495. A Stranger
For Ning Chu, the word “father” felt like a total stranger.
The man before her was so unfamiliar that any thoughts of closeness were completely out of the question. His white hair didn’t stir any sympathy either. She simply lounged on the sofa, staring blankly as the man walked into the house, then looked down expressionlessly, fiddling with her mobile phone.
Instead of the mixed emotions she had anticipated upon meeting her father, after quenching her curiosity about his appearance, her mind was still as a pond. She couldn’t be bothered to glance in his direction.
Wen Yang emerged from the room, sensing the curious atmosphere in the living room. He immediately pieced together the identity of the stranger and walked straight to Ning Chu’s side, his broad hand covering her icy little hand.
Seeing the guest outside, Black Bean’s excited face quickly turned gloomy. She scampered barefoot toward the kitchen, shouting, “Mom! Uncle is here!”
“I know! Go put on your slippers! The floor is all marked with your footprints!”
“I don’t like wearing slippers…”
“Why does it have to be like Ning Chu? Learning bad habits instead of good ones!”
From the kitchen came their mother’s admonishments directed at Black Bean. Ning Chu looked down at her own bare feet and hurriedly slipped on the slippers she had kicked under the coffee table.
If their mother hadn’t mentioned it, she probably would have completely forgotten about the slippers and would have been running around the house barefoot like Black Bean.
With no one greeting or acknowledging him, the man awkwardly stood at the door, hesitantly glancing at the two seated on the sofa – one tall, one short.
Their mother emerged from the kitchen, Black Bean trailing timidly behind her. She cast a glance at the man, her tone dripping with sarcasm, “Still don’t recognize your son?”
The man smiled gently and pulled out the latest flagship mobile phone from his briefcase, placing it on the coffee table before saying to Wen Yang, “Ning Chu, I brought you a mobile phone from abroad…”
“…”
Wen Yang’s expression turned to one of bewilderment as he looked up, and Ning Chu nearly lost her composure at the absurdity of it all.
“Your girlfriend, right?” The man rummaged through his bag again, pulling out a stack of red envelopes with an insincere smile, “Nice to meet you, here’s a little gift.”
Wen Yang scratched his nose, utterly dumbfounded. How did he suddenly gain a dad?
“Next to you is Ning Chu,” their mother corrected, “That’s Ning Chu’s boyfriend.”
“…”
Only then did the man focus his attention on Ning Chu, staring at the slightly childish face that boasted a pair of captivating eyes, his expression morphed into one of confusion, lost for words.
He even doubted his memory. Even though he left shortly after Ning Chu was born, surely she should have grown into a cute little bug by now?
How did she grow up into a beautiful young lady with a boyfriend?
“Mom, I’m going to play on the computer.”
Ning Chu let out a small sigh of disappointment, got up, and walked straight into her room.
Black Bean hurriedly chased after her, dashing into the bedroom too.
This guest room was now exclusively occupied by Black Bean, adorned with cat-related trinkets. The bedspread had been changed to an adorable pink, and there was even a small fish tank on the computer desk housing a turtle the size of a finger.
Once inside, Ning Chu took off her outerwear and plopped down in front of the computer, staring blankly at the turtle.
She just couldn’t accept the sudden appearance of a father… even if he greeted her with a face full of attempted charm and compensation, pulling out a mobile phone worth thousands and red envelopes.
But rather than endearing her, it made her scoff inside.
So rich, huh? Must’ve been living a grand life outside, but couldn’t spare a single cent to send home over the years.
“Hey, isn’t my little turtle cute?”
“Yeah, pretty cute.”
“I’ve had it for a week!” Black Bean’s little head peeked in from the side, resting on the computer desk with big puppy eyes fixated on the turtle.
Ning Chu reached over to pat Black Bean’s little head, feeling those chilly cat ears. She instinctively covered them with her hands.
She turned to Black Bean and asked, “Do you hate that guy?”
This cat had no ability to hide her emotions, wearing everything on her face for Ning Chu to see with a single glance.
“Hate him!”
“Why?”
“A few days ago, when he came, he made Mom cry.”
Ning Chu found it hard to imagine their mother in tears. It made her chest tighten, so she asked, “Did he say something to her?”
Black Bean’s cat ears wiggled in her hands as she thought back and responded, “I don’t think he said anything… Mom just started crying when she saw him…”
“Oh~”
“Is that your dad?” Black Bean asked, looking up.
Ning Chu didn’t deny it, nodding, “Didn’t he ask who you were?”
“Nope~”
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door, interrupting their chat.
They turned to face the door and heard the unfamiliar voice, “Ning Chu, do you want to go out for dinner tonight?”
Facing Black Bean, her gentle, big sister-like voice turned frosty. Ning Chu didn’t hesitate to refuse, “No, we’re eating at home.”
“Dad wants to take you to a restaurant for seafood, and your uncles and cousins are coming along. Aren’t you going?”
Upon hearing this self-proclamation, Ning Chu instinctively felt disgust and resistance. The latter part of his sentence only added fuel to the fire inside her.
“Not going!”
Her voice sharpened unexpectedly, startling Black Bean, who curled up her neck.
Ning Chu patted Black Bean’s head to soothe her, pursing her lips as her expression swung from stormy to calm.
It was only when she heard the door slam shut outside that she stood up and walked out of her room.
Wen Yang was leaning against the wall just outside the door. As soon as he saw her, he hurried over, concern etched on his face as he followed closely beside her.
“Here, your phone.”
“Don’t want it.”
“Not even the free stuff?” Wen Yang tossed over the red envelope too and teased, “There’s five hundred in there. He’s a bit stingy, only giving you this as a meeting gift.”
Why wouldn’t she take what was free? Did he expect her to return it?
He owes me!
Thinking this way, Ning Chu happily took the phone and red envelope, her mood improving instantly. She rolled her eyes at Wen Yang, “He’s still calling me his daughter-in-law? I don’t even see him as my dad.”
“I bet Mom did it on purpose. She didn’t tell him anything in advance just to watch him make a fool of himself.”
Their mother had already set the freshly cooked dishes on the dining table. She glanced up at the pair approaching and cheerfully asked, “So, what do you think of your dad at first sight?”
“Give me a break…” Ning Chu scoffed softly and muttered, “Hasn’t provided for over a decade, and now he thinks a phone is going to buy me?”
She tossed the red envelope and phone on the table, “Is that how you guys do it? Just throw money when you meet?”
“Not at all! I didn’t get a thing! I was just complaining about how I raised you into a girl!” Their mother propped her chin, her tone dripping sarcasm. “As soon as he’s back, it’s like he’s giving out treats everywhere, afraid others won’t know he’s been making money outside and has borrowed a lot from his brothers.”
“What he makes has nothing to do with us…”
“That’s why, when it comes to marriage, you’ve got to pick the right person. Some people are just wolves in sheep’s clothing, can’t be raised.” She shot a glance at Wen Yang. “Right?”
Wen Yang’s expression tightened, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he nodded furiously, “That’s right! Your mom’s absolutely right! I would never abandon Ning Chu. I could never do that!”
