"And remember that time when I thought I won the lottery?" Wei Wuxian babbles as the three boys climb up the stairs.

"Yeah, that was stupid of you," replied Hua Cheng.

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that I had to get three cherries to win?"

"No, I meant the fact that you think you have the chance to win the lottery was stupid."

"Hey!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed again.

"There's a bee in here," Luo Binghe piped, as a bee buzzed past his ear.

Then the bee landed on Wei Wuxian's hair.

Wei Wuxian froze.

He was rooted on the spot. His eyes traveled up, trying to catch a glimpse of the bee that's now upon his head. Without moving an inch.

Then the bee takes off after doing what Wei Wuxian could have sworn was a little tap dance.

But phew! He didn't get stung! The bee didn't want to lose its life either! Wei Wuxian stands proudly on the stairs.

Then he realized the two other boys had left him.

"Guys-!"

...

"So, what should we do today?" Wei Wuxian asked, standing in front of the apartment door beside Luo Binghe.

"I don't know," said Luo Binghe as he pressed the password numbers on the keypad.

"Wanna play monopoly?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"We can't," Hua Cheng said.

"Why not?"

"Because the author doesn't know how to play monopoly," Luo Binghe answers, opening the door and nudging Wei Wuxian in.

"Oh." Wei Wuxian walked inside, followed by Hua Cheng and then Luo Binghe after he closed the door.

The three boys walked into the kitchen.

Only there were two people already there.

One was a man in a black suit that Wei Wuxian had never seen in his life. (the man not the suit)

Oh, wait. No, he had seen this man before. Why, this is Luo Binghe's dad!

"Father?" Luo Binghe was puzzled. What was his father doing here?

"Finally decided to show up, son?" The man said coolly.

Luo Binghe looks uncomfortable, bringing a hand to scratch his neck.

Wei Wuxian suddenly found himself on the couch next to Hua Cheng, Luo Binghe still with his dad in the kitchen along with the other person, a long-haired, rigorous-looking woman.

"Leave him," Hua Cheng said as Wei Wuxian attempted to sneak into the kitchen to eavesdrop.

...

"Father, what are you doing here?"

"Ungrateful brat. I was the one who brought this place. And look at yourself, no manners nor greetings to your father. And you dare call me father."

"...Good afternoon, father."

"Hmph."

This man is Tianlang Jun.

Tianlang Jun is a handsome man, cunning and sly, a prodigy in the business field. He is an impressive man who was also somewhat arrogant and-

"I got your last test score. Zhuzhi got a better score, why can't you be more like him?" -and he was an ignorant man when it comes to his own son.

Luo Binghe looked down at the floor.

Tianlang Jun sighed.

He said, "I'm sorry, son. But if you keep this up, you will have no choice but to marry a rich husband if you want to have a comfortable life."

Luo Binghe looked up to his father in confusion.

"Close your mouth, son. Don't stand there like a foolish idiot."

The woman next to Tianlang Jun felt their left eye twitch.

This is Jiang Ziyan. Tianlang Jun's secretary and advisor. And she saw enough.

"Sir, you are only supposed to say that to your daughters," she hissed. Politely.

Tianlang Jun: "Oh."

Then-

"But I don't have daughters."

"No, you don't sir."

"Then I'll have to say it to my son."

"That's not how it works. Sir."

Tianlang Jun sighed again. He waved his hand to dismiss the argument.

"What time is it, Ziyan?"

"It's 3:46 pm, sir."

"Right, then Zhuzhi's volunteering hours should be done for the day. Let's go pick him up."

Without sparing his son another glance, Tianlang Jun left the kitchen and out of the apartment, followed by Jiang Ziyan.

Tianlang Jun walked toward his car in the parking lot. He opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat.

"Sir," Jiang Ziyan stood in front of the car door. "Don't you think you're being too harsh on your son?"

"Nonsense," Tianlang Jun denied, "I'm just doing what they called... Ah, tough love."

"..." Jiang Ziyan blinked. "Erm, I'm not exactly seeing the love, sir."

"I got rid of that part. Now, why don't you get in the car, Ziyan. Hurry up. I don't want to be late."

Jiang Ziyan raised a brow. "Sir. You are not supposed to drive. Not when you refused to wear your glasses."

"Oh. My bad." Tianlang Jun get out of his seat. "Here you go."

Sighhhhh.

"And by the way, Ziyan, do stop reprimanding me about how I treat my son," Tianlang Jun said in the passenger's seat as they drove down the road.

"I did give my son a huge apartment, did I not? I even let his little friends stay over there. Wei Cheng and Hua Ying."

"...That's Hua Cheng and Wei Ying. Sir."

"Right. Whatever."

Jiang Ziyan drove the car to the Cang Qiong Daycare Center.

Tianlang Jun watched the center come into view through the car's window.

"Say, is that Zhuzhi talking to a girl?" Tianlang Jun leaned closer to the window.

Jiang Ziyan glanced over.

"...That's a male, sir."

"Really?" Tianlang Jun fumbled around, "where are my glasses?"

"..." now you want to wear your glasses???

When Zhuzhi Lang gets into the car, Tianlang Jun wastes no time bombarding him with questions.

"Zhuzhi, who was that you were talking to? Is it a guy or a girl? Are you gay, my nephew? Does the young man (or woman) come from a good family?"

"U-uncle-"

"Hm, the young man does look like a nice gentleman..."

Jiang Ziyan wants to slam their head on the steering wheel in sheer exasperation.

Zhuzhi Lang's face went slightly red, "Uncle!" he shouted just as Tianlang Jun went, "You should bring the boy over for dinner someday."

"..."

"Yes, nephew?"

"...uncle. Stop, that's just Qingqiu-ge."

"Right. Are you interested in this... Qingqiu-ge?"

"No, uncle! I mean... Qingqiu-ge is very nice and a great person... But he's older than me!"

"By?"

"Um. One year."

"See, that's nothing. Why, when I met that woman and had that son of mine, she was years younger than me."

"...yes, uncle. But I don't like Qingqiu-ge!" Zhuzhi Lang said defensively.

"You sure?" Tianlang Jun glanced at the boy in glasses through the rear view mirror.

"..."

"Exactly, let's invite the boy over for dinner someday."

Zhuzhi Lang: "..."

Sighhhhhh

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Now, thank you for reading!

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Comments and votes will be (highly) appreciated! As usual!

Word Count: 1349

Have a great day, y'all!