10 Chapter Nine
◎Ah Yang, you're starting to misbehave, aren't you? You're hiding things from your dad. ◎
When Liang Mei's attempt to persuade her to study failed, she felt a pang of regret when she paid the bill. The meal had cost her most of her savings. Just as she was about to examine the menu to find something wrong, she discovered that she couldn't match a bunch of the dishes to her name. She was about to ask if this was for her private room when the waiter forced a perfect, copy-pasted smile and told her, "It is for your private room, but it's already on Mr. Yu's bill, so you don't need to pay."
"Who? Which Mr. Yu?"
The other person nodded and smiled: "It's Mr. Yu Renjie."
When Liang Mei led the two children downstairs, she saw an even more magnificent car parked between the two imposing Roman columns at the entrance of the restaurant. It was almost immediately recognizable as Yu Jinyang's father's car, except that it had been upgraded from a black Mercedes-Benz to a black Maybach.
Yu Renjie was standing by the Roman column, smoking and talking on the phone. His eyes suddenly caught sight of his son coming out. He waved the phone in his hand at them, which was also a way of greeting Liang Mei.
"Does your dad know we're eating here?" Liang Mei asked Yu Jinyang, putting on her scarf and glancing at the man not far away.
Yu Jinyang hummed in agreement and said, "He's been eating and socializing here every day lately."
Li Yingqiao's eyes lit up as she looked at Yu Renjie's tall and handsome back. Wearing the same white shirt, Uncle Yu in the small art market was a naive young man, but standing next to this gleaming Roman column, he was a refined and elegant gentleman.
She exclaimed sincerely, "Meow, your dad is getting more and more handsome. Looks like you still need to make money. Teacher Liang, I was right, wasn't I? Money makes you stronger."
Yu Jinyang: "..."
Liang Mei: "…………"
Before Yu Renjie even reached them, Li Yingqiao couldn't wait to greet him, her voice crisp and bright: "Uncle Yu! Long time no see! You've become so handsome!"
Yu Renjie had just put his phone back in his pocket when he stumbled and managed to stand still in front of them. His eyes unconsciously drew a line above her and his son's heads, and he gave her a slight nod indifferently, saying, "Little devil, it's you. You've grown quite a bit taller."
Damn it, what exactly did Li Shuli feed her?!
Although Yu Jinyang has grown taller in the past two years, when they stand side by side, they still appear to be about the same height, with a difference of only one or two centimeters at most.
Yu Renjie instructed the driver to take Liang Mei and Li Yingqiao home, while he planned to walk back with his son. After Yu Jinyang graduated from Huacheng Elementary School, the family also moved to a prime location in the city.
Fengtan is a county town, not exactly a place where land is incredibly valuable, but the properties nestled among lush, green villas are quite expensive—not only is the transportation convenient, but they're also far from the industrial pollution of the toy factories on the outskirts of the city, and they've carved out a quiet spot amidst the hustle and bustle. They're also not far from the only two local middle schools that parents would consider desirable. This latter point alone makes it a prime location in the eyes of the old-fashioned folks of Fengtan.
It's only 200 meters from the state-run restaurant back.
Yu Renjie was entertaining people from the Culture and Tourism Bureau tonight. They wanted him to create a joint ticket package for the Toy City and several neglected local attractions in Fengtan, and asked him to offer discounts.
To be honest, he doesn't mind others taking a slice of the pie from him, but it's clear that some people want to take the whole cake away from him, which he can't tolerate.
So he drank with all his might, not giving way to anyone. He got so drunk he was practically bursting with energy, and as soon as he went downstairs, he took off his suit jacket and overcoat and threw them into the car. The driver, being quite responsible, told him to drop someone off, and without a word, floored the gas pedal and sped off, not even asking if he was cold…
He originally wanted to get in the car, but considering the number of reporters watching him lately, and fearing that some baseless gossip might upset Tang Xiang, he decided to walk back with his son.
So, wearing only a thin shirt, he walked home side by side with his beloved son on this chilly spring evening. Actually, with his son by his side, it wasn't so cold!
"Ah Yang, are you cold?"
"Cold, very cold, freezing cold." She said it almost without hesitation.
“How could that be?” Yu Renjie encouraged him, “Look at your dad, he’s wearing so little, but he’s not cold at all.”
