Chapter Thirty-Five: Damn It, I’m Done with You All!

Fu Lan cleared the plates and walked silently to the kitchen to wash them.

He knew He Yue would be furious; he was determined not to let Fu Linxing know about his father’s personality flaws—the boy was still too young. Fu Lan also did not want to warp his son's developing values, but all things considered, sacrificing this aspect of his image was far better than letting him discover other secrets.

In Fu Lan’s heart, He Yue and Fu Linxing held the most important places. Yet, he knew that by the standards of the world, the emotions he felt for them could not truly be called love. As Fu Linxing had said, all he wanted at this moment was to soothe his son. Only when everything returned to a calm, normal state could he banish the unease in his heart.

This was certainly not a normal form of apology. By even the lowest standards, his actions were merely meant to keep the peace. Moreover, on a day like today, his real concern was the creature about to hatch in the warehouse.

Fu Lan had messaged Shi Ningyu early that morning, saying he might be late due to some matters. He wasn't sure how late, as his original plans hadn't accounted for Fu Linxing coming over to spend the night, let alone catching him in his transformed state.

While trying to think of an excuse to send his son away, Fu Lan had to wash the dishes while patiently answering his questions.

"So, you never actually wanted to play video games with me all those times?" Fu Linxing asked.

"No, I was willing to play with you because it made you happy, even after the divorce. But I truly couldn't derive any joy from it myself." In fact, it was the same for everything, Fu Lan thought with self-deprecation; joy wasn't a necessity anyway. "I don't think that’s a big deal. As a parent, whether I enjoy it or not isn't important; what matters is taking responsibility and doing what is expected of me."

Fu Linxing looked at him as if he had just said something sacrilegious. "If you don't want to do it, why force yourself? Are you a father or an employee? If it was such a chore, why did you have me in the first place?"

Not every parent is capable of loving their child, and not every loving parent can maintain the same level of affection at every moment. Of course, Fu Lan could never voice such a truth.

"I admit, it was occasionally a bit of a struggle," he said. "But it wasn't a form of suffering for me; it’s just that I’m incapable of facing it in a normal way. I’m sorry I couldn't be the kind of father who loves you with all his heart, but I have always tried my best to be a competent father who could raise you to be healthy."

Fu Linxing fell silent once again. He knew how much resolve it took to say those words. Precocious as he was, he could already observe things that others his age couldn't. He knew there were plenty of incompetent parents, and plenty of peers living in deception or simply being neglected. But was this kind of emotionless yet meticulous parenting from his old man really reasonable?

"I have to go out on business," Fu Lan said, drying his hands. He glanced at his phone on the cabinet; there was a message from Shi Ningyu, but he had no chance to check it yet. He looked up at Fu Linxing: "Are you going to stay here, or head back to the new place?"

"What kind of business?" Fu Linxing countered.

"Last-minute overtime," Fu Lan replied with a pre-fabricated lie.

To his surprise, Fu Linxing said immediately, "Then I'm coming with you."

Fu Lan’s breath hitched. "Why? You’re long past the age where you can be dragged along to work."

"I'll just go to the library to read; I won't get in your way."

It was a reasonable point, but it was impossible. Fu Lan heard his phone vibrate, and before he could react, it buzzed again. He quickly snatched up the face-down phone, swiped to see the message, and tucked it back into his pocket. "It's not the library," he lied again. "I have to go to the market to pick up some replacement hardware; they’re rushing me."

The phone vibrated again.

"Then I’m coming along. I’ve got nothing to do anyway."

The phone began to buzz incessantly in his pocket. Seeing his son’s brow furrow, Fu Lan hurriedly hung up the call in secret and tried to switch it to silent mode by feel, unsure if he had succeeded. At that moment, his mind was filled with the messages Shi Ningyu had just sent.

*“Something seems to be wrong.”* — That was the first one.

*“Something is definitely wrong! How do I handle this? Look at this…”* — That was the second.

There were a few others he couldn't see clearly, likely photos of the scene, plus demands for a reply, as she had called him immediately after.

"You're coming with me?" Fu Lan was getting desperate. "I’ve… I’ve been so hypocritical—isn't that enough to make you hate me?"

Fu Linxing answered earnestly, "It is annoying, but the problem isn't the hypocrisy. I suddenly feel like I need to get to know you again, this father of mine, to figure out how to get along with you in the future."

Fu Lan rubbed his temples. "There will be plenty of time for that later; today I…"

Before he could finish, the phone vibrated again. It seemed he hadn't succeeded in silencing it.

"You should answer the call," Fu Linxing said, a sudden realization dawning on him. "Is it that woman?"

Fu Lan heartlessly hung up on Shi Ningyu again. "Spam call."

Fu Linxing put on an expression of what he thought was understanding. "Old man, if it’s about her, there’s no need to be like this. I can step out. If you keep hiding things, it only makes it worse…"

The phone rang again. This time, it was Fu Linxing’s. He pulled out his phone and hesitated, looking at the screen.

Fu Lan took the opportunity to ensure his own phone was properly silenced and said to his son, "Why aren't you answering?"

Fu Linxing looked at him, then at his phone, and finally answered. "Hello, Mom?"

"Xiao Xing, do me a favor. Get home as fast as you can, open my computer, and send a few files to a client. I forgot to transfer them to my laptop."

"Oh, okay… I guess…" he agreed reluctantly.

"Don't dilly-dally, it’s really urgent! Go, go! Bye!"

Fu Lan put on an expression of what he thought was understanding. "Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"No need." Fu Linxing gritted his teeth in slight annoyance. He packed his things in a flurry, shouldered his bag, and jogged to the door. He turned back and said, "I'm coming back later. Don't think you can hide, old man!"

The door slammed shut. Fu Lan hurriedly checked his phone and opened the photo Shi Ningyu had sent. In the center of the frame, the creature in the incubator had swollen to nearly twice its original size and was emitting an unnatural red glow.

He called her back immediately, and she answered before the first ring had finished.

"Where the hell have you been, hanging up on me at a time like this?" the girl on the other end cursed in a panic. "Is this state normal? It looks like it's about to explode!"

The fact that she could still curse meant she was fine. Fu Lan felt a slight sense of relief. "It is indeed a precursor to self-detonation. Are you still standing next to it?"

"I didn't know what to do, so I froze it. It seems to be suppressing it. Damn it, is it really going to blow? I can't just run away; there are four dogs nearby and I don't dare move them, I'm going crazy! I was thinking if I couldn't reach you, I'd just make an ice box to cover it and kill it early."

"Freezing it was the right move…" Fu Lan let out a breath, surprised that her lucky guess was spot on. "Your first instinct was correct. Lowering its temperature can delay the explosion."

"What! Only delay? How long?"

"I’m not sure, but at least ten minutes or so."

"Damn it, get over here and handle it! We’ll settle the score later!"

Hanging up the phone, Fu Lan immediately called a taxi and headed toward the residential compound.