Another reading put her temperature at slightly over 100. “You can give her the medicine now,” Liu Jingfang said. “I’ll give her another massage after her afternoon nap.”
Yan Jun gave her the medicine, and Xiao-Qi fell asleep. By that point, the cleaning was done too. Yan Jun returned Xiao-Qi to the crib and left the door ajar as he stepped out to thank Liu Jingfang.
“Auntie Liu can help you take care of Xiao-Qi. She’s very experienced,” Zhang Yuwen said. “Just go to the office if you can’t take the day off.”
Yan Jun finally had the time to look at his phone. His work group chat was full of snide remarks from his team leader, though they still approved his leave. Yan Jun thought about it, then decided, “I’ll rest for a while before I go to work.”
Zhang Yuwen kept yawning as he made two cups of coffee in the kitchen and handed one to Yan Jun. “I’m sorry,” Yan Jun said.
“It’s okay,” Zhang Yuwen replied breezily. He’d been observing Yan Jun, this young man who spoke little and was already worn down by life despite his tender age. He wondered what kinds of responsibilities Yan Jun had on his shoulders and whether he’d made “father” part of his identity. This was a complex and contradictory character.
Zhang Yuwen thought Yan Jun was handsome. If he were to meet him in the countryside, he would have thought of Yan Jun as a vibrant guy with healthy, tanned skin who loved sports and life and playing basketball. He had chiseled features and a great physique, and his height of six feet and two inches made him a great fit for all sorts of clothes. With just a bit of hair styling, he could become a model.
But Yan Jun didn’t seem cognizant of his own appearance, or maybe he just didn’t care and chose instead to focus on work. His sense of responsibility gave him the air of a classic top, making him appear manly. But even the most masculine of men had moments of vulnerability.
“I mean, I’m sorry I lied to you,” Yan Jun said tiredly.
Zhang Yuwen said nothing this time, just watched Yan Jun silently. Whether as a matter of mutual trust or a desire to continue living at No. 7 Riverbay Road, Yan Jun had to come clean; that much was clear. Yan Jun hadn’t contacted Xiao-Qi’s parents once since last night. If Xiao-Qi had a mother, you’d expect her to storm the house in an anxious rush to see her daughter. Given that Xiao-Qi called him Papa, she was Yan Jun’s child, and there were only two possibilities: either he was divorced from or never married Xiao-Qi’s mother in the first place, or she was a child he had taken in.
Instead of jumping to conclusions, Zhang Yuwen waited for Yan Jun to explain.
“She really is my niece.” Yan Jun looked Zhang Yuwen in the eyes, and his own were full of pain. He was tired of pretending; he had to come clean.
Zhang Yuwen raised his brows, signaling for Yan Jun to continue.
“Her story is tragic. Her biological parents passed away.” Yan Jun averted his reddened eyes and held a clenched fist under his nose as he started choking up. Trembling, he took out his wallet and pulled out a photo to show Zhang Yuwen. “This is my brother and sister-in-law. It happened…four months ago. They died and left Xiao-Qi behind. My mother still doesn’t know about it…”
“Take a break first. Catch your breath; don’t talk.” Zhang Yuwen looked at the photo of the couple and understood immediately. The man in the photo bore a striking resemblance to Yan Jun, and the woman held a baby in her arms. Zhang Yuwen stood up, walked to the other side of the table to stand beside Yan Jun, and leaned down to hug him.
Remaining in his seat, Yan Jun turned slightly to hug Zhang Yuwen back, leaning into his waist as he sobbed with grief. The pent-up emotions that had been bottled up all this time finally found release.
Just then, Chen Hong returned from his morning run. The scene startled him, but he tactfully said nothing and trod softly back to his room. Some time later, Yan Jun regained his composure, and Zhang Yuwen let go of him.
Yan Jun was now able to tell his story calmly.
“My brother and sister-in-law ran a shop in Jiangnan. Back in July, they were on their way to make some purchases when they were involved in a multiple rear-end collision on the highway… My father passed away early, and my mother is old. She has cataracts, and her heart has always been weak. My sister-in-law had been on bad terms with her parents since she was a child. She ran away from home a long time ago and only got together with my brother later. We have no other relatives, and I don’t want to hand Xiao-Qi over to anyone else to raise. I don’t want her to end up in the system.”
Zhang Yuwen nodded. “So you’ve been caring for her all this time.”
Much more collected now, Yan Jun explained, “I send her to the childcare center in the day and pick her up in the evening.”
Yan Jun had come to Jiangdong City two years ago to seek refuge with his brother and sister-in-law. He also found a job here. The devastating news came like a bolt from the blue, and his life, which had been modest but full of familial warmth, was torn apart. He took care of the funeral affairs and canceled the lease for the apartment that his brother and sister-in-law rented. He didn’t want to be separated from Xiao-Qi; he was waiting outside the delivery room with his elder brother when she was born, and they had an emotional bond. He refused to hand her over to someone else to be abused or neglected.
He’d kept all of this hidden from his mother. Since her parents’ deaths, he and Xiao-Qi only had each other. Not wanting Xiao-Qi to feel like she didn’t have parents, he taught her to call him Papa. At least, this way, she would have a father.
“This is her birth certificate.” Yan Jun showed Zhang Yuwen a photo on his phone. Yan Yuqi’s biological father was listed as Yan Dai. “The original’s in my room. If you—”
“No, no, no need,” Zhang Yuwen cut in quickly. “I believe you. Unreservedly.” They both fell silent. “Your mother doesn’t call your brother at all?”
“I used my brother’s phone to send her voice messages. We sound alike, so all I need to do is change my speech habits. She hasn’t suspected anything so far.”
Zhang Yuwen nodded and looked at Yan Jun’s room again. Xiao-Qi was sleeping soundly, likely tired out by the hectic night.
“You going to work now?” Zhang Yuwen asked. “We can take care of her for you.”
“Yeah, I’m going to the office,” Yan Jun said. “Thanks.”
He didn’t ask what would happen to Xiao-Qi next. If Zhang Yuwen chased him out, he had no choice but to accept it. After all, Zhang Yuwen had never agreed to a child in the house. Yan Jun had deceived Zhang Yuwen, and now the ball was in his court. If Zhang Yuwen said, “Sorry, but you can’t stay here anymore,” or even dropped a hint to that effect, Yan Jun would move out that very afternoon.
But after a long silence, what Zhang Yuwen said was, “So when are you going to pay your rent?”
Yan Jun was taken aback. Then it dawned on him: Zhang Yuwen had accepted him and Xiao-Qi. “N-now,” Yan Jun stammered. “Y-yes! Right now!” He transferred the money to Zhang Yuwen from his phone, claiming the title of the first tenant to pay the full rent and deposit.
Zhang Yuwen checked his account. “Okay, got it.”
Yan Jun looked at him with gratitude and emotion, his lips trembling as he tried to convey his thanks. He couldn’t find the right words. His eyes reddened again.
Finding himself abruptly at a loss for how to handle the situation, Zhang Yuwen borrowed Yan Jun’s own technique. He said stiffly, “Go on. I’ll see you later.” Having ruthlessly cut the conversation off and halted the exchange of feelings, he cleared away the two coffee mugs and hurried back into his room.