In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 59: The Weak Dad (5)

By the time Qi Sheng was nearly done finalizing the draft of his tutoring textbook, his son’s top-eight tournament had arrived.

“Dad, will you be able to come with me this time?” Qi Jin asked, a bit worried, knowing how busy his father had been.

“Of course. Dad will be there to accompany you for every match you play in person.”

After finding a substitute teacher to cover his classes, Qi Sheng packed their luggage with his son, and together they flew to Haishi, where the tournament was being held.

At that time, the esports industry in China was still quite obscure — aside from a few genuine gaming enthusiasts, hardly anyone cared or supported it.

Qi Sheng followed his son to the competition venue, which turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary hotel that the organizers had temporarily rented. The setup for the matches was very simple, and the people attending were mostly friends of the players. Middle-aged spectators like Qi Sheng were pitifully few and were basically all staff members.

“Uncle, are you working for the event organizers too? Could I ask you about someone?”

A young girl, dressed “fashionably” with dyed hair — clearly not your typical good student — approached Qi Sheng and asked.

Qi Sheng shook his head and replied, “No, I’m here to accompany my son for the tournament.”

Hearing this, the girl’s eyes widened in surprise. Another girl sitting next to her also looked at him in disbelief. They had just come along to support their friends and weren’t really interested in the competition itself, just there to join in the excitement. Now, hearing Qi Sheng’s words, one of the girls couldn’t help but say, “Come on, don’t lie to us. If you don’t want to tell us anything, just say so — we’re not going to badmouth you behind your back.”

Qi Sheng chuckled and said, “I’m really telling the truth.”

Curious, the girl, now more gossip-minded, pressed him, “Then, which one of those guys is your son? Uncle, you’re so handsome — your son must be super good-looking too, right?”

Qi Sheng raised an eyebrow. Were young girls these days really this straightforward?

Still, he didn’t reveal which one was his son. Seeing that he wouldn’t say more, the girls thought he was just teasing them.

They huddled together and whispered, “See, I told you — nowadays, if parents even know their kids are playing video games, they’re already furious. How could anyone actually come here to support it?”

The other girl nodded and complained, “He’s obviously one of the staff members. And you even ran over to ask him. Forget him — that guy earlier was so handsome! What’s his name? How can we get his contact info?”

The two of them turned around and started asking other people. As it happened, they found someone from the “Whirlwind Team” supporters’ group, who had also seen Qi Sheng before. When they asked him, he answered, confused, “Didn’t you already ask his dad earlier? Why didn’t Uncle Qi tell you?”

The girls were stunned. So, that man really was a parent?!

The girl who had called Qi Sheng handsome earlier couldn’t help exclaiming, “No wonder he’s so good-looking even at his age. And his son is really something too!”

The supporter couldn’t help laughing and said, “Don’t get your hopes up — Uncle Qi is old enough to be your father. As for Qi Jin, he’s only a first-year high school student. Forget about any early romance.”

The two girls glared at him but were extremely excited to have learned Qi Jin’s name. However, no matter how much they coaxed, the supporter refused to reveal Qi Jin’s contact information.

“If you really want to know, just go ask him directly. Or you can try asking Uncle Qi. I’m not about to betray Qi Jin. But I’ll give you a heads-up — Uncle Qi is a teacher. He definitely won’t approve of early dating.”

One of the girls, unwilling to give up, muttered, “He’s willing to support gaming, but not early dating?”

But that was just her grumbling. After learning that Qi Sheng was a teacher, she completely gave up on the idea of asking for Qi Jin’s contact details.

Qi Sheng, meanwhile, had no idea that after just a small public appearance, his son had already gained two very determined “girlfriend fans.”

After a fierce battle, the Whirlwind Team successfully advanced to the intercontinental competition with a third-place finish. It was only after the match that the team members finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, a hint of worry lingered in everyone’s hearts — they had trained so hard for so long, yet it had taken so much effort just to compete domestically. Would they even stand a chance on the intercontinental or global stage?

Captain Xu Jingzhou noticed what everyone was thinking and encouraged them, saying, “What are you afraid of? If we don’t get a good result this year, we’ll just train for two more years. Honestly, making it this far is already impressive!”

The team members nodded and cheered up again, celebrating together. Meanwhile, Qi Sheng stayed behind at the hotel to continue working on his projects instead of joining their gathering.

“Dad!”

Qi Jin rushed back and threw himself beside Qi Sheng, vowing solemnly, “Dad, I’ll definitely win the championship! Just wait and see!”

Qi Sheng knew that today’s match had somewhat affected his son’s mood, so he comforted him, “Winning a championship isn’t something that has to happen immediately. If you get too obsessed with winning and losing and forget why you started playing games in the first place, then I’ll have to reconsider whether supporting you was the right decision.”

Qi Jin buried his face in the bedsheet. He had once been fearless, believing they could win every tournament. Now he realized that there was always someone better out there. But thinking about his father’s words, he felt a little more at ease. He was anxious because he wanted to prove himself to his father — to prove that his father’s choice to support him had been the right one, and even to prove to his mother that he wasn’t useless.

