Mushy parents

Looking up at the sky, he thought perhaps time would change everything. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away quietly, alone. The others looked at one another, standing where they were, unsure of what to say.

After a long sigh, they followed Ouyang Xianyu toward the dormitory. At that same moment, Shangguan Han had just returned home from the office. The events of the day had left him feeling deeply unsettled.

When someone is always chattering away by your side, your initial reaction is often annoyance. But if that person suddenly leaves and life returns to its original, quiet state, you begin to feel uneasy. An emptiness takes hold—a sensation exactly like the one Shangguan Han was experiencing now.

The sudden return to silence made him feel as though a large piece of him was missing. It felt as if, with Kevin’s departure, a void had opened up in his heart.

He had always thought this was the life he wanted, but now that everything was as he had wished, he suddenly felt otherwise. He found himself wishing Kevin were still by his side, even if they didn't do anything, just sitting together in silence.

But all of that had become nothing more than a fantasy. He had buried himself in work today, but once everything was finished, he felt lost, not knowing what to do next.

In the past, after finishing his work, he would have driven to Kevin’s bar to have a few drinks, unwind, and pass the time with him. But those days now seemed like a luxury.

As soon as he stepped through the front door, he heard a commotion inside. His already irritable mood darkened further at the noisy sound.

Before he could even step into the living room, a dark shadow lunged at him. He moved to dodge, but stopped upon recognizing the person, and consequently, he was caught in a full embrace.

Helpless, he called out to the person in his arms, "Mom!"

It turned out to be Baili Meixi, who had returned home unexpectedly. Hearing her precious son call out to her in such a beautiful, albeit dissatisfied, tone, Baili Meixi pouted, stubbornly nestling deeper into Shangguan Han’s arms like a spoiled child.

She truly hadn't seen her beloved son in a long time and had missed him terribly. Now that they were finally reunited, she was determined to get enough hugs to make up for the lost time.

Resigned, he let his mother cling tightly to him. Seeing his father in the distance, radiating jealousy, he found himself in a difficult position. He gave a cold, light cough, which only drew Baili Meixi’s concern. "What’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

As she spoke, she reached out to touch Shangguan Han’s forehead, then muttered to herself, "Huh! The temperature is normal."

She wondered if her precious son, who had been healthy since childhood, had developed a weak constitution after leaving her side. That wouldn't do at all! Seeing Shangguan Han’s face twitch as she kept her hand on his forehead, he wondered if she didn't realize that her husband could be completely unreasonable when he was jealous. He remembered how, back in the day, his father had sent him off to learn the ropes at the company while he was still a young boy, all so he could have more alone time with his beloved wife.

It had forced him to mature faster than other children! He didn't want to repeat that experience; who knew where his father might ship him off to this time?

Pretending to be indifferent, he pulled his mother’s hand away and said coolly to his father, "Hey! Take your wife away!"

Hearing that her son was ignoring her, Baili Meixi immediately pouted and ran back into her dear husband’s arms, looking heartbroken. The two of them began to show off their affection once again.

Shangguan Han watched the two of them coldly. He saw Baili Meixi bury herself in Shangguan Xiong’s arms, calling out "Husband!" in a cloying voice. Seeing his wife return to him, Shangguan Xiong immediately opened his arms to catch her, responding in an equally saccharine tone, "Wife!"

Then, completely ignoring Shangguan Han, they began kissing on the sofa. Truly, what is love that it makes one want to retch? Look at these two!

They had been married for so many years, and instead of their feelings fading with time, they were becoming increasingly clingy. Every time he saw it, Shangguan Han got goosebumps. He turned and walked away coldly, deciding not to pay any more attention to his overly affectionate parents.

With their son and daughter all grown up, these two had become even more uninhibited. Shouldn't they show a little restraint? Forget it! Their displays of affection had nothing to do with him; if he didn't see it, it wouldn't bother him.

He turned and headed straight for the spiral staircase. Before his foot hit the first step, Baili Meixi’s voice came from behind: "Han, where is Xiao?"

Only now did she remember that Xiao was gone—his mother’s nerves were truly thick. Without looking back, he dropped two words: "Military training."

Then he went upstairs to his room alone. Before he had gone far, his mother’s sighing voice reached him again: "Husband, will Han ever be able to find a wife like this?"

She was voicing her worries to her husband. In truth, her concern was quite reasonable. With the way Shangguan Han always kept people at a distance, never letting anyone get close, if he kept on like this, everyone who cared for him would eventually drift away, leaving him in solitary, unknown loneliness.

If only he could be a little more approachable, like he was when he was with Xiao! If he would just curl his lips into a gentle smile—that kind of genuine, heartfelt smile—even the coldest-hearted woman would be unable to resist falling for him!

