At around nine in the morning, a radiant looking dad came back home. He was about to take a shower and catch up on some sleep, only to find Lin Jin quietly sitting on the sofa as if waiting for him.
"Why are you up so early today?" Dad immediately put on a smile and asked Lin Jin with concern, "Are you hungry? Dad will go down and buy you breakfast right now."
Lin Jin silently lifted his head to look at him, his silent demeanor making his father feel a bit uneasy.
"What's wrong?" His father chuckled, scratching his short hair.
It's no wonder my brother Lin Chen and I are so adept at acting and lying, it must be a trait inherited from their dad.
"It's nothing," Lin Jin wanted to ask, but when his father stood before him, he found himself unable to speak. He hesitated, looking down at his own feet in wearing slippers.
"If there’s nothing, then I'll go take a shower and sleep," his dad said, sensing something was off. He unhesitatingly took off his shirt in front of Lin Jin and walked into the bathroom with his upper body bare.
It felt like he still needed to clear things up.
If it's nothing... No, my acting skills must be inherited from dad. He probably wouldn't say anything, right?
Lin Jin frowned. He couldn't fully trust the black cat's words. Not to mention whether it had the ability to monitor dad, but given its fondness for causing trouble, it could very well be trying to drive a wedge between Lin Jin and his dad and make Lin Jin suspicious.
Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Lin Jin sighed deeply. He stood up and glanced at Braised Pork beside him. Although this little guy had only been in the family for a few days, it seemed to have completely made itself at home, always hungry and particularly fond of clinging to Lin Jin. In essence, it was lively, wreaking havoc every day as if it had gone mad.
Indeed, as a rural cat, it was even more troublesome than the black cat.
After not paying attention to Braised Pork for a moment, Lin Jin found it tearing at the sofa with its claws again. His face darkened, and he hurriedly picked it up and put it into its shoebox.
Sighing, Lin Jin sat back on the sofa. A moment later, his dad came out of the bathroom in his boxers. He glanced at Lin Jin who was still sitting on the sofa hesitating, and went straight to the kitchen. He grabbed some bread and milk for breakfast.
"What do you want to say?" Dad clearly noticed Lin Jin was troubled. He pulled over a stool, sat down in front of the coffee table, and started to unwrap the bread, "If you want to ask, just ask."
Lin Jin felt that his dad was either oblivious to the gravity of the situation or believed Lin Jin had no clue about what was going on.
"What were you up to last night?" Lin Jin raised his head, slightly squinting his eyes to create a serious atmosphere as he questioned his dad, "Did you go see a prostitute?"
His dad was taken aback, not expecting Lin Jin to ask such a question, but soon after, he laughed it off and shook his head, saying, "I was only out for a night, why would you think that?"
Lin Jin remembered his dad hardly ever smiled at anyone, he could even be described as having facial paralysis. Even when smiling at his mom, it was a warm, gentle smile, not the kind he was showing now.
So, Lin Jin was even more convinced that his dad had done something last night, and even if it wasn't visiting a prostitute, it probably wasn't anything good.
But Lin Jin couldn't just confront his dad with "your smile is off" as a counterargument. He looked somewhat frustratedly as his dad continued to eat breakfast, pondering how to further question him.
"Then, did you go gambling?" Lin Jin carefully watched his dad's facial expressions, hoping to determine his thoughts like a movie detective through micro-expressions, "Or maybe you went out drinking with your so called friends?"
However, to Lin Jin, his dad's expression revealed no faults. After hearing Lin Jin's words, his dad just slightly furrowed his brow and asked, "Is that what you think of me?"
Yes, what else?
Weren't you exactly that three weeks ago? If the casinos hadn't closed for a few days for Chinese New Year, you'd probably have found a way to gamble even if mom was around, right?
After all, mom brought back quite a bit of money for the new year. If his dad really wanted to, getting some money from her wouldn't be too hard, would it?
"It's not like that," Of course, Lin Jin wouldn't express his true feelings. He awkwardly laughed and said, "I was just a bit worried since you didn't come home last night."
His dad shook his head, a mix of amusement and frustration in his expression, "You're making it sound as if you're my dad."
Lin Jin rolled his eyes. How could he agree with his dad on this? What kind of son worries about his father only for the father to respond like that?
