Chapter 145

When Shan Ming woke up, the day was already bright. A small slit in the curtains allowed sunlight to filter through, casting warm rays onto his feet.

He rubbed his stomach and realized that the pain was already gone. Instead, he felt extremely hungry. The sound of rushing water from the bathroom reached his ears, and out of habit, he called out, “Changze?”

The sound of water ceased, and Shen Changze opened the bathroom door. “You’re awake?”

“Mn.”

“Does your stomach still hurt?”

“No, I’m hungry,”

“Did you see the sticky note on the nightstand?” Shan Ming asked. “Dial the number written on it and have them deliver what you want to eat.”

Shan Ming picked up the phone and dialed the number. Once connected, the person on the other end asked him what he wanted to order. However, after thinking for a while, he realized that he had no idea what he wanted to eat. How long had it been since he had put any thought into his meals? For so many years, he relied on others to decide what he would eat. Food was merely a source of energy to sustain his bodily functions. He couldn’t even name many Chinese dishes. On the other hand, Shen Changze always knew what he should eat. Sometimes, Shan Ming felt that Shen Changze understood him better than he understood himself.

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Shan Ming had a resilient heart, and the seeds of fear weren’t easily able to take root and sprout within him. However, despite his efforts to forget, when he saw Shen Changze in that form, he knew he couldn’t lie to himself. The events that took place in the forest that night were vivid in his memory. The entire process was filled with bloodshed and violence, leaving him with lingering fear.

He lay back on the bed, feeling that his stomach was starting to feel uncomfortable again.

Shen Changze walked out of the bathroom and climbed onto the bed, gently caressing Shan Ming’s shoulder. “Dad?”

The sensation on Shan Ming’s shoulder was that of a human hand.

Shan Ming’s tense heart finally relaxed, and he turned to look at Shen Changze. “What were you doing in that form?”

Shen Changze awkwardly replied, “Cleaning.”

“Don’t let me see it again,” Shan Ming said coldly.

Shen Changze’s expression changed, “I promise that thing will never happen again.” He held onto Shan Ming’s chin and said hoarsely, “Dad, don’t be scared of me.”

“Who’s scared of you,” Shan Ming pushed his hand away. “Get lost, I’m annoyed.”

Shen Changze grew anxious and hugged Shan Ming tightly. “Dad, I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

Suddenly, Shan Ming pressed his hand against Shen Changze’s chest and swiftly sat on top of him. He raised his fist and landed a heavy blow on his face, “I don’t give a damn whether you did it on purpose or not. If you ever transform like that to do me again, I’ll kill you!”

Shen Changze said feeling aggrieved, “What if I transform into a Dragon Blood Kin and you do me? You can do whatever you want.”

Shan Ming snapped, “I have no interest in a man’s asshole, let alone a monster’s!”

Shen Changze caressed his leg, trying to calm him down. “It won’t happen again. Don’t be angry.”

Shan Ming glared at him fiercely and slowly collapsed onto him. His lips brushed against Shen Changze’s ear, so he simply bit down hard. “You made me so angry that my stomach hurts again, damn it.”

Shen Changze comforted him, stroking his back. “After you finish eating, take your medicine.”

Shan Ming said through gritted teeth, “Listen, I’m not scared of you. I just find it disgusting.”

Shen Changze’s heart ached so bad he couldn’t speak. Although he could understand Shan Ming’s feelings, hearing him say “disgusting” with his own mouth was still difficult to bear.

As time passed and his abilities grew, the Dragon Blood genes within him had fully awakened. 97% of his blood was Dragon Blood, it could be said that his Dragon Blood Kin form is his true nature. Unlike when he was young, where he needed to maintain his human form for extended periods to conserve energy, it was now the opposite. In his Dragon Blood Kin form, he felt more at ease, with no burden on his body. His human appearance felt more like a shell. Although he didn’t feel discomfort, he couldn’t experience the pleasure of completely stretching himself.

At times, he could even understand the Dragon Blood Kins who possess racial consciousness. When they found being a Dragon Blood Kin more comfortable and relaxing than being human, there was a longing in their hearts to face the world in their true form and create a world where they could walk the streets without any worries.

He hoped that Shan Ming could accept his true self, but unfortunately, he ruined that opportunity. Shan Ming initially didn’t mind, but now he felt disgusted by his Dragon Blood Kin form. This left him feeling both frustrated and saddened.

Shan Ming, lacking emotional intelligence, was oblivious to the impact of his hurtful words. But seeing Shen Changze’s silence, he knew that Shen Changze had to be somewhat unhappy.

