Thank you @Beverly for the Kofi.
Extra 4
“Dad,” Chen Jian looked at his father and pushed the tissue box on the table in front of him. “This matter… Sun Nana is only going to negotiate this morning. We don’t know the result yet, and we don’t know…”
“I know what you mean,” his father took a tissue and wiped his eyes. “Actually, it doesn’t matter whether we can get it back or not. It’s enough for Dad to know that you’re thinking about this.”
He had been thinking about it all along. Every time he went back to the village and passed by the entrance, he would feel a little sad, but he could only keep thinking about it.
“If it weren’t for Shan Yu,” Chen Jian said softly, “I don’t know when I would have been able to bring this up.”
“He is amazing,” his father nodded, a little emotional. “He has skills and a good heart.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian smiled.
“If we can get the house back, the money…” his father suddenly remembered this just now and looked at Chen Jian with great concern. “We can’t afford it, can we?”
“First… it will go through the company’s accounts,” Chen Jian said. “We were originally negotiating in the name of the small town’s development. If I don’t live there myself, I can also hand it over to the company for operation, to open a shop or something.”
“Oh,” his father breathed a sigh of relief.
“If we can get it up and running then,” Chen Jian leaned closer to his father and whispered, “you can consider moving back to the village, doing something of your own, and not having to work so hard outside.”
“I’m not working hard, not at all,” his father answered reflexively, then paused and also leaned forward. “Doing something of my own… what can I do?”
“Anything,” Chen Jian said. “Sell something, a farmhouse restaurant, or something.”
His father thought for a moment and chuckled.
After a few seconds, he sighed again. “Forget about doing business. I’m not cut out for it. If Shan Yu’s company is going to do something there, I can help out.”
“That works too,” Chen Jian said. “It’s better than you running around in the city.”
“And I can live in my own home,” his father said.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian smiled and nodded.
Chen Jian ordered a lot of dishes for this morning tea. At first, his father was still like before, eating very slowly and letting him eat more first. But later, he found that the dishes were coming endlessly, so he gave up his plan to let his son eat his fill first and began to eat hard, afraid that there would be leftovers wasted.
“You, too. Now that life is just a little better, you order so many dishes,” his father said as he ate. “What are you going to eat when life gets even better?”
“Dragon meat,” Chen Jian said.
His father glared at him.
“Then I’ll eat at a buffet that costs five hundred yuan per person,” Chen Jian said.
His father’s expression broke, and he suddenly started laughing.
Last year, after Qian Yu ran away, Chen Jian couldn’t find a job and went to the city to see his father. His father wanted to find a better place to treat him to a meal to comfort him.
He saw a seafood buffet and thought that Chen Jian, who had a big appetite, could eat his money’s worth at a buffet. But when they went over, they saw that it was four hundred and eighty-eight yuan per person. The father and son were so shocked that they turned and walked away.
His father had been talking about it for a long time afterward.
But now, when he talked about it, it was a completely different mindset. His father could even laugh about it as a joke.
It was very emotional.
When they came out of the teahouse, his father stood on the side of the road and let out a breath. “It was quite delicious.”
“Want to go shopping?” Chen Jian asked. His father had rarely been willing to take a day off. He wanted to take his father to buy a few clothes. His father hadn’t bought new clothes for several years.
“Okay,” his father nodded. “The underground mall? It’s close to walk…”
“We’re not going there,” Chen Jian said, turning and walking towards the car.
“Where are we going?” his father followed.
They were driving a big Mercedes. Why would they go to an underground mall?
That was where Chen Jian had bought things when he was in junior high. It was cheap, and besides being cheap, it was still cheap. And it perfectly illustrated the meaning of ‘you get what you pay for’.
Now, although they wouldn’t go to a very high-end place, they could still go to a slightly better mall. The main thing was the experience. He felt that his father hadn’t been to a mall for shopping for several years. When he came in, it was usually just to pick up a meal…
His father was also quite cooperative today and didn’t shout that it was too expensive and ask him to leave.
It was just that his clothes were too old, and he seemed a little constrained.
“You should have said we were coming here earlier,” his father whispered beside him. “I would have changed into new clothes.”
