On Saturday around nine o'clock, An Lisi and I went to Sunshine Coffee Shop, which wasn't too far away, about 500 meters or so, but we had to start at Shen Yu Middle School.

"Did you not sleep well last night?" An Lisi beside me looked tired.

"Um... not really," I answered, feeling slightly confused by her slightly lively response. But I couldn't pinpoint why.

"Did you skip breakfast again this morning?" I asked in surprise. "Don't worry about the money I lent you. You can pay me back whenever. There's still a few days left. It's hard to get by without money, so I just gave it to her even though she didn't want it."

"I had breakfast, but I feel bad for borrowing money from you, Brother You," An Lisi said, gripping her skirt.

"You don't have to be so polite. You can pay me back whenever. I'm not in urgent need of money," I said casually.

"Mm... You're so nice, Brother You," An Lisi whispered.

"... I feel a little embarrassed that you say that. I actually have a lot of flaws. I'm just average looking, have no talent, but I have this desire to achieve great things. I'm not even studying hard... I think my grades are starting to decline," I said, half-jokingly. But it was the truth, and it was hard to just laugh it off.

"Brother You, please have more confidence in yourself. With a little effort, you can achieve something," An Lisi encouraged me.

"Mm... Let's move forward towards a better life together," I said, feeling a surge of emotion. I looked at the road ahead, which seemed endless, while the sun radiated its brilliant light.

"Brother You..."

"Yeah?"

"How much further is it?"

"About ten meters?"

"Can I hold onto your clothes, Brother You?"

"You can... but..." I was a bit confused, but An Lisi had already grabbed onto my clothes with one hand and placed her other hand on her chest. Her gaze seemed fixed on the ground. I didn't quite understand what she meant, but the stares from the people passing by made me feel uneasy. Luckily, we were almost at the Sunshine Coffee Shop. I just had to endure for a little longer.

We entered the coffee shop, and I scanned the room, trying to find the figure of An Lisi's father. But I didn't know what he looked like. Just as I was about to ask if An Lisi's father was here, a man with black-framed glasses walked over, looking a bit worn-out. White strands were interspersed among his black hair.

"You must be... Xu Youjie," he said.

"Uh... Uncle... hello," I replied, still a bit taken aback and struggling with my words.

"An Lisi... have you been doing well recently?" An Lisi's father asked gently, but An Lisi remained silent.

"Let's sit down and talk," her father said, as if he had already reserved a table.

After we sat down and ordered some drinks... there was a moment of silence. Once our drinks arrived, I took a deep breath and said, "I heard from An Lisi that you haven't been providing her with living expenses for the past two months..."

"Is that why you came to find me?" An Lisi's father said, looking at An Lisi. An Lisi stayed silent, but she started gripping onto my clothes a little tighter. Ever since she grabbed my clothes earlier, she hadn't let go.

I am very worried that my T-shirt will be pulled out of shape.

"I guess I have given a lot of money to An Lisi. Since last month, An Lisi has been asking me for money. I am doing what a father should do, right?" That look in his eyes seemed to be questioning An Lisi.

"Is that so?" I looked at An Lisi with some disbelief. It seemed that what An Lisi's father said was true. Why would things turn out this way? An Lisi doesn't seem like someone who spends money recklessly. But... I suddenly thought of something. Although not surprising, it still surprised me a little. An Lisi probably used all this money to buy drugs.

"Probably around eighty thousand, and it's not consistent. I didn't ask much, but I sent the money to you without hesitation because I felt I owed you in some way and wanted to compensate you by doing so."

"Eighty thousand..." High school students usually only need around one or two thousand a month to live, right? The cost of living here is not that high.

"Don't you understand, Xu Youjie?" When An Lisi's father asked me like this, I was speechless. The expression on An Lisi's face now seemed to be saying, "Let's go."

This cannot be like this...

"Although An Lisi didn't tell me about this, as a father, I believe it is an obligation to support one's child until they are of legal age. The law clearly states that, right?!" I said these words impulsively, not knowing how persuasive they were.

"But... with such reckless spending, even I, who am like a treasure chest, will be emptied by her," An Lisi's father complained.

"Even so, are you just going to ignore it?" I stared at An Lisi's father. Although it seemed a bit rude, I didn't want to give up in this regard.

