Entering a Split Personality — Chapter 26

Thank you to Lulith and another supporter (and someone else, though they did it for Runaway Guide). 🌸💗🌸

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“That’s Mommy.”

After he said this, Xiao He felt quite embarrassed. He was really shameless!

But...it felt great, didn’t it!

He couldn’t help smiling until his eyes crinkled. Fan Shen looked up at him unhappily. “No.”

Xiao He came back to himself and looked down at him. “What’s the matter?”

The little guy pointed to the picture with a soft finger. “No kissing.”

Xiao He blinked, and felt a little like he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That’s Mommy, Mommy can kiss Daddy.”

Fan Shen was a little kid, after all, so his expression had anger written across it, and his little face instantly crumpled. “Don’t want Mommy.”

Xiao He wanted to explain, but little Fan Shen had already swept the drawing away. He gripped his dad’s clothes, pursed his soft, pink lips and kissed him.  

“Kiss, kiss, only Little Fan can kiss.”

With the little kid’s soft voice, faint fragrance and tender touch, Xiao He was disarmed enough to  surrender for a minute.

Too cute! Too adorable! How could his son be so good! 

The doting father’s heart instantly melted into a puddle. Xiao He hugged little Fan Shen and kissed him hard on the forehead, soothing him. “Yes, only Little Fan, only my baby!”

Little Fan Shen wasn’t satisfied with only getting a kiss on the forehead, and pointed to his mouth. “Here.”

Left with no way out, Xiao He leaned down and gave his soft pink lips a bump.

This time, the little guy was satisfied, and he smiled generously at him with crinkled eyes.

Xiao He...was electrified again. Oh, darling, how can you be so cute! 

His life as a father was so sweet that Xiao He almost didn’t know which way was north.

Every day was satisfying, every day was full of joy, and every day he had a little fellow like this staying with him. He really was incredibly happy.

Two years passed in a flash, and in the real world, more than a month had gone by. Xiao He naturally couldn’t avoid going home forever, so he found a chance to wake up, and Qin Su arranged for him to go home.

He’d first explain to his parents that he’d recently been wanting to go to a different city to make his way in the world. Before leaving, he’d get together with his friends.

Xiao He had always had a good character since he was a child, so he was quite popular. He had a few childhood friends who were neighbors, and they were all very familiar with each other.

His mother loved to cook, so she invited the group of them over to eat. Xiao He was happy that everyone could get together.

These childhood friends of his wouldn’t just include guys, and naturally there were girls as well. As it happened, one of them had just gotten married and had a baby.

The little kid was only seven months old, just when they were the most adorable.

Xiao He saw him. All little babies were cute, but none of them were as cute as his own little Fan Shen, were they! 

As chance had it, his classmate went out for a bit, and had Xiao He look after the kid for a bit.

If it were before, it’d be out of the question even if you beat him to death, but now...he could be called a professional.

Xiao He's mother came out of the kitchen, and saw her son adding water to milk powder in a practiced manner, holding the baby and feeding him milk. She couldn’t help but be taken aback. She wobbled over slowly and asked, “Little He, you wouldn’t have a kid outside behind our backs, right?!”

Xiao He was shocked.

His mother had great insight. “Your technique is pretty skillful!” She said.

Xiao He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “I saw this on TV, how could I really know how to do it?”

His mother pondered it, and felt she was overthinking it. Her son was foolish and had never dated up to now. If he could really have a child so quickly, she’d suspect someone had transmigrated into his body.

That’s right...Xiao He’s mother had a passion for transmigration shows, her tastes kept up with the times! 

When Xiao He left home, Qin Su had already sent someone to pick him up. 

When he returned to that sumptuous mansion, Xiao He entered the mental world without wasting any time.

He was concerned for his child. If Fan Shen woke up and found he wasn’t there, he’d be so scared!

Little Fan Shen was already almost five, and children were clingiest when they were half-grown.

Xiao He felt he was pretty good at raising children. Little Fan Shen was as thoughtful and well-behaved as ever. He was already so big, but he’d never gotten into trouble. He was definitely the most popular boy in his kindergarten. Whether it was the teacher or the students, they all loved getting close to him. Of course, this also had something to do with that face of his. He was really too beautiful; it’d be difficult even if he wanted people to dislike him.

And at home, father and son also got along very harmoniously. Whatever Xiao He said, little Fan Shen would earnestly listen to, remember, and then do.

But Xiao He would never make things difficult for him.

What’s more, because of Xiao He’s job, he almost never left Fan Shen. He always stayed by his side, and did even better than many families with both parents present.

If you had to mention a problem—

It would be the problem of sleeping.

Father and son were the only ones here, so Xiao He had always slept together with little Fan Shen. When he started kindergarten, Xiao He felt it was time for the little guy to be independent.

So he asked him to sleep in a separate bed.

Little Fan Shen had always done what he was told. Whatever Xiao He said, he wouldn’t refuse.

