Call Me Daddy

“Just keep these two health check cards. You and your dad can use them too.”

Zhu Xining pulled out one of the health check cards and pushed the remaining two into Su Yixing’s hands.

“This…”

Su Yixing was reluctant to accept them because she didn’t want to feel indebted.

“Stop hesitating. They’re just extras that would expire if not used. Think of them as a supplementary birthday gift from me. We’re good friends, aren’t we? Shouldn’t friends be straightforward with each other?”

Zhu Xining firmly pressed the two cards back into her hands.

“Besides, wasn’t Grandma’s condition discovered during a health check? Uncle and you haven’t had a check-up yet. It’s for your peace of mind; you and Uncle should get checked out.”

The latter part of her statement made Su Yixing hesitate.

She had… many conflicts with her dad, but this time, that man had helped the hospital discover grandma’s condition early. She should indeed be grateful to him.

Perhaps accepting Zhu Xining’s two health check cards wouldn’t be so bad?

Su Yixing thought about the timing of the first exam after enrollment. As long as she performed well, she could earn a monetary reward from the school. Zhu Xining’s birthday was in 3 months, and by then, she should have saved up enough to prepare a suitable gift.

Thus, she stopped refusing and quietly accepted the two health check cards.

***

Since the surgery was in the coming days, Su Aobai decided to take a break from work and stay at the hospital to accompany the patient. Some more private care was handled by female nurses; his duties included buying meals and chatting with the elderly.

In the past few days, the ward had been continuously visited by people coming to see Dean Mother Ji. Indeed, among them were many children who had left the orphanage and never returned. However, more people remembered the care and attention of the Dean Mother and came back every year to visit her. Regardless of their financial situation, they would donate some money to the orphanage. Upon learning that the Dean Mother was seriously ill, children from far and wide specifically came back to see her.

The chief doctor in charge of the elderly lady only then realized that the person accompanying the elderly lady for the health check that day was a child from the orphanage, not the elderly lady’s biological son. In such a situation, the fact that the person could bear such a huge medical expense without blinking an eye was a testament to their outstanding character.

After sending off another group of visitors, the side of the double room belonging to Dean Mother Ji, was already piled up with milk and fruit baskets. While the elderly lady felt sorry for the money spent by the children, she also reminded Su Aobai to take all these things to the orphanage later, otherwise, they would go to waste as the three of them couldn’t finish them all.

Sharing the same room as Dean Mother Ji was another elderly lady suffering from cancer. She didn’t mind the daily visitors but was very envious of how Dean Mother Ji received so much care from so many children. The lively atmosphere gave her a sense of purpose to keep going.

The two elderly ladies got along well and soon became very close.

Su Yixing came after school each day. Dean Mother Ji didn’t approve of her coming to visit every day after school, as high school studies were demanding and her energy should be focused on her studies.

Unfortunately, Su Yixing didn’t listen and continued to come to the hospital after school without fail. She would finish her homework, chat with her Dean Grandma, and only leave after visiting hours in the inpatient department were over.

Because it was late each night, Su Aobai would escort her back to her rental apartment. Fortunately, the two places were very close, only about a 20-minute walk, and even faster on a shared bike.

He did this not out of a father’s love for his daughter but simply to ensure that a young girl didn’t encounter any trouble at night.

“This is a health check ticket my friend gave me. Her company offered a package deal for employees, and there were a few extra spots. It would be a waste not to use them.”

During dinner, Su Yixing handed one of the health check cards to Su Aobai in front of the elderly lady.

A health check card?

Su Aobai hadn’t recalled this detail from his original memories.

“That’s very kind of you.”

When Dean Mother Ji saw the health check card, her eyes lit up. This was one of the rare occasions when Su Yixing had actively spoken to her father. By giving him the health check card, it showed that she did have some regard for her father. Perhaps this opportunity could help mend their relationship.

“But it’s also a gesture of kindness from someone else, so just accept it. We can make up for it elsewhere. Su Aobai, you must go for this health check. I’ve come to understand that health checks are truly valuable. Early detection means early treatment. You taught me that, so you should also take it to heart.”

The elderly lady urged Su Aobai to accept the health check card.

Su Aobai glanced at some of the items on the card and paused at the blood type test.

“Who’s your desk mate?”

Hearing Su Aobai’s question, the elderly lady’s smile grew even wider. It was the first time Su Aobai had shown interest in his daughter’s situation at school.

“Yi Xing’s desk mate is the second-place student in this year’s high school entrance exam, named Zhu Xining. She’s a lively girl with a good family background but is not at all spoiled. She gets along very well with our Yi Xing.”

