My Two Dads

Hearing that, Yang Han leaned closer to Yang Mo.
She tugged on the hem of Yang Mo’s coat and whispered in disbelief, “Dad…you and Old Han…you two fought?”

Sponsored Content

Yang Mo: “Everyone does.”

“Oh…”

Yang Han was still in a hazy emotional state, so her fantasies of love were sweet, perfect and without a single flaw.
Just like when she consumed CP content, as long as there was even the slightest conflict, it would hurt like death itself, but deepening the relationship after some angst.

Han Shi Yu and Yang Mo never truly had a big fight in front of Yang Han.
She couldn’t imagine how that would go either, so she asked curiously and worriedly, “Was the fight really bad…”

Yang Mo looked at her, the corners of his lips curving.
He patted that little head of hers and said, “It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

He added, “It’s all in the past now.”

Yang Mo forgot who brought it up first and suggested to break up.

But at the end, both of them decided to calm themselves before anything else.
After all, they had been dating for so long already and Han Shi Yu even proposed to him…It would be hard to cut off everything if they rashly ended it on such a sudden note.

Therefore, they settled on a one-month cool down period.
If after a month later, they still can’t solve their problem, then they shall go their separate ways.

The memories from that period of time didn’t appear abrupt or harsh.
They merely stayed quietly in the corner of his mind.

Yang Mo actually found his mood to be extremely calm.
He had stopped writing in his diary since there were nothing much he could write about every day.
And so, he decided to go through the previous entries instead.

“”

As he did that, he came to a sudden realization that he had gone through so much with Han Shi Yu already.

In that one month, the two of them didn’t say a single word to each other.

Then came the final day, where Yang Mo woke up at a dusky afternoon.
His alarm clock was snoozed and extended for many times, the screen now flashing a reminder that there was another ten minutes before it would ring again.

He walked to the company while carrying a storage box to pack his things.

Who knew where Han Shi Yu went.
In the past month, he always came home really late and in the last few days, he straight up didn’t return home anymore.

Sponsored Content

The sunset that day was particularly dense, pouring in through the glass window and filling up the entire aisle, stretching the scattered workers’ shadows particularly long.

Yang Mo thought it was weird too, how his memories of that period of time had faded all except for this specific part.
As he stood in the middle of the aisle, he remembered clearly the sight of the setting sun outside the window through his squinting eyes.

When he moved the box into his room, the phone rang.
His actions froze for a while before he reached into his pocket to get it, only to realize it was the alarm that he forgot to cancel just now.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket and a colleague who was passing by, asked, “Chief Yang, why are you packing your stuffs for?”

Yang Mo parted his lips but to his own surprise, didn’t have the heart to say he was leaving, so he lied with a – “Changing up his workplace for the time being.”

Yang Mo booked a train ticket at 5PM that day, intending to return to his hometown for some time and gradually settle the remaining matters at work later on.

He sent a message to Han Lang, saying, “Mom, I’m going home now.
Leaving at 5PM.”

Han Lang also understood the conflict between the two of them, but never tried to intervene too much.
She only advised, “Stay a little longer in Shenzhen.
Or you can come to my place to rest first?”

Yang Mo replied, “Thank you, but it’s alright.”

“Later on, I lived in a rented room of a few dozen square meters for a year.
When there was no air conditioner in the summer and I was sweating profusely, the only fan was blowing towards the CPU, giving priority to cool it down first.
Along with Ji Xun’s pioneer employees, I was at the company working with them, squeezed my way in the train after work together and bought groceries from a local vegetable market in the outskirts.”

“I found out that there were many people who did not buy the nicely packed fresh vegetables at the supermarket, but instead would go bargain at the local market.
Just to save a few yuans, they would spend half a day haggling.
And a few pounds of vegetables can be kept in the refrigerator to be eaten for a few days.”

“Sometimes, the employee’s parents would call them.
As they covered the microphone and went out the balcony to carefully converse – what I picked up were undoubtedly words like ‘life’ and ‘living expenses’.
It was as if it was luxurious to even utter words like ‘I miss you’.”

Han Shi Yu stood on the stage, pacing with light steps and said, “I also realized that many people had meticulous plans, juggling between their so-called dreams and money, but that fragile balance would crumble with a marriage certificate or a child and revert back to the starting point.”

“In the eyes of these children, the highest standard of measure would be their grades.
Furthermore, they would experience countless emotional turmoil over these fluctuating numbers.
Yet, when they have returned home, they would cry and laugh over the characters they see in an animation or a game as they work hard to learn how to write, draw, edit videos.
Showing their clumsy yet sincere creations to others, receiving a word of encouragement would push them to openly fantasize about being successful in the fields that they are passionate in.
When they return to school, they continue to bury themselves in tests.
Then, it repeats…over and over again.”

Han Shi Yu said, “Can you say that they have been defeated by reality?”

“And can you say that this group of children are only caught up in their grades; a generation that won’t succeed?”

From earlier on, a long silence had fell on the lecture hall, as if the first half of the speech was too early for the students but the latter half resonated with them.

Sponsored Content

The projection screen changed slides.

It was a new Qu Di logo, still with the same tagline but the form had become fuller and more confident.
This was a redesigned logo; the calligraphy came from the hands of Xie Chen Min who joined after Ji Xun only just recovered.

