FV: Chapter 49

“They must be whispering outside,” Ji Leyu confirmed it.

“En,” Lin Fei responded calmly.

You still have the nerve to say ‘en’?!!!

Ji Leyu pouted in anger. “Then you still won’t let me listen.”

He looked at the door not far away and felt it was a pity. It was such a short distance away, so close!

In addition, they were the ones who took the initiative to say it behind the door!

It wasn’t Ji Leyu who took the initiative to listen!

Lin Fei saw his mouth that was like a duckling and pinched it with amusement. Then he touched Ji Leyu’s head as Ji Leyu’s eyes widened. “You are good~”

“Hmph!” Ji Leyu snorted in dissatisfaction.

Lin Fei skillfully hugged him and continued to touch his hair. “Good~”

It was clear that he was now very good and accustomed at coaxing Ji Leyu.

Ji Leyu agreed to Ji Yuxiao’s change of name and for the next half a day, he kept calling it out. Lin Luoqing’s heart melted at the sweetness and he specially gave Ji Leyu several pieces of sweet and sour pork that Ji Leyu liked at dinner.

After he finished giving the meat, his eyes fell on Lin Fei and the joy in his heart subsided slightly.

He suddenly and sensitively realized that Ji Leyu was now calling him ‘Father’ and Ji Leyu had always called Ji Yuxiao ‘Father.’ Now with himself, the three of them had become a family in the traditional sense.

Meanwhile, Lin Fei was just his nephew, a relative. He wasn’t family.

Would he feel left out?

Would it be too uncomfortable?

Did he just feel like a guest staying here?

The more Lin Luoqing thought about it, the more he felt that Ji Leyu shouldn’t have changed the title so quickly.

However, Ji Leyu had already changed the title. If Lin Luoqing asked Ji Leyu to call him uncle as before, would Ji Leyu feel like he wasn’t willing to be his father?

Besides, this was Ji Yuxiao’s desire. He asked Ji Leyu to change the title for Lin Luoqing’s own sake. If Lin Luoqing refused at this time, it would inevitably disappoint Ji Yuxiao’s good intentions.

Thinking of this, Lin Luoqing silently grabbed a few pieces of sweet and sour pork and put them in Lin Fei’s bowl.

Lin Fei had already learned not to thank him for such small things. He ate quietly and behaved elegantly.

Lin Luoqing looked at him and another thought slowly appeared.

Now it was a foregone conclusion for Ji Leyu to change his title. He couldn’t have Ji Leyu call him Uncle again so could he make Lin Fei change his title as well?

He could also adopt Lin Fei like Ji Yuxiao. This way, Lin Fei would call him and Ji Yuxiao by ‘Father’ and would be the same as Ji Leyu.

They were a real family of four in the traditional sense.

Lin Fei finished eating the sweet and sour pork in the bowl. He vaguely felt Lin Luoqing looking at him and raised his head suspiciously, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Lin Luoqing laughed.

He planned to wait until there were just the two of them before talking to Lin Fei about what he thought.

He just didn’t know if Lin Fei was willing or not. Lin Fei didn’t seem to have this meaning all along.

Lin Luoqing ate the shrimp in his bowl while feeling a bit hesitant.

After eating, Lin Fei returned to his room and continued to read the collection of stories he hadn’t finished.

Lin Luoqing sat in the bedroom and thought for a while. He still felt that he should ask Lin Fei. Even if Lin Fei didn’t change his title, Lin Luoqing had to go and see Lin Fei’s current mood and his attitude toward Ji Leyu’s change of title.

He finished thinking about it. Then at Lin Fei’s bathing time at 9 o’clock, he went to find Lin Fei and carried him to the bathtub.

He carefully observed Lin Fei’s expression and pondered on Lin Fei’s emotions.

Lin Fei’s mood was the same as usual. Not much joy could be seen but there was also no sadness. It seemed that Ji Leyu changing Lin Luoqing’s title to ‘Father’ didn’t affect him.

Lin Luoqing saw him like this and didn’t know how to bring up his previous thought.

He always remembered that afternoon on the street after school. The young Lin Fei stood on tiptoe, touched his head and coaxed him with the words, “So don’t be angry. You are good.”