Before Su Yixing could speak, the elderly lady shared everything she knew about Zhu Xining.

Su Aobai suddenly recalled what he had overlooked. According to his original memories, local news media should have been reporting extensively about the second-place student’s suicide. This story had been a hot topic for a long time, focusing on issues such as students’ psychological resilience and the impact of family environment on children’s mental health.

Yet, in this lifetime, Zhu Xining was still alive and even became Su Yixing’s desk mate, actively giving her several health check cards.

Given the timing of the health check cards, Su Aobai had reason to suspect that the original intention might have been for Zhu Xining to use Su Yixing to present the cards to the elderly lady, prompting her to undergo a comprehensive health check.

Among the three of them, only the elderly lady needed a health check recently. Without his intervention, this health check card could be considered a lifesaver.

This reminded Su Aobai of the recent task progress glitch. Due to his negligence, the task progress in this world had stagnated and even regressed over the years. However, there had always been a numerical value displayed. But over a month ago, the progress turned into a string of garbled characters. Su Aobai had thought it was because of his inaction that the system had given up on him and planned to sever ties with him after the world’s end.

Now, it seemed that the garbled characters might have a deeper significance.

Su Aobai was starting to guess Zhu Xining’s true identity; But why did she still insist on having him and Su Yixing undergo health checks? Was she trying to make Su Yixing discover the truth?

“Just accept it and make sure you go for the check-up.”

The elderly lady, seeing Su Aobai remain silent, lost her patience and shoved the health check card into his chest pocket.

Su Aobai glanced at Su Yixing, who was looking down and eating, and tacitly accepted the elderly lady’s decision.

***

As the visiting hours at the hospital ward were coming to an end, Su Yixing and Su Aobai left the room. Although Su Aobai was supposed to ensure Su Yixing got home safely, neither of them was willing to walk side by side, their attitudes remaining distant.

“They don’t seem very close, do they?”

The elderly lady in the same ward remarked to Dean Mother Ji after the pair had left.

“There’s some misunderstanding between the father and daughter, but the child still cares about her father. She brought back a health check card from her classmate specifically for her father.”

Dean Mother Ji also felt that the gap between the father and daughter was too wide, but she didn’t want to let anyone see their private issues.

“Indeed, as the old saying goes, blood ties can’t be severed. Whatever misunderstandings there are, they can be resolved.”

The elderly lady in the adjacent bed nodded in agreement.

“Does the child resemble her mother?”

Noting that Dean Mother Ji seemed displeased with the conversation, the elderly lady changed the topic.

“Yes, she looks just like her mother.”

Dean Mother Ji’s expression was a mix of pride and sadness.

“Seems so. She must have inherited all her mother’s good traits and none from her father.” The elderly lady remarked absentmindedly.

Elderly Ji nodded and was about to respond when, unexpectedly, she felt a sudden pang in her heart.

Perhaps due to her serious illness, Dean Mother Ji had been increasingly recalling past events, and many details she had once overlooked were becoming clearer through her reflections.

After the elderly lady made her comment, a fleeting thought crossed Dean Mother Ji’s mind, but before she could grasp it, the idea vanished.

***

As usual, Su Aobai escorted Su Yixing to the door of her rental apartment and only headed downstairs once he saw her enter.

Su Yixing stood at the door, watching his retreating figure, hesitating to speak.

If he truly didn’t care about me as a daughter, why would he accompany me home from the hospital every night after Grandma Ji was hospitalized? Shouldn’t this show concern for my safety?

But if he did care, why did he always remain silent on the way home?

Su Yixing couldn’t figure out what she really meant to him.

As Su Aobai went downstairs, he heard the old iron gate being closed, followed by the sound of the second wooden door. Many old-style apartments had two sets of doors for added security.

Hearing the doors close, Su Aobai quickened his pace.

When he reached the elderly lady’s ward, she had already taken a bath and gone to bed. Su Aobai dragged out the folding bed from under the main bed, spread out the quilt that had been folded during the day, and laid down as well.

He closed his eyes and dreamed of the past…

…

…

At the cinema entrance stood a young man in long sleeves and long pants, which seemed somewhat out of place given that most people around were wearing short sleeves.

Su Aobai occasionally adjusted his sleeves to ensure that the bandaged wounds on his arm remained hidden when he raised his hands.

