An Unfamiliar Father

"Can you guarantee that everything you've said is true?"

"I guarantee it, every word!"

"If the person living with you right now isn't your father, then who is he?"

"I don't know. He looks exactly like my father—not just his face, but his mannerisms and his tone of voice are identical."

"Then how can you be sure he isn't your father?"

"Because... my father wouldn't suddenly stare at the tabletop and sneer while eating. He wouldn't crouch by my bed in the middle of the night to watch me. He wouldn't constantly refuse to bathe, and he certainly wouldn't make those strange sounds with his mouth."

"What kind of sounds?"

"Like a drowning man—the gurgling sound of water rushing into a windpipe."

"Under what circumstances does he make these sounds?"

"Only when he's alone. Like when he's sitting in the living room watching TV by himself, or when he's in the kitchen, or sleeping alone in his bedroom."

"Haven't you asked him directly why he does this?"

"I have, but he always denies acting strangely. He could be making that sound one second, but the moment I run over to ask him, he immediately denies it."

Shen Xing let out a long sigh, looking at his old classmate, Hong Anjie, who sat across from him.

Hong Anjie's face was currently etched with unease, palpitations, and even a hint of terror. He gripped a coffee cup that was still hot enough to burn, yet he hadn't taken a single sip.

Shen Xing lifted his own coffee and took a gentle sip. The subtle bitterness danced across his taste buds and slid down his throat, followed by a faint sweetness that helped his thoughts slowly settle.

His old classmate's words left Shen Xing stunned; for the first time since his own transmigration and rebirth, he realized there were bizarre events in this world as strange as his own.

Shen Xing had transmigrated about five months ago into a body sharing his name. The original owner had been a woodcarver, selling his own creations from a small shop.

In the original owner's memories, this man, Hong Anjie, was a college classmate he hadn't seen in nearly three years.

Hong Anjie had originally sought out Shen Xing to commission a bust of his father as a gift for his 55th birthday.

They had agreed on a one-month turnaround. Based on the photos of Uncle Hong provided by Hong Anjie, the prototype for the Wooden Carving was mostly finished. However, to ensure the likeness was accurate, Shen Xing felt it necessary to meet Uncle Hong in person to capture his features as authentically as possible.

Little did he know that after contacting Hong Anjie, he would discover this bizarre situation unfolding in his home!

According to Hong Anjie, Uncle Hong began acting strangely two weeks ago, exhibiting the exact odd behaviors he had just described.

Shen Xing could see that Hong Anjie's body was trembling slightly after recounting his father's condition.

It was June, and although the cafe was air-conditioned, the temperature was moderate—neither cold nor hot. Furthermore, Hong Anjie's hands were still wrapped around the hot coffee the waiter had just brought.

His trembling was clearly born of fear.

His father's abnormal changes had begun to disrupt Hong Anjie's daily life.

After taking another sip of coffee, Shen Xing asked, "Do you want to cancel the Wooden Carving you commissioned?"

He knew his woodcarving business wasn't easy to run. He had finally landed a big job, and after deducting the cost of materials and tool wear—not counting the labor and time—he stood to make about 2,000 yuan.

Most importantly, Shen Xing had poured a lot of heart and soul into this piece. Because he trusted the other man, they had only made a verbal agreement and he had only accepted a 200-yuan deposit. If Hong Anjie really wanted to cancel due to this emergency, he couldn't blame him.

Although Shen Xing knew that even if Hong Anjie canceled, he would likely pay a fee for the lost time or some form of compensation.

Hong Anjie shook his head. "No, keep working on the Wooden Carving. I only told you about this because I haven't had anyone to talk to for the past two weeks, and I just got a bit carried away when I saw you. Um, my father should be fine."

Shen Xing suggested, "Should we take Uncle Hong to the hospital for a check-up?"

"You mean a psychiatric evaluation?" Hong Anjie paused, then shook his head. "His consciousness is perfectly clear. There are no signs of mental confusion, aside from the strange behaviors I told you about."

"And that's why you think he isn't your father?" Shen Xing asked with a helpless smile.

Hong Anjie nodded, then shook his head again, sighing softly, "I don't even know anymore."

Shen Xing thought for a moment and asked, "Does your father have any birthmarks or anything like that? Have you noticed?"

Hong Anjie blinked. "To be honest, even though I've been suspicious of him, I haven't actually thought to check."

With that, he downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp, as if it were plain water. After setting the cup down, he said to Shen Xing, "Let's go to my house now. You can observe my old man up close, and then go back to finish the Wooden Carving. I'll find a chance to check for his birthmark. He has a light red birthmark on his left shoulder near his neck. Since he usually wears shirts, the collar covers it completely."

"Alright, let's go."

