Chapter 29

When he returned home that night, he foundthat both of his sons had run away. Tong Li Qin wasn’t too worried about TongYang, but he called Tong Yan.

After a few rings, Tong Yan picked up, his voice sounded a little low atfirst, seemingly hurried: “Dad?”

TongLi Qin: “Tong Tong.”

Beforehe could ask, Tong Yan said: “I’m at Zhuo Xiang Ming’s house. I told SecretaryLi I was leaving this morning, he didn’t tell you?”

Hewas told, but he only heard that Tong Yan left to find Zhuo Xiang Ming. At thattime, he thought that, at the most, he’d eat something then come back home. He didn’texpect Tong Yan to not return at night.

“It was early morning, I thought you’d come back at night.”

“Oh ……” Tong Yan explained, “I’m not coming backtoday. My exam results will come out tomorrow morning, then I have to go toschool in the evening to review them.”

Hiswords were true, but it didn’t really count as a reason for why he wasn’t returninghome.

Before he got married, he studied in that international academy from middleschool to high school for five years without any delay. If he needed to go toschool tomorrow from somewhere, he’d stay in this slightly closer region tonight.

However, Tong Li Qin just hummed, apparently accepting this explanation.

TongYan was slightly out of breath, Tong Li Qin asked: “Did you run to pick upthe phone? What’s so urgent?”

TongYan: “I was downstairs, I didn’t hear it at first.”

“You’re so big already, learn to be less careless.” Tong LiQin said, “Is Zhuo Xiang Ming home?”

TongYan: “Yes!”

TongLi Qin asked, seemingly casually: “What are you guys doing?”

TongYan: “I’m building Lego, I’ll send you a picture after I finish it. Zhuo XiangMing …. He got called away while he was watching TV. He’s in his study now, doyou need him for something?”

“No,Dad was just asking. Is he very busy?”

“He’s very busy, he didn’t even get a chance to eat his peeled grapefruit.I ate a little myself, I guess he’ll eat the rest tomorrow.” Tong Yanleaned against the wall, apparently speaking about a common routine.

Hearingthese words, in Tong Li Qin’s ears, it seemed like Tong Yan was in a proactivevs indifferent relationship. After running back, he still had to find somethingto entertain himself, and Zhuo Xiang Ming was still busy, probably, the twocouldn’t even exchange a few words.

But in reality, while Zhuo Xiang Mingwatched TV or talked on the phone, Tong Yan was always in his embrace. He heldthe cell phone in one hand and Tong Yan in the other. Afterwards, he picked upa Lego brick, tried to fit it in, found that it was incorrect, and threw itback, the mess he made eliciting several fierce glares from Tong Yan. Now, he wasforwarding documents in the study room, and Tong Yan’s pile of Legos hadalready been relocated inside.

“Okay… then be good, don’t distract him from his work.” But no matter what hethought, he didn’t bring it up to Tong Yan. Tong Li Qin admitted that he couldn’tsay anything. He was afraid of saying something wrong and hurting Tong Yan’sself-esteem, so he could only urge.

TongYan promised: “I know, Dad.”

“Have you felt sick recently?”

“No.” Tong Yan said, “I went to the hospital after thesports meet. I now have average sensitivity, it’s basically good.”

Aperson’s physical condition wasn’t constant, average sensitivity was already veryclose to the normal range, compared to Tong Yan’s previous condition, it wasindeed basically good.

When Tong Li Qin heard this, he was very pleasantly surprised:“When was the sports meet? Why didn’t you tell Dad about the checkup?”

TongYan smiled slightly: “Two days ago … Today’s Saturday, I called to tellyou about it on Wednesday, but you must not have heard it, since you didn’t answer.”

” Ah …” Tong Li Qin was a little embarrassed, “I probably didn’thear it.”

TongYan didn’t ask him, even if you didn’t hear it ring, you must’ve seen themissed call afterwards, so why didn’t you call back?

He’dgotten used to this kind of thing since childhood. At that time, Tong Yan was veryyoung, so he wasn’t very sensible. Whenever Tong Yang went wild and didn’t returnhome, he’d call Tong Li Qin. To say nothing of the repeated calls he made tocomplain about Tong Yang “Not playing with me”, “Not taking me along”,in addition to, “Dad, when are you coming home”, and so on.

