I Have Decided to Go Look for My Father

Chen Zhiyang saw their professor sitting in front of his desk, in deep thought, staring at a stack of reports on one of their research and development projects when he walked inside Gu Shao’s office.

“Something wrong this project?” asked Chen Zhiyang.

“No, it is fine.” Gu Shao recollected himself and pushed the reports aside.

“Do you know what I will need to add someone onto my household register?” asked Gu Shao casually.

Chen Zhiyang was taken aback a little and immediately made the association: The professor was going to add Xiao Xi under his household register?

It so happened that Chen Zhiyang had a cousin who wanted to attend school in City B a while back and had transferred her household register under him.

Chen Zhiyang thought about it some and said, “You need a proof of acceptance from this end. Then you will need to visit the original location to have the original household register transferred out, then come back here to have it transferred back in.”

Thinking about it some, Chen Zhiyang reminded him again, “You will probably need some proof like a paternity test or something.”

Gu Shao gave Chen Zhiyang a look but didn’t say anything.

***

Gu Shao went home early for a change that night and asked Lin Xi the same question that he had asked before. “Why did you leave your previous family to come here?”

Lin Xi paused for a little then, without thinking, said, “Because my days back there was rough, so I came.”

“There was nothing else?” asked Gu Shao.

Lin Xi shook her head.

Gu Shao’s look deepened. After looking Lin Xi in her eyes for a few seconds, he said in a deep voice, “Even though you are not of age yet but you should learn to be responsible for your own behavior. You will have to live with the consequence of your own decisions that you make right now.

“Your household register is still with your mother. You can choose to return to the Lin family. Of course, it will still be my obligation to support you until you are of age.

“Similarly, you can stay here until you are of age. For the sake of convenience, I will move your household register over.”

Gu Shao handed the decision over to Lin Xi.

His tone sounded emotionless.

Aunty Mei, not too far away, overheard his words and was anxious: She had no idea what was the story with Lin Xi’s birth mother but she heard that she already had her own family and wasn’t all that nice to Lin Xi.

Now that the child was already here, did Mr. Gu really intend to send her back?

Nevermind that she already didn’t want to part with Lin Xi after taking care of her for just two days.

Old Mr. Gu would throw a fit if Mr. Gu really send Lin Xi away.

What Aunty Mei hadn’t told Gu Shao yet was: The few over at the Gu family was already picking out new names for little Miss Xi for her household register. They didn’t have one just yet because they couldn’t agree on one. In addition, the not-so-superstitious Old Mr. Gu had also hired a renowned fortune teller to determine the best day to add Lin Xi into their genealogy.

***

As opposed to Aunty Mei, Lin Xi’s eyes beamed when she heard Gu Shao mentioned that he would move her household register over.

-- She had forgotten about that problem altogether. If only she could have her household register moved out of the Lin family, she would sever all ties with the Lin family for good. She would no longer live with Song Kexin; she would have nothing else to do with Lin Yize nor would she be Lin Anxin’s sister. That way she could completely avoid the plot in the novel.

“I want to be with Dad!” said Lin Xi without any hesitation.

“You sure about it now?”

“Mmmhmm.” Lin Xi nodded violently.

Perhaps the smile on the girl was too bright that it became infectious. The look of Gu Nian softened some without him even noticing it.

“I’ll go with you to the Lin’s and moved your household register over.”

“Yee…”

Lin Xi was half way through her word when she stopped.

Wait! Going to the Lin’s?!

The idea of going over to the Lin’s to transfer out her household register made Lin Xi turn pale.

Part of the reason that she resented returning to the Lin’s was her fear about the story plot but there was another important reason: If she was to head to the Lin’s with Gu Shao, the fact that Gu Shao was her birth father would be exposed ahead of time.

Once Lin Yize had found out that Gu Shao was the first man of his beloved woman, would he target Gu Shao early?

Even though Gu Shao had always been very mighty in Lin Xi’s mind, but Lin Yize was still the man with the male lead halo.

“No.” Lin Xi shook her head immediately.

“You don’t want your household register transferred out?” asked Gu Shao.

“No, that’s not it.”

Lin Xi didn’t know how to explain the matters of the novel to Gu Shao. Struggling with that for a long while, she finally came up with a very bad reasons: “I know you are a very busy man. I can go talk to my mom and the others on my own. You won’t need to come with me.”

“Or I can have Uncle Xu Fei or Grandma Mei to come with me.”

One way or another, Gu Shao could not go.

Gu Shao, “… …” He might be busy, but not so busy that he would need someone else to transfer his daughter’s household register for him.

When Gu Shao did not rebut her, Lin Xi assumed that he had agreed. She smiled at him and said, “Okay. So that’s settled!”

“Go to sleep.”

“Okay.” Lin Xi turned and walked toward her room. Half way there, she noticed that she had forgotten something and turned back around to say to Gu Shao, “Goodnight, Dad.”