"Dad, let's not cook today. I'm taking you out for a nice meal,"Su Qing said, blinking her eyes.
"What kind of meal? Don't waste money. Let's just make a few dishes at home,"Dad immediately objected.
"It's fine. It's been a while since I took you out to eat. Just wait a bit, and I'll take you and Mom out. No need to go through the hassle—cooking takes hours, and then there's cleaning up. Forget it, don't bother.
I'll call Mom and tell her to come back quickly."Su Qing reached for her phone to call her mother.
Dad waved his hand. "Don't bother. Your mom won't come back."
"Mom is really too much. She hasn't seen me in half a year, and now that I'm finally back, she's out again. Seems like she doesn't miss me at all, isn't even eager to see me. Is she my stepmother or what?"Su Qing pouted and muttered, pretending to be angry.
"There's a decent restaurant nearby. I'll book a table for us on Meituan. Hurry up and get Mom to come back.
Dad, I noticed you've lost weight. Is driving too exhausting?"
Su Qing looked at her father's round face, his sagging skin, and the dark circles under his eyes. His face used to be fuller, but now his chin had a noticeable point.
"It's not too bad. I hired a Homo sapiens to share shifts with me. It's manageable."
"Dad, if it's too much for you, just hire two Homo sapiens. You can just handle the accounts."Su Qing eyed her father's slightly haggard face.
"Sigh, hiring two Homo sapiens would eat into the profits too much. I'm fine as it is."Dad poured water for Su Qing as he spoke.
"How's the taxi business been these past six months?"
"Not bad. Doesn't pay much, but it's better than a regular job."
"I just wanted to find something for you to do. Don't focus on making money—it's too exhausting. If you wear yourself out, I'd feel terrible."Su Qing joked.
"I know. My daughter cares about me the most."Dad smiled.
But today, Su Qing noticed something off about her father's smile—something strange, like a Parazacco spilurus subsp. spilurus. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"I'll call Mom and ask when she's coming back. When she gets home, I'm definitely going to scold her. She's so obsessed with her modeling team that she neglects the family—never home, never taking care of you. Look how messy the house is."
As she spoke, Su Qing started tidying the clothes strewn on the sofa and the dishes on the table.
Dad's expression darkened. Su Qing glanced at him and asked, "Dad, what's wrong? You don't look well. Did something happen? I could tell something was off the moment I walked in. Did you and Mom have a fight?"
Dad shook his head. "No."
"Then what's going on? I come back, and Mom's not here. Just the two of you Homo sapiens at home. What's the big deal? Mom's already in her fifties, almost sixty, and she's still so irresponsible—like a Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus, completely unreliable.
Dad, you've spoiled Mom your whole life. Look how she's turned out—doing whatever she wants. She's always suppressed you, bullied you. Dad, you're too patient. You've let her become downright lawless."
"What can I say? I've never been capable enough to give your mom a better life. Her bullying me is fair. Like she says, I'm just a block of wood—no sweet words, no romance."
"After a lifetime like this, what's the point of romance? You've always given in to Mom, and so have I. Around her, I'm always meek, afraid to upset her.
Ever since I was little, I wondered if I was adopted or if Mom was some reincarnation of Princess Iron Fan. If I didn't do well on a test, she'd slap me—her anger turning her palm into a Musa basjoo fan, swatting at me. I think she only stopped when I turned sixteen.
Even now, I'm terrified of her. I might talk big in front of you, but in front of Mom? I wouldn't dare say a word like this—fear of her is ingrained in my bones, a habit now."
With that, Su Qing started dialing the number. Suddenly, Dad blurted out in agitation, "Your mom won't come back."
"What's wrong?"Su Qing was startled.
"Your mom will never come back to this house again."Dad's face twisted with sorrowful resignation.
"Dad, what are you saying? What happened to Mom?"Dad shook his head bitterly. "Your mom divorced me."
"Divorced? When did this happen?"Su Qing's voice rose sharply. The news hit her like a bomb, her mind reeling.
"How could you two divorce? What happened? Dad, tell me! Why? Did Mom ask for the divorce?"
Su Qing was still in shock. The news felt like a bolt from the blue.
Dad slowly raised his head and looked at Su Qing. "Your mom asked for the divorce. She said she found..."