A Single Father’s Troubles - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Scumbag

The place they went to eat was a dating “holy land” recommended to Bian Wang by his Neptune-like roommate.

The restaurant’s environment was quiet and elegant, and its flavors were unique. Although the prices were slightly high, its service was absolutely worth the cost.

The entire restaurant was decorated to be full of pink bubbles. Those who came to eat were either couples in the heat of passion or married pairs; the combination of two men bringing a small child appeared somewhat eye-catching in the restaurant.

An experienced waiter greeted them with a standard expression, but when he clearly saw the young man holding the little boy’s hand, his footsteps couldn’t help but falter.

Because the restaurant was very popular, influencers often came to check in. He felt from the bottom of his heart that those meticulously dressed and beautiful influencers were nowhere near as good-looking as the young man before him.

The young man had a clean aura, and because his features were too exquisite and didn’t show his age, he possessed a beauty that was almost androgynous.

The waiter instinctively followed his movements to look at the little boy he was leading; the little boy looked very much like the young man.

He couldn’t help but speculate about the relationship between the three. Were they brothers? Or a gay couple?

Bian Wang imperceptibly blocked the other’s gaze, aptly shielding the father and son behind him. “Hello, we have a reservation for a private room. The reservation is under the name Bian. Can you lead us there?”

The waiter quickly lowered his head. “Yes, please follow me.”

Lin Tingwan waved his hand and softly called to Guagua, who was intently watching the pianist in a tuxedo play the piano. “Baby, let’s go inside.”

“Oh!” Guagua trotted back to Lin Tingwan’s side and hugged his leg, looking a bit incredulous. “Daddy, are we going to eat in a restaurant like the ones on TV?”

Bian Wang had long guessed that Guagua would definitely love it. Seeing him so expectant, he rubbed the boy’s head with a grin. “That’s right. Is Guabao happy?”

“Yes!” Guagua was so excited he wanted to run into the private room, but after two steps, he performed an “emergency brake,” grabbed Lin Tingwan’s hand, and walked forward slowly. “Daddy, I won’t run. If I run, I’ll be noisy to others, right?”

“Right,” Lin Tingwan’s eyes curved as he kissed Guagua on the cheek. “Good boy, so sensible.”

Guagua smiled with great satisfaction, letting Lin Tingwan lead him into the room.

As soon as they arrived in the private room, Guagua couldn’t wait to climb onto Lin Tingwan’s lap, hugging his waist and patting his pocket. “Daddy, call Bengbeng!”

“Then you chat with Bengbeng for a while, baby. Daddy is going out to use the restroom.”

“Mhm, mhm!”

Lin Tingwan watched Guagua sit in the chair with Bian Wang accompanying him before he felt at ease enough to step out.

The restroom was about three hundred meters from the restaurant. The surrounding area was lined with shops. Lin Tingwan focused on finding the restroom the waiter had mentioned.

While passing a jewelry store, Lin Tingwan caught sight of a familiar figure inside, and his pace gradually slowed.

Kuang Ye and a very beautiful woman were browsing inside. The girl tried on a bracelet; once it was on, she even held it up in front of Kuang Ye, seemingly asking him if it looked good.

When that person began to turn his head unconsciously, Lin Tingwan turned his head away as quickly as if he’d been electrocuted and dashed into the hallway leading to the restroom.

He leaned against the wall, his heart thumping wildly, sweat breaking out from the tension.

Guagua hung up the phone and savored the moment for a while. He was just thinking it was a pity Daddy didn’t get to talk to Bengbeng when he looked up and saw Lin Tingwan standing at the door motionless. He quickly patted the sofa. “Daddy!”

Lin Tingwan snapped back to reality and walked over quickly to sit beside Guagua. “Finished the call?”

“Mhm! Daddy, let’s come here to eat with Bengbeng next time, okay?” Guagua asked, blinking his big eyes.

“Okay.”