But this son of his refused to do so, always wearing a cold face, shutting others' love out. When Shangguan Han heard his mother’s words, his footsteps faltered for a moment.

A wife? Did he still have the right to seek a lover? Probably not. At the very least, he didn't have that right yet. He was waiting—waiting for Kevin to calm down. Perhaps then he would go find him, and perhaps they could return to the way they were.

Holding onto that thought, Shangguan Han lifted his foot again and continued toward his room. Once inside, he grabbed a change of clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up. But what of Kevin at this moment?

Ever since Shangguan Han had left, Kevin had been filled with despair. He was troubled, wondering if he should just leave for good or continue this endless waiting. He didn't know. He simply didn't know what he should or shouldn't do.

Throughout the day, except for the breakfast Shangguan Han had made him that morning, he hadn't eaten anything else. He couldn't be bothered to get up; he didn't want to do anything, didn't want to eat anything.

He just wanted to lie on the bed quietly, doing nothing at all. He didn't know how many times he had opened his eyes, feeling depressed about why he was even still alive.

Without Shangguan Han, life seemed to have lost its driving force. He had lost his usual vitality and only wished for his life to end quickly.

That way, he wouldn't have to endure the pain of loss, nor would he have to worry about Shangguan Han being with other women. He wouldn't be jealous; he wouldn't be in pain. Because he would be dead.

But every time he woke up, he found he was still alive. It was a painful torture—days that were even more terrifying to him than death! Loss was not the terrifying part; what was terrifying was the lonely, desolate night that followed.

It made him constantly recall every night they had spent together. He remembered that day when Shangguan Han had promised him that he would never leave him again and would always protect him.

But did that mean he had broken his word now? Not really, because it was he himself who had told him to leave. So, Shangguan Han hadn't broken his promise. And now, he could only lick his wounds in solitude.

Looking at every object in the room, every piece of furniture held a multitude of memories. These were things he had insisted on going to buy with Shangguan Han, dragging him away from his company when he first moved in.

Every piece of furniture was evidence of their time together. It takes only a moment to fall in love with someone, but a lifetime to forget them.

Perhaps even a lifetime wouldn't be enough to erase that person from his memory! He had once been able to suppress his feelings, forcing himself to treat Shangguan Han like an ordinary friend.

Shangguan Han would smile at him, and no matter what he did—even things that touched upon his bottom line—Shangguan Han would tolerate him. No matter what happened, at any time, he would always unconditionally believe in him. That was the Shangguan Han he knew! And the person he loved most in his heart! Yet, he was not his lover. Sadness, grief, and bitterness spread through him.

Everything had ended the moment Shangguan Han walked out the door! All that remained between them were memories. Every time he closed his eyes, every little detail of the past would surface.

He wanted to go find him, to beg him not to leave. But that would only make Shangguan Han hate him even more, wouldn't it? What could he possibly do to make him stay? Was he being too greedy?

Was this his retribution? He curled into a ball, wretched and miserable, letting the loneliness consume him. Just as Kevin was surrounded by sorrow, a knock sounded at the door: "Knock, knock!"

At first, Kevin didn't intend to answer, but the person outside seemed to have something urgent. Kevin had to force himself to prop up his body, struggling to get out of bed to open the door.

He didn't want anyone to see him in such a disheveled state! But the more one wishes not to be seen, the more likely these uninvited guests are to show up. He opened the door and saw—it was the bartender!

The bartender saw his boss looking so haggard and gasped in surprise. Kevin sighed softly, stepping aside to let him in. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, the atmosphere instantly turning oppressive.

The bartender kept staring at his boss; he had been full of energy just the day before. How could he have become so gaunt in just one day? Kevin felt uneasy being watched and gave a light, fake cough.

He asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you looking for me because something happened at the bar?"

The bartender stood stunned for a moment before realizing his boss was speaking to him. He hurriedly straightened up and replied in a formal manner, "Uh, yes. It’s like this: recently, many bartenders have resigned, and we’ve been short-staffed."

He paused halfway to gauge his boss's expression. Seeing that Kevin didn't have much of a reaction, he continued, "So, I wanted to ask for your instructions on whether we should hire more people."

After speaking, he watched Kevin nervously, fearing he might miss something. Kevin frowned, deep in thought. It was true that people had been resigning over the past few days. Although this had happened before, it had never been this severe; a large number of bartenders had left. His head was aching terribly. He reached up to rub his forehead, thinking for a moment before deciding it would be best to hire some new staff.

Young people nowadays couldn't handle hardship; some came for the bar’s wages, and others just for the novelty of it, only to leave after a short while.