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nThe reason why we didn’t eat together with my dad was because the class leader felt if we ate together, it would seem more like a place to exchange feelings rather than a home visit.

nI finished the dinner Su Qiao made at home, but before heading to the hotel, I remembered we were almost out of food. I didn’t have time to go to the supermarket, so I gave the ¥500 gift card (the one I won with the class leader) to Su Qiao and told her to make some time to go grocery shopping for us.

nI unconsciously began to treat Su Qiao like a maid.

nI met up with the class leader at the bus station at 7:15. The class leader seemed to be more familiar than me for the route to get to the hotel. Ever since the school allowed students to carry phones, the class leader installed a lot of money saving apps. Most of the apps had ‘deals’, ‘discount’, or ‘shopping’ in their names. And of course there were apps to let you make the best of the public transportation system.

nNothing noteworthy happened on the way to the hotel. I only pretended to randomly ask the class leader which high school she was planning to attend, and she casually responded: “I guess Dong Shan San Zhong is fine.”

nSan Zhong is fine?

nThat’s the best high school in our city! In the last test, only three students from 28 Middle was able to pass the test to get into San Zhong! And those three bookworms adopted an original approach where they took a blood oath to all make it into San Zhong (they literally drank chicken blood). Finally, all that hard work paid off and those three were able to barely scrape by and pass the test to get into San Zhong.

nClass leader, when you wrote you wanted to attend the same high school in your diary, were you referring to the San Zhong that’s full of top students? Based on my grades, forget drinking chicken blood, I wouldn’t pass the test even if I injected chicken blood.

nI felt despair for the future and entered the hotel with the class leader with my head hung low. The class leader hesitated a bit when she saw a university couple snuggled against each other, but she encouraged her self and headed inside with her head held high.

nIt seemed like the front desk suffered from neurasthenia. The front desk looked at me and the class leader, although we looked more mature than people our age, we still weren’t 18.

n“We’re a proper hotel, so you can only open a room with ID.” the front desk warned us in a monotonous voice.

nAs I remembered about Wu Sheng’s ID in my wallet, I almost pulled it out and said: “One honeymoon suite, thank you.” But that’s only a delusion, if I really said it, then the class leader storming off would be the best possible reaction.

nThus I explained to the front desk we were looking for someone and said my dad’s room number.

nMy dad opened the door to welcome us while wearing a suit and a pair of spotless glasses, but he was astonished because he didn’t see our teacher. He first invited the class leader to sit, then he pulled me aside and whispered to me:

n“Why didn’t teacher Yu come, isn’t this girl your class leader?”

n“Teacher Yu isn’t familiar with you, he’s afraid you would beat him up, so the class leader came in his stead… I already told you the one coming was the class leader when I called you.”

n“Your teacher has no guts, everyone time we have a parent-teacher conference, he never even talks to me, and I thought he finally opened up today. But why does your class leader want to speak to me, she looks serious and seems to be dissatisfied with me.”

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n“Nothing much. Didn’t you teach a lot of female students when you were a professor? Now you can’t even deal with one middle school girl?”

nMy dad sat down across from the class leader and they were separated by a coffee table between them.

nI sat on the bed near the door and began to spectate with interest.

nI could tell the class leader regretted it a bit based on her expression.

nUltimately, a home visit was the responsibility of the teacher. In the end, it’s going to be a bit awkward to face a parent as a student.

nEspecially when you see my dad’s refined appearance, he might not have an amiable face, but he does have the appearance of a good person. The class leader stealthily glanced at me like she was puzzled how the two of us could look so different.

nHey, don’t tell me you’re suspecting I’m not a biological son? I have the same blood type as my dad, and my height (and my damn short legs) were all inherited from my dad!

nThe class leader secretly pinched her legs under her skirt to focus. In her eyes, regardless of how good my dad looks, it doesn’t change the face that he was irresponsible and made his son manage an adult goods store.

n“Hello, I’m Shu Sha, the class leader of class 2-3 and Ye Lin’s classmate.” The class leader introduced herself first.

n“Nice to meet you. I’m Ye Lin’s dad, Ye YuanFeng. I often hear Xiao Lin mention his class leader.”

nThe class leader’s face was slightly red and it seemed she wanted to ask: “How did he mention me?”, but she cleared her throat and got to the main point, “Then I’ll call you uncle Ye. Uncle Ye, may I ask if you have any troubles managing… an adult goods store by yourself?”