"I have my own family too. My wife, Lingzi, is about to give birth. Even though I am just an ordinary office worker, my income is not much. The burden of the family rests on my shoulders. I really have no way out. Should I sell my blood to provide for her living expenses? By the way, why don't you go find your mother? She hasn't given a single penny until now, and the court has clearly stated that she should provide child support until you come of age. But she has disappeared somewhere, leaving me with all the burden. I am human, not a god, let alone a robot that can work day and night," An Lisi's father said in an excited tone. His face looked like that of an exploited and oppressed slave. Listening to him, it seemed like he had formed a new family.

"Then why did you let An Lisi rent a place alone outside? Why not live together? Wouldn't it be better to take care of her that way?" I asked in confusion and disbelief.

"Well... that's not possible," An Lisi's father hesitated for a moment, but then said in a cold tone.

"Why? This is very puzzling to me..."

"This is my family matter... please respect that a little. Although you keep saying that you are An Lisi's classmate, could it be that you are helping her deceive me for money?"

When did I become such a malicious person in other people's eyes? This inexplicably made me angry. An Lisi seemed to be enduring as well, keeping her head down.

Doesn't seem like we can convince him? And it feels like An Lisi's father is hiding something, judging by his reluctance to speak. But now doesn't seem to be the time to think about this. It seems unlikely for An Lisi to go home, so at least he should bear the cost of child support. That's what I think. Just as I was about to say it, suddenly someone's phone rang. An Lisi's father took out his phone from his pants pocket.

"Sorry...let me take this call."

An Lisi's father answered the phone. Although it wasn't on speaker, he seemed to be able to hear the voice on the other end.

"Lingzi has successfully given birth!" exclaimed an older woman on the other end of the line, her tone filled with excitement and joy. "And it's a baby boy! Finally, our family can continue the lineage. The An family has been worried about the lineage ending with you, but now everything is fine..."

"How is Lingzi?" An Lisi's father couldn't hide his happiness.

"She's a bit weak after giving birth, so she's resting," the woman replied.

"As long as she's okay..." An Lisi's father breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, where were you? As a father, you should be by your wife and child's side during this important time. Isn't it irresponsible of you to not be there?" the woman scolded.

"I was meeting some important clients..." An Lisi's father awkwardly replied, although he felt like he was making up an excuse.

"No matter how important those clients are, they can't be more important than your wife and child. Come to the hospital right away!"

"Alright, I'll go now..."

The call ended, and An Lisi's father still had a face full of joy. After a few seconds, he returned to his cold expression.

"An Lisi, I'm sorry but I can't help you with this anymore. Go find your mother. You know that Lingzi has given birth to a baby boy. My responsibilities might become even heavier now, especially since Lingzi won't be able to work. So...please understand and go find your mother," he said without receiving any response from An Lisi, who had remained silent.

An Lisi's father stood up and went to the counter to pay the bill. "I have to say goodbye now. My wife is still in the hospital, and I can't be with you," he said, taking a few steps before turning back. "You seem like a good young man, straightforward and honest. If you're interested in An Lisi, please take care of her. It will be beneficial to both of you..."

With that, he pushed open the door and left. What does this mean? He just left without considering his responsibilities and burdened me with them in the end?

An Lisi kept her head down, and when I saw tears falling from her eyes, I realized she was crying. Damn it! I wanted her to go home, or at least provide her with financial support. But it seemed like nothing was accomplished. I started to resent my own helplessness. If I had been more forceful in my tone...

"He can't be far yet. I'll go find him!" I stood up and prepared to go find An Lisi's father, determined to make him provide financial support for An Lisi. But An Lisi tightly grabbed my sleeve and said somewhat choked up, "You don't have to..."

"But!!!"

"I really don't need it!" An Lisi said firmly this time. The people in the coffee shop turned their heads in confusion upon hearing An Lisi's loud voice. To avoid drawing attention, I reluctantly sat back down.

"Is it really okay to let him walk away like that?" I asked An Lisi.

An Lisi didn't answer... After a while, she said to herself as if talking to her own thoughts, "So my father wanted a boy...and I am a girl..."

An Lisi covered her face and cried, filled with sadness.

I could only watch her cry, unable to think of any way to comfort her. I felt distressed and anxious. Even if I dragged her father here and gave him a good beating, it wouldn't solve anything.

"Yoo Ge, I want to go back..." An Lisi stood up unsteadily. I instinctively supported her and said, "I'll take you back."