The ultimate blue sea

EXTRA 2

Su Chengde thought that he was being a little oversensitive. He suddenly felt that his wastrel son and this Captain Hu were kind of...making eyes at each other. He began to be fearful.

As soon as he had this suspicion, added to Su Qing's prior record, Su Chengde began to pay attention and felt more and more that something was off.

For example, he found that while Hu Bugui and Su Qing didn't communicate much verbally, they had a particular tacit understanding. With practically nothing but a look and a tiny gesture no one else would notice, it was as though the two of them had had a conversation—of course, that was nothing, Su Chengde consoled himself. They were comrades-in-arms. They had carried guns and risked their lives together. How could they not have a bit of tacit understanding?

But why do they have to be so close to each other when they speak? Su Qing, what do you have to say that can't be said out in the open? You've got your mouth stuck to the man's ear! And you're smiling! And it's such a suggestive smile!

Then, when the two of them went into the kitchen to help serve food, Su Chengde saw with perfect clarity how a bit of vegetable soup accidentally splashed onto Su Qing's fingers, and Hu Bugui wiped it off for him... These comrades-in-arms really were on good terms, but if he was going to wipe, then he could wipe properly. There were so many towels and napkins in the kitchen and dining room that he didn't use; he actually used his tongue to lick it clean!

Su Chengde saw Su Qing raise his head and look his way a little guiltily, then immediately pretend to be counting chopsticks and not have seen anything. He felt his head turning into a big teapot, steam puffing out from the top of it.

His son was no longer extravagant, no longer wasteful. He didn't count grains of rice when he ate and wasn't totally incompetent anymore. Now, like the return of the prodigal, he had appeared before him in a new form as though reborn, and Su Chengde had thought that there could be nothing more perfectly satisfying in the world.

But it turned out that while all his various bad habits had changed, the only one that remained unchanged...was the one it was hardest for Su Chengde to accept!

So the "naughty student's home visit" atmosphere began to move quickly in a certain awkward direction. Throughout the evening, Su Chengde appeared absent-minded. On the surface, he pretended to be a fairly up to standard host, but he couldn't resist furtively looking back and forth between Su Qing and Hu Bugui. When no one else could see, the expression on his face was now troubled, now relieved, oscillating like a sine wave, going on without end.

Tu Tutu's good days unfortunately ended after the prince regent's glorious return. Before, he had been able to push the retired emperor forward as a target, but now, while the retired emperor was speaking rather convincingly, he was inwardly busy to distraction. He had no time to discuss the problems of the child's education with his son. So His Majesty was sent off to his room to do his homework.

The TV in the living room was on and making a racket. After the news, it began to play TV dramas. Each of the three people sitting on the couch had his own thoughts. No one saw what was on the TV. Suddenly, Hu Bugui spoke softly: "It's a good thing Su Qing has come home today. His personal materials and family background still need to be completed. There are some places where you can help take a look, Uncle Su, and fill it in for him. That will save trouble later."

Su Chengde came around and nodded. He took a pen out from under the coffee table.

Su Qing didn't know what Hu Bugui's plan was. He saw Hu Bugui take a big stack of documents from his bag. This was a very thick stack. He had said it would only be filling in a form, but he laid papers out all over the table without finding that form. Hu Bugui had used a clip to clip together a whole lot of things. Su Qing couldn't resist coming forward to help him arrange them, thinking, He's a rather neat, rather careful person. How could he let his stuff get into such a mess?