VFGRC Chapter 77

Even though Xing Xing was only three years old, he had learned from educational videos that children are born from mothers, not fathers.

How could Dad have given birth to him?

Could Dad be lying to him?

Xing Xing’s eyes, narrowed into two slits, were filled with skepticism.

With a soft and tender voice tinged with uncertainty, Xing Xing asked, “Is it true?”

“It’s true, I haven’t lied to you.” Yu Bai said, “You are indeed my child.”

“But how could dad give birth to a child?”

Yu Bai responded, “Because my body is somewhat special. My body, compared to other fathers, is a bit different…”

Xing Xing blinked his swollen eyes in a daze.

“Wait a moment.” Yu Bai got up and said, “I’ll fetch you some photos, and then you’ll know.”

Initially, Ji Rongyu, like Xing Xing, thought Yu Bai’s words were not true.

Ji Rongyu thought that Yu Bai intentionally claimed to have given birth to Xing Xing to deceive them, making Xing Xing believe he was Yu Bai’s biological child.

However, when Ji Rongyu watched Yu Bai take out a stack of photo albums from the cabinet at home, with photos of Yu Bai when he was pregnant, he and Xing Xing finally believed that Yu Bai was telling the truth.

Yu Bai couldn’t have prepared photos of himself pregnant in advance, just to deceive Xing Xing one day.

Moreover, the edges of the photos in Yu Bai’s hands were slightly yellowed, looking like they had been stored for several years. And the Yu Bai in the photos, compared to the present Yu Bai, looked younger.

At that time, Yu Bai still carried the youthful innocence of a student, with slightly long black hair cascading over his delicately smooth shoulders.

Perhaps it was due to eating well during the pregnancy, the Yu Bai in the photos appeared slightly plumper than now, with a round face that looked even more adorable.

Seeing Yu Bai pull out a stack of photos, Xing Xing immediately ran to Yu Bai’s side.

He stretched his short and stubby neck as much as he could, widened his swollen eyes, and carefully examined the photos in Yu Bai’s hand.

The person in the photos was Dad!

Yu Bai said, “These are photos from three years ago when I was pregnant with you…”

Men getting pregnant is a rare occurrence, and it’s not something to boast about. Even when Yu Bai was about to give birth to Xing Xing, when he walked with a visible belly, he would often receive strange looks from people around him, and there would be whispers behind his back.

Like all pregnant people, Yu Bai also experienced stress and irritability during pregnancy, so he often stayed at home and didn’t go out much.

Perhaps it was the deep connection between father and son.

As Yu Bai’s belly grew, he took extra care of the child in his womb. In his spare time, he would discuss with his grandmother what kind of baby clothes and shoes they should prepare for the child after birth.

During those times, his grandmother would often say that life was getting better and better. They could take photos with their phones now. In the past, during times of scarcity, there were no phones or computers. The only option was to go to a photo studio and take expensive pictures.

Unable to capture the little moments of her son and grandson growing up through photographs, she could only rely on memories to reminisce about the past, which became a lifelong regret for Grandma.

Yu Bai didn’t want to leave behind this regret, so he chose to document every little bit of Xing Xing’s growth with photographs.

Xing Xing had never seen these photos before, as they had all been carefully preserved by Yu Bai after his birth.

Looking at the gradually expanding belly of his dad in the photos, and his own appearance just after birth, Xing Xing couldn’t bear to part with the photos, touching them gently with his short and chubby hand.

He had no memory of the past in those photos, but being able to see the process of his own birth felt truly magical!

Xing Xing exclaimed, “Dad, you look so handsome in this one!”

“Oh no! Why was I so chubby when I was born? So much fat? Not cute at all!”

Yu Bai chuckled, “No, I thought you were very cute when you were just born! Look at your round eyes, they’re just like mine…”

“Really?” Xing Xing’s chubby little hand lightly touched his swollen eyes, his expression a bit downcast. “But… I cried today, so my eyes aren’t round anymore. Dad, am I not good-looking now?”

With swollen eyes, Xing Xing indeed didn’t look as pretty and delicate as usual. But in Yu Bai’s eyes, his son was the most adorable in the world. How could he say his own son wasn’t good-looking?

Yu Bai’s large hand gently stroked Xing Xing’s head. “No matter how you look, you’re the most handsome and beautiful child in my eyes.”

