Then wish me a happy birthday first.
Chapter 89 Inseparable
The refrigerator was overflowing with New Year's goods, and it took Shen Moyu a long time to sort them out. He got up, wiped his sweat, and glanced out the window. Father and son looked at each other. Shen Donghai smiled at him. Shen Moyu looked at him for a while, then turned back to his own business.
The Lunar New Year is just around the corner. This will be the first Lunar New Year he and his father have spent together in ten years. What will it feel like?
After lunch, Shen Moyu was reading in the living room, while Xia Wei was carefully tending to the few potted plants she had been growing for several years on the balcony.
As always, Shen Donghai heated up a glass of milk for him and brought it over. Shen Moyu looked up, took it, and politely said, "Thank you."
Shen Donghai frowned, looking at Shen Moyu's handsome face with a moment of regret. He still refused to call him "Dad." Perhaps no matter what he did, he could not completely erase the barrier between them.
"What book are you reading?" Shen Donghai placed his hand on his knee and looked at the novel in his hand.
Shen Moyu flinched slightly, then adjusted his glasses: "It's an English novel, just something I picked up randomly."
His hand, which was resting beside the book, involuntarily clenched, and he felt awkward for some reason.
Shen Donghai slapped his thigh: "You like reading English novels too? Dad has quite a few here. I used to bring a few with me when I went on business trips. Look." As he spoke, he got up and walked to his suitcase, rummaged through it and pulled out several thick English novels. After hesitating for a few moments, he handed them all to Shen Moyu: "These can't be bought in China. Do you like them?"
It was clear that Shen Donghai really liked these novels, and giving them to him was a painful sacrifice. Shen Moyu smiled slightly and shook his head: "No need, I still have more here, you can keep them."
Shen Donghai scratched his head and picked out some mostly new books: "Don't be polite with your dad. Here, take these. I just bought them. They'll help you improve your English."
Seeing his father's expectant gaze, Shen Moyu reluctantly accepted the gift: "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? You need to thank me for just two books? That would be disrespectful to your father." Shen Donghai waved his hand magnanimously: "It's a good thing that my son likes to read English books. It will help him when he goes abroad in the future."
Shen Moyu picked out the two most jarring words, looked up and met Shen Donghai's gaze directly: "Going abroad?"
Shen Donghai was also stunned, and finally looked up at Xia Wei on the balcony. The atmosphere was quiet for a long time. Shen Moyu stared at him with wide eyes, completely incredulous.
After a moment of distraction, Shen Donghai looked at Shen Moyu seriously: "Son, I originally wanted to tell you this after the New Year. I know you might not be able to accept it right away, but listen, I said I would do everything I could to give you the best, including going abroad." He held Shen Moyu's hand tightly, as if afraid the child would pull away: "Actually, I discussed it with your mother a long time ago and contacted the best school. You can go with your father right after the winter break."
"Are you crazy?!" Shen Moyu shook off his hand, stood up and took two steps back: "You want me to go abroad?" He opened his mouth slightly, as if asking about something that could never happen.
"Son, listen to me!" Shen Donghai reached out and grabbed at the air. "I understand your surprise, and I know you're excellent. You could get into a good school in China, but the future I'm giving you is something I can't offer here, do you understand? After you graduate, you can take over my company directly..."
"Do you really think that just because we've spent two days together, we're like father and son? Do you think I'll agree to every single request you make?" Shen Moyu swayed, as if he was preparing to turn and leave every second.
Going abroad to study and taking over the company? His rush back, saying he wanted to make it up to him, was all a setup for this.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
Shen Donghai urgently explained, "I didn't mean that! Why don't you understand? Dad means well! Dad is sending you to a top-tier school in the world; your future is limitless, do you understand?"
"So this is why you came back this time?!" Shen Moyu slammed the book in her hand to the ground, sending it sliding several meters away. "To find an heir for your lousy company? Don't you have a son? Go find him! Why are you coming back to torment me?!"
"Mo Yu, don't get agitated." Xia Wei grabbed Shen Mo Yu's hand.
"Mom, you and him had already discussed it?" Shen Moyu asked weakly, his eyes filled with disappointment and shock. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Instead..." He seemed to have lost the courage to continue and withdrew his hand.
