A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Secrecy

Right next to the pharmacy was a massive shopping mall.

Kuang Ye walked out carrying a bag of medicine, suddenly remembering that Lin Tingwan’s silly son seemed to be about the same age as Zhou Nuoning.

Well, since we’ll be a family in the future, it’s only right to buy the little brat a meeting gift.

He took out his phone and dialed.

“Hello,” Kuang Mei’s voice sounded a bit hoarse. “Calling this late—don’t tell me you’re coming to S City again. Let’s get this straight: coming for work is fine, but you’re responsible for Zhou Nuoning.”

Hearing her tone, Kuang Ye knew she was being tortured by that demon child Zhou Nuoning. He immediately said, “You’re responsible for your own precious son.”

“Oh, then I’m hanging up.”

“Hey! Wait a second, Sis, I have something to ask you.”

Hearing him call her “Sis,” Kuang Mei turned serious: “Speak.”

“…What do kids Zhou Nuoning’s age like these days?”

“Why are you asking that?” Kuang Mei keenly detected something unusual in his words and let out a startled, low cry. “Did you get someone pregnant? Does Auntie know? No, I have to call her to report the good news!”

“Stop, stop, stop!” Kuang Ye thought to himself that a woman’s intuition was terrifying. Knowing Kuang Mei’s big mouth, once she knew, every single person with the surname Kuang in the world would know. He quickly clarified: “Stop letting your imagination run wild. Zhou Nuoning’s birthday is coming up, I’m preparing a surprise for him in advance!”

“Tsk, I thought it was actually something important,” Kuang Mei lost interest instantly and said lazily, “I’ll send you a list in a bit.”

She hung up immediately after.

Kuang Ye was long used to Kuang Mei’s “my way or the highway” attitude; it was likely genetic their whole family was like this.

Soon, Kuang Mei sent over a gift list that was two screens long.

Kuang Ye: ………………

Kuang Ye forwarded the message to the butler with one click. The butler was highly efficient; by Sunday morning, the items were all ready, arranged across half a wall in a dazzling display.

Kuang Ye selected several things a child would like and set them aside. He also specifically chose a new outfit that showed off his physique, took a shower, styled his hair, and even called his married-with-kids friends to consult for half the day on techniques for getting along with children.

Everything was ready; he only waited for the call.

After breakfast, Kuang Ye sat in the living room with the corners of his mouth curled up, focusing on waiting for Lin Tingwan’s message. The sky turned from dark to light, and from light back to dark. Kuang Ye’s smile gradually flattened from a crescent moon into a straight line.

He looked at the pile of large and small gifts in the corner of the living room, then glanced at his phone, which sat like a broken piece of junk without a single message. Hearing the faint movements coming from next door, he let out a cold laugh, stood up, and knocked on the neighbor’s door.

Although Lin Tingwan had promised Kuang Ye an answer within two days, he had no idea what to do. If he agreed, what if Kuang Ye wanted to move in together? Wouldn’t that be a death sentence?

But if he didn’t agree, he might not live to see daybreak anyway.

Every time Lin Tingwan opened or closed his eyes, the word “Death” flashed before him. He couldn’t eat or sleep well. In just over a day, his already small heart-shaped face seemed to have shrunk a size further, his chin looking even pointier.

After finishing dinner, Lin Tingwan was absent-mindedly washing dishes in the kitchen while Guagua sat in the living room playing with building blocks. The cartoon Baby Baby was playing on the living room TV with the volume turned up high.

Guagua was multitasking, playing for a bit and watching for a bit. Gradually, he became enthralled by the cartoon, his head practically glued to the TV.

Knock, knock, knock.

Several rapid, urgent knocks sounded from outside.

Guagua jumped, thinking his dad was about to scold him, and quickly moved his head away. Finding that Lin Tingwan was still in the kitchen washing dishes, he clutched his chest and let out a small sigh of relief.

He closed his eyes and listened intently for a moment, tossed the blocks aside, and pitter-pattered to the security door. Stepping onto a chair, he asked softly through the door: “Who’s knocking on the door?”

“Open up, it’s Daddy.”

Guagua froze.

Daddy?

Guagua turned his body and stretched his head to peek into the kitchen. Under the warm yellow light, Lin Tingwan, wearing an apron, leaned over and was quietly wiping the cabinet panels.

