A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: KSWL

Seeing Guagua’s excited little expression, Bian Wang immediately became alert. If he wasn’t careful, would Guagua have a new favorite uncle?

He asked sourly, “Who is this ‘Good Man Uncle’?”

Guagua said, “Daddy’s friend! He buys Baby so many gifts, Baby likes him~”

Hearing this, Bian Wang felt even more doomed: “Then do you only like him and not like Wang-wang Ge anymore?”

Guagua scratched his head in a panic: “Oh, Wang-wang Ge, I like you too. But I want to talk to the Good Man Uncle first.”

He grabbed Lin Tingwan’s pant leg and shook it like he was acting spoiled: “Baby wants to talk to the Uncle. Daddy, call him.”

Lin Tingwan saw that Bian Wang was so aggrieved he looked ready to shut down. He couldn’t help but laugh, patted Guagua’s small head, and said, “Good Man Uncle already hung up. We’ll talk next time. Look, you’ve broken your Wang-wang Ge’s heart.”

Guagua turned his head to look. Bian Wang immediately put on a heartbroken, tearful expression.

“Wang-wang Ge, are you sad?”

Bian Wang nodded vigorously. “Mhm! You have a Good Man Uncle now; Wang-wang Ge isn’t important anymore!”

“Oh, oh, I like everyone.” Guagua stomped his foot and hurriedly ran over to hug Bian Wang and whimper. His dark, beady eyes didn’t forget to look at Lin Tingwan to give instructions: “Daddy, hurry up and call the Good Man Uncle.”

Lin Tingwan stalled him: “Next time. Next time if the Good Man Uncle calls, I’ll let you answer first, okay?”

“You always don’t let me talk to the Good Man Uncle!” Having been stalled too many times, Guagua had developed a bit of a temper. He crossed his arms over his chest, gave a forceful “Hmph,” and turned his head away.

Lin Tingwan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How did he end up getting angry?

“Next time, I’ll let Baby answer all the calls, okay?”

Guagua was coaxed back to a good mood. Lin Tingwan pinched Guagua’s beaming little face. Bian Wang watched the interaction between father and son in silence, his gaze indescribably tender.

“Alright, stop bothering your Wang-wang Ge.” Lin Tingwan looked back and saw the smile on Bian Wang’s lips. His movements paused for a moment before he said to Bian Wang with a normal expression, “It’s getting late, Bian Wang, you should head back early. It’s not convenient to drive at night.”

Bian Wang froze for a second and immediately said, “Then I’ll head back first. Tingwan Ge, our final is tomorrow morning at 9:30. Don’t forget, okay?”

“Mhm, we will be there on time.”

A couple of days ago, Lin Tingwan had taken Guagua to watch Bian Wang play. He performed very well and made it to the finals. The final was on Saturday afternoon, and the parent-child play Pei Shaoyü invited him to was on Saturday evening. When Lin Tingwan said the times conflicted, he wasn’t entirely lying. However, if they really rushed, they could have made it.

Lin Tingwan saw Bian Wang to the door. Before leaving, Bian Wang specifically reminded him again: “Tingwan Ge, you must come tomorrow.”

His solemn manner made Lin Tingwan feel a bit strange, but he nodded very seriously. “Okay, we will arrive on time.”

As soon as Bian Wang left, the phone on the table rang again.

Guagua, who had been a bit mopey because Bian Wang left, immediately perked up. He rushed to the phone in three steps, saw those two words he didn’t recognize earlier on the screen, and immediately said sweetly into the phone, “Good Man Uncle, hello! I am Guagua~ May I ask who you are?”

Kuang Ye: “……”

This little dummy. He already called him “Uncle,” yet he was still asking who it was?

However, as expected of Lin Tingwan’s child, even his voice was more pleasant than other kids’.

He completely forgot that he used to be the type of person who would frown the moment he heard a child’s voice. He even specifically cleared his throat and said in a very deep, magnetic voice: “Guagua, hello. Please let your daddy take the phone.”

