Ji Xingzhi yawned. The night lamp gave off a warm yellow glow, the kind that makes you especially sleepy.
He gathered up his documents, planning to hand them over to He Mingqiao to take back to Biancheng. He had come in a hurry and left a lot of follow-up work unfinished. But with He Mingqiao around, he didn't need to worry too much. For now, He Mingqiao was still staying at the hotel, so he'd deliver the documents before nine tomorrow morning.
Ji Xingzhi tapped the pen in his hand, shaking out a few drops of ink.
Since it was his first time meeting the children, he had gone to the department store to buy them gifts. But the kids clearly didn't lack anything, and their resistance made it impossible for him to give the gifts.
He slept for a while, thinking that most things would blow over when he woke up. Based on his scant experience raising Yanyi, he thought so. But when he woke up, their reactions were exactly the same as yesterday's.
What a headache.
He clenched his fist and pounded his head. Why hadn't that car accident just killed him outright?
But this feeling only lasted a second, because he wasn't the type to run away from problems.
"Your egg fell."
Jiang Yuxu realized instantly that he was talking to him. He bent down, and the moment his fingertip touched the egg, it rolled away.
Chasing after it now would just make him look stupid.
He straightened up and pretended nothing had happened.
In the end, it was Yanyi who picked it up and handed it to him.
Ji Xingzhi crossed his arms. Bo Xin looked over, and he shrugged—meaning it had just been a friendly reminder.
No ridicule, no sound—that was already dignified enough.
Bo Xin: "..."
Was this mature? Was this how an adult was supposed to act?
He knew the kid had a strong sense of pride and was resistant to him, yet he still had to provoke him.
Over the next few days, Bo Xin could feel Yuxu's calm exterior hiding a frantic edge from being pushed too far. He would purse his lips while eating, barely speaking.
This couldn't go on.
Bo Xin had an idea. On the day off, she planned to take the kids to the amusement park to relax. The weather was just right, even suitable for a spring outing.
Both kids put on their backpacks as usual. Bo Xin prepared some fruit and snacks.
She asked Jiang Yuxu, but he said, "I haven't gotten first place yet, so I don't deserve a reward."
Bo Xin didn't force him. "Then would you rather stay home alone with him?"
The effect was immediate. Jiang Yuxu closed his textbook and stood up almost instantly. He stood by Bo Xin's leg, clearly wanting to say something. "I've never seen a giant panda."
He had always said that Ji Yanyi's backpack had a panda color scheme, but he had never seen a real panda.
Bo Xin had already promised Yanyi and couldn't change the plan easily. "Then next time."
Jiang Yuxu had no objection and nodded slightly.
—
Ji Xingzhi wasn't that free, but he still found time to come out for a walk because it was fun.
Today, he came out to get some water as usual, and saw three people with big bags and small bags. His eyes froze for a moment, then he pretended nothing was wrong.
"Going somewhere?"
Was Bo Xin the type to obediently answer his questions?
"Guess."
Ji Xingzhi felt a chill in his heart. "...Moving to another house?"
How could that be? Even if they were, it would be Ji Xingzhi moving to another house. Because this house was closest to the school and had the most convenient facilities. But considering Ji Xingzhi's purpose, even if he lived elsewhere, he would still come back and forth. Out of mercy for him not dying too soon, Bo Xin was willing to tolerate it.
"Wrong guess. Our whole family is going to the amusement park."
The "whole" in "whole family" definitely didn't include Ji Xingzhi. Ji Xingzhi took a drink of water, seeing through that.
"I'm coming too."
Bo Xin had specially borrowed a car from Bo Xiao. "Why should I take you?"
Ji Xingzhi's gaze fell on Jiang Yuxu. The boy was looking at Bo Xin, his eyes full of trust, as if he had found someone to stand up for him.
Ji Xingzhi: "..."
Had he become the so-called "villain"?
He didn't have a car in the capital, so he couldn't follow secretly.
"I can drive."
Bo Xin knew how to drive, but she hadn't gotten her license yet. Her original plan was for Bo Xiao, though he had things to do later, to drive them there.
"My younger brother can."
Ji Xingzhi didn't remember the siblings being so close. But indeed, too many things he didn't know had happened lately.
The relationship between them was such that as long as Bo Xin waved, Bo Xiao would come running.
Ji Xingzhi was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "I can watch the kids. It's dangerous out there with human traffickers."