Hearing Yu Bai praise him as handsome and good-looking, Xing Xing’s chubby cheeks turned a shade of red, and he couldn’t resist nuzzling his little head into Yu Bai’s embrace.

Oh my goodness! Dad always says such cheesy things, and it makes him feel so shy!

Yu Bai said, “You don’t need to worry about your eyes. We’ll use a boiled egg to reduce the swelling later. It’ll make your eyes look better…”

Using a boiled egg to reduce eye swelling? Xing Xing immediately pulled his head out of Yu Bai’s embrace.

“Dad, Dad! Then take me to do the eye treatment quickly! My eyes are swollen now and don’t look good. I need to use an egg to make them look better!”

With the misunderstanding cleared up, Xing Xing’s mood improved. He was back to caring about his appearance.

Yu Bai smiled helplessly.

Both he and Xing Xing were still at home, and Xing Xing wasn’t going out, so why was he so concerned about his appearance? He really was quite vain.

Yu Bai held Xing Xing’s small hand, and the father and son walked toward the kitchen together.

As Yu Bai passed by Ji Rongyu, Ji Rongyu was still standing there in a daze.

Yu Bai quickly glanced at Ji Rongyu, then lowered his head and left without saying a word.

The human heart is the hardest to grasp.

Yu Bai wasn’t sure if he had revealed too much by telling Ji Rongyu about his ability to bear children. Would Ji Rongyu still express his fondness for him as he did before?

Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t.

Yu Bai pursed his lips.

Even he, upon learning about his pregnancy, had been shocked and incredulous. He had even thought of himself as a freak and had contemplated a lifetime without marriage.

If Ji Rongyu stopped mentioning the word “liking” after finding out about this, Yu Bai felt it wouldn’t matter.

Yu Bai didn’t expect everyone to understand him.

He had long been prepared for it. He only needed to be himself and live his life to the fullest.

Of course, if Ji Rongyu was willing, they could continue being friends.

However, taking their relationship to the next level… that was definitely impossible.

The revelation that Yu Bai could bear children undoubtedly shocked Ji Rongyu profoundly.

Because he never imagined that a man could bear a child. This probability was indeed incredibly low, so much so that Ji Rongyu had never heard of such a case before.

But when Ji Rongyu saw the old photos of Yu Bai, he realized that Yu Bai hadn’t lied to him. Yu Bai was telling the truth.

If everything Yu Bai said was true, and Xing Xing was indeed Yu Bai’s biological child, then Xing Xing’s mother might not be the mother, but… the father?

With this deduction, Ji Rongyu felt a mixture of surprise and a hint of displeasure.

He was pleasantly surprised that Yu Bai had been with another man before, which increased his chances of successfully pursuing Yu Bai. However, he was displeased to realize that the person Yu Bai had once liked was a man.

Ji Rongyu couldn’t help but feel a sense of competitiveness.

Which man had beaten him to it, winning Yu Bai’s heart first? What kind of man was Yu Bai attracted to? Could his preferences be vastly different from his own?

What should he do if the person Yu Bai used to like is completely different from him?

…

“Gurgle, gurgle,” Yu Bai boiled water in the kitchen, and the obedient Xing Xing sat behind him, patiently waiting for Yu Bai to cook the eggs.

Steam slowly rose, creating a warm halo that softened Yu Bai’s contours, illuminating his deep affection for the child.

Ji Rongyu leaned against the kitchen doorframe, looking into the kitchen.

Yu Bai loved Xing Xing so much. Did he also love the past man in the same way?

The last trace of delighted happiness in Ji Rongyu’s heart vanished, leaving only a heart full of jealousy.

His heart felt as sour as if he had eaten a hundred lemons.

Ji Rongyu also wanted to have an adorable child with Yu Bai, and he longed for a deep mutual love with him.

However, would Yu Bai give him a chance?

The strong father-son bond between Yu Bai and Xing Xing made it hard for Ji Rongyu to blend in. He could only sit on the sidelines like an observer.

Not long after dinner, it was getting late.

After crying earlier, Xing Xing was already feeling sleepy.

Rubbing his chubby little face with his small hands, he tried to clear his drowsiness.

Yu Bai: “If you’re sleepy, go to bed early.”

Xing Xing: “Isn’t it too early? Dad isn’t sleepy yet?”

The drunkard’s intention is not in the wine¹This expression suggests that a factor might amplify or bring to the surface preexisting thoughts or feelings rather than being the sole cause of a person’s behavior. It implies that the true reasons for their actions lie deeper than just the effects of a certain factor..

