Conflict

Zhao Danshi and the others drove back to X City as well. Dou Dou had too much stuff; they would not all fit if they did not drive.

Early in the morning, they got up and packed. The old man bustled about, helping them get everything ready, then looked longingly at Dou Dou and asked, "You'll only be staying in X City for a week, right?"

Zhao Danshi carefully placed the still-sleeping Dou Dou into the safety carrier secured to the back seat, then turned and smiled at the old man. "Yeah, I promise we'll be back within a week."

The old man nodded, then shook his head again. Reluctantly, he said, "If something really comes up, it's fine to stay a few extra days over there."

Li Ping's family was in X City. The old man was not worried about anything else, only afraid that something might happen after Dou Dou went there and came into contact with his "mother."

Zhao Danshi understood what the old man was thinking. He smiled at him. "Grandpa, didn't I teach you how to use video calls? Once I get to X City, I'll let Dou Dou video chat with you."

Only then did the old man put away his reluctant gaze. "All right, all right. Remember that."

Li Ping came over and said, "Grandpa, shall we get going? With Dou Dou here, we need to drive slowly."

"Ah, go on, go on. Be careful on the road." The old man stood by the roadside and waved.

Li Ping and Zhao Danshi got into the car. It slowly drove down the little road, while the old man's stooped figure remained standing before the courtyard, watching them leave.

With Dou Dou along, they stopped at a service station almost every two hours to feed him and change his diaper, while the two of them stretched their bodies as well.

At noon, they grabbed a simple bite at a service area. Neither of them rested much before getting back on the road.

After three in the afternoon, they stopped at another service station. Both of them were tired from sitting for so long, so they got out with Dou Dou to move around.

Seeing the fatigue in Li Ping's eyes, Zhao Danshi looked worried. "Senior Brother, how about you take a break and let me drive?"

The two sat on a long bench at the service station.

Li Ping sat beside him and stretched slightly. "No need. You're not used to driving this car, and it wouldn't be good on the highway. I'll be fine after resting for a while."

He looked over Zhao Danshi's shoulder at the baby in his arms. "Is Dou Dou awake?"

Zhao Danshi immediately turned Dou Dou around so he faced Li Ping.

Dou Dou's grape-like black eyes met Li Ping's. He immediately waved his little hands and feet, giggling happily and showing his gums.

His skin was fair and his eyes were large. Cradled in Zhao Danshi's arms, he looked like a doll.

Li Ping's heart softened completely. He reached over gently and said softly, "Let me hold him for a while. Our Dou Dou really loves to smile."

Zhao Danshi placed Dou Dou in his arms and smiled. "He has a good temperament too. He's been in the car for so long without fussing. Hold him while I make some formula."

The water in the car's electric heating cup was still warm. Zhao Danshi mixed in some cold water and made Dou Dou's formula, testing it on the back of his hand. Only after confirming that it was slightly cooler than body temperature did he carefully bring it to Dou Dou's mouth.

The moment Dou Dou touched the nipple, he opened his mouth and took it in, gulping down the milk with great enjoyment.

When he had nearly finished, Zhao Danshi tried to take the nipple from his mouth, but he clamped down on it and refused to let go.

"Little foodie." Zhao Danshi gently tapped his nose, let him take two more sips, then replaced it with a sterilized pacifier for him to suck on.

After feeding the little one, Zhao Danshi asked the grown-up one, "Senior Brother, do you want some water too?"

Li Ping readily agreed. "Sure."

Yet as he said that, he did not return Dou Dou to Zhao Danshi's arms.

Zhao Danshi looked at him. Li Ping lifted his eyelids to meet his gaze and raised a brow.

Zhao Danshi coughed lightly, his face warming. He turned back to get a bottle of mineral water from the car, unscrewed the cap, and held it to Li Ping's lips.

A smile appeared in Li Ping's eyes as he drank nearly half the bottle from Zhao Danshi's hand.

After resting for a while, they got back into the car and continued toward X City.

By the time they arrived in X City, it was already past nine at night. Li Ping had booked a hotel beforehand, so they went straight there.

