Chapter 1336 Shuangshuang’s Dad... Is Also Your Dad

“Tell Dad truthfully, where did you go today, why did you run out of the kindergarten without permission, who did you meet, what did you do, okay?”

Xiao Xiaoang shrank into Xiao Yan’s arms, his hands tightly clutching Xiao Yan’s clothes.

A huge sense of panic made him unable to speak easily for a moment… Xiao Yan said he wouldn’t abandon him, but Xiao Xiaoang thought, if he really told Xiao Yan that he sought out Yin Shixiu to ask him to bring Su Xiaomeng back to them, Xiao Yan would definitely be angrier…

The little guy shivered at the thought.

So…

“I… I just wanted to go out and relax…” Xiao Xiaoang mumbled into Xiao Yan’s arms, continuing, “I didn’t want to stay in the kindergarten, just wanted to go out for a walk…”

“Xiao Ang, you need to tell Dad the truth, did you really sneak out from under the teachers’ and other kids’ noses just to ‘relax’?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Xiaoang nodded emphatically.

“I stood by the roadside hailing a taxi, tried several times, but they bullied me, thinking I’m a child, none of the taxi drivers wanted to take me, luckily later a kind lady driver agreed to give me a ride.”

“Where did you go to relax?”

“Shuangshuang told me his dad is the big boss of Yin Group, Shuangshuang said he’s cool, so I wanted to see him…”

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, heavily suspicious inside.

“And then he met you?”

“No, I stayed around there for a long time, until evening when I planned to go home, that’s when I met him, I said my name is Xiao Xiaoang, and then uncle recognized me, he knows you, Xiao Yan, said Su Xiaomeng often talks about us to him.”

Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows, “Then what?”

“Then he asked me why I came here alone.”

“I told him I had an argument with my dad, so I didn’t want to stay in kindergarten…”

“And then?”

“Then he asked me if I was hungry, and Xiao Yan, I was really hungry, so I went to eat with him, he took me to a really nice restaurant. The pizza there was better than Pizza Hut’s!”

Xiao Xiaoang raised his swollen, watery eyes and stared at Xiao Yan.

“Is everything you said true?”

“Xiao Yan… you don’t believe me anymore…” Xiao Xiaoang blinked his eyes, looking at Xiao Yan with a face full of grievance.

Even though Xiao Yan thought no child would lie like this, he also knew Xiao Xiaoang wasn’t an ordinary kid; he had experienced how surprisingly cunning this kid could be.

“Dad doesn’t doubt you, it’s just… Dad really finds it strange why you’d suddenly want to find Shuangshuang’s dad…”

Xiao Xiaoang’s little heart tightened, quickly snuggling into Xiao Yan’s chest, “Xiao Yan, I was wrong, from now on I’ll tell you wherever I go, please don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”

The little guy had said all he could, so even if Xiao Yan had suspicions, he was helpless against him.

If at this point, the little guy was still lying… Xiao Yan smiled bitterly inside, it could only mean he was a terribly inadequate father.

Xiao Yan held Xiao Xiaoang, his hand gently stroking his little head over and over…

Xiao Xiaoang returned home safely, Xiao Yan’s worried heart was at ease, but the fear of losing Xiao Xiaoang deepened.

Maybe it’s just like Pu Yang said, where did he get the confidence to ‘cultivate’ the relationship between Xiao Xiaoang and Su Xiaomeng after they’ve met?

He mistakenly thought blood relations wouldn’t cause any telepathy, such a superstitious notion that someone like him, a science-believing surgeon, wouldn’t believe.

Anything unexplained by science, he did not believe.

He mistakenly thought that over the years, the memory of the “prematurely deceased” child had gradually faded for Yin Shixiu and Su Xiaomeng…

Even though Xiao Xiaoang has a noticeable birthmark between his eyebrows.

He mistakenly believed that his small scheme from years ago would make Su Xiaomeng and Yin Shixiu believe their child was a girl, not a boy.

He wasn’t sure if Yin Shixiu and Su Xiaomeng suspected Xiao Xiaoang’s true identity, but as Xiao Xiaoang’s contact with the Yin Family deepened, his sense of panic grew.

Xiao Xiaoang went to see Yin Shixiu…

He said it was a whim, but was there a push behind it? Xiao Yan couldn’t be certain, but at least knew that the possibility was too big to ignore.

One day, this thin veil might be pierced…

Xiao Yan was really not good at scheming, not good at being that crucial line in such a complex interpersonal relationship…

So even though he sensed he might lose Xiao Ang, he never thought it would come so fast, so fast that he couldn’t help but be impressed by that man’s sharpness and ability.

“Xiao Ang.”

“Ang?”

Xiao Xiaoang sniffed, responding to Xiao Yan.

“Dad was very young, only twenty when he was with you.”

