WTCM Extra 2. When the Old Tsundere Meets the Silly Fool

Chen Tianxiang stood at the most familiar doorway, holding a gift in his hand, yet his palms were sweating. The big guy beside him, seeing how weakly he was knocking, stepped up and gave the door a good pounding like a drum.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

“Hey, not so loud…”

“You knock like that and they won’t hear anything inside.”

As the two of them squabbled at the door, it creaked open. The woman who answered looked stunned when she saw Chen Tianxiang. Surprise flickered in her eyes, mixed with hesitation.

“Who is it? Who’s there?”
A man’s voice came from inside. It was Father Chen.

“Mom, how have you and Dad been? Are you both well?”

Chen Tianxiang took a step forward, trying to go in, but Mother Chen quickly held him back.

“No. You need to leave. Don’t let your father see you or he’ll get all worked up again.”

While she managed to stop Chen Tianxiang, the big goof next to him made a slick move, sliding past her with the agility of a point guard weaving through defenders. Once inside, he even called out proudly, “A dad should be happy to see his son. What’s there to be mad about?”

“Hey. Who are you? How can you just barge into someone’s home?”

Father Chen had already walked into the living room. Seeing a stranger suddenly appear, he grew alert and grabbed the phone. “Get out. Or I’m calling the cops.”

Qi Haiyang took one look at the tall, burly man in his fifties, full of energy and presence, and his eyes lit up. He’d found the target. Standing at attention, he gave a perfect ninety-degree bow and greeted him warmly.

“Hello, Dad!”

“Who’s your dad!”

Father Chen’s eyes bulged. He didn’t have some silly fool for a son. His son was a righteous, dignified, handsome police officer.

But when he looked past and saw who was standing at the door, he immediately realized what was going on. His anger boiled over. He grabbed the broom leaning against the wall and charged.

“You little bastard. You’ve got the nerve to come back? Get lost!”

Qi Haiyang quickly stepped forward, placing himself between Father Chen and Chen Tianxiang. With a cheeky smile, he said,
“Dad, don’t hit Xiang-ge. If you want to hit someone, hit me. I can take it. Thick skin, doesn’t bruise easy.”

Although Father Chen was fuming, he couldn’t bring himself to strike this stranger who was grinning at him so earnestly. He could only raise a trembling hand and point at Chen Tianxiang, too angry to even form a sentence.

“You… you… damn it! You actually had the nerve to bring home someone who calls me ‘Dad’? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

With all the ruckus in the house, Mother Chen lost her grip on the door. Chen Tianxiang took the opportunity to slip inside and stood beside Qi Haiyang.

“Dad, you and Mom raised me. I still owe you both so much. You can’t just disown me like this.”

Chen Tianxiang copied Qi Haiyang’s shameless tactic. Clinging on without shame seemed to work best. He grabbed his father’s hand and knelt down.

“I’m your son. Even if you beat me to death, I’m not leaving today.”

His eyes turned red, tears gathering as he bit his lower lip and looked up at his father. His gaze was steady, pleading. Father Chen had never seen his son look so vulnerable before. It was impossible not to feel his heart waver. But the Chen family had never seen anything like this in generations. He couldn’t stand the disgrace.

“Disgraceful. Shameless. Get out. If you don’t want to see this old man die of anger, then disappear from my sight.”

Seeing his Xiang-ge so hurt and teary-eyed, Qi Haiyang felt like his heart was about to break. He hadn’t expected Father Chen to be so unreasonable. He dropped to his knees with a thud and wrapped his arms around the old man’s leg.

“Dad! This really isn’t shameful! Look at me. Where else are you going to find a son-in-law—wait, no, a daughter-in-law—as good as me?”

Father Chen was furious, but also caught off guard by how ridiculous this was. He tried to shake Qi Haiyang off, but couldn’t manage it. Out of curiosity, he looked more closely at the big guy clinging to his leg. Even kneeling, he was tall and solidly built.

