Everything I can't face

I was also caught off guard by my father's actions, though not as surprised as Xiaoying. No wonder he'd

been so distracted these past few days; he'd been thinking about this issue constantly. I believe he must have considered this decision

for a long time. The most important reason was his relationship with Xiaoying, and perhaps he was also afraid.

Finding a companion could completely solve this problem. With a companion, he could rebuild his

family, thus forcing him to end his ambiguous relationship with Xiaoying. At the same time, finding another woman would

lessen his feelings for Xiaoying and divert his attention… In short, it was all because of

his relationship with Xiaoying. It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost, before things become unsolvable.

"Dad, are you serious?" I couldn't help but ask my father, confirming his suspicions.

"Of course, I've already explained the reasons. This time I'm serious. You can grant my wish for an age-gap romance

." My father took a big gulp of his drink; it seemed this request wasn't as willing as he'd made it out to be.

"Okay, Xiaoying and I will look around for you, and we'll introduce you to some suitable ones." I

couldn't , as I didn't have enough time to think it over. I could only agree first and

then decide later.

Xiaoying, who had been quite lively just moments before, became noticeably quieter and more downcast after her father made this request.

Although she tried her best to hide it, I could still see the deep reluctance in her eyes

. After dinner, Xiaoying and I lay in bed, playing on our phones. However, Xiaoying seemed a little

absent-minded , scrolling through her phone very quickly. Perhaps her attention wasn't really on the phone at all.

"Honey, what do you think about finding a companion for Dad?" I asked

casually but my eyes were constantly watching Xiaoying out of the corner of my eye, observing her every move.

"Dad's getting old, we must fulfill his wishes. We should give him a happy old age."

Xiaoying paused slightly while scrolling on her phone after hearing my words, but quickly resumed

her normal pace . Before speaking, she subtly took a deep breath, and her voice sounded

a little hesitant.

"In that case, let's help Dad find someone. Let's keep asking around." Since things have progressed

this far, let's just let things take their course. If things continue this way, Xiaoying and her father will break off their ambiguous

relationship , and her father will find a partner older than him—it wouldn't be a bad thing.

After playing on our phones for a while, we turned off the lights and prepared to sleep. However, both Xiaoying and I were preoccupied with our father's search for a companion

, and perhaps neither of us slept well. Xiaoying tossed and turned almost all night,

while I seemed much calmer.

The next day, all three of us woke up with dark circles under our eyes. It seemed that it wasn't just

Xiaoying ; Dad had too. After breakfast, I went to work and posted on my social media

that I was looking for a single woman over 5 years old. Looks weren't important; what mattered was that she be stable, knew how to enjoy life, and

was thrifty. When my colleagues and friends heard it was to find a companion for my single father, they showered me

with praise, saying I was filial and had a good purpose. Filial piety comes first, and this small act earned me extra

goodwill.

It's true, having many friends makes life easier. Just around noon, a colleague told me that

there was a woman in our company who met the requirements. We all called her Aunt Zhang. She was a cleaner,

from a rural background, her husband had passed away from illness a few years ago, and she had a married daughter who was 52 years old. She was very simple and

honest and quite attractive; you could tell she was a beauty in her youth in the countryside. In short, she was a perfect

match for my father. At

the company, I'm in charge of administrative work, and cleaning is a small part of my responsibilities. I know my employees well, but I never knew about their family situations.

Before lunch break,

I called Aunt Zhang into my office for a private chat, using the guise of work. I subtly hinted at my

intentions regarding this relationship, without any work-related pressure. Older people don't have as many expectations as

younger people December romances. I only spoke briefly with Aunt Zhang and discovered she didn't have

any special requirements, as long as the financial situation could guarantee a normal life. Given my family's current financial situation,

it far exceeds her expectations, and I'm her direct supervisor at work, several levels above her, so she's quite

willing to get to know my father. In this information age, with smartphones so advanced, I got a

photo of Aunt Zhang's phone to show my father that evening.

Holding that photo, I spent the entire afternoon in the office, lost in thought. Had things

really come to this point? There was still a tinge of regret; after all, I was the one who brought it all

on , and now I had to end it all myself. Imagine how difficult the journey has been;

I never imagined it would develop to this point. But everything has a beginning and an end, and perhaps this is the best possible

outcome, far better than anyone else suffering a tragedy. Letting go of my inner struggles and burdens, I focused on my work,

waiting for the end of the day.

That evening, at home, I showed my father Aunt Zhang's photo at the dinner table.

He glanced at it briefly and readily agreed, saying he didn't have high standards for appearance; as long as I thought she was good- looking

, he didn't care. Seeing his nonchalant expression, I became even more certain of my suspicions. When I showed my father Aunt Zhang's photo, Xiaoying, who was eating, stopped chewing and looked up at my father and me. Although she didn't show any unusual expression, her tightly gripped chopsticks betrayed her; her knuckles were slightly white, showing how much force .