That day, he had saved a coworker at the construction site from being struck by a steel bar that nearly fell from a height. When he tackled the coworker, he scraped off several patches of skin on his arms and knees. Because he had prevented a serious accident on the site, the supervisor rewarded him with 1,000 yuan and allowed him a paid day off.

Earning just over 2,000 yuan a month, the 1,000-yuan reward was a significant sum for him. Therefore, as soon as he received the bonus, Su Aobai couldn’t resist going to find Ji Xing.

He had invited her to see a movie after school. In those days, going to the movies was still quite trendy. At least they had never been to the cinema alone together. Most of their few movie-watching experiences were organized by the government or charity organizations for the children of the orphanage.

After he started earning money, Su Aobai had suggested going to see a movie before, but Ji Xing, being frugal, had always declined. However, he knew she had wanted to go.

This time, with a bonus in hand, he was determined not to let Ji Xing refuse.

To ensure a perfect date, after making the arrangement with Ji Xing at school, Su Aobai went home, took a shower, washed his hair, and put on one of his few decent outfits. By the time he arrived at the cinema, Ji Xing should have been on her way from school and would be arriving soon.

Su Aobai felt a bit nervous, and with what he thought were discreet glances, he shyly observed the young couples entering the cinema. The couples, obviously college students, were quite bold in their affections, either holding hands or hugging, occasionally sharing a kiss.

Such intimate scenes made his cheeks flush red, and even his dark complexion couldn’t hide the blush.

Couples going to the movies often bought a bucket of popcorn and two drinks from the counter, which was considered quite fashionable at the time. It seemed almost a given that no movie experience was complete without a bucket of popcorn and two sodas.

Su Aobai calculated the prices in his mind; the small, medium, and large buckets were only 1 yuan apart, but the difference in size was significant. It seemed that the large bucket offered more value.

But upon closer consideration, even the cost of popcorn kernels and sugar might not reach 1 yuan. The cinema’s prices were truly outrageous; making it at home would be far more economical.

However, since everyone else had it, Su Aobai wanted to ensure that Xiao Xing had it too. He pondered which package deal would be the best value, but he suddenly realized that even if he figured out the most cost-effective package, Xiao Xing would likely refuse to let him buy it because she would feel sorry for how hard he worked for his money.

He knew that even buying two movie tickets without consulting her had already made the frugal girl worried.

So, he glanced at the clock in the lobby and hurried to buy a large bucket of popcorn. He didn’t dare buy soda in advance, fearing it would go flat.

Unfortunately, strawberries weren’t in season. Otherwise, carrying a bag of strawberries to enjoy during the movie would have made the date perfect.

Thinking about how Xiao Xing’s eyes would light up at the sight of strawberries made Su Aobai smile to himself. Yet, he realized that in reality, she would likely scold him for spending money recklessly and suggest buying something cheaper like pig ears, which he liked.

He had tickets for the 6:30 P.M. show, and since Little Xing’s school let out at 5:45 P.M., she would need 20 to 30 minutes to get there. It should be almost time.

Holding the bucket of popcorn, Su Aobai stood outside the cinema. The bucket was filled to the brim with popcorn coated in a thin, uneven layer of syrup, and the enticing aroma kept wafting into his nose. He couldn’t resist and popped a piece into his mouth—it was crispy, fragrant, and sweet, just the way Xiao Xing would like it.

After trying just one, he dared not take another; he wanted to save the rest for when Xiao Xing arrived.

He continued to wait outside the cinema. The movie was already starting to check tickets, and the line in the waiting area had formed a queue, but Xiao Xing still hadn’t arrived.

Growing anxious, he paced back and forth outside the cinema, regretting not buying a second phone for her when she had refused to get one. Now, in this critical moment, he couldn’t even get in touch with her.

The popcorn in his arms had gradually cooled, becoming a bit damp and losing its initial crispiness. Su Aobai kept scanning the direction where Xiao Xing should be coming from, but she was nowhere in sight.

He glanced at the clock—it was past the movie’s start time. Unable to wait any longer, he grabbed the bucket of popcorn and headed towards the route where she should be coming from.

He began walking quickly, then gradually increased to a jog…

As he ran, some popcorn fell out of the bucket, but he didn’t care, feeling a growing sense of dread.

He ran faster and faster…

But the path seemed endless, and the scene ahead turned into darkness.

…

…

***

Su Aobai wasn’t sure when he had opened his eyes, but he could hear the alternating snores of the two elderly ladies.

The pillow pressed against his cheek was already soaked. He curled up silently.

This was his… no, it was the original owner’s crime. It was a sin in his heart that he could never redeem in this lifetime.