Shen Xing set down his coffee cup and left the cafe with Hong Anjie.

The two stood by the roadside and hailed a taxi. Once inside, Hong Anjie filled Shen Xing in on his family situation.

He had an older sister, but she was married and lived elsewhere, not in Yungu City.

Hong Anjie had called his sister to tell her about their father's abnormal behavior, but she had simply told him to take Uncle Hong to the hospital for a thorough check-up to see if it was a sign of Alzheimer's disease.

Shen Xing had had the same thought while at the cafe. Before his rebirth, his grandmother had suffered from Alzheimer's disease, so he was quite familiar with its symptoms. Perhaps he could help Hong Anjie determine if Uncle Hong was suffering from it later.

Hong Anjie's mother had passed away long ago, leaving only his father and himself at home. He had a girlfriend since graduating college, but they didn't live together, and she was currently away on a business trip outside of Yungu City.

Their home was a self-built house located not in the city center, but in the suburbs of Yungu City. It was easily accessible, however, and only a twenty-minute drive from downtown.

In front of the house was a spacious courtyard. The corners of the yard were planted with a variety of flowers and plants, along with a short, stunted tree whose branches grew flush against the courtyard wall.

The air here was very fresh. Shen Xing hadn't been to the suburbs in a long time, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling refreshed.

They weren't the only ones living there; the surrounding area was filled with similar self-built houses of varying heights and styles.

Thinking that he shouldn't visit Uncle Hong empty-handed, Shen Xing bought some fruit on the street.

Hong Anjie walked ahead to open the courtyard gate and entered first. Shen Xing, following behind, glanced around the exterior before stepping inside, then turned to close the gate, taking care to check that it was latched securely.

Seeing this, Hong Anjie couldn't help but smile and ask, "What is it? Still haven't kicked your obsessive-compulsive habits?"

"Can't kick them," Shen Xing shrugged. "If I don't check a door after closing it, I'll be thinking about it all day."

Hong Anjie shook his head with a smile and gestured toward the living room, "My old man is probably watching TV."

Shen Xing nodded and followed him into the living room.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Shen Xing seemed to hear a strange, highly rhythmic sound. However, the instant he entered the room, the sound vanished, making him feel as though it had been an illusion.

He looked up at Hong Anjie and saw that he was acting as if nothing had happened, clearly having heard nothing. Hong Anjie simply nudged his chin toward the sofa, "My old man is over there."

At this moment, Hong Anjie's expression had become cautious and guarded, the same unease he had shown at the coffee shop returning.

Shen Xing looked at the sofa and saw Uncle Hong watching the television intently, unaware that anyone had entered. He was short, thin, and had a dark complexion; he must have done plenty of farm work in his youth.

"Dad, this is Shen Xing, my college classmate," Hong Anjie said loudly.

Uncle Hong turned his head, revealing a smile. His expression was no different from any ordinary person's as he nodded, "Is it Shen Xing? I think I have a vague impression. Come, come sit. Anjie, go pour your classmate a glass of water."

Hong Anjie winked at Shen Xing and went to boil water with the electric kettle. Shen Xing approached Uncle Hong, set down the fruit he was carrying, and sat on the other end of the sofa to watch TV with him. They exchanged casual remarks, mostly about Uncle Hong's health and what kind of work Shen Xing did.

Throughout this, Shen Xing didn't forget to observe Uncle Hong's behavior, especially the expressions on his face, which would help him further refine the wooden carving he was working on.

Once Hong Anjie sat down, Shen Xing steered the conversation to the point, asking, "Uncle Hong, have you noticed yourself forgetting things lately? Like, forgetting what you were about to do, only to remember it a while later?"

Uncle Hong looked at him, puzzled, and shook his head, "No. My memory is perfectly fine. Do you think I have Alzheimer's disease?"

With that, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"That's not it," Shen Xing said with a polite laugh. "What about suddenly feeling irritable for no reason, or feeling down and in a bad mood?"

Uncle Hong thought about it seriously, then shook his head again, asking with a smile, "Little Shen, didn't you say you were a woodcarver? Are you a doctor, too?"

To avoid raising suspicion, Shen Xing followed his lead, "Well, after graduating, I've been self-studying. I'm planning to take an exam for a medical degree. It never hurts to have more skills, especially with the job market being so tough these days."

"That's true," Uncle Hong turned to Hong Anjie, "You should learn from Little Shen. You're a grown man; stop hiding in your bedroom playing games every day after work."

"I know, Dad."

Hong Anjie placed the hot tea in front of Shen Xing and then deliberately sat down next to his father.

After a few more words, he used the excuse that his father's collar was dirty to check for the birthmark underneath. As the collar pulled away, Shen Xing saw the light red, irregularly shaped mark.

