Chapter 145: Drama At Home

"This was an accident. I’ll play another round to prove myself to you."

John wanted to start another round of Fight the Landlord, but Andrew immediately stopped him.

"Just stop playing and go to sleep."

"It’s only one in the morning. Why are you going to sleep? How can someone your age sleep so early?"

John scolded, making Andrew sit straight up in bed.

"No, Dad, you were dozing off while waiting for us outside just now. Why aren’t you sleeping now?"

"That’s because I was standing there with nothing to do, so I dozed off. Tonight, I finally don’t have your mom nagging me to go to bed early. Why shouldn’t I stay up late? Didn’t you stay up late every day when you were younger?"

"That was the past; this is the present. I’m a good student who sleeps early and wakes up early now."

When he was in Riverside, an essential condition for Andrew to sleep with Scarlett was going to bed early.

Otherwise, if he waited until Scarlett had already fallen asleep before sneaking into her bed, something terrible would happen.

As for how Andrew knew this, there was no need to ask.

"By the way, Dad, what exactly do you do?"

After joking around, Andrew suddenly asked a serious question. He hadn’t paid much attention to his flippant father before, but now he increasingly felt his dad was pretending to be ordinary while hiding his true abilities.

"Ah, I’m just a small, ordinary government employee. What could I possibly do?"

"How is that possible? You’re just an ordinary government employee, yet you can call our university’s vice president with a single phone call?"

"That’s just someone I knew from before."

"You know the vice president of Riverside University? Don’t you stay in Brooklyn all year round?"

"Maybe I knew your President Wilson back then," John replied confidently.

However, Andrew’s next response made him somewhat awkward.

"Our vice president’s last name is Anderson."

"Right, right, right. I knew Vice President Anderson from way back. She was quite pretty, too. She even had a crush on me when I was in college."

"Vice President Anderson is a man."

"Oh, right, right, right. A man. A man."

"..."

Andrew felt that his father was just making things up. Since he wasn’t going to tell the truth, Andrew decided not to ask anymore and turned over to go to sleep.

Unexpectedly, John called him back.

"Son, help me buy some more Happy Beans. I’m out."

"Damn it! Everyone else asks their old man for money, but you’re asking your son for gaming credits?"

"Hurry up. I’ve helped you with so much. All I’m asking is for you to buy me some Happy Beans. Don’t think I don’t know you’ve struck it rich."

"Fine, fine, fine. How much should I buy?"

"$99.99."

"Once you buy them, let me play one round first."

"Why? Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?"

"It’s my money. Can’t I play a game myself?"

"I’m afraid you’ll lose it all in one round."

"How is that possible? Just watch me win you two hundred million Happy Beans."

The next morning, Andrew and his father, John, both had dark circles under their eyes and looked completely exhausted.

Scarlett could tell at a glance that they must have stayed up late. However, since Andrew’s parents were present, she pretended not to notice and quietly ate her breakfast.

Sure enough, not long after, Alexa returned to the dining table to eat breakfast and noticed the listless father-and-son duo.

"What did you two do last night? Why do you both look like you haven’t slept in days?"

Alexa frowned as she stared at Andrew and John. The authority of the head of the household immediately emerged, making her presence impossible to ignore.

Andrew and John were both startled. They immediately began explaining themselves, each saying something different, yet somehow remaining perfectly in sync.

Andrew: "Well... we went to bed right after returning to our rooms. Yesterday’s trip was just so tiring that I’m a little low on energy."

John: "Who says we’re low on energy? We just weren’t talking. Look how energetic we both are!"

After speaking, the two exchanged a glance before nodding repeatedly together.

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s right! We’re both full of energy!"

Then they lowered their heads and continued eating. Even their movements were perfectly synchronized.

At that moment, the entire dining table fell silent.

Catherine still hadn’t recovered from last night’s shock. She kept her head down, quietly chewing her bread.

