trembling: “…When did you find out?”

“After you moved.”

Lin Tingwan’s pupils constricted. He even knew about the move!

Indeed, just by accidentally bumping into him on the street that day, Kuang Ye had immediately found his door. Kuang Ye had always been very capable. Lin Tingwan clenched his fists tight, the pain of his nails digging into his palms helping him stay calm. He looked at the poised Kuang Ye and opened his dry throat: “What do you want?”

Kuang Ye tugged at his collar. After the tossing around, he had broken into a sweat despite the winter cold.

“What’s the deal with that child? Is he really your biological son?” Kuang Ye asked.

Lin Tingwan bit his lower lip hard.

Should I tell the truth?

…Lying is useless; Kuang Ye will find out.

Lin Tingwan shivered slightly. He met Kuang Ye’s gaze and said, “He is my child. Biological.”

Kuang Ye’s face turned black instantly.

Although the chubby kid looked a bit like Lin Tingwan, he had still held onto a sliver of hope perhaps it was the child of a sibling. Lin Tingwan’s words pierced Kuang Ye’s last bit of luck, ruining his mood.

Kuang Ye glared at him fiercely: “Who bore him for you? Where is that woman now?”

“It was… an accident with his mother. Anyway… anyway, his mother and I have no contact now. I’m raising the child myself.”

Kuang Ye felt a bit better. He looked at him icily and warned, “Don’t lie to me. You know I can find out. You’ve already lied to me twice.”

Lin Tingwan turned pale and shook his head, giving a very dismal smile. “You are so powerful; I wouldn’t dare.”

That smile made Kuang Ye’s eyes sting.

He took two deep breaths. “I hope you remember those words.”

Lin Tingwan hung his head in silence, like an obedient doll. This made Kuang Ye even more irritable. He suppressed the fire in his heart and asked, “In these years, have you looked for anyone else?”

Lin Tingwan said flatly, “No.”

The hand Kuang Ye had at his side relaxed, and his expression softened.

“Four years ago, why did you break up?”

Lin Tingwan went silent again, staring at his toes. He maintained a very stubborn silence.

Kuang Ye hated Lin Tingwan’s “cold violence” most, but seeing him shivering like a piteous quail soaked by heavy rain, his heart softened.

Forget it. It’s all in the past. If there’s a child, there’s a child. It’s not like he couldn’t afford to raise one.

Kuang Ye’s facial lines softened a bit. He patted the space beside him. “Come here.”

Lin Tingwan was now terrified of Kuang Ye’s methods; he didn’t even dare to run and sat obediently beside him.

The villa was large and spacious; the whistling wind from the terrace blew into Lin Tingwan’s hollow chest, and all the warmth in his body was carried away by the wind.

The two were very close, shoulders touching, their breaths intertwined. Kuang Ye reached out to pull Lin Tingwan close. Lin Tingwan stiffened but didn’t struggle like before. Unsure of what Kuang Ye intended, he behaved very obediently.

“Cold?” Kuang Ye draped his jacket over him, stroked Lin Tingwan’s bloodless face with a poor mood, and said low, “I don’t want to scare you. Be more obedient and don’t make me angry.”

Lin Tingwan looked like he was about to cry.

Kuang Ye gripped his hand and kissed the tip of his nose.

The sudden intimacy made Lin Tingwan’s nose sting. He gripped Kuang Ye’s hand tightly, almost pleading, “Kuang Ye, stop torturing me. What exactly do you want? Just tell me.”

Kuang Ye looked into his eyes the dark pupils were large and round, moist and piteous. The fire in his heart vanished instantly.

Indeed, Lin Tingwan was just a little fool; how could his brain, which only knew studying, understand so much? Kuang Ye sighed and pulled him into his arms. He affectionately rubbed his forehead against Lin Tingwan’s neck. “Don’t you already know?”

Lin Tingwan’s heart thudded.

Kuang Ye wants to start over? Why?

Kuang Ye didn’t respond to his look, gently stroking his face with a focused expression. “When you’re alone, do you get lonely?”

