Chapter 468: Heart to heart talk

It was well past dark before Fan Xui finally found time to sit down with his son.

The western side of City S was still restless. Soldiers moved along the barricades, vehicles came and went, and distant gunfire occasionally carried over the walls. But the immediate breach had been contained, giving everyone inside a little room to breathe.

A temporary camp had been established near one of the inner military buildings. Small fires burned between tents, surrounded by exhausted soldiers and civilians eating whatever food had been handed out.

Chen sat beside one of those fires with Skyy’s head resting on his lap.

Skyy had fallen asleep almost immediately after eating. The last few days had finally caught up with him. His hair was still slightly damp from the hurried wash they’d been allowed, and Chen absentmindedly ran his fingers through it while staring into the flames.

The little girl was asleep nearby, curled beneath a military blanket. She had refused to go far from them even after being examined and given food. Eventually, the medics had stopped trying to move her and simply brought over a blanket.

Trexa was asleep inside Chen’s hoodie.

For the first time in what felt like forever, everyone around him was breathing normally.

Fan Xui approached carrying two metal cups.

He handed one to Chen before sitting beside him.

Chen sniffed it.

“Tea?”

“Don’t complain.”

“I wasn’t.”

Fan Xui looked at him.

Chen took a sip.

For a while, neither spoke.

Fan Xui seemed content simply looking at him, although his gaze occasionally dropped toward Chen’s shoulders and arms with the same disbelief he’d shown when they first reunited.

Chen eventually sighed.

“Dad.”

Fan Xui raised his eyebrows.

“Stop staring.”

“I haven’t seen you in months.”

“That isn’t why you’re staring.”

“No.” Fan Xui took a drink. “It isn’t.”

His eyes traveled over Chen again.

Chen had known this conversation was coming.

Fan Xui finally leaned back slightly. “Explain.”

Chen scratched his cheek.

“Explain what?”

“My son disappears, then suddenly walks out of a railway tunnel taller than me and built like he’s been carrying trucks for entertainment.”

Chen nearly laughed.

Fan Xui wasn’t smiling.

“You were always lean. You hated training unless someone forced you into it. Now you’re covered in scars, you have abilities I’ve never seen you use, and you walked through an infected railway tunnel carrying a child.”

His gaze moved toward Skyy.

“And apparently you found yourself a partner along the way.”

Chen looked down.

Skyy slept peacefully against his thigh, completely unaware that he was being discussed.

There wasn’t really a good way to explain any of it.

Chen had considered lying. He’d considered giving his father enough truth to satisfy him and hiding everything else.

But this was Fan Xui.

More importantly, Chen knew exactly what kind of man his father was.

He trusted him.

Chen lowered his cup.

“I’m from the future.”

Fan Xui stared at him.

Chen waited.

His father blinked once.

“The future.”

“Yeah.”

“How far?”

Chen told him.

Fan Xui became very still.

Chen expected disbelief. Questions. Maybe even an accusation that he’d hit his head too hard during the fighting.

Instead, Fan Xui studied his face for several seconds.

“That explains the muscles?”

Chen choked on his tea.

“Dad.”

“I’m trying to understand.”

“A lot happened.”

“I can see that.”

Chen rubbed his face before lowering his voice so he wouldn’t wake Skyy.

He explained the important parts.

In his time, the apocalypse had already continued far beyond this point. Chen had grown up, trained, fought and survived long enough to become the person sitting here now. He explained that something had happened while he and Skyy were traveling, forcing them to escape through time.

Fan Xui listened without interrupting.

When Chen reached Trexa’s part in the story, he reached into his hoodie.

A sleepy head emerged.

Trexa looked deeply offended at being disturbed.

Chen carefully lifted her out.

“This is the reason we’re here.”

Trexa yawned.

Fan Xui stared at the rat.

Trexa stared back.

Then recognition appeared on his face.

“Trexa?”

The rat’s ears twitched.

Fan Xui leaned closer, clearly surprised. “She’s been missing for years.”

Chen looked at him. “Years?”

Fan Xui nodded slowly.

Trexa suddenly became very interested in cleaning one paw.

Chen narrowed his eyes at her.

“So this is what you’ve been doing.”

Trexa refused to acknowledge him.

Fan Xui laughed softly.

It was the first relaxed sound Chen had heard from him since arriving.

He reached over and placed a hand on the back of Chen’s head.

For a moment, he simply left it there.

“It’s good to know you’re all right.”

The humor disappeared from Chen’s face.

His father’s thumb brushed once through his hair.

Fan Xui had only been separated from him for months.

For Chen, it had been much longer.

He leaned slightly into the touch without thinking.

Fan Xui smiled.

“How is the future?”

Chen considered it.

“Nothing special.”

Fan Xui snorted.

“I mean it. Most of the zombies have been eradicated. We have a good base. It’s safe compared to this.”

That alone seemed to take some weight from Fan Xui’s shoulders.

“And us?”

Chen knew exactly who he meant.

“You and Dad are fine.”

Fan Xui’s expression softened immediately.

“Still together?”

Chen gave him a look.

“You’re still disgustingly in love.”

A grin slowly spread across Fan Xui’s face.

“Good.”

“You two are unbearable.”

“Sounds like jealousy.”

“I’m definitely not jealous.”

Fan Xui’s attention drifted toward Skyy.

Chen followed his gaze.

Skyy had shifted in his sleep and turned slightly toward Chen’s stomach. One hand rested loosely against Chen’s leg.

Fan Xui nodded toward him.

“So he’s your partner.”

Chen’s fingers paused in Skyy’s hair.

Then he smiled.

“Yeah.”

“My son-in-law, then?”

Something warm spread through Chen’s chest.

He looked down at Skyy again.

“Hmm.”

Fan Xui waited.

Chen gently brushed Skyy’s hair away from his forehead.

“He is.”

The words felt surprisingly natural.

Chen’s smile widened as he rubbed his thumb lightly against Skyy’s temple.

“He’s…” Chen struggled for the right words and eventually gave up. “Fuck, I don’t know how to explain him.”

Fan Xui laughed under his breath.

“Very romantic.”

“Shut up.”

Chen looked back down at Skyy.

“He’s just… pure, I guess. Not stupid or anything. He’s been through horrible things. Things worse than he should’ve ever had to go through. But somehow he’s still like this.”

His fingers moved gently through Skyy’s hair.

“He gets excited about stupid little things. Plants. Food. Seeing places he’s never been. He trusts people even when he probably shouldn’t.”

Chen’s voice softened.

“And he looks at me like I’m something good.”

Fan Xui watched him quietly.

Chen scratched his cheek, suddenly embarrassed by how much he’d said.

“I just like him so much.”

Fan Xui smiled.

He reached over and patted Chen firmly on the back.

“Welcome to the club, kid.”

Chen glanced at him.

“I fell for your dad almost immediately too. Couldn’t think properly around him. I guess it runs in the family.”

Chen couldn’t argue with that.