“It’s fine,” Chen Jian said. “We can just buy a new set and change into it later.”
Considering the practicality, he didn’t take his father to buy any particularly formal clothes. They browsed through sportswear, and in the end, he picked out two pairs of sweatpants and two sports jackets for his father.
When his father came out of the changing room, he stood in front of the mirror and said a little awkwardly, “Isn’t it too young?”
“You’re only in your forties,” Chen Jian said.
When he said this, he suddenly felt a little like crying. It was only then that he suddenly realized that his father was only in his forties. When he thought of his father, what he felt more was the traces of time.
“It’s on your body.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded. “Let’s pick out a pair of shoes too, for walking a lot.”
His father hesitated for a moment, then nodded vigorously. “Good.”
When he walked out of the mall in new shoes and clothes, his father looked very happy. Chen Jian could even feel that he seemed to be standing straighter.
His father, who was usually half a head shorter than him, now seemed to be about the same height as him.
“These shoes are comfortable to wear,” he said, “and they’re light. They have a spring in their step. I feel like jumping.”
His father smiled and looked at him. “…”
“Hm?” Chen Jian also turned his head to look at his father.
“It’s really different now,” his father said. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s just different.”
“Is it a good or bad kind of different?” Chen Jian asked.
“Of course it’s good,” his father said. “You didn’t have much to say before.”
“You didn’t have much to say before either,” Chen Jian said.
His father smiled. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. “Boss Shan is your… benefactor.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded. The pause in his father’s words made his own breath pause at the same time.
“If it weren’t for him,” his father was very emotional, “I don’t know how long you would have had to work so hard… A benefactor.”
“More than just a benefactor,” Chen Jian said.
“Hm?” his father was taken aback.
Chen Jian didn’t make a sound, startled by his own words.
The impulse of that moment was as strong as it had been at the entrance of that small hotel.
He bit his lip to keep himself from blurting it out.
He needed some time to think about how to say it.
Yes.
It was still a decision made in an instant.
But it probably couldn’t be considered an impulse anymore. He had been thinking about it for a long time, too long.
“Let’s go for a walk in Green Island,” Chen Jian said.
His father probably sensed the change in his mood, but out of habit, he wouldn’t ask about things he didn’t bring up himself. He just nodded.
Chen Jian took the bags from his father’s hand and walked towards Green Island.
Green Island was a quiet patch of grass in the bustling commercial district. It was very small, but it wasn’t a weekend today, so there weren’t many people. Only two old ladies were sunbathing on a bench over there.
Chen Jian and his father silently walked around Green Island along the stone path, without saying a word. It probably looked very strange. The two old ladies would glance at them from time to time.
Finally, Chen Jian sat down on a bench far away from the old ladies.
His father sat down next to him, rubbed his hands together, took a breath, but still remained silent.
Chen Jian was silent on the surface, but a storm was raging in his mind.
Although he still hadn’t figured out how to say the first sentence, nor the second, to be precise, every word in his mind had been scattered by the storm and couldn’t be put together.
He had already imagined several scenarios of how his father would react.
Scolding.
Silence.
Beating him.
Chasing him around the small path, hitting him as he ran.
The old ladies would call the police.
What would he say when the police came?
He didn’t know.
The words were scattered…
“Chen Jian,” his father rubbed his hands and finally couldn’t help but speak. “You… have something on your mind, don’t you?”
Yes, Dad.
A big thing.
The moment his father spoke, he immediately had no way out. After all, he didn’t have a brain like Shan Yu’s that could come up with a reasonable, non-suspicious excuse in an instant.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded.
His father’s words didn’t intensify his impulse. Instead, his own “mhm” was like a clap of thunder that startled him so much that he stood up directly.
His father leaned back, looking at him with some confusion.
Say it, right now.
But.
How to start?
Dad, I’m sorry.
The Chen family line ends with me.
The Chen family ends with me.
Dad, Shan Yu is not just my benefactor.
He’s also my boyfriend.
Dad, I…
The words that had been scattered by the storm now returned to his mind in a monotonous and chaotic way.
