Honkai Infection

The root cause of the current situation can be traced back to events that occurred not long ago.

Su Qing'an looked at the man's somewhat dark complexion and fell into reminiscence.

Su Qing'an had just gotten up and opened the door to wash up, saw Fu Hua.

She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her childlike face, tying her bow tie. Her earnestness in trying to straighten the tie was quite endearing.

Fu Hua couldn't see that he had activated [hidden] to avoid embarrassment. It seems that as long as Su Qing'an is conscious, Udu-dust will always be in a very obedient state.

Immediately, the girl carefully selected a few nice-looking apples from the fruit she had bought yesterday and put them in her bag.

It looks like they're going to visit someone.

Could it be her dad?

Afterwards, Fu Hua put on a pleated skirt—an outfit she had never seen before—and hurriedly slipped on her little leather shoes and left the house before six in the morning.

The boy was unaware that these were the school uniforms and shoes uniformly distributed by the girl's all-girls junior high school, and that these uniforms were the only dresses she owned in her closet.

Su Qing'an felt that if it were something she wore for morning exercise, it should be sportswear, not a pleated skirt that was inconvenient for movement, so the girl was probably really going to visit someone.

Without much hesitation, Su Qing'an, who had convinced herself that she needed to go out to buy breakfast ingredients, followed them.

He had clearly forgotten the fact that he was temporarily penniless and living off a woman.

But ultimately, feeling a little guilty, Su Qing'an chose to continue driving [Hidden] far behind the girl, without explicitly stating that he had followed as well.

The cool morning breeze ruffled the girl's hair and swayed her skirt. Occasionally, when the wind picked up, a glimpse of the smooth black pantyhose close to her buttocks would be vaguely revealed. In the fleeting glimpse under the light, the nylon fabric that caught the eye reflected an incredibly dazzling light.

The boy looked away, his gaze detached from the scene, and he stood alone on the deserted street, his eyes somewhat melancholy.

Su Qing'an secretly thought that she should suggest not letting her wear this out next time.

Although she looked beautiful with her hair down and wearing a dress, it was a sight he had never seen before.

But when it gets cold, you have to wear thermal underwear.

The journey was very quiet. Only after leaving the residential area and entering the streets outside did people gradually appear, but it was still very deserted.

During this time of day, only vendors selling breakfast set up stalls around the street, working hard day and night to make a living, have become a common sight on this street.

The little girl seemed to know the shop owners well. Along the way, she was forced to accept soy milk, fried dough sticks, and a few meat buns. The porridge vendor looked at the food bag that she couldn't carry in her small hands with a regretful expression, as if he was sighing that he was too slow and was about to regretfully take the bag back.

In a sense, Fu Hua's popularity at school and near her home is completely opposite. This is probably because most of these people have watched her grow up, so there are fewer restrictions in their interactions, and they have developed a kind of affectionate attitude towards her, as if she were a virtual daughter.

Seeing the little girl's joy amidst her slight dishevelment, Su Qing'an couldn't help but smile. He untied the bag and took it for Fu Hua before the shopkeeper took it back.

The girl looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared in front of her and subconsciously said:

"What are you doing here, Master Su?"

These four words made Su Qing'an's hand holding the food bag tremble slightly for a moment, but before he could correct her, the girl had already turned her face away. She secretly tightened her grip on the bag and said, feigning composure:

"Su Qing'an, stalking people, is a bad thing."

The boy noticed the slight blush on her earlobes; this adorable way of changing the subject made him lose all interest in pursuing the matter further.

Keeping her from calling me that might backfire, and the extra prefix she added today is a perfect example.

Perhaps it would be better to let things take their natural course?

But he still couldn't accept being Fu Hua's mentor.

Silently swallowing her troubles, Su Qing'an glanced at her ten slender fingers gripping the bag tightly. Her neatly trimmed nails, which should have been as pale as light cherry blossoms, looked like they were adorned with cinnabar against her snow-white skin.

He couldn't help but laugh:

"It was my fault. As an apology, I'll help you with the bags."

The girl silently handed over the bag of fruit, while she continued holding her breakfast.

Su Qing'an took the bag without hesitation. Looking at the little girl's expression, even though he knew she probably didn't mean to be possessive of her food, he still found it amusing and interesting.