Lin Tingwan’s head was held in place; his eyes had nowhere to hide.

How could he not be lonely? It was fine when Guagua was around, but when Guagua wasn’t, he always felt it was hard to endure. The house wasn’t big, yet he felt cold, felt alone.

“Answer me, baby.”

Lin Tingwan nodded unwillingly.

Kuang Ye suddenly became happy. He affectionately pecked and kissed Lin Tingwan’s snowy cheek. “Did you miss me?”

At first, Lin Tingwan didn’t understand which kind of “miss” he meant. Kuang Ye grabbed his hand, leading his fingers to unbutton his shirt. Lin Tingwan didn’t even have the courage to resist.

A fit and perfect body was exposed before Lin Tingwan’s eyes.

Kuang Ye had maintained his physique well; thin muscles wrapped around his body, the lines subtle but very powerful. He led his hand across his bulging chest, his fingertips sliding along the intercostal space, finally lingering on the beautiful, tight abs and V-line.

So hot.

Lin Tingwan felt like he was about to be set on fire burned to the point of being somewhat dazed, his gaze turning blurry, consumed by endless heat. Kuang Ye continued to lead his fingers further down.

“Here, everything is saying it misses you. Do you hear it?” Kuang Ye leaned in, his lips almost touching Lin Tingwan’s ear as he spoke.

Lin Tingwan’s head roared; this time he truly couldn’t say a word, turning red from his neck down to his heels.

“Have you thought of me?” Kuang Ye pulled his head away from his chest, gazing at him with that wild look Lin Tingwan liked best, not letting him escape.

Lin Tingwan’s face, white as snow, began to flush from the cheeks. His gaze was panicked like an innocent little rabbit. Kuang Ye’s mood turned joyous.

The two were extremely close; the scent of hormones on Kuang Ye made him dizzy with breathlessness.

Lin Tingwan watched that handsome face sway in front of him, and a feeling bordering on obsession dazed him. With a hum in his head, he blurted out the answer Kuang Ye wanted as if possessed.

Lin Tingwan was still secretly hating himself for his mouth not being controlled by his brain, but Kuang Ye was already laughing happily and leaning against him.

Lin Tingwan had to prop his hands behind him to bear the weight of both people. He was already supporting himself with difficulty, and Kuang Ye was laughing and shaking, his hands restlessly roaming over his body. Lin Tingwan felt his entire body go soft from the touch; his precariously held hand shook, and both of them crashed onto the bed.

“Heavy… heavy… I can’t breathe!”

Lin Tingwan pleaded piteously. Kuang Ye had to hold him and roll over, letting him sit on his waist. “Is this okay?”

As Kuang Ye spoke, the corners of his mouth tilted up unconsciously, his brows and eyes full of smiles. He was already good-looking, and his smile was even more lethal. Lin Tingwan felt his head spinning; not daring to look further, he propped himself on Kuang Ye’s chest to scramble up.

But Kuang Ye suddenly reached out to hug him, saying softly, “Baby. About the child, about you lying to me, I don’t want to hold it against you anymore.”

“I want to start over with you.”

Hearing those words, Lin Tingwan’s heart began to thud.

He guessed right. Kuang Ye truly wanted to start over.

But why? Kuang Ye is so popular, so many people like him. Why must it be me?

Yes, he admits he likes Kuang Ye’s face and his body. But now there’s Guagua. He doesn’t want anything else; he just wants to live a stable life. Nothing is more important than Guagua.

Lin Tingwan fell silent.

He couldn’t agree.

“…Can’t you go find someone else?”

The smile froze on Kuang Ye’s face. The clamorous heartbeat slowed down—slower and slower. His hand on Lin Tingwan’s waist loosened, and he looked at him with a very calm gaze.

“What do you mean by ‘find someone else’?” he asked.

Lin Tingwan didn’t know how to answer. He felt miserable too, as if his heart were being cut by a knife.

He didn’t look into Kuang Ye’s eyes, turning his head away. “…You are very popular.”

