Vase cannon fodder is pampered by the group again

Chapter 64.1

Editor: Princess

“No problem at all.” Father Shen smiled. “Xiao Ci likes lively places.”

No one else objected. Since Min Shoubei was the one hosting, the guests were naturally people from the same social circle, and networking was always a good thing.

The atmosphere at the dining table grew even more cheerful, and soon they all started bringing up all the embarrassing things Shen Ci had done at past banquets.

This was straight-up social death… Shen Ci felt like his head was going to explode. Were his past blunders really that entertaining?

“Ah… that reminds me of something else.” Shen Bie propped his chin up, licking his lips with a mischievous grin. “One time, Xiao Ci threw a tantrum and had to be held by Uncle Lu to calm down. He got so tired from crying that he fell asleep and ended up, in a daze, half-asleep, peeing on Uncle Lu’s—”

“AH!” Shen Ci couldn’t take it anymore. His face flushed red as he shouted, jumped up, and bolted out of the room.

The whole table erupted into laughter. Shen Bie laughed so hard he nearly collapsed, then stood up. “The child is too thin-skinned. I’ll go coax him.”

Shen Bie was an expert in dealing with Shen Ci, so it didn’t take long before he dragged the sulking boy back, despite his tightly pressed lips.

Shen Ci looked absolutely miserable as he plopped onto the sofa with his back to everyone, refusing to acknowledge them.

Just looking at his back, anyone could tell he was fuming. He was practically radiating an aura that screamed, “I’m mad! Someone come and coax me!”

The Shen and Min families exchanged amused glances, trying hard to suppress their laughter as they decided to put the topic to rest—for now.

One by one, they started putting down their chopsticks to go appease Shen Ci.

Shen Ci’s temper flared up fast, but he was also easy to coax. A bit of ice cream, a few embarrassing stories about themselves, and he was laughing again in no time.

With the mood restored, Min Shoubei pulled a printed script from his briefcase and handed it to Shen Ci.

“It’s the draft script. The general storyline won’t change much, so you can take a look.”

Shen Ci had been dying to know what the script was about. His curiosity was instantly piqued, and he didn’t even notice when Shen Bie tried to feed him a small dessert.

Since the living room was a bit noisy, he picked up a plate of biscuits and slipped away. “I’m going to the garden.”

Mother Shen watched him leave, her face filled with warmth. Then she turned back to the group. “Alright, alright, now that he’s gone, let’s continue talking about all the dumb things Xiao Ci did when he was little….”

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The garden was in full bloom. The soft glow of the lanterns hanging above cast a warm light over the lush flowers and grass, making everything look even more peaceful.

Shen Ci sat on the swing, nibbling on biscuits while flipping through the script. His bare legs swayed gently, and his round little toes occasionally pinched at stray blades of grass naughtily, making his fair skin look even whiter in contrast.

His big, round deer-like eyes darted quickly across the small. printed words, scanning each line with intense focus. And the more he read, the slower his legs swung, until he completely forgot about the biscuit still in his mouth.

By the time he reached the last word, he snapped out of it, only to have the biscuit fall straight to the ground with a plop.

This… this script was tailor-made for his mother. Meaning, it was based on her life and personality?

But in the script, the main character had suffered childhood abuse, endured their parents’ divorce, developed mental health issues, and fell into a deep, lasting depression. They had to pretend to be cheerful just to cope.

Then they met two people who completely changed their life… Was Min Shoubei one of them?

“You’ve finished reading?”

Shen Ci looked up and immediately straightened his posture, his toes curling back in place.

Min Shoubei leaned against a white decorative column lazily, arms crossed over his chest. “After all this time, you’re still scared of me?”

Shen Ci broke into a cold sweat. How could he not be?

The first time they met, Min Shoubei had been terrifying. Just thinking about him brought back memories of that thunderous roar.

“It’s… not that bad…” Shen Ci mumbled, touching his nose sheepishly.

Min Shoubei didn’t respond. He just tilted his head back and stared at the sky, except tonight was overcast, and there wasn’t a single star in sight.

The air felt a little awkward. Shen Ci quickly changed the subject. “Dad, this script… is it about you and Mom?”

Min Shoubei closed his eyes and let out a low “en”.

The wind rustled the leaves. A few stray blades of grass brushed against Shen Ci’s bare feet, making him feel ticklish all the way up to his heart.

He hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, “Dad, you loved Mom so much. So why did you burn all her photos?”

Min Shoubei didn’t even twitch. He just stayed silent, unmoving.

The dim light barely illuminated him, leaving him half-shrouded in darkness.

He looked like a statue, one that had already crumbled into dust in some forgotten corner.

Shen Ci’s toes curled tighter from nerves, and a wave of regret washed over him.

“Dad, do you want a—”

“She’s dead. What’s the point of reminiscing?” Min Shoubei cut him off coldly, his voice tinged with self-mockery. “And the funny thing is, I spent twenty years trying to forget her, and then you showed up. What a joke.”

“Do you know why she left, carrying little you, crossing the ocean all alone to return to C Country?”

Shen Ci shook his head blankly, but in the dim light, he thought he saw something glisten at the corner of Min Shoubei’s eye, just for a second.

Min Shoubei let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Because we had a fight. And the reason? I refused to drink from the same cup she used. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Shen Ci didn’t dare laugh. He just stayed quiet, listening.

“That year, there was a plane crash. An international flight. I didn’t think much of it… until no matter what I did, I couldn’t get in touch with her.”

Min Shoubei suddenly stopped speaking, his long fingers brushing against his brow bone, pausing there for a long moment before he continued.

“Later, after searching everywhere, I found out your mother was on that flight. Her body was never recovered. As for you… I had no way of knowing.”

“It’s a miracle that you survived. Lu Xiao and I are still investigating how that happened.”

“In the end, she acted out of spite, and so did I. But that turned into a permanent goodbye. Tch….”

“Dad.” Shen Ci jumped off the swing and threw his arms around Min Shoubei, hugging him tight. “Stop. Stop talking. I shouldn’t have asked.”

The sudden bear hug caught Min Shoubei off guard. His body went rigid—he hadn’t been this close to someone in years.

After a long pause, he hesitantly reached out and patted Shen Ci’s head.

Soft. Fluffy. Just like hers….

Shen Ci looked too much like her. Even his embrace was warm, making Min Shoubei feel, just for a second, as if she had come home.

But that was impossible.

He let out a bitter chuckle.

Having their child survive and return to him was already a miracle from the heavens.

He tilted his head back, blinking rapidly to suppress the sting in his nose, then ruffled Shen Ci’s hair roughly. “Alright, enough with the sappy hugging. Go to bed.”

Then he yanked Shen Ci off him and shoved him away, striding off without a backward glance.

Shen Ci: “???”

Was that how a normal person acted? If it were his Little Uncle, after receiving his heartfelt bear hug, he’d at least kiss his forehead or something! Min Shoubei was acting like some heartless scumbag who just—just—ugh!

If he wasn’t his biological dad, he would’ve already pulled out a knife.

Frustrated, he stomped his foot and ran straight to Lu Xiao’s guest room. And the moment he opened the door, he threw himself at him. “Little Uncle!”