My dad used to be a punk. Later, my mom beat some sense into him, and he became a company CEO. But the year he made it big, he was surrounded by women. He always smelled of alcohol and often didn't come home at night. So my mom didn't want him anymore. And by extension, she didn't want me anymore either. So, I hate Arthur Vance. 1. Another night. I got up to cook some spicy ramen. One pack of fire noodles, extra spicy, topped with two fried eggs. "Eat less spicy food, adding two pieces of vegetables would be better." A cold female voice echoed in my mind. I quickly tossed two slightly wilted vegetables in. Legend has it this is the system my mom bound herself to back in the day. After my mom completed her mission, she left me a system. Besides that, she left nothing. I couldn't even find a single photo of her in the house. When I missed my mom, I could only run to the cemetery. There was a photo of her there. Her high school graduation photo, which Arthur spent a long time finding. That's the only good thing he's done in his life. I scooped out the fire noodles and rinsed them in cold water. The cold female voice reminded me again: "Turn off the stove." Oh right. I forgot to turn off the stove because I was lost in thought. I rubbed my head, then grabbed a box of pre-cut fruit from the fridge to cool down the spice. I picked up a piece of watermelon and stuffed it into my mouth, asking as I ate, "Auntie System, does this fruit taste fermented to you?" "It tastes a bit sour." "Spit it out quickly, don't eat anymore, it's gone bad." "The milk in the fridge is fresh." Even though it was a cold, electronic voice, hearing it warmed my heart. In this world, Auntie System is my only relative. She's been by my side since I was little. When I cried, she comforted me. When Arthur didn't come home at night, she kept me company. When I was bullied by other kids, Auntie System would play games with me: "Leo, stand up, let's have a race." "Whoever runs home first wins." I always ran the fastest. When I got home and called for Auntie System, she would always reply after a while: "Leo, good job, you won again." As I grew older, even if I ran fast, I would still get caught and beaten. Getting beaten hurt too much. So I dyed my hair red, got earrings, and got tattoos on my arms and neck. Sure enough, people avoided me when they saw me. Arthur also avoided me. But he wasn't afraid of me; he was disgusted by me. He looked at me no differently than he looked at an enemy. It doesn't matter. It's not like I like him that much either. Suddenly, a car horn honked outside. I glanced out. Arthur was back. 2. The electronic door lock chimed, indicating a successful unlock. The next second, a tall, straight figure appeared in the doorway. I glanced back. Arthur was wearing an expensive suit, his hair perfectly styled, his gold-rimmed glasses gleaming with a cold light. His gaze fell on my newly dyed hair, and he frowned deeply. My hand gripping the chopsticks paused. I should have been used to this by now. I kept my head down and ate my noodles. The extra spicy fire noodles made my eyes water. So I chugged several mouthfuls of milk. Arthur stood behind me, his cold eyes sweeping over the food on the table: "Where's the housekeeper? Who let you eat this junk food?" His voice was icy. I didn't want to talk to him. He just stood there behind me. The air seemed to freeze. "Look at yourself, what do you look like now?" His voice was cold and heavy, and I clenched my fists. The atmosphere was at a stalemate. Auntie System quickly comforted me: "Leo, don't fight." "Your dad is a bastard." "Ignore him." I endured it, and endured it some more, but finally couldn't hold back: "You hate how I look right now?" "You've never cared about me since I was born. What right do you have to care about me now!" I stood up abruptly. Arthur looked up at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth: "Leo Vance, who taught you to speak like that?" I sneered: "You think I have no manners?" "Well, who was there to teach me?" "My mom died early. Why don't you find me a stepmom quickly, have a new child, and pretend I'm dead." Arthur's knuckles clenched tight. A crisp slap landed on my face. "Do you know what you're saying?" He was angrier than I was. His gaze fell on my face, very cold, very heavy. I kept my neck stiff and looked at him, refusing to back down. I didn't say anything wrong. As far back as I can remember, there have always been many women around him. Whenever he wasn't around, they would secretly ask