Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 16 | The Nauseating Facade | Novela.app

Su Jingming watched the stranger that was Su Qicheng. Every word the man spoke was perfectly measured, leaving no room for fault, the very image of a devoted father. Leaning against the icy wall, Su Jingming felt his stomach churn at the sight of Su Qicheng’s hypocritical mask. It was nauseating. Truly nauseating. Su Jingming rested his left hand on his right elbow; faint, phantom pains seemed to bloom across his body. "There is no need to be so polite, Mr. Su. The truth has not yet come to light, and the school believes that Su Jingming is not the type of student to do such a thing. We asked you to come today mainly to discuss his current state at school." Director Li glanced at Zhou Hong. Zhou Hong took the cue. "Su Jingming’s grades are excellent, but we’ve noticed he’s become somewhat withdrawn. He doesn't seem to like interacting with his classmates." Su Qicheng nodded with a smile. "The boy has been introverted since he was small. He’s never been much of a talker." "We hope that you, as a parent, can show him more care. He’s in his adolescence, a time when children need understanding the most. He needs guidance for his inner thoughts. Children at this age should be proactive and optimistic." Director Li nodded in agreement, adding a few words of his own. "Yes, our school hopes for the well-rounded development of our students." Su Qicheng nodded solemnly. "I understand your concerns, teachers. I will be sure to give him proper guidance once we get home." As he spoke, his gaze slowly settled on Su Jingming. Su Jingming pressed his lips together, his eyelids drooping. His fingertips trembled unconsciously. It felt as though thousands of ants were crawling up his back; a numbing sensation started from his scalp and shot straight down to his tailbone. Su Jingming took a quiet, deep breath and looked up, meeting Su Qicheng’s slightly crazed eyes. That was the look Su Qicheng always had before he turned violent. After finishing his pleasantries with the teachers, Su Qicheng led Su Jingming out of the office. Su Jingming felt weak all over, his face gradually turning pale. He slowly raised his eyes. Outside the teaching building, the plane trees were stripped down to their branches. Fallen leaves, scattered by the wind, twirled in the air several times before slowly descending and vanishing from sight. He still remembered the buds that had grown so wildly in the spring, the shade he had relied on during the height of summer. In a flash, spring and summer were gone. Autumn was in full bloom. Su Jingming wondered why he couldn't be like one of those leaves; then, he might find new life next year. He found the thought utterly ridiculous. Perhaps his very existence was a joke. He followed silently behind Su Qicheng. The man’s back looked broad, the muscle lines on his arms firm enough to show even through a thin jacket. For a fleeting moment, Su Jingming thought about running away—escaping this place, fleeing to a city where Su Qicheng didn't exist. Once they were out of the teaching building, Su Qicheng turned around with a look of dissatisfaction and demanded, "Don't you have anything to explain to me?" "If I explained, would you listen?" Su Jingming countered. School had been out for a while, and few students remained in the building. Su Jingming gripped his backpack strap with one hand, standing in the warm sunlight. The light hit his skin, making the dark circles under his eyes even more prominent. His gray school uniform no longer fit him well, hanging off a frame that was thin and frail. His eyes reflected the autumn scenery; his nose was filled with the scent of the season. Su Qicheng was suppressed by a surge of anger, but he couldn't let it out at school. Restraining his violent impulses, he said in a low voice, "Su Jingming, we’ll discuss this slowly when we get home." Su Jingming gave a noncommittal hum, looking as though he didn't care at all. The sun made Su Jingming’s head throb, and Su Qicheng’s silhouette seemed to double in his vision. They turned through several long alleys. The scarred stone walls were plastered with countless advertisements. In these narrow lanes, people came and went in a constant flow of mundane life. When they reached the apartment building, they ran into Uncle and Auntie Li, who were arguing again. It was still about the girl from the hair salon downstairs. Su Qicheng offered a few cheerful words of mediation. This time, Uncle Li didn't slam the door and leave, and Auntie Li didn't break into a stream of curses. Su Jingming’s grip on his backpack strap loosened slightly. Auntie Li looked at them and said warmly, "Why don't you come in for lunch? Old Su definitely hasn't cooked. It’s hard on the kid, having to run around with you at midday." Su Qicheng waved his hand. "It’s fine. I’ve got food at home. I went to the school specifically to bring Jingming back for a meal." Hearing