Dou Dou had played for a long time in the car and was now sleeping deeply.

They placed the safety carrier holding Dou Dou onto a luggage cart and took the elevator to the hotel. Zhao Danshi took the chance to call the old man and let him know they had arrived safely.

After checking in and entering the suite, Li Ping asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want something else to eat?"

They had not had a proper dinner, only made do with biscuits and snacks in the car.

Tired, Zhao Danshi shook his head. "After sitting in the car all day, I'm not very hungry. I won't eat."

Seeing him like this, Li Ping gave him a gentle push. "Then go take a shower. Let's sleep early tonight."

"Senior Brother, if you want to eat, just order something up."

"I'm not hungry either."

After showering, Zhao Danshi came out while roughly toweling his hair dry and urged Li Ping to hurry in and wash up.

Seeing water still dripping from his hair, Li Ping reached out and caught his wrist. "Why didn't you dry your hair?"

"No need. It'll dry after a while." Zhao Danshi's ears reddened slightly. "I'll go check on Dou Dou."

"Dou Dou is sleeping soundly in the carrier. There's no need to check." Li Ping held him back and would not let him leave, his low voice sounding by his ear. "Dry your hair first."

Zhao Danshi was pulled into the bathroom. Li Ping stood before him with a hairdryer, gently drying his hair. Half of Zhao Danshi's body was nestled in his arms. Before his eyes was the lower half of Li Ping's face, then his broad, sturdy chest, his firm abdomen, and then...

With a boom, Zhao Danshi felt all the blood in his body rush to the top of his head, like a waterfall crashing down. It left him completely dazed. He instinctively touched the area beneath his nose, afraid blood might be coming out.

"Hm?!" Seeing him suddenly blush and cover his nose, Li Ping hurriedly lifted his head to check him. "Do you have a nosebleed?"

Zhao Danshi lowered his hand before his eyes. His palm was perfectly clean, and beneath his nose felt dry too.

"No." Zhao Danshi replied in a muffled voice, "I'm just a little hot."

Amused, Li Ping lightly patted his shoulder and gave him a push toward the door. "Your hair is mostly dry."

Zhao Danshi hurriedly darted back to the bedroom in large strides, his cheeks still burning. After quietly standing behind the door for a while, the heat in his heart gradually faded. He shook his head and went to check on Dou Dou.

Dou Dou was sleeping sweetly, his tiny body wrapped in a sleeping bag like a plump silkworm cocoon.

Zhao Danshi watched him for a while, lifted the covers, and lay down on one side of the bed.

Early the next morning, Zhao Danshi and Li Ping took Dou Dou to Shun Medical University's paternity testing center for the test. They had made an appointment online beforehand, so there was no queue when they arrived and they could proceed directly. When the doctor heard that they needed the paternity test for household registration, he told them to come collect it after four thirty in the afternoon.

After leaving the hospital, Zhao Danshi saw that the weather was good and said to Li Ping, "Senior Brother, how about I push Dou Dou around the park over there?"

"Sure. I'll go back to the company first to handle a few things, then come find you two for lunch."

Li Ping was not responsible for much at the moment. He usually handled work remotely through the internet, but now that he had returned, he needed to visit the company and deal with matters requiring his personal approval.

Zhao Danshi waved to him.

The temperature in X City was a little higher than in the countryside. The breeze carried warmth, and the sun was pleasantly warm without being harsh. By the time Zhao Danshi pushed Dou Dou into the park, quite a few grandmothers and young mothers were strolling around with children.

Dou Dou rarely saw so many children, so everything felt novel to him. He stared at them without blinking. He watched every child they passed, his eyes constantly moving. It was incredibly adorable.

Zhao Danshi could not help laughing. He wandered around with Dou Dou for more than an hour before taking a taxi back to the hotel.

The hotel Li Ping had booked was close to his company, only a five-minute walk away. Zhao Danshi checked the time and called him. "Senior Brother, are you done with work? It's time for lunch. Can you eat soon?"

"Are you still at the park?" Li Ping glanced at the time in the lower-right corner of his computer screen and hurriedly stood up. "Wait there. I'll come get you."

