Chapter Twelve: Parents

Chapter Twelve: Parents

“No, sis-in-law, what did you just say?” Li Qingyu asked, his face a mask of bewilderment.

“I said I am Fox, the one you’re thinking of.”

Watching his dumbfounded roommate, Zhou Haochen couldn’t hold back his laughter, teasing, “Fake fan.”

Li Qingyu shot up from his seat, exclaiming excitedly, “No, no, no… wait, bro, are you a woman?”

“Mm-hm.”

“You, you… and you have a child with Old Second (TL Note: a common way to refer to a second-born sibling or a close friend in China)?”

“Yes.”

“When did this happen? And don’t your teammates know, bro?”

Bai Sha felt a touch of helplessness; hadn’t it been said that no one born after 2000 played League of Legends anymore? How was she still encountering fans?

‘Your Sister Bai (TL Note: a respectful and affectionate way to refer to oneself or a female friend) was still a man when she played in the World Championship, don’t make your Sister Bai laugh.’

“You might be the first to know. Didn’t we have a break in the first half of one year?”

Then the guys watched as Li Qingyu seemed to short-circuit, muttering, “That’s right, right, right! Wait! No, no, no! Oh! Yes, yes, yes!”

Sun Weijie and Wu Di, both outsiders to the gaming world, asked Zhou Haochen, “What’s wrong with Old Fourth?”

Zhou Haochen, grinning from ear to ear, explained, “It’s probably like suddenly discovering Ma Long (TL Note: a famous Chinese table tennis player) is a woman.”

Now they understood; they’d go crazy too if that happened to them. ‘So, Old Second had captured Old Fourth’s idol? Old Second, you should start a class! We’ll pay to listen.’

Li Qingyu, having finally recovered, clapped Zhou Haochen on the shoulder, declaring, “Brother, you married so well!”

Zhou Haochen: ‘?’

“Sis-in-law! Could I get an autograph? And maybe another photo together!”

Considering the child’s presence, none of them drank alcohol. As they ate barbecue, the men amused the little one, bringing to mind the saying: ‘Other people’s children are always the most fun.’

Bai Sha and Lili also chatted happily, though it was mostly Lili doing the talking, with Bai Sha primarily listening, finding it hard to interject.

Over an hour later, Sun Weijie escorted Lili back to her dorm, while the two ‘single dogs’ (TL Note: slang for single people) could only return to their own dorms. Zhou Haochen, meanwhile, accompanied his wife and child home.

Along the small path, Zhou Haochen and Bai Sha each held one of the little one’s hands. Their three figures were stretched long by the orange streetlights, and the child giggled, utterly delighted.

“Should I try playing League of Legends too?”

“Hm?” Bai Sha questioned, surprised. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen Zhou Haochen play games. “Why the sudden urge to play League of Legends?”

“I want to have more topics to discuss with you, to understand you a little better.”

“So, should I also learn about computers then?” Bai Sha said with a smile.

Zhou Haochen rubbed his nose. “I can teach you, a private tutor.”

Bai Sha’s face flushed slightly. She glanced down at her hopping daughter, then shot a glare at Zhou Haochen. ‘What are you saying?! You actually said ‘private tutor’ out loud!’

‘Is that even a good thing to say?’

“If you want to play, I can’t stop you. Just play if you like. If you can’t win, call me, and I’ll help you crush them.”

“Okay~”

“This weekend, I plan to take Xiao Yu (TL Note: an affectionate nickname for Zhou Yuying) to see my parents.”

The little one looked up. “Are they Grandpa and Grandma?”

Zhou Haochen replied with a smile, “That’s right. Daddy’s taking baby to see Grandpa and Grandma, okay?”

“Yay!”

Bai Sha had no objections. “As long as you’re clear on things, I won’t go.”

In City X, the elderly couple shivered. ‘Why do I have such an ominous feeling?’

“Baby, do you have any memories of maternal Grandpa and Grandma?” Bai Sha asked tentatively.

“Maternal Grandpa and Grandma? No, baby has only seen great-aunt and great-uncle (TL Note: referring to the maternal grandmother’s sister and her husband, or other older relatives on the maternal side).”

‘Would she still not reconcile with her parents in the future, or was Xiao Yu from a different version of herself, just like in the dream?’

“Zhou Haochen, have you ever had any strange dreams?”