With a sigh, Lin Jin realized he wasn't going to get any information out of his dad. He had only found out about his dad's gambling and drinking because his dad's friends had shown up at their house.
In fact, ever since his parents divorced, Lin Jin had found himself in such scenarios with his dad quite a few times, especially when his dad didn't come home at night. Lin Jin often suspected that he was off gambling away at casinos.
After numerous ineffective attempts to address the issue, Lin Jin had given up and let his dad be. This led to a period where his dad could be gone gambling for three to four nights in a row. If not for the good relationship with Yuli’s family next door who allowed Lin Jin to come over for meals, Lin Jin might have starved.
"Forget it," Lin Jin stood up, shaking his head in disappointment and said theatrically, "I'll just have mom ask you."
Immediately, his dad's expression darkened. It had to be said that he was carefully planning to remarry his mother. If she knew about his late night absences, the fragile recovery of their relationship might be jeopardized.
Seeing Lin Jin getting ready to leave, his dad quickly grabbed Lin Jin's wrist, pleading, "Don't tell your mom!"
It seemed his fears about last night were valid.
Lin Jin didn't show much reaction; he just shrugged off his dad's hand and stood silently, giving his dad a chance to come clean on his own.
"I'll tell you, but you can't tell your mom."
Lin Jin nodded, indicating he understood, but added, "Only if you promise not to do it again."
"Yeah." His dad took a deep breath before somewhat helplessly explaining, "Yesterday, the client I met was an old acquaintance from my gambling days..."
Through his dad's explanation, Lin Jin learned that his dad had encountered a former business owner who was also a gambling buddy. This old acquaintance was far more skilled at gambling than his dad. Though he had not made a fortune from gambling, he also never lost significantly over the decades, thus he maintained his status as a businessman.
They hit it off and the old friend invited his dad to gamble for fun at a venue that also offered gambling. His dad didn’t carry that much money. So after losing a few hundred just to go through the motions, he stopped. Afterwards, they went for some wellness sessions. Of course, his dad was a bit vague about the details.
"Though I gambled, it was all for work," his dad stated righteously, "If I hadn't gone out with him last night, I would have missed out on a big deal."
F*ck, it sounds so reasonable I can't even argue.
At around nine in the morning, a radiant looking dad came back home. He was about to take a shower and catch up on some sleep, only to find Lin Jin quietly sitting on the sofa as if waiting for him.
"Why are you up so early today?" Dad immediately put on a smile and asked Lin Jin with concern, "Are you hungry? Dad will go down and buy you breakfast right now."
Lin Jin silently lifted his head to look at him, his silent demeanor making his father feel a bit uneasy.
"What's wrong?" His father chuckled, scratching his short hair.
It's no wonder my brother Lin Chen and I are so adept at acting and lying, it must be a trait inherited from their dad.
"It's nothing," Lin Jin wanted to ask, but when his father stood before him, he found himself unable to speak. He hesitated, looking down at his own feet in wearing slippers.
"If there’s nothing, then I'll go take a shower and sleep," his dad said, sensing something was off. He unhesitatingly took off his shirt in front of Lin Jin and walked into the bathroom with his upper body bare.
It felt like he still needed to clear things up.
If it's nothing... No, my acting skills must be inherited from dad. He probably wouldn't say anything, right?
Lin Jin frowned. He couldn't fully trust the black cat's words. Not to mention whether it had the ability to monitor dad, but given its fondness for causing trouble, it could very well be trying to drive a wedge between Lin Jin and his dad and make Lin Jin suspicious.
Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Lin Jin sighed deeply. He stood up and glanced at Braised Pork beside him. Although this little guy had only been in the family for a few days, it seemed to have completely made itself at home, always hungry and particularly fond of clinging to Lin Jin. In essence, it was lively, wreaking havoc every day as if it had gone mad.
Indeed, as a rural cat, it was even more troublesome than the black cat.
After not paying attention to Braised Pork for a moment, Lin Jin found it tearing at the sofa with its claws again. His face darkened, and he hurriedly picked it up and put it into its shoebox.
Sighing, Lin Jin sat back on the sofa. A moment later, his dad came out of the bathroom in his boxers. He glanced at Lin Jin who was still sitting on the sofa hesitating, and went straight to the kitchen. He grabbed some bread and milk for breakfast.