Tong Yan was a child with no responsibilities,and Tong Li Qin was an adult with many. After being badgered by Tong Yan manytimes, he slowly started picking up less and less of his calls. In any case, theyhad a nanny and servants, if there was an incident, he’d be informed.

Ignoring and ignoring became second nature. Tong Yan always picked upwhen he called, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Go to bed early.” Tong Yan said.

“Okay, okay.” Tong Li Qin said, “Tell Dad when your testresults come out.”

Hanging up, Tong Yan plugged the phone backonto the charger and left the room, running back in a few moments later. He pulledthe medial examination report out from the drawer and snapped a picture, forwardingit to Tong Li Qin as requested, then he left to search for the robot he’d barelystarted building, the one Zhuo Xiang Ming had captured.

Who knew where Zhuo Xiang Ming hid it away, but after searching for a long time, Tong Yan couldn’t find it, and the study room wasn’t the sort of room he could wantonly turn over. Helpless, he could only kiss up to Zhuo Xiang Ming again. Zhuo Xiang Ming claimed to be busy with work. After Tong Yan sat on his lap for no less than five minutes, he finally pulled the little robot out from under his office chair.

On the other side, Tong Li Qin was restless.

Facingthe big empty house, he finally realized that, following Tong Yang’s footsteps,Tong Yan had also grown up. The day he gave up custody of Tong Yan, he should’veunderstood. Although it happened silently, Tong Yan really had grown up.

TheTong family villa was no longer his only paradise to explore, and the dark atticcould no longer make him cry fearful tears. The child who originally cried for soothingparental pheromones would forever stay in the past, he wouldn’t wait for him toreturn home day after day. A child grew up very slowly, and very quickly. Family-bondingshouldn’t be put off, just in case you’re unable to seize the moment. Atthat time, he didn’t provide it, and now, he couldn’t provide it the same way.

TongYan awkwardly grew up, theoretically, he didn’t suffer any evil, but the fatherand son didn’t have much shared nostalgic memories.

He was always thinking “later”, then one monthpassed, then one year passed, until eventually, Tong Yan also wanted to leavethis “nest” and go out on his own.

He’dfallen in love with an alpha, and his father and older brother were no longerthe source of all the warmth he expected. But, judging by Tong Yan’s personality,he was unlikely to be the one in control of the relationship. It was his habitto invest love before receiving it, if the other side refused to respond, wouldhe still be left waiting day after day?

Forsome reason, this kind of imagery was apparently unbearable for Tong Li Qin. He’droutinely treated Tong Yan that way for more than ten years, but at thismoment, applying this behavior to an outsider, only then did he realize how unreasonableit was.

Softhopes shouldn’t be dashed by anyone. Tong Yan’s love was always wholehearted, youcould completely feel his love for you, his trust and hope in you wouldn’t bediminished by repeated unreliability. It was as if he was born to love, as ifhe was born with limitless love.

But this wasn’t a justification to ignore his love.

Itdidn’t logically make sense, the love was ignored, because the one giving ithad more than enough love to spare?

TongLi Qin felt regret, but that regret was quite vague. It seemed that the modelwas emerging, but soon disappeared.

However, Tong Yan’s behavior of running back to Zhuo Xiang Ming’s house,too impatient to wait for Sunday, completely confirmed Tong Li Qin’s theory ofhim being in unrequited love with Zhuo Xiang Ming.

Aftergetting married, for the first few weeks, he constantly looked forward toFriday, and he had to be dragged away when the weekend ended. Looking at himnow, what idiot would believe that he wasn’t in love.

Tong LiQin was worried, but he had no place to share his worries. Tong Yang was out ofthe question, and it was inappropriate to share such things with hissubordinates. As for a familiar female friend, there was unexpectedly one—Lin YueHua, Tong Yan’s nominal mother-in-law.

However, if he thought about it, Tong Li Qin felt that it also wasn’tappropriate to have this talk with her.