nMy dad felt awkward being asked about the adult good store, “Not really?”

n“Then if you don’t have any troubles, why did you let your son, who’s still a minor, manage the business. In the best case, it would affect his studies. In the worst case, it would twist his worldviews.”

nAh, class leader, thank you for worrying about me, but you should have said those words when I was still in elementary school. After these recent years, my worldview has already been twisted.

nSince the class leader believed her own actions was justice, it couldn’t be helped that her tone was overbearing. An invisible Justice Devil aura spread through the room and pressed down on my dad.

n“Um, class leader, listen…” my dad racked his brains to think of an explanation.

n“You don’t have to call me class leader, you can call me Shu Sha.” The class leader was still sitting upright.

nI suddenly realized although my dad used to be an university professor, he wasn’t good at dealing with female students. When my dad was a proctor, some girls would write the answers on their leg and lift up their skirts whenever they were stuck. My dad couldn’t really do anything about it, more importantly, there were also female students who wanted to have a relationship with my dad, so he might still have some problems against schoolgirls.

n“Uh, Shu Sha, I didn’t agree with Xiao Lin helping with the store initially…”

n“Then why did you agree later.”

n“I would sometimes get drunk and sleep for an entire day. If Xiao Lin didn’t help, then the shipments would get delayed….”

nThe class leader’s gaze floated towards the refrigerator. My dad thought he was smart by hiding the empty beer cans on top of the fridge, but it couldn’t escape the class leader’s eyes.

n“Uncle Ye, are you an alcoholic?”

nIt might have been a question, but the class leader was already sure based on her eyes.

n“I don’t drink every day…”

n“Please go sober.”

n“What?”

n“Ye Lin is from a single parent family, so he already gets less love. If you’re an alcoholic, it would negatively affect his growth. You never hit him when you were drunk before, right?”

nThe class leader might be overthinking a bit. My dad has never hit me, whether he was sober or not. He was great at reasoning with me and I could almost be considered half a philosopher.

n“Um… I’m unconscious when I’m drunk, so I shouldn’t be able to hit Xiao Lin.” My dad held his chin and tried hard to recall.

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nThe class leader trembled with anger when she heard my dad would get drunk to that state.

n“Uncle Ye, it’s also harmful to your health if you don’t control your drinking.”

n“After you get drunk, Ye Lin has to help you take care of the store while worrying about your health. Do you know what the child feels when their parents get severely ill at our age?”

nAs if woken from a dream, my dad lowered his head and said: “I was wrong.”

n“Huh.” The class leader wasn’t prepared for my dad to lower his head and admit his mistakes in front of his son.

n“I’m a useless father who always drinks and needs Xiao Lin to take care of me. I’m ashamed. I might not be able to completely stop drinking right away, but I will try my best to drink less and try not to get drunk. Once I’m done compiling the university teaching materials, I will head home and won’t let Xiao Lin do the adult goods business anymore.”

n“Wait, did you say university teaching materials?” The class leader was even more puzzled because she didn’t understand why a university professor would quit and open an embarrassing adult goods store.

nAt this time, rapid footsteps came from the hallway followed by rapid knocking on the door.

n“Ye YuanFeng, get your ass out here!”

nA roar came through the door, it was obviously Auntie Ren’s voice.

nMy dad shivered like a mouse that met a cat and almost fell off the chair.

nI thought it was bad and Auntie Ren came at a bad time. Judging by her tone, it seems she was very discontent with my dad. Did something happen between the two of them?

nI’m afraid the reason Auntie Ren is looking for my dad… is about her pregnancy. No matter how much Auntie Ren tries to deny reality, she can’t deny a positive on a pregnancy test.

n“I’m sorry, I have to leave for a bit.” My dad straightened his tie and hurried to open the door, “Xiao Lin, help me take care of your class leader. Don’t wait for me if I’m late.”

nHe smiled at the class leader while feeling apologetic: “I’m really sorry, this can’t wait.”

nMy dad opened the door a crack and unconsciously blocked Auntie Ren’s line of sight, so Auntie Ren didn’t notice there were others in the room.

nAuntie Ren reached in and grabbed onto my dad’s tie. She screamed with shame and rage: “Look what you did!”

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