Chapter 6

Owen helped Xin Chun out of the clinic and into the car.

Xin Chun tore open the bag of peanut brittle and turned sideways to feed Owen a piece first, his fingertips brushing across Owen's lips.

Owen was fastening his seatbelt when sweetness unexpectedly filled his mouth, followed by a light brush against his lips. He turned with the candy in his mouth and met Xin Chun's equally sweet smile.

Xin Chun said, "A thank-you gift. Is it sweet?"

"Sweet." One side of Owen's cheek moved as he chewed, and the candy's sweetness seemed to grow richer at once.

"Right? I've eaten this peanut brittle since I was little. The little shop next door only sold this kind, so I guessed this was what you bought."

Xin Chun unwrapped another piece and tossed it into his mouth, the candy clicking repeatedly against his teeth.

He said vaguely, "I loved it when I was little. I even got cavities. After that, Grandpa hid the candy and only rewarded me with three pieces a day."

Longing filled Xin Chun's eyes. He hugged the bag of candy and fell silent.

The car started.

Owen asked, "I've only heard you mention your grandfather. Your parents..."

Xin Chun said blandly, "My father died young in a car accident. My mother... she left me behind, saying she was going to find her own happiness. She didn't want to carry a burden around with her."

"So I grew up with my grandfather."

After a long while, Owen's voice came. "I'm sorry."

His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Xin Chun smiled instead. "What are you apologizing for? It's not like you wronged me."

In his previous life, he had been trapped by his obsession all the way through. Fortunately, heaven had given him another chance, allowing him to see clearly what he should have held onto most tightly and never let go of again.

Chapter 6

Owen drove Xin Chun home. Seeing how inconvenient it was for him to hop on one foot, he said, "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Xin Chun did not want to recuperate at home. A sprained ankle would not stop him from working, but getting around was inconvenient after all, so he nodded and agreed to let Owen personally drive him back and forth.

He was helped onto the sofa, and Handsome Star came over to sniff the bandage around his ankle.

"Woof."

"I'm fine." Xin Chun patted the dog's head, then looked up at Owen. "Go take care of your work. You don't need to stay here with me."

"Okay. Be careful by yourself." Owen turned to leave.

Xin Chun braced himself against the sofa with one hand and stood up, hopping on one leg. "I'll see you out."

Naturally, Owen insisted that Xin Chun stay put and not trouble himself with seeing him out. Xin Chun agreed.

Once the sound of the door closing rang out and Owen had left, Xin Chun hopped a few more steps toward the door, wondering how many days he should keep pretending his ankle was sprained.

At that moment, Handsome Star jumped down from the sofa behind him. Xin Chun turned around just in time to see the Alaskan Malamute imitate him, lifting one paw and bending another leg as he limped along.

That pose was really asking for a beating.

"..."

Xin Chun lowered his leg and even gave it a kick. He clasped his hands together and cracked his knuckles. "Come on, Starlight. Daddy will loosen you up."

"Woof woof."

The dog's cries that followed were somewhat miserable.

After thoroughly "pampering" his dog son, Xin Chun went into the study. An old iron box sat in the cabinet drawer. When he opened it, he found many photographs inside.

The top two photos included one taken when his father was still alive—a family portrait with his grandfather. The kind old man sat in a chair, holding a two-year-old child, while Xin Chun's parents stood behind him.

Xin Chun's gaze paused briefly on the woman's face before he took the photo away.

The photo beneath still contained that woman—his mother—but she was gently holding another man's arm as the two had just gotten out of a car.

During his freshman year of college, Xin Chun had worked desperately, adding his grandfather's money to his own. Filled with unease and anxiety, he boarded a plane to Y Country, intending to see his mother with his own eyes.

After finally going through great effort to learn the address, he saw this very scene at the door.

At that moment, Xin Chun felt there was no need for him to step forward. He felt that he, having come all the way to Y Country in person, was so cheap. All that money had truly been wasted.

Yet for some reason, Xin Chun raised his hand involuntarily and used his phone to capture the scene.

Later, he changed his ticket and returned home that very day.

After graduating from college, Xin Chun returned to Jingu Town and met Owen in the forest.

At first, he had not recognized who Owen was. But the surname Williams had left a deep impression on him. Combined with Owen's appearance—like father, like son, with certain features bearing a strong resemblance—he went home and looked through the photos to confirm it.

Both photos had been taken out of the iron box.

Xin Chun closed the box, placed the photos on top of it, and shut the drawer.

The next day at work, Miko bought a great deal of fruit and snacks as gifts of concern for Xin Chun.

Although Xin Chun did not mind, Miko still felt guilty.

"Alright, I'll accept these things. Don't keep it on your mind. This isn't your fault," Xin Chun said.

Miko said, "Senior Brother, if you need anything, make sure to tell me. Other than helping you to the restroom, I can do anything else."

Xin Chun laughed at her words.

Owen saw the two chatting happily. Ivy, following beside him, said as if casually, "Yesterday, I chatted with Miko and asked about how their blind date went that day—whether there was any possibility of things developing further."

Owen turned to look at her. "What did she say?"

Ivy said, "Neither of them has any intention of dating. That blind date was just them discussing their fields of study. Compared to becoming lovers, the two of them are more suited to being good friends. Don't you think so, Boss?"

Owen neither confirmed nor denied it, simply stepping away.

Ivy followed behind him. It seemed that, as his secretary, she also had to serve as a relationship advisor.

Xin Chun's sprained ankle was not serious enough to require crutches. He limped to the restroom, and just after finishing and zipping up, Owen walked in.