Under the stimulation of such a string of opening lines, Chen Jian, before he could even open his mouth, chose to kneel down directly in front of his father.
“Dad…” his voice was a bit tight with nervousness when he spoke.
“Chen Jian…” his father was obviously a little confused by the shock. After his hands had waved in front of him a few times, he suddenly slid off the chair and knelt down in front of him. “Dad is sorry.”
Chen Jian’s mouth was open in shock, unable to speak for a long time.
In his peripheral vision, he saw that the two old ladies over there were just as shocked as he was. They were both standing up, trembling.
“Dad?” Chen Jian looked at his father. “What are you talking about?”
“I… don’t know,” his father was a little confused, seeming to not understand why he had suddenly knelt down. “You… why did you…”
“Dad, get up!” Chen Jian finally came back to his senses, grabbed his father’s arm, and pushed him up. “What are you doing!”
“You get up,” his father stood up in a daze and also pulled him up. “You get up…”
“I’ll get up after I’ve finished speaking,” Chen Jian felt that he wasn’t even nervous anymore, just inexplicably confused.
Just like his father.
“Hey, you say it,” his father stared at him, reached back to feel for the chair, and sat back down, but his hand was still holding his arm.
“Dad, I have something to tell you. You…” Chen Jian glanced at the street next to him. The reason this green island was called Green Island was because it was a giant roundabout, with lanes of traffic all around. Although there was no one on the island, there were cars all around.
Now that he was kneeling here, two passing cars had simultaneously slowed down.
Why did I have to kneel!
It wouldn’t have been too late to kneel after I had finished speaking!
Chen Jian, your brain is really… don’t even compare it to Sanbing’s.
It’s about the same.
There was no more time to think now. The traffic police would be here soon.
He gritted his teeth, looked at his father, and said, “Dad, Shan Yu is my boyfriend.”
“Huh?” his father looked at him, was stunned for a moment, and then continued to pull his arm. “Oh, I know. You can get up.”
…Knew?
Chen Jian got up in a daze and sat back down next to his father.
“You… really,” his father patted the dust off his pants. “How big of a deal is it that you had to kneel!”
What?
Chen Jian really couldn’t come back to his senses. He couldn’t help but lean in front of his father. “Dad?”
“Hey, you say it,” his father nodded.
“I said, Shan Yu is my boyfriend,” Chen Jian said. “He is my boyfriend. We are in a relationship.”
As he said this, it was accompanied by a ringing in his ears. The sound of cars passing by disappeared. The world paused for three seconds, leaving only the sharp ringing.
As the ringing gradually faded, Chen Jian felt a sense of relief.
A relief he had never felt before.
A relief where the consequences no longer mattered.
A relief like flying before landing after jumping off a cliff.
A reckless relief.
His father looked at him without speaking.
After the tide of relief had passed, Chen Jian returned to the present on the bench in Green Island.
He felt a little weak. He propped his arms on his knees and suddenly lost the courage to look at his father again.
“Dad,” he stared at the ground, at the spot where he had just knelt. “I’m sorry.”
His father still didn’t speak. Chen Jian didn’t dare to look at him, just stared at the ground, silently waiting for the next second.
And the next.
And the next.
“Ah,” his father finally responded. “Go ahead and date.”
What the hell?
Chen Jian really couldn’t help it and turned to look at his father.
His father was also looking at him, his expression calm, his gaze also calm.
In that second, he strongly suspected that his father hadn’t understood what he was saying at all.
“Dad,” Chen Jian took a breath. “Did you understand what I said?”
“Ah,” his father still responded. “I understood. You’re in a relationship. That’s good.”
“Did you understand who I’m dating?” Chen Jian asked again.
“Shan Yu,” his father said.
…He didn’t mishear that.
Compared to a beating and scolding or a painful silence or forbearance, his father’s calm reaction, as if he hadn’t understood, made Chen Jian a little panicked.
“Dad,” Chen Jian cleared his throat. “This matter… I know, in many people’s eyes, it’s… very difficult to accept. I… I didn’t expect it either…”
His father looked at him, nodded, and then gently patted his hand. “As long as you’re doing well, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re doing well.”