me: "What kind of women does your dad like?" I wanted to say he likes women like my mom. My mom loved wearing white dresses. Long hair, loved to smile. When she smiled, her eyes lit up, and she had a dimple. But I forgot, my dad hated my mom the most. So I changed my tune: "As long as it's not my mom, he likes everyone." Over the years, he's had all sorts of women around him, just no one like my mom. If there were, I could at least see what my mom looked like when she was alive. My nose stung, but I still kept my neck stiff, refusing to back down. Time ticked by, second by second. Drops of nosebleed hit the floor. Shock flashed in Arthur's eyes, then he looked at me with a cold face: "If you want to be a punk, go be one outside. Don't let me see you in the house." I pursed my lips, my fingers clenching and unclenching, and finally lowered my head: "I'll leave after I finish this bowl of noodles." Arthur didn't say anything else and went straight upstairs. I looked at his back. He didn't even remember that today is my birthday. I sat down, casually wiped my nosebleed, and kept my head down, taking big bites of noodles. Auntie System said I have to eat longevity noodles on my birthday. I don't know how to make them. So I substituted fire noodles. The fried eggs were a must; Auntie System said they were the symbol of longevity noodles. I want my mom to know. I'm taking good care of myself. "Auntie System, can my mom see me?" I sniffled, took a deep breath, and fought back my tears. "Yes." "Happy birthday, Leo." I wiped my nosebleed with a tissue and smiled: "Thank you, Auntie System." Arthur watched quietly from upstairs for a while. He stood in the shadows, unmoving. Until I was about to leave, Auntie System suddenly spoke: "Arthur really is a bastard." I instinctively looked back. The second-floor hallway was empty. Only one bedroom door had just closed. The light seeping through the crack of the door went out in an instant. I gripped the doorknob tightly and slammed the door shut. The room suddenly fell silent. In the darkness, Arthur stood behind the door. The gift under his coat pressed painfully against his chest. He looked down at the exquisitely wrapped box, rubbing his fingers over it for a long time. Finally, he placed it in the deepest part of his drawer. Together with a white dress he had never given away. 3. I had nowhere to go, and not a penny on me. Arthur refused to give me money. He said I was doing bad things, using the money to support a bunch of punk underlings. Tsk. If I had known, I would have burned the tie I bought for him. A tie so expensive. I saved up for three months to buy it. I'd rather give it to a dog than him. "Auntie System, where can I go?" I stood at a crosswalk under a streetlight. Nowhere to go. Auntie System was silent for a moment: "Leo, let's go home. It's too late, it's not safe." I waved my hand, "Arthur hates me, I'd better not annoy him." I wandered aimlessly. Only stray dogs accompanied me on the early morning streets. I don't know how long I walked, but I passed a bar and took a second look. "Leo, minors aren't allowed to drink." Auntie System's alarm bells rang. I quickly said: "I'm not." "I'm looking at the guy getting beaten up. Why does he look so much like my underling?" "Mark! Is that you?" The person on the ground struggled to squeeze a hand out from under the feet of several people, waving feebly at me. It really was him! I strode forward, shoved them aside, and hauled Mark up from the ground. "What are you doing?!" "What are we doing? He watered down our drinks! If we don't beat him, who do we beat?" Mark grabbed my sleeve, his eyes swollen to slits, wiping away tears only for more to well up. "I didn't! Boss Leo, they told me to deliver alcohol, I delivered it, they didn't pay, and they claimed I watered it down." "You punk, got a death wish?" The lead guy raised his arm, his slap about to fall. I blocked it firmly: "Give him his money." "I won't, what are you gonna do about it?" I clenched my fists. "Leo, don't fight, don't get hurt." "Call the police first." Auntie System's voice sounded a bit anxious. I clenched and unclenched my fists, holding myself back over and over. The guy threw off my hand, stepped forward, and patted Mark's face: "Next time we get you to deliver alcohol, be smart. If you dare ask for money again, I'll break your legs." I couldn't hold back anymore and landed a punch on the guy's face. Both sides were quickly rolling around fighting. I don't know who called the police, but the siren grew closer and closer. 