Chapter 37 Part 2

Zhu Ran immersed himself in those deep eyes. In that instant, he suddenly felt that Huo Boyan’s gaze was as calming as the sea.

Miraculously, Zhu Ran calmed down. He realized he wasn’t without options; he hadn’t been backed into a corner at all.

Zhu Ran explained Wang Ruyun’s health condition, along with his worries and concerns. This was the first time he’d shared his hardships with someone else. He placed full trust in Huo Boyan.

“I understand. This really is a tough decision.” Huo Boyan’s tone was sincere, enveloping Zhu Ran completely like the sea, soothing and uplifting him. “Don’t force yourself to conclude right away. Can you answer a few questions for me first?”

Zhu Ran nodded.

Huo Boyan pulled out an iPad and opened a blank page. He drew a circle on the screen. “Let’s assume this is your current state—or starting point.”

Zhu Ran wasn’t sure what he was doing but nodded anyway.

Then Huo Boyan drew a simple little pig sketch in the middle of the circle.

Zhu Ran: ?

His eyes widened. “Huo Boyan, are you messing with me?”

Huo Boyan had no choice but to erase the pig’s body, leaving just the cute pig head. “Now we’ve erased the little pig’s troubles. Let’s start over.”

Zhu Ran: “…”

He was annoyed, but he couldn’t bring himself to scold him.

He’d just thought Huo Boyan was like an all-embracing sea, but this guy was actually wicked through and through.

Zhu Ran pettily thought he wanted to take back all the praise he’d given Huo Boyan earlier!

But Huo Boyan was wicked on a whole other level. After teasing, he sincerely said, “I saw you weren’t happy and made a joke. I didn’t mean to tease you on purpose. If you don’t like that nickname, I won’t call you that again.”

He handed the stylus to Zhu Ran, letting him draw whatever he liked.

Truth be told, Zhu Ran wasn’t that opposed. Because of his surname, he’d been nicknamed “Little Pig” since childhood. Song Xingchen still called him “Pig” to this day, and if he truly hated it, he wouldn’t let Song Xingchen keep doing so.

But it was fine from others—somehow, hearing it from Huo Boyan felt off all over. Especially when Huo Boyan called him “BB Pig.” Zhu Ran had never heard such an embarrassing pet name in his life.

Though he didn’t mind much, Zhu Ran didn’t want to let Huo Boyan have his way. Keeping a straight face, he said coolly, “Whatever. It’s just a name. I don’t care what you call me.”

Huo Boyan tapped the screen and steered back to the topic. “Alright, let’s begin.”

Zhu Ran straightened up, his expression turning serious.

Huo Boyan drew an arrow pointing right. “First, let’s assume that, out of concern for your mother’s health, you don’t tell her about your father’s actions. You temporarily maintain the family’s surface harmony, and her health stays stable. Does that sound okay for now?”

Zhu Ran’s brows furrowed seriously. He didn’t comment, just said, “Go on.”

“Next, we split into two paths. One: to keep the family as is, you have to keep enduring, following your parents’ arrangements. How does that outcome feel?”

Zhu Ran looked utterly disgusted and shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

Huo Boyan put an X on that line and drew another. “Two: You compromise this time, but your father doesn’t change. He keeps pressuring you, and for your mother’s health, you keep hiding it. Eventually, you can’t take it anymore and tell her everything from the past.”

Zhu Ran’s brows furrowed tighter. Clearly, this wasn’t what he wanted either.

“Then the answer’s obvious,” Huo Boyan said. “You want to tell her, right?”

Zhu Ran nodded but soon hesitated. “But I’m worried…”

“I get it,” Huo Boyan said patiently. “Are you afraid it’ll trigger her condition?”

Zhu Ran nodded again.

“But have you considered that hiding it ‘for her own good’ also deprives her of the right to know the truth? Do you think your mother would want to be kept in the dark?”

Zhu Ran was stunned. He truly hadn’t thought of that.

“Your mom is an adult. She has the right to know the truth and make her own judgment based on the facts.” Huo Boyan continued, “Even if you endure for surface peace, given Zhu Yanqing’s character, he’ll only get more aggressive later. This will come out eventually. The later she knows, the bigger the blow. You don’t want her life partner to be someone like that, right?”

Zhu Ran nodded, his voice choking up a bit.

Huo Boyan ruffled his hair, his tone gentle. “Don’t worry. It might not be as bad as you imagine. If you’re really concerned, tell her somewhere near a hospital. That way, if something happens, it can be handled promptly.”

Zhu Ran sniffled. “Yeah, I get it.”

“But even if she does have an attack because of it, that won’t be your fault.” Huo Boyan held Zhu Ran’s shoulders with both hands, looking into his eyes. “Zhu Ran, remember: your mom’s heart condition wasn’t caused by you. Don’t blame yourself, okay?”

Zhu Ran nodded, but Huo Boyan insisted firmly, “Say it yourself.”

Zhu Ran echoed, “Okay, I won’t blame myself.”

Huo Boyan said, “It was Zhu Yanqing who drugged you and withheld your documents. He’s not a qualified father. You’re just telling the truth. You did nothing wrong. Got it?”

Zhu Ran steadied his trembling voice and nodded. “Yeah, I did nothing wrong.”

Only then did Huo Boyan soften his serious expression, ruffling his hair again with satisfaction.

“Good boy. You’ve made a wise decision.” Huo Boyan pulled Zhu Ran into his arms, soothing him. “I know deciding this was hard, and carrying it out will be even tougher. But you’ve taken the first step. It’ll get better.”

Zhu Ran buried his face in the side of Huo Boyan’s neck. Strength and courage welled up inside him.

The problems that had plagued him—the despair he’d fled from because it wouldn’t go away—gradually became clear after Huo Boyan’s step-by-step breakdown.

Zhu Ran knew his own shortcomings: he fretted endlessly over small matters but relied purely on intuition for the big ones. He seemed quiet and unassuming, yet he could easily stir up something massive.

At its root, this stemmed from his family overly controlling the little things while neglecting the major ones. It fueled an impulsive urge in him to deliberate deeply, and he even somewhat relished that “break the jar since it’s already broken” mindset—the sense that the worst outcome was everyone crashing together.

But now, under Huo Boyan’s guidance, he began attempting to analyze the situation with a more rational frame of mind.

Then he discovered that the long-lingering helplessness that had clung to him had vanished. He wasn’t a beast backed into a corner, nor was he facing an invincible demon. His parents loomed large in his eyes, but ultimately, they were just ordinary people like him.

It was precisely then that Zhu Ran vaguely realized a true divergence had appeared in his life.

Though he cherished his parents’ relationship deeply, he could no longer reconcile with such a father. He had to tell Wang Ruyun everything Zhu Yanqing had done to him.

He wanted his mother to choose between their father and son.