Yu Jinyang looked up at him and asked, "Could you take your hand out of my clothes?"
"..."
Of course he couldn't produce it. Yu Renjie was practically frozen solid, with only his palms able to draw some warmth from his son's back, relying on that residual warmth to keep his legs moving. He changed the subject, saying, "That brat Li Yingqiao is going to take the entrance exam for Tanzhong High School? You just gave her the exam paper, what are you going to write yourself?"
"..."
Yu Jinyang sometimes wondered how his father had built such a large business, or if, as his mother said, fools were just lucky. He glanced absently at the scattered streetlights along the road and said, "I'm not writing anymore, I'll just go to the factory and tighten screws."
“Tightening screws? Tightening screws is fine too. My son is definitely the fastest at it,” Yu Renjie said with a laugh. “You can breakdance, you can popp while tightening screws, you’ll definitely be cooler than everyone else.”
"Twist it together with Li Yingqiao."
"That won't do." Yu Renjie immediately slapped him hard on the back, so hard that Yu Jinyang was almost pushed onto the green path next to him.
"...Then take your hand out."
"Let Dad warm up a bit more. He's still a young man, full of energy," Yu Renjie said, the aftereffects of the Moutai kicking in, the alcohol taking over. He smacked his lips, his gaze drifting into the distance. "When Dad was young, he was even more energetic than you. In the dead of winter, he'd be chasing chickens and dogs in shorts and a t-shirt, making a huge ruckus. The uncles and aunties in town all said I had inexhaustible energy and would definitely make a fortune someday. I'm not bragging, but back then, people who liked me—"
here we go again.
Yu Jinyang looked up at the sky helplessly, recalling Ms. Tang Xiang's famous saying: "No middle-aged man can escape reminiscing about his youth." He told himself to remember to make sure he had amnesia by giving himself a good beating when he got older, so as not to be disliked by his wife.
Unexpectedly, Yu Renjie changed the subject, stopped walking, looked down at his own boy, who, although still somewhat childish, already had the features of a handsome, cool young man, nudged him with his elbow, and whispered, "Tell Dad the truth, have any girls at school written you love letters?"
Yu Jinyang's ears seemed to have suddenly blushed with cinnabar on a clean sheet of paper, and the pink blush spread visibly to his neck, making Yu Renjie's hand, which was pressed against his back, feel a little hot.
"--No."
The two continued walking, their shadows stretching across the long, quiet bushes of the villa area. Occasionally, a dog barked or a bird chirped, but the rest of the conversation was between the father and son. Moonlight flowed across their shadows, as if stretching out this moment indefinitely.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Ah Yang, you're starting to get naughty, hiding things from your father."
"Really not—"
"Dad has been through this before, do you think I don't know? There must be quite a few people who like your type."
"..."
"Tell me something, I've had too much to drink. Tell me some gossip about yourself to help me sober up."
"I don't need to say it several times."
"Impossible. Last time I went to the parent-teacher conference, the teacher told me that a lot of girls would flock to your class to see you during the break between classes, blocking the corridor. The teacher couldn't even get rid of them. She told me to keep a low profile. How can I keep a low profile? I'm handsome and rich. It's not my fault."
"They didn't come to see me because they like me."
"ah?"
"Go ask my mom yourself."
"Is this the rebellious phase? Why are you so impatient?"
"Can you please stop asking?"
"Fine, fine, what's with the attitude?"
Of course, Yu Renjie didn't even have time to change out of his slippers as soon as he entered the door, and went barefoot to ask Tang Xiang. She had just finished showering and was doing a hair mask, looking at him in the mirror while covering her forehead with tin foil: "You really want to know?"
“That’s right, what task didn’t I handle personally? Why shouldn’t I know?” the man said proudly, leaning against the door.
"Then you should prepare yourself mentally."
Yu Renjie was taken aback, but then inexplicably became excited: "Ah Yang is in a relationship?"
"No! He's only a few years old! Ah Yang hasn't even figured things out yet. Besides, with Li Yingqiao, his childhood sweetheart, causing so much drama, he can't even exchange more than a few words with a girl, for fear of attracting another Li Yingqiao."
