Domineering CEO Is My Son

Mr. Kang sat there, and the whole room seemed to shrink. The ceiling, once so high, now felt low, pressing down on him.

It was just an ordinary meal. Mr. Kang took a few bites of porridge but couldn't eat anymore.

It felt strange. He used to sit in a highchair at this table. Now, sitting in a regular chair, he could reach all the dishes with ease.

The past… It felt so long ago, even though it had only been a day. Sitting there, he could still see the mark on the wall where Yue Qin had measured his height.

Those memories felt distant now, the once-intense emotions replaced by a dry, factual recollection.

Mr. Kang lowered his head and took another sip of porridge. It tasted bland, like sawdust.

Sitting opposite him, Kangkang, imitating the master, reached for the garlic pork.

Mr. Kang frowned. Kangkang couldn't eat garlic. As a child, even a small amount had upset his stomach. He hadn't been able to articulate this back then, so the adults never knew.

Just as Kangkang picked up a piece of garlic pork, Mr. Kang was about to speak.

"You can't eat that," the master said. "It'll upset your stomach."

Yue Qin, who trusted the master completely, said, "Baby, you can't eat that."

Kangkang thought for a moment and said, "Okay then."

Watching them, Mr. Kang lost his appetite completely. He put down his spoon, stood up, and turned to leave.

His mood swings were unpredictable. Li, his assistant, who was enjoying the grilled pork belly, quickly put down his chopsticks and swallowed. "Mr. Kang just remembered an important meeting," he explained to the others at the table. "We'll be leaving now. We'll be in touch about further arrangements."

As Li spoke, Yue Qin also stood up.

"Please, continue your meal," Li said. "We'll be going now."

And just like that, the meal ended abruptly.

Yue Qin had anticipated that it might be awkward for Kangkang to retain his memories.

But facing him now, Yue Qin felt alright. It wasn't the awkwardness of strangers, just the realization that Kangkang was truly an adult now.

Calm, collected, and rational.

He felt a pang of loss. The child who had listened intently to him talk about brewing, who had hugged the wine jars to listen to the sounds inside, had grown up.

But it was a good thing, he supposed. Kangkang's previous emotional state hadn't been healthy.

This was better.

They had shared a meal, like a child returning home after years away.

He had left quickly, without much conversation.

Xia Sheng entered the kitchen. Sensing her husband's dejection, she said, "It's like a glimpse into our future, when we're old."

"We won't know what our children are doing, who their friends are. They'll come back for a meal, and we'll have nothing in common."

Yue Qin paused, his hands still in the dishwater. "It's good that he's grown up. We were only ever meant to have him in our lives for a little while."

The bond between parents and children had a limited time. Ordinary parents had a decade or two, and then they watched their children fly away.

Their bond with Kangkang had been even more fleeting.

Xia Sheng hugged her husband's waist. "So, we won't interfere in his life anymore?"

"He's an adult now. He can make his own decisions. We should respect his choices."

Mr. Kang returned to his house. The three-meter-high hall, which had never felt oppressive before, now seemed empty.

The house staff was gone, and dust had already gathered on the coffee table in the living room.

"They're on their way back," Li assured him.

After Mr. Kang's accident, the staff had been let go and had found new jobs. It would take them some time to return.

Mr. Kang disliked working with new people, so Li hadn't even considered hiring replacements.

"Have someone buy me a pot," Mr. Kang said.

"What kind of pot, sir?" Li was confused.

"…" Mr. Kang paused, trying to recall. "Black, white, yellow…"

Colors? How was he supposed to buy a pot based on colors? Li was baffled but quickly made arrangements.

He watched as Mr. Kang, seemingly exhausted, lay down on the sofa in the living room.

He seemed strangely vulnerable. Li could hardly believe his eyes. He had never seen his boss like this.

"You can go. Come pick me up tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," Li replied.

As he was leaving, he heard his boss mutter under his breath, "Said he didn't want payment, but he's just a freeloading master!"

Mr. Kang rested on the sofa for a while, but the heaviness in his body remained. He went upstairs to his bedroom, feeling drowsy.

"Thump, thump, thump—" Something was tapping on the window.

Mr. Kang frowned. His brothers were back late again. He needed to set a curfew! They were treating him like an errand boy, and they never even paid him!

He opened his eyes, ready to give them an earful, only to realize he was back in his own body.

He rubbed his temples.

"Thump, thump, thump—" The tapping continued. It sounded like something was pecking at the glass.

Confused, Mr. Kang got out of bed. His bedroom was large, unlike the small nursery he was used to. The window was far from his bed.

He walked over and pulled back the curtains. There was nothing there.

Had he imagined it?

The next moment, a dark shape swooped towards him.

Mr. Kang's first thought was… so eagles and owls weren't actually that big.

His previous smaller body had made them appear gigantic.

Now, the eagle swooped down.

Seeing that Mr. Kang wouldn't open the window, the eagle stared at him with sharp eyes and let out a loud "Caw! Caw! Caw!"

Mr. Kang frowned.

"Caw? Caw?" The owl pecked at the window.

Mr. Kang sighed and opened the window.

The eagle and owl, seeing the window open, immediately flew away.

Mr. Kang was dumbfounded.

Were they playing with him?

The next second, a half-grown chicken was tossed through the window.

It was clearly domesticated.

The eagle and owl perched on the windowsill, chests puffed out, radiating an air of pride and "Big brothers will provide for you."

An hour earlier, the eagle and owl had heard their eldest brother sigh.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, Little Brother ate so little. I shouldn't have said he ate too much. He must be holding a grudge. He's always held grudges."

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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