Unable to hold it in, Qi Jin said, “Dad, if I retire one day without ever winning a championship, will you be disappointed in me? Would you regret having helped me, even going as far as asking for time off on my behalf?”

Back then, esports offered very few career opportunities in the country. Unless you won championships, there was little hope for a bright future.

Qi Sheng looked at his somewhat disheartened son, patted his head, and said, “This is only your first official tournament. Just a little setback and you’re already thinking about giving up? Are you regretting the path you chose?”

Qi Jin shook his head, his eyes slightly red. He didn’t regret choosing the path of esports. He was just afraid he wouldn’t live up to his father’s expectations. During his first year of high school, he had overheard many teachers gossiping — most of them privately mocked his father for spoiling his child beyond reason. He wanted desperately to prove to them that his father’s support wasn’t a mistake, that his own choice wasn’t a mistake.

Qi Sheng, seeing the sadness on his son’s face, pulled him up, looked him in the eyes, and said seriously, “Your mother is a very competitive person. She always wanted to be better than everyone else. But, son, life isn’t about constantly comparing yourself to others, nor is it about proving anything to anyone. When I decided to support you in gaming, it was because I saw your pure passion and love for it — not because I expected you to become a champion.”

“Now, cheer up. No matter the outcome, prepare well for the intercontinental competition.”

Qi Jin wiped his nose and nodded obediently. He had just been caught up in his thoughts about the pressure his father was bearing for his sake, but after his father’s encouragement, he felt completely recharged. He was still young — he didn’t believe he couldn’t achieve great things!

As expected, at the intercontinental competition, the Whirlwind Team failed to win big, just as they had feared. None of the three domestic teams that went abroad managed to achieve particularly outstanding results. However, with his father accompanying him, Qi Jin wasn’t nearly as upset as last time. Instead, he took the opportunity to have some fun and explore Japan.

Two years later, Qi Jin sat for the college entrance exam (gaokao), meaning he couldn’t participate in the domestic competitions that year. Nevertheless, the Whirlwind Team had gained some fame among gaming enthusiasts after qualifying for the intercontinental competition two years in a row. Even without Qi Jin, substitute players could fill in.

Over these two years, Xu Jingzhou had recruited several more skilled players. Yet Qi Jin’s status within the team remained unshaken — he had become the team’s irreplaceable top-laner.

This time, they qualified for the intercontinental competition in South Korea with a domestic second-place finish. As they prepared to depart, Qi Sheng deliberately asked his son, “How about it? Feeling nervous?”

Qi Jin shook his head confidently and replied, “Dad, I’m confident that we’ll achieve even better results this year!”

Qi Sheng patted his son’s head in encouragement. Seeing the bright, spirited look in his son’s eyes, he had no worries at all.

Qi Jin’s college entrance exam results were decent. Before the trip, Qi Sheng had done thorough research and enrolled him in an ordinary undergraduate university in Haishi.

The result was within their expectations. Neither father nor son said much about it — their understanding was tacit.

At the intercontinental competition, in a critical moment, Qi Jin pulled off a miraculous comeback, leading the Whirlwind Team to a second-place finish and qualifying for the world championship.

“Dad!”

After celebrating with his teammates, Qi Jin excitedly ran over to share his victory with Qi Sheng.

Qi Sheng smiled and said warmly, “Good job, son!”

Qualifying for the world championship finally gave the Whirlwind Team real weight among gaming fans, and Qi Jin’s name gradually began to spread within the gaming world.

Meanwhile—

“Hello, Lin Hui? Oh my gosh, how have you been? Congratulations, congratulations!”

Lin Hui was having lunch with her boyfriend when she received the call, feeling a bit confused.

Frowning, she asked, “Who is this?”

The voice sounded familiar, so she didn’t hang up immediately. Sure enough, the person on the other end said, “It’s Zhang Xue! How could you not have saved my number? You haven’t shown up at any of the class reunions these past two years — you’ve basically vanished!”

Lin Hui casually found an excuse to brush her off: “I lost my phone before, so I lost contact with a lot of people. Is there something you need?”

Zhang Xue excitedly said, “Of course! It took me a lot of effort to find your contact information. Are you still living in Z City?”

“I’m still in Z City. What’s up?”

Lin Hui was still puzzled. Their relationship had only been so-so. Three years ago, after her divorce, she not only sold her old house and bought a new one in Z City, but also cut off contact with her old classmates. She couldn’t think of why Zhang Xue would suddenly reach out. Could it be that she had found out about Lin Hui’s current uncommon status and was trying to cozy up to her?

Lin Hui couldn’t help but lift the corners of her mouth — her choices back then had indeed been more than right!

On the other end, Zhang Xue had no idea what Lin Hui was thinking and pretended to be a little annoyed, saying, “It’s because of my son! He kept making a fuss about wanting to meet your son Qi Jin. I got so annoyed by his pestering that I only agreed after he promised he’d study hard once school starts. So I had no choice but to personally get in touch with you. Your son hasn’t started college yet, right? When would you have time? I could bring my son over to your house for a few days.”

