The whole day, Xiao Yufan spent in a daze. On one hand, the direct conflict with Yu Yihan left him feeling helpless; on the other, the matter involving his master left him even more puzzled…
“What exactly is my master hiding from me?” Shaking his head hard, Xiao Yufan realized that instead of speculating pointlessly, it would be better to ask his master directly.
Soon enough, the workday finally ended. Almost impatiently, Xiao Yufan grabbed his phone and dialed his master’s number. He remembered clearly that his master had mentioned there was much he needed to tell him…
“Hello, Yufan…” As soon as the call connected, Xiao Yufan heard his master’s somewhat weary voice. His expression froze involuntarily, momentarily at a loss for words.
“I… saw a company’s launch ceremony on the news, and the person there looked just like you, so I thought I’d call and ask…” Xiao Yufan hesitated as he spoke, uncertain whether this question might seem inappropriate.
“It really was me—I was invited to attend. I suppose it’s time I told you a few things…” His master sighed long and hard, and Xiao Yufan could sense the emotion in his voice, tinged slightly with melancholy.
Softly nodding, though Xiao Yufan didn’t act impulsively, his heart still beat uncontrollably. He had always felt that whatever his master was hiding must be deeply connected to himself…
“Actually, I’m not really your master…” The first sentence from the other end of the line nearly made Xiao Yufan drop his jaw in shock. Instantly, he felt as though everything was unreal. After all, his master had been by his side since childhood—how could he not be his master?
“Master, what kind of joke are you playing? Are we strangers now…?”
“I am your grandfather…” After a long pause, his master spoke again, but this time Xiao Yufan was even more stunned.
“Have you been drinking? I’m from the Xiao family! How could you possibly be my grandfather…” Xiao Yufan had already completely dismissed his master’s words as a joke or drunken rambling.
“I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but this is the truth—the thing I’ve kept hidden from you all these years.”
“What about my father then…?” Xiao Yufan’s deep, somber voice betrayed no humor. Suddenly, he found himself beginning to believe it—that his master might truly be his grandfather—but still…
“You’re not ready to know about your real father yet; it would only harm you. Just know that you’re not an ordinary person. Back then, your father had no choice but to give you up for adoption because of your extremely yin birth date…”
Xiao Yufan’s face went blank, a strong urge to curse rising within him. Could such an absurd plot really happen in real life? At this moment, his mind went completely blank, and he didn’t even hear what his master said next.
Never had he questioned his origins, because Xiao Yufan firmly believed that fate was predetermined by heaven. No matter how difficult his life had been, he had never complained. Old Xiao was a rural man, and he himself had grown up in the mountains, never feeling inferior.
Yet now, Xiao Yufan suddenly felt as though his entire twenty-five years of life had been lived in a haze. His father was only his adoptive father—this was something he couldn’t accept easily, nor did he dare to think further…
“Born under an all-yin sign—does that mean I had to be abandoned?”
A bitter smile curled his lips. For some reason, a surge of resentment welled up inside him. Even if what his master—no, his grandfather—said was true, he refused to accept this identity, no matter how noble it might be.
…
“Reality always plays cruel jokes on you, and you’re powerless to respond…” This was something his master had once told him. Now, it sounded so bitterly ironic. Perhaps now he shouldn’t call him master anymore, but Grandfather…
Walking home from work to his rented apartment, Xiao Yufan felt lost in thought. How he wished he could call his parents right now, to at least find some comfort in this loneliest of moments—but he didn’t want to burden them with worry.
He didn’t want to guess, nor did he care to. As for who his biological parents were, he simply couldn’t be bothered. Twenty-five years had passed, and he already had his own life. He didn’t want anyone’s sudden appearance to shatter this peace.
For the first time, he truly understood what it felt like to be caught in one of those clichéd, melodramatic TV plots. Right now, all Xiao Yufan wanted was to be alone for a while. After all, anyone in his situation would feel lost and overwhelmed. Fortunately, he was already close with his master—even if they were now real family, it wouldn’t change how he felt. But the idea of suddenly having new parents appear out of nowhere? He wasn’t ready for that.
He locked himself in the bedroom of his rented apartment—not because he was losing control of himself, but perhaps because he had grown too accustomed to his simple, uneventful life. This sudden upheaval required time to process, a lot of time, though even he couldn’t say exactly how much…
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