"Boss, I need to go to the hospital now. See you next time."

As the little girl politely said goodbye, the two walked away, stunned as if struck by lightning, leaving the porridge-selling uncle speechless.

The middle-aged man sat on a bench, watching the two figures receding into the distance, his words revealing a complex mix of emotions:

"Has Hua reached this age already? Even someone as quiet and introverted as her has learned to flirt."

"Perhaps this is what youth is all about."

With the arrival of the renovation plan, the outdated businesses of these street vendors will gradually be eliminated and replaced with things that are more in line with the city's style, and many people will face unemployment at that time.

And that time was not long ago.

This is also why many people give Fu Hua breakfast; since the business will eventually fail, it's inevitable that many people will choose to leave.

Before leaving, most people were happy to take extra care of the little girl they had watched grow up from childhood.

But life had to go on. As the number of customers increased, the porridge vendor quickly put aside his reflections and gradually became busier.

What are you doing going out?

"I'm going to see my dad; he's been sick lately."

"Is it serious?" Su Qing'an asked.

Fu Hua kicked a pebble on the roadside and said with some concern:

"I'm not entirely sure... but the doctor said Dad might not be able to practice martial arts anymore, which is probably why he's looked so haggard lately."

"My father always hoped to pass on our family's martial arts tradition, but now it seems that dream has been shattered by more than half..."

The little girl whispered these words that she wouldn't usually say to outsiders, and that no one else would say to her, her mood somewhat downcast.

But she didn't seem too sad. The girl continued:

"But as long as he's alright, that's good. He's always been in good health, and he'll be discharged from the hospital soon."

"But I probably won't be able to get out before I go to school."

As she spoke, she gazed wistfully at the tall building in the distance, its red cross emblem prominently displayed.

Let's go back to the present.

For the girl, the only difference between this visit and previous ones was the presence of Su Qing'an.

The simple feeling of having someone like a friend accompany her to visit her father was quite nice, and it brightened her mood a little.

But in the end, this resulted in this inexplicably awkward situation.

Su Qing'an moved a chair to the front of the hospital bed and sat up straight.

He kept his eyes straight ahead, his long, slender fingers resting neatly on his knees, looking somewhat obedient.

What exactly is this strange, tense feeling, like meeting one's father-in-law?

Fu Xiuran's gaze lingered on the boy's face for a moment, and the coldness in his eyes dissipated slightly.

Yes. She's very good-looking, only slightly less so than I was when I was young.

He broke the silence quietly and asked:

"Age."

Su Qing'an was taken aback. In fact, it had been a while since he had truly faced his age.

Now that I think about it, when he first came into this world, he had just spent a birthday alone at home without any ceremony.

Even if you include all the time spent before the restart, the current age is still the same.

He replied:

17.

The little girl sat on the chair opposite, her big, questioning eyes scanning the strange atmosphere between the two.

Fu Hua didn't understand the current situation at all, but it was no different from when she visited the sick before. The girl first placed the soy milk and the rest of the breakfast on the small table next to her, and then she took out a fruit knife from her small bag and began to peel the apples that had been washed earlier.

The awkward atmosphere between the two remained palpable, accompanied by the soft sound of the fruit knife making contact with the fruit.

My daughter is 17 years old. Her birthday hasn't come yet, but she's already 15. Thinking about it, she's only two years shy of her age, which is just within the required age range.

But that's nothing. The man recalled how he had haphazardly stuffed his own personal preferences and whims into a son-in-law selection guide, and his heart was inexplicably calm.

Can anyone meet such a difficult request?

He chuckled inwardly.

Suspecting that the other party might harm his daughter, he fell into inexplicable hostility, completely forgetting the original purpose of the manual.

Fu Xiuran asked:

What are your hobbies?

Su Qing'an answered seriously:

"Feeding the cats, making coffee, practicing martial arts, and watching the sea."

If I had to say, he does play pay-to-win mobile games to pass the time, but it's hard to call it a hobby.

Regarding her enjoyment of feeding small animals but not keeping them as pets, Su Qing'an still believes that her choice was not wrong.

Although he had always wanted to have a cat, and the conditions in his previous life seemed to fit the bill, he ultimately gave up on the idea for the awkward reason of not wanting to lose something easily.

