Becoming the Scumbag Gong’s Father in a “Switching the Male Lead” Novel [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

The slight flicker of desire in Gu Tianze’s heart vanished completely, replaced by an overwhelming disgust for the filth on his clothes. After unceremoniously dumping the person onto Xu Qingfeng, he rushed back to his room to change and wash up.

As the elder, Xu Qingfeng’s attitude toward An Yan was primarily one of heartache; naturally, he felt no loathing or sense of burden.

He brought An Yan back to a vacant guest room to rest. As a strictly heterosexual man, he felt none of the awkwardness associated with needing to “avoid suspicion.” With a composed expression, he used a towel to wipe the youth’s face, hands, and feet, and changed him into pajamas free of the stench of alcohol.

Before leaving the guest room, he caught sight of An Yan’s half-open, misty eyes. Those watery pupils added a touch of piteousness to his gaze as he stared blankly at Xu Qingfeng, clearly not lucid.

He truly was a beautiful person both in face and form. Even when hopelessly drunk, he wasn’t unsightly; instead, he possessed a quality that would trigger a protective instinct in most people.

With a silent sigh, Xu Qingfeng thoughtfully tucked the two arms that had been left outside the covers back under the blanket. His clear, pleasant voice dropped to a low whisper, “Goodnight.”

With that, he extinguished all the lights in the bedroom and stepped back to his own room.

The next day, near noon.

By this time, Gu Tianze had long since left the house for parts unknown, having no intention of staying behind to check on his boyfriend.

In contrast, Xu Qingfeng, who strictly followed an early-bird biological clock, had not rested well at all. Having cared for An Yan until late the previous night and waking up at six in the morning without fail, he had no habit of sleeping in. He could only drag his exhausted body downstairs.

Fortunately, a delicious breakfast prepared by the chef made him feel alive again.

Afterward, he waited in the living room for An Yan to wake. After all, this was the boy’s first time at the Gu residence, and strictly speaking, he was a guest who required proper care.

Even if this guest had been brought here under ill intentions by a certain scumbag son.

When An Yan, walking with heavy and slow footsteps, spotted him in the living room, his expression was one of obvious shock.

He had blacked out the night before and was currently suffering from a post-hangover headache and an upset stomach. To make matters worse, his entire body felt weak and sore! He had almost entirely lost his memory of the night’s events, remembering only the fleeting image of a man’s face.

That hazy memory suggested that it must have been…

“Who are you? Last night… did something happen between us?” An Yan asked, his ears turning red. His mind raced with certain possibilities; after all, he was an adult and had heard stories about “drunken accidents” before.

While feeling embarrassed, he couldn’t help but secretly observe Xu Qingfeng. The man possessed a charming aura—charismatic yet possessing a warmth that prevented any sense of intimidating distance.

An Yan felt his gaze lingering uncontrollably, but as his numb, hungover brain began to function, he thought of Gu Tianze. He instantly jerked his head away, his heart filled with a complex swirl of emotions.

Guilt and self-reproach surged within him. He felt ashamed enough to want to die.

…It was Xu Qingfeng who had saved him.

“I am Gu Tianze’s father,” Xu Qingfeng said, rising elegantly from the sofa and extending a hand toward An Yan. “Tianze brought you back to our home to rest last night. I was the one who looked after you on behalf of that brat.”

As those words landed, a flash of loneliness appeared in An Yan’s expression, likely due to displeasure over Gu Tianze’s behavior.

Xu Qingfeng hadn’t forgotten his current role; he naturally had to try and salvage some goodwill for Gu Tianze. At the very least, until he was certain the brat was completely beyond redemption, he hoped his son’s romantic path could reach a smooth conclusion.

“He had something to attend to last night and left early, which is why I stepped in to look after you.” The subtext was: If Gu Tianze hadn’t been busy, it wouldn’t have been me.

Only then did An Yan raise his downcast eyes. His gaze was clean and clear as he shook hands with Xu Qingfeng and offered a sincere thank you. He had heard of the man from Gu Tianze before.

“Thank you… No, I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble, Uncle Xu.”

“Don’t mention it. I should be the one apologizing for not raising Gu Tianze better, causing you to suffer from this hangover.”

“Oh, it’s not like that. It’s just that his friends were very enthusiastic when they met me. Tianze did try to help me deflect, but I’ve never drank before and have no tolerance, so…”

Xu Qingfeng smiled faintly but didn’t press the subject. He thought to himself: It seems Gu Tianze’s persona is still perfectly maintained for now; he hasn’t triggered An Yan’s resentment yet.

After leading An Yan to the dining room, the housekeeper placed a bowl of stomach-soothing porridge and a warm tea for hangover relief in front of him.

An Yan was deeply grateful for this kindness, and his gaze toward Xu Qingfeng grew a bit more intense.

