Pandora’s Box

At the end of the island trip, I returned to my home T City. Everyone was a little tired. Someone else’s golden and silver nest was simply not as relaxing as one’s own dog kennel after all.

While busy unpacking and restoring items, Zhuo Wenyang chirped up, “By the way, do you want that cup?”

I was overjoyed. “You want to give that to me?”

“Well, it can be placed on the bookshelf.”

“Are you really giving it to me! I feel so bad!” This was because he spend time in the heated room and the process of heating and glazing was complicated.

Zhuo Wenyang smiled and said, “Of course. I just followed your style as inspiration.”

“???”

So, does this chubby thing look like me?

In any case, I immediately placed the whale shaped cup on the shelf joyously. It matched the sailing ship model, starfish alarm clock, and room with the same color as the ocean.

It appeared to me that this room was no longer as childish as it once was, but rather, the whole room seemed alive.

Even during the night, I turned into a happy fish.

Vacation was over and everyone was gradually returning to their busy selves again.

For Zhuo Wenyang and Ke Luo, summer vacation meant that they had to put more effort in the company and be more conscientious within the work environment. The only one who really enjoyed vacation of doing nothing thoroughly was me.

This time, I went ahead uncharacteristically and did something that I thought I’d never do in this lifetime, preparing to spend my summer vacation reading books.

Because Zhuo Wenyang did not support my transitional studies into the Department of Astronomy, I could only go to Yuan Keke.

She didn’t return to her hometown during summer vacation, but stayed and worked part-time to save more money for living expenses for the next semester.

Based on her grades, her future potential in securing her postdoctorate studies was 100%. As whether she would study abroad or not, she made it clear that it was dependent on whether she could secure a full scholarship. If she obtained it, she would go. If she couldn’t, then she wouldn’t go. After all, money was her first consideration.

Facing my sudden whim, she was speechless. “You idiot, you want to change your major! Why do you want to change your major after your junior year? Why don’t you just drop out and repeat your studies? I suggest you extend another year of senior year.”

I humbly said, “Then I can take the transfer exam.”

“Look at your grades. You studied like this for your major and you want to take the postgraduate entrance exam to transfer majors? Do you think you can pass the test?!”

“Hey, I just don’t study well in this major so I want to change my major to shine.”

Yuan Keke knocked on the table, “You are still shining. You are insulting heavens. Is astronomy your easy way out? How can it be so easy?”

“It’s not easy so I need your help.”

Yuan Keke pouted.

“Wasn’t the person who infatuatedly chased you earlier the senior of the Astronomy Department? Help me find out.”

Yuan Keke rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, “What’s wrong with you? I still have to sell my sex appeal to help you pass the postdoctorate entrance exam?”

“It’s not a loss to use your appearance. Aren’t you quite attractive? I’ll treat you to dinner! Then this matter will be done!”

Yuan Keke replied angrily, “With what, just McDonalds? Not even the golden arch bucket?”

“Big sis, I am out of money again. When my living expenses are stable, I can order takeout for you daily, okay?”

Yuan Keke snorted.

The longer we were acquainted with each other, the more mature our friendship became, the more aggressive she became with me. The former was a well-educated little white bunny, but now she was a grumpy tigress.

Ah, women!

After sending Yuan Keke to work, I went to the bookstore to find Cheng Yichen and checked out a few books for free. Cheng Yichen welcomed a freeloader like me who didn’t pay for reading. Every time he saw me enter, he looked very happy.

“Xiao Jing loves reading more and more,” he said pleasingly.

I felt guilty. “Does reading comics count?”

He smiled and said, “Of course. What’s wrong with comics?”

I asked casually, “Uncle Chen, what were you doing when you were 22?”

“Me?” He thought carefully before answering, “I graduated from university and began working for two years. Oh yes, I was promoted that year and celebrated with my family!”

“…..”

Doing the math, I had finished my sophomore year at this age but Cheng Yichen already achieved some success in the workplace at this time.

I suddenly felt depressed.

“What are you thinking about?”

I emotionally sighed, “You really were a top student back then.”

He said, “Ha, it’s okay. When I was young, I didn’t have any entertainment so I only studied.”

“So humble.”

“Really,” Cheng Yichen was quite serious, “When I was young, I didn’t have money in my pockets. I wasn’t handsome and couldn’t catch girls’ attention. What else could I do besides studying?”

“…..” He didn’t catch the attention of a female but rather a massive shark.

I had sympathy for Cheng Yichen. I grabbed a blood type visual book from the bookshelf and sat by the window to read it with relish.

Finally, I took the book home with me to read. Although I didn’t think it was too accurate, it was still an interesting read. It was human instinct to be curious.

I asked Zhuo Wenyang, “What blood type are you?”

Zhuo Wenyang answered, “Huh? I’m type A.”

I was happy. “That’s quite suitable.”

“Really.”

“Look at this, it sounds like you. A good boy who follows the rules, a first-class law-abiding citizen, good at caring for others, and very patient!”

Zhuo Wenyang smiled and asked, “Am I like this?”

“But I don’t think mine fits well. I’m more like B, but I’m type AB.” I asked again, “What’s Uncle Chen’s?”

“My dad is also type A.”

I flipped through the book, “My dad is type O. His desire to survive is really strong, haha.”

Zhuo Wenyang looked at me, “You remember wrongly.”

“It’s not wrong.”

“How can that be.”

I looked at him suspiciously, “What do you mean?”

He stopped instantly. With a complicated expression, he said, “It’s nothing. I misunderstood. Go to bed early. It’s almost 12AM so don’t stay up too late.”

“Oh… goodnight.”

If it was the previous me with my IQ, nothing would have meant nothing. However, under the influence of being around honor students everywhere, I had become a little more aware of my surroundings.

After washing up, I returned to the bedroom and laid on the bed for a while. I thought about Zhuo Wenyang’s hesitant expression and couldn’t help but browsed through my phone.

I randomly entered the keywords of “O blood type” and “AB blood type” in the search engine, and a lot of relevant information popped up immediately.

In the first few articles, there was a line that read “the reason why type O blood and any blood type cannot give birth to type AB children.”

The answer arrived too fast, too directly, and too easily. I didn’t have any mental preparations. It felt like I was punched square in the face without defenses.

I stared at the phone’s screen stiffly, unable to move for a long time. Because my whole body was numb, I felt my consciousness slipping. Blood was draining from my limbs and bones rapidly, but it was unknown to where it would flow to, leaving behind a vast emptiness without any temperature.

I had a vivid understanding of the concept of “falling into an ice cave.”

I was not my father’s own son.

I was not even myself.

Why was this so? Was I remembering incorrectly? Or was there something wrong with these science articles?

Was this a joke? Or a prank? Or something else?

I re-entered “is it true that type O blood can’t give birth to type AB children?” I continuously clicked on links upon links that popped up, browsing through them quickly.

The answer remained the same.

It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t a joke. It was not a prank.

I was confused for a long while and suddenly, I felt afraid.

I didn’t know anything aside from eating, drinking, and having fun. I didn’t have any skills and I did not have a life plan.

Relying on the money my father gave me, I was the second generation ancestor for a while without any worries. Yet, I was not his own. So how could he bear me acting as the second generation ancestor like this?

To be honest, in the past, I did whatever I wanted and felt confident doing so because I was his son.

But I wasn’t even his real son.

That meant if he was completely tired of me, he could abandon me at any moment. He was not too old. If he felt that I was completely useless and he decided to raise another one at any time, what should I do? Was I done? Would I even have a home?