Guagua looked at Lin Tingwan busying himself in the kitchen, his small face written over with confusion: “Baby has two daddies? Daddy is outside?”

“No, no, Daddy is inside, the one outside is a liar!” Guagua realized the truth and glared indignantly at the pig-liver-colored security door, shouting loudly, “You aren’t Daddy, you’re a liar!”

“I’m your stepfather. If you don’t believe me, go ask Lin Tingwan,” the voice outside said.

Hearing his father’s name, Guagua’s focus shifted completely. “What’s a stepfather?”

Kuang Ye’s face darkened. He had said Lin Tingwan’s son was a little dummy three years old and doesn’t even know what a stepfather is! Lin Tingwan was a top student; for the son to be so stupid, the inferior genes must come from the mother!

“I can’t explain it to a brat like you. Go call Lin Tingwan over.”

Guagua was very displeased. He was an exceptionally smart baby. He gave a heavy “Hmph!” and said, “I won’t go call Daddy. You’re a liar, I’m going to call the police and let the police uncle catch you!”

The disdain in his little eyes it was a lucky thing Kuang Ye couldn’t see it was exactly the same as Kuang Ye’s.

Kuang Ye hadn’t expected the little brat to be so good at aggravating people, and he was so angry he couldn’t help but pound on the door.

Separated by the door, Guagua climbed down from the chair and ran deng-deng-deng toward the kitchen, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Daddy, something terrible happened! There’s a stepfather-liar at the door!!”

Lin Tingwan quickly shook the water off his hands and came out to meet him.

“Baby, what’s wrong? What liar?” Lin Tingwan caught Guagua as he threw himself into his arms, stroking his back to soothe him. “What is a ‘jifu’ liar, good boy?”

“No, no!” Guagua grew anxious upon hearing this and started jumping. “Daddy! The stepfather-liar isn’t ‘good boy’! I’m the good boy!”

Lin Tingwan paused, then coaxed, “I’m sorry, Daddy misspoke. Daddy was calling you.”

“Oh, oh, so you were calling baby.” Realizing the mistake, Guagua gave a shy, toothy grin.

He was fair and good-looking, like those traditional New Year’s doll paintings. When he smiled, his eyes curved into crescents, making one’s mood brighten instantly. Lin Tingwan almost forgot what he was going to ask.

Guagua remembered the main business and grabbed Lin Tingwan’s hand, dragging him outward. “Daddy, there’s a stepfather-liar outside. He’s tricking baby to open the door.”

As he spoke, the violent knocking sounded again.

Both father and son were startled by the pounding.

“Daddy will go take a look.”

Lin Tingwan walked to the entryway and looked at the visual doorbell. He met a pair of gloomy eyes, and cold sweat immediately broke out.

Kuang-Kuang-Kuang-Kuang-Kuang Ye!

Guagua was small and short; even standing on the chair, he couldn’t reach the height of the peephole. He hugged Lin Tingwan’s leg and tried hard to climb up, tiptoeing with his left foot then his right, frantic as he shouted repeatedly, “Daddy, Daddy, did you see the stepfather-liar? Does he look like a bad guy?”

Lin Tingwan’s heart was thumping so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat. He quickly pressed down on Guagua’s head and stammered, “Don’t look, the stepfather-liar is terrifying. You’ll have nightmares if you see him.”

Seeing his father’s face turn pale with fear, Guagua thought this liar must be something else. He quickly mimicked what he’d seen in TV dramas and covered his own eyes. “So scary? Then I… then I won’t look. I’m still just a baby, my courage is so very, very small.”

“Daddy, you shouldn’t go either. You’re still just a little friend too.” Guagua quickly grabbed Lin Tingwan again, offering advice with the air of a little adult. “Let’s call the police uncle. Bengbeng’s second brother is a policeman. Daddy, call Bengbeng.”

“It’s okay, honey. Daddy is an adult, Daddy isn’t afraid.”

Wow! Daddy is so amazing!

Guagua looked at Lin Tingwan with adoration, his eyes bright and full of excitement: “Daddy, are you going to teach the stepfather-liar a lesson?”