Han Shi Yu said, “I realized that youth come in many different forms.
It cannot be defined simply by ‘dreams’.
I slowly came to understand what Starry meant for me to be grounded.”

“How can I not turn into an evil capitalist like all of you said.
It was simple.
Go to the company and walk through the day of the workers,” Han Shi Yu said, “So I’ll often go to the market, but even to this day I still haven’t figured out how to bargain successfully.”

He joked, “If any of you have the time to go the outskirts and do some surveys, you might run into Mr.
Han, the enthusiastic citizen.”

A wave of laughter washed over the lecture hall, followed by applause ringing out for a long time.

Yang Mo dipped his head and smiled a little, lowering his crossed arms and prepared to leave.
Yang Han asked, “Dad, aren’t you going to listen to the whole thing?”

“That was the introduction,” Yang Mo said, “Next will be introducing Qu Di’s new features and the such, it will be more official.” Han Shi Yu, as a president who often had to give speeches, are really skilled in engaging with the audience through his introduction.

“Oh.” Yang Han said, “Then where are you going? I’ll come find you later.”

“Isn’t this a science and technology art festival?” Yang Mo said, “I’ll just go for a stroll.”

As Yang Mo walked, wearing a mask, he kicked up a small stone on the road.

He seemed to recall that on the day he left, he also walked his way to the train station like this while dragging along his suitcase.
The cab gave him a rent, but he walked the rest of the way.

He was all wrapped up tightly, even his mouth and nose were wrapped behind a scarf as he let out hot breaths of air.

Somehow, he felt like there was something missing from his body.
Draped by the sunset on his own, he felt lonely.

There were many small stones on the way, and out of a rare, childish whim, he kicked it up for fun.

Then, the sound of his luggage wheels rolling came to a stop.

He looked up and saw Han Shi Yu.

The two of them weren’t that much farther apart, but at the same time, it felt like they were standing on opposite sides of the river, so out of reach.

Sponsored Content

They just stared at each other like that.

Han Shi Yu’s voice sliced through the air, very soft yet scalding, “You’re really leaving.”

Yang Mo felt like he was pricked for a moment, as if it has been a long time since he last heard his voice.

Yang Mo said, “A month is up.”

Han Shi Yu didn’t say anything.

Yang Mo didn’t know what else to answer next, and just as he was about to go around Han Shi Yu, he took a step to the side and blocked his way.

Yang Mo continued to go around him, but this time Han Shi Yu pulled him over and hugged him tightly.

His voice was buried in Yang Mo’s shoulder as it trembled, “Why are you like this.”

Being hugged like this, Yang Mo couldn’t break free from his hold and any words he had were stuck in his throat, unable to be said.

“I’ve thought about it for a month, but it was all for nothing.” Han Shi Yu said, “…I simply won’t do without you.”

Han Shi Yu stubbornly continued, his voice becoming more nasally by the second, “You can hit me, or continue to scold me…but anyhow, I just can’t do it.”

He whispered again, childishly, “I can’t be without you…”

Yang Mo was still held tightly by him, his breathing almost mashing into one with this person.

He suddenly remembered the big dog who said he liked him in the rain that day with his two ears drooping down.
At that time, it was from being anxious and nervous.
But this time, however, was being afraid of losing him.

Han Shi Yu added, “I’ll continue to work on it…Ji Xun will continue to exist…really, I’m not lying.”

With a lot of difficulty, Yang Mo reached out a hand and stroked his slightly trembling back.

He said, “…I’m not leaving.”

Sponsored Content

Yang Mo ran into Lu Yue Ming.

He also followed behind Yang Mo when he saw him walk out.

Yang Mo was led by him to visit the exhibition next.

From some time ago, Lu Yue Ming had stopped calling him uncle, instead called him Teacher Yang.
In short, the reverence for him only increased over time.

Lu Yue Ming tried hard to bring up new topics as he introduced the exhibition.

As Yang Mo looked at him, he suddenly asked, “Xiao Lu.”

Lu Yue Ming, “Ah?”

Yang Mo tapped on a touch screen display tab in the exhibition area and said, “Are you interested in visiting Ji Xun’s headquarters?”

Lu Yue Ming froze for a few moments before excitement and joy spilled from his face.
He stuttered, “Y-Yes…I…Yeah, I’m…very much so.”

Seeing his reaction, Yang Mo laughed a little and said, “We’ll pick a holiday when you’re free.”

Lu Yue Ming immediately replied, “I’m free anytime.”

Yang Mo nodded.

They continued on walking forward as Yang Mo glanced at his watch and notice the time was almost up.
Han Shi Yu agreed that after finishing the speech and pretending to leave in front of the media and the public, he would come back again in disguise so the three of them could go on a trip in a low profile.

Yang Mo explained to Lu Yue Ming and was planning to head back, only to see Yang Han holding a rolled up big red banner and ran over to him.

Yang Mo: “?”

Yang Han hid behind Yang Mo and quickly said, “Dad, Old Han is almost done with his speech.
If he’s looking for me, tell him I’m not here.”

After saying that, the eldest princess hastily ran off to destroy the physical evidence which was the banner itself.

Yang Mo: “…….”