Chapter 30 - A Tough Battle (1/2)

“Hand the phone over,” said Xu Lan who was barely containing his anger.

Xiao Zhang handed the phone over gingerly, as though he was the one who made a mistake.

“Hello, Bai Wu. I’m Xu Lan.”

“Papa, Papa, is that really you? Sob… Papa, where did you go? I’m so scared. Where are you, Papa? Hiccup…”

It was normal for Bai Wu to choke and hiccup whenever he cried.

“I’m picking up your call in the police station now.” Xu Lan’s tone was not softened by Bai Wu’s gentle cries. If anything, he was even more displeased.

The fact that Bai Wu could make a call showed that he was not as helpless as he claimed to be.

“… Papa, I’m terrified. When are you coming back?” After noticing Xu Lan’s displeasure, Bai Wu sobbed harder as he asked.

“Go to bed. I’ll be home when I’m done,” said Xu Lan solemnly.

“No, Papa. I’m afraid and I want to be with you. I’m worried that I’ll not see you any more if I were to fall asleep now.” Bai Wu’s ability to travel across different spaces were not something that he had conscious control over.

“Bai Wu, how old are you now? Is there a phone in the room? Why didn’t you call my mobile number? Where are you now? I’m very busy and I want you to go to bed!”

Xu Lan rested his left hand in his pocket as he bombarded Bai Wu with questions that he could not answer.

“Papa…” Bai Wu uttered with a shivering voice.

“Go to bed now. You can either do that or watch TV,” Xu Lan replied emotionlessly.

Beep, beep, beep…

Bai Wu’s tears filled his eye sockets to the brim, threatening to fall anytime now. He bit on his lips as he tried to hold his tears back.

“What did Xiao Xu say?”

The landlord with a headful of white hair petted Bai Wu after noticing that he was stunted. To him, Bai Wu was a polite child who was as old as his grandson.

“Papa, he…” Bai Wu’s tears started to fall the moment he brought up Xu Lan’s name.

He could not comprehend the sudden change in attitude. He felt dispensable, the way he felt before he met Xu Lan.

He remembered taking a shower with his father. How was it possible that his father disappeared after he opened his eyes, to think that it was already late at night!

He wondered if his father saw him as a burden and decided not to see him anymore…

“Eh, don’t cry, don’t cry. Since Xiao Xu can’t make it back, are you all by yourself now?”