“Dreams? I don’t often dream, and even if I do, I forget everything upon waking. Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing.”

Under the shade of the trees, light and shadow danced together under the bright streetlights. The little one let go of her parents’ hands, carefully walking along the cracks in the pavement.

Zhou Haochen and Bai Sha strolled leisurely behind, smiling as they watched their child. Zhou Haochen’s finger gently hooked Bai Sha’s pinky.

This made Bai Sha look up, her eyes meeting his by chance, causing her to quickly lower her gaze. She said nothing, only allowing her palm to gently clasp his.

The two walked hand-in-hand, leisurely trailing behind, having already fallen some distance behind Zhou Yuying.

Feeling the warmth emanating from their palms, neither of them found the evening breeze chilly. Instead, a surge of warmth spread through their bodies, and a blush bloomed on their faces.

“Hey! Dad and Mom! Hurry up!”

Little Zhou Yuying, who was far ahead, called out to her slow-moving parents.

At her words, the two released their hands as if shocked by electricity. Bai Sha, her face flushed, jogged towards the little one. “Okay~ Mommy’s coming!”

Bai Sha felt her hand being held again. She turned her head to see the ‘tailgater’ (TL Note: a playful term for someone who follows closely). ‘Never mind, let him hold it.’

Zhou Yuying had already reached the next streetlight, where bright light cascaded upon her. The little one was beaming with joy; she had once lost her parents, but now, her loving dad and mom were running towards her, hand in hand.

Even a four-year-old understood the preciousness that comes from loss. She loved her mom and dad, and they loved her too.

****

Dream

“Are you happy to go camping with Dad and Mom?”

The woman in the mottled gauze dress asked, stroking the little one’s head.

The little one hopped excitedly. “Happy!”

The man, whose face was indistinct, was placing boxes of camping gear into the trunk. The little one happily said, “Daddy, you’re working so hard~”

The man wiped his sweat, picked up the little one, and chuckled, “No, it’s not hard. Come, give Daddy a kiss.”

The little one giggled playfully, pushing the man’s face away. “Hehe! No way, Daddy’s dirty!”

The woman stepped forward and took the little one. “Alright~ Be good, don’t disturb Daddy while he’s working, okay?”

The man closed the trunk, smiling. “That’s everything. Let’s go! Get in the car!”

The man drove, while the woman and the little one sat in the back. The child exclaimed happily, “Yay ヾ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ! We’re going camping! To see the stars! See the moon! Eat barbecue!”

The man waved his hand decisively. “Alright! Daddy will grant all your wishes!”

Yet, as soon as the car hit the road, the little one indeed grew drowsy, falling into a hazy sleep on her mother’s lap.

“Bang! Bang!”

“Boom—!”

A truck, driven by a fatigued driver, hurtled straight towards their car. Unable to swerve in time, the car was struck, and a tragic accident… unfolded…

Flames erupted, and the blare of horns echoed in the air. In the back seat, the little one, protected by the woman, felt only dizziness and disorientation.

“Mommy? Mommy? Mommy!!”

“Daddy? Daddy? Daddy!!”

“Wah!! Wah…”

The little one saw her mother covered in blood, her head bleeding profusely. She frantically wiped with her small hands, but the blood wouldn’t come clean.

The little one saw her father pinned to his seat by a piece of iron plate. No matter how hard she tried to pull, even scratching her hands, he remained utterly motionless.

By the time rescue personnel arrived, the man and woman were dead at the scene. The little one also died due to ineffective treatment.

Inside the emergency room, the little one lay on the operating table, murmuring, “Da…ddy… Mo…mmy.”

****

Bai Sha suddenly awoke, drenched in a cold sweat. She quickly sat up, and upon seeing Zhou Yuying sleeping soundly, finally felt her heart settle.

She softly kissed Zhou Yuying’s forehead, murmuring gently, “Mommy’s here.”

Later, Bai Sha recounted this dream to Zhou Haochen, and the woman, usually as fierce as an eagle, wept uncontrollably.

She clung to Zhou Haochen, cursing the (traffic-violating) truck driver for half an hour, unleashing every bit of profanity she had ever learned in Zaun (TL Note: A notorious, lawless district in the League of Legends universe, known for its harsh conditions and rough inhabitants), and still feeling it wasn’t enough.