4. Inside the police station, I clutched my stomach and wailed. "Officers, neither of us are adults yet. You have to protect the flowers of the nation." "Look at us, he beat us up like this! My handsome face is swollen like a meat bun!" "I think I've gone deaf in one ear." "My head hurts so much, save me, officers!" The officer sighed: "We know, let's take your statements first." After taking our statements, the police detained the group of guys. "We recovered the money, a total of 347 dollars." "But, beating people is wrong. If you have a problem, call the police." "I've already called your parents. You can leave when they come to sign." I pouted and kicked the floor. Will Arthur come? Tsk. If he doesn't, he doesn't. The food at the police station is pretty good anyway. Mark sat next to me, his face bruised and battered, his eyes swollen to mere slits, fighting back tears. Even so, he still tightly held the recovered money. It was heartbreaking to see. "Is your mom doing better?" "Yeah! With dialysis three times a week, she's much better." "Last week she was even saying you should come over for炸酱面 (Zhajiangmian)." I clenched my fingers, my nose suddenly stinging. Back when Arthur kicked me out of the house and I was starving to death, it was Mark who took me home. His mom cooked a pot of noodles for me. That was the best meal I had ever eaten. Snapping back to reality, my eyes were already wet. I rubbed them hard before speaking: "Okay, I'll go see Auntie in a couple of days." "Great!" Mark nodded vigorously, a huge smile spreading across his face, but it tugged at the wounds on his face, making him grimace in pain. I turned my head and secretly smiled too. "Leo Vance." A cold voice suddenly rang out. 5. I looked up, meeting a cold gaze. I instinctively sat up straighter, using my jacket to hide my injuries, tightly clenching my fingers. Arthur glanced at the injuries on my face, looking closely from my swollen, red eyes to my split lip. Finally, he said nothing and walked straight inside. I don't know how long I waited. Before Arthur came out and stood firmly in front of me. I waited for a long time, but he refused to speak to me. He probably thought I was beyond saving. Tsk. If he won't talk, he won't talk. I grabbed my jacket from the chair and was about to leave when Arthur suddenly called out: "Stop." I frowned and looked back, only to see the police officer leading out those punks. "Apologize." Arthur said flatly. I tightly clenched my fists. Making me... apologize? Is Arthur blind? Can't he see my face is covered in injuries? "Apologize. Do you want to stay in the police station forever?" Arthur looked up, his eyes already impatient. "We're sorry, little bro. Please be the bigger person and let us go." I froze in place, looking up only to see the back of Arthur's head. So, he was telling them to apologize to me. I clenched my fingers, looking at Arthur's back again and again. Only then did I notice his shirt was very wrinkled, the collar turned up haphazardly, and the buttons on his cuffs weren't even buttoned. Arthur was always meticulous. In all these years, I had never seen a single wrinkle on his clothes. So, he was in a hurry because of me? Tsk. I don't believe it. "Auntie System, do you think Arthur is standing up for me?" I asked quietly in my heart. Auntie System looked at Arthur for a long time before speaking: "I don't understand him either." True, even the most precise algorithms have a hard time deciphering human hearts. I'll stop thinking about it. Arthur isn't a good egg anyway. 6. Coming out of the police station, Arthur's black car had its headlights on in the rain. I looked towards the driver's seat. A woman with chestnut hair smiled with red lips, waving at me through the half-open window. "Little brat, in trouble again?" Mia, a famous actress. The woman who has stayed by my dad's side the longest. All of my dad's explosive scandals are related to her. Recently, rumors about an illegitimate child caused an uproar. In the end, Arthur suppressed it, and it didn't affect Mia's new drama release at all. You can see how much Arthur likes her. I ignored her, frowning fiercely at Arthur behind me. Arthur stopped walking and explained: "I drank, Auntie Mia drove me." Seeing I didn't move, he opened the car door for me: "Let's go home first." Disgusting. I glared at him fiercely. Just as I was about to leave, Arthur grabbed my arm, his grip very strong: "Get in the car, let's go home first." I gritted my teeth, staring dead at Arthur: "Why are you still pretending to care about me? Don't you have an illegitimate child with her? In a couple of years, they'll take over my and my mom's place, you'll be a real family, I'm just an eyesore to you." Arthur's face was tight, his grip on my arm not loosening in the slightest. "Leo, this is between adults." "Bullshit!" "This is absolutely not just between adults! You lost my mom, you made me motherless! What right do you have to say it's only between adults!" "Arthur, I will never forgive you!" I tried to shake off Arthur's hand, but he held on too tight, his eyes full of emotions I couldn't understand: "Leo, it's too late, come back with me first." "Leo, it's too dangerous outside, listen to your dad, go back with him." Auntie System also advised me. I clenched my fingers, fighting back my stinging tears, and got in the car. I wasn't afraid of Arthur. I just didn't want Auntie System to worry about me. It was getting late, she should rest too. 7. Arthur sat in the passenger seat. I crossed my arms and glared coldly at their backs. "How about it, little brat? Do your dad and I look good together?" Mia raised an eyebrow at me through the rearview mirror. I snorted coldly: "Yeah, you're both sick in the head, a perfect match." "Is that so? Thank you." Mia laughed heartily. My face turned pale with anger. Arthur leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes: "Mia, stop teasing him." Mia glanced at Arthur upon hearing this, then rolled up the window and turned on the heat. I sneered inwardly: "They should just lock themselves together, saves Arthur from bothering my mom after he dies." "They won't. They're not in the same world." "They'll never have a chance to meet again in this lifetime." Auntie System's voice was very, very soft. The intermittent electronic voice made my heart feel heavy. Is that so? I glanced at Arthur, who was frowning even in his sleep. Never seeing my mom again is truly the best punishment. As the car neared the house, Arthur got out. There was a pharmacy outside. What's he doing? He has more muscles than me, what's wrong with him? Mia saw my confusion and spoke softly. "Actually, your dad's health hasn't been good these past two years." I sneered, "What does that have to do with me?" I looked away, refusing to look at Arthur in the rain. She wasn't angry, just smiled and continued. "Haven't you noticed? There's always a first-aid kit at home. The medicine you need has never been out of stock." "Your dad prepared that for you, knowing you always get hurt. The bruise medicine has never been empty." "Leo, your dad's health is poor, stop making him angry." "If he lives a couple more years, you'll be comfortable for a couple more years." I didn't speak, my gaze falling on Arthur. He stood tall, shoulders broad. Aside from a slightly pale complexion, he showed no signs of illness. "How he is has nothing to do with me." "But you'd better pray Arthur lives a couple more years, otherwise who's going to raise your illegitimate child?" Mia touched up her lipstick in the mirror, her smile unchanged: "Don't worry, for the child's sake, I will." A lump formed in my throat, I couldn't swallow it down or spit it out. I really felt it wasn't worth it for my mom. Why does she get everything, while my mom gets nothing? I gritted my teeth in hatred. I wanted to ask Arthur if he ever regretted losing my mom. But on second thought, he wouldn't. He's cold-blooded, only caring about profit. Looking up, Arthur was walking towards the car. I clenched my fists, looked away, and didn't mention the previous topic. Arthur got in the car and handed me a bag of medicine. Iodine, anti-inflammatories, cotton swabs, band-aids... I sharply noticed him stuffing a box of painkillers into his pocket. I looked away and didn't ask him. I thought, in his other home, that illegitimate child would care about him. He doesn't need me. 8. After taking a shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and dried my hair. A light rain fell outside the window. I could only see the taillights of Mia's car speeding away. I looked at the pile of medicine on the window sill, a bit puzzled. I simply kicked off my slippers and lay on the bed, looking up. "Auntie System, what do you think Arthur means by this? Is he caring about me?" "This is too weird! I'd rather he gave me a few slaps to get it over with." Auntie System was silent for a moment, her electronic voice intermittent: "I don't know either." "Sigh, just apply some medicine and go to sleep early." "Leo, no matter what, your dad won't harm you." I nodded and applied medicine to my facial injuries in front of the mirror. I couldn't reach the injuries on my back, so I just ignored them. "Leo, your back is a bit swollen, let your dad come over and help you." I lay on my stomach and shook my head, "Forget it, Arthur isn't that kind-hearted." "It's okay, Auntie System. It'll be fine tomorrow, don't worry about me, go to sleep early." I was so sleepy I could barely open my eyes. I didn't hear what Auntie System said clearly, just mumbled a response. 