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TYAM Chapter 53

When Jiang Wang went back home, he went to Peng Xingwang’s room to accompany him while he did his homework.  

Only when the child had neatly placed all his notebooks and test papers into his backpack did Jiang Wang finally speak.  

“I saw your dad today while I was out. He has a new girlfriend.”  

Peng Xingwang frowned and looked at him.  

“You’re the one who said not to bring up these things before bed,” Jiang Wang reminded him, realizing he sounded like he was bickering with a younger brother. He found it amusing and added, “I just thought I’d give you a heads-up so it doesn’t hurt as much later.”  

The boy looked disappointed.  

“Not happy?”  

“Mom and Dad… is it really impossible for them to get back together?”  

Peng Xingwang hesitated, then said quietly, “I was still hoping he’d wait for Mom.”  

But with a younger sister already in the picture, how could that happen?  

Jiang Wang reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair, watching as Peng Xingwang nodded, silently withdrawing the wish he had made for himself.  

“Forget it. Let him be. If he wants to date, then let him date.”  

Peng Xingwang hadn’t seen his mother for years. The next time he did, she had a new husband. On her next visit, she was pregnant. Each meeting caught him off-guard. 

At eight years old, the boy already understood how merciless time could be. He dreaded his dad pulling a similar stunt.  

Jiang Wang’s warning lingered in his mind. The very next day, Peng Xingwang decided to visit his father.  

If his dad was really going to give him a younger sibling, he couldn’t refuse outright.  

But no matter what, he needed to see it with his own eyes. 

When Peng Xingwang went to find his dad, he thought about this over and over again. He also kept encouraging himself.

Still, he felt guilty. He was being unreasonable, right?

Peng Jiahui has moved into the building where they lived before. He threw away most of the old things there and set up a new, cozy little home.

Standing outside his father’s new home, he clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He knocked on the door as if preparing to give a speech.  

Knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it?”  

Peng Jiahui opened the iron door and saw his son standing there through the screen.  

“You’ve grown taller. Come in, come in,” Peng Jiahui said with a smile. “Why don’t you stay for dinner? We can go grocery shopping together later.”  

Peng Xingwang’s eyes lit up, but then he remembered his purpose and quickly looked around.  

“Who are you looking for?” Peng Jiahui asked with amusement. “What, heard the news and came to see Auntie Guan? She’s busy with work today and won’t be dropping by.”  

Peng Xingwang’s face turned red as he protested, “What Auntie Guan? I don’t know her.”  

“I’m… I’m just here to ask you something.”  

“Ask me something?” Peng Jiahui sat beside him, peeling a pear. “Go ahead, what is it?”  

Compared to the alcoholic who used to take out his frustrations on his son, this version of Peng Jiahui seemed like a completely different person.  

The transformation came down to a few key reasons:  

– He no longer had to raise a child alone, which meant he didn’t have to deal with daily chores or be irritated by a child’s antics.  

– His financial situation had improved, allowing for a more comfortable life.  

– He was thriving in his love life and career, leaving no reason to lash out.  

Peng Xingwang didn’t know any of this, but Peng Jiahui was painfully aware.  

A big part of the reason why he can live such a comfortable life now is that Boss Jiang and his colleague helped him on the burden of raising his son.  

He was not a good father; but he also didn’t know how long this arrangement could go on.

Every time he felt happy and relaxed, he would always be reminded of his fact. Just like a fishbone stuck in his throat, it was irritating and painfully obvious. 

Still, he would have to bring Xingxing back. It’s not something he can avoid.

Peng Xingwang’s gaze lingered on the pear being peeled in his father’s hands. After a long pause, he said, “My big brother and teacher wants to take me to the provincial capital to study.”  

“They plan to ask for my opinion first before coming to talk to you and Mom.”  

The knife slipped slightly, leaving a small notch in the pear.  

“I see,” Peng Jiahui muttered, mostly to himself. “Their business has grown so much, it makes sense they wouldn’t stay in a small city forever.”  

“What about you, Xingxing? What do you think?”  

“I don’t know,” Peng Xingwang admitted, lowering his head. After a moment, he added, “Dad, to be honest, I’m a little scared.”  

“Yuhan is so big. It has rivers, bridges, and people speaking accents I can’t understand.”  

The boy had grown up surrounded by familiar neighbors, feeling secure in his small world. 

Moving to a bustling city like the provincial capital felt as daunting as studying abroad. If he left his father to live with his brothers and teachers, it would be an entirely unfamiliar life.  

Peng Jiahui froze, caught off guard by how quickly this decision had come.  

If he encouraged his son to leave, people would say he was being inhumane. It would look like that he was trying to get rid of the trouble called his own son so he can live with his girlfriend. Other people would drown him in spittle. 

But if Xingxing stayed, his frequent work arrangement and lifestyle wouldn’t allow him to provide the care Xingxing needs. The educational opportunities here were also not as good as the provincial capital could offer.  

Peng Jiahui never went to college, but he hoped that his son could leave here to see the vast world.

He wasn’t qualified to make this decision.  

Peng Xingwang waited for his father’s input. When no answer came, he poked him lightly.  

“What do you think?”  

“Me?” Peng Jiahui forced a smile, suddenly feeling awkward. “I can’t say for sure.”  

“Of course, we all want you to be happy and satisfied.”  