Lin Tingwan paused and added, “Extremely popular.”

Kuang Ye was never short of people around him. Why did it have to be him? He couldn’t afford to provoke him.

Kuang Ye’s blood had already turned cold, turning to ice, but Lin Tingwan’s words suddenly made him startle.

Kuang Ye lifted his eyes to look into Lin Tingwan’s eyes. Lin Tingwan’s eyes were rimmed with red, and seeing him look over, he turned his face away in distress.

His face held an emotion Kuang Ye was very familiar with. When he saw those “hyenas” around Lin Tingwan, he had felt this emotion more than once.

Jealousy.

He was jealous of the four years he was absent from Lin Tingwan’s side, jealous of the woman who had once possessed Lin Tingwan. And now, Lin Tingwan was finally tasting this because of him. Though it seemed for now, this little fool hadn’t realized it yet.

But it was enough.

Kuang Ye’s gaze softened abruptly. His hand locked onto Lin Tingwan’s waist again, rubbing affectionately, his voice carrying a laugh. “Why someone else? I only want you.”

Lin Tingwan’s body jolted.

Kuang Ye placed his hand between Lin Tingwan’s legs. “Don’t you want me too? Here is more honest than you.”

Caught red-handed, Lin Tingwan’s face turned deep red.

“You… you… I… it’s not… not what you think…”

Kuang Ye leaned down and whistled at the “spirited little guy.” “Oh, I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Lin Tingwan covered his face, mortified.

Since entering puberty, his needs in this area hadn’t been very strong. He had always thought he was asexual; except for that period of wild indulgence with Kuang Ye, he actually never had very strong needs. He always felt he had been “developed” by Kuang Ye… after all, after they separated, he hadn’t had those thoughts.

But for some reason, the moment Kuang Ye appeared, everything seemed to change. He didn’t want Kuang Ye to know that on the night Kuang Ye barged into his house, he had actually had a rather unfortunate dream.

He was also curious why was it only like this with Kuang Ye? But instinct told him it was best not to tell Kuang Ye this, at least not now.

Kuang Ye held him. “The matter is very simple. You want me, I want you. Why can’t we start over?”

Lin Tingwan had bitterness he couldn’t speak of. How could he answer? He and Kuang Ye could start over, but what about Guagua? Kuang Ye would kill him once he found out!

His mind was a mess, and with something pressing against him, he was even less able to think. Lin Tingwan patted the hand on his waist. “Kuang Ye, this is too sudden. I’m not prepared at all. Let me think about it carefully, okay?”

Kuang Ye narrowed his eyes at him. Seeing Lin Tingwan’s eyes were clear and not just thinking of escaping like before, his face cleared slightly. “When will you give me an answer?”

“Half a…” Lin Tingwan originally wanted to say half a month, but seeing Kuang Ye’s face darken, he quickly changed it. “Two days! Two days!”

Kuang Ye naturally didn’t want that, but seeing Lin Tingwan truly on the verge of tears, he thought it was better not to push him too hard.

“Sunday night at the latest.” Kuang Ye pinched his chin and said domineeringly, “I’m giving you time so you can think, not so you can refuse me. Understood?”

Lin Tingwan’s head throbbed. What else was there to talk about then?

Kuang Ye arched an eyebrow, threatening, “Unwilling? I don’t mind right now…”

“Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! I’ll contact you Sunday!” Lin Tingwan answered urgently with a crying tone.

Kuang Ye gave a snort from his chest, looked at the guy he both loved and hated, and couldn’t help but kiss him fiercely on the lips again.

Lin Tingwan truly couldn’t stand Kuang Ye’s constant kissing and pushed him away with a red face. His mouth even hurt.

Kuang Ye wasn’t angry at being pushed away. He stood up and straightened his pants.

Lin Tingwan didn’t dare look at him. With his back to Kuang Ye, he asked in a muffled voice, “Um, Kuang Ye… I’ve promised to think about it. Can you promise me one thing?”

Kuang Ye lifted his eyelids.