It was only because he was finally looking directly at Xu Qingfeng that he realized the man bore no resemblance to Gu Tianze at all. However, he didn’t overthink the implications, assuming Gu Tianze simply took after his mother.

Even though Gu Tianze hated Xu Qingfeng, he wasn’t about to go around announcing that Xu Qingfeng was a “paternity scapegoat” and that he himself was the product of an unknown biological father. He found the matter equally humiliating.

Unfortunately, despite accepting such warm kindness, An Yan still felt physically ill. Not long after eating, he ended up in the bathroom throwing up the porridge and tea.

His mouth was left with only the bitter taste of bile.

Soon, his sluggish brain remembered another very important matter. His current state forced him to change his original plans.

He spoke honestly to Xu Qingfeng, who continued to care for him: “Uncle Xu, thank you. I know verbal thanks are trivial, so I want to show my gratitude through action.”

Xu Qingfeng withdrew his large hand from patting the youth’s back. The boy was a head shorter than him, but being young, he still had the potential for a growth spurt. Because of this, Xu Qingfeng’s gaze was naturally cast downward.

Yet this downward gaze held no trace of oppression; it only conveyed concern.

An Yan continued, “You might not know this, but my idol is Huo Xiu. He is a world-class, top-tier pianist. Please, you must go. Please accept this ticket.”

In this world, almost everyone knew the name Huo Xiu.

He was not just a genius from Asia, but the currently ranked number one pianist in the world. Crucially, this genius was only twenty-seven years old—young and incredibly successful.

An Yan had loved music since childhood. Although his parents hadn’t sent him to a conservatory to realize his dreams, his passion had never faded. He practiced as a hobby and followed every one of Huo Xiu’s performances faithfully.

Even if the man never noticed him, An Yan would attend as the most loyal listener, flying across the globe and even skipping school to hear a live performance. Calling him a “frenzied fan” was an understatement.

But now…

His legs were still weak, giving him a surreal, floating sensation. The “frenzied fan” was currently feeling cold all over.

“Huo Xiu has been abroad for many years and only returned this year. Today is his first performance since coming back. I worked so hard to get this ticket, and I’m giving it to you, Uncle Xu. You must accept it.” As he spoke, An Yan’s voice trembled slightly; he looked as though he might cry.

If given another chance, no matter how much Gu Tianze pleaded, he would never have stepped into that nightclub. Otherwise, there was no way he would be missing Huo Xiu’s solo concert today.

But gifting it to Xu Qingfeng was the most appropriate choice right now. First, it expressed his gratitude; second, the ticket wouldn’t go to waste.

Hearing this, Xu Qingfeng naturally knew that Huo Xiu was the boy’s idol. It was written clearly in the book.

However, what puzzled him was: Why has the timeline moved up?

According to the original plot, after Gu Tianze and An Yan had a “substantial” development, Gu Tianze having tasted the sweetness would fall deeper in love. The deceived An Yan would also accept the relationship, feeling that “what’s done is done.”

Regrettably, that honeymoon phase wouldn’t last long. Gu Tianze would eventually lose his temper over a minor disagreement, slamming the door and storming out.

That would be the first time An Yan saw Gu Tianze’s true, explosive nature, leaving him depressed and unable to accept it. It was during that time that Huo Xiu’s concert was supposed to happen. As a loyal fan, An Yan would attend, and because he was so deeply moved by the music coupled with the memory of Gu Tianze’s verbal abuse he would cry from beginning to end.

It would have been impossible for Huo Xiu not to notice him. It was that very homecoming concert that was supposed to spark the true connection between An Yan and Huo Xiu.

Xu Qingfeng hesitated, a rare occurrence. He felt the direction of the plot was becoming skewed.

Why did it change? Was it because I stopped Gu Tianze’s behavior, causing everything to spiral out of control?

On second thought, since he had decided to facilitate the relationship between An Yan and Gu Tianze, perhaps preventing the meeting between the protagonist and the rival was the correct move.

“Fine, since you’re so insistent, I’ll accept it,” Xu Qingfeng said with a smile.

Coincidentally, he had never been to a concert before and hoped for a good experience.

Despite his busy schedule, Xu Qingfeng carved out time to attend and even made meticulous preparations.

In his walk-in closet, nearly a hundred suits were neatly arranged. He carefully selected a white suit one that was formal yet carried a touch of romance.

Unsurprisingly, upon entering the concert hall, he attracted many subtle glances. People were discreetly sizing him up. Once he took his seat in the front row, those gazes became even more bold, invisibly burning into his back.

A front-row seat was the best vantage point, proving that An Yan truly was a “die-hard fan” to spend such a high price.

Xu Qingfeng tucked the ticket into his wallet and looked up at the piano bench, waiting for the genius pianist to appear. It was a pristine white leather bench, looking incredibly soft.

Just as his gaze began to drift due to exhaustion…

The protagonist finally made his entrance.

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