Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 46

Han Yang accompanied Gu Nuan downstairs to hail a taxi, but they couldn’t get one.

Gu Nuan suggested staying at Han Yang’s place and procrastinated, saying, “Even if we manage to get a taxi now, we won’t make it back before the curfew. If I go home, Dad will definitely scold me.”

Not only that, Gu Nuan added, “He will definitely scold you too, asking why you work so hard and then he’ll start worrying. Brother, you know if Dad starts feeling uneasy, he might forcefully intervene in your work and invest in a TV drama with you as the lead.”

Gu Nuan became more enthusiastic as he spoke, “Brother, although we were taught not to be extravagant since childhood, our family is indeed quite wealthy. You haven’t forgotten that, have you?”

Han Yang couldn’t forget.

Gu Yuanchen and Ji Mu had also thought about this, as the affectionate couple was extremely protective of each other. Especially Ji Mu, he even wanted to secure all the resources for Han Yang in the future.

It was only after Han Yang repeatedly refused that such matters were stopped.

He had no choice but to straighten Gu Nuan’s scarf and said, “Stay at my place tonight.”

A spark of excitement lit up in Gu Nuan’s eyes. He nodded vigorously and happily replied, “Okay!”

Seeing how happy he was, Han Yang smiled, his lips curving upward.

Gu Nuan was easily enchanted by Han Yang’s smile, his heart racing. He covered his rapidly beating heart with one hand and pulled Han Yang towards the building with the other. “it’s too cold outside. Let’s hurry inside. I’m getting a bit hungry, so I’ll cook some noodles for myself.”

Han Yang said, “I’ll cook for you. Besides, I’m hungry too.”

“No, you’re tired,” Gu Nuan insisted on cooking the noodles himself.

Gu Nuan asked Han Yang to take a shower first while he busied himself in the kitchen. At a glance, it seemed like he knew what he was doing.

Seeing this, Han Yang entered the bathroom with confidence.

However, Gu Nuan’s cooking skills were limited to boiling water and cooking noodles. Even when frying two sunny-side-up eggs, he managed to burn one of them, causing him to scramble around in a panic. Fortunately, the other one turned out fine.

Gu Nuan put the burnt sunny-side-up egg in his own bowl and the unburnt one in Han Yang’s bowl. He also reheated the shrimp dumplings.

By the time Han Yang finished showering and came out, there was a delicious late-night snack waiting on the table.

“Wow, you have beer in your fridge!” Gu Nuan was searching for something to drink in the fridge and, upon seeing the beer, couldn’t help but salivate. He rarely had the opportunity to drink beer at home, and even less so at school. His best friend, Su Li, was allergic to alcohol, so they always drank milk tea and soda when they went out for late-night snacks.

While Han Yang was still drying his hair, he said, “You can’t drink.”

“I’m an adult, why can’t I drink beer?” Gu Nuan felt a bit itchy in his heart. He grabbed two cans of beer from inside the fridge. “I’ve heard my classmates say that they started drinking right after graduating from high school.”

Han Yang approached and reached for the beer in Gu Nuan’s hand. “If you want to drink, it should be at room temperature, or it’ll upset your stomach.”

With that, Han Yang set the beer aside.

Gu Nuan really wanted to drink. He stared at the beer the entire time, mumbling, “How long do I have to wait then?”

Since Gu Nuan couldn’t take his eyes off the beer, Han Yang remained silent for a moment. Finally, he compromised and opened a can, pouring half of it into a glass. He handed it to Gu Nuan and advised, “Drink slowly.”

This was Gu Nuan’s first time drinking beer, and it tasted great alongside the noodles.

Han Yang was genuinely hungry and ate a box of shrimp dumplings, a fried egg, and a bowl of noodles. By the time he put down his chopsticks, Gu Nuan had only managed to eat a small portion of the noodles and couldn’t eat anymore.

Han Yang asked, “Still want to eat?”

Gu Nuan shook his head. “I’m full.”

“I’ll wash the dishes,” Han Yang got up, collected the bowls and chopsticks from the table, and said, “You go get ready for bed.”

Gu Nuan held the beer in his hands and nodded. For some reason, his speech slowed down a bit, “Okay.”

Han Yang didn’t pay too much attention to it. He went into the kitchen to clean up the “battlefield” Gu Nuan had left behind. As he dumped the leftover noodles into the trash bag, he noticed that Gu Nuan’s egg had been burnt. Han Yang’s actions paused for a moment, and then he couldn’t help but burst into laughter, in a good mood. He was glad that Gu Nuan hadn’t eaten the burnt egg; it was completely blackened.