“But if you’re really scared, I won’t force you to go.”  

The words were as good as saying nothing.  

Just then, the doorbell rang.  

“Jiahui, it’s me. I got off work early.”  

Peng Jiahui stood up quickly, gesturing for his son to put down the pear and join him at the door.  

“Honghong,” he said, opening the door. “Let me introduce you. This is my son, Peng Xingwang.”  

Guan Hong froze, staring in surprise. She didn’t expect that her boyfriend would have a son when she came back. “Y-you, what did you say?!”  

“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Peng Jiahui said, mustering the courage to face his avoidance. “I’ve been divorced before. Xingwang is my son with my ex-wife. I couldn’t keep this from you.”  

Peng Xingwang looked up at her bright red lipstick and greeted softly, “Hello, Auntie.”  

“…Hello,” Guan Hong said, setting her bag down and changing her shoes. “He usually stays with your ex-wife, then? Just visiting you occasionally?”  

“No,” Peng Jiahui said awkwardly. “My ex-wife moved out of the province. Xingwang… lives with Boss Jiang now.”  

“Boss Jiang? The one from yesterday?”  

Peng Xingwang nodded.  

“It’s like this, let me explain. I didn’t have a stable job before, and my life… was a mess. I couldn’t take care of him.” Peng Jiahui explained, automatically omitting the part about his alcoholism and domestic violence. “Boss Jiang is my ex-wife’s younger brother. He stepped in to help for a while.”  

“As you know, I changed my job for the better now, but I have very frequent business trips. It was difficult for me to pick my son up from school everyday, so I asked someone to help take care of him.”

Guan Hong’s eyes flickered between father and son. After a moment, she said, “He’s taking care of the child alone?”  

“No, there’s also Teacher Ji,” Peng Xingwang interjected. “Teacher Ji is really kind to me!”  

Guan Hong’s expression grew subtle. “Teacher Ji? The one with Boss Jiang yesterday?”  

“Yes,” Peng Jiahui replied without noticing anything odd. He continued with a smile, “The three of them live together. Teacher Ji rents one of the rooms.”  

Guan Hong seemed to roughly understand the situation, and she didn’t say much. She joined them in grocery shopping, helped prepare dinner, and even watched TV with them afterward. 

Later, as they drove Peng Xingwang back to the gate of Hehua Gaoyuan, she glanced at the high-end apartments.  

After the car turned back toward the old neighborhood, Guan Hong broke the silence.  

“What’s your plan for this child in the future?”  

This question felt like a stab for Peng Jiahui. He hesitated before weakly tapping the steering wheel.

“I haven’t thought about it yet.” He lowered his head and continued, “I owe a lot for my son, but I don’t want you to suffer injustice.”

Guan Hong didn’t react to this answer. After a while, she asked, “Are you sure you can leave your son to be raised by those two men?”

“They can raise Xingxing better than I can.” Peng Jiahui replied, helplessness tinged his voice. “You know my level of education. I can still do some work on a mechanical lathe, but I sure can’t help my son to finish his homework.”

“Teacher Ji is the best English teacher here, and Boss Jiang cares about Xingxing more than I do. They’re very good people.”

Guan Hong scoffed and turned her head away.

“You’re also very generous.”

Peng Jiahui became anxious. “What?”

“Let me make it clear first: I don’t like children – be it a baby, an elementary school child, or a middle school student. I don’t plan to have any in the future.” Guan Hong neatly said, “You and your ex-wife can handle your own affairs. But if this child comes to live with you, we can break up.”

“If he only occasionally visits on the weekends, I can put on a show to make him happy. But if we have to meet everyday, my temper wouldn’t be as good.” 

Peng Jianhui’s expression turned gloomy. He turned his head as he turned the steering wheel. He stopped coaxing her.

Guan Hong got angry instead. “Hey, did you ignore me because of this child?”

Peng Jiahui suppressed his ire. “Let’s go home first before we continue this conversation.”


After Peng Xingwang got home, he called his big brother like usual. As Jiang Wang was about to hang up the call, he remembered something.

“Xingwang, go and lock the gate to the courtyard. Don’t forget to close all the doors and windows in the house as well. It’s not very safe recently.”

“We’ll probably be back around 10 PM. If you’re scared, we can pick you up from school, but we still have to go to the drinking party after that.”

“No problem, no problem.” The boy was used to waiting for them at home. He then asked in curiosity, “Why is it not very safe recently?”

After a brief hesitation, Jiang Wang chose to tell him the truth.

“Because… there’s this three-eyed madman.”

“He has three eyes?”

“Not literally. I heard he got into a fight and got his forehead cut open by an axe. The scar looked like a closed third eye.” Jiang Wang was afraid the boy would get morbidly curious, so he didn’t omit the scary part. “Did you see police cars patrolling the streets more frequently lately? They’re all searching for this madman.”

“After school, go to the teacher’s office and wait for Teacher Ji to get off work. I have also informed Teacher Xu, so don’t be afraid.”

Peng Xingwang stared out the window for a long time, feeling a chill spreading from the soles of his feet to the tips of his hair.

“B-big brother…” he stammered, voice stiff. “Is the three-eyed madman you said… does… does he have short hair, eyes that are very far apart, a thick neck, and bringing over a machete with him?”

Jiang Wang became alert. “How do you know that?”

“T-that person… he wandered over our west gate.”

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