Bian Wang looked at the pair opposite him with a gentle gaze and a smile. He handed the menu to Lin Tingwan and said softly, “Brother Tingwan, see if there are any dishes you want to add.”

Lin Tingwan chose corn juice for the child and replaced a particularly spicy dish. He explained to Bian Wang, “Guagua can’t handle spicy food very well.”

Bian Wang felt a bit chagrined; he had only been thinking about what Lin Tingwan liked to eat and forgot the child’s palate. Bian Wang replaced one of the dishes he liked with a sweet dish the child preferred before handing the menu back to the waiter.

During the meal, Lin Tingwan was clearly distracted, his gaze instinctively drifting toward the window.

If Kuang Ye had a girlfriend, and they were even at the stage of discussing marriage… then why did he still look for him? Why did he burst into his house?

His mind was in a mess; everything felt like a tangled ball of yarn that couldn’t be unraveled.

“What are you looking at, Brother?”

Lin Tingwan was startled by Bian Wang’s voice. Like a startled small animal, his eyes flickered, and he lowered his head with a flushed face. “No… nothing.”

Bian Wang felt something was off and suspiciously glanced toward the window Lin Tingwan had been looking at several times.

He watched for a while and saw nothing. Just as he was about to withdraw his gaze, a familiar figure flashed by.

Bian Wang had only seen that figure once, briefly, downstairs at Lin Tingwan’s home. But perhaps due to a man’s intuition, that silhouette was deeply etched into his mind.

Is that man stalking them?

No.

Bian Wang narrowed his eyes, imperceptibly sizing up that figure.

There was a very beautiful woman beside that man.

A couple on a date?

Bian Wang quietly withdrew his gaze, his eyes sweeping across Lin Tingwan’s face as he sat with his head lowered, eating in silence.

So, Lin Tingwan’s sudden abnormality was because of that man?

The meal, which had started with a good atmosphere, suddenly became somber as each person harbored their own thoughts.

Lin Tingwan went to the front desk to settle the bill. Just after he paid, his phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID actually showed Pei Shaoyu.

“Tingwan, it’s Pei Shaoyu. Is it convenient to talk?”

“President Pei. It’s convenient.” Lin Tingwan walked to a relatively secluded corner and stood still, his fingers unconsciously picking at his clothes. “Please speak.”

“I just received notice that we need to meet with several representatives from Fuchuan tomorrow. The meeting materials need to be prepared. I need you to come to the company to work overtime, for about two hours. Is that convenient for you?”

Hearing the content of the call, Bian Wang mouthed: “It’s fine, I’ll take Guagua back, go do your work.”

Lin Tingwan cast him a grateful look and replied, “Okay, I’ll head over now. I can be there in about half an hour.”

“Stay safe.”

After hanging up, Lin Tingwan knelt down to touch Guagua’s face and said warmly, “Baby, Daddy has to go to the company for overtime. Go play at Brother Wangwang’s house for a while, and Daddy will pick you up after work, okay?”

Bian Wang originally thought that given Guagua’s clingy personality, he would hug Lin Tingwan’s leg and not let him go. Unexpectedly, Guagua didn’t even pucker his lips; he said very sensibly, “Mhm! Daddy go to work, baby will be good. Daddy come pick me up from Brother’s house early~”

Looking at his son’s obedient face, Lin Tingwan felt a sudden pang of heartache. He pulled him into his arms, reluctant to let go. “Daddy will definitely come over early.”

Lin Tingwan kissed Guagua on his left cheek, right cheek, and forehead respectively.

Guagua copied his movements and kissed Lin Tingwan several more times.

Bian Wang watched with envy and quickly said he wanted a kiss too. Guagua, having just finished kissing his beloved Daddy, ignored him. This made Bian Wang feel very depressed; he looked at Guagua with a pained expression like a child. “Are you still Brother Wangwang’s best friend? Won’t even give a kiss?”

