Dragon Raja 2; Chapter 4: A Dark Rainy Night (4)

Dragon Raja 2

With a rich dad, a beautiful mom, and all-around talent, Chu Zihang’s classmates thought he had it all. Little did they know that his life behind the scenes was far more complicated than they imagined. But that wasn’t due to him; it was because his biological parents were just too out of the ordinary.

“Wanna watch a DVD? I have the new ‘Thor,’ but it’s a cam copy.” The man finally stopped rambling, maybe feeling awkward about the lack of response.

“No,” Chu Zihang hesitated for a moment, “The three of us are going to see it together this weekend.”

The “three” referred to Chu Zihang and his rich dad and beautiful mom, having nothing to do with this man.

This was a rule set by “dad.” “Dad” was busy with work, every meal from breakfast to late-night snacks was reserved for clients. But after his first divorce, “dad” realized the importance of family, so he always set aside one day of the weekend for family time. Common activities included shopping, movies, and a sumptuous dinner, followed by discussions about Chu Zihang’s studies. “Dad” followed the schedule strictly—never missing a “family time” day and never extending it, just as he was always present in the company’s main conference room every Monday at 9:00 a.m. for the weekly meeting with senior managers, no matter the weather.

Chu Zihang was just a stepson, a stoic one without much of a smile. What had he done to deserve the same treatment as those senior managers earning millions a year? It was all because of his mom.

“Is the air conditioning in the back too warm?” the man asked again.

“Enough! Stop talking like a driver!” Chu Zihang felt irritated. “You’re my dad! Do you understand?” he wanted to ask the man. “Do you?”

By visitation rights, you only get one day a month to see me, and yet you’re often too busy. Even when you do come, sitting in someone else’s house, what can you say to me? Of course, you still have plenty to say. You sit on the horsehair sofa that “dad” bought for 170,000 yuan, praising how upscale it is. Why did I call you to pick me up? Because no one else would? Because if you come, we could talk? If you can’t say anything profound, just plainly ask how I’ve been, if I’m happy. Don’t hold the umbrella for me with such devotion—I don’t care about that. Do you also want to squat in front of me like Liu Miaomiao’s driver and change my rain boots? I don’t need a driver; we already have one at home… You are my dad—do you understand?

“What’s wrong with being my son’s driver?” The man shrugged, his skin as thick as a city wall, or maybe his nerves were just as slow as a tortoise’s. “When you were a kid, I used to let you ride on my back like a horse.”

Chu Zihang’s heart clenched slightly, as if something had cracked inside, letting out a sour feeling. He felt tired, didn’t want to say anything more, and leaned back in his seat, staring out the window in a daze.

Could he just stop bringing up things that only made people feel worse?

Years ago… in that small, run-down room of just a few square meters, the man crawled all around while the boy sat on his shoulders, shouting, “Giddy up, giddy up!” The beautiful woman rushed around the gas stove… These images flashed in his mind, like an old hand-cranked projector playing a film.

The sky gradually darkened, and the streetlights came on. Through the heavy rain, their light was as weak as fireflies.

“How’s your mom been lately?” the man broke the silence.

“Same as before—sleeps in late in the morning, goes out shopping in the afternoon, and spends the evening at bars with her friends. They have a great time, come back together, and chat until late at night. Then she sleeps till noon the next day. Anyway,” Chu Zihang hesitated for a moment, “‘dad’ is always out socializing and doesn’t have time to keep her company. So, he thinks her entertaining herself like this is fine.”

These words were somewhat hurtful. A man down on his luck asking about his past woman, and hearing that she was living a happy life, having completely forgotten about him.

Grandma said that Mom had been a heartless girl since she was young, but being heartless and beautiful actually allowed her to live well. Mom had long since left behind all her unhappy memories, treating “dad” as her first husband. In her mind, they had a perfect young marriage, and they had a wonderful son like Chu Zihang. In Chinese, that’s called “perfect,” and in English, it’s called “perfect.”

People have to accept reality—this man’s shadow had long been erased from the limited space in Mom’s mind.

Calling another man “dad” in front of this man wasn’t easy for Chu Zihang either. Earlier, he had tried to soften it by saying “the three of us.”

But once he said it, it wasn’t that awkward. This was a promise he had made to “dad”—to call him “dad” and not “uncle,” “four-eyes,” or “slick hair.” Even though “dad” in Chu Zihang’s mind was just an image of a bespectacled slick-haired man, Chu Zihang was stubborn and kept his promises, no matter in public or private.

After so long, this man should have gotten used to it, right? After all, back then, he didn’t even fight for custody of his son.

“Take good care of your mom,” the man said.

Through the rearview mirror, his face, still somewhat handsome but showing signs of age, was expressionless.

“Yeah, as you said, I make sure she drinks milk before bed. If she’s chatting with her friends, I’ll heat the milk and bring it to her.” Chu Zihang said. This was the only thing the man had ever asked him to do. It was strange—he had lost the woman, yet still remembered the glass of milk. Mom had formed a habit of drinking a cup of hot milk every night since she was young, adding half a spoon of sugar so she wouldn’t keep waking up during the night. Now, she had probably forgotten that years ago, it was this man who used to heat her milk. Before him, it was Grandma who heated her milk, and after him, it was her son.

A fortunate woman always has someone to heat her milk.

“Shilan Middle School is really impressive—seventeen students got into Tsinghua and Peking University this year. Son, you have to work hard! Don’t embarrass me!” The man pretended to be concerned about Chu Zihang’s studies.

“‘Dad’ said I won’t take the college entrance exam here, I’ll go abroad for my undergrad. I’m taking the TOEFL next month.” Chu Zihang replied coldly.

Embarrass him? When had he ever really cared? It was always just empty words.

Last year, there was a film crew shooting nearby, and Chu Zihang was selected as an extra. When the man heard, he vowed to visit him on set.

“My son’s acting, I’ll bring tea and water! I’ll drive this car there, wouldn’t that be impressive?” The man patted the steering wheel, full of enthusiasm.

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