Hey, come to think of it, he looked familiar. Like that basketball player… that MVP from the college league this year… Qi Haiyang!

The more he looked, the more convinced he became.

Father Chen was a basketball fan. He hadn’t missed a single game in the recent league, and his favorite player was, of course, the star captain representing their city. Chen Tianxiang knew this well, which was exactly why he’d waited until the season ended to come home, so they could strike while the iron was hot.

Seeing that the old man had clearly hesitated, Chen Tianxiang immediately followed up.

“Dad, Haiyang and I are living honest lives. There’s nothing shameful about that. No one’s going to look down on us.”

“Haiyang? What Haiyang?”
Father Chen blinked, confused again. Not only did the kid look like him, he had the same name too?

“It’s me, Qi Haiyang.”

Qi Haiyang pointed at his own face.
“I heard from Xiang-ge that you love basketball. I’ll come over and play with you every day from now on.”

“Oh wow, it really is you!”

Father Chen clapped his hands in surprise. He almost wanted to grab a notebook for an autograph. Now that he looked again, the kid didn’t seem so foolish after all. With those thick brows and bright eyes, full of energy, it really was the MVP Qi Haiyang.

“I’m telling you… you two should leave. I said I was cutting off ties, and I meant it.”
As a devoted basketball fan, Father Chen’s tone had already softened quite a bit. But once something left his mouth, it was final. This was a matter of principle, and there was no room for compromise.

Qi Haiyang blinked and smiled.
“Dad, when we walked in just now, you kept calling yourself ‘old man’ this and ‘old man’ that. That means, deep down, you still see us as your sons. There’s no cutting that off.”

“I—”
Father Chen was left speechless. That little brat had actually caught him with a phrase he used out of habit.

“Dad, come on, just give us a break. Look how pitiful Xiang-ge is. He cries under the blanket every night. I can’t even comfort him.”

Qi Haiyang pouted dramatically. Father Chen immediately imagined the worst. These two grown men, huddling under one blanket every night. And they had no shame about it either?

Father Chen raised the broom again. Basketball MVP or not, he didn’t care anymore. He shoved his leg out and forced the two of them out of the house. As he turned around and saw Mother Chen silently wiping her tears, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Sigh… it’s our fault. We raised him wrong. If Xiao Xiang were a girl, he and Qi Haiyang would’ve been the perfect match.”

On the other side of the door, Chen Tianxiang could only smile helplessly. Three years apart, and his old man was still as stubborn as ever.

“Haiyang, I’m sorry. You had to go through all this with me.”

“It’s nothing.”

Qi Haiyang rolled up his sleeves, eyes sparking with determination.
“We’ll go again tomorrow.”

The next day, Qi Haiyang showed up at the door with a basketball in hand. He had promised to play with Father Chen, and he wasn’t the kind to go back on his word.

They say you don’t strike a smiling face, and it was hard to yell at someone who kept showing up with the same cheerful grin, no matter how harshly he was spoken to. Especially when that person just so happened to be Father Chen’s favorite basketball player. What could have been the worst score imaginable was now slowly climbing its way back up, even if it was only to zero.

But it was only zero. If they wanted to score something positive, there was still a long way to go.

“Hmph, I said no, and I meant it. You two better head home.”

Father Chen pretended to be reading the newspaper, though his eyes kept drifting toward the silly big guy goofing off nearby.

The basketball seemed glued to Qi Haiyang’s body, rolling from his chest to his back, gliding from his left hand up the arm, across the shoulder, and down to the right. So many spins, and not once did it fall.

“Catch!”

Qi Haiyang balanced the ball on his index finger, letting it spin rapidly, then shouted suddenly and tossed it toward the old man on the sofa. Father Chen dropped the newspaper by reflex and caught the ball firmly against his chest.

“Nice catch! I’ve got a strong arm, most people can’t catch my passes without fumbling it.” Qi Haiyang clapped hard, his flattery echoing through the room like a drumbeat.

