The Picked-Up Little Tentacle Begs Me to Take Responsibility 4

Chapter 4

Shi Xu was keeping an SSS-class pollutant, a secret known to no one.

His work at the Anomaly Management Bureau remained unchanged. He continued his regular shifts, occasionally receiving overtime assignments.

Shi Xu led training in the morning and attended an internal meeting in the afternoon, a post-incident review of the Variant outbreak three days prior.

As usual, his performance that day was impeccable, leaving no room for criticism. The latter half of the meeting devolved into a one-sided critique of Lin Quan.

“Vice-Captain Lin, with your abilities, you should have been able to handle the new Variants. Were you unwell that day?”

“No.”

“Then what was the reason? Could you please explain?”

Lin Quan: “…”

Ultimately, no concrete reason emerged. Lin Quan offered an excuse, resulting in a six-month salary deduction and a month-long assignment as an unpaid volunteer in a neighboring city, assisting a newly established branch of the bureau.

Qi Yu left the meeting room and quickly caught up with Shi Xu.

“Lin Quan must have been thinking of you again that day. Otherwise, how could he have been defeated by those mutated rats?”

Shi Xu shuddered, undisguised disgust flashing in his eyes. “Don’t say such disgusting things.”

Qi Yu laughed heartily. “I’m not just saying anything. Isn’t there a saying about hate turning into love? Maybe he’s just outwardly antagonistic to attract your attention. This time too, he deliberately let you come to his aid, using his position for personal gain, just to see you.”

Shi Xu refused to entertain the possibility. Qi Yu’s words made him uncomfortable, as if something repulsive was clinging to him.

“He doesn’t just target me openly.”

He did so privately as well.

Shi Xu glared at Qi Yu, warning coldly, “If you don’t shut up, you’ll be attending my training session the day after tomorrow.”

“…Spare me!” Qi Yu exclaimed, miming zipping his lips under Shi Xu’s warning gaze.

It was a rare day with no overtime. Five minutes before clocking out, Shi Xu received a call from his father, summoning him home.

A summons offered no room for refusal, and Shi Xu didn’t intend to refuse. Doing so would only create more trouble.

“You’re going home?”

Shi Xu didn’t hide it from Qi Yu. Qi Yu, standing nearby, overheard Shi Xu’s father’s usual no-nonsense tone.

Treating his own son like a subordinate, his coldness was terrifying.

Shi Xu remained indifferent, inwardly irritated.

“Yes,” he replied calmly, putting away his phone.

Qi Yu sighed on his behalf. “Are you staying the night there?”

Shi Xu’s voice remained flat. “I don’t know yet.”

Qi Yu: “If you’re not staying, you can come to my place.”

Shi Xu looked at Qi Yu, his expression softening slightly. “No, thank you.”

Qi Yu: “Why not?”

Shi Xu: “Someone is waiting for me at home.”

His voice lowered slightly when he said “someone,” a nuance Qi Yu missed.

Qi Yu was first stunned, then surprised. “Who?”

Shi Xu gave a vague answer. “I’m keeping a pet.”

Qi Yu’s curiosity grew. “You’re keeping a pet? What kind?”

The image of their first encounter flashed through Shi Xu’s mind. “A very ugly cat.”

Qi Yu: “…You have peculiar taste.”

Shi Xu smiled. “Thank you for the compliment.”

Shi Xu didn’t understand his father. Before the emergence of espers and Variants, his father had been a successful businessman, the wealthiest man even before marrying his mother. Shi Xu grew up in affluence, his material comforts bought at the cost of familial affection.

Strangely, besides his regular studies, Shi Xu was also required to undergo various forms of martial arts training.

Self-defense training for wealthy children wasn’t unusual, but Shi Xu felt his father had somehow foreseen the future, planning ahead.

And as his father wished, he became the “strongest,” the captain of the Anomaly Management Bureau, the perfect son.

Perfection was merely a facade. Despite his outward excellence, in his father’s eyes, Shi Xu remained imperfect.

For as long as he could remember, Shi Xu had never received a smile or a look of approval from his father.

Any such display was purely for show, in front of others.

A loving father and filial son.

A successful father, a beautiful mother, and an exceptional son. A picture-perfect family envied by all.

…

A sprawling 120-acre estate. This was Shi Xu’s home for 17 years, yet he hadn’t explored the entire grounds.

The places he frequented most were his room, the training room, and his father’s study, where he received his reprimands.

The house was heated, but despite the chill outside, Shi Xu felt a deeper coldness within.

A servant took his coat, whispering, “Master is waiting for you in the study.”

“I understand.” Shi Xu offered the servant a gentle smile, the expression remaining even after he turned away.

From the moment he stepped inside, the mask was firmly in place.

Shi Xu’s father, Shi Yan, was nearing 60 but looked barely over 40. Years of exercise and his 6’1″ frame made him appear remarkably strong, belying his age.

Despite regular hair dye, streaks of gray appeared at his temples, the only visible sign of his true age.

When Shi Xu entered, Shi Yan was sitting at his desk, talking to a thin, young boy.

Shi Xu remained silent. His father allowing him to enter meant he didn’t mind him overhearing their conversation.

“Your performance this time was good, but I believe you can do better. You will, won’t you?”

The boy looked young, but his demeanor was mature beyond his years, like a machine executing its programming. He bowed, “I will.”

