Breaking up, No Joke

187. Delight

Translator: Lena

Little Watermelon, flat on Bo Yu’s back, swings his legs around. He chews a candy given by his father, asking in a crispy voice, “Daddy, when will we reach home?”

They just got off the plane. Bo Yu feels exhausted after milling about the unfamiliar place with the kid on his back. He replies in his tired voice, “We might arrive the next second… All right. We will be home when we find the car and the person who is supposed to pick us up. Jesus, we don’t have a home here. We should go to a hotel.”

Little Watermelon turns down the corner of his mouth and responds in a dejected tone, “Okay.” The father is contemplating, ‘I’m not that rich to buy a real estate in every place.’ Before he could tell his son, the boy asks thrilly, “Can I share a bed with you?”

“We’ve always slept in the same bed, right?” Bo Yu lifts the child up a few inches. Noticing that Little Watermelon doesn’t speak, the man pinches the boy’s chubby and soft hips.

The kid’s face flames. He pats his father’s head, “Daddy! Don’t pinch my butt.”

Hearing that, Bo Yu chuckles. They’re in a foreign country. Bo Yu doesn’t worry that he will be discovered by paparazzi, so he doesn’t disguise himself with a wig or false beard. Therefore, the dashing man’s smile draws people’s attention.

Two blondes in hot pants stare at Bo Yu and Little Watermelon from a distance. They nudge each other. It seems that they try to approach but hesitate.

A hybrid rushes over with a photo in hand. After peering at Bo Yu’s face, the man asks, “Excuse me, are you Mr. Bo?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Nodding, Bo Yu glances at the hybrid, “Are you my tour guide?”

“Yes. You can call me Veasey.” The man answers with a smile. After showing Bo Yu his ID card and practicing certificate, he guides the way enthusiastically, “I’ll show you around this week. It’s early now. Are you hungry? We can have a meal in the hotel.”

“Have you reserved a room in the hotel?” Bo Yu gently replace the mischievous boy on the ground, and lowers his body to hold the kid in arms. The stunning man gives Little Watermelon a peck on the forehead, smiling helplessly, “Behave yourself, my dear son.”

The child immediately calms down. He giggles with eyes sparkling.

Veasey is amused, “Mr. Bo, your son’s adorable. He really loves you. My kid always escapes when he sees me.”

Little Watermelon pretends not to hear that. He always ignores a stranger.

As Bo Yu and Veasey is having a nice conversation, the boy shakes Bo Yu’s hand crossly. Noticing that his father ignores him, Little Watermelon pinches Bo Yu’s chin. Seriousness and eagerness well up in the kid’s eyes.

Bo Yu turns to his son.

Little Watermelon flushes. After touching his mouth, the boy points at Bo Yu’s pocket. His intention is obvious.

Veasey stares at them with jealousy. ‘If my son clings to me, I will be overjoyed. Alas, such a happy life doesn’t belong to me.’

“Hooho, yes. He loves me since he was born. My son’s a good boy, so he has never brought me any trouble. I’m happy with that.” Bo Yu thrusts a candy into Little Watermelon’s hand, continuing to chat with Veasey.

The boy gingerly unwraps the candy and puts it into Bo Yu’s mouth when two adults are confabbing. He speaks in a low voice, “Take it, Daddy.”

Veasey becomes more green-eyed, exclaiming, “Oh my God! He’s so adorable!”

Bo Yu chews the candy with a smile. Hearing that, he remains silent, but starts to melt down because of the kid’s behavior.

The man is reluctant to let his boy grow up. ‘He’s so cute!’ Exclaims Bo Yu inwardly.

The three finally arrive at the hotel. After checking in, Bo Yu lets Veasey leave. He grabs some food to eat in the buffet with Little Watermelon. The father and son return to their room after satisfying their stomachs.

Little Watermelon who dozed off sobers up after taking a shower. Standing on the bed, he stares at the door. The boy asks wistfully, “Daddy, will father emerge from nowhere like a magician in the TV?”

Bo Yu stops beside the bed, towelling his wet hair. “That’s impossible. He stays at home with your brother now. How can he come here?”