Father Chen let out a proud huff and threw the ball back, not realizing that the score in his heart had ticked up a few more notches. He told himself this was nothing. Back in the day, he was the star of the factory team. Too bad Xiao Xiang hadn’t inherited his talent. From the time he was little, every time he dribbled, he’d trip over himself. Three steps, and he’d fall twice.

Still, that bumbling little Xiao Xiang playing ball had been so adorable. How did he grow up to be so disobedient?

“Dad, let’s go out and play a bit. I saw a basketball hoop in the fitness park just outside the neighborhood.”

“Hmph, not going.”

The words were barely out of Father Chen’s mouth before he regretted them. Why had he responded like that? Just because this guy called him “Dad” so naturally? That almost sounded like he had accepted it.

“You brat, stop calling me that. Who’s your dad?” The invisible score line in Father Chen’s mind dropped again. He decided it was time to scold this guy properly, make sure he never dared to run his mouth like that again.

“You’ve already got a father. Why cling to someone else’s like a stray dog? You’re a grown man, and your body’s got all the right parts. There are so many women out there. Why are you chasing after another man’s ass? Looking for trouble? And with your height and size, you insist on being some twisted sissy. Don’t you feel the least bit ashamed?”

The words were harsh. Most people would have stormed out crying by now. But unfortunately for Father Chen, he was dealing with Qi Haiyang, who couldn’t be shaken off that easily. This guy scratched his face with a grin and didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

“Hey, that was a solid scolding. You feel better now? If you’re in a good mood, how about we go play some ball? Gotta get that blood flowing.”

Being scolded without showing a hint of anger actually made Father Chen feel awkward. He had gone off on the kid for no reason, yet Qi Haiyang still wanted to play ball with him. That kind of patience and attitude made it seem like the younger one had more grace and manners than he did. He let out a grunt to cover his embarrassment, but the invisible score line in his heart jumped up several points again.

“I say, Qi Haiyang, you’ve got a lot of free time on your hands. Don’t you need to go to school? What kind of student skips class to hang around my place all day?”
Still feeling awkward, Father Chen started nitpicking again. Any excuse to get this guy out of the house would do.

“No need to go. I’m in my fourth year. We don’t have classes anymore.”

Right, he had forgotten that the kid was already a senior. Father Chen’s eyes shifted as he quickly came up with another move.
“Shouldn’t you be training then? Skip too long and your hands will get rusty. You won’t make it back to the main lineup.”

“The league just ended. We’re on rest now. Everyone’s taking a break. Pushing too hard’s not good for the body.”

“You…”

Father Chen paused. That tactic had failed too. But he wasn’t done. After a beat, he thought of something else.

“Then you should be out looking for a job. I bet your classmates are already out interning.”

“Haha, no need for that either. I’ve already signed a contract a few days ago. I’m joining our province’s basketball team. I’ll be playing in the pro league starting next season. Dad, when the time comes, I’ll cover your tickets.”

Tickets included? Now that was something. Father Chen was just about to smile, but something didn’t sit right. Wait a second.
Did he just say the local provincial team? The one that’s been stuck at the bottom of the standings every year? Even with his love for the hometown team, he knew that wasn’t a great career move.

“You’ve got to be kidding. Our province’s team? With how well you played this year, even last year’s championship team would want you.”

“I’m not going anywhere else. I’m staying right here with our provincial team. I’ll have to travel a lot no matter what, but at least the home court’s nearby. I’ll be in the same city as Xiang-ge, and I’ll get to spend a few more days with him every month. And hey, I’ll be close to you too, right Dad?”

Seeing the pure and natural joy on Qi Haiyang’s face, Father Chen suddenly didn’t know what else to say. He had given up a better career opportunity just to be a little closer to Xiao Xiang?

Did he even understand what that meant for a professional athlete?

A better club didn’t just mean more fame and money. It came with superior resources, better teammates, and a chance to rise higher. He could have stood on an even bigger stage, become a true star. But now, joining a second-tier team, maybe he’d fade into obscurity, flash bright like a meteor once, then disappear.

