7 Chapter 7: Is This How to Be a Father? (Revised)_1

Ouch, that hurt!

Talk about a stroke of bad luck!

No choice now, since I'm stuck with this, there's no reason to avoid it.

Walking into the bathroom, I helped Mu Hui to the side of the bathtub. Thankfully, my expression of feigned calmness seemed to have spared Mu Hui any embarrassment.

I shook my head to deal with my own inner awkwardness.

In the end, I sat at my desk, picking up the new type of elixir I had been diligently researching, as only this could temporarily distract me.

Indeed, as I considered the concepts for my new elixir, my attention was completely absorbed by the various herbs.

"To rejuvenate the vitality of the meridians... this is tough. But I remember reading about a toxic herb that can send one's nerves into overdrive. If I can remove the toxicity and combine it with the longevity pill I've been developing lately, maybe I can restore some sensation to her lower legs."

As these thoughts occupied my mind, I grabbed my phone and began searching for information—this distraction lasted for a full twenty minutes, during which I didn't let my mind wander once.

Anything related to elixirs always held such an allure for me; despite often claiming to have little interest in them, my thoughts were very truthful.

I wrote down several methods for concocting elixirs on a sheet of paper and jotted down a dozen or so herbs. Then I began extracting the essence of the concocting methods and continuously replaced the herbs with alternatives.

Finally, satisfied, I put down my pen. But looking at the list of herbs on the paper, my brow furrowed again just as I had begun to smile. Those dozens of herbs were just too expensive; the thousand dollars Uncle Han gave me monthly weren't enough to buy them, not even if I saved up for ten years could I afford to purchase them all.

Thump—

Just as I was fretting over the cost of these herbs, a sudden noise came from the neighboring bathroom. I immediately ran out to check.

When I opened the bathroom door, there was Mu Hui, having fallen outside the bathtub. I quickly rushed in to help her up.

"Why didn't you call me for help?"

My brows furrowed, keeping my gaze on her face without letting my eyes stray. At times like these, concern for another person outweighed any bashfulness I felt.

Mu Hui hung her head slightly, looking downcast, unwilling to speak.

Seeing this, I immediately set her gently in the wheelchair.

Watching her so dejected, I thought it might all be because of her injured leg and the cultivation ability she had lost forever.

She had obviously tried to climb out of the tub on her own power to dry herself off, but her fragile body simply wouldn't allow it.

Not knowing how to comfort her, I took a towel from the nearby wall and gently wiped her silver hair, then dabbed the water from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, there are no other women at my place, and I know it must be difficult for you with just a guy like me," I said.

Mu Hui shook her head slightly and finally spoke, "It's not because of that, I just... can't come to terms with my current self."

Her beautiful face was touched by sorrow, evoking empathy. As a stranger who had only interacted with her for a few hours, I felt moved.

I gently said, "Maybe you were very strong in the past, but everyone has their vulnerable moments. Isn't it okay to lean on someone nearby during those times?"

Mu Hui was silent for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "Then help me dry off, please."

I was startled, but before I could say anything, Shang Han's figure appeared outside the bathroom, having come to investigate after hearing the sound of Mu Hui's fall.

"If she asks for a wipe, just wipe, what's with the fuss?" Shang Han scolded without mercy.

"Huh?"

Fang Ren was startled by Uncle Han's sudden appearance but in the end, could only respond helplessly, "You do realize you're a dad, right...?"

"Have you ever seen a girl in her twenties still having her dad dry her hair? Hurry up and dry it, and save me the nonsense."

Shang Han left those words and slammed the bathroom door shut before lighting a cigarette and heading downstairs.

Is that really how a dad should act?

Is that really how a dad should act!!

Fang Ren's inner voice was practically roaring.

"It's okay, we're supposed to be husband and wife, right? It shouldn't really matter," Mu Huanqing said, looking at him.

...

Fang Ren pushed Mu Huanqing back to his room.

Since there were no other beds in the house that day, he decided to let her sleep there. Fang Ren planned to sleep on the sofa downstairs, or maybe squeeze into bed with the old geezer at home.

Whirrr...

In the room, Fang Ren was using his hair dryer to dry Mu Huanqing's hair, which was very soft. He was also curious about why she had a head of silver hair.

Both her parents were clearly Asians with black hair.

"Hold this."

While he was drying Mu Huanqing's hair and had barely spoken two words, he heard Uncle Han's voice from outside the door.

Click—

Fang Ren turned his head to see a small box being tossed in his direction, and then saw Uncle Han forcefully slam the door shut.

Fang Ren was stunned. He walked over, picked up the small box from the ground, and then his whole person became disheveled.

"Hey! You old coot!"

Fang Ren immediately tried to run out but after struggling with the doorknob a few times, he realized that the door had been locked from the outside and couldn't be opened.

"Unforgettable tonight, no matter if at the ends of the earth or distant seas, embraced through the vast expanse of the Land of Gods..."

The old man's humming and singing grew fainter from beyond the door.

Fang Ren was flabbergasted. What unforgettable night! Is this what a dad does? Without a second word, he just leaves his daughter with a guy, tosses something in, and locks the door behind him as he leaves!

"What did he give you?" Mu Huanqing turned and asked him.

"Huh?"

Fang Ren quickly hid the item behind his back and said with a forced laugh, "This... this is an Item of Devotion between couples, it's nothing else, haha... "

"I've already seen it, why are you still hiding it?" Mu Huanqing asked again.

After hearing that, Fang Ren was taken aback. How could Mu Huanqing not know what the item was?

Then, he couldn't help but remember that some girls born into prominent families attend Aristocrat Girls' Academies, never gaining knowledge in this area. Maybe Mu Huanqing had also attended an Aristocrat Girls' Academy in the past.