Dad's Birthday

"Is this what you call a little windfall?"

As Xiao Xiao returned home, he was still thinking, a sense of security rising within him.

Over three hundred Points provided a substantial buffer against the malice of this city. As long as he didn't cause trouble or get into trouble, it was enough to live comfortably here for several months.

He poked his head out the window and could see the three fierce dogs lounging on the wall, watching him.

They had just accompanied him through a crisis, yet they had mysteriously returned to the yard. Apart from a few singed hairs, they showed no other changes.

This made Xiao Xiao marvel at the city's strangeness.

It seemed they deserved a reward. Looking at the intelligent eyes of the three dogs, Xiao Xiao considered buying some sausages to feed them.

However, before he could act, the little girl from next door came out with a dog bowl. The bowl was filled with meaty bones, and the three dogs immediately became excited.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief; the neighbor had rewarded them for him.

Yet, watching the three dogs happily fighting over bones from afar, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but feel a pang of longing.

Although the combat power of these fierce dogs was not exaggerated – they were ordinary fierce dogs, only biting and pouncing during their confrontation with the suffocating corpses, showing no other special abilities – their loyalty far exceeded Xiao Xiao's expectations.

It seemed that just from their loyalty alone, this deal was already quite worthwhile.

So, could he enhance them?

The thought suddenly popped into his mind, but Xiao Xiao found it difficult to make a decision quickly: enhancement was too expensive, costing a full hundred Points.

Furthermore, the effect of the enhancement was unknown. The probability of him obtaining three fierce dogs with special abilities was extremely low. More likely, the three fierce dogs would mutate, forcing him to eliminate them.

Of course, if it succeeded...

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but feel a little excited. Although he wasn't a gambler, he couldn't help but imagine the joy of a successful gamble...

That evening, Xiao Xiao, unusually, slept soundly after waking up.

With these substantial Points, he temporarily didn't have to worry about the world's malice attacking him. Moreover, the next day was a rest day, and he didn't have to go to work, filling him with happiness.

However, when he emerged from his bedroom the next day, yawning, he froze in embarrassment.

His mother, who usually went to work at the mall at this hour, was in the living room, basking in the sunlight filtering through the window, her hands covered in flour as she made dumplings.

"Did I wake you?"

His mother saw Xiao Xiao come out and immediately said with a smile, "Since it's my day off, I'm making dumplings for you."

Xiao Xiao found it strange. Today wasn't supposed to be his mother's day off. His own workplace, the dock, had Mondays off, but he couldn't really ask about it.

He had been trying to avoid contact with this "mother" lately, but now that they had met, he couldn't just retreat. He could only silently grunt in response.

He walked to the water dispenser and poured a glass of water. Then, feeling it wasn't quite right, he poured a second glass and placed it beside his mother.

His mother glanced at the cup he placed next to her, her expression surprisingly happy. She said solicitously, "There's fruit I brought back yesterday over there. Wash some and eat it yourself."

"Why are you up so early today?"

"..."

"It's already past ten o'clock..."

Xiao Xiao thought to himself. But compared to his previous life of working day and night, it was indeed early?

Sitting by the sofa for a while felt awkward, so after turning on the TV, he washed his hands and sat down beside his mother, helping her wrap dumplings.

Even if she was just a semblance of his mother, he wasn't accustomed to enjoying such blatant comfort.

"My son has really grown up."

His mother looked at the rather unskillfully wrapped dumplings Xiao Xiao was making, but she liked them more and more. She smiled and said, "You just sit aside and rest, keep me company."

"You work so hard usually, can your body handle it?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao just grunted in response, remaining silent, still helping with his hands.

Around noon, his mother cooked the dumplings, and the mother and son sat at the dining table, watching TV and eating silently.

His mother seemed to have something on her mind. As the meal was nearing its end, she suddenly said, feigning nonchalance:

"Today is your father's birthday. You used to not like going out, but now you're working. You should at least go and sit with him tonight."

"Father?"

Xiao Xiao suddenly froze.

He hadn't seen him in a long time and had no contact with him.

Four years ago, his father had already had a child with another woman, divorced his mother, and started a new family.

He had no desire to see him. The entire world had become a writhing monster. Beneath those familiar faces, who knew what lurked?