It had to be said that Gu Nuan, the top student, had no talent for cooking.

But it didn’t matter; for simple dishes like fried eggs, Han Yang could handle it. If Gu Nuan wanted to eat more complex dishes, Han Yang could learn to cook them too.

As he thought about this, Han Yang was startled by his own thoughts.

Ever since that night when he discovered his feelings for Gu Nuan, he often found himself unable to control his thoughts, imagining the days when he and Gu Nuan would live together in the future.

But every time, reality would bring him back.

Just yesterday, he received a call from the police station.

“Hello, is this Mr. Han Yang? This is the XX Police Station. Han Yongnian is your father, correct?”

Han Yang glanced at the date on his spare phone and couldn’t help but sneer.

It had only been half a month since Han Yongnian was released from prison.

…

Han Yang didn’t actively seek him out but waited quietly for half a month. Like a bad omen in his fate, Han Yongnian finally came looking for him, and it was through a police report.

This method was like a mirror, constantly reminding him and warning him that as long as one party relentlessly pursued, the father-son relationship could not be severed.

Therefore, Han Yang hoped every day that Han Yongnian would meet with an accident or, better yet, die. But every day, that wish remained unfulfilled.

Han Yang took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then he replied, “Yes.”

“Mr. Han, your father fainted at our station this morning. When he woke up, he kept crying, saying that he couldn’t find you…” The voice on the other end sounded like they were used to dealing with such cases. After confirming Han Yang and Han Yongnian’s identities, they quickly contacted Han Yang. “The elderly man’s health isn’t very good, and he seems a bit confused. Do you have time to come and take your father home now?”

Han Yang didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I’ll come over right away.”

After four years, when Han Yang saw Han Yongnian again, he noticed that he had visibly aged.

Han Yongnian’s back was hunched, and he had become quite thin. One of his legs had been crippled from a dispute with someone in prison, making it inconvenient for him to walk. Han Yang was aware of all of this.

At this moment, Han Yongnian was sitting in a chair, trembling. His thin coat couldn’t keep him warm.

Han Yang approached him, looking down at him like he was examining a dirty piece of garbage.

Han Yongnian timidly raised his head, his face full of wrinkles. He hesitantly uttered, “Yang Yang…”

Han Yang despised that nickname, and he looked at Han Yongnian with disgust. “Come with me.”

Han Yongnian immediately opened the car door and hurriedly got in. Han Yang sat in the passenger seat, providing the driver with an address.

During the 20-minute drive, there was no exchange of words between father and son. It was only when they reached their destination that Han Yang coldly instructed the slow-reacting Han Yongnian, “Get out.”

Han Yongnian quickly opened the car door, and what he saw was a row of run-down buildings. Han Yang had paid to rent a cramped single room for Han Yongnian in this place.

Han Yongnian protested, “I can’t live here!”

Han Yang seemed to be deaf, shutting the door behind them.

“This place is too shabby! It’s worse than prison!” Han Yongnian protested loudly. “Why are you making me stay here? You live in a big house by yourself… Uh!” Before he could finish speaking, Han Yongnian was punched in the stomach by Han Yang. He knelt on the ground, retching, and finally vomited a mouthful of gastric juice.

After a few brief coughs, he forced himself to breathe and coughed again, cursing in pain, revealing his true colors. “You little brat, how dare you hit me?”

Han Yang’s emotionless expression, however, silenced Han Yongnian in that instant.

Han Yang had changed, grown up, and was no longer a child. He was no longer afraid of Han Yongnian.

Han Yang slowly approached, crouching down. His taller figure allowed him to easily grab Han Yongnian’s collar.

Han Yang smiled faintly, a rare trace of hostility filled his eyes, and he spoke disdainfully, “Do you think I’m still afraid of you like I was when I was a child?”

Han Yongnian’s pupils contracted in pain.

“Han Yongnian, haven’t you understood in this half month? Without me, trash like you can’t even get a decent meal.”

Han Yang had no intention of letting go; he tightened his grip on Han Yongnian’s collar, forcing him to utter a humble plea.

Only in this way could Han Yang feel a bit better, as if all the suffering that Gu Nuan had endured in the past would be avenged on Han Yongnian.

Han Yang lowered his voice, “If you want to stay alive now, you better listen to me.”

He added, “Don’t worry, I’ll provide for you. But if you don’t obey…”

Suddenly, Han Yang forcefully dragged Han Yongnian into a corner, near a sink filled with water. He pushed his head down, just like the atrocities Han Yongnian had committed against him in his childhood, and said, “I will kill you.”

He said this without hesitation.