“Oh.” The Good Man Uncle’s politeness made Guagua particularly happy plus, it was exactly the line he wanted to hear! Guagua became even more excited, saying cheerfully, “Good Man Uncle, you’re looking for Daddy? Okay, I’ll transfer you.”

He turned around and handed the phone to Lin Tingwan beside him. Noticing Lin Tingwan’s face, he let out an “Eh?”: “Daddy? What’s wrong? Why is your face so white?”

Whenever Lin Tingwan saw Kuang Ye and Guagua interacting, he became instinctively nervous. His palms were full of sweat. Seeing Guagua’s small face filled with worry, he forced a smile and said, “Nothing, you saw wrong, baby. Daddy is going to take the call; go play by yourself for a bit.”

“Hey, Daddy, I haven’t said thank you to the Good Man Uncle yet!”

Guagua pressed his round little face against the phone and said crisply, “Good Man Uncle, thank you for the gifts you bought Baby. I like them so, so much! When… when are you coming to my house to play? I’ll treat you to animal crackers! You can eat so many, many, and cake too!”

“Good Man Uncle, when are you coming?”

Fearing Kuang Ye would agree, Lin Tingwan quickly took the phone, turned away, and said, “Hello.”

Kuang Ye went straight to the point: “Guagua just invited me. I heard it.”

Lin Tingwan said, “…Give me a bit more time. I will let you meet.”

Kuang Ye said dissatisfiedly, “That guy Bian can come over, so why can’t I?”

Lin Tingwan didn’t know why Kuang Ye was so divinely informed that he even knew Bian Wang had been to his house. But hearing that Kuang Ye’s tone was a bit off, he quickly applied the learning techniques from this morning. Bracing himself and following the template from a forum post, he said very charmingly, “Well… is your relationship with me the same as Bian Wang’s?”

The raging fire of jealousy in Kuang Ye’s heart vanished without a trace in an instant.

“Hmph, hmph. How did you suddenly become such a smooth talker?” Kuang Ye’s voice was still dissatisfied, but the smile in it couldn’t be hidden.

With lingering fear, Lin Tingwan breathed a sigh of relief. Phew, escaped another disaster. It seemed the post he browsed this morning—”My tsundere partner has a bit of a temper, how should I coax him?”—wasn’t read in vain.

“Um, Kuang Ye… how did you know Bian Wang was at my house?” Lin Tingwan was truly curious. Telepathy? That would be too scary.

Kuang Ye gave a smug chuckle: “A wise man has his secret ways.”

One was worried about letting something slip regarding watching Bian Wang’s game tomorrow, and the other was worried Lin Tingwan would keep asking how he knew Bian Wang was at the house. Both guiltily changed the subject at the same time.

“Babe.” Kuang Ye was in a very good mood, his voice low and sexy. “Any plans for the weekend?”

The voice sounded as if it were whispered right into Lin Tingwan’s ear. A faint blush appeared on Lin Tingwan’s face as he stammered, “I—I’m taking Guagua out to play tomorrow afternoon. In the evening, we might eat out. On Sunday, I’m going to the newly opened amusement park with Guagua.”

“And what about me?” Kuang Ye listened for a long time without hearing himself mentioned. He asked with some irritation, “Are we not going to see each other for two whole days?”

“You—you… you should rest at home too.” Lin Tingwan blinked and switched the phone to his other hand. His right hand was already covered in sweat.

There was a silence on the other end of the line.

Lin Tingwan felt a bit guilty listening to Kuang Ye’s breathing.

Kuang Ye suddenly spoke rapidly, like he was reciting a menu: “I’m driving home tomorrow morning at ten o’clock to have dinner with my parents. I’ll go to the boxing gym around two and play ball until about six. I’ll be home from seven in the evening and all day Sunday.”

