Fatherly love, like a fine metal, is forged slowly.
When Chen Zemian first reconnected with Chen Qingyu, Chen Qingyu felt no affection for this supposed ‘son,’ secretly thinking, This wild child, who appeared out of nowhere, must be crazed with longing for a father.
Later, even though all the details confirmed that this was indeed his biological son, he remained dazed, feeling a profound sense of unreality. This confusion and unfamiliarity were so intense it was worse than dealing with former colleagues or friends. There’s a vast difference between ‘having a memory but forgetting it’ and ‘having absolutely no memory.’
As a result, when Chen Zemian confessed his sexual orientation to him, Chen Qingyu seemed distracted and indifferent.
However, as time passed, familial affection steadily accumulated through daily contact, and the bond between father and son quietly began to sprout.
The connection of blood is an unbreakable tie. Chen Zemian’s trust and dependence allowed the long-wandering Chen Qingyu to find his connection to the world again.
Chen Zemian and Chen Qingyu were carved from the exact same mold. This similarity wasn’t just physical resemblance but an identical manner, temperament, and those small, inadvertent habits. No wonder his old classmate, Xue Zhengwei, could see the shadow of an old friend in Chen Zemian’s xuanzi zhuan ti (a martial arts spinning turn).
That specific move was what Chen Qingyu used to defeat Xue Zhengwei during the police academy’s undercover selection process, earning him the undercover position.
Chen Qingyu hadn’t been told this by anyone; he had recalled it himself. Chen Zemian was so similar to him that when Chen Qingyu looked at his son, it was like looking back at himself twenty years ago. Those long-buried fragments of memory would occasionally rush back, like clouds parting to reveal the sun, during a moment shared with Chen Zemian.
— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *
Gradually, Chen Qingyu began to dream about the past.
The dreams were chaotic and followed no pattern, wandering wherever his mind pleased, lacking any narrative flow.
The most baffling thing was that Chen Qingyu was dreaming of Chen Zemian’s childhood appearance. From the day he fell into the sea and left the country until their first meeting at Yaotai Langyuan, Chen Qingyu had played no part in Chen Zemian’s upbringing. He shouldn’t have known what Chen Zemian looked like as a child.
Yet, he not only knew, but everything that happened in the dreams felt utterly real, like memories from another world. In the dream, Chen Qingyu hadn’t gone undercover but became a SWAT officer. Due to frequent job transfers, they moved from city to city, but his son was always by his side. He taught Chen Zemian how to climb walls, fight, and pick locks. They relied on each other and had a very deep bond.
Chen Qingyu couldn’t help but recall the “other timeline” Chen Zemian had mentioned when they first met. Perhaps they truly had been father and son for one lifetime, which was why Chen Zemian could recognize him as his father in the pouring rain at first sight.
After his business in China concluded, following repeated invitations from Mr. Wilson, Chen Qingyu returned to New York to continue protecting his employer. This wasn’t merely due to professionalism; after Chen Qingyu left, the much-feared Wilson had faced several assassination attempts, and in the most recent terrorist attack, his right leg was hit.
In the video, Wilson sat in a wheelchair, visibly thinner, looking quite pitiful in his limited mobility. Considering the life-saving favor Wilson had done for him, Chen Qingyu agreed to continue protecting him for a while.
Chen Zemian also went abroad. His game studio had been successfully turned into a listed company by Zheng Huaiyu, and the work pressure had multiplied. So, he simply used the excuse of “accompanying his boyfriend to study abroad” and ran away from his responsibilities.
Boston is close to New York, only a little over 300 kilometers away. Chen Zemian would drive to New York to visit Chen Qingyu every weekend or holiday. Of course, Lu Zhuonian was the one driving.
Upon reaching New York, Chen Zemian was surprised to discover that his father’s employer was the same Wall Street mogul he had previously met. No wonder Wilson felt an immediate rapport with him. The only reason they hadn’t met sooner was that Wilson’s business trip to Boston happened when Chen Qingyu was back in China searching for his memories. This also perfectly demonstrated that even if Chen Zemian hadn’t met Chen Qingyu at Yaotai Langyuan, they would have eventually been reunited through Wilson.
The ‘six degrees of separation’ mentioned by Fu Guanlan continued to increase in value.
— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *
Seeing Chen Zemian again, Chen Qingyu’s mindset had undergone a complete transformation—from, ‘My god, whose wild child is this?’ to, ‘Oh my God, this is my own son!’
Revisiting the memory of Chen Zemian coming out felt completely different from how it had been before. Before recovering his memory, Chen Qingyu saw Lu Zhuonian as noble, composed, and steady. After his memory returned, however, he couldn’t find a single thing about Lu Zhuonian that didn’t rub him the wrong way. He felt Lu Zhuonian was deeply scheming and premeditated.
The most infuriating part was that, because he failed to object immediately, no matter how much dissatisfaction he felt later, he had to keep it hidden. Chen Qingyu was absolutely convinced that Lu Zhuonian had deliberately taken advantage of the time gap, striking while his feelings for Chen Zemian were shallow, and had cunningly abducted his precious son.
The atmosphere at dinner was slightly awkward.
Chen Zemian was embarrassed to openly display affection in front of his father and deliberately cut down his interaction with Lu Zhuonian by 90%. While they avoided overt behavior, when two people are deeply in love, few words are needed. By simply looking at each other, their affection flowed ceaselessly from their eyes, like silk threads connecting them.
Under the influence of hormones, the brain’s perception of happiness increases significantly. Just sitting there, not speaking, their exchange of glances was enough to make Chen Qingyu uneasy.
That damned Guan Yu. If Guan Yu hadn’t caused him to lose his memory and flee the country, his dear son would not have been so easily led astray.
Based on Chen Qingyu’s observations, Lu Zhuonian’s possessiveness and desire for control were excessively strong. During their dinner together, Chen Zemian would even add two ice cubes to his drink only after stealthily checking Lu Zhuonian’s expression.
Seeing this, Chen Qingyu became enraged and chewed his ice cubes with a loud crunch, as if what he were grinding in his mouth were Lu Zhuonian’s bones.
He endured it until one day, he couldn’t take it anymore and privately called Chen Zemian over, asking if his relationship with Lu Zhuonian was a free-willed romance and why that Lu fellow controlled him so strictly.
Chen Zemian failed to grasp his father’s good intentions. Faced with Chen Qingyu’s questions, he sided with Lu Zhuonian, speaking volumes in his defense.
But from Chen Qingyu’s perspective, hearing the story of how Lu Zhuonian pursued Chen Zemian sounded like nothing but meticulous planning and deep-seated machination. The depth of the scheme was truly astonishing. Only a child as innocent and simple as his son would fall for it.
Yet, despite his myriad objections to Lu Zhuonian, he couldn’t change the fact that his son was willing. Since recovering his memory, Chen Qingyu had never been so thoroughly exasperated. The suppressed anger made his blood pressure soar.
Chen Zemian was completely unaware of all this. Having both his father and his lover by his side provided an indescribable sense of security, causing Chen Zemian’s naturally alert sixth sense to plummet. He focused only on eating, failing to notice Chen Qingyu’s thoughtful, intense gaze.
In contrast, Lu Zhuonian maintained his usual keen sense of awareness. He acutely sensed something unusual in Chen Qingyu’s killing gaze.
Lu Zhuonian cleared his throat, subtly knocking his dinner fork onto the floor, planning to use the action of picking it up to talk to Chen Zemian. To his surprise, before he could even lift the napkin on his lap, Chen Zemian had already bent down and picked up the fork.
Lu Zhuonian: “…”
Chen Zemian always managed to deliver a critical blow to Lu Zhuonian at the most crucial moment.
“It’s dirty from falling on the floor. I’ll get you a new one.” Chen Zemian, who usually just picked up strawberries from the floor and put them right into Lu Zhuonian’s mouth, was suddenly, phase-by-phase, attentive to his lover’s hygiene.
On his way to the kitchen to fetch a new fork, Chen Zemian took a moment to explain to Chen Qingyu, “He’s a germaphobe.”
Lu Zhuonian stood up and said, “I’ll go.”
“Sit down, you’re the guest,” Chen Qingyu slowly said, putting down his dinner knife. “Let Mianmian go.”