"Since you have no objections, Dad, I'll arrange for Aunt Zhang to come over for a meal another day.

It'll be a good opportunity for you two to get to know each other. After all, it's good to meet someone before marriage, especially since you're looking for a partner." Seeing that my father had no objections,

I

turned off my phone and spoke to him.

"Okay, you can arrange it for me. Also, if I live with your Aunt Zhang, I'm planning to

move out ."

"Why do you have to move out? Isn't it better for you to live with us? You can cook for me and Xiaoying and things like that."

My father is getting old, and I'm really worried about him moving out. Besides, I always

feel like I'm kicking him out of the house if he moves out.

"If you want me to be happy, agree to let me move out. After all, the environment I want is different from yours.

You have to live in a bustling city, while I prefer a quiet and elegant rural life. Arrange a place for me in

the countryside ; rural houses don't cost much," my father said nonchalantly. But in his

eyes, I could still sense a pang of sadness, the same expression as in Xiaoying's eyes—

a deep reluctance to part with me, with Haohao, and even more so with Xiaoying, his

confidante .

Xiaoying had given him true love, and I believed in the depth of my father's love for her, a love I

had never experienced with my mother. After all, Xiaoying's appearance, education, and cultural refinement far surpassed anything my mother

had . Her physical beauty and sexual allure were unmatched, but all of that was about to end.

It would likely take a long time for my father and Xiaoying to adjust; perhaps only they knew the pain they carried.

Xiaoying's heart was also filled with reluctance, but beyond sexual affirmation, was there any love

involved in her feelings for her father? I couldn't possibly understand any of this. Everything was about to end, so what was the point of dwelling on it? The

next day, at work, I told Aunt Zhang that my father wanted to meet her. She

decided discuss it with her daughter before giving me an answer, since her daughter was her only relative, and this kind of thing required her daughter's consent. It has to be said, once you decide to get something done, things sometimes go much more smoothly than you imagine . After obtaining Aunt Zhang's daughter's consent, we decided to arrange a meeting that evening. Since it was their first meeting, we decided not to have Aunt Zhang come to my house . I booked a restaurant and called my father to tell him. It was much more convenient for Aunt Zhang; I could just take her there after work . Aunt Zhang's daughter, as her daughter, would also be coming that evening. With everything arranged, I called Xiaoying to tell her the time and place. "Honey, I 've arranged everything . Dad and Aunt Zhang will meet at Ziyun Tower tonight, and her daughter will be there too. Take a taxi to Ziyunkou after work at 6 PM." Everything was going smoothly, and my conflicted feelings eased a bit. I tried not to let my mind wander, lest it affect my decision. Since this outcome was perfect, I would proceed accordingly. "Ah... okay." When Xiaoying heard that everything was arranged so quickly, her first response was one of surprise, a low gasp. It took her a long pause before she finally answered "okay," revealing her inner turmoil. Although Xiaoying had been trying to hide it, her disappointment was still quite obvious. However, I couldn't tell how much of her disappointment stemmed from reluctance, jealousy, or envy. After hanging up, I waited for my shift to end. Normally, the cleaning ladies leave work a little later than us, as they need to wait until everyone else has left to make cleaning easier. As a senior manager in the company, I arranged for Aunt Zhang to leave early. Aunt Zhang's daughter also arrived at the company early, and I arranged for them to stay in my office. Aunt Zhang's daughter is just an ordinary urban white-collar worker, and her status is far lower than mine. Although we are both children of our parents, she still seemed a bit reserved in my presence, given my social standing. As I sat at my desk working, Aunt Zhang's daughter looked at me with undisguised envy, which made me feel a little vain. Finally, after waiting for the end of the workday, I led Aunt Zhang and her daughter out of the office building, hailed a taxi, and headed the restaurant we had booked. However, while in the taxi, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up and saw it was Xiaoying calling. Without thinking much, I answered Xiaoying's call. "Honey, I feel like I'd be superfluous if I went. I won't go tonight. Aunt Zhang and Dad, you and Aunt Zhang's daughter, you can talk it over. There's no need for me to go. I'll just have something to eat at home. I'm feeling a bit tired..." Xiaoying's voice was low and weary after answering the phone . Anyone who didn't know the situation would think she was just overworked. But I, who knew the truth, knew that Xiaoying 's exhaustion wasn't from work, but from being unable to cope with everything...

URL 1:http://localhost:909/htmlBlog/1244.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=1244&aspx=1

Previous Page : Such a father

Next Page : lonely

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Everything I can't face

comment Open a new window to view comments