Chapter 85
Listening to Xiao Xubai's tearful complaints, Pei Yuheng's brain, which could simultaneously follow up on five sets of sample data, reorganize logic diagrams, mentally calculate and check parameters, and classify and plan variables, suddenly went into a chaotic mess.
The child in front of him seemed to be made of water, or rather, water boiled to over 100 degrees Celsius. His eyes were red, and tears kept flowing. Round tears fell onto the back of his hand, scalding his fingers and causing them to tremble.
He didn't even pay attention to what Xiao Xubai was saying; he was busy frantically pulling out tissues the whole time, clumsily offering comfort and patiently coaxing her with gentle words.
Xiao Xubai didn't actually like to cry. After he turned three, he could count the number of times he cried in a year on one hand. When he accidentally tripped and fell while hiding from those people, bruising his leg and swelling his arm, he just gritted his teeth, got up, and continued running with all his might, stumbling and falling, without uttering a sound.
A cold wind blew into the cement bucket where he was hiding. He breathed warm air on his frozen little hands, coughed a few times, and tucked them into his clothes to warm them up, no longer dreaming of being taken away by Pei Yuheng.
Unexpectedly, after giving up all hope, she opened her eyes and saw Pei Yuheng's face.
All his stubbornness, forbearance, and forced strength vanished at that moment, and he could finally openly and honestly vent his grievances and sadness.
Xiao Xubai cried so hard that he started hiccuping. Pei Yuheng hurriedly patted his back to help him catch his breath. When he heard the child say he was thirsty, he turned around to get some warm water.
Before she could walk more than a few steps, Xiao Xubai caught up with her in a couple of steps, grabbed her lab coat, and hugged her tightly.
Pei Yuheng felt like a red panda had pounced on his leg.
The white coat and trousers that an adult could wear were three sizes too big for Xiao Xubai, and now they were wrapped around the child's feet like a rumpled blanket. If he were to pull him forward, he would probably fall.
So Pei Yuheng picked up Xiao Xubai.
The little guy who had been crying nonstop just moments before was now quiet and very well-behaved, his arms tightly wrapped around his neck, his head nuzzling against his shoulder, only occasionally shivering slightly from the uncontrollable hiccups.
Pei Yuheng was also a little bewildered; he didn't know that a child's body could be so light and soft.
Even though she had never held a baby before and had little contact with them, her hands moved skillfully first.
He lifted Xiao Xubai's bottom up with his arms, hugged the back of his knees, pulled up his pants, folded his large white coat twice, and simply wrapped it around Xiao Xubai's body as a blanket.
The water dispenser was right in front of them. Pei Yuheng adjusted the water temperature and handed it to Xiao Xubai.
Xiao Xubai obediently accepted it and said, "Thank you, Dad."
Pei Yuheng came to a complete stop!
His dazed brain finally came to its senses, realizing why his head had been buzzing so loudly just now—it was all because Xiao Xubai had called him "Dad."
For several seconds, Pei Yuheng was unable to speak. After a long while, he mustered his courage and asked, "What did you just call me?"
He skipped grades several times during his student years and was not even twenty years old when he was admitted to graduate school. The Fu family was willing to adopt him and sponsor his schooling because they saw his outstanding talent.
In other words, how could he, at 21 years old, possibly have a six-year-old child?
He has never even held the hand of a woman his own age.
"...Dad?" Sensing Pei Yuheng's unusual mood, Xiao Xubai became visibly alarmed. "Don't you like me calling you that?"
Hearing the child's trembling voice, Pei Yuheng quickly and firmly denied it: "No."
He remembered that Xu Yang (the magician) had called Xie Xubai by the name Pei Yu, which was the same as his surname. He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He quickly put the child down, searched his clothes for any identification, and took out a cell phone and a wallet.
The phone has a password lock and cannot be unlocked by facial recognition or fingerprint scanning; its model cannot be identified from its appearance. The wallet contains only a passport photo and a wad of cash.
Xie Xubai had prepared the cash specifically in case his phone was interfered with by a magnetic field and he wouldn't have money to pay. However, when he asked the man to help him find someone today, he gave him the money he had gotten from the magician, not this wad of cash.
Pei Yuheng also quickly noticed the problem with the stack of cash. He stared at the serial numbers on the banknotes, quickly went to the computer, and was shocked to find after checking that most of the money was issued more than ten years later, and some were more than twenty years later!
He then verified the banknotes one by one through the watermark, security thread, and fluorescent reaction. Ignoring the absurd serial number, he concluded that they were definitely genuine.