Hearing his father call him ‘Mianmian,’ Chen Zemian glanced back, but seeing Chen Qingyu wasn’t looking at him, he proceeded toward the kitchen. He didn’t know where the forks were kept, so he opened the cabinets and rummaged around for a moment.
— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *
In the dining room, the air solidified, inch by inch.
Chen Qingyu rested one hand on his head, staring at Lu Zhuonian without expression. “I heard Mr. Wilson say that you are the only child in your Lu family branch.”
Lu Zhuonian understood the unspoken meaning and immediately stated his position before Chen Qingyu could finish. “My father only has me, yes, but the extended Lu family has many branches. I have twelve cousins and uncles of my generation. The family has never required me to marry and have children, and they all support my relationship with Mianmian.”
Chen Qingyu raised an eyebrow, his tone neither warm nor cold. “You certainly acted fast.”
“The first time we met, I felt he was unique,” Lu Zhuonian unconsciously pressed his lips together, his gaze as soft and lingering as a stream melting in spring. “He’s beautiful, clever, and a little bit oblivious—exceptionally adorable.”
He hadn’t known it was love then; he only knew Chen Zemian made his heart flutter. Chen Zemian was like a gust of wind that scattered the wild weeds in his heart. Since then, his world had known spring all year round, with orioles flying and grass growing lushly.
Chen Qingyu’s eyes flickered. He was about to say more but stopped when he saw Chen Zemian returning with a spoon.
“Couldn’t find a fork. Here’s a spoon to make do with.” Chen Zemian tossed the spoon into Lu Zhuonian’s soup bowl with a light clatter. “If you really need one, take mine.”
Chen Qingyu slowly retracted his gaze. “I don’t often have guests here. I only have three sets of knives and forks.”
Lu Zhuonian replied politely, “It’s alright. A spoon works very well.”
After that last remark, the dining room fell into an unsettling silence.
Chen Zemian vaguely sensed the strange atmosphere. He looked from Lu Zhuonian to Chen Qingyu and asked, “What were you two talking about? Why did you stop talking?”
Lu Zhuonian shifted his attention to Chen Zemian. “We were talking about the first time I saw you.”
Chen Zemian smiled. “I was drunk that day, and you insisted on taking me to the hospital for a check-up.”
Chen Qingyu suddenly looked up. “Why did you need a check-up? Were you feeling unwell?”
Chen Zemian realized he had let something slip again and quickly tried to steer the conversation back. “No, I wasn’t unwell. I was just observed at the hospital.”
Hearing those words, a vague memory flashed through Chen Qingyu’s mind. He asked Chen Zemian, “How is your health?”
Chen Zemian was slightly perplexed. “My health is fine, Dad. Why did you suddenly ask about that?”
Chen Qingyu frowned slightly. “It’s nothing. I just had a dream. I dreamt you stayed up late and caused yourself to go into cardiac arrest, passing away prematurely at the age of 27.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhuonian’s fingers paused. He turned to look at Chen Zemian.
Chen Zemian instantly felt guilty. He lowered his head and drank his soup, but in his haste, he accidentally drank from Lu Zhuonian’s bowl.
Lu Zhuonian’s eyes gradually darkened, and a realization dawned on him. “So that’s where your ’27 years’ came from.”
Chen Zemian looked like he was about to bury his face in the soup bowl. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lu Zhuonian grabbed the back of Chen Zemian’s collar, stopping him from dipping his face further into the soup. “No more cream of mushroom soup. You’re starting a health regimen today.”
Chen Zemian was thunderstruck. “Why?!”
Lu Zhuonian’s expression was stern. “You know why.” He had originally only worried that Chen Zemian’s lack of self-control might lead to him harming himself, but he hadn’t expected that in another world, Chen Zemian had already caused his own death once.
Chen Zemian looked at Chen Qingyu for help. “Dad? I’m only twenty. Who starts a health regimen at twenty? I can wait until twenty-six, right?”
Chen Qingyu said, “You’re so wild and unruly. Can he really control you?”
Chen Zemian betrayed Lu Zhuonian as easily as breathing. “Yes, he can.”
Chen Qingyu nodded slightly. “Then he is quite capable.”
Chen Zemian: “Ah???”
— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *— * — * — * — * — *
TN:
If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on 
! Every little bit means the world!
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal wondering in the void and falling into the translation abyss.