“Stop having people investigate me. I don’t like it.” Lin Tingwan looked into his eyes. “I have my own privacy too. Doing this makes me feel very uncomfortable.”

Kuang Ye saw the frown locked tight. Thinking of Lin Tingwan’s temper, he nodded and said straightforwardly, “I promise you.”

Lin Tingwan let out a sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted. “Thank you!”

Kuang Ye found it funny and teased, “No need for me to swear an oath this time?”

Lin Tingwan knew he was referring to the time he made him swear. Pursing his lips, he said softly, “Last time you were lying to me, this time you aren’t.”

Watching his unconscious habit of licking his lips, Kuang Ye was truly dazed by how cute he was.

Lin Tingwan met Kuang Ye’s eyes. “If you say you’ll do it, you will. I know.”

Hearing this, Kuang Ye felt comfortable all over. He leaned his body against Lin Tingwan, his low laughter sounding as if it came from his chest. “I have such high credibility in your heart?”

“Mhm. In most cases, very high.”

Undoubtedly, Kuang Ye was very outstanding. He kept his word, was polite, very smart, and skilled in all sorts of sports. Many people liked him. And that affection wasn’t just because of his face or background.

However, after saying that, Lin Tingwan thought of Kuang Ye’s behavior today and began to doubt whether his words still held any public trust.

“Baby.”

Lin Tingwan met Kuang Ye’s focused gaze with unease. Kuang Ye stared at him with a smile without speaking. Lin Tingwan was creeped out by the stare.

He was just about to say, If you have something to say, say it, don’t do this, it’s scaring me, when Kuang Ye laughed without warning a very hearty laugh. A light seemed to fall between his brows and eyes, looking full of heroic spirit.

Too handsome. Excessively handsome. Lin Tingwan’s face turned red.

Lin Tingwan’s shy, dodging gaze pleased Kuang Ye. Kuang Ye suddenly pressed him into his arms and kissed him wildly and haphazardly. His out-of-control behavior made Lin Tingwan panic again.

Heavens, what is wrong with Kuang Ye!

Lin Tingwan felt his neck being nipped and sucked by Kuang Ye. He hurriedly blocked his neck. “Kuang… Kuang Ye… stop kissing.”

“Can’t kiss, can’t touch,” Kuang Ye grabbed his hand and pecked at it by his lips. “Why have you become so delicate, hmm?”

Lin Tingwan was quite frustrated at being labeled “delicate.” He didn’t dare scold him, so he remained silent gloomily.

Kuang Ye suddenly pulled him into a hug. Lin Tingwan instinctively struggled for a moment, but thinking of what had just happened, he immediately became obedient.

The two stood in the middle of the room, hugging for several minutes like a piece of performance art. Finally, Kuang Ye mercifully loosened his arms. Lin Tingwan hurriedly scrambled out of his embrace.

He instinctively looked up at Kuang Ye. A smile unfurled on Kuang Ye’s lips. The warm light fell on his face from above, giving him a faint golden outline. The light stung Lin Tingwan’s eyes. He blinked as if waking from a dream before feeling he had recovered.

The Kuang Ye of a moment ago was like a phantom dream—charming and seductive. He felt his heart pound strangely, which felt very weird.

Unaware of Lin Tingwan’s mental journey, Kuang Ye expertly helped him straighten his messy hair and clothes. Touching his cold shoulder through the fabric, he sighed in his heart.

Lin Tingwan was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

Kuang Ye draped his jacket carrying his body warmth over him and patted it, satisfied.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”

Lin Tingwan’s eyelashes trembled. He looked at the Kuang Ye who looked like a different person in his gentleness—with some daze. Seeing the teasing smile on Kuang Ye’s lips, Lin Tingwan snapped back and said quickly, “No need. I’ll take a taxi.”

Kuang Ye slowed his pace. “What was that? I didn’t hear you.”

Lin Tingwan said immediately, “Oh, I said, then I’ll trouble you!”

