Qin Lao and Liang Yu were drawn over by Bai Wu’s cries. While consoling Bai Wu, they asked Xu Lan about what happened earlier.

“Nothing, he had too much water. It’s good that he’s sprinkling some of them away,” Xu Lan said as he continued to organize his belongings. Qin Lao snatched away what he was holding.

“What’s wrong with you? As a father, aren’t you supposed to take care of a crying child? How can you act so nonchalantly? To think that you’re uncomfortable with handling Bai Wu over to me? I’ll have to consider if you should be raising the child after all!” Qin Lao lectured as he leaned on his walking stick, even Bai Wu was stunned by his sudden outburst and went from wailing to sobbing.

“Uh huh. All of you should leave first. I’m not going to let him has his way just because he threw a tantrum. He’s not a young child anymore,” Xu Lan replied as he lowered his head.

When everyone left, Xu Lan zipped up his luggage and waved Bai Wu over. Albeit slowly, Bai Wu still made his way to Xu Lan.

“Papa…” Bai Wu whispered in a nasal tone.

“Uh huh.”

Xu Lan hugged Bai Wu and he stopped talking immediately. Bai Wu patted Xu Lan’s back gently just as how Xu Lan consoled him before this.

“Papa, don’t cry, it’s my bad. I’ll be softer next time and only you would be able to hear it. I promise to not get you into trouble.”

Bai Wu took out the handkerchief and was ready to wipe Xu Lan’s tears.

“Papa isn’t crying,” Xu Lan said as he raised his head and looked at the ceiling. He sat Bai Wu down on the bed and said, “Bai Wu, you’ve grown older now. You can’t just break into tears for no reason, okay?”

Xu Lan looked at the young man and wondered when did he grow so tall. Emotional attachment was such a weird thing — in the short span of twenty days he spent with Bai Wu, Xu Lan felt as though he had known Bai Wu for ten to twenty years. Bai Wu had grown from a young crybaby to an older crybaby.

“Uh huh,” Bai Wu replied and pouted with a nod. His lashes were still wet from the tears.

“Even if Papa isn’t around, you shouldn’t cause trouble to other people, okay?”

Xu Lan straightened up Bai Wu’s shirt as he spoke. He looked like a freshman in his white shirt and black pants.

“Uh huh, I’ll be around Papa. Heh!” Bai Wu nodded with conviction. He smiled with his teeth showing.

“… Sure.” Xu Lan pulled Bai Wu closer to himself. He pressed Bai Wu’s face against his stomach to ensure that his expression was not visible to Bai Wu.

‘Knock, knock.’

“Mister Xu, are you ready? The car is here,” Liang Yu asked behind the door.

“Yes, give me a second,” Xu Lan replied as he returned to working on Bai Wu’s shirt.

It was a sunny day. Xu Lan raised his hand and shielded his face from the sun. The warmth from the sun dispelled the greyish mist, drawing a long shadow on the ground. The dark clouds above G City went away too.

It was a great day for a trip. Xu Lan watched as Bai Wu loaded his luggage into the trunk. He shook his head and smiled bitterly – he hoped that it was a good day.

“Hey, Qin Lao. There’s no need for you to pick me up personally. Are you worried that I’ll run away?” Xu Lan teased the old man who was standing in the sun.

The old man had white sideburns and wrinkles on his face, yet he still looked determined and energetic.

“That’s right, I’m quite worried about that,” said Qin Lao.

“I’m not like that. Get into the car, get in.” Xu Lan chuckled and said, “Eh, Qin Lao, you’re going to take the backseat? Aren’t you worried about Bai Wu transforming and breaking your aged arms and legs in the process?”