Call Me Daddy

Never doubt a woman’s investigative abilities, especially if she’s a smart woman.

After uncovering her own background, Su Yixing began to investigate Zhu Xining. She had previously overlooked the sense of incongruity surrounding Zhu Xining.

The old Zhu Xining, a high-achieving wealthy young lady, had garnered some attention despite her introverted and sensitive nature. The Zhu Xining described by those people was very different from the Zhu Xining she saw.

This Zhu Xining seemed like another person entirely!

Su Yixing couldn’t help but recall the details of Zhu Xining’s expressions when she had given her the physical examination cards.

When she learned that the old lady had cancer, her first reaction had seemed to be one of surprise. At that time, Su Yixing thought Zhu Xining was shocked that the old lady, who had looked so healthy at the school opening ceremony, had suddenly fallen so ill. Now, considering the gesture of giving the physical examination cards, it seemed more like she was surprised that this illness was detected at this time.

She might have known that the old lady was already ill, which is why she had given her those physical examination cards, hoping that the old lady could be taken for a check-up in time to detect any problems. According to this logic, the old lady might have discovered her colon cancer at a later stage.

Su Yixing also recalled how, on the first day they met, Zhu Xining had held the old lady and displayed a somewhat improper behavior.

She knew her imagination was running wild, but all the clues she had found pointed to the fact that Zhu Xining was not the Zhu Xining she used to be. She knew her well and was aware of many future events.

Who exactly was this Zhu Xining?

Su Yixing had a bold guess in her heart.

***

“Who exactly are you?”

After school, Su Yixing invited Zhu Xining to the rooftop.

Su Yixing clenched her hands tightly. Zhu Xining immediately saw through her outward bravado, but she strangely felt a bit proud. No matter the time, she had always been sharp.

“Zhu Xining isn’t allergic to mangoes; I am. You and I both dislike onions, ginger, and green peppers, but the originally pampered and particular Zhu Xining, just like me, would eat all those disliked foods out of a no-waste attitude. You, like me, love eating rice soaked in soup but have always reminded me to eat less this way because it’s bad for the stomach…”

Without waiting for Zhu Xining to respond, Su Yixing began to talk to herself.

“Is it because you know that in the future, I’ll develop stomach-related diseases due to long-term poor eating habits?”

She emphasized “I” when she mentioned herself.

“Who exactly are you? Should I call you Zhu Xining, or should I call you Su Yixing from the future?”

Seeing Zhu Xining’s still calm and composed expression, Su Yixing’s pupils constricted. She knew she was right, and it was absurd that such an anti-scientific situation was happening to her.

Her future self had come to her side, revealing the truth.

Su Yixing didn’t blame her future self for making her discover the disgusting and despairing fact earlier; she just felt sorrowful about what kind of mindset her future self had when making this decision.

The only person who truly loved them, the old lady, loved them because she thought they were the children she had raised. If she knew that Su Yixing carried half of a vile gene, that the owner of the other half of her blood had caused her daughter to die in endless suffering, she would no longer love her.

Born from sin, what right did they have to seek others’ affection?

Su Yixing could imagine that the future version of herself, upon discovering this cruel truth, would have been as pained as she was now. But even so, returning to this moment, she had still decisively chosen to make the decision that revealed the truth earlier. Perhaps it was a form of atonement, to stop her resentment toward that man, who, among the living, was actually the most innocent.

Not only did he have to bear that secret, but they also had to shoulder the responsibility of supporting her, a child born out of wedlock, and to be resented by someone like her made the situation even more pitiable.

“Do you want to hear the story of another you?”

Zhu Xining indirectly admitted her own identity.

She found a suitable spot to sit and then calmly narrated the life of “Su Yixing” in the original timeline.

From discovering the truth to attempting to clear her name only to be slapped by that man, from the first victorious sexual assault case to the suicide of the victim, from starting down the path of a public interest lawyer to enduring near-constant self-torment from the intensity of her work, from self-loathing to finally finding relief.

It was as if she were recounting another person’s story, but the plain tone made Su Yixing cry uncontrollably.

“Actually, our father loved us very much.”

The ‘father’ Zhu Xining referred to was, of course, not the rapist.

Meeting Su Yixing’s incredulous gaze, Zhu Xining smiled softly and looked towards the sky.

This was something she had only come to understand a long time later.

“His love was different because he could never truly love us.”

This statement seemed contradictory.

“So he chose to send us to someone who would love us. He concealed our birth, shouldering much of the blame himself. He couldn’t love us, and he feared that, in close proximity, he might transfer his hatred for that person onto us. So he chose the happiest and safest path for us.”

Perhaps this kindness stemmed from the other half of their blood, their faces so similar to their birth mother’s, but in this situation, not causing harm was the greatest love.

Su Yixing thought about how every time they met, the old lady would always complain about the man who wasn’t much of a father. He was always silent. To outsiders, this man, who took out his anger on his daughter after his wife died during childbirth, seemed so peculiar and obsessive. Because of this, the old lady and the other elders at the orphanage felt even more sympathy for her.

“We weren’t unloved.”

Zhu Xining turned to look at the present Su Yixing.

“There were many people who loved us. It took me decades to understand this. Perhaps we were born imperfect and from sin, but since we are here in this world with so many people who love us, we have reason not to waste this life. We can strive to become better people.”

If not perfect, then strive for perfection.

Having half of one’s blood tainted wasn’t something they could choose at birth, but since they couldn’t eliminate societal prejudice, they could slowly change the prejudiced perception of themselves through their actions and virtues.

In her previous life, “Su Yixing” had succeeded. She helped countless victims of sexual violence and assault, but she had forgotten to love herself.