Lin Hui frowned, unable to figure out why she was suddenly bringing up Qi Jin. However, since she already had a new fiancé and was living a very comfortable life, she wasn’t afraid to admit her previous failed marriage.

“I’ve separated from Qi Sheng. Qi Jin stays with his father. He doesn’t live with me.”

Zhang Xue was shocked. She hadn’t expected her old classmate to be divorced. Just as she was about to ask more, the call was already cut off.

This left Zhang Xue quite puzzled. She had married relatively late, and her son Song Hao had just finished his high school entrance exams this year. As someone who also loved gaming, Song Hao was quite familiar with the domestic e-sports scene. Moreover, he was obsessed with the game King’s Battle

. When he found out that the Whirlwind Team had qualified for the Global Competition, he was even happier than if he’d won a match himself — especially when he saw Qi Jin’s god-like performance at the critical moment. From then on, he completely idolized Qi Jin.For days, Song Hao wouldn’t stop talking about Qi Jin, and Zhang Xue, who had heard about it nonstop, suddenly froze. She remembered her old classmate’s son was also named Qi Jin.

Later, seeing the wallpaper on her son’s computer, she realized that this Qi Jin really was her old classmate’s son.

“Mom, I swear! If you take me to meet God Jin for a few days, I’ll definitely study hard after school starts! I’ll even practice the piano on time!”

After Song Hao signed countless “unequal treaties,” Zhang Xue finally agreed to take him to visit her old classmate.

However, after the call was cut off, Zhang Xue felt a bit regretful — she missed a good chance to blackmail her son. Still, she couldn’t help but be curious: the school prince and belle couple who had made everyone envious back then had actually gotten divorced!

Lin Hui didn’t take Zhang Xue’s words seriously. As for that father and son, she didn’t believe they’d amount to anything anyway.

Returning to the dining table, her new boyfriend, Wan Hui, casually asked, “Who was that? Calling right during lunch?”

Lin Hui smiled indifferently and said, “An old classmate. Probably trying to invite me to a class reunion.”

Wan Hui nodded, picked up some food for her, and began coaxing, “Xiao Cong was spoiled by me since he was little. Don’t take it to heart. Let him do his thing. You don’t need to bother about it.”

Lin Hui frowned, feeling a bit angry. “You really do spoil him too much. Normally, however he acts, I don’t intervene. But he’s completely disrespectful toward me! Look at the kind of friends he brings home — even leaving women’s underwear in our room! Isn’t that a blatant provocation?”

Wan Hui, who had always doted on his only son, was actually responsible for his lawless behavior. Though he did feel that his son had gone too far this time, he still said, “I’ve already scolded him. Alright, calm down. Let’s each take a step back. You know, Xiao Cong never agreed to me remarrying in the first place. I went ahead and moved in with you despite his objections. Of course, he’s angry. Let’s just not take it to heart this time, okay?”

Lin Hui felt extremely stifled. She couldn’t help but inwardly retort: That’s what you call scolding? But seeing the man’s smiling face trying to placate her, she couldn’t keep getting angry. After all, not everyone would tolerate her bad temper like Qi Sheng had.

After giving herself a bit of self-comfort, Lin Hui reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll let it go this time. But if there’s a next time, you can’t just sweep it under the rug again.”

Then she couldn’t help but grumble, “So when are we going to get our marriage certificate? We can’t keep waiting just because he’s hiding the household registration book, can we?”

Wan Hui felt a headache coming on. Thinking of his son’s firm attitude, he could only continue coaxing her: “Give it a little more time. I brought you into the house so you two could get to know each other first. After a while, when his resistance softens, I’ll talk to him again.”

He had already said similar things several times. Lin Hui had no choice but to suppress her temper and endure.

After all, she was already over forty. No matter how well she maintained herself, she still couldn’t compete with young girls. Among all the people she had met, Wan Hui was the one who most met her conditions and was still willing to marry her. The only downside was that he had a son who was like a little tyrant.

Lin Hui inwardly cursed. Why do I always encounter these rude, lawless kids?

Back when it was her own child, she could hit or scold at will. But this future stepson — she couldn’t hit him, couldn’t scold him, and had to endure him. If it weren’t for the allure of becoming Mrs. Wan, she would’ve left already.

Lin Hui wanted a peaceful truce, but unfortunately, someone didn’t.

Just after coming out of the internet café, Wan Cong looked at the photo on his phone and curled his lips into a smile.

That evening at the Wan family house, Lin Hui saw a huge poster in the living room and was so angry she almost ripped it up on the spot. But before she could move, the housekeeper, Aunt Zhang, quickly came over to stop her.

“Miss Lin, the young master specifically ordered this. He also said no one is allowed to touch it. Please don’t make a fuss with him.”

Aunt Zhang didn’t recognize the person on the poster, but having watched Wan Cong grow up, she was naturally biased toward him. Seeing this future “Madam Wan” trying to tear down something that meant a lot to the boy before she even officially married into the family, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but think she was petty — already acting high and mighty before even getting the title.

But looking at Qi Jin’s smiling face on the poster, Lin Hui immediately realized: This was her future stepson’s deliberate move to disgust her!