Even the serial number isn't outrageous, because if Xie Xubai was capable of creating a fake that was indistinguishable from the real thing, given that person's keen awareness that could spot even the smallest stains, there shouldn't have been such a large loophole.
Pei Yuheng stood frozen in place, an unbelievable idea forming in his mind.
—Could it be that Pei Yu comes from more than twenty years in the future and is his son?
Having witnessed Fu Zong and the others turn into rotting corpses, it seems that anything, no matter how bizarre or incredible, is possible, such as time travel.
Just thinking about it made Pei Yuheng's brain, which had finally regained its rationality, start to crash again. He heard himself ask in a shaky voice, "Good child, what is your mother's name?"
Xiao Xubai was a little confused: "Dad, don't you remember? Mom's name is Xie Yuchun."
Xie Yuchun was the name Xie Xubai had previously inquired about.
Xie Xubai asked very urgently at the time, and his concern for that person was self-evident. If it was because he wanted to see his deceased relative one more time, then it would make sense.
Pei Yuheng and Xiao Xubai stared at each other silently, their minds racing, before finally crashing after five seconds.
The experiment couldn't be continued, and he couldn't go to the police station either. Pei Yuheng suppressed the urge to take Xiao Xubai for a paternity test. He knew that as soon as he stepped into the hospital, the Fu family would call him in for questioning.
He couldn't possibly follow Xie Xubai's previous instructions and leave such a tiny little thing in the empty, cold laboratory. In the end, on a whim, he decided to take little Xubai back to his dormitory.
Xiao Xubai was picked up again and obediently wrapped his arms around his neck.
He looked rosy-cheeked and had a healthy complexion, but he was incredibly thin, like a malnourished kitten, with a sickly, gray look in his eyes.
Once outside, the wind started blowing, and he began to cough softly.
Pei Yuheng saw this and couldn't help but frown, tucking his clothes in tightly and quickening his pace back to the dormitory.
Throughout the journey, a tumultuous storm raged in his mind, playing on a loop—
I actually have a son! Alive, soft, and so tiny.
Is this really my son? It doesn't feel real at all.
How could I have such a big son? No, wait, Pei Yu's body seems to have shrunk due to an accident. Is shrinking his size his body's defense mechanism? How old is he now?
What kind of person is Pei Yu's mother, his wife? How long have they been married? It sounds like they're separated... Even if they're separated, they can't just leave them, a widow and her child, to struggle. What kind of scumbag am I in the future?
...
Back in his dormitory, Pei Yuheng was still unable to calm down.
On the contrary, after wiping away her tears, Xiao Xubai became like a composed little adult.
Pei Yuheng couldn't free his hands when he opened the door, so he asked to be put down, even though his reluctance to leave the warm embrace and his dependence on it were written all over his face.
Seeing Xiao Xu's pleading gaze and hearing her muffled coughs, Pei Yuheng involuntarily quickened his pace in opening the door.
The door opened, and the lights illuminated the entire dormitory.
The furnishings were simple but messy, with textbooks scattered throughout the room, including on the bed and chairs. Unopened convenience foods sat in front of the microwave, and research materials were piled high on the table, making it look like a burglary scene.
Pei Yuheng originally had a slight obsession with cleanliness, but every day he was anxious about getting results.
Producing research results is his only way out right now, so the literature must be within his reach or visible to the naked eye. One book or one document is not enough; he needs many, many more, and even more.
It was only after the door was opened that Pei Yuheng noticed this and reflexively looked at Xiao Xubai's reaction.
Xiao Xu blinked, and as expected, casually remarked, "It's so messy."
Pei Yuheng: "..."
She successfully earned the disdain and a sharp rebuke from her future son.
Xie Yuchun would keep the house very clean; although the house was small, it was very tidy.
Following suit, Xiao Xubai tugged at his loose-fitting pants to keep them from falling down, and volunteered enthusiastically, "Dad, let me help you get ready!"
The next second, Xiao Xubai stepped on his trouser leg that was dragging on the ground, stumbled a few steps, tripped over the dustproof box containing the petri dishes, and fell to the ground with a thud: "Whoa!"
Pei Yuheng: "!"
Pei Yuheng rushed over in a panic, helped Xiao Xubai up, and asked, "Are you alright?" He was prepared for the child to burst into tears again.
Xiao Xubai just grimaced and rubbed his reddened face, his bright black eyes curving into a smile: "It's okay."
He glanced at Pei Yuheng's hand, which was frozen in mid-air, and offered his flushed little face, urging expectantly, "But it still hurts a little. Daddy, can you rub it for me? Rubbing it will make it stop hurting."