“… Yeah, Xiao Yan, you’re much younger and handsomer than other kids’ dads in kindergarten!”

This has always been something Xiao Xiaoang was proud of, not knowing that having such a young dad could also be a point of criticism and doubt from others.

But Xiao Xiaoang didn’t care. He just believed he had the best dad in the world.

Xiao Ang only returned to China with Xiao Yan when he was three years old. Before that, he lived in the United States, and perhaps influenced by that environment, Xiao Yan taught Xiao Ang to speak by telling him, you can call me by my name, Xiao Yan, you don’t have to call me Dad like everyone else.

Xiao Xiaoang was someone who liked to be different, just like many local kids there, he would call his father by his name directly.

After returning to the country, most kids in China called their father “Dad.” Xiao Ang was “dead set” on not following the crowd, so he kept calling Xiao Yan by his name.

Among these reasons, age might be a factor too.

Compared to other dads, Xiao Yan was indeed too young.

“Xiao Ang, you know, people will grow up, but no one can grow up in just one day.”

Xiao Xiaoang blinked his eyes, listening intently and trying hard to understand every word Xiao Yan said at the moment.

“Just like how you can make mistakes today, Dad can make mistakes too.”

“…”

After thinking for a bit, Xiao Xiaoang nodded and mumbled especially quietly, “Well, insisting on marrying Pu Yang is definitely a mistake…”

Although the little fellow said this very, very softly, Xiao Yan still heard it and chuckled softly,

“Maybe.”

He mumbled and then continued speaking to Xiao Xiaoang,

“In the future, perhaps… Dad is saying maybe… many, many people will say Dad made a serious mistake, one that is unforgivable to some people. And maybe Dad did indeed make a serious mistake, but you have to remember, no matter if it was a mistake, Dad has never regretted it.”

“Xiao Ang, Dad really loves you…”

Not just because of guilt did I adopt you, not just because of selfishness did I refuse to let you go.

“Phew… phew…”

Xiao Yan’s words stopped; the silent living room was filled with the intermingling breaths of a child and a small dog.

He lowered his head, Xiao Xiaoang’s small body lying on his lap, sleeping foolishly, his eyes wet and his face full of tear stains.

They had been father and son for five years… no matter what others thought, at least they never had any insurmountable misgivings and gaps between them.

But now… he was no longer sure about this.

He and Pu Yang had already registered their marriage. Legally speaking, Pu Yang was Xiao Xiaoang’s mom, whether or not Xiao Xiaoang wanted to acknowledge it.

Getting up, he carried Xiao Xiaoang into his room, watching this little guy lying in bed, still mumbling his name…

“Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan…”

Xiao Yan was warm and gentle as jade, his smile always comforting. Xiao Xiaoang opened his eyes drowsily, met with Xiao Yan’s loving gaze, a gaze that reassured him, made him feel safe…

Xiao Ang never told Xiao Yan…

He often had a dream where someone harshly said the child was a demon, not meant to live in this world, that he caused his mother’s death, and the birthmark in the center of his forehead was a devil’s mark…

In the dream, he ran aimlessly, with many, many bad people chasing him, yelling he’s a little demon, calling him a little bastard…

He often cried out Xiao Yan’s name, often until his voice was hoarse, but Xiao Yan was never there.

At the end of the dream, someone stood waiting for him. He thought that person was Xiao Yan, but every time he ran over, it was never Xiao Yan’s face, but a stranger’s face he could never recall upon waking.

Why… wasn’t it Xiao Yan…

Xiao Xiaoang fell asleep again drowsily. Soon, he entered that dream again, struggling, afraid, terrified, so much that his small body kept curling up in bed.

After an unknown amount of time, he reached the end of the dream again, facing that tall and big figure again.

He ran desperately, and this time, that person crouched down, reached out to him, and gently called, “Xiao Ang. Come over.”

Xiao Xiaoang raised his head, and the person’s face became clear, no longer unfamiliar—

“Shuangshuang’s… Dad…”

Shuangshuang’s dad said something else, but he didn’t hear it clearly…

————

After putting Xiao Xiaoang in bed, Xiao Yan returned to his bedroom. Pu Yang had already bathed and was sitting on the sofa reading a book.

“Is he… okay? Did he tell you? Where did he go today?”

Pu Yang asked, with anxiety in her heart, though it didn’t show on her face.

Xiao Yan didn’t answer Pu Yang but simply said blandly, “Go to sleep, I’m tired.”

“…I am really worried about him too, how can I sleep if you don’t tell me?” Pu Yang felt that Xiao Yan’s current reaction made her heart uneasy.

Xiao Yan didn’t even glance at her and said casually,

“Are you worried about him? Don’t be hypocritical like a cat crying over a dead mouse, okay? Pu Yang.”