His mind was too delicate and too immature. Lin Luoqing was worried. If he said this and Lin Fei was unwilling, Lin Fei would feel guilty.

“What’s wrong?”

He was thinking this when he suddenly heard Lin Fei’s calm voice.

It was only then that Lin Luoqing’s mind returned. He wiped Lin Fei’s arm with a towel and replied softly, “It’s nothing.”

Lin Fei obviously didn’t believe him, but Lin Luoqing didn’t want to say it and Lin Fei didn’t ask. He just said in his calm tone, “I can take a bath by myself. If you have other things to do, go and do it.”

Lin Luoqing smiled, touched his head and told him, “No, I’m just thinking about something.”

He stared at Lin Fei’s handsome little face and thought about it for a long time. Then he couldn’t help asking, “Xiao Yu called me Father. Were you unhappy about it?”

Lin Fei shook his head. “You and Uncle Ji are married. He is Xiao Yu’s father so this means you are also Xiao Yu’s father.”

“So…” Lin Luoqing’s voice was soft.

He was a bit nervous. His eyelashes lowered unnaturally and he pretended to look casual. “Do you want to call me Father as well?”

Lin Luoqing finished speaking and his heart started beating like a drum. It took a long time before he quietly raised his eyes to look at Lin Fei.

Lin Fei’s eyes were clear and as calm as ever. “You are my uncle.”

“I know.” Lin Luoqing explained it to him. “But your uncle was originally just Xiao Yu’s uncle, right? If I adopt you, you can also call me and your uncle by ‘Father’, just like Xiao Yu. You will be the same as Xiao Yu.”

Lin Fei saw the joy that flashed in the other person’s eyes, pursed his lips and didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t want to?” Lin Luoqing asked him.

After this question, Lin Luoqing was afraid he would be unhappy due to this and quickly comforted him. “I am just talking casually. You don’t have to worry about it. I just saw that Xiao Yu called me ‘Father’ just now and I was afraid you would think I’m closer to him. This is why I asked you if you wanted to call me that. In fact, I’m very happy no matter what you want to call me. No matter whether it is Uncle or Father, we are a family.”

Lin Fei listened to his words and noticed that the joy that just flashed in his eyes seemed to have disappeared.

He stared into Lin Luoqing’s eyes in a quiet and serious manner.

Lin Luoqing didn’t understand the reason and asked him, “What’s wrong?”

‘You aren’t happy,’ Lin Fei quietly thought in his heart. ‘You aren’t as happy as you are just now.’

He blinked and seemed to organize his words. Then he stared into Lin Luoqing’s eyes and told him, “I don’t have a father.”

Lin Luoqing didn’t know whether Lin Fei wanted to say that he didn’t have a father now, or that he never had a father. Lin Luoqing could only answer in a low voice, “Yes.”

“I didn’t have a father as a child.” Lin Fei tried to explain to him. “I don’t know what a father is.”

He said, “It isn’t that I don’t want you to be my father. I just don’t know what a father is.”

“I didn’t have a father, not from the beginning, so I don’t know what a father is.”

He kept saying that he didn’t have a father and that he didn’t know what a father was. He felt that his words were very clear but he was also afraid that he hadn’t said it clearly. Therefore, he could only keep explaining it to Lin Luoqing.

Lin Luoqing stared into his clear yet slightly anxious eyes and felt that he seemed to understand what Lin Fei meant.

There had never been a father in his world so he didn’t know what a father was like. He couldn’t make Lin Luoqing a person in his world that had never been there and was no longer necessary.

He was a person who had already chosen the label and characters. Lin Luoxi was his mother, Lin Luoqing was his uncle, Ji Yuxiao was his uncle and Ji Leyu was his younger brother. However, there was no father because there was no father in Lin Fei’s world. He didn’t have this label.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to call Lin Luoqing ‘Father.’ He just didn’t have the label or the concept. He didn’t know what a father was, so he couldn’t make Lin Luoqing his father.

Lin Luoqing nodded and looked at Lin Fei with a smile. “I see. It isn’t that you don’t like me. You just don’t know what a father is, right?”

Lin Fei nodded quickly.

He looked at Lin Luoqing with vague guilt in his eyes.

He was a bit stubborn to his bones. He knew that if it was another child, they would be very happy and easily call out ‘Father’, just like Ji Leyu.