However, he himself was even more unhappy. Despite knowing that that was Shen Changze, he always had a feeling that he was violated by an animal. Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. If he hadn’t endured so many inhumane hardships throughout his life, as an ordinary person, he would have long since broken down.

Just as the two of them fell into silence, a timely knock came from outside the door. Shan Ming rolled off him and onto the bed, while Shen Changze jumped off the bed and wrapped a towel around himself before going to answer the door.

As expected, it was the food delivery.

Shen Changze placed the steaming hot food on the table, and Shan Ming emerged from the bedroom, sitting down at the table and habitually reaching for chopsticks.

Shen Changze quickly handed him a spoon instead, he said, “Drink the soup first, finish it before eating the meal.”

Shan Ming tossed the spoon aside, seemingly ready to chug down the soup straight from the bowl.

Shen Changze furrowed his eyebrows, grabbing hold of his wrist and forcefully putting the spoon back in his hand. “Your stomach isn’t well yet, you can’t drink the soup like that. Use the spoon, be good.”

Shan Ming could only use what little patience he had to deal with this bowl of soup. Shen Changze deboned a piece of tender white fish and placed it in his bowl.

After finishing the soup, Shan Ming asked him, “I don’t want to go back to that suffocating base, and I don’t like staying in one place for too long.”

Shen Changze’s actions paused. Was Shan Ming discussing the issue of staying or leaving with him right now? He saw a glimmer of hope. He looked into Shan Ming’s eyes and asked, “Then where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know,” Shan Ming admitted. Looking at the two delicious pieces of fish in his bowl, a warm feeling rose within him, “I don’t know where to go.” After all that talking, where could he really go? Where could he find a sense of belonging? If one day he felt tired and wanted to return somewhere to rest, where would he go? He couldn’t go back to the Peregrine Falcon anymore. Where does he want to go? He wanted…

Before going to Madagascar, he embarked on the mission with an excited heart, believing that after it was over, he could return home with Shen Changze to celebrate the New Year. The emotions he felt back then suddenly surged within him. If only they hadn’t encountered Shen Yao back then, if only he hadn’t sacrificed Shen Changze for the sake of others, all the subsequent conflicts wouldn’t have happened. He would have followed his original plan and willingly returned to China, reuniting with his son and spending a relaxing holiday together.

If there was one place in this world where he could return at any time, without a doubt, it would be by Shen Changze’s side.

Shan Ming pondered for a moment and then fixed his gaze directly on Shen Changze’s eyes. “Where do you want to go? Everything’s over now, you can come with me.”

“True, I can indeed come with you right now, I have a long vacation,” Shen Changze held his hand, “But, Dad, I can’t stay away forever. I can try not to restrict where you want to go, but I hope you’ll settle down with me in China. I want to build a real home with you, a place where you can come back to.”

Shan Ming felt a tremor in the depths of his heart.

For over thirty years, Shan Ming had never really known why he was alive, nor had he ever attempted to pursue anything. He always subconsciously told himself, “You could die at any moment,” so his eyes could only see the present, he never considered the future. However, Shen Changze’s arrival changed everything. He started to have concerns, to have emotional entanglements. He no longer spent money recklessly; instead, he thought that even if he died, he could at least leave some money for Shen Changze. Shen Changze tugged at his heartstrings and transformed him. He was escaping all this time, not from Shen Changze, but from the unfamiliar and entirely new life that awaited him, he was escaping from the things placed in front of him that demanded his decisions. Things like having a fixed residence, or rather, a home, as well as the future.

Because there was someone who looked forward to him staying alive, who wanted to be a part of his future, he found a reason to keep living, a future worth pursuing.

Shen Changze seemed to understand his thoughts and spoke softly, “Dad, if you’re unsure about how to decide, just think about me. Having a home isn’t difficult, and a life that’s different from before isn’t as scary as you imagine. I’ll always be accompanying you by your side.”

A hint of confusion appeared in Shan Ming’s eyes.

As Shen Changze looked into Shan Ming’s eyes, which were filled with childlike innocence, he suddenly understood why Shan Ming was reluctant to return to China. Perhaps, he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to live like a normal person in a structured society, that he’ll feel lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Shan Ming had overcome all kinds of challenging and harsh conditions. Yet, he was hesitant when it came to stepping into a normal society.

Shan Ming tilted his head slightly and said absentmindedly, “I’ll… think about it.”

Shen Changze smiled faintly, his heart filled with uncontrollable joy. How he wished that his dad would willingly stay by his side.

Shan Ming ate his meal absentmindedly, and Shen Changze forced him to eat a few more bites.

After taking his medication, Shan Ming opened his computer and intended to check his bank account to see if his commission had been deposited.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Shen Changze walked over and opened the door, expressing his surprise, “It’s you?”