Xing Xing wanted to sleep with Yu Bai. But he was worried that it was too early for Yu Bai to sleep, so he sat stiffly on the side.

“It’s okay,” Yu Bai smiled slightly, “I’ll comfort you for a while. After that, I’ll be sleepy too. But before we sleep, we need to go to the bathroom and freshen up…”

“Okay!” Xing Xing immediately hopped off the sofa, “I’ll go now!”

Yu Bai stood up and glanced at Ji Rongyu, who was also sitting on the sofa, “It’s not too late, you can head back.”

Ji Rongyu had been waiting all afternoon and never got a chance to speak with Yu Bai alone. The whole afternoon, Yu Bai was occupied by Xing Xing.

Just as Ji Rongyu was about to say something to Yu Bai, Xing Xing, who was walking ahead, spoke up.

“Dad! Hurry up, come with me to wash up!”

“Alright!”

Yu Bai quickened his pace and followed behind Xing Xing.

Ji Rongyu wasn’t that oblivious.

Just as the conflict between Yu Bai and Xing Xing had subsided, even if he circled around them, he couldn’t find a way to interject into the conversation between this father and son who shared a blood relationship.

“Well, I’ll leave first,” Ji Rongyu looked at Yu Bai, “We’ll… see each other tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Yu Bai replied with a barely audible voice.

As the door closed, Ji Rongyu’s figure disappeared behind it.

Yu Bai took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Perhaps both he and Ji Rongyu needed some time to sort out their thoughts.

Their relationship began as a friendship but gradually extended in another direction, accompanied by lies and concealment.

Now, thinking about the blossoming and fruition of this relationship, he realized it wouldn’t be resolved in just a day or two.

—

“Xiang Yu, you have another package!”

A loud shout came from outside the door.

Xiang Yu, who was live-streaming makeup in her room, trembled slightly, causing her eyeliner to streak across her temple.

“Mom, I’m in the middle of a live stream! Can you please not call me so suddenly!”

Xiang Yu looked toward the camera, apologizing, “I’m sorry, my lovely viewers. I need to redo this part of the eyeliner. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it… This eyeliner pen is still very easy to use, see how smoothly it applies.”

Through three years of relentless effort, Xiang Yu, who had become one of the top beauty influencers on the entire internet, had already amassed a loyal fanbase.

[It’s okay! Xiang Yu, take your time, we’ll wait for you!]

[What brand is this eyeliner pen? Is there a link?]

[The link was just posted a few minutes ago, and the store says it’s already sold out! If you want to buy it, you’ll have to wait for the pre-sale.]

[Xiang Yu, big sister, I heard you got a new package again? I haven’t seen your unboxing livestream in a while. When will you do one?]

[Same here, I want to see the unboxing live stream! I want to see what kind of goodies big sister has gotten this time!]

After removing her eyeliner and reapplying it, Xiang Yu saw that the barrage in her livestream was all about the “unboxing livestream.”

As a major online influencer in the field of beauty and product endorsements, Xiang Yu often received various items from collaboration partners.

Xiang Yu who has long achieved financial freedom, is not swayed by the “money” of cooperation partners. Her product selection is strict, and she dares to speak directly about the shortcomings of products. This is one of the reasons why she can firmly establish herself in the beauty and makeup industry.

Today, with nothing much to do, Xiang Yu decided on a whim to host a live broadcast to share some beauty and makeup techniques.

Coupled with the fact that she might not have done a live unboxing of deliveries for a while, and there are several unopened delivery boxes at home, Xiang Yu readily agreed.

“Sure, I’ll do a live unboxing for you all in a bit.”

After quickly finishing her makeup, Xiang Yu went to the living room and casually grabbed a few unopened delivery boxes.

She stacked the cardboard boxes aside and randomly chose a small package.

“This is a concealer sent by a cooperation partner… Let me try its moisturizing effect first. It’s so cakey? And the coverage is just average. It’s definitely not good to use. Everyone, beware of this one!”

Xiang Yu continued to unbox several more packages one after another, but none of the items sent to her were considered useful.

A newcomer in the chat room commented.

[Is this host’s luck bad? She got several duds in a row.]

[The person above must be new here. Sister Xiang Yu is famous among us live broadcasters for having bad luck.]

