His childhood friend had finally become his father… Yan Chi didn't even know how to face Yan Qingyuan now. Did he also know about the embarrassing things he did as a child? Did Xie Tao also know he was his father?
Yan Chi felt increasingly ashamed.
The father and son remained silent for a long time. Yan Chi stared blankly at his toes for a while, then, gathering his chaotic thoughts, he opened his mouth, "...Can Xie Tao still come back?"
Yan Qingyuan: "Yes."
A familiar figure gradually solidified beside Yan Qingyuan. Xie Tao slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat vacant, gradually regaining his senses.
A flood of memories belonging to Yan Qingyuan filled his mind. Xie Tao's eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up at Yan Chi, softly saying, "Xiao Chi, so I really am your father."
Yan Chi: "..."
Tsk, these words sounded even more awkward coming from Xie Tao.
Yan Chi looked at his childhood friend, pursed his lips, and twitched his arm, muttering, "I'll only ever see you as a brother, never a father."
He already had a father.
Xie Tao lifted his chin and pinched his cheek. "Brother it is then, how about calling me 'brother'?"
The word "brother" reached his lips several times but he swallowed it back. Yan Chi's face turned red, but he still couldn't bring himself to say it, opting for a compromise, "...Tao Tao."
Xie Tao: "...Alright, Tao Tao it is then."
He and Yan Chi had been orphans for too long; suddenly asking him to call someone "brother" or "sister" was something he couldn't bring himself to do.
The light drizzle had stopped, and sunlight pierced through the clouds. Yan Chi closed his umbrella and looked at Xie Tao and Yan Qingyuan. They were two people with completely different appearances, yet their temperament and demeanor were strangely similar.
No wonder Xing Zhinan noticed the connection between the two as soon as he saw Xie Tao.
“Dad?” Yan Chi suddenly noticed that Yan Qingyuan’s face was pale and his lips were thin. His heart sank, and he took a few steps forward to support Yan Qingyuan’s arm. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Yan Qingyuan wilted like a flower in the sun. “I’m fine, just a little tired.”
“Then I’ll go back with you.”
“No need.” Yan Qingyuan patted his hand. “You can stay at school. I’ll go back by myself and come find you tomorrow.”
He wasn’t blind; he could tell that Yan Chi didn’t like his monotonous and boring life. He was more suited to Yunzhou, where he had familiar students and colleagues, and a happy family.
Yan Chi frowned, worried about him. "But..."
"It's okay, I can take care of myself."
Yan Chi didn't believe him and asked skeptically, "Then will you eat, sleep, and exercise on time every day?"
Yan Qingyuan: "..."
"He can't." Xie Tao seized the opportunity. "He'll definitely go back, pack up, and go to sleep. He'll probably wake up tomorrow, and he'll definitely come to find you after eight in the morning, because that's not mealtime."
Yan Qingyuan looked at him sadly. "...You're so annoying."
Clearly, Xie Tao had revealed all his thoughts. Yan Chi didn't say anything more. "Come for breakfast tomorrow morning."
Yan Qingyuan felt guilty. "...Okay."
After Yan Qingyuan left, Yan Chi took Xie Tao back. Xie Tao was still sorting through the chaotic memories in his mind, pulling out many memories from Yan Chi's childhood.
Back then, Yan Chi was only a few months old, living with Yan Qingyuan in his home in [I]. [I] was very experienced in caring for children, preparing all sorts of beautiful clothes, a rocking chair, toys… and various adorable little animals for him.
Little Yan Chi was also very well-behaved; he could play alone for a long time without crying or fussing.
Xie Tao, immersed in his memories, unconsciously looked at Yan Chi with affection.
"Could you stop looking at me like that?" Yan Chi rubbed his arms, getting goosebumps under Xie Tao's fatherly gaze.
Xie Tao composed himself, remarking with emotion, "You were so cute when you were little, you know?"
"I didn't know," Yan Chi said expressionlessly, "...Could you please control your fatherly love?"
Xie Tao looked away. "Fine."
Why didn't I take more pictures of Yan Chi when he was little? Now I don't even have anything to reminisce about; it's such a pity.
Yan Chi had no classes in the afternoon, so he accompanied Xie Tao for a stroll. First, he took him to a kindergarten. The gatekeeper greeted Yan Chi warmly and opened the gate to let them in.
Xie Tao looked at the walls covered in graffiti and exclaimed in surprise, "It hasn't been long, and there's already a kindergarten..."
Yan Chi smiled, "It was only recently built."
The two stood at the classroom door, listening to the little mermaids singing in their adorable voices. Chu Xi, who had been singing along with the teacher, suddenly noticed something and hurriedly turned around. He spotted Yan Chi immediately, his clear blue eyes lighting up.
Chi Chi!
The teacher, sitting at the front of the class, also saw Yan Chi. She was about to get up when Yan Chi shook his head at her, indicating that they didn't need to pay attention to them.
To avoid disrupting the class, Yan Chi and Xie Tao only watched for a short while before turning to leave.