"No, Dou Dou and I just took a taxi back. We're already downstairs at the hotel."

"Tell the driver to take you straight to my company. We'll go eat together."

Zhao Danshi looked around and said, "I've already gotten out of the car. I'll push Dou Dou over. Senior Brother, shall we meet downstairs at your company?"

"Fine. We'll meet downstairs in five minutes."

Li Ping hung up, marked the document in his hands, tidied it up, and placed it on his desk. Then he told his secretary, Huang Shaoan, "I'm getting off work early. If anything comes up, I'll deal with it this afternoon. Just put any documents sent up here on my desk."

Huang Shaoan instinctively checked the time. It was only eleven thirty. He asked, "President Li, are you going downstairs to work out?"

"No, I'm going to lunch." With that, Li Ping waved and stepped into the elevator, directly pressing the button for the first floor.

The moment he reached the lobby, Li Ping saw Zhao Danshi through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. Zhao Danshi stood there like a jade tree in the wind, and Li Ping strode quickly outside.

"Li Ping." Someone called from behind him.

Li Ping looked back and saw a stern face emerging from the elevator, followed by a group of people, including his elder brother Li Sheng.

Zhao Danshi outside heard it too and turned to look over, his dark eyes still carrying a smile.

Li Ping's heart sank. He took a deep breath, turned back, and greeted him. "Dad."

Li Suilun said to the people following behind him, "Go eat first. I have something to deal with here, so I won't be joining you."

The executives behind him smiled and nodded, circling around the father and son. In the blink of an eye, they had all vanished, leaving only Li Sheng behind. He looked worriedly at Li Ping and Zhao Danshi outside the company.

Li Suilun stepped forward and said blandly, "Let's have a meal together."

Li Ping suppressed the anger in his heart. "Dad, I'll come home for dinner tonight. I already have plans at noon."

"With whom? Zhao Danshi?"

"Dad!" Li Ping could not keep his voice down. "You investigated me?"

Seeing the conflict break out, Zhao Danshi kept glancing inside worriedly.

The receptionist had heard the commotion too. She shrank her neck and sat behind the desk, not daring to lift her head.

It was lunchtime, and people were constantly passing through the company. Everyone took a wide detour around this area.

Li Suilun swept his sharp gaze over them, then said to Li Sheng, "Go ask Mr. Zhao to leave first."

"Leave for what? He's not leaving!" Li Ping's blood boiled in his chest at that dismissive attitude. He barely managed to lower his voice. "Dad, he's my friend! I'm with him."

Li Suilun calmly changed his wording. "In that case, A-Sheng, invite Mr. Zhao inside."

Li Sheng quietly tried to persuade him. "Dad, it's not good to discuss private matters at the company. How about we talk about it tonight when we get home?"

Li Suilun gave a cold snort. "What's wrong with it? If you dare do it, are you afraid to own up to it?"

Helpless, Li Sheng had no choice but to go out and invite Zhao Danshi in. Seeing that they were already arguing, Zhao Danshi grew anxious. He could not worry about anything else and pushed Dou Dou inside.

Li Suilun was still polite to Zhao Danshi. "Mr. Zhao."

Suppressed by his imposing presence, Zhao Danshi felt uneasy. He greeted him properly. "Good afternoon, Uncle."

"Good afternoon. This is not the place to talk. Let's go upstairs." Li Suilun turned toward the elevator, and the other three followed behind him.

Zhao Danshi's heart sank. He exchanged a look with Li Ping.

Li Suilun's office was a large suite. Only a few secretaries remained in the outer office. The moment they caught Li Suilun's look, his chief assistant immediately led the others out, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

"Sit." Li Suilun pointed at the sofa and ordered Zhao Danshi.

Zhao Danshi hesitated before walking over and sitting down. Li Ping sat pressed close beside him, while Li Suilun sat across from them.

The moment Li Sheng saw the scene, his scalp went numb. "Dad."

Li Suilun ignored him and stared at Zhao Danshi. "How long have you been together?"

"We..." Before Zhao Danshi could finish, Li Ping grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

Li Ping spoke before him in a low voice. "For a long time. We've known each other since university."

