Chapter 136: Wordless Shame |
Liu Changqing’s words left An Yuanyao completely at a loss. Her brain ceased to function, and she stared blankly at the man before her, her heartbeat quickening.
“This is too...”
“I’ll take Zhiyue to Xiazhi’s room later. The three of us can squeeze in for tonight.”
After finishing his sentence, Liu Changqing stood up and noticed the unusual look on An Yuanyao’s face.
“By the way, what were you about to say just now?”
“Actually... I can sleep on the sofa.”
“There’s no mosquito coil in the living room. Do you think you’ll get any sleep with all the mosquitoes?”
“Alright...”
“Wait a bit. I’ll go let Zhiyue know.”
With that, Liu Changqing got up from the sofa and headed to his room.
Inside, the bed was empty, but his son was seated on a chair in front of the computer desk, facing the door.
Liu Changqing quietly closed the door.
“Why aren’t you lying down?”
“Lying down doesn’t feel right.”
“I told you I’d bring your sister back.”
Liu Zhiyue didn’t respond immediately. Earlier, when his father entered the room, he’d intended to leave. However, as he opened the door, he saw An Yuanyao standing beside his father, holding his sister.
Initially relieved upon seeing his sister safe, Liu Zhiyue was momentarily stunned when he noticed An Yuanyao. Ultimately, he decided not to leave the room.
He had sensed something unusual about their relationship for a while—ever since his father first brought her home.
Looking up at his father rummaging through the wardrobe, Liu Zhiyue asked casually, “Dad, what do you think of Aunt An?”
“What do I think?”
Liu Changqing crouched down, his head nearly buried in the wardrobe as he struggled to pull out a pillow. Without turning around, he replied absentmindedly, “She’s nice. Her personality is good.”
“But...”
Pulling out a pillow with effort, Liu Changqing quickly pushed back the blanket that almost came out with it. Closing the wardrobe, he turned to look at his son.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Aunt An, she...”
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft knocking interrupted him, and Liu Zhiyue instantly clammed up.
Turning toward the door, Liu Changqing saw An Yuanyao slowly enter.
“I came to help...”
“There’s not much to do, just grabbing a pillow. The bedding here doesn’t need changing. But if you mind, I’ll put a fresh layer underneath.”
“No, no, it’s fine!”
Her hasty reply made Liu Zhiyue, still seated, pull a strange expression. He looked at An Yuanyao, then at his father holding the pillow. His mind started to churn again.
Unaware of his son’s reaction, Liu Changqing turned to An Yuanyao.
“Not much else to say. You’ll make do in this room tonight. I don’t want to wake Xiazhi by moving her here. Anyway, take a shower later. You seem pretty warm.”
“Mm... what about a towel?”
“There are spares in the basket on the rack. Just grab one. I bought a bunch last time, and they haven’t been used.”
“Alright.”
“Okay then.”
After placing the pillow on the bed, Liu Changqing stacked the ones he and his son used before and held them in his arms. He called out to his dazed son, who quickly responded and got up to follow him out of the room.
An Yuanyao watched them leave, standing motionless. After a while, she turned her gaze toward the bed, lost in thought.
In Xiazhi’s room, the father and son tiptoed like burglars, even taking nearly ten seconds just to close the door quietly. Once inside, they looked at Xiazhi curled up and sleeping soundly on the bed, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Dad...” Liu Zhiyue whispered, covering his mouth with his hand. “How are the three of us going to fit on this bed?”
Unlike the master bedroom, the beds in Liu Zhiyue’s and Xiazhi’s rooms were smaller. One person could fit comfortably, two barely, but three would be cramped.
Moreover, while both father and son had slimmed down recently, they were still broad-shouldered.
Liu Changqing was momentarily at a loss. After some thought, he handed his son a pillow. “Why don’t you sleep on the floor?”
“What?!”
“Just kidding. Don’t freak out. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“But...”
Liu Zhiyue glanced at his father’s still-shod feet.
“Won’t it be a bit dirty on the floor?”
“It’s fine. At least there’s a place to lie down. You have no idea how tough it was for me back in school when I...”
He trailed off, realizing he was referencing memories from his past life.
“School?”
“Just pulling all-nighters, burning the midnight oil. I studied so hard back then I didn’t sleep for nights on end.”
“Alright...”
Liu Zhiyue responded, marveling at this unfamiliar side of his father, who had dropped out after high school.
Clearing a patch of space, Liu Changqing placed the pillow on the floor, then sat down.
Liu Zhiyue cautiously climbed into the bed beside his sister, careful not to wake her. Turning on his side, he gazed at Xiazhi’s small face.
Just as he reached out to brush her bangs aside, he sniffed and jerked his head toward his father.
“Dad, aren’t you going to wash your feet?”
“Huh?”
Liu Changqing took off his shoes, folded his socks, and stuffed them inside the shoes. Loosening his belt buckle to ease his belly, he lay down, adjusting the pillow.
“I’ll take care of it tomorrow morning. Too tired to move tonight...”
“The smell...”
“When you were a baby and pooped your pants, I cleaned you up. Can’t you handle this?”
“It’s not that...”
“It’s just that Aunt An is using the bathroom now. Not a good time for me to wash up.”
“Fine...”
Liu Zhiyue watched his father close his eyes and decided to let it go. He lay back down, wrapped his arm protectively around his sister, and shut his eyes.
The room fell silent, save for the faint sound of running water from the bathroom.
Lying on the floor, Liu Changqing cracked one eye open, sneaking a glance at his son’s back. A wave of embarrassment washed over him.
He’d been on his feet all day, walking a lot because of his daughter. Wearing leather shoes, cheap ones at that, had left his feet less than fresh.
Fortunately, he hadn’t removed his shoes in the room earlier, saving himself some face.
Closing his eyes again, Liu Changqing forced himself to sleep.