And all of this, just to spend a few more days each month by Xiao Xiang’s side?

“Idiot.”

The word slipped out of Father Chen’s mouth before he could stop it. But in his heart, the bar shot up again.

“Heh. Xiang-ge says that all the time too.”
Qi Haiyang grinned. “But honestly, I don’t think I’m that dumb. I plan things out carefully.”

It made him happy when Chen Tianxiang called him that, but he couldn’t let Father Chen think he was truly unreliable. Not when he hoped this man would one day be like a second dad to him.

Hearing that, Father Chen felt his heart soften like melted butter. This kid was so sincere. He had thought about the future, carefully weighed everything, and still placed Xiao Xiang first. Where could he find a daughter-in-law like that?

“Haiyang…”

Father Chen let out a long sigh. “It’s not that I’m unreasonable. But have you thought about it? Two men living together, how many people are going to point fingers at you? Have you considered how your parents feel? I only have one son. Are you really okay with me never having a grandchild in my lifetime?”

“Come on, Dad. It’s a different era now. There are out couples everywhere, even more in sports. No one cares like they used to.”

Qi Haiyang spoke without missing a beat. “As for my parents, I’ve already taken Xiang-ge to meet them. They were overjoyed. They even asked when we could visit you to propose formally.”

He held back the last part on purpose, just in case it pushed the old man too far. And honestly, even if he hadn’t been with Xiang-ge, it wasn’t likely Father Chen would get a grandchild anyway.

But since they were talking about grandkids…

Qi Haiyang’s eyes lit up.
“Dad! So if Xiang-ge had a child, that means you’d accept him?”

“Hmph. Only if it’s his biological child. Don’t even think about picking up some random kid. I’m not accepting anyone who doesn’t carry the Chen name.” Father Chen wasn’t easy to fool. He made sure there was no room for interpretation. Adoption wouldn’t count. He wasn’t going to pretend just any child was his grandchild.

“Yes, yes, it’ll definitely be Xiang-ge’s.”
Qi Haiyang brushed it off casually, not missing a beat as he dashed into the kitchen to grab a bowl. The smell had already reached him earlier. Mother Chen might not have said anything, but that big pot of stewed ribs was a clear sign she planned to keep him for lunch. As for the matter of the grandson… heh, he’d figure out a way to make sure the old man couldn’t object.

Their second round might have ended with another loss, but Qi Haiyang now had a better read on Father Chen. So he stopped rushing. Instead, he stuck to his promise and showed up every day to play basketball. He never brought up his relationship with Chen Tianxiang, only chatted and kept Father Chen company.

Eventually, Father Chen could no longer resist the itch in his bones. That old basketball soul of his stirred. He was tricked into heading outside for a game. Although their session had to end early when others recognized Qi Haiyang and started lining up for autographs, Father Chen felt a proud kind of joy deep in his chest. That basketball star everyone was chasing around was part of their family. He even helped organize the crowd.

The real trouble came when Father Chen bumped into a neighbor in the community who asked what his connection was to this rising basketball star. His face turned red, neck stiff as he stammered for a good long while before finally squeezing out three words.

“Godson. He’s my godson.”

“Hello, Uncle. My Xiang-ge isn’t good at basketball, so I came to play with Dad instead.”

Qi Haiyang immediately threw an arm around the old man’s neck and greeted the passing uncle with a sunny grin, locking in their father-son dynamic right in public.

Father Chen cared about his reputation more than anything. Faced with the neighbor’s admiring glances, all he could do was smile through clenched teeth. Inside, he wanted to slam his head into a wall. He vowed never to call Qi Haiyang an idiot again. That kid was sneaky as hell. He had tricked him into coming outside, then used that chance to make him admit the relationship in front of the whole neighborhood.

Qi Haiyang kept showing up every day, full of persistence and shameless charm. A week passed in the blink of an eye. On his day off, Chen Tianxiang returned with his boyfriend for another visit.

