Extra Chapter
Ten
High school: the glorious age of hormone explosions.
Chen Jing was already pretty good-looking, inheriting most of his face from Lin Nan and a bit from Chen Yao. So, while he was delicate, he didn’t come off as too feminine. At nearly 1.8 meters tall in high school and thanks to regularly working out with Chen Yao, he had developed an interest in sports.
Good looks, decent physique, and a down-to-earth personality.
So when Lin Nan was floored to discover her son was actually dating when he entered his second year of high school, her mind was blown.
Though she had never outright forbidden early dating, like most parents, upon hearing that her kid was dating, her worry radar hit 100%.
“Is he really dating?” Lin Nan fixed a piercing look at Chen Yao, desperate for solid proof.
Chen Yao shrugged, nodded, and suggested, “He told me himself! Who made you the scary mom? He spills everything to me because I treat him more like a friend.”
“Well, he’s clearly gone off the rails now.”
Lin Nan took a deep breath, feeling her bl**d pressure rise.
High school! Chen Jing’s grades were iffy at best, and the college entrance exams were less than two years away! And he’s got a girlfriend?!
Wait a minute… wasn’t I ditching classes with Chen Yao back in high school?
“It’s all good! We’ve been together since middle school, right?” Chen Yao tried to smooth things over, giving Lin Nan a little shoulder rub. “He’s seventeen. A little romance is completely normal.”
“Who’s been with you since middle school?” Lin Nan shot him a sizzling glance, plenty of sass to spare.
She swatted Chen Yao’s hand away, asking suspiciously, “Are you benefiting from this in some way? Otherwise, why would you be defending him like this when you two usually can’t stand the sight of each other?”
“Me? I’m a fair and impartial father!” Chen Yao declared, puffing up with righteousness.
Lin Nan sighed deeply, massaging her temples. “What if Chen Jing gets played by a green tea b*tch?”
“Just money, nothing more. He’ll be fine.”
“But what if he gets taken advantage of?” Lin Nan grumbled, “Girls nowadays are bold! If he falls for a trick, he’s the one who pays the price!”
“???”
Chen Yao scratched his head, sensing that if anyone was going to get taken advantage of, it was probably Chen Jing who would end up gaining the most.
Why on earth did Lin Nan look at their son like he was the victim here?
“No way, when he gets back, I’m having a serious talk with him!” Lin Nan declared war, rolling up her sleeves, and turning to find something to whack her kid with—like a feather duster.
This kid has never been properly punished! The closest she’d gotten was some intimidation tactics, but now it was time to give punishment a fair shot!
After a lengthy search, Lin Nan found herself stumped—dust brooms and dustpans were long gone since they now cleaned with a vacuum that was way cleaner and way easier. She typically only wiped tables and chairs or washed couch covers and bed linens.
With a cat and a parrot, their fabric-covered furniture was always a furry mess anyway.
After scouring the house, she was utterly out of luck for a suitable “punishment stick.”
Eventually, Lin Nan yanked a cucumber out of the fridge—a rarity in the house—because everything else had been locked away in the bedroom.
“This is for your nighttime snack,” Chen Yao teased, “Better not break it.”
Lin Nan promptly whacked the cucumber against Chen Yao’s head, fuming, “Be serious!”
Chen Yao dropped into a faux childlike pose, straightening up and nodding seriously.
“I need to order some wooden sticks online,” Lin Nan mumbled, took a bite of the cucumber, and then looked up, “Go get a bowl of sugar. Eating it plain is boring.”
……
When Chen Jing got home from school, he noticed something was off about the atmosphere.
His dad was sitting upright with an expression that said he had just survived a near-d*ath experience courtesy of his mother, who sported a sour face while munching on a cucumber dipped in sugar and scrolling through her phone.
Today, his parents were giving off ridiculous vibes.
But when his mom looked up at him, he suddenly felt his whole body shiver, like a tiger had just spotted its prey.
cr*p, Mom has definitely entered her menopause phase!
She’s usually so sweet when she’s not stirring up trouble!
Or maybe Dad spilled a secret of mine again?
That look in her eyes was downright terrifying.
He swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Mom, Dad… you’re not working late today?”
“It’s ten o’clock at night! You think I want to collapse from overwork?” Chen Yao shot him a glare, clearly unimpressed.
Lin Nan stayed silent, still glued to her phone.
Chen Jing hesitantly dropped his book bag, ruminating over what dirt his dad might have handed over, because this wasn’t the first rodeo.
I thought you were my ally!
Firing a narrow-eyed look at his dad, he received a nonchalant return glare.
Now I’m the dad here.
Chen Jing’s spirit plummeted. He trudged over to Lin Nan, head down, surrendering without a fight, “Mom! I’m sorry!”
“What’d you do wrong?”
How would I know?
He thought hard, gritted his teeth, and finally blurted out, “I shouldn’t have hung out with my friends after school for thirty minutes.”
“Wow, no wonder you come home so late every day,” Chen Yao remarked in surprise.
Lin Nan shot Chen Yao a sidelong glance while her husband wore an expression of stunned fury, scolding their son, “How many times have I told you to come straight home after school? Do you think my words are just background noise?!”
After living together for over twenty years, Lin Nan could spot Chen Yao’s terrible acting a mile away; he clearly already knew about this.
Father and son were in cahoots against dear old Mom!
“And what else?”
“What else?” Chen Jing frowned in deep thought. “I shouldn’t have shown Dad my test paper for a signature?”
Lin Nan turned to Chen Yao, asking, “What kind of score did you get that you’re scared to let me know?”
“Eighty.”
“Not bad.”
“Except that subject had a max of 150, and eighty didn’t even pass,” Chen Yao jumped in dramatically. “I’ve already lectured him! He truly understands the importance of studying; all his grades passed this month! So, our education is…”
“Do you think this is university? Passing is enough?!” Lin Nan interjected, pouncing on him and pushing him onto the sofa, straddling him while banging the half-eaten cucumber against his forehead like it was a wooden fish for prayers. “Your ‘discipline’ was probably just him getting slaughtered in a video game!”
Chen Yao didn’t resist, looking utterly defeated. “Chen Jing’s watching, can’t you maintain your image…”
Chen Jing stared down, too embarrassed to look.
“Every year, you ask for all that tutoring money! Where’s all of it gone?”
Chen Yao was in charge of Chen Jing’s tutoring, while Lin Nan handled the funds.
“I enrolled him in art class and a martial arts class… He didn’t want to study language or math.”
“So his art skills aren’t impressive either!”
After the ruckus, Lin Nan had completely forgotten her son’s dating dilemma. The cucumber was now a casualty of the battle, and she stormed off upstairs barefoot in a huff, leaving behind the ultimatum: “You two are so buddy-buddy, you’re sleeping with your son tonight!”
Rubbing his aching forehead, Chen Yao shot a resentful glance at Chen Jing. “Your dad sure is good to you, huh?”
Chen Jing hurriedly scooted closer, giving Chen Yao a shoulder rub, all smiles. “This weekend, I’ll help you take down all the bosses you can’t beat!”
“If it weren’t for my age slowing my reflexes, I wouldn’t need your help.” Chen Yao dramatically stared at the ceiling, complaining, “That old coot Miyazaki Hideo is retired now, can’t he make a simpler game for once?”