9. Outside the door, separated by a wall, Arthur stood holding the doorknob for a long time. He pushed open the door; Leo was already asleep. The medicine on the table hadn't been put away, left in a mess. The window wasn't closed either. Arthur walked over and gently closed the half-open window. Through the warm light, his gaze fell on Leo little by little. This child, usually like a little demon, was only quiet when he was asleep. The little demon lost all his energy, sprawling on the bed. His back was covered in wounds, some deep, some shallow, making Arthur frown. Arthur walked over, half-crouching by the bed, using a cotton swab to treat the wounds on his back bit by bit. Some wounds, with red flesh exposed, were already oozing pus after being caught in the rain. It hurt him just to look at it. He didn't know how this child managed to hold back his cries of pain. Frowning, he finished applying the medicine and put band-aids over the wounds. After a good while, he packed away the medicine bottles. He reached out to cover Leo with the blanket. The blanket had barely touched Leo's legs when it was kicked away. Leo lay on the bed, his brow, which closely resembled Arthur's, furrowed tight. He's so big now, yet still doesn't like being covered by a blanket. Arthur watched quietly for a while, then suddenly smiled. He remembered a long, long time ago, when Leo was just over a year old. At that time, Leo was just learning to walk, had no hair, and waddled like a little monster. Every night, he would keep his big eyes wide open, refusing to sleep. As soon as his body touched the bed, he would wail. Arthur looked at the red-faced crying child and pondered for a long time. He didn't know where this child's "off" switch was. Finally, Arthur strapped him into a car seat and drove slowly along empty roads. Feeling the wind. The little guy would smile in his car seat. Smiling so hard snot bubbles popped out. Evil little monster. That's what Arthur called him. Later he found out, the child was afraid of the heat and feeling smothered. During that time, Arthur would lay the child by his waist to sleep, without a blanket. When the child got cold, he would snuggle up to him. His little hands clutching Arthur's pajamas tight, his little feet pressing hard against his waist. At those times, Arthur would scoop the little guy into his arms and gently cover him with the blanket. The little guy would use his arm as a pillow, his little mouth slightly open, revealing one tiny tooth, sleeping incredibly soundly. Arthur looked at Leo on the bed for a long, long time, his eyes soft. Seventeen years passed in a flash, and the little monster has grown this big. Fearless of heaven and earth. Even when hurt, he doesn't know how to cry. Arthur tugged the blanket, avoiding the wounds, and gently laid it over Leo. The warm light went out. The door closed. The room was plunged into darkness. In the silence, I buried my face in the pillow for a long, long time. My heart was in knots. I should hate him. He's a bastard. He's the reason my mom didn't want me anymore. They said my mom was a shrew who once beat Arthur from a street punk into an honor student with a rolling pin. Later, it was also my mom who managed Arthur, guiding him step by step to become the CEO of a listed company. But he loved to play. He had more business dinners, drank more alcohol, and had more women around him. My mom caught him a few times, but as time went on, she stopped caring. Even when Arthur drank himself into a gastric bleed, she didn't care. That year, Arthur achieved success and fame; he had everything. Except my mom. I should hate him. He lost my mom. But my heart just aches. I cried for a long time, falling asleep in a damp patch. I don't know how much time passed, but an electronic voice sounded, a very, very soft female voice. She sounded like she was sighing, her voice choked with emotion. "Arthur, why are you... so harsh on the child..."
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