Had to Come with a Phone Top-Up!

Back in his bedroom, Bai Yang hurriedly changed out of his outdoor gear and hid it away. Then he took out his phone, which had signal again, and waited and waited. After a long while, he sighed and decisively gave up.

His worries had been completely unnecessary. There wasn't a single text or missed call...

"Guess I really am their biological son. They know that in weather this hot, I wouldn't go anywhere besides staying home, so there's no need to worry about me at all. But why does it feel so weird that I've been wandering around another world for ages and nobody's even asked about it?"

Bai Yang let his imagination run wild.

He was just being ridiculous. He had a huge secret but couldn't tell anyone, yet he still wanted people to pry it out of him so he could dodge their questions, spin a bunch of nonsense, and act mysterious...

He put down his phone and walked out of his bedroom, looking thoroughly dejected. The house was quiet. His parents had obviously gone to work, but at least they'd had the good conscience to leave him breakfast.

He hadn't eaten much at all over there before passing out, and now his stomach was growling. Sitting down at the table, he wolfed down the food.

"This won't do. I'm definitely going to have to go over there often from now on. It's no big deal that Mom and Dad don't know at first, but if I keep disappearing, something's bound to happen. Especially if something comes up over there and I can't get back on time..."

Bai Yang had learned to multitask—thinking about things while eating—in class back when he was still in school. Being prepared for trouble in times of peace was an essential mindset, so he began planning his next move.

The problem was actually easy to solve: he could move out and stop living with his parents.

But that brought up another problem. He was his parents' one and only precious son, and they'd never been apart for more than three days since he was little. If he suddenly suggested moving out, it probably wouldn't go over well.

The main issue was that he had no money...

S City was near Taihu Lake, and every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Even an ordinary rental cost one or two thousand a month. Bai Yang couldn't afford the usual deposit plus three months' rent, and moving out meant cooking for himself. For someone who hated trouble as much as he did, that was practically suicide...

But there was no way he could stop going "over there." He just needed to avoid trouble on this side.

After agonizing over it for a while, Bai Yang decided he should sound out his parents' attitudes. He found his phone and called his mom first.

"You lazy brat, you're getting lazier by the day. Do you know what time it is? You might as well sleep yourself to death. I left you food today, didn't I? Spit it out! What do you want?"

Before Bai Yang could even open his mouth, his mom launched into her usual scolding.

He'd already planned out what to say. In an utterly reluctant tone, Bai Yang said, "Mom, here's the thing. I found a job, and to make getting to work easier, I might have to move out..."

"My little Yang has grown up! He's even found a job. What kind of job is it? Is it tiring? Where is it? What's the company like...?"

Bai Yang was dumbfounded. Something was wrong here. The point was that he wanted to move out!

"Mom, I mean, to make getting to work easier, I might have to move out."

"That makes sense. Work comes first. You still haven't told me what kind of job it is!"

Bai Yang realized he'd been worrying for nothing. His mom didn't seem the least bit reluctant. This eagerness for him to earn money and support the family really did prove he was their biological son...

"It's trade, buying and selling all sorts of random stuff. I haven't started work yet, so I'll tell you the details later. I'll look online for a place near the company first. Okay, Mom, I'm hanging up..."

After fobbing her off with a couple of words, Bai Yang hung up and gazed up at the heavens with a long sigh. His mom was so unreliable. Her son was going to be away for a long time, and she couldn't even act a little sad? He wasn't asking her to burst into tears, but couldn't she at least worry about her son traveling far from home?

Then he scratched his head, picked up his phone again, and decided to seek comfort from his dad.

"Hey, Dad."

"Brat, I gave you ten thousand yuan just the other day. Don't tell me you're broke again. Even if your dad's an ATM, I can't keep letting you drain me like this."

His dad's first words nearly choked Bai Yang. Why did every conversation with him start like this?

Bai Yang took a deep breath. He figured he'd better get to the point.

"So, Dad, I found a job, but it's a bit far from home, and commuting would be inconvenient. I was thinking maybe I should find a place near the company and move there..."

Bai Yang stopped there, waiting to hear what his dad thought.

"Ah..."

A heavy sigh came from the other end. Bai Yang felt a rush of emotion. He really was their biological son. His dad sounded so reluctant that Bai Yang almost didn't want to move out.

"Brat, you've finally grown up. Remember to take care of yourself after you move out. Don't worry about your mom and me. Make sure you get along with your coworkers. Oh, and you'll need money to rent a place. I'll transfer some to you later. You've only just started working, so don't make things too hard on yourself. Find somewhere nice and eat well."

His dad's speech nearly sent Bai Yang straight down to the eighteenth level of hell. He felt cold all over, as if icy air were pouring out of him!