On the way back, Kuang Ye was much more normal, not getting handsy. But Lin Tingwan was still terrified. Only when he finally reached home did he feel alive again. He leaned against the door and let out a long breath as if having survived a disaster. A small breeze blew past, and Lin Tingwan shivered. He felt his head full of cold sweat. His clothes were soaked.

That was close. He almost thought he wouldn’t make it back.

Lin Tingwan tidied up and took a shower. Kuang Ye’s words kept echoing in his mind. He sat on the sofa, dazed.

Suddenly, an exceptionally urgent pounding sounded at the door.

“Daddy open the door! Daddy, your Guagua is back!”

Hearing his son’s naive, crisp voice, Lin Tingwan’s eyes grew hot. He hurried over to pull the door open.

The moment the door opened, Guagua dressed in new clothes and wrapped up like a milky-white little snow globe—rolled into Lin Tingwan’s arms.

“Daddy!”

“Hey!” Seeing Guagua, all of Lin Tingwan’s worries vanished. His eyes were full of smiles.

“Daddy, Daddy, I missed you so much, Daddy.” Guagua had gone out after nine in the morning, and it was now nearly nine at night. The father and son were rarely separated for this long. Guagua hugged Lin Tingwan’s neck tightly, burying his face in his chest.

“Daddy missed you too, good boy.” Lin Tingwan looked at his son’s face, his eyes a bit red. After only a few hours apart, he felt as if a piece of his heart were missing.

“Oh, look at these two, still acting like children.” Zhao Congfang and Bian Wenmao saw the two looking as if they were about to cry and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Auntie Zhao, Teacher Bian, sorry to trouble you today.” Lin Tingwan felt a bit embarrassed and quickly wiped the corner of his eye. “Have a cup of tea before you go?”

“No, we’re going back to rest.” Zhao Congfang waved with a smile. “Leaving now, Xiao Lin. Leaving now, Guagua. Say goodbye to Grandma.”

Although Guagua was unwilling to part with his father, he was a very polite child. Hearing this, he lifted his small head from Lin Tingwan’s chest, waved his hand obediently, and said softly, “Goodbye Grandma. Goodbye Grandpa. Sleep early, I’ll play with you in my dreams.”

“Okay, good baby. You must come to Grandma’s dream today.”

Lin Tingwan suspected his son’s talent for coaxing people was brought from the womb, how was he so good at it?

After Zhao Congfang and Bian Wenmao left, the father and son hugged for a bit longer. Lin Tingwan first pulled the child away from his chest. Looking at his still-round face, he touched it affectionately. “Guabao, did you have fun today? Are you tired?”

“Not tired.” Guagua was about to tell Lin Tingwan just how fun today was when suddenly, his sharp eyes noticed something. He pulled open Lin Tingwan’s pajama collar. The collar was buttoned loosely and was pulled open all at once, revealing a large portion of his chest.

Guagua gasped in panic, “Daddy! You were bitten by mosquitoes!”

On the chest originally white as jade were scattered hickeys, blooming on this beautiful body like red plum blossoms on snow.

“So many, so many mosquitoes, they’ve bitten my Daddy all up!” Guagua was so angry he started to cry.

Lin Tingwan knew how disastrous his chest looked. He had been startled seeing it when he showered. Kuang Ye definitely belonged to the dog family; there wasn’t a single patch of good skin on him.

Poor Guagua, seeing the red marks all over Lin Tingwan, was on the verge of crying. A layer of mist rose in his eyes, his mouth pouted, and bean-sized tears rolled down. “Woo… bad mosquitoes, biting my Daddy, I’ll beat you to death!”

He threw a flurry of “wild” punches at the air. After venting his anger, he carefully reached out a finger to poke at the deepest red bruise on the left side of his neck. “Daddy, does it itch? Baby will blow on it for you.”

“It doesn’t itch anymore, Guabao. Daddy is fine, don’t worry.” Lin Tingwan was both embarrassed and moved. He let Guagua blow on it for a bit, then quickly put the child down.

Guagua sniffled and didn’t make a sound.

The impact of the red marks on Lin Tingwan was too great for Guagua. Little Guagua secretly made a grand wish in his heart to destroy all mosquitoes and their families in the world.