"And you went out to eat with someone today! You even delivered exam papers to him, doing him a favor!" Yu Renjie said disdainfully.
“That was a call from Teacher Liang. No matter what, we and Qiaoqiao used to be neighbors. If she has turned over a new leaf and wants to study hard, how could we not help her with such a small thing? He didn’t want to see her either; I was the one who asked him to go.”
"Ms. Tang is very righteous." Yu Renjie flattered her again, then crossed his arms and thought for a moment, "But are you sure he really doesn't want to see her? He didn't seem to want to see her at all when he came out of the restaurant. When he left, he was still hugging the Roman column and measuring its circumference with that brat Li Yingqiao, looking completely silly."
Tang Xiang didn't waste words with him, but instead reminded him, "How would I know? But I advise you not to show that you hate Li Yingqiao too much. Jin Yang is so obedient now, which means he hasn't entered puberty yet. If you act too much, what if that rebellious streak of puberty comes over him? He'll do anything to make you go against him. With your fiery temper, one thing could make you explode."
"He went to seduce Li Yingqiao?" Yu Renjie's anger surged up along with the aftereffects of the alcohol. The idea of him becoming in-laws with Li Wusheng was simply a fantasy. He covered his face and said, "Don't even mention it, I can't even imagine it. I might as well find a rope and hang myself."
Tang Xiang put on the foil cover, turned around and looked at him, saying, "Do I still need to say anything?"
“Tell me,” Yu Renjie, already leaning against the wall and lying on the bed with his eyes closed to sober up, thought for a moment and then, still a little drunk, corrected himself, “But, honey, I didn’t give that brat any trouble. I just ran into her at the restaurant entrance, and I very politely said hi to her—”
Tang Xiang covered her nose and walked over: "How much did you drink?"
"I forgot, you can't go to bed after drinking."
Muttering to himself, Yu Renjie nimbly rolled off the bed and lay on his back on the floor. Looking at the slightly dizzying glass lamp in the bedroom, he couldn't help but shield his head with his elbow, muttering as he answered Tang Xiang's question: "I didn't drink much, but Secretary Li really thinks I'm stupid. Package deals, what a ridiculous idea! Today he's talking to me about package deals, tomorrow he'll dare mention Li Wusheng's move into the Wooden Toy City. Without my grandfather, Fengtan Wooden Toy City wouldn't be where it is today. It's a good thing my dad didn't take my grandfather's surname, Li, otherwise Li Boqing wouldn't know whose side to take right now. Oh well, thank goodness he took my grandmother's surname, I won't stoop to their level. Wow, wife, their debauchery is incredibly dirty!"
He shuddered, then let out a drawn-out "Eek!" followed by a resounding expression of disgust: "Disgusting!"
Tang Xiang, with her hair mask on, sat quietly cross-legged on the ground watching him. "Are you done talking, Yu the Great?"
"What are your instructions?" Yu Renjie saluted while lying down.
"Do you remember that time we had a fight, and you wrote me a guarantee?" Tang Xiang asked.
“I remember.” He nodded.
"Recite the beginning once."
Yu Renjie blurted out, "My love—"
"Stop," Tang Xiang said, stopping short of abruptly, looking at the man on the ground. "Once, when you were checking your son's homework, you accidentally slipped a guarantee into the box, and he handed it in as homework. The teacher thought he was having an early romance and called him to the office to question him. Right then and there, a tall, mischievous boy in his class recited your guarantee aloud with great emotion from the podium. Your son explained it to the teacher, but the teacher didn't believe him. I even went to the school to explain to the teacher, but she also thought I was covering for your son. From then on, a group of girls would go to his class during recess to see your son!"
"It's not that I like your son! It's not that I want to have a relationship with him!" Tang Xiang suddenly raised her voice, pinched his shoulder, and said through gritted teeth, "It's like watching monkeys! Like watching monkeys on Mount Emei! Watching your son!"
Yu Renjie: "…………"
[Author's Note]
Here it comes!!!
Happy May Day, kids!!!
I'm giving away 200 red envelopes to everyone today!! [Go for it!][Go for it!][Go for it!]
I'm setting a goal: I'll try to add an extra chapter over the May Day holiday. If I can't, I'll be kneeling here in despair. But not tomorrow, see you the day after tomorrow for the next chapter!
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