Lin Tingwan thought to himself that it was more likely Daddy would be taught a lesson, but he certainly couldn’t say that in front of his son, so he only nodded.

Guagua immediately started jumping with joy. He clenched his fists and swung them wildly in the air to cheer Lin Tingwan on: “Okay! Teach him, Daddy!”

“Daddy will try his best,” Lin Tingwan said, hardening his heart.

“Guabao, when Daddy opens the door, you turn around so the bad guy won’t see you, okay?”

“I know, I know, I won’t let him see.” Having said that, Guagua quickly turned his back and covered his eyes.

This way, the bad guy won’t be able to see me.

Lin Tingwan took the chance to pull open the door and slip outside. Kuang Ye, who had been waiting at the door for ages, was already long past impatient. With a black face, he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could get a word out, Lin Tingwan expertly covered his mouth, tucked his head under his arm, and dragged him into the stairwell.

Kuang Ye was stunned. How did Lin Tingwan, who was half a head shorter than him, even move him!

If Kuang Ye’s face had been the bottom of a pot before, it had now evolved into an ancient, seasoned pot-bottom. It was uniquely black. His specifically prepared hairstyle, now messy from the earlier scuffle, had a distinct “flavor” to it.

Lin Tingwan: …………

Lin Tingwan guiltily used his fingers to comb through it a few times.

Kuang Ye brushed his hand away. His gaze swept up and down, making Lin Tingwan feel hair stand on end.

Kuang Ye questioned, “Why didn’t you call me?”

Lin Tingwan shrank his neck and stammered, “It… it wasn’t midnight yet.”

Kuang Ye crossed his arms and looked down at him.

“Are you playing me?”

Lin Tingwan’s whole body was stiff; he didn’t dare meet his gaze.

If it were just being “bed partners,” it wouldn’t be a big deal. Auntie Zhuang Jie had told him that after having Guagua, the possibility of him conceiving again was less than 1%—practically zero probability; he didn’t have to worry about producing another one.

But the current problem was that he couldn’t let Kuang Ye see Guagua!

Lin Tingwan folded under Kuang Ye’s increasingly sharp gaze and muttered: “…It’s not that I’m going back on my word, it’s just… do we have to live together?”

“What do you think?” Kuang Ye smiled without feeling.

Kuang Ye truly intended to live together! What kind of “fuck buddies” live together!

Lin Tingwan was on the verge of a breakdown.

“I still have a child at home…”

Kuang Ye’s expression turned cold as he turned to pull the door. Lin Tingwan froze for a second before reacting; he lunged forward in absolute terror and hugged Kuang Ye’s waist, shouting: “You aren’t allowed to go!”

Kuang Ye gripped Lin Tingwan’s hands and barked in a low voice: “Let go!”

“I won’t! Don’t you go see my son!”

“My son”—this very clear declaration of ownership felt like a tiny needle pricking Kuang Ye’s heart.

The fact that Lin Tingwan had once conceived a new life with a woman was originally a scar the size of a bowl-opening in Kuang Ye’s heart; he would get angry enough to hit someone just thinking about it in the middle of the night.

He felt it was incredibly ridiculous. “Why can’t I see that brat?”

“…I don’t want him to know about our relationship.” Lin Tingwan closed his eyes and roared, “I don’t want him to know his daddy is gay!”

Lin Tingwan felt Kuang Ye’s body suddenly stiffen. Hearing Kuang Ye’s heavy breathing, Lin Tingwan’s whole body began to tremble.

“You think our relationship is shameful?” Kuang Ye’s sharp gaze locked onto his face, his well-defined jawline like a cold, hard blade.

Lin Tingwan instinctively took two steps back, his every pore screaming with the urge to flee.

“I… I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Then what did you mean?” Kuang Ye gave him a small smile, then turned to look out the window. The low-hanging sky was pitch black, without a single star.

“Guagua is still young, he hasn’t formed a view on choosing a partner yet. I don’t want… our relationship to affect him. So I think us living together is inappropriate,” Lin Tingwan said, lowering his head deeply with a lack of confidence.

“So? So every time I meet you, I have to hide from that brat? I have to wait for when he isn’t around?”

Kuang Ye laughed in anger, raising his volume. “You say it yourself how the f**k is this any different from having an affair?!”

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