Seeing her past self crying uncontrollably, “Su Yixing” suddenly realized that her rebirth wasn’t meant to prevent her grandmother’s early death, nor to resolve her resentment towards her father, but to find her own liberation.

***

Su Aobai stood on the balcony smoking.

During this time, he frequently visited the Dean Mother after work. Because she was still recovering, he would go to the balcony to smoke when his craving hit, then blow the smoke away and wait until the smell dissipated before going back inside.

He had investigated the still-living Zhu Xining and guessed her identity before Su Yixing.

So, he followed her wishes and did the medical check-up, allowing Su Yixing to learn the truth early.

He hated that man and chose to end his life himself. He didn’t love Su Yixing, but he didn’t blame a child who had no choice at birth.

If people were such rational beings, the concept of impulse would never have existed.

So he didn’t love her and avoided her, but if one day she had the chance to have a better life, he wouldn’t stop or hinder her.

Zhu Xining’s appearance was precisely an opportunity for Su Yixing. The future self, having experienced and understood so much, might guide the present self towards a path of liberation.

“Yi Xing will be out of school soon. If you don’t want to see her, you can go back first. Oh, and take the duck soup I made for you.”

The old lady came out of the kitchen. After several months of recovery, she now looked as lively as any elderly lady who enjoys dancing in the square.

“This is the free-range duck sent by your Brother Shan. He’s bought a whole mountain now, doing farming and planting fruit trees. His life is flourishing. It’s the best medicine for me to see you kids living well.”

The old lady handed the thermos to Su Aobai, her smile gentle and kind.

Ever since Su Yixing had asked her about the past, the Dean Mother had been recalling the words of the elderly lady in the same ward.

This child doesn’t look at all like her father!

For no apparent reason, she started to recall the loving relationship between Xiao Bai and Xiao Xing, their strange behavior when Xiao Xing was pregnant, and the interactions between father and daughter.

How could the child she raised have committed murder out of impulse?

How could the child she raised be the one to suffer because of the man’s mistakes?

The details she had previously ignored kept resurfacing in her mind, leading the old lady to a terrifying suspicion, a suspicion she was afraid to confront.

How much had Xiao Bai suffered over the years? He had borne all the suffering alone, while the dead found relief, and the living continued to endure torment.

“Go back. In a few days, Dean Mother will make your favorite braised chicken wings.”

Since the child had hidden things from her, she would pretend not to know for the rest of her life. Each revelation of such truth only added to the pain.

“Okay.”

This was the first time the old lady didn’t force him to develop a relationship with Su Yixing. Su Aobai felt a tightness in his chest; with more words, it would only end up being a simple ‘okay.’

***

As he carried the duck soup back to the dorm, the long-forgotten system notification sounded.

The garbled code that had followed the favorability score returned to normal, with the value skyrocketing from single digits to a score high enough to pass the current task.

A special reward was also granted.

Su Aobai felt a wave of dizziness, and when he opened his eyes again, the surroundings seemed both familiar and strange.

“Order a large popcorn. A large one is a better deal.”

“You won’t finish it. Just order a medium one.”

“It’s only 1 more yuan. You’re so stingy. I’ll cover it.”

In the cinema, a young couple was bickering.

Su Aobai stared around in a daze and then slapped himself hard.

It hurt! This isn’t a dream!

He dashed towards Ji Xing’s school, running faster and faster. The burning pain in his lungs couldn’t stop his racing steps.

Su Aobai tried to communicate with the system, asking if it could bring the original owner back.

The system only replied, [Not necessary. It’s all the same.]

Su Aobai didn’t understand the meaning of this response, but at that moment, he didn’t have the energy to analyze it.

Finally, he saw a familiar girl walking towards him from a distance, followed by a drunken, sneaky-looking man.

“Didn’t we agree to meet at the cinema entrance? Why are you running so fast?”

Ji Xing was tightly embraced by him. In front of many passersby, it was both sweet and embarrassing. She struggled a little, then allowed him to hold her.

The young girl buried her head in his chest, thinking that as long as no one could see her face, she would never be mocked.

Su Aobai held her tightly, as if embracing a precious treasure he had lost and found again.

“I missed you so much. I just wanted to see you as soon as possible.”

Because she couldn’t see his current expression, his tears flowed freely.

As for the man who had been following the girl, he had already stopped when Su Aobai appeared. The boy’s gaze terrified him, and the slight drunkenness instantly turned into cold sweat. He took two steps back and ran away.

Su Aobai held the girl, whose face had turned as red as a monkey’s bottom, by the hand, guiding her towards the cinema. Along the way, he glanced at the direction the man had fled, then found an excuse to leave for a short while and made a phone call.

The next day, local news reported that a drunken man had followed a girl with the intent to assault her. Fortunately, a concerned citizen reported the incident, and the police arrived in time to subdue the man before he could act.

Without Ji Xing, there might have been another victim.

Su Aobai didn’t want the tragedy that happened to them to repeat with someone else.

“Did you explain things to your foreman?”

Ji Xing asked anxiously as she saw Su Aobai walking towards her from a distance.

“Mm-hmm.”

Su Aobai nodded with a smile.

“I’ll tell you, my desk mate saw this movie before. She said…”

The girl took his hand and started talking about the amusing events of the day at school, her face full of anticipation for the movie they were about to watch.

“I’ll buy you the largest bucket of popcorn.”

After she finished her chattering, Su Aobai spoke up.

“No, that’s too wasteful.” The girl said, playfully scolding him.

“But I want to buy it for you.”

“Then just get the smallest bucket.”

“No, I want to get you the best.”

Their conversation drifted further away as they walked, and their future stretched out long before them.