Li Suilun's sharp eyes examined Zhao Danshi as though he wanted to strip a layer of skin from him. His gaze was so hostile that the Li brothers' expressions darkened.

Li Ping turned sideways, subtly blocking his line of sight. "Dad."

Li Suilun ignored him again and only said gently to Zhao Danshi, "Mr. Zhao, I don't think you two are suitable for each other. What do you think? Look, Li Ping is already the top person at the company, while you are currently unemployed..."

"Dad! Wait." Li Ping stood up and rushed over, wanting to make his father stop talking. He angrily lowered his voice. "You're being far too disrespectful!"

Li Sheng hurriedly wrapped his arms around Li Ping and called helplessly, "Dad, please say less."

"I'm stating the facts, aren't I?" Li Suilun was not affected in the slightest. He lifted his eyes to examine Zhao Danshi and continued, "Li Ping has barely dated anyone, while your child out of wedlock is already a month old. Li Ping comes from a happy family, while you were thrown out by your family just after graduating high school. Even putting aside the present, your upbringing and the values you received are completely incompatible..."

Zhao Danshi had never expected Li Suilun to say such things. His mind went blank, his lips trembled, his palms were drenched in cold sweat, and a buzzing phantom sound filled his ears.

Li Suilun was still talking before him, a sheet of ice sealed within his eyes beneath that gentle face.

In that instant, he seemed to return to the time after he had graduated from high school, when his family discovered he was gay. Back then, he had still been called Zhao Zhuoyun.

The chaotic home, the bangs of things being smashed onto the floor, his mother's screams, his father's furious curses, and his elder brother's helpless attempts at persuasion all tangled together in his mind.

His father's eyes had turned red with rage, the veins on his neck bulging as his hand pointed straight at the door. His refined face was twisted with ferocity. He shoved Zhao Danshi while shouting, "Get the fuck out! I don't have a disgraceful son like you! Get out!"

The terrifying voice echoed through the house. Eighteen-year-old Zhao Danshi stood before him without moving, his voice drifting. "No, I won't leave. I was born gay. I don't want this either. You made me this way—"

"Born my ass!" His father's hand smacked across his face. The huge palm left a red mark at once, and his father's spit flew everywhere. "Get out! Don't dirty my home!"

In that instant, the sound of the slap reached Zhao Danshi's ears through both the air and solid matter, as loud as thunder.

The blow knocked him completely off balance, and he fell crookedly to the ground. Before he could get back up, his father, in a fury, grabbed his collar and dragged him toward the door.

The tightness around his neck brought severe suffocation. Zhao Danshi's pupils contracted. In that moment, he had even thought he might die.

Warm liquid ran down his neck. Zhao Danshi protected his neck and struggled desperately, asking his father, "Just because I'm gay, I'm no longer your son?! Am I less important than your reputation?! Dad?!!!"

His father said nothing. After dragging him out the door, he answered with a thunderous bang as he slammed it shut.

Zhao Danshi sat in the courtyard, cold all over.

Inside, his father began loudly cursing his mother, blaming her for raising such trash.

His mother kept crying and defending herself, saying it had nothing to do with her. Zhao Danshi had simply been born wrong. She had raised two sons, and only one had a problem.

Eighteen-year-old Zhao Danshi sat in the courtyard for an entire day and night. The next day, when the door opened, it was his elder brother Zhao Zhuoxin who came out.

His brother gave him his ID card and some documents, along with a bank card. He told him that his tuition and living expenses were in it and asked him not to come home for the time being.

Zhao Danshi waited in that small city for the entire summer vacation, yet still could not meet his parents face-to-face in the open even once.

The first inspiration for this story came when I was scrolling through Zhihu and saw a man reply, "If my son were gay, I'd break his legs and cut off our father-son relationship," or something like that. Then Zhao Danshi's image appeared in my mind.

Sigh.

Tomorrow's update will be in the evening. You can also check out the author's other novel in the same series, <In the Apocalypse, I Got Rich by Growing Boyfriends [Farming]>. Sending hearts.