After a long silence, he spoke, his voice crisp: "I'm not going."
"Shen Moyu, can't you stop being so stubborn? I've paved the way out for you, and you still don't want it?" Shen Donghai slapped the table helplessly.
"I don't care about you or that lousy company. I've said it before, it disgusts me. I don't care about studying abroad either. I can still get into the university I want with my own scores. I'm not leaving." Shen Moyu's tone was very calm, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.
Xia Wei grasped his hand again, her eyes filled with sorrow: "Mo Yu, we're doing this for your own good. I've been a burden to you all these years... Now you have a better future. You should go out and see the world. Listen to me, and think it over again, okay?"
Xia Wei is very gentle, and Shen Moyu rarely refuses her requests, but this time is different.
“Mom, I’ve never felt like you’re a burden to me, and you don’t need to push me away. I like it here, and I don’t want to leave you. I’m eighteen years old, and I have the right to choose my own life. Where I belong and what university I go to are all my own business.”
Xia Wei shook her head, wanting to say something, but Shen Moyu cut her off: "Don't say anything, I'm not leaving, and that's final." He looked up at Shen Donghai, his resolute gaze like that of a cold robot: "You have even less right to control my future. If your kindness towards me these past few days is only because of this study abroad thing, then I'm returning all your things, and you can pack your things and leave. Don't bother coming back to see me."
"Is it because of that boy named Su Jinning?!"
Shen Donghai's roar successfully made Shen Moyu stop pushing the door open. He stared intently at the sandalwood door, and finally turned to look directly at Zhou Xingqi, who was standing at the top of the stairs.
There was no blame in his eyes, only icy coldness. Zhou Xingqi turned his head away awkwardly, and finally turned and went upstairs.
Shen Moyu turned her gaze back to Shen Donghai, and calmly crossed her arms over her chest: "Yes, the reason I don't want to leave Shanghai is because of him. He's my boyfriend, we've been dating for a year, are you done asking? I'm leaving."
Shen Donghai clutched his aching stomach, shouting angrily at him, "You bastard! Aren't you disgusting to spend all your time hanging out with men?!"
But Shen Moyu didn't show much emotion, only his face turned a little pale: "Yes, I am with a man. If you think I'm disgusting, then don't acknowledge me. Anyway, you have plenty of sons." After saying that, he turned to leave.
"Shut up! No matter what, I advise you to break it off as soon as possible! What kind of behavior is it for two men to be together!?"
"You're dreaming," Shen Moyu gritted his teeth. "I don't understand what your sense of propriety is, but I know I like him. I'm happy when I'm with him, and that's my sense of propriety!"
"You! You..." Shen Donghai was furious, his stomach aching and he was sweating profusely. He seemed to have no other choice but to turn his anger towards Xia Wei: "See this? This is the son you raised! He likes men!"
Xia Wei didn't speak, and closed her eyes tightly.
“My liking for him is my own business, and it has nothing to do with my mother. You have no right to restrict my life or tell me what to do. I’ve said it before, I’ve never considered you my father.” Shen Moyu subconsciously reached for the doorknob.
Perhaps because of the severe stomach pain, Shen Donghai's momentum weakened, and he almost pleaded, "Mo Yu, what do you want that I can't give you! Are you really going to let a man bewitch you?"
"You never knew what I wanted; only he did."
As the door opened, a cold wind squeezed through the crack, and he ran out, as if escaping a sea of suffering.
He sat by the tree roots for an unknown amount of time to calm down before taking out his phone to try and call Su Jinning. However, at the very last line, he saw Zhou Xingqi's call history.
Since Zhou Xingqi returned to China, they have been together almost every day but haven't spoken at all. Who made this call?
While waiting for Su Jinning to arrive, perhaps because he was too annoyed, he couldn't sit still and started walking along the roadside. It had been drizzling for the past few days, and the road was muddy from the melted snow. The wind blowing in his face was damp, and he felt cold after walking for a while.
My heart is cold.
He knew that he was nothing more than a tool in his father's eyes.
Shen Donghai is already over forty years old, and stomach cancer has already taken a toll on his energy, making it difficult for him to manage the company. His youngest son is probably just starting high school now; even if he skips a grade and graduates at sixteen, he still won't be able to take over the company.