Adam Sullivan's eyes were wide open in surprise. Brian Sullivan said solemnly, "As the sages say: 'Things should not be done more than three times.' The first time you eat is called tasting, the second time is enjoyment, the third time is to satisfy hunger, and eating more than that is gluttony and waste." As he spoke, he winked at him and said with a smile, "Go to sleep." Then he blew out the oil lamp and lay down on the table to sleep.

Because there was only a single bed in this room...

Chapter Two: A Dream of Five Hundred Years (Part II)

Adam Sullivan couldn't fall asleep. By the faint light of dawn, he gazed at his father lying on the table, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.

He wasn't worried about food and clothing, though it seemed like a big problem. But with this father around, he probably wouldn't be left to starve to death.

He was even less worried about his future fate. He believed that as long as he recovered his health, his destiny would be in his own hands. No matter when or where he was, he believed he could make it.

The reason he couldn't sleep—if he said it out loud, some people would laugh their heads off—was that he was so excited to have a father who cared for him. Maybe it was a fusion of personalities, maybe it was a deep longing in his heart, but toward this father, who was clearly a failure in life, he felt no resistance at all, except that it was a bit awkward to call him "father."

The loneliness and helplessness of his previous life had taught him deeply that hard work could bring success and status, money and beautiful women, but never parental love. That is the most selfless, pure, and precious thing in the world, yet he had never possessed it.

Now, heaven had given him a chance to have it. For someone who had been an orphan since childhood and had never enjoyed the happiness of family, this was simply the most precious gift!

So Adam Sullivan decided to open his heart and do his best to accept him, to enjoy this affection...

※※※

The night passed in a haze of wild thoughts, and before he knew it, dawn had arrived. Birds were chirping and searching for food on the windowsill, waking Brian Sullivan, who was lying on the table. He rubbed his eyes and looked toward the bed, only to see Adam Sullivan smiling at him.

Tears burst from Brian Sullivan's eyes. He got up and rushed to the bedside, but tripped over a chair leg, stumbled a few steps, and nearly hit his head on the bed frame. He didn't care about any of that, though. Grabbing Adam Sullivan's hand, he choked out, "Heaven have mercy, Buddha, Bodhisattva, and the City God have blessed me—my son has finally been returned to me..."

Adam Sullivan used all his strength to squeeze his hand in return, rasping, "Don't cry..." Although he had accepted it, the words "father" were not so easy to say.

Brian Sullivan, immersed in ecstasy, didn't notice these minor details. He hugged him, crying and laughing by turns, making the still-recovering boy feel extremely uncomfortable, but he endured it, letting Brian Sullivan vent his emotions.

After a while, Brian Sullivan probably felt a bit embarrassed. Wiping his tears and with reddened eyes, he said, "It's all my fault. In the past, I was obsessed with the imperial exams and couldn't extricate myself, and as a result, I squandered our family fortune and dragged your mother to her death..." At the thought of his late wife, his eyes filled with tears again, and he choked, "When your mother was dying, she told me again and again to make sure I raised you to adulthood. But as soon as she left, I almost lost you too... I, I, Brian Sullivan, have read the books of the sages in vain. I failed my parents above, let down my wife in the middle, and have no face before my only son below. How can I face the world..."

In his previous life, Adam Sullivan had become adept at reading people, and that ability hadn't disappeared with his change of identity. He could sense that Brian Sullivan was in a painful stage of self-doubt and self-reflection—either he would break through and start anew, or he would sink into despair.

He wanted to offer some words of comfort, to tell the old man things like "Every profession produces its own top experts" or "There are only lazy bears, not suffocated ones," but then thought better of it. As a son, it was clearly inappropriate to say such things, so he held his tongue.

Still, Adam Sullivan felt that with himself around, the old man would surely pull himself together again, so he gripped his hand tightly, silently giving him strength.

After a long while, Brian Sullivan's emotions finally settled. He wiped the tears from his face and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I've never cried so heartily in my life." He patted Adam Sullivan's shoulder, his expression extremely complicated, and said, "After decades of studying poetry and books, I've finally realized that the most useless thing in the world is a scholar. From today on, I'm going to find a job and take good care of you!"

Adam Sullivan smiled gratefully. After thinking for a moment, he still spoke up: "You don't have to force yourself. Once I recover, I'll have my own plans. We don't need to worry about making a living." He grinned, showing his teeth. "Who knows, maybe next time I'll pass the exams with flying colors."

Brian Sullivan looked at Adam Sullivan as if he didn't recognize him, sizing him up from head to toe. He affectionately ruffled his hair and laughed happily. "Heaven have mercy, this time the disaster has turned into a blessing—my son has grown up and become sensible."

Adam Sullivan tilted his head slightly to avoid Brian Sullivan's hand, licked his chapped lips, and said, "After working hard for half a lifetime, wouldn't it be a pity to give up now?"

Brian Sullivan was startled again, but it wasn't his fault for being so easily surprised. A boy who had always been dull and inarticulate suddenly saying such profound things—anyone would be shocked. But Master Shen was, after all, a scholar, and quickly connected it to the idea of "when things reach an extreme, they reverse" and other such philosophical concepts. He got up and paced around the room, rubbing his hands excitedly. "It seems the ancestors are watching over us, letting my son's mind awaken early. Truly, there is a destiny in the unseen world!"