[Once, Sister Xiang Yu collaborated with a mobile game. When she did a live draw, she recharged ten sets of 648 currency units each, and all she got was the same garbage from the guaranteed pool… African²非洲 people would exclaim, ‘Wow, she’s really unlucky!’]

[“I’ve already gotten used to Sister Xiang Yu’s unboxing live streams not yielding good stuff. I just want to see if there are any items in Sister Xiang Yu’s unboxing of duds that I’ve been wanting to buy recently… It’s a chance to avoid disappointment.”]

Xiang Yu obviously knows her own luck well. Even after unboxing several duds, she remains unfazed. The current box is the last one.

“Darlings, this is the last delivery I’m unboxing. Let’s see what’s inside!”

Xiang Yu moved the delivery box closer and was about to use a small knife to cut the transparent tape when she let out a soft “hmm.”

This box didn’t have any manufacturer’s address printed on it. It was actually snacks sent to her by a good friend from her university days.

“These are snacks sent to me by my friend!” Xiang Yu smiled at the camera in the live stream. “My friend wouldn’t send me something unpleasant. This box should finally not be a dud! Let me open it and see what delicious treats are inside…”

As Xiang Yu opened the delivery box, she took out the snacks from inside.

Xiang Yu didn’t expect that her good friend, Yue Qing, would send her so many snacks! Some of them were vacuum-sealed and looked like they could be stored for a long time. There were also some snacks with ice packs, likely meant to be kept cool.

“This is a pack of boneless chicken feet, milk dates, braised chicken feet… Huh? What’s this?”

Xiang Yu pulled out a round package from the box with an ice pack. It looked like uncooked glutinous rice balls.

“My good friend says these are snacks from the southern region, called ‘sweet rice wine balls’… I’ve never had them before, and I don’t know if they’re good. Southern friends, are these tasty?”

[As a person from the southern region, I think sweet rice wine balls are delicious! They’re sweet and have a hint of wine fragrance. The sweet rice balls are soft and fragrant!]

[I might be a fake Southern person. I don’t think sweet rice wine balls are good at all. Maybe it’s because I don’t like alcohol, so when I eat something with a wine flavor, I feel uncomfortable.]

Seeing the mixed reactions in the chat, Xiang Yu grew curious.

“My good friend said that these sweet rice wine balls from this place are different from others! Should I savor them?”

Xiang Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. In her view, Yue Qing’s personality didn’t seem like that of someone who would say such things about a snack.

Xiang Yu carried the materials for the sweet rice wine balls and hurried to the living room.

“Mom, could you help me cook the sweet rice wine balls according to the instructions?”

Xiang Yu’s mother sat on the sofa, teasingly saying, “Oh, now you remember I’m your mom?”

In a coquettish tone, Xiang Yu, in need of her help, pleaded, “Mom…”

Xiang Yu’s mother couldn’t resist her coquettishness and immediately responded, “Fine, I’ll cook a bowl for you to try.”

Xiang Yu’s mother was a true northerner, and she had never eaten sweet rice wine balls before. She thought they looked strange, and she didn’t know if they were good.

But if Xiang Yu wanted to eat them, she would make them.

“If they’re not good, you still have to eat the sweet rice wine balls I make, no wasting!”

“I got it, Mom. Don’t worry.”

Xiang Yu happily returned to the live stream, continuing her broadcast.

Various snacks were still laid out on the table. As making the sweet rice wine balls was a bit monotonous, Xiang Yu casually picked up a pack of milk-infused jujubes.

Among her fans in the live stream, there was some skepticism.

How good could these small snacks like milk-infused jujubes be? Aren’t they all the same as what’s available online?

Naturally, Xiang Yu thought the same.

However, as she popped a milk-infused jujube into her mouth and savored it slowly, the silky smoothness melting in her mouth, the fusion of milk fragrance and the sweetness of jujube, complemented by the crisp almond fragrance, created a marvelous explosion of flavors.

Xiang Yu widened her eyes and let out a scream.

“These milk-infused jujubes are too delicious! Sweeties, go buy them for me!”

Author’s Note:

PS: The rest will be typed after I’m done with the nucleic acid test.

Because I was suddenly called to line up for a nucleic acid test in the middle of the night… I don’t know when I’ll be done.

Medical staff and everyone, thank you for your hard work QAQ.

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  This expression suggests that a factor might amplify or bring to the surface preexisting thoughts or feelings rather than being the sole cause of a person’s behavior. It implies that the true reasons for their actions lie deeper than just the effects of a certain factor.
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  非洲