He thought he might still be able to save his dad from such indifference and remind him that blood ran thicker than water.

"Dad, I've never been apart from you and Mom all these years. Can you really bear it?"

"Brat, I've been waiting for this day for ages. Ever since you came along, your mom and I haven't had a proper moment alone together. Go wherever you want. Just remember to come home for the holidays. Otherwise, I'll track you down even to the ends of the earth and give you a beating. That's it. I'll send the money over in a bit. I'm busy. Oh, and bring back some more of that 'wild boar meat' you got the other day. I've felt years younger these past few days..."

Click. The call ended.

Holding his phone, Bai Yang took a direct hit for ten thousand damage. He had definitely come free with a phone top-up. Yeah, that had to be it!

Ding-dong, his phone chimed.

Bai Yang glanced at it, his expression twisting. A text message said that one hundred thousand yuan had been deposited into his account.

How eager did they have to be to get him out of the house to transfer his moving expenses over that quickly?

"Hmph. Fine, I'll go. When you miss me and want me to come back, it'll depend on my mood. If you don't show me any kindness, I won't show you any either. From now on, if you want good stuff, you can pay for it. I'm in 'trade,' aren't I? I'll get a pile of precious timber and make a killing off you. Want some 'wild boar meat'? Anything's possible if you've got money..."

With an expression like he was badly constipated, Bai Yang muttered through gritted teeth. Then he dashed into his room, fired up the computer, and went online to look for a place.

That was easy. His dad had given him plenty of money, so there was no need to shortchange himself. He wouldn't even look at anything smaller than a two-bedroom apartment. He specifically searched for places with at least two bedrooms, tasteful renovations, and all the appliances included.

Lazy people solved problems by doing everything they could to avoid trouble. If a problem could be solved with money, and you had money on hand, then it wasn't a problem.

He selected his criteria: large floor plan, tasteful renovations, appliances included. He hit Enter, and a whole page of listings popped up. He ruled out anything within ten kilometers of home, picked a floor plan that looked good, and called the number. After a few questions, he found out he could view the place right away.

Perfect. He grabbed his wallet, went downstairs, and took a cab straight over. He didn't care whether it was an agent or not; Bai Yang just wanted to move out as soon as possible.

When he got there, he saw that it was actually a little villa by the lake. He had no interest in finding out whether the landlord had gone abroad and wanted to rent it out—the usual spiel. When he asked the price, it was five thousand a month, and he'd have to cover the water, electricity, and internet. The property fees were taken care of.

Nice surroundings, spacious rooms, all the amenities. Perfect. He signed the contract and transferred a whole year's rent on the spot. More than half of the hundred thousand yuan he'd just received was gone!

With the keys and the community access card in hand, Bai Yang took a cab back home to move his things. The agent, dressed so formally he looked like an insurance salesman, was left standing there in a daze.

This was probably the most decisive person he'd ever met. Bai Yang hadn't asked about the price at all, and the agent hadn't even had time to introduce himself...

What a spendthrift!

Back at his apartment complex, Bai Yang told the cab driver to wait downstairs while he went home and packed.

A small suitcase with a few sets of clothes—OK. The computer and the like were already over there. Next was the box of outdoor gear, then the jar of Tiger Penis Wine, along with the jar and cloth bag the white-bearded old man had given him when he came back last time. That was everything.

He stuck his head out the window and paid the cab driver a hundred yuan to do a little heavy lifting. One trip did the trick!

When he got to the villa, he had the driver help carry everything inside. Then he paid the fare and off the guy went.

Lying on the soft bed in the largest bedroom on the villa's second floor, Bai Yang took out his phone and typed a text message.

"Mom, Dad, I've found a place and moved in already." He attached the address, hit send, and that was that.

His parents might have been a bit unreliable, but a son had to tell them where he'd gone. It was a matter of respect, and besides, if anything happened to him, they'd at least know where to look.

"Now I'm free. But I'm going to get revenge, and I'm going to get it good. I'll play the part of the porter and use the precious timber from over there to empty Dad's pockets. Let him learn that even his own son has a temper!"

His mom was a teacher, and Bai Yang hadn't figured out how to "get back at" her yet...

Lying on the bed, Bai Yang let his imagination run wild.

It wasn't as if he were stupid. He knew perfectly well how rare precious timber had become. His dad made solid wood furniture, so why should anyone else get it cheap?

Young people, especially when they left home for the first time, always wanted to prove themselves to their parents...

(To be honest, Stone feels pretty uncertain about this direction. If you have any comments or suggestions, be sure to post them in the reviews so Stone can get a better sense of where to take things. And, as always, please recommend and bookmark the story. I know you're tired of hearing it, and I'm tired of saying it too, but recommendations and bookmarks are crucial for a new book. Please, everyone!)