Even though Qi Haiyang claimed to have already won over the old man, Chen Tianxiang remained skeptical. He knew exactly how stubborn his father could be. No way could that wall be broken down in just a week. Still, the gifts they brought this time had been carefully chosen after checking out several shops, all under Haiyang’s guidance. At the very least, Father Chen wouldn’t greet them with a broom like last time.

“Xiang-ge, let me carry that. You knock.”
Right before they reached the door, Qi Haiyang took the gift bag and, as Chen Tianxiang knocked, slipped something under his oversized T-shirt.

“What are you doing?”

Chen Tianxiang frowned, confused. But before he could ask more, Mother Chen opened the door. After a week of daily visits, she had grown fond of this cheerful young man. Over the last three years, Father Chen had done nothing but sigh all day long. Now, thanks to Qi Haiyang’s presence, the laughter that had returned to their home was something she hadn’t seen in a long time.

As soon as the door opened, Qi Haiyang dashed inside, groaning dramatically the entire way until he reached Father Chen.

“It hurts! Dad! Ow ow ow, I’m about to give birth!”

Father Chen had no idea what kind of nonsense this boy was up to now. His mouth twitched as he watched Qi Haiyang wobble around with a big belly, then dramatically flop onto the sofa, wheezing and moaning like he was in labor.

“Owww… for Xiang-ge, even if I have to give birth, I will… Dad, if I give birth, it has to be Xiang-ge’s child, right? You can’t deny it.”

Clutching his belly, Qi Haiyang laid back on the sofa, groaning and putting on a full show. It was so ridiculous that Father Chen actually started laughing from sheer frustration. He stepped forward and yanked up Qi Haiyang’s T-shirt, ready to see just what sort of nonsense this kid was hiding.

Under the shirt was a small cage. Inside, curled up quietly, was a palm-sized puppy. It had stayed silent until now, hidden from the light, but the sudden attention made it twitch its fluffy ears and sniff nervously before letting out two soft barks at Father Chen.

Father Chen froze.

That dog… looked just like Xiaohua. His old companion of over ten years. The loyal, clever, and well-behaved Xiaohua. But Xiaohua had passed away. He had sworn back then that he’d never raise another dog again. His eyes flicked to Chen Tianxiang. Had this kid gone out of his way to find a dog just like Xiaohua to please him?

Hmph. Did they really think a dog was enough to buy him off? What a joke.

Qi Haiyang had already pulled the puppy out of the cage and was holding it up to him.

“Dad, this isn’t just any dog. This is my child. Mine and Xiang-ge’s.”

Chen Tianxiang, already unable to watch any longer, lowered his head and covered his face. Trust that idiot to come up with something this absurd. Of course it had to be some ridiculous scheme like this. He sighed. Winning Father Chen over was definitely going to be a long-term battle.

“You two… what the hell are you… giving me a dog and calling it your child?”
Father Chen was ready to scold them again, but when the little fluffball looked up at him with those innocent black eyes, tail wagging and trying its best to be cute, the words got stuck in his throat.

It really did look exactly like Xiaohua when she was a puppy. They must have spent a lot of effort finding one like this.
And what would yelling do now? If he scolded them, he’d only be punishing himself.

“Dad, Xiang-ge always says I’m a big dumb dog. So I figured I’d give you a little dumb dog to hold.”

Qi Haiyang lifted the puppy higher, right in front of him.

Father Chen looked at the little thing jumping in excitement, then at Qi Haiyang’s expectant face. Honestly… they were both the same kind of fool.

Father Chen let out a long sigh and turned away, sinking heavily into a seat. He had refused to acknowledge his son all these years because deep down, he had hoped that one day, the boy would come to his senses. That he’d come back home, settle down, marry, and have children. He never imagined that the boy would really stay away for three whole years. That stubbornness, it was just like his own. If it hadn’t been for Qi Haiyang, perhaps his son truly never would have returned.