"What do you want to say?" Dad clearly noticed Lin Jin was troubled. He pulled over a stool, sat down in front of the coffee table, and started to unwrap the bread, "If you want to ask, just ask."
Lin Jin felt that his dad was either oblivious to the gravity of the situation or believed Lin Jin had no clue about what was going on.
"What were you up to last night?" Lin Jin raised his head, slightly squinting his eyes to create a serious atmosphere as he questioned his dad, "Did you go see a prostitute?"
His dad was taken aback, not expecting Lin Jin to ask such a question, but soon after, he laughed it off and shook his head, saying, "I was only out for a night, why would you think that?"
Lin Jin remembered his dad hardly ever smiled at anyone, he could even be described as having facial paralysis. Even when smiling at his mom, it was a warm, gentle smile, not the kind he was showing now.
So, Lin Jin was even more convinced that his dad had done something last night, and even if it wasn't visiting a prostitute, it probably wasn't anything good.
But Lin Jin couldn't just confront his dad with "your smile is off" as a counterargument. He looked somewhat frustratedly as his dad continued to eat breakfast, pondering how to further question him.
"Then, did you go gambling?" Lin Jin carefully watched his dad's facial expressions, hoping to determine his thoughts like a movie detective through micro-expressions, "Or maybe you went out drinking with your so called friends?"
However, to Lin Jin, his dad's expression revealed no faults. After hearing Lin Jin's words, his dad just slightly furrowed his brow and asked, "Is that what you think of me?"
Yes, what else?
Weren't you exactly that three weeks ago? If the casinos hadn't closed for a few days for Chinese New Year, you'd probably have found a way to gamble even if mom was around, right?
After all, mom brought back quite a bit of money for the new year. If his dad really wanted to, getting some money from her wouldn't be too hard, would it?
"It's not like that," Of course, Lin Jin wouldn't express his true feelings. He awkwardly laughed and said, "I was just a bit worried since you didn't come home last night."
His dad shook his head, a mix of amusement and frustration in his expression, "You're making it sound as if you're my dad."
Lin Jin rolled his eyes. How could he agree with his dad on this? What kind of son worries about his father only for the father to respond like that?
With a sigh, Lin Jin realized he wasn't going to get any information out of his dad. He had only found out about his dad's gambling and drinking because his dad's friends had shown up at their house.
In fact, ever since his parents divorced, Lin Jin had found himself in such scenarios with his dad quite a few times, especially when his dad didn't come home at night. Lin Jin often suspected that he was off gambling away at casinos.
After numerous ineffective attempts to address the issue, Lin Jin had given up and let his dad be. This led to a period where his dad could be gone gambling for three to four nights in a row. If not for the good relationship with Yuli’s family next door who allowed Lin Jin to come over for meals, Lin Jin might have starved.
"Forget it," Lin Jin stood up, shaking his head in disappointment and said theatrically, "I'll just have mom ask you."
Immediately, his dad's expression darkened. It had to be said that he was carefully planning to remarry his mother. If she knew about his late night absences, the fragile recovery of their relationship might be jeopardized.
Seeing Lin Jin getting ready to leave, his dad quickly grabbed Lin Jin's wrist, pleading, "Don't tell your mom!"
It seemed his fears about last night were valid.
Lin Jin didn't show much reaction; he just shrugged off his dad's hand and stood silently, giving his dad a chance to come clean on his own.
"I'll tell you, but you can't tell your mom."
Lin Jin nodded, indicating he understood, but added, "Only if you promise not to do it again."
"Yeah." His dad took a deep breath before somewhat helplessly explaining, "Yesterday, the client I met was an old acquaintance from my gambling days..."
Through his dad's explanation, Lin Jin learned that his dad had encountered a former business owner who was also a gambling buddy. This old acquaintance was far more skilled at gambling than his dad. Though he had not made a fortune from gambling, he also never lost significantly over the decades, thus he maintained his status as a businessman.
They hit it off and the old friend invited his dad to gamble for fun at a venue that also offered gambling. His dad didn’t carry that much money. So after losing a few hundred just to go through the motions, he stopped. Afterwards, they went for some wellness sessions. Of course, his dad was a bit vague about the details.
"Though I gambled, it was all for work," his dad stated righteously, "If I hadn't gone out with him last night, I would have missed out on a big deal."
F*ck, it sounds so reasonable I can't even argue.
