Chapter 243: A Celebrity’s Alcoholic Father (Arc End)

Before taking this step, Xie Chuan had already anticipated that he would face attacks from many people.

His only consolation was that his wife and father stood firmly by his side, accompanying him through all the storms.

The law was just, and both Xu Shuo and that extremist fan received their due punishment.

When the sentence was pronounced in court, facing the furious verbal abuse from Xu Shuo’s parents, Xie Chuan felt a sense of relief.

Ever since the incident, Xie Chuan had been reflecting. The reason Xu Shuo had done what he did was certainly linked to the phone call Xie Chuan had made to question him.

Because of his own work, his wife had been dragged into such an ordeal. During the first few days after He Shulan was discharged from the hospital, he was so consumed by guilt that he couldn’t sleep all night.

After the matter concluded, Xie Chuan’s company suggested he give the public an explanation and prepared a press conference for him.

Before the conference began, after discussing it with his wife, Xie Chuan notified the higher-ups of his decision. Once his current projects were finished, he would transition to working behind the scenes.

Having won the award he yearned for most, he had no regrets left in this life. It was enough just to remain in the industry he loved.

Xie Chuan made his first public appearance with his wife. He Shulan was indeed several years older than him, but it wasn’t apparent on the surface. Her temperament wasn’t as gentle as her name suggested; instead, she had a sharper, more striking presence.

Standing beside Xie Chuan, she didn’t seem weak in the slightest.

He Shulan had insisted on coming today. She wanted to be with Xie Chuan on such an important occasion.

Xie Chuan had never taken off his wedding ring, and He Shulan wore the matching one. Throughout the press conference, he rationally answered the many questions posed by reporters.

“Mr. Xie Chuan, regarding the heated online debate suggesting you should have forgiven Xu Shuo for the sake of his elderly parents, how do you view this issue?”

This was exactly why his company wanted him to hold the press conference. These matters had to be clarified, and his stance needed to be stated clearly.

“I do not agree with that statement. Those words should have been directed at Xu Shuo. When he was committing that act, why didn’t he consider his elderly parents and stop himself?”

After so much time, although Xie Chuan was still angry, he could mostly maintain his composure.

“Mr. Xie Chuan, may I ask why you were unwilling to issue a Letter of Leniency?”

“I hope you all understand one fact. The reason no serious harm was caused was that my wife is skilled in self-defense, not because the perpetrator intended to show mercy.”

After answering these questions, Xie Chuan announced that he would be fading out of the entertainment industry and focusing his work behind the scenes.

The money he had earned was enough to keep him comfortable for a lifetime. By making some investments, he could also prepare a generous dowry for Susu in the future.

For the rest of his time, he would work for the passion in his heart.

Xie Hui fully supported his son’s decision. Later, Xie Chuan posted a photo of their family on his social media account.

The online rumors and speculations about Xie Chuan’s father being dissatisfied with his daughter-in-law were all debunked in that moment.

The intimacy with which Xie Hui held the child in his arms, and the child’s clear reliance on Xie Hui, showed a bond that anyone could see at a glance.

Xie Hui lived a long life, staying long enough to see Susu get married. Seeing her dressed in her bridal crown and robes^[1] to marry the man she loved, he finally felt at peace.

By the time Xie Hui left this world, Xie Chuan had become a renowned artist in the industry. After he stopped acting, he turned to directing others. The actors he trained seemed to have their hidden potentials unlocked, performing with incredible spiritual Qi.

Upon returning to the System Space, the Client had already departed.

“Host, are we going to the next Mission World?”

“Yes, but let me meet the Task-taker first.”

Xie Hui personally felt that it was easier to carry out missions when the child was older.

There was no need to worry about the emotional pain of parting later, nor was there a need to spend a long time slowly calming his heart.

However… it was truly hard to say no to those adorable little cubs.

“Hello.”

The person who walked in had a somewhat casual air. From the accessories on his person, Xie Hui could tell his family background was likely quite good. He nodded and replied politely:

“Hello.”

“Do I need to introduce myself? Or can you see my profile?”

“No need for introductions. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you can tell me, and I will fulfill them in your stead.”

Upon hearing Xie Hui’s words, the man tapped his index finger lightly on the table. He thought for a long while but couldn’t come up with anything.

“Actually, I think you might have made a mistake. I don’t have any regrets, nor do I have any wishes I need you to fulfill for me.”

This was the first time Xie Hui had met such an open-minded Task-taker. He pushed a cup of brewed tea toward him.