“Dad, please don’t blame Haiyang. He’s simple-minded. He just wanted to make you happy.”

Chen Tianxiang stepped forward and knelt beside him, reaching out with his right hand to hold Qi Haiyang’s and using his left to gently grasp his father’s.

“This was all my fault. When you said you were cutting ties with me, I shouldn’t have really stayed away for three whole years. Even if you don’t acknowledge me, I’m still your son. That’s a fact that will never change.”

“Dad, even if you can’t accept us, we’ll still come back. We’ll help Mom around the house, chat with you, keep you company… and Haiyang will play ball with you. Didn’t you always say you regretted that I never learned how? Well now you’ve got a pro right here in the family. You can play however you like.”

Father Chen pulled his hand back, turning his face away with another huff. In his mind he scoffed. Did they think basketball was something you just casually played? It was a skill, a sport with rules. Still… he caught himself thinking too far ahead. He hadn’t accepted them yet.

“Dad, I know you think I’ve embarrassed you…”

Chen Tianxiang stared at his now-empty left hand and lowered his head.
Qi Haiyang quickly lifted their clasped right hands, giving it a little shake. Chen Tianxiang let out a quiet breath and turned to him with a smile of renewed determination.

“But I really love Haiyang. I promised his parents I’d make him happy. And I would never abandon you or Mom either. You two will always be the most important people in my life. Please don’t worry. We’ll keep a low profile. No one will know about our relationship. We’ll make sure no one gives you a hard time because of us.”

Qi Haiyang nodded quickly.
“That’s right, Dad. Even though I’ve been getting more exposure lately, I won’t let anyone find out I’m in love with Xiang-ge. If I come around, it’ll only be as your godson. Of course, if you’re willing to treat me like your real son, I’d be even happier.”

Father Chen felt his heart stir again.
What else could he say? These two weren’t afraid of judgment. Yet they were willing to make these kinds of promises for his sake. It meant that from now on, their love would have to be hidden away in the shadows, all to protect his pride. Two people who loved each other… forced to pretend. Forced to act like they were nothing more than family.

Forget it. Blood is thicker than water. If they keep coming back, could he really throw them out every single time?

Hmph. But that didn’t mean he was going to give in so easily.

Father Chen rolled his eyes and refused to look at the two kneeling in front of him. He stood up and walked toward his wife.
“Looks like we made too much food today… You two. Help your mom finish it. No wasting.”

“Yes, sir!”

Qi Haiyang leapt up in a flash, hugging the puppy as he dashed toward the dining room.

Father Chen stuck out his arm to block him, muttering under his breath.

“You two… bringing back a dog like this. Do you even know how much trouble it is to raise one? Hmph. Give Xiaohua to me. You go wash your hands.”

“Dad…”

Chen Tianxiang stood up, surprised, but when he saw his father shoot him a look full of resistance, he quickly played it cool, pretending nothing had happened. He walked toward the kitchen.

“I’ll go help Mom. My cooking skills are pretty good now.”

“Oh no, no need for that. Just wait and eat.”

Seeing his wife’s eyes misting over with love and joy as she smiled tenderly, pushing their son gently toward the kitchen, Father Chen couldn’t help but turn away, quietly wiping a tear from his eye.

Why did it have to be his son who was gay…? He couldn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to think about it anymore. Family happiness mattered more than anything.

As for Qi Haiyang…

Father Chen glanced at the big, goofy dog wagging its tail furiously in front of the kitchen door. He turned away again and thought to himself. That kid’s score in his heart? It had long since broken the line, high above. Keeping him around as a daughter-in-law, no, as another son, especially one who was a basketball star…

Wait. How did that thought even come up? He realized he had no problem with it at all.

Hmph, never mind. He was done thinking about it. Not worth worrying about.
Father Chen rubbed the little ball of fur in his arms, not wanting to think about how a bad situation had turned into a good one. He muttered to himself,

“First, I need to make a cozy little bed for Xiaohua. This isn’t just any dog… it’s more like a little grandson.”