Chapter 356: Chapter 356: The Scheming Father and Son
Ji Xiuyuan calmly picked up his mask and put it on his face, then leisurely returned to the waiting area. At the exit, there were high-definition cameras capturing every screaming face of the visitors during their ride, caught by the high-speed cameras.
A crowd gathered in front of the screen, shouting in surprise, “What’s going on? This grandpa’s beard has been blown off.”
“Hahaha! That’s so funny, did the grandpa not shave properly this morning?”
“Eh? Why do I feel like this grandpa looks so familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before!”
As Ji Xiuyuan was walking by with Han and Momo, he saw a crowd huddled around the television screen, looking at the images captured by the high-definition cameras.
In one group of photos, Ji Xiuyuan saw his own face in the center of the picture, his eyes wide open with excitement, and his beard blown halfway off, looking very comical.
Suddenly, Momo walked over, took out his cellphone, pointed at Ji Xiuyuan’s photo, and said, “How much for this photo? I’m buying it.”
Ji Xiuyuan was greatly alarmed, “What are you doing?”
Momo gave a sly smile, “This is a big celebrity’s dark past! It must be worth a lot.”
The staff printed out the photo, Momo paid for it, and took the photo.
Ji Xiuyuan watched nervously.
Momo looked up, touched his chin, and asked, “Uncle Ji, do you think, if I send this photo to a newspaper someday, letting journalists know that you dressed up as an old man to have fun in the amusement park, would it make headlines?”
Ji Xiuyuan frowned, and suddenly realized that Momo, indeed a good son borne by Huo Tingdong, was as scheming as his father, or even more cunning!
He had experienced Huo Tingdong’s craftiness, and now he had a taste of Momo’s as well.
Ji Xiuyuan said, “Come on, sweetheart, don’t be like this. Give the photo to me.”
Momo raised an eyebrow, “How much do you think this photo is worth?”
Ji Xiuyuan: “…”
Momo spread out his small hand, “One hundred thousand for exclusive rights. You transfer one hundred thousand to me, and I’ll give you the photo. We’ll settle this deal.”
5 minutes later.
100,000 yuan was transferred.
Momo handed over the photo to Ji Xiuyuan.
Ji Xiuyuan was very displeased inside.
Even though one hundred thousand yuan was insignificant to him, he had originally thought that Momo was a lovely little angel like Han, but it turned out the child was just as devious as his father at such a young age.
Noon.
A family of “five” arrived at the restaurant in the park.
Huo Tingdong ordered steak and pizza. As the waiter served the steak and pizza, Momo and Han drooled eagerly.
The two little guys had played all morning and were starving.
But even with empty stomachs, Momo and Han still considerately let Lin Qi eat first.
“Mommy, you eat first.”
Lin Qi said, “You two must be starving, go ahead and eat first!”
Momo insisted, “Mommy eats first! There’s a baby in Mommy’s tummy, Mommy can’t go hungry.”
As he said this, he cut the steak and pushed it in front of Lin Qi.
Lin Qi was touched and stroked Momo’s little head.
Huo Tingdong looked at Ji Xiuyuan sitting opposite him.
His gaze was fixedly on Momo, not quite sure what he was thinking.
As for Huo Tingdong, he stared back with profound meaning.
Since Ji Xiuyuan entered the restaurant and removed his mask, Huo Tingdong noticed that his beard was gone.
Huo Tingdong: “Where’s your beard?”
Ji Xiuyuan: “It got blown away while I was on the roller coaster.”
Huo Tingdong: “Without the beard, you look at least thirty years younger.”
Before, Ji Xiuyuan had a beard like a man in his seventies or eighties, but now, he seemed more like a retired official in his fifties or sixties.
Ji Xiuyuan looked at Huo Tingdong and then at Momo, and he couldn’t help but say, “I find that Momo looks more like your wife; she doesn’t resemble you much, while Han does look like you! Are they really twins?”
Huo Tingdong said, “They’re not identical twins; they’re fraternal. One resembles the father, the other the mother.”
Ji Xiuyuan said, “However, it can’t be said that he doesn’t resemble you at all! I think, his craftiness, that’s quite like you!”
Huo Tingdong hooked his lips into a smile, guessing from Ji Xiuyuan’s words that Momo must have played tricks on him.
The server brought over another steak.
Momo and Han had been ravenous and began eating with relish.
Huo Tingdong glanced out of the corner of his eye and unexpectedly saw a man at the next table staring intently in Ji Xiuyuan’s direction.
He turned his head and locked eyes with the man for a moment.
At the neighboring table sat a family of four: a man around thirty years old, out with his wife and eight-year-old son, and sitting across from the man, a middle-aged woman in her fifties who seemed to be the man’s mother. Her face was flushed red, and from time to time, she glanced shyly at Ji Xiuyuan.
Suddenly, the man stood up and walked towards Huo Tingdong’s direction: “Handsome, hello.”
The man initiated conversation.
Huo Tingdong raised his head, somewhat surprised, and asked, “Is there something I can help with?”
The man chuckled sheepishly and though he seemed rather embarrassed, he still plucked up the courage to ask: “I know this is quite abrupt to ask, but… please forgive my impudence, is this elderly gentleman your father?”
Huo Tingdong looked at Ji Xiuyuan, who guiltily lowered his head to focus on eating his pizza and dared not meet his gaze.
Huo Tingdong glanced at the man, his eyes moving towards the back of him, and seeing the middle-aged woman’s flushed and embarrassed complexion, he roughly understood and smilingly replied, “Yes, he is my father.”
The man asked again, “And your mother?”
Huo Tingdong told the truth: “My mother passed away a long time ago, and my father has raised me by himself all these years.”
The man’s expression changed, glancing at Ji Xiuyuan: “All these years, hasn’t he thought about finding another partner?”
Huo Tingdong said, “He considered my welfare, so he never remarried. Now that I’m married with children of my own, I think it’s time he seriously considered his own life in his later years. After all, at his age, he should need a companion.”
The man seemed to grow excited: “Really? It’s not easy for you to think of your dad like that. Handsome, my experience is similar. My own father died early, and my mother raised me by herself. Now that I’ve married and have kids, I often persuade her that after working hard for most of her life, she should also think more about herself and, at her age, find a companion as well!”
The more Ji Xiuyuan heard, the more something felt off.
He lifted his head and looked at Huo Tingdong, a bad feeling suddenly arising in his heart.
Huo Tingdong asked, “Is that your mother sitting over there?”
The man nodded, “Yes! My mother was a real beauty when she was young, and all these years, she’s really had a hard time, feeling very lonely. So… I’ve been wanting to find her a partner, but she’s always been a bit unwilling, oh…”