“Tea leaves? In my world, this is a very rare luxury.”

“The Main System doesn’t make mistakes. You have plenty of time to think it over.”

After taking a sip of tea, the man actually began to think seriously. After a long time, he finally spoke:

“Help me take care of that little mermaid. She called me ‘Daddy’ so many times, but I didn’t fulfill a single bit of my responsibility as a father.”

“Only that?”

“Yes, only that.”

Only after Xie Hui entered the new world did he learn the specific mission details.

This was a world oriented toward the future. Humans were no longer satisfied with living on Earth and had begun exploring other planets, finding many habitable locations.

But the accompanying problem was the Zerg^[2]. The Zerg had immense reproductive and destructive capabilities. Planets occupied by them required hundreds of years to recover their vitality.

Moreover, compared to humans, the Zerg had a natural advantage: they could use special mental interference to attack humans.

The Client happened to be a soldier who once guarded the planetary borders, but was forced to step down from that position after suffering from Zerg mental interference.

At the same time, there was a very special species called Merfolk. They could soothe humans who had suffered mental power damage from Zerg attacks. Merfolk with stronger abilities could even provide direct healing.

The Client came from a good background, belonging to one of the four great families in the Federation.

The Client had not been attacked because he was careless, but because he was trying to save his eldest brother’s child. His nephew was young at the time and had just arrived at the border to begin his training.

Terrified by the hideous Zerg, the boy had been well-protected by the Client, but the Client himself lost the qualification to remain there.

Subsequently, the family quickly decided to let the nephew he had saved take over his former position.

The Client understood the logic, but it was still difficult to remain without resentment when the person he saved took everything he once had.

The event that finally made the Client decide to sever all ties with his family involved a Mermaid.

They gave the finest Mermaid to the nephew guarding the border. Their reasoning was that his position was more dangerous, and if an accident occurred, having a precious Mermaid by his side would prevent him from ending up like the Client.

Every word they spoke was a reality, but every word was also like a sharp knife, ruthlessly stabbing into the Client’s wounds.

This drove him to resolve to break away from the family, moving out to live on his own with his own ordinary little Mermaid.

For the Client, being unable to continue fighting was more painful than being stripped of his life. He spent every day just idling away the time.

He didn’t bother to care for that Mermaid, not even giving her a name. He kept her in a fish tank, sometimes even forgetting to change her water for several days.

In the end, that little Mermaid died from overwork. She spent nearly twenty hours every day trying to help heal the Client.

As she was dying, she was still crying and apologizing to the Client, saying it was her fault for being useless and failing to heal her father.

Xie Hui had just opened his eyes, and it took a long time before he could stand up.

The Client’s body suffered from severe insomnia. The damage to his mental power caused him to endure intense pain every night.

He had been lying on the sofa, and the sudden attempt to stand brought on a wave of dizziness.

He pushed open a door and saw a very ordinary rectangular fish tank placed in the center of the room. The water inside had begun to turn murky, and a small red Mermaid was hidden beneath the aquatic plants.

Upon hearing footsteps, the little Mermaid proactively swam to the glass wall, poking her head out to see who it was.

“Father, you don’t need to change my water. It was already changed the day before yesterday.”

Xie Hui walked to the side of the tank. Staring at her messy hair and the clear eyes full of joy at seeing him, he felt the headache inexplicably ease significantly.

This little Mermaid wasn’t large, about twenty centimeters long, with a fish tail and a human torso. Her hair reached past her waist, and her features were quite delicate, though she was a bit dirty. Her voice was very pleasant, a gentle and adorable child’s tone.

The Client could barely take care of himself, let alone look after a Mermaid. Recalling the last time she had been fed, Xie Hui walked to a nearby cabinet, opened the door, and took out a bag of Mermaid snacks.

As he checked the expiration date, he could clearly see from the corner of his eye that the little Mermaid had already begun to wag her tail with great joy.

Seeing her eager, expectant look, Xie Hui wanted to feed her immediately, but unfortunately, the bag in his hand had already expired.

He found the original host’s Optical Computer and ordered several portions of Mermaid food. He filled a small basin nearby with water, and the little Mermaid proactively jumped in herself.

Xie Hui found a tutorial online for bathing Merfolk. Once her hair was lathered with foam, the little Mermaid looked strangely pitiful.

He thought it was because this was his first time doing this and he hadn’t gauged his strength correctly, so he asked:

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?”

Hearing this, the little Mermaid, who had been keeping her head down, looked up at him and spoke:

“Father, is it because you think I’m smelly…”

(Arc End)