Scarlett held up her sandwich and took a bite. Although her expression remained calm, she was biting the inside of her lip with all her might to keep herself from laughing.

As for Alexa, the head of the household, she looked like a wrathful guardian, glaring fiercely at the father and son with their heads bowed over breakfast.

"Since you’re so energetic, John, you can pack all the luggage by yourself later! If you don’t finish within half an hour, you can sleep in the doghouse with Big Yellow when we get back!"

"Yes, ma’am! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

John immediately acted as though he had received military orders. He quickly stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and prepared to pack.

Andrew, sitting beside him, thought he had escaped disaster. Smirking, he leaned toward his father.

"Dad, I think sleeping with Big Yellow sounds pretty nice too."

Before he could finish speaking, he also received an order from the head of the household.

"What are you smiling at? Go wash the dishes for me later! If they aren’t spotless, you’ll answer to me!"

"Yes, ma’am!"

The father and son immediately stopped fooling around, quickly finished breakfast, and went to carry out their respective punishments.

It was only then that Catherine, who had remained silent since the previous night, finally spoke.

"Mom, why are you making Dad pack the luggage? Are we all going to Grandma and Grandpa’s for the holidays?"

"No. Only your father and I are going back to spend time with your grandparents. The three of you can stay here in the city. If you want to visit during the holidays, just drive over."

"Oh."

Catherine said nothing more and quietly continued eating.

Meanwhile, Andrew, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, poked his head out.

"You and Dad are leaving today?"

As he spoke, an uncontrollable smile spread across his face.

After all, once his parents were gone, he and Scarlett could spend even more time being affectionate together.

However, the very next moment, Alexa spoke again in a commanding tone.

"You two, listen carefully. While I’m away, Scarlett’s words are my words. You are not to disobey her. Understood?"

"Oh."

"Oh."

Catherine naturally had no objections. Even if her mother hadn’t said anything, she would still listen to Scarlett.

As for Andrew, there was even less to say. He could even act spoiled and ask Scarlett to indulge some of his little requests.

After breakfast, Alexa and John prepared to leave.

Scarlett accompanied them downstairs and chatted with her teacher, and future mother-in-law, for a while longer.

In contrast, Andrew and Catherine did not go downstairs to see their parents off.

"What did you and Dad do last night? You both have dark circles under your eyes."

Now that the others were gone, Catherine finally asked Andrew.

Andrew lay on the living room sofa and sighed deeply.

"Alas, it’s all Dad’s fault. Last night, he insisted on playing Fight the Landlord. He was terrible at it but loved playing anyway. He insisted on winning one round before going to sleep, so we ended up staying awake all night."

"Pfft—"

Catherine couldn’t help but laugh.

"I think you and Dad were playing together, and you two noobs lost all night."

"Hey, I warn you not to slander me. How could I lose all night?"

"Then should I call Dad later and ask him?"

Catherine raised an eyebrow at Andrew. That roguish expression was exactly like Andrew’s.

Unable to win the argument, Andrew gave up talking and lay back down on the sofa. Staying up all night had left him completely exhausted.

After lying there for a while, Andrew suddenly rolled over and said to Catherine,

"By the way, why aren’t you going back to the countryside with Mom and Dad? Aren’t you afraid that, as the only single person here, you’ll get teased by the two of us again?"

Catherine shot Andrew an annoyed look.

"Who wants to watch you two be all lovey-dovey? I need to study for my graduate school entrance exams, and I also have a comic convention to attend this weekend."

"Comic convention?"

Although Andrew wasn’t a hardcore anime fan, he still knew a little about them. The image of Scarlett wearing a cosplay outfit couldn’t help but appear in his mind.

When Andrew fell silent, Catherine asked curiously,

"What’s wrong? Are you planning to take Scarlett to the convention too?"

"..."

Andrew still didn’t reply.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Catherine turned her head in confusion and saw Andrew lying flat on the sofa, smiling foolishly in his sleep.

"Uh..."