"Are you and Shen Mingsu planning to adopt that little mermaid named Chu Xi?" Xie Tao had just witnessed the affectionate interaction between Yan Chi and Chu Xi.
Yan Chi's eyes were full of tenderness when he was with children, and Chu Xi was very well-behaved. If Yan Chi wanted to adopt a child, he could keep Chu Xi.
Yan Chi shook his head. "Chu Xi has parents; he's not an orphan. Once his parents rebuild their home, they'll probably take him away."
"Are you willing to let him go?"
"I can't help it even if I'm not willing." Yan Chi was easygoing; he smiled. "It's like teaching a class of students for several years; eventually, they'll leave, and the next class will come. You'll get used to it."
Chu Xi's parents were definitely waiting for him to come home. Yan Chi couldn't just take the child for himself just because he liked him.
Xie Tao pouted. "That's why I don't like being a teacher."
"Are you leaving the school again this time?" Yan Chi asked him.
Xie Tao: "Let's go, it's too boring here."
Yan Chi suggested, "Then I'll find you a job, that way you won't be bored."
"..." Xie Tao pinched his cheek, "Oh, you! I think you've already betrayed us working class and are going to become a heartless capitalist."
Yan Chi covered his face and dodged him, "No way, we'll pay you a very high salary, and we'll even give you housing."
Xie Tao's hand paused, "Really?"
"Of course!"
"...Never mind, I haven't taken the teacher qualification exam, so I won't mislead any students."
Time slipped away quietly amidst Yan Chi and Xie Tao's playful bickering. After leaving the kindergarten, they went to the butterfly nursery. As dusk approached, Yan Chi decided to pick up Chu Xi, and the two turned back.
"Xie Tao?"
A slightly puzzled voice rang out. Xie Tao turned to see Ning Zhu standing not far away, hands in his pockets, looking at him nonchalantly. Beside him stood his father.
Ning Zhu looked Xie Tao up and down, his expression ambiguous. "I thought you'd died out there."
Xie Tao scoffed. "You're surprised I'm still alive?"
Before Ning Zhu could finish speaking, his father slapped him on the back of the head. The boy immediately became furious. "Dad! Why did you hit me for no reason?!"
"How dare you speak to your uncle like that?" Ning Zhu's father said weakly, his eyebrows drooping. "You should be polite to your uncle. Why are you yelling at him like that?"
Uncle?!
Ning Zhu glared at Xie Tao, pointing at him. "What kind of uncle is he?!"
By seniority, Xie Tao really was his uncle, Yan Chi thought silently. Xie Tao's seniority had risen, while his own had fallen to the lowest possible level.
"He and I are old friends. Tell me, should you call him 'Uncle'?" Ning Zhu's father delivered another fatal blow to Ning Zhu. "He even held you when you were little."
Ning Zhu: "..."
Fake, right?
"Really?" Yan Chi was also curious and asked in a low voice, "My dad really held Ning Zhu when he was little?"
Xie Tao nodded. "He was a crybaby."
Yan Chi: "You wouldn't guess it at all."
"Maybe he became a hidden crybaby when he grew up?"
Ning Zhu: "..."
Couldn't he wait until he turned his back before saying all this? Ning Zhu was furious but couldn't refute it. As for whether or not to call Xie Tao "Uncle," Ning Zhu would absolutely never do it.
He'd rather die than call him "Uncle." That was his last remaining dignity!
Ning Zhu took off running, disappearing in the blink of an eye before even his father could react. Ning Zhu's father was stunned for a moment. "It's just calling him 'uncle,' is it really that serious?"
"He's probably having a hard time accepting a former friend becoming an elder." Yan Chi empathized with this; he couldn't bring himself to call Xie Tao "Dad" either. It seemed Ning Zhu would be avoiding Xie Tao for the next few days.
Xie Tao was in a wonderful mood, remarking, "This feeling of being on top of the world is really nice."
"...Our joys and sorrows are different."
Xie Tao stayed at school for a few days. He didn't want to be a glaring third wheel with Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu, so the director arranged another apartment for him.
Meanwhile, the parents of the students in Class 1 also stayed at school. They hadn't had enough fun yet, constantly dragging Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu around to find amusement, even scaring the little mermaids in the kindergarten to tears.
Yan Chi decisively sent Xie Tao to accompany them. Xie Tao's equally foul temper, just like Yan Qingyuan's, completely subdued this group of super S-class bosses, teaching them to submit an application before doing anything.
Half a month later, Yunzhou reopened. Yan Chi, Mingcai, and Teacher Youyou were already waiting for the players to enter under the ancient tree.
"Ding Yang will be back this time," Mingcai said excitedly, pacing back and forth under the tree. "My mom prepared dinner for us; it should be her favorite dishes."
Ding Yang would occasionally return to school for a day or two before heading to other small worlds with the system. Mingcai and Ahui would usually wait for her under the ancient tree at this time, but this time Ahui had to go to kindergarten to take care of the children, so the task of waiting for Ding Yang to return fell to Mingcai.
Yan Chi glanced at the ancient tree's lush foliage and frowned. "Judging from the previous timing, the players should have already entered by now."
