I Am Not My Son's Father

As soon as I finished speaking, a noise suddenly came from the doorway. Li Ran and I turned to look. Our son stood there, white as a ghost, his body trembling. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at me before turning to run. He dashed onto the road, and at that moment, a car suddenly appeared, speeding straight toward him. Seeing this, Li Ran screamed, calling out our son's nickname, collapsing to the ground in shock. Our son was frozen in fear on the road, while I sprinted desperately... but all I could do was watch helplessly as the car was about to hit him. Just in time, a person appeared beside him, pulling him back forcefully. Seeing our son safe and out of danger, my legs gave way, and I knelt on the ground. The person who saved him turned out to be the woman who had handed me a tissue the other day. She had a high ponytail and was dressed in a tracksuit. My body felt weak, and I couldn't stand up no matter how hard I tried. The woman held onto our son with one hand and pulled me up with the other. I looked at my son, still shaken, my heart pounding in my chest. I took a few deep breaths, "Thank you... thank you." The woman smirked slightly, "Zhang Ze, why is it that every time I see you, you're in such a sorry state?" I looked at her in confusion, and she smiled, "I'm Meng Shuang." I remembered her—she was the girl who competed with me for first place in university. She had changed a lot since then; she was no longer the simple, rustic girl she once was, but rather confident and radiant, like a shining star. And me... Our son looked at me timidly, his small body trembling. He wanted to run into my arms but hesitated. The sight was heartbreaking. Li Ran ran up, embracing our son, "Xiao Yang, thank goodness you're okay. What would we have done without you?" I managed a bitter smile. The innocence and purity that once graced our son's face were gone. He whispered in Li Ran's arms, "Mom, my dad is Zhang Ze, right?" Hearing his words felt like a knife stabbing into my heart, leaving me breathless with pain. Li Ran laughed awkwardly, "It's just like the uncle I took you to meet the other day; he's your real dad... but Zhang Ze is also your dad. You have two dads, you..." Before she could finish, Xiao Yang pushed her away forcefully, shouting, "I don't want that uncle to be my dad! I only want my dad!" Li Ran was furious. She raised her hand and slapped Xiao Yang, "What are you saying! If it weren't for Li Yue, you wouldn't even be born! How can you not acknowledge him!" Xiao Yang held his face, stunned. Realizing what she had done, Li Ran quickly covered his face, nervously checking him over, "Does it hurt, baby? I was impulsive, but you shouldn't speak about your dad that way. He loves you." Xiao Yang brushed her hand away, looking at her with resentment. He was at a loss, glancing at me cautiously before lowering his head and walking back. Li Ran watched his retreating figure with sadness, then turned to me, questioning, "Zhang Ze, what did you say to Xiao Yang? Why does it always have to be about blood relations?" I was about to speak when Meng Shuang interjected with a laugh, "If Zhang Ze had a child that wasn't biologically yours, would you raise it?" Li Ran denied it without a second thought, then glanced at me with a complicated expression. Meng Shuang rolled her eyes and teased Li Ran a few more times. Seeing that I wasn't defending her as I used to, disappointment flashed in Li Ran's eyes, and she stomped her foot before turning to leave. Meng Shuang crossed her arms, commenting indifferently, "So that's the kind of person Li Ran is." I smiled bitterly, "Sorry for the spectacle." Meng Shuang raised her eyebrows, smiling openly, "How about treating me to a coffee?" I looked at Meng Shuang and nodded, taking her to a newly opened café nearby. Melodic music flowed through the café, and Meng Shuang stirred her coffee with her long fingers. She was completely different from before. Throughout my life, I had always been top of my class, top of the college, with the highest GPA in school. Meng Shuang was in the same major but in the neighboring class. Every exam, she was right behind me, and sometimes we even tied. At first, she was a girl from the mountains, and when I first saw her, she was extremely reserved, sitting there like an ugly duckling. Now, the ugly duckling had transformed into a swan... and I, for the past ten years, had willingly revolved around my family for the sake of love. Meng Shuang's smile was bright, "You haven't changed a bit; I recognized you immediately." I asked, "Do you think I'm pathetic, giving up my career and having such a messy life?" When we graduated, a Fortune 500 company offered us positions. But at that time, Li Ran was pregnant, so I gave up the opportunity to care for her. When I made that decision, Meng Shuang asked me why I was giving it up. What did I tell her back then? I said, "Meng Shuang, people's dreams differ. Mine is simply to take care of the one I love. I'm willing to be her support." After Xiao Yang was born, Li Ran wanted to work and become an independent woman, and I supported her, becoming a stay-at-home dad. Now, sitting in this café, wearing a cheap white T-shirt from a discount store, my hair a mess, I felt worlds apart from Meng Shuang and Li Ran. Meng Shuang took a sip of her coffee, speaking candidly, "When we graduated, I thought you were pathetic, giving up your career for love." "Back then, I thought city folks didn't care about material things, that we were different." "But after struggling in society, I can understand your perspective. Everyone has different dreams and priorities. There's some regret, but I can support it." Listening to Meng Shuang, my eyes felt a bit sore.