BABHFD : Chapter 18 Pretext

 

“Are you sure?” Ron was called into Leonid’s office, and upon hearing what Leonid had to say, he felt completely flabbergasted.

 

Leonid nodded, “Course supervisor Teacher Xie said that Ren Zhouyuan was present that day. He specifically asked him if he was the child’s family, and Ren Zhouyuan confirmed.”

 

Leonid was still shaken. The news he had just heard was too overwhelming, and his hands were still trembling.

 

“But they kept the cotton swab with the child’s blood and found out the child is yours?!” Ron exclaimed, bewildered.

 

Leonid shot him a displeased look. Ron rubbed his nose and continued, “I don’t get it. So Ren Zhouyuan has been raising ‘your’ kid all these years, afraid that you’d recognize him? Did he steal a son you didn’t even know existed and secretly raised him?”

 

Leonid frowned at Ron’s words. He couldn’t figure out the nuances of the situation. He had previously thought the child who resembled him so much was a friend’s child. Now, to find out this child was his own, and yet he had no recollection of having fathered a child, especially one carrying Ren Zhouyuan’s surname—everything seemed inexplicably tangled.

 

Seeing no answer from Leonid, Ron ran a hand through his hair and made a bold guess, “Maybe you left him pregnant during that one-night stand and didn’t know, or perhaps Ren Zhouyuan is actually a woman?”

 

Leonid’s frown deepened. He knew for sure Ren Zhouyuan was not a woman. That night, Ren Zhouyuan was drunk, but he was still very conscious—such a small amount of alcohol couldn’t have made him black out. However, that night, he did not use protection. The memory of that night was still vivid, almost unforgettable, even after five years.

 

“Or maybe,” Ron continued, “you knocked up some rich girl’s daughter before you met him, and she knew Ren Zhouyuan. They decided to raise the kid to get back at you, the so-called ‘jerk.'”

 

Leonid didn’t even bother to glance at him. “Before Ren Zhouyuan, all the women I dated are now married with kids. Since him, I haven’t been with anyone else.”

 

“Well, that’s commendable, staying chaste and all,” Ron teased. “But that kid, Ren Ju’an, is five years old now. The timing fits. Think hard—maybe you did forget, and Ren Zhouyuan is actually a woman?”

 

Leonid, eyebrows furrowed, thought over and over. Deep down, he hoped the child was indeed theirs. But reality dictated that Ren Zhouyuan was a man. How could a man give birth to a child?

 

He briefly considered the possibility that Ren Zhouyuan might be intersex, but recalling that night, it seemed unlikely.

 

They discussed for a long time but couldn’t come to a reasonable conclusion. Regardless, Ren Zhouyuan was raising his child, a fact more significant to Leonid than anything else. Even before knowing about the child, he had planned to pursue Ren Zhouyuan. Now, with this child, he couldn’t let go of the opportunity.

 

However, Leonid knew that making Ren Zhouyuan accept him wouldn’t be easy. Ren Zhouyuan was not only scared of him but also feared that he would find out about Ren Ju’an. He didn’t want to lose either of them, but pushing too hard might make Ren Zhouyuan disappear again like before.

 

Leonid voiced his concerns to Ron, who, after some thought, suggested, “Let me look into his friend’s background. He can’t run far if he’s in contact with his friend. But you have to put in some effort too. Here’s an idea: I’ll talk to the course department about our upcoming maker space project. We’ll organize a company trip to the trial site, and you can bring Ren Zhouyuan along. I’ll make sure you two share a room.”

 

Ron gave Leonid a suggestive wink, which Leonid ignored, focusing instead on the plan.

 

Ron moved quickly, and the official notice was issued the next day. When Ren Zhouyuan received the notice, he was still in a state of confusion and didn’t pay much attention to it until Ron came to inform him about traveling with Leonid. Ren Zhouyuan jumped from one shock to another.

 

Ron explained some details, emphasizing that the trip was a company perk and employees could bring their families. He hinted at bringing children for the experience.

 

Ren Zhouyuan shot him a strange look, making Ron feel uncomfortable. After adding a few more words, Ron hurried away.

 

Since Leonid’s inquiry, Ren Zhouyuan felt like everyone in the company knew about his child, and how much the child resembled Leonid.

 

He was deeply unsettled. Having just started to settle in this city, his long-hidden secret was exposed, and the person he least wanted to know had found out.

 

Ren Zhouyuan didn’t know how much Leonid knew. Although Leonid hadn’t threatened to take An An away, which was a relief, it didn’t mean he could pretend nothing had happened and continue living as before.

 

But this time, he wasn’t sure how easily he could escape from Leonid.

 

Escaping wasn’t something that could be planned overnight. Caught off guard, he had no plan and couldn’t find a reason to ask Fan Wenfeng for help. The biggest issue was his lack of money to move to another city.

 

Watching An An happily play with his models at home gave Ren Zhouyuan a headache.

 

Thinking about the weekend trip with Leonid, Ren Zhouyuan seriously considered running away but quickly dismissed the idea. It would only draw more suspicion, and they might hunt him down.

 

An An’s weekend classes at Vichy’s were a constant. Ren Zhouyuan lied to him, “An An, Daddy has to work out of town this weekend. Vichy’s won’t be open, so you’ll stay with Uncle Wenfeng. He’ll take you to the amusement park.”

 

An An pouted, hugging him tightly, “I want to go with Daddy!”

 

Ren Zhouyuan patted his head, thinking that taking him would mean they might never see each other again. He kissed An An and said, “Daddy’s workplace is different now. Kids aren’t allowed. Be good and go with Uncle Wenfeng to the amusement park. Daddy will be back the next day.”

 

An An twisted his body, unhappy about his dad’s job. However, being an obedient child, he reluctantly agreed.

 

Ren Zhouyuan explained the situation to Fan Wenfeng, who, still feeling guilty about An An’s injury, agreed immediately.

 

On the day of departure, Ren Zhouyuan dropped An An off at Fan Wenfeng’s place. An An clung to him for a long time before finally letting go.

 

Leaning against the car window, An An’s eyes brimmed with tears. Though he didn’t cry, his wide eyes never left Ren Zhouyuan, making it hard for him to leave.

 

This was the first time An An had been away from Ren Zhouyuan since birth. Even during their time with the archaeological team, they had never been apart for more than a day. Thus, both father and son were extremely reluctant.

 

After bidding farewell, Ren Zhouyuan headed to the company with his backpack.

 

The trip was organized by the company, involving department heads and above from the course-related departments. Upon arriving at the company entrance, Ren Zhouyuan found several cars already parked, indicating a large group going to the base.

 

Following instructions, he found his assigned car, only to discover that his seatmate was Leonid.

 

Awkwardly smiling at him, Ren Zhouyuan squeezed past to his seat, turning to the window without engaging in small talk.

 

Leonid didn’t mind. Despite Ron’s suggestion to bring family, he noticed Ren Zhouyuan didn’t bring his son, which was a bit disappointing.

 

His son—did he look like Ren Zhouyuan at all?