And from that day on, Guagua became an undisputed mosquito killer, hell-bent on killing every mosquito he saw.

Only when Guagua grew up did he realize the poor mosquitoes had taken the blame for over a decade.

Lin Tingwan didn’t take that little misunderstanding to heart. He finished bathing Guagua and changing his clothes, then placed the child on the bed to sleep first.

But when he finished tidying the bathroom and came out, he found Guagua’s clothes had vanished.

The little fatty was snowy white all over, his chubby flesh piled in layers. He lay on the bed with his limbs spread out like a little jade figure, making one want to squeeze him.

Of course, now was not the time for that. Heating hadn’t started yet, and the temperature at night was low. Lin Tingwan hurriedly pulled over the quilt to cover the naked, fast-asleep little fatty.

The little fatty was woken by the movement and rubbed his eyes.

Lin Tingwan frowned. “Baby, why did you take your clothes off and not cover yourself with the quilt?! You’ll catch a cold!”

Guagua was bleary-eyed and called out softly, “Daddy.”

Lin Tingwan dressed him with a very serious expression. “Lin Guagua, why did you take all your clothes off?”

Guagua sensed his father was angry and hung his head guiltily, poking his fingers. “I, I… Grandma said I’m fragrant, and my blood is fragrant too.”

Lin Tingwan didn’t understand what he meant for a moment.

Guagua hugged his neck, sat on his lap, and gave him a big “pajee” kiss on the face. He explained, “The mosquitoes bite me. Once the mosquitoes are full, they won’t bite Daddy.”

The silly child thought there were mosquitoes in the room and that if the mosquitoes bit him, they wouldn’t come to bite Daddy. The anger in Lin Tingwan’s heart vanished instantly, replaced by a massive sense of guilt. His eyes grew red.

“Baby…”

He used to watch TV dramas where a mother would cry over a single sentence from her child, and he had never felt that way before. Now he truly believed—it turned out some children really were here to heal adults.

He squeezed Guagua’s hand and stroked his head, his palm resting on it in a gentle stroke. “Guabao, Daddy has applied medicine. No mosquitoes will bite Daddy anymore. Don’t be afraid.”

“Oh, then, then won’t any mosquitoes bite Daddy in the future either? if mosquitoes bite Daddy again, I’ll feel so very, very bad for you.”

“Mhm. There won’t be anymore.”

Lin Tingwan stroked Guagua’s head and secretly swore in his heart: he would absolutely never let Kuang Ye leave any marks on him ever again. Never.

On the other side.

Kuang Ye, who was driving in circles, took the chance while waiting for a red light to scroll through his Moments. Many people’s updates were about their kids. As a deep sufferer of “child-aversion,” he used to blacklist anyone who posted kids. Post, post, post, what is there to show off? This isn’t a personal space; who wants to see your kid.

But now, perhaps because he was going to be a father himself soon, his mindset was different. Kuang Ye found himself looking at those photos of kids and actually saw a hint of “dorky and cute” in them.

After watching, he gave a like. Although he liked them, Kuang Ye still felt that all the kids in his Moments were far inferior to the little fatty in Lin Tingwan’s house.

Thinking of Lin Tingwan, Kuang Ye’s mood turned good again, and he couldn’t help but hum a song.

Just as he hit a note, suddenly, his nose inexplicably itched. Then he let out three big sneezes—”A-choo!” “A-choo!” “A-choo!”

Kuang Ye rubbed his somewhat stuffed nose, his brow furrowing slightly.

Caught a cold?

This wouldn’t do. He had to meet his little stepson and wife tomorrow. Being sick would ruin everything, wouldn’t it?

Kuang Ye made a U-turn and stopped at a pharmacy by the road. He bought a full set: Antiviral Oral Liquid, Houttuynia Cordata Granules, 999 Ganmaoling, and Pudilan Anti-inflammatory Tablets.

A multi-pronged approach he absolutely wouldn’t let an uncooperative body ruin his big plans!