Looking back now, it was absolutely right. Otherwise, if he had been gone for so long, unless that cat was Doraemon, he probably would have starved to death at home long ago, given his habit of locking all the windows and doors.

Fu Xiuran's mind raced, and he began to ponder.

Feeding the cat shows this kid has a kind heart?

How come it meets another criterion?

He quickly forgot about coffee and the sea view, focusing his attention on his hobby of martial arts.

Hobbies? Well, probably something like Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) or free fighting.

He knows my family's martial arts? He can even master the Mind's Eye?

Sighing that outstanding young people are hard to find, Fu Xiuran regained his confidence and continued to ask:

Have you ever been in a relationship?

Su Qing'an felt an extremely strong sense of déjà vu. This situation was exactly like being subjected to some kind of vetting process by the girl's parents. Although the journey was difficult and long, as long as she passed through each layer of vetting, she could fast-forward to marriage.

The boy suppressed these strange thoughts; since the other party was Fu Hua's father, he could only honestly say:

"We haven't talked about it."

Su Qing'an was still quite young before, and before anyone in her social circle had even reached the age of first love, she had already fallen into a state of isolation. Not to mention dating, she only had a few friends who she kept in touch with purely online.

Needless to say, after time travel, I died too quickly the first two times.

After the restart, I was interrupted just before I was about to confess my feelings, and shortly after, I died once and restarted again to where I am now.

He sneered inwardly upon hearing this. Someone with looks like that, has no ex-girlfriends?

You think I'd believe that? Men understand men best.

Even an outstanding man like myself had relationships before meeting my wife. Being outstanding is unavoidable; it's inevitable that I made mistakes in my life before meeting my wife.

This person is notorious for their double standards.

Fu Xiuran's martial arts Mind's Eye had selectively ignored the other party's clear eyes and natural expression, and just as he was about to continue asking questions, the little girl next to him could no longer sit still.

Even if she were slow to notice, she sensed something was wrong. She could let bygones be bygones regarding her previous hobbies and age.

Dad, why are you asking Master Su if he's ever been in a relationship?

It turns out that Master Su is only 17 years old.

Although she does look to be that age, she seems much more mature.

The moment Fu Hua grabbed Fu Xiuran's sleeve, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Suppressing her shame, she said:

"Dad, don't ask that kind of question."

"Su Qing'an just came to visit you with me, why are you asking her so many questions?"

Fu Xiuran fell into a speechless silence, momentarily stunned by the shyness in the girl's words.

He knew Fu Hua's personality all too well. If she and Su Qing'an were just ordinary friends or classmates, she would at most tug at his sleeve to give him a subtle warning and then wouldn't say anything, and her expression wouldn't change much.

But now it's completely different.

A glimpse of the leopard through a tube reveals only a part of its brilliance.

In just two sentences, Fu Xiuran seemed to see a stark contrast to his usual conversations.

Fu Hua's few words overwhelmed the man's braced will like a tsunami, causing him to sink into defeat.

The atmosphere became slightly more normal after that, but it was completely impossible for Fu Xiuran to find Su Qing'a Fu Xiuran like a turtle and a mung bean.

Perhaps from a father-in-law's perspective, even the most outstanding son-in-law would be somewhat unsatisfactory. Moreover, he had no means or ability to verify Su Qing'an's worth. This genuine sense of powerlessness and anxiety about his daughter's future were the real reasons for his poor attitude towards Su Qing'an.

In essence, it's hard for a normal person to find Su Qing'an disagreeable.

This can be seen from the fact that before Su Qing'an met Chen Junxuan, he challenged several martial arts schools without anyone bothering him, and they even treated him kindly afterwards.

Most people would be met with disdain if they gave money, but when Su Qing'an gave money, it gave people the feeling that "actually, being friends with this person might not be so bad."

Being obsessed with looks is one of the realities of the world. Even Fu Xiuran seeing Su Qing'an was that this person was only slightly less attractive than he was when he was young.

This is arguably the highest possible evaluation.

The visit did not last long.

As Su Qing'an stepped out the door, a hint of displeasure flickered across his face.

Su Qing'an wasn't bothered by Fu Xiuran indifference and coldness; rather, he had finally realized the truth about the other's illness.

Honkai... infection.