After all, when they got connected to each other by marriage, neitherfamily were hurrying to make a fake play real. Tong Yan was young, nearly tenyears younger than Zhuo Xiang Ming. It may be assumed that it was not only theirside that was reluctant, the Zhuo family probably also felt that the two wouldnot last.

Thus,he couldn’t even help Tong Yan with his first relationship, probably, he couldonly provide Tong Yan a shelter to escape to after being wounded.

The aloof alpha who’d lived as a bachelorfor many years was being troubled by his little son’s obvious tendency to love early.After reading and re-reading the examination report sent by Tong Yan, he fellasleep after drinking a glass of wine.

Unexpectedly,Tong Yan hadn’t sensed anything at all, and he was very contented staying inZhuo Xiang Ming’s two-story house.

One was eighteen, and the other was twenty-seven, neither were children,but after putting on a horror movie, a game of “you poke me, I push you” wasstarted. Playing around until past midnight, Tong Yan felt sleepy, and headedto bed.

ZhuoXiang Ming walked Tong Yan to his room and followed him in. Tong Yan crawled intobed and closed his eyes, presumably going to sleep. Zhuo Xiang Ming stood by hisbedside, looking at him for a moment, before turning off the bedside lamp. But,when he turned to leave, Tong Yan softly called out to him:“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

TongYan: “When can we sleep together?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming was startled by this question. He turned around and satdown next to Tong Yan. Tong Yan’s eyes were still closed, but he shifted backto make room for him.

“Do you want to sleep together?” Zhuo Xiang Ming asked.

TongYan: “I don’t know … but aren’t we dating? We’re also married, but westill sleep separately, it seems a little weird.”

The out-of-order romance really puzzled Tong Yan,he could understand his feelings for Zhuo Xiang Ming, but he couldn’t controlthe pace. Fortunately, Zhuo Xiang Ming was more than trustworthy enough, he waswilling to follow Zhuo Xiang Ming’s pace, “Can we sleep together?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming felt that he was simply in a race against time to the ruinof his reputation.

The form Tong Yan brought back needed to be filled out by two people overthe weekend. The form was Tong Yan’s evaluation of his guardian, where he undoubtedlywrote down mature, steady, solemn, conscientious, and provides a sense of security.

Hewrote a bucketload of kind words, but except for solemn and conscientious, the onlywords Zhuo Xiang Ming could barely feel he was worthy of, he thought that therest were all fallacious.

Recently,not only had he been completely unstable, since hugging became something they openlydid, his mentality changed drastically, not to mention the unbanning of kisses.Now, he often thought about how to make this boy cry, where’s the “providing asense of security”?

ZhuoXiang Ming worked hard to convince himself that the “sleep” Tong Yan wastalking about was just sleeping, not the dirty things in his head.

However,Tong Yan added, “Aren’t my pheromones back to normal? I don’t know when mysecond estrus will come but… I checked, umm …” He was still embarrassed,covering his face with the quilt, “The encyclopedia said, umm … it doesn’trequire estrus, n-normally … is fine too …”

Zhuo Xiang Ming asked in a calm voice: “You checked, what did youcheck?”

TongYan didn’t speak, only holding his phone out to him.

“Can you make love before estrus?”

TongYan had bookmarked a reply from a certified doctor: Sexual behavior and estrus donot have an indispensable relationship, but omegas still need to take protectivemeasures during the process to avoid injury or. …

Scrolling down, there were several moresearch records:

“Can you be marked during an unstable estrus?”

“Can you make love during an unstable estrus?”

……..

Hecouldn’t say it out loud, but his encyclopedia searches were quite blunt.

Looking at the search time, it was aroundeleven o’clock this morning, in other words, the time when he’d thought that TongYan had run away because of the kiss, but in fact, he was not afraid, and had returnedto their home.

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T/N:

proactive vs indifferent relationship- one side is enthusiastic, and the other side is not

Family-bonding shouldn’t be put off,just in case you’re unable to seize the moment– 家人之间的陪伴耗不过等待，如果当下没能抓住, if you’rewondering why there was no update yesterday, it’s cause of this sentence. It’scompletely confusing, and I’m just guessing this translation. I think there’s atypo in there, and that’s why it’s so weird, but I can’t be certain.