After saying that, Kuang Ye hung up the phone.

Lin Tingwan looked at the disconnected call, baffled.

What did Kuang Ye mean by reporting his schedule to him?

Lin Tingwan’s habit was to not think about things he couldn’t figure out. After lunch the next day, Lin Tingwan set off with Guagua.

At the entrance of the Sports University.

Bian Wang stood by the roadside waiting for someone.

In the dead of winter, he was wearing a down jacket on top and basketball shorts on the bottom. Under his white high-top socks was a pair of fluorescent yellow and indigo sneakers. Even with this simple outfit, he was handsome and eye-catching.

“Hey, who’s that?”

“Bian Wang from the Sports Department. He’s really famous.”

“Does he have a partner?”

“Not sure.”

A girl with light yellow permed curls, dressed exquisitely and beautifully, walked up to Bian Wang and gave a bold greeting: “Hey, classmate, I’m from the Vocal Music Department. Can I add you on WeChat?”

Bian Wang glanced at her, his gaze not lingering: “Sorry, I already have someone.”

The girl smiled and said, “We can still get to know each other, can’t we even be friends?”

“I don’t want to make him jealous. Sorry.”

Bian Wang stopped looking at the pretty girl, focusing all his attention on the roadside, waiting for that familiar figure.

A white luxury van slowly stopped in front of Bian Wang. Then the door slid open, and a slender young man stepped out. Bian Wang froze for a moment, subconsciously looking at the driver’s seat, his palms sweating.

Please don’t let it be the Mulsanne Man, please don’t let it be the Mulsanne Man!

Bian Wang grit his teeth tightly, suppressing the emotions churning in his heart, and approached as if nothing was wrong: “Tingwan Ge!”

Lin Tingwan supported Guagua’s small arm as they got out of the car. Hearing the voice, he looked in that direction and offered a smile.

The girl who had been following Bian Wang slowed her pace, stopping not far away and curiously eyeing Lin Tingwan and Guagua.

Bian Wang naturally took Guagua from Lin Tingwan’s hands, his peripheral vision fixed on the driver’s seat.

Damn it, I can’t see clearly!

The electronic door slowly closed, and the Alphard drove away.

Haha, it wasn’t the Mulsanne Man.

Bian Wang’s heart eased, and he let out an unconscious chuckle.

Lin Tingwan saw his face switching between serious and giggly. Thinking Bian Wang was under too much pressure for the game, he offered a few words of comfort.

Bian Wang said with a smile, “Tingwan Ge, how come you came in a luxury van? I thought I saw wrong.”

Lin Tingwan was embarrassed: “I hailed a ‘Dede’ taxi. I don’t know why a luxury van accepted the order.”

“Hahahaha, you actually ran into that? Tingwan Ge, you’re too lucky!”

Lin Tingwan felt awkward.

Bian Wang giggled, lifted Guagua onto his shoulders, and waved his hand: “Let’s go! I saved a good spot for you!”

They walked off chatting and laughing. The girl who had looked for Bian Wang earlier rejoined her friend, looking dejected.

“It’s completely hopeless.”

Her friend laughed: “Oh? What happened? Giving up so fast isn’t like you.”

The girl thought of the slender young man she just saw, and that exquisite, beautiful face. She felt very frustrated and looked at her friend resentfully: “How am I supposed to compete? I can’t win against that.”

This was just a small, beautiful interlude.

The competition Bian Wang was participating in was an inter-school tournament organized by the city. The finalist teams were very strong: Sports University versus Q University. Both teams were star teams with very high popularity.

On the vast sports field of B Sports University, the stands on both sides of the court were packed. Besides the students and teachers from both sides, there were many local residents watching the players’ performance. There was even a local TV station doing a live broadcast; it was incredibly lively.

Lin Tingwan hadn’t expected such a large-scale event. As soon as he entered the stadium, he was shocked by the bustle of the scene. The gates leading to the stadium were jammed tight. Bian Wang shielded Guagua and Lin Tingwan as they pushed through the crowded throng.