“But daddy, look. In a soap opera, the hero appears every time when the heroine misses him.” Little Watermelon insists. He gazes at the door without blinking and sighs from time to time. “Daddy, I miss my father and brother.”

“Only your father and brother? Grandma and grandpa take care of you, but you seldom think of them.” Bo Yu throws the towel away and climbs onto the bed. He tucks the boy in and reads some bedtime stories on his phone.

“I also miss them, but I long to see father and Little Candy.” The child creeps into Bo Yu’s arms, speaking seriously. He counts his fingers, asking, “Daddy, how long have we been here?”

“Longer than the time I use to change a diaper for your brother.” Bo Yu responds perfunctorily. After a few minutes, he finally finds a suitable fairy tale from Google. The man clears his throat, “All right. Stop talking. It’s the story time.”

Little Watermelon immediately shuts his mouth. He utters a word with eyes widening. “Okay!”

Bo Yu strokes the boy’s head and starts telling a story. The fairy tale is about the life of a prince who save the world after defeating a monster.

Little Watermelon is about to fall asleep. However, he widens his eyes out of the blue after hearing the plot that Bo Yu tells. The boy whispers, “Daddy, grandma has told me this story. She said the little prince lives a happy life with a princess in the end, not saves the world.”

Bo Yu pulls the quilt and pats the kid’s back. “Well, your grandma’s story is old-fashioned. The little knight will replace the prince to save the world. All right, we just stop here. Close your eyes now. I’ll take you out for fun tomorrow.”

Little Watermelon nods meekly. Yawning, he slowly falls asleep.

The father and son commence their trip in a neighboring country the next day. They have a great fun.

The two go bungee jumping, hiking, visiting temples, swimming, kart racing and sightseeing…

Bo Yu is exhausted in the sixth day, although he wants more of them. The agenda of the previous day wore him out. The man is like a dead fish lying on seaside. He can barely move an inch.

Bo Yu finally takes a break. Veasey has been overworked these days. After receiving Bo Yu’s call, the guide gives a little jump for happiness.

However, Bo Yu is downcast while lying on bed, ‘Why am I ill at this moment?’

He coughs when considering. The man is not his usual cheery self, “Son, could you please give me a glass of water?”

The child sits on the carpet and watches a cartoon. Hearing that, he nods. The boy rushes towards the living room with short legs and fetches a glass of water, “Daddy, here you are.”

“Our vacation will be over tomorrow. I’ll find two tutors for you after we arrive home. You should start learning, okay?” Bo Yu sits up with a carpet covering his body. Holding the water, he stares at Little Watermelon.

The child tilts his head to one side. A smile jumps onto his face. Bo Yu starts to melt down when seeing the boy’s lovely small teeth.

The kid replies loudly, “Yes, daddy! I’m ready.”

Bo Yu is taken aback when drinking water. He stops to pat his chest, “All right. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you can’t accept such a high-intensity training. I’ll adjust it.”

The man doesn’t plan to turn his adorable son into a nerd although he is an ambitious parent. Besides, Bo Yu never studied hard when he was young.

Little Watermelon nods casually. ‘Father had a conversation with me on a series of family trainings he and uncle had taken since they were kids, and why parents hold high hopes for their kid before the trip.’ Considers the boy.

Although the child can’t understand all Song Shilin’s words, he realizes that parents train their child for the child’s sake. Some parents might be radicalized or conduct extreme behaviors, which turns their child into a nerd or a socially awkward kid.

Song Shilin used Uncle Chu’s grandson as an example.

He and his brother, Song Jun, were other cases.

Realizing that the boy understands, Bo Yu waves at Little Watermelon with a smile. He gives the child a big kiss when the chubby boy trots over, “No worries. I’ll accompany you. Both of us won’t slack. If you don’t like the training, I can stop it.”

Bo Yu knows how distressful it will be when someone is forced to learn something he/she isn’t into, because he was once a child. Therefore, the man doesn’t plan to force Little Watermelon.

Touching his cheek where Bo Yu kissed, the boy nods. He gives his father a lovely smile.