this, Su Jingming instinctively took a small step back. Declining Auntie Li’s kindness, the father and son reached their front door. Before Su Qicheng could even pull out his keys, he grabbed Su Jingming’s right wrist with a vicious grip. With a sudden yank, Su Qicheng pulled Su Jingming close. Su Qicheng’s face magnified instantly before Su Jingming’s eyes, filled with both shock and a terrifying intensity. "Su Jingming, you entered a competition just to drag your name through the mud? Just how much capability do you have to go stealing exam papers?" He spoke through gritted teeth, his aura of violence impossible to hide. "I didn't do it." "When did you learn to talk back? You’re just like your mother!" "I said, I. Did. Not. Do. It!" "Your mother was the same! And so are you! Do you think the Su family name is yours to throw away?!" Su Qicheng had endured the walk home, but his heart was overgrown with thorns; he needed a breakthrough to vent his rage. He couldn't even wait to get inside before he laid hands on Su Jingming. This time, he struck harder than he ever did when he was drunk. When Su Jingming finally regained his senses, he was clutching his aching abdomen. He stood hunched over, his eyes red. His mouth was still repeating: "I didn't do it." Su Qicheng’s rage had reached its peak. His eyes were bloodshot, and the only sound in the quiet, old stairwell was the sound of heavy, low breathing. From beginning to end, Su Jingming hadn't made a single sound of pain. He stared at the stairs behind Su Jingming. There were only a dozen or so steps, but in his eyes, they stretched out, long and endless. In a daze, he saw a youth in a gray school uniform. Fury blinded him. Su Qicheng raised his foot and, just as Su Jingming expected, kicked him down the stairs. In the residential building of the long alley, against the weathered walls and the inseparable smoke of human life outside, Su Jingming smiled at Su Qicheng as he fell backward. It felt like a release. And yet, it wasn't. Suddenly, the words he had said to Ren Wei echoed in his ears. *I have no standing. He gave me life and raised me; consider this repayment.* Su Jingming thought that if one day Su Qicheng wanted his life, he would be willing to give it. As if a pause button had been pressed, countless images flashed through Su Jingming’s mind. He saw his home from childhood, before everything changed. The living room curtains were always the pale blue that Cheng Hui loved most. Su Qicheng would sit with him on the sofa to watch his favorite show, *Tiga*. The young Su Jingming had curled into Su Qicheng’s arms: "I want to be a hero like Tiga in the future, bringing light and justice." Back then, Su Qicheng had been a true father. He would stroke Su Jingming’s head and say patiently, "Alright. Our Jingming will carry all the light and justice in the world and become someone else's hero." Those days felt like yesterday, etched clearly into Su Jingming’s mind. Time is always fleeting; year after year, the seasons cycle again and again. *I seem to be living in a dream, yet I cannot distinguish between dream and reality.* Su Jingming didn't know what happened next. He only knew that at the very end, he fell into a warm embrace. Someone whispered a single phrase into his ear: "Little hero." It was as if a crack had opened in the deepest corner of the abyss, letting in a stream of gentle, soft light. The wail of an ambulance siren echoed through every corner of the long alley. The passing crowds gathered at the base of the residential building, blocking the way completely. Su Qicheng hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He followed the ambulance, looking lost, his hands and feet still trembling slightly. A nurse nearby noticed Su Qicheng’s erratic state and asked softly, "Are you alright?" Su Qicheng’s eyes snapped open, glaring at the nurse. "I..." he stammered. "My son... and that... that one of his..." Nurses often saw family members who were too nervous to speak. She comforted him in a gentle voice, "Your son and his classmate will both be fine. Don't be too anxious." Su Qicheng’s gaze drifted aimlessly. He rubbed his fingers hard, his head throbbing violently as other voices rang incessantly in his ears. *Su Qicheng, why did you save him?* *Shouldn't you hate Su Jingming the most?* *Why save him? It would have been better to just let him die!* Suddenly, Su Qicheng began to strike his own head, startling the nurse, who hurried over to restrain him. However, Su Qicheng was too strong; he nearly knocked the nurse over onto Su Jingming, who was lying on the emergency gurney. "What are you doing? Calm down!" "Quick, a sedative!" Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 苏启成 | Su Qicheng | Su Jingming's father. 李主任 | Director Li | The grade director at the school. 迪迦 | Tiga | Refers to Ultraman Tiga, a popular superhero character. 程慧 | Cheng Hui | Su Jingming's mother. 镇定剂 | Sedative | Medical intervention used on Su Qicheng at the end.