“You may go. I need to speak with your brother.” Shi Yan’s expression softened, his good mood evident, unconcerned about the wrinkles around his eyes.

Even if noticed, neither person in the room would react in a way that displeased him.

The boy turned, nodding at Shi Xu by the door before leaving the study.

Once the footsteps faded, Shi Yan began, “Your performance this time was good…”

Having heard the same words from Shi Yan just a minute ago, Shi Xu almost laughed. He was inexplicably reminded of the pollutant at home.

He suddenly felt Shi Yan had an even more limited vocabulary than the pollutant, repeating the same few phrases.

Shi Xu inherited his mother’s features, only his phoenix eyes resembling his father’s, but not entirely. Only when his eyes were slightly lowered did the resemblance become apparent.

While his father spoke, Shi Xu maintained a respectful demeanor, waiting for his cue before speaking. Until then, he listened quietly, maintaining focus. Any lapse in attention would incur his father’s wrath and grueling extra training.

Since the age of 17, Shi Xu had mastered the art of zoning out during his father’s lectures without getting caught.

He heard his father’s words but didn’t register them. Yet, when questioned, he could respond flawlessly.

Shi Yan had summoned him for trivial matters.

Shi Xu knew his father’s true purpose: the monthly assessment, a test of his obedience.

As Shi Yan stated, he was very satisfied with Shi Xu’s performance. He leaned back in his chair, finished speaking, and waved his hand dismissively. “Dinner is prepared. Go talk with Xiao Mu. He admires you greatly. He worked so hard just to see you.”

Shi Xu chuckled softly. “I understand.”

Shi Yan had three biological children. Shi Xu was the youngest.

When Shi Xu was 5 and 8, his older siblings passed away. After that, Shi Yan adopted a new identity: a benevolent philanthropist.

He supported countless orphans. Shi Mu was the most exceptional among the many children he took in, earning the right to live in this house, under Shi Yan’s care.

Shi Mu was 12 years old, twelve years younger than Shi Xu.

Shi Xu first met Shi Mu when he was 5, after Shi Xu had moved out. Despite seven years, the two remained strangers.

Shi Yan claimed Shi Mu admired him, striving hard to pass Shi Yan’s tests just to meet him.

But the boy before him showed no such admiration.

Shi Xu and Shi Mu sat facing each other at the dining table. For several minutes, only the clinking of cutlery against plates filled the silence.

Shi Xu disliked the feeling of fullness. After a few bites, he put down his cutlery, silently watching the boy eat.

Shi Mu calmly met his gaze, continuing to eat, not savoring the food, but completing a task.

Shi Xu: “Father said you admire me?”

Shi Mu: “Yes.”

Shi Xu: “You worked hard because of me?”

Shi Mu: “Yes.”

Shi Xu: “It was Father’s order, wasn’t it?”

Shi Mu’s eyes flickered, quickly returning to calmness. His answer remained the same: “Yes.”

Shi Xu chuckled softly. “You’re very capable. You’ll probably surpass me soon.”

Shi Mu finally offered more than a single word, his youthful voice deliberately lowered. “I’m not capable enough.”

Far from reaching Shi Yan’s expectations.

Shi Xu stood up. “I’m leaving.”

Shi Mu didn’t stop him, reverting to his previous response: “Yes.”

Shi Xu smiled, unable to resist teasing, “Your idol is leaving, aren’t you going to see me off?”

Shi Mu’s eyelashes fluttered. He didn’t seem to understand, but he knew he had to obey Shi Xu, just like he obeyed Shi Yan.

He put down his cutlery, but Shi Xu’s amused voice echoed again, “Just kidding. Goodbye.”

Shi Mu: “…Yes.”

A light rain began to fall. Shi Xu declined the servant’s offer of an umbrella, taking the black umbrella and stepping into the rain, quickly disappearing from the estate.

Seeing Shi Mu, Shi Xu was reminded of his younger self. The current Shi Mu was very much like him then.

A human weapon meticulously trained by their father, meant to obey, yet on the verge of rebellion.

As the car sped away, the vibrant neon lights outside illuminated the curve of Shi Xu’s lips.

He anticipated his father’s reaction to learning what he was keeping.

But this alone wouldn’t be enough to elicit an interesting response from Shi Yan.

While Shi Xu was away, his house was unusually bright.

His hearing was acute. The house was quiet. As he approached the door, he heard a rustling sound. When the door opened, a warm yellow jellyfish, illuminated by the lights, appeared in the entryway, its tentacles wriggling cheerfully.

Its voice echoed, “Wife, you’re back~~~”

Shi Xu: “…”

Even after several days, he still couldn’t get used to being called “wife” by a pollutant.

Especially with that trembling lilt at the end, which sent shivers down his spine.

Shi Xu closed the door, pulled off his tie, and as he bent down, it inadvertently brushed against the pollutant’s face.

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that? If you continue, I’ll seal your mouth shut.”

This threat would silence his subordinates, but the pollutant remained unafraid.

Its gold-rimmed eyes held a look of infatuation, greedily tracing Shi Xu’s handsome features, then settling on his fingers wrapped around the black tie.

Shi Xu’s fingers were long and slender, blue veins visible beneath his pale skin, taut with his movements, beautiful and alluring.

The pollutant’s infatuation intensified, desire surging within it.

[Want… lick…]

These were the two words it had recently learned.

It also knew the meaning of “lick”—

Verb: to touch with the tongue.

It wanted to touch Shi Xu’s fingers.