Guagua covered his mouth and giggled secretly. But he just laughed and refused to kiss Bian Wang.

Bian Wang insisted he kiss him.

The two of them, one big and one small, began to mess around.

“Alright, Daddy’s car is here. Say goodbye to Daddy,” Lin Tingwan said with a smile.

“Bye-bye, Daddy~~”

Lin Tingwan got into the car and waved to them. “You guys go back too.”

Guagua and Bian Wang both refused, insisting on waiting for Lin Tingwan to leave first.

Once the taxi disappeared from sight, the child’s brilliant smile vanished. After walking toward the parking lot for a while, Guagua sniffled sadly.

He looked down at his round belly and asked Bian Wang with great distress, “Brother Wangwang, why can baby eat so much?”

Bian Wang didn’t react at first.

Guagua said dejectedly, “I eat so much and so much, and then Daddy will have no money.”

“Daddy works so hard to earn money for baby.”

Bian Wang was terrified that the little brat would stop eating well just to save money for Lin Tingwan. He quickly said, “You have to eat a lot so you can grow tall and tall quickly. Once you can earn money, Daddy won’t have to work so hard.”

“So you must eat well, understand?”

“Oh.” Guagua seemed convinced by him and let himself be picked up. “Then I’ll eat more and grow tall early.”

“That’s right.” Bian Wang carried him toward the parking lot, asking seemingly casually, “By the way, Guabao, recently… have any of Daddy’s friends come to the house?”

Guagua hugged his neck tightly and shook his head honestly.

Only one bad person came.

But Daddy said he couldn’t let others know.

His mouth was very tightly sealed.

Despite his young age, the child was quite sharp. He didn’t want to discuss the topic, so he immediately diverted Bian Wang’s attention. “Brother Wangwang, hold me tight, don’t drop me.”

“I know, I know,” Bian Wang replied with a smile. But in his mind, he was thinking that it seemed that scumbag from that day hadn’t seen Guagua, and he felt a strange sense of relief.

By the time Kuang Ye dropped his older cousin off and returned home, it was almost ten o’clock. The night was deep, and the already quiet neighborhood felt exceptionally silent.

Kuang Ye pushed open the door; the large villa was silent and very cold.

Kuang Ye flicked on the light on the wall, and the full view of the house was revealed.

The high-ceilinged, spacious living room was decorated entirely in black, white, and gray, making it feel lacking in human warmth. Yet, in certain places, items that were inexplicably out of tune with the house’s decor appeared: a little bear pillow on the sofa, plain tea coasters, a silicone duck-shaped nightlight that would light up with a tap…

The owner allowed these mismatched items to abruptly occupy the space without tidying them away.

Kuang Ye went upstairs without a sideways glance, kicked off his shoes, and went into the bathroom to shower.

Soon, he stepped out of the bathroom carrying the scent of moisture.

Years of working out had given Kuang Ye a very good physique. The contours of his naked back muscles were well-defined, and residual water droplets hung on his spine and shoulders, looking very sexy.

He casually tossed the towel onto the nightstand, and his gaze collided with a wooden photo frame beside the bed.

The photo was of two men.

The slightly taller one had his arm draped broadly over the shorter one’s shoulder, pulling the other tightly into his embrace; the gesture was full of possessiveness. The shorter one seemed a bit unaccustomed to such unabashed intimacy and was smiling very shyly. Two small dimples blossomed on his face, making him look clean and beautiful.

The photo was taken not long after they first got together.

That day, he had taken Lin Tingwan out for a ride on his motorcycle. Lin Tingwan loved it and was in a particularly good mood, smiling with his mouth pursed the whole time. Seeing him, Kuang Ye was also happy, so he asked someone to take this photo.

Realizing he had fallen into memories again, Kuang Ye rose from the bed irritably and, with a clack, slammed the photo frame face down on the nightstand.

Out of sight, out of mind.

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