“Hey, over here.” In the middle of the stands, a tall boy waved at Bian Wang.

Bian Wang led Lin Tingwan and Guagua to meet up with his classmate.

The tall boy looked at Lin Tingwan’s face, unsure whether to call him “Brother” or “Little Brother”—he looked older than Lin Tingwan.

So, he simply offered Lin Tingwan a kind smile: “Bian Wang’s brother, right? Hello, I’m Zhang Weiguo.”

“Hello, hello.” Lin Tingwan quickly greeted him and prompted Guagua: “Guagua, call him ‘Brother’.”

Sitting in Bian Wang’s arms, Guagua wasn’t shy at all and gave a crisp, “Hello, Brother~”

This made Zhang Weiguo beam with joy.

Man, this kid is so lovable. no wonder Bian Wang dreams of being his daddy!

Time was tight. Bian Wang pointed at a bulging large plastic bag next to the seats and said to Lin Tingwan, “Tingwan Ge, I bought food, drinks, a power bank, and wet wipes. If you need anything else, just tell Weiguo and let him help. You’re not familiar with our school and there are so many people, so don’t get lost.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble Classmate Zhang.” Lin Tingwan took Guagua from Bian Wang and thanked him.

A suspicious blush actually appeared on Zhang Weiguo’s dark face. He scratched his head and stammered, “Haha, Ge, you’re… too polite. Bian Wang is my iron brother; you can order me around however you want.”

Bian Wang thought to himself, Calling him ‘Ge’ just because I do? He quickly dragged Zhang Weiguo away.

Once out of Lin Tingwan’s sight, Bian Wang didn’t hold back. He pinned Zhang Weiguo against a wall and scolded him fiercely, “Who told you to call him ‘Ge’? That’s my Ge! My Ge!”

Zhang Weiguo was indeed iron brothers with Bian Wang. He wasn’t angry at the scolding, saying aggrievedly, “Then what should I call him? Brother Lin? I can’t exactly call him ‘Brother-in-law’ yet, can I?”

Hearing the word “Brother-in-law,” the handsome athletic boy blinked, his face turning red. He said incoherently, “Wh-what kind of title is that? I haven’t even confessed yet.”

Zhang Weiguo had enough of him and rolled his eyes: “Can you stop being so innocent? When are you actually planning to confess?”

“I… I originally planned for today… but as soon as I see him, I can’t get the words out.” Bian Wang lowered his head dejectedly and rubbed his face in frustration.

Zhang Weiguo and Bian Wang were roommates and had been elementary school classmates; they had been close since they were kids. Although they lost contact during middle and high school because Zhang Weiguo didn’t get into the same school, they quickly became close again after reuniting in college.

Bian Wang had a boyfriend in high school but broke up after graduation. The ex came looking for him during the first semester of freshman year, so Zhang Weiguo knew about his sexual orientation. Although Zhang Weiguo was a straight man, he was open-minded. As long as Bian Wang didn’t hit on him, they were still good brothers.

“He’s so pretty; aren’t you afraid someone else will set their sights on him?” Zhang Weiguo looked at him sideways, angry at his lack of initiative. “Can you show some manly backbone!”

Lin Tingwan was truly beautiful; even as a straight man, he felt… cough, a friend’s wife is not to be trifled with.

Fortunately, Bian Wang didn’t know Zhang Weiguo’s internal monologue; otherwise, he would have definitely fought him.

Thinking of the people eyeing Lin Tingwan like tigers, Bian Wang suddenly perked up.

“I’ll try to say it today!”

Zhang Weiguo patted his shoulder: “Good luck, I believe in you, buddy. I think you can do it!”

Encouraged by Zhang Weiguo, Bian Wang gained a bit of confidence.

It was decided! If they won the championship this time, he would confess!

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