Chen Jian had nothing more to say. He looked at his father.
At least ten seconds later, he finally confirmed that this was it. His father had accepted it as calmly as he could see.
“You…” Chen Jian really didn’t know how to express it. Although he didn’t want his father to be angry or to endure it for his sake, this scene was too far from what he had imagined.
Even a crazy mind like Shan Yu’s probably wouldn’t have thought it would be like this.
“After so many years, after so many things,” his father slowly began to speak, “anything is fine. As long as you’re safe and well, that’s all that matters.”
Chen Jian didn’t speak. He had very complicated feelings in his heart.
“My son,” his father said, “has been able to handle things since he was a child. He’s responsible. Anyone who knows me will say that I’m lucky to have such a son…”
Chen Jian sniffed and held his father’s hand.
And he finally felt some emotion from the slight trembling in his father’s hand.
“Nothing is a big deal anymore,” his father said. “It’s not a big deal.”
Shan Yu ran down the stairs, jumped in front of Hu Pan’s camera, and, as she had requested, or more accurately, as required by Liu Wu’s script, he lowered his head slightly and looked behind the camera.
Then he turned around, and the corner of his coat flew up.
To ensure that the corner of his coat would fly up in the windless indoor environment, Chen Erhu had tied a thin string to the hem of his jacket.
As he turned, the corner of his coat was pulled up, and then Chen Erhu let go. Shan Yu, with his artificially flying coattail, walked towards the elevator.
The elevator door had been opened in advance by Lao Si. He walked straight in.
“Cut!” Hu Pan shouted. “Great!”
“Is that a wrap?” Shan Yu asked, taking off his mask in the elevator.
“It’s a wrap!” Hu Pan said.
Shan Yu didn’t get out of the elevator. He just closed the door and went up to the fourth floor.
Director Hu’s ‘shoot-whenever-there’s-a-chance’ filming method was quite efficient. Shan Yu had only passed by the first floor twice this morning, and two scenes were already filmed.
His phone rang in his pocket. Shan Yu took it out and looked at it. It was Chen Jian.
He was also about to call Chen Jian. Sun Nana had just given him feedback. The negotiation had gone well, and they had scheduled a meeting to discuss the details of the agreement in the afternoon. It would be best if Chen Jian’s father could be there.
He answered the phone. “What a coincidence. I was just about to call you.”
“I told him,” Chen Jian’s voice was filled with an indescribable excitement, but also with a clear sense of suppression.
“What kind of torture did they put you through that you betrayed us so quickly?” Shan Yu said casually.
“I told him,” Chen Jian repeated. “Just now. I told my dad.”
Shan Yu was stunned. The elevator door opened, but he forgot to walk out. He just stared at the fire hydrant in the hallway outside.
Then the elevator door closed again.
He only asked when the elevator started to go down again, “What did you say? Did you talk about our matter?”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded.
“What was your dad’s reaction?” Shan Yu asked again.
“Not much of a reaction,” Chen Jian said. “It was about the same as if I had told him I was dating some girl.”
“…Are you sure you said ‘Shan Yu’?” Shan Yu said. “You weren’t too nervous and your tongue slipped and you said ‘Hu Pan’, right?”
“Even if my tongue were broken, I wouldn’t have said ‘Hu Pan’, right?” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu was silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.
“I thought he would beat me,” Chen Jian said. “But he just said one thing: ‘As long as you’re well, it’s not a big deal’.”
“Really?” Shan Yu frowned, a little surprised.
“We’re going back to the small town in a bit,” Chen Jian said.
“Mhm,” Shan Yu responded. The elevator door opened.
Lao Wu, with a bedsheet tied around his waist, was leaning against the elevator doorframe, looking profound. Director Hu was filming over there.
“…Why are you down again?” Lao Wu turned his head and looked at him profoundly, still in character.
Shan Yu didn’t speak. He pressed the close button and then pressed the button for the fourth floor again.
“Then I’m hanging up now,” Chen Jian said.
“Wait,” Shan Yu leaned against the elevator car and thought for a moment. “Your dad isn’t just reluctant to beat you, is he? Is he holding back his anger and planning to come and beat me?”