With that, both he and Hong Anjie felt relieved; the bizarre speculation that Uncle Hong might be someone else was thoroughly debunked.

However, just as Hong Anjie had said, Uncle Hong hadn't bathed in a while, and the odor emanating from him was indeed quite strong.

After chatting for about half an hour, Shen Xing took his leave.

Hong Anjie walked him to the courtyard gate and lowered his voice, "Does my dad have Alzheimer's disease?"

"Hard to tell for now," Shen Xing shook his head. "You can keep observing him for the next few days. Early symptoms of Alzheimer's include forgetfulness, personality changes, and sometimes changes in motor ability due to cognitive impairment. There might also be irritability, delusions, or hallucinations. But I suggest you listen to your sister and take him to the hospital for a thorough checkup."

"Alright," Hong Anjie said, his expression sinking.

He knew very well that if his father truly had Alzheimer's, it was a global medical challenge with no cure, and his future life would be very difficult.

"Don't overthink it until you're sure."

Shen Xing patted Hong Anjie on the shoulder and was about to continue when he suddenly froze, his gaze fixed behind Hong Anjie.

Seeing this, Hong Anjie turned around in surprise to see his father standing at the doorway between the living room and the courtyard, motionless.

His posture was strange; he wasn't facing the courtyard, but rather blocking the doorway, his back to the two men outside, facing into the living room.

He stood as if frozen in time.

"What... is your dad doing?" Shen Xing asked, bewildered.

"I... I don't know."

Hong Anjie shook his head and called out tentatively, "Dad?"

Uncle Hong didn't turn around or answer. Instead, he suddenly walked forward, leaving the doorway without a backward glance, and disappeared into the living room.

Shen Xing and Hong Anjie exchanged looks.

After a pause, Hong Anjie said, "I won't take up any more of your time. You should head back; I'll take my dad to the hospital for a proper checkup tomorrow."

With that, he walked toward the living room, looking somewhat impatient.

"Right. Call me if anything happens," Shen Xing glanced in that direction, turned to leave, and didn't forget to habitually close the courtyard gate.

A taxi happened to be passing by when he reached the street. It took over ten minutes to drive into the city center, but traffic was heavy, and it took another twenty minutes to reach the street where Shen Xing lived.

Dusk was falling. Worried about his father, Hong Anjie had forgotten to ask Shen Xing to stay for dinner.

Shen Xing didn't mind; he lived alone, and when he didn't feel like cooking, he would just grab something on the street before heading home.

This was the old district of Yungu City, and there were plenty of small eateries to choose from along the way.

He got out of the taxi early and walked, pondering what to eat as his gaze swept slowly over the restaurants lining the street.

Lao Wan Wonton Shop, Weixianmei Steamed Bun Shop, Kang Family Dry Mixed Noodles, Old Town First Dry Pot Chicken, Qianlixiang Beef Hot Pot...

Some restaurants aren't suited for solo dining, hot pot being a prime example.

Besides, Shen Xing found eating hot pot alone rather dull, so he decided to grab a bowl of wontons before heading home to continue carving Uncle Hong's bust.

Since it was currently the evening rush hour, the streets were crowded with pedestrians, and business at the restaurants was booming.

Shen Xing pulled his gaze away and headed toward a wonton shop. Just then, someone brushed past him, and the two nearly collided.

Shen Xing immediately stopped and took a step back, but the person didn't react at all and kept walking straight ahead.

Watching the figure walk away, he noted the person was short, thin, and had dark skin visible on the back of his neck and arms.

The image of the man's profile, caught during that brief brush, remained frozen in Shen Xing's mind. His heart suddenly began to race, and he felt as if he had fallen into a dream.

Swallowing hard, he stared at the man's retreating back and pulled out his phone to make a call.

The line connected, and Hong Anjie's voice came through: "Shen Xing, home already?"

Shen Xing didn't answer him, instead asking, "Anjie, where is Uncle Hong right now?"

"At home, sitting right next to me," Hong Anjie replied, confused.

Shen Xing felt a chill run down his spine. Even though the street was bustling with people, an inexplicable, icy coldness seeped through his entire body.

"What happened? Why are you suddenly asking this?" Sensing something was wrong, Hong Anjie immediately pressed him from the other end of the line.

Shen Xing let out a heavy breath and said, word for word, "Perhaps your initial guess was right."

"What do you mean?"

"I just ran into your father on the street."

New book reporting in, please bookmark and cast a recommendation vote! Thank you, thank you! Additionally, the early part of this book has undergone changes and the chapter order has been adjusted. If you encounter chapter comments or paragraph reviews that don't match up, don't panic; you haven't run into a ghost. First, use this (0田0)※=o Great Might Heavenly Dragon to suppress the chapter!