This wasn’t a big deal. In addition, Lin Luoqing had been very good to him recently.

However, he couldn’t do it.

He didn’t know what a father was and didn’t know what a father should look like. He didn’t have this concept.

When he was too young, he didn’t realize that he didn’t have a father. Then others asked him about his father. He didn’t know there was such a word in the world and went to ask Lin Luoxi. Then Lin Luoxi told him that this person was dead and the word ‘father’ withdrew from his world again.

Now Lin Luoqing let this word reappear in his world.

Lin Fei never imagined what a father was like because he never needed one.

Therefore, there was no way for him to stick such an unfamiliar, conceptual, vague and blank word on Lin Luoqing.

Lin Luoqing was his uncle, an uncle he was very familiar with. Even if he didn’t like Lin Luoqing before, he was starting to like this person a little bit.

He was vivid and familiar. Lin Fei knew what he looked like with closed eyes.

How could he be a father?

Lin Fei couldn’t convince himself to call Lin Luoqing by this strange and meaningless name.

Lin Fei had thoughts of his own, even if it was a bit too much.

He secretly raised his eyelids and glanced at Lin Luoqing cautiously. Lin Luoqing’s face was very peaceful and he didn’t seem to be angry.

He even smiled a bit and pinched Lin Fei’s face after spotting Lin Fei peeking at him. “You are peeking at me.”

However, Lin Fei felt very guilty.

He rarely felt guilty, or most of the time, he rarely had mood swings.

His desires in this world were very low. He didn’t care much about people and things, let alone feel guilt.

He was too lazy to interfere in other people’s affairs. How could he feel guilty about others?

However, now Lin Fei felt guilty.

Lin Luoqing had been paying attention to him recently, buying him books, reading books with him and promising to help him build a study room.

He felt Lin Luoqing’s liking but he couldn’t give a corresponding response. Ji Leyu could call Lin Luoqing ‘Father’ but he didn’t want to.

Lin Fei felt that he was a bit boring and that he really wasn’t that likable.

It was just like now. Lin Luoqing wasn’t as happy as before.

He looked at Lin Luoqing and thought about it. Then he raised his hand, gently placed it on top of Lin Luoqing’s head and stroked his hair.

“I’m sorry.” Lin Fei’s voice was low, like a child apologizing for a mistake.

He continued, “It is my fault so don’t be unhappy, okay? You are good.”

Lin Luoqing really hadn’t expected him to apologize. He quickly pulled down Lin Fei’s hand and held it in his palm. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing to me?”

He continued, “I’m not unhappy. Do I look unhappy?”

“You aren’t as happy as you were just now,” Lin Fei replied seriously. “You were very happy when you asked me to call you Father.”

Lin Luoqing smiled, lowered his head and kissed Lin Fei. “I’m happy now.”

“I’m glad you noticed my emotions.”

He looked at Lin Fei and said softly, “Fei Fei, now I understand why you don’t want to call me Father. I understand so I won’t be unhappy because of this. You didn’t do anything wrong so you don’t need to apologize. If, I mean if, you think I am unhappy then you can kiss me. You haven’t kissed me yet. If you kiss me then I will be very happy.”

Lin Fei was slightly surprised when he heard this.

He had never been a person with obvious emotions. Forget kissing others. If Lin Luoqing kissed him then he inwardly liked it, but his expression was awkward.

Yet just now, Lin Luoqing asked him for a kiss.

Lin Fei was a bit overwhelmed.

Lin Luoqing saw the embarrassment in his eyes and lowered his head to kiss Lin Fei on the face again. He didn’t leave quickly but looked at him very closely.

He raised a hand and covered his eyes, asking Lin Fei, “Is this okay? I can’t see it so I can pretend that you didn’t do anything.”

Lin Fei subconsciously pursed her lips. There was a bit of a shy and novel feeling and he wanted to try it.

He stared at the person in front of him for a while. Finally, he awkwardly and generously kissed Lin Luoqing on the face.

Immediately afterward, he lowered his head and sat in the water, his ears very red.

Lin Luoqing felt his soft touch and deliberately teased him. “Can I put my hand down now?”

Lin Fei nodded. Then he realized Lin Luoqing couldn’t see it and said in a low voice, “It’s okay.”

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Proofreader: Wei