So that night, he went to the next room hugging his little pillow.

At the time, Xiao He felt rather melancholy. He’d thought that the little kid would cry and make a fuss the first time he slept in a separate room! But he hadn’t at all!

Could it be that his son had long since not wanted to sleep with him?

Lying in bed, that doting father’s heart of his almost shattered into pieces.

But he hadn’t gone completely stupid, after all. In the middle of the night, he knew to go to the next room for a look, and see if Fan Shen had kicked off his blanket, or had any nightmares. 

But he hadn’t thought that when he pushed open the door to the next room, he’d see a small figure sitting on the corner of the bed.

Xiao He’s heart seized, and he quickly turned on the light and went over.

Little Fan Shen sat there quietly, not crying or smiling, and not making a sound, so silent he seemed like a lifeless china doll.

Xiao He felt unbearably distressed. He picked him up at once and opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say a word.

After a while, little Fan Shen opened his mouth. His voice was as soft as ever, but it trembled slightly. “Daddy...you don’t want me anymore?” 

Xiao He felt like a sledgehammer had hit him in the chest, and he completely surrendered.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Xiao He kissed him and said in a trembling voice, “Daddy wants you, Daddy will always want you.” 

After this, Xiao He never mentioned sleeping in separate beds again.

Father and son changed their bed up for a bigger one, but slept squeezed together all through the year. If it was hot they turned on the air conditioner, and if it was cold they had central heating. Every night before sleeping, they’d have a comforting goodnight kiss, and every day when they woke up, they’d exchange a warm good morning kiss. 

Xiao He got used to this lifestyle. He enjoyed it, and he was content.

Until little Fan Shen grew up into a beautiful boy, and started middle school.

Then their lives started to change.

First of all…their goodnight kisses and good morning kisses disappeared.

What's more...father and son finally started sleeping in separate beds. 

This time it really wasn’t Xiao He who proposed it. One morning, Xiao He kissed his darling son as usual, and Fan Shen pushed him away.

That night, they slept in separate beds.

Xiao He was really caught unprepared, and he was in such a panic he couldn’t sleep all night long. When he thought of the situation they found themselves in the first time they slept in separate beds, he became unbearably worried.

He furtively went to the next room, only to see Fan Shen sleeping steadily.

This time, it was Xiao He’s turn to lose sleep.

But...he was an adult, after all, so he slowly got over it.

His son had grown up, so how could he be the same as when he was small? 

Maybe he needed to have his own space. 

Xiao He felt lonely for a few days, but he soon cheered up again. They slept in separate rooms, but the affection between father and son was real. His goal was to raise Fan Shen well, so he had to experience the joys and sorrows on his road to growing up.

It’s just that Xiao He hadn’t expected that when his son grew up, so many things would change.

Carrying his shopping bags, Xiao He ducked behind a wall at the corner of the intersection.

A pair of kids were in front of him.

The girl had long hair trailing over her shoulders and was gentle and lovely, while the boy had a slender figure. Xiao He couldn’t see his face, but he knew how good-looking his son was—handsome enough that if he stood in the street, people would stop to stare.

He heard that little girl say tremblingly, “Xiao Fan Shen, I...I like you.” 

Xiao He heard her words and gave a great sigh. Sure enough...he’d grown up.

Feelings were beginning to sprout. 

Xiao He didn’t linger. Carrying his bags, he climbed upstairs. 

It was a little hot today. After making dinner, he went to take a shower.

Just as he came out of the shower, he heard the sound of the apartment door opening.

Xiao He wrapped a towel around himself, smiled and said hello while drying his hair. “You’re back! I made deep-fried pork today. Quick, set the table and let’s eat.” 

While Xiao He was speaking, Fan Shen seemed as if he were fixed in place, standing motionless at the entrance.

Xiao He was a little puzzled. Just when he was about to walk over, Fan Shen abruptly turned around, strode to his bedroom and closed the door with a bang. 

Xiao He was left at a loss.

Teenagers…he didn’t understand them! 

Inside the bedroom, Fan Shen leaned beside the door and slowly closed his eyes. 

The conversation with that girl just now floated into his mind.

“Xiao Fan Shen, I...I like you.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“You...have someone you like?” 

“Yes.”

His eyes were closed, but the scene from just now was engraved crystal-clear in his mind. 

The man’s damp hair, clear eyes, and that fair chest, unguardedly exposed…

The scene from his dream crashed wildly into his mind like a wave. Fan Shen shut his eyes tight and forced down the sorrow that welled up from the bottom of his heart.

He had refused her, and she was disappointed.

But...was there anyone in this world who was in more despair than him?

Falling in love with his own father, and having those kinds of filthy thoughts about his own blood relative, was he...still a human being? 

***

2 hours and 58 minutes for 2,003 words, or 8.9 minutes for every 100 words. A decrease in rate by 0.6 minutes ✌️

Here's the deep-fried pork (溜酥肉, liū sū ròu) that Xiao He made. 

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