The ancient tree shook its branches, explaining, "There are so many players this time; we need to filter them."
Filter players?
Yan Chi had a bad feeling and hurriedly said, "Please don't filter out the termite players; we need them this time."
The ancient tree: "Got it."
A few minutes later, six players appeared under the ancient tree. Ding Yang naturally walked to Ming Cai's side, called out to Yan Chi, and then asked, "Where's Ahui?"
Ming Cai: "She went to take care of the kids at the kindergarten next door."
The other five players looked around excitedly, touching the ground and then the tree beside them, their hands trembling.
They finally got a spot!
[Are you guys octopuses?! Such fast hands! I barely clicked in and the system already showed the number of players was off the charts!]
[Waaaaah! I've already entered, why wasn't I selected? When will it open again?]
[Uh… a newbie asking, why is the dungeon level displayed as a question mark? Does it mean it's very low?]
[A-rank is everywhere, S-rank makes up a whole class, you're saying the level is low?]
[This is a very strong dungeon, little one, listen to me, don't choose it, go play somewhere else.]
Players already in Yunzhou, watching the envious and jealous comments in the live stream chat, felt like they'd won the lottery, their faces beaming with joy.
"Hey! Hey hey hey!" Zhu Ge Yun waved frantically to attract Yan Chi's attention. "It's me, it's me!"
Yan Chi fell into an eerie silence when he saw him. "Zhu Ge Yun?"
"Yes, yes! It's me, it's me!" Zhu Ge Yun saw Yan Chi as if he had seen a long-lost relative. He rushed to Yan Chi and grabbed his hand. "How did you end up in this instance? Do you NPCs do fieldwork? This is such a coincidence! Even the heavens don't want to separate us! Want an autograph?"
Yan Chi leaned back and pulled his hand away. "...No, thank you."
Mingcai's gaze shifted between Yan Chi and Zhu Ge Yun. She also let out a "Hey!" Zhu Ge Yun looked at her without any suspicion, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Mingcai's smile widened. "You're Teacher Xiaochi's idol?"
"You...you know me too?" Zhu Ge Yun was flattered. Had his fame reached such a household name?
Mingcai suppressed a laugh, cleared her throat, and extended her hand to him. "Yes, I'm your fan. Not only me, but our principal is also a fan. You'll see next time you meet him; he'll definitely give you a very warm welcome."
Zhu Ge Yun, on the other hand, felt embarrassed and shook hands with Mingcai. "How could I accept that?"
"Our principal is a very nice person. If you don't run into him, you can go find him yourself. Just say you're someone Teacher Xiaochi used to have a crush on, and he'll make sure you don't miss out on your trip."
Zhu Ge Yun stared blankly. "Really? Your principal is my die-hard fan?"
Mingcai couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha... Yes, yes, he is your die-hard fan."
Yan Chi's forehead veins bulged. He covered Mingcai's mouth and said to Zhu Ge Yun, "Go ahead and try if you want to die."
If Zhu Ge Yun really went to find Shen Mingsu, given Shen Mingsu's extremely jealous temper, he'd probably tear Zhu Ge Yun apart.
Zhu Ge Yun was taken aback by Yan Chi's tone. Wasn't he just a die-hard fan? What did he mean by this?
But Yan Chi and Mingcai were already ignoring him. Yan Chi glanced at the other three players, "How are things?"
Mingcai gave an OK sign; there were no termites members among them.
At this moment, Teacher Youyou stepped forward. "Come with me, I'll arrange accommodations for you."
Upon his appearance, the players simultaneously felt a wave of sadness, sobbing and shedding tears. Zhu Ge Yun, especially, recalled the scene of his fans seeing through his persona, his die-hard supporters turning against him, and calling him an idiot, and he burst into tears.
Just as Yan Chi and the others were about to leave, a refined man wearing gold-rimmed glasses glanced at Yan Chi before leaving. His eyes were slightly red, glistening with tears, but his voice remained steady, "Teacher Yan Chi, do you remember me?"
Another familiar face?
Yan Chi scrutinized the man's face, finding it vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.
"I'm Zheng Yu. We met in the [Snow Flame] dungeon."
After Zheng Yu's reminder, Yan Chi finally remembered this unusually cowardly player. "Oh, it's you! Are you here to see Song Qian?"
Zheng Yu paused, his tone surprised: "Song Qian... is he still alive?"
He clearly saw that Song Qian's player account was deactivated, assuming he'd been killed by monsters during the hunting night. But judging from Yan Chi's tone, this person was obviously still alive. Had something happened that he didn't know about?
Yan Chi: "Of course, he has an apartment outside the school and has been living here for a while. If you want to go see him, you can live with him."
Zheng Yu: "..."
He quickly grasped the key point: "...Is that apartment his?"
Yan Chi nodded, "Yes, he lives there with Lu Yuanming."
"Excuse me for asking, but can I also have an apartment?"
"..."
Yan Chi's sudden silence silently confirmed the truth.
One moment too late, and an apartment would be gone. What a heartbreaking thought! Zheng Yu's heart felt like it had been struck a heavy blow, and tears streamed down his face without any expression.
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