"Dad......... My name is Mo Qianyu........."
"Then please take good care of me from now on, Qian Yu. Also........."
"My name is Xia Chuan."
......
——————————————————————————————————————————
"Xia Chuan, wake up already!"
In a daze, Xia Chuan was jolted awake by a girl’s voice booming like spring thunder beside his ear. He had no choice but to open his eyes.
Blinding light flooded his vision the moment he did, forcing him to squeeze them shut again. After a while, he adjusted to the brightness and slowly opened them once more.
What came into view was a neat, pretty room. A desk, computer, wardrobe, and bookshelf were arranged in a standard layout.
The surroundings left the still-sleepy Xia Chuan feeling disoriented.
Once his mind cleared slightly, he searched for the voice’s source. He saw a young girl standing with arms crossed, a hint of anger on her face.
Through the warm sunlight, Xia Chuan could clearly see her appearance.
She was tall. Her long hair, which should have flowed like a waterfall, was tied into a slender single ponytail. It added liveliness to her otherwise serene face. Her skin was snow-white, with cherry lips and eyes like autumn water set in an oval face. A black beauty mark under her left eye stood out in the sun. She wore Seafeather Second High’s unique girls’ uniform, hugging her well-proportioned figure. Since she’d been busy in the kitchen, she also had on a pink-and-white apron.
Without that angry expression, she’d be the quintessential light novel heroine.
But being woken by such a beauty didn’t make Xia Chuan shy. This happened almost daily, and he was long past his teenage years anyway.
"Morning, Qian Yu......"
Xia Chuan scratched his messy hair and said it nonchalantly.
The girl called Qian Yu, though used to this tone, still felt flustered. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she shot him a fierce glare.
"Sleep, sleep, sleep! All you do is sleep. Sleep yourself to death, lazy pig Xia Chuan!"
With that, she puffed her cheeks and turned to leave his bedroom.
Watching her flustered figure, Xia Chuan shook his head with a bitter smile and muttered under his breath:
"Girls really change as they grow up......... She used to call me Dad all the time when she was little......."
He rubbed his eyes, ready to get up and brush his teeth. But looking at his bedroom layout—even after three years here—he felt an inexplicable unfamiliarity. He sighed and murmured:
"Everything’s changed so much......... But nothing can be done........."
"After all........."
"Thirteen years have already passed........."
————————————————————————————————————————————
Yes, thirteen years had flown by in a blink. Qian Yu, once just a little kid, had grown into a lovely young lady.
The girl who’d just woken Xia Chuan was that same little loli from back then—Mo Qianyu.
Looking back, it was naive of him to take her in as a high school student. A poor kid who could barely feed himself, trying to raise a child.
Only by raising one did you realize how hard it was. Xia Chuan couldn’t ask his parents for help, so all responsibility fell on him.
To earn enough money, he dropped out of high school to work. It wasn’t that he was irresponsible—he’d never planned to go to college anyway. Starting early or late didn’t matter.
At first, he did hard labor: carrying bricks, carrying bricks, carrying bricks.......
But he didn’t idle. He couldn’t carry bricks forever, so he decided to self-study programming.
Juggling work and study was exhausting. But for a high-paying job, he had to endure it. He wasn’t alone—he had a little girl to raise.
Two years later, through hard work, he became a programmer at a small internet company.
After eight more years, he finally scraped together the down payment for an apartment in Haiyu City. He and Qian Yu moved from that cramped single room to this spacious two-bedroom, one-living-room place.
Time changed so much. In thirteen years, Xia Chuan became a man burdened with double loans. Qian Yu grew into a graceful young lady. His childhood sweetheart married her senior and had a cute kid........ Many things shifted with time. But one thing stayed the same.........
Well, Sister Wang Yin still hadn’t married off herself.........
Though people and things changed every second, Xia Chuan didn’t dislike this life. He even hoped it would continue.
——————————————————————————————————————
After his reflection, Xia Chuan got up to brush his teeth.
In the bathroom, he looked at his mirror reflection and touched his patchy stubble.
Thirteen years had passed, yet nearly thirty-year-old Xia Chuan didn’t feel much older. Even with unshaven stubble, he still looked early twenties.
Honestly, he hadn’t changed much. His biggest change was losing those overly long bangs. Without that weird hairstyle, his face was fully revealed.
His features looked meticulously carved, with deep-set eyes. Messy hair and dark circles dragged him down, but he still radiated cool, handsome vibes.
Unfortunately, deep down, he was a goofball.
Stroking his stubble, he muttered to the mirror:
"Weird......... Why haven’t I aged all these years? Could it be from being single too long?"
That’s right—Xia Chuan was still single. With his looks alone, he should’ve charmed many girls. He had dated a few, but all fizzled out due to someone’s interference.
Logically, a meddler like that deserved to be chopped up and fed to dogs. But that someone was his own daughter—Mo Qianyu.
Her antics back then drove his girlfriends away.
Since Qian Yu was young, he couldn’t blame her. He just thought she couldn’t accept a new mom.
After that, he focused on work instead of dating. Until now.
"Guess it’s time to find a girlfriend........."
He murmured to his reflection, then grabbed his toothbrush and cup to start his routine.
————————————————————————————————————
After washing up, Xia Chuan went to the living room for breakfast.
Fried dough sticks, soy milk, plain rice porridge, and steamed buns were neatly arranged on the table. But since Qian Yu was still tidying the kitchen, he didn’t start eating.
The TV played morning news, but Xia Chuan ignored it. He watched the busy figure in the kitchen.
Actually, when Qian Yu entered junior high, she took over household chores. Back then, she’d said:
"Dad works too hard. I want to help wherever I can."
She was such a little angel then. But now.........
"Hah? Don’t get the wrong idea! I just cooked extra by accident. You think I’d cook for you? Idiot Xia Chuan!"
In just three years, Qian Yu had transformed. Her attitude turned harsh, and she even stopped calling him Dad.........
Xia Chuan didn’t mind much—it made him feel old. Brother suited him better than father.
Still, he knew her harsh words hid true concern. Was this the legendary tsundere?
Well, it felt more like teenage rebellion.
While Xia Chuan’s thoughts wandered, Qian Yu finished in the kitchen. She untied her apron and came to the table.
Seeing he hadn’t eaten, she snapped:
"What? Why aren’t you eating? Need me to feed you?"
Used to her harshness, Xia Chuan chuckled lightly at her flushed face. He smiled sideways:
"Sure, if you’re willing........."
His smile was devastatingly charming. Even after seeing it many times, Qian Yu’s cheeks flushed uncontrollably.
After a pause, she turned away flustered:
"Who’d feed you! Idiot Xia Chuan, your smile’s gross........"
"Yes, yes, I’m the grossest. Just eat breakfast. Finish and go to school."
Amused by her reaction, Xia Chuan held back further teasing to avoid her rage.
"None of your business!"
Though she snapped, she obediently sat and started eating.
Both focused on breakfast in silence.
Xia Chuan sipped soy milk while watching TV news. After a moment, he seemed to remember something and asked Qian Yu across from him:
"By the way, Qian Yu, when will you claim your mom’s belongings?"
At his words, Qian Yu froze mid-bite. Her lingering blush vanished completely, leaving only sorrow.
She lowered her eyes to the soy milk in her bowl, silent.
The living room filled only with rustling leaves downstairs and the TV news echo.
After a long pause, she said coldly:
"Someone who doesn’t cherish their life........."
"isn’t my mom........."