Pei Yuheng was stunned by the maturity and thoughtfulness of this little guy.
But in that instant, for some reason, he suddenly remembered that he had said "I'm fine" countless times to others and himself when he was a child.
Children who are used to hardship tend to mature early and become steady, quietly healing themselves in ways that others don't notice.
Therefore, Pei Yuheng could neither feel gratified nor happy about it.
He looked at the little brat whose eyes were curved into crescent shapes, and the tragedy that had happened to him was being repeated in his offspring.
The guilt suddenly intensified, and he slowly reached out and hugged Xiao Xubai tightly.
"I'm sorry," Pei Yuheng said in a hoarse voice.
It seems that it was because he abandoned them, a widow and orphan, that the child suffered so much. After his mother left, he desperately chased after her hearse, but was forcibly taken away by the people from the community welfare home. He fled from place to place, enduring hunger and thirst, and waited for him for a long time, but he never came to take him home.
He is really, really bad.
At that moment, Xiao Xubai also froze.
Then he hugged Pei Yuheng, rubbing against his shoulder like a little squirrel, and whimpered, "Didn't Daddy come to pick me up? So, I forgive you."
Pei Yuheng remained silent, unsure whether he had actually taken Xiao Xubai away later.
Looking at Xie Xubai now that he's grown up, he seems indifferent and aloof, as if he's not very close to him. Forcing him to do a thorough cleaning... could it be that he's venting his resentment at being abandoned?
Looking into Xiao Xubai's big, seemingly shining eyes, Pei Yuheng felt both guilty and ashamed, and rubbed the child's sore cheeks.
It's much softer than dough.
Xiao Xubai tilted her head back as she was being massaged. When she felt comfortable, she would squint her eyes and let out a happy laugh, her tone smug and like she was showing off a treasure: "Isn't it nice to massage? Mom and Grandma Li both say my face is so soft, touching it makes me super happy."
Pei Yuheng couldn't help but chuckle at his cheerful smile, even though he had been pursing his lips tightly.
Then he went to tidy up the house.
This time, without Xie Xubai's demands and supervision, Pei Yuheng cleaned according to even stricter standards. The boxes were neatly stacked in the corner, the books and documents were put back on the bookshelves, and every nook and cranny was cleaned.
I don't expect perfection, but I also can't let the little one complain (which isn't actually true) and say "It's so messy."
He always remembered what Xie Xubai had told him—if he was careless when “cleaning up” the monster’s corpse, he would lose his life and implicate innocent people.
A father who cannot set a good example for his children is truly failing.
bite.
A system notification sounded.
[Progress in achieving "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" status: 100%! Congratulations on reaching your goal!]
[Additional setting achieved: Rigorous. The survivability of the character "Pei Yuheng" has been greatly improved! Congratulations!]
Xiao Xubai couldn't help but rub his ears, as if he had heard some strange noise.
Because he didn't know the background, he only vaguely understood the two sentences, but he knew that his father's name was Pei Yuheng, and that improved survival skills were a good thing.
Seeing Pei Yuheng finish cleaning, wash his hands again, and walk towards him, he clapped and cheered, "Dad has become stronger!"
It seemed to be his son's unique way of praising, and Pei Yuheng's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
There are no clothes suitable for Xiao Xubai, so we'll have to make do for now and try again tomorrow. We'll ask any faculty or staff with children if they have any old clothes we can borrow, or have a children's clothing store deliver them to our door.
Pei Yuheng had spare toiletries, brand new and unused, which were perfect for Xiao Xubai to use.
He brought a stool for Xiao Xubai so that Xiao Xubai could stand in front of the sink, and the two of them, one big and one small, started brushing their teeth in front of the mirror.
Pei Yuheng used to be alone and silent.
Today, a little narrator appeared, rinsing his mouth rhythmically with "mmm, swishing" sounds, then spitting out the water with a "whoosh": "Daddy, wipe your face."
Pei Yuheng wiped his face, and as he wiped, he couldn't help but rub his soft little face, making Xiao Xubai laugh: "It tickles, Daddy."
The repeated calls of "Dad" made Pei Yuheng feel dazed. Although he didn't yet have the real feeling of being a father, he unconsciously responded to the child's call: "Yes, I'm here."
Suddenly, the room around him was no longer empty.
After a hurried and fumbling wash, the two went to bed.
It was actually still early before Pei Yuheng's bedtime, but the little guy was sleepy, yawning frequently. He climbed onto the bed first, excitedly patting the side of the bed: "Daddy, let's sleep together! Let's sleep together, okay? Daddy—"
Unable to resist the child's clinginess, Pei Yuheng had no choice but to put down the paper documents in his hands.