Being at home with his mother and their usual interactions often gave Xiao Xiao moments of clarity.

But that father... Xiao Xiao saw no reason to go out of his way to call a monster wearing a human skin "father."

He had actually forgotten about it. That "father" hadn't called to inform him or anything.

But Mother actually brought it up, and it seemed like she hoped he would go.

He could even feel her complex emotions: not wanting him to be too close to the man who abandoned her and her son, yet unwilling to sever the bond between child and father.

After a long pause, he simply responded with a "Mm."

However, this reaction seemed to improve Mother's mood, as if Xiao Xiao's reluctance had satisfied her.

"Ever since he married that woman, he's ignored us, the two of us. And because you didn't go to college, he even stopped paying the tuition he promised."

Mother rambled on, "But he's still your dad, and you're the eldest son. It's only right for you to go to his birthday."

"I called him. He said he really wants to see you too."

"But, dress nicely when you go. Those people have their eyes up in their heads and don't look at people properly."

"..."

Xiao Xiao didn't really want to go, but he agreed anyway.

Perhaps, even knowing that those people were disguised monsters, he still wanted to see how far they could go in their act.

After finishing his meal and washing the dishes, he returned to his bedroom to go online, using the forums to gather information about this world. It wasn't until Mother knocked on his door in the afternoon that he changed his clothes and headed out.

Mother gave him the address, and Xiao Xiao took the subway directly there, not even making a phone call along the way.

But when he arrived at a classic and exquisitely decorated restaurant in the upper city, he immediately recognized the man sitting in the middle of the crowd, with a slicked-back hairstyle, and an outstanding demeanor and attire.

The two made eye contact from afar. The man seemed a bit awkward and, after a long moment, simply nodded at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao walked over and nodded back at him.

The man didn't say anything affectionate, which saved Xiao Xiao the awkwardness of calling out those two words to a monster.

Father seemed a little uncomfortable. He smiled and entertained other guests while pointing to a corner nearby, inviting Xiao Xiao to sit there.

Xiao Xiao felt no displeasure. He simply sat down quietly, observing everything with cold eyes.

Among the guests who had come, some recognized Xiao Xiao. From time to time, someone would pat his shoulder with emotion and say to his father, "This is your eldest son, right?"

"My, my, it's been a few years, and he's grown so much. Just like Old Xiao when he was young, so handsome."

"..."

Sitting next to Xiao Xiao was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. Beside her was a chubby little boy dressed very fashionably. This was Xiao Xiao's half-brother in this world.

The woman seemed displeased. When others praised Xiao Xiao, she rolled her eyes and never spoke to him.

Even Father was busy entertaining guests. It wasn't until everyone was seated that he found time to say a few words to Xiao Xiao: "It's been four years, and you haven't even called me."

"Has your illness gotten better?"

"..."

Xiao Xiao nodded and said, "Almost."

Father Xiao, who already didn't seem to want to talk much with Xiao Xiao, was somewhat displeased when he saw that Xiao Xiao also didn't take the initiative to speak to him throughout the event and his replies were cold. He frowned and said:

"I heard from your mother that after you were sick, you've been hiding at home playing games, not even going out?"

"What kind of behavior is that? Staying indoors too long will make you useless."

"If it's really not working out, you can come to the company for a few days and find some work, that would be good..."

"..."

Before he could finish speaking, the woman next to him's face fell. She suddenly raised her voice and said to a friend nearby, "Brother Zhao, I heard your child got into university?"

"Oh, that's all thanks to her own hard work..."

The friend next to her immediately chimed in with a smile, and everyone's attention was drawn away, abruptly ending the topic.

"This is too real..."

After Xiao Xiao awakened in this world, he had encountered too many strange and bizarre things. Now, looking at the undercurrents at Xiao's birthday banquet, he felt a different kind of sensation.

Surrounded by a group of disguised monsters, he had no intention of quarreling. He simply observed everything silently.

Father Xiao, on the other hand, seeing Xiao Xiao's silent and distant demeanor, somehow felt a surge of annoyance. Seeing the woman constantly signaling him, he found an opportunity and said:

"Oh right, since you're here today, it's convenient. Go back and tell your mother."

"Those old houses in the upper city have been there too long, and it's inconvenient to live in them. You and your mother should move out, and I'll help you rent a better place."