He had Xiao Xubai sleep on the side against the wall to prevent him from falling off while sleeping, while he himself stayed close to the edge of the bed, leaving as much space as possible so that the child could move his hands and feet.
Seeing this, Xiao Xubai took advantage of the situation and clung to Pei Yuheng's arm, her eyes sparkling: "I want a hug."
Pei Yuheng, who wasn't used to close contact with any living creatures, was speechless.
Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Xubai immediately pouted.
Pei Yuheng had seen children cry genuinely before. Silent, without any pretense, one could immediately tell that the child was feigning distress.
But seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, she still reached out and placed her hand on Xiao Xubai's back, patting him gently: "That's it, go to sleep."
Xiao Xu chuckled, satisfied.
He closed his eyes as he wished, but Pei Yuheng couldn't help but sigh.
This single dormitory room was applied for for him by his seniors, but Pei Yuheng rarely comes back to sleep because of the pressure. He suffers from neurological dysfunction and sleep disorder. He can be awakened by the slightest noise and then cannot sleep all night.
In the past, he could numb himself with experiments, and he would naturally fall asleep when he was tired enough. Although his seniors called it fainting, they never agreed that it was sleeping.
He wasn't exhausted yet, and now there was a new kid he wasn't very familiar with by his side. Half of his mind was on Xiao Xubai's background and situation, and the other half was on the experimental progress that hadn't been made. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Not long after, Xiao Xubai said with his eyes closed, "Dad, can't you sleep? Let me sing you a song."
“I often have trouble sleeping, so my mom sings to me.”
Pei Yuheng remained silent, unsure how to respond, when Xiao Xubai began to sing.
The child's voice was pure and clear, without much technique, yet it was like a lark, touching the heart and cleansing the soul.
And as soon as he opened his mouth, specks of golden light appeared, floating leisurely around the two of them, like fireflies emitting a warm yellow glow, dreamlike in the quiet, dark dormitory.
Pei Yuheng couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
He suddenly heard a soft, suppressed sob. Turning his head, he saw, by the light of the golden fireflies, tears streaming down Xiao Xubai's face.
Xiao Xubai misses Xie Yuchun.
Although he tried his best not to reminisce and not to cry, he couldn't help it.
He wasn't stupid; he could see the way Pei Yuheng looked at him as if he were a stranger, and he could tell that the beautiful and magnificent school environment in front of him was not the same as his old, dilapidated residence.
Pei Yuheng noticed the sadness and panic hidden beneath Xiao Xubai's smiling face, and he didn't know how to comfort her.
Or perhaps he understood that for a child who had suddenly lost his mother, any comfort would be pale and powerless.
He paused, then reached out and wiped away the tears on Xiao Xubai's cheeks: "Don't cry, don't cry."
He wanted to do something to distract Xiao Xubai, so he awkwardly asked, "You sing very well, would you like to teach me how to sing? In the future, I... Daddy will sing for you."
Xiao Xubai suddenly opened her eyes.
His eyelashes were wet with tears as he stared intently at Pei Yuheng. After a long while, he gripped the man's large hand tightly and let out a heavy "Mmm" through a sob.
For half the night, the halting singing of an older and a younger child lingered under the warm yellow fluorescent light.
Pei Yuheng thought it would be hard to fall asleep, but he held the child in his arms, humming a song half-baked, feeling the child's breathing go from short and rapid to steady, and finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
I slept well all night.
Early the next morning.
Ring ring.
Pei Yuheng's phone suddenly rang. He opened his eyes abruptly, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, glanced at the caller ID, and instantly became fully awake, his brows furrowing tightly.
He wanted to take a look at Xiao Xubai beside him, but unexpectedly, he met the eyes of Xie Xubai, who had regained his adult appearance.
Xie Xubai: "..."
Pei Yuheng: "..."
The latter's hand trembled, and he accidentally pressed the answer button.
A woman's high-pitched, cold, and somewhat sharp voice came from the other end of the phone, commanding in an unquestionable tone: "Go back to the Fu family. I need to see you within twenty minutes."
Affected by the gold-rimmed glasses, the system, which had been stuck all night, emitted a noisy crackling sound of electricity, which gradually became clearer with the woman's cold words.
[His name is Pei Yuheng, and his character setting is: severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.]
We've explored the causes of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder: genetic factors, adverse upbringing, and severe psychological trauma. Which one do you think he might be?
Author's Note:
Apologies for the late update, I'm so sorry QAQ. I'll send 200 small red envelopes as compensation, first come, first served.
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