Jiang Yuxu's legs were long and fast, but the person beside him had even longer legs. He kept his head down, the tall figure following like a shadow. When he wanted to buy something, Ji Xingzhi turned and followed along. To outsiders, this father-son pair was strange—perfectly synchronized, yet not exchanging a single word.
Jiang Yuxu picked up a bouquet of flowers, asked the price, then gently put it down. He couldn't understand how things that grew wild in the mountains became so expensive just by being packaged in the city.
"Go ahead and take it. I'll pay." Ji Xingzhi pulled out his wallet and casually extracted two large bills.
Jiang Yuxu didn't care about the cost; he just thought it shouldn't be that expensive. But Ji Xingzhi spent the money without batting an eye.
"You're pretty rich."
Ji Xingzhi put one hand in his pocket, unapologetic. He could take that as a compliment. "A person always has to have some redeeming quality. Mine is being rich."
If he were poor and destitute, even after finding the child, this family would have nothing more to do with him. That person was that pragmatic.
The two stood at the street corner, surrounded by passersby. Someone seemed to recognize them and stopped in front of them.
"Xiao Ji, are you back home?"
Ji Xingzhi didn't visit often, but his striking appearance was unforgettable. To be precise, everyone in his family had that kind of looks.
Ji Xingzhi squinted, studied the newcomer, and confirmed her identity. "Yes, Aunt Wang. Long time no see."
Wang Yanhong had an ordinary face and a sharp tongue. Usually, when idle, she loved spreading rumors in the gossip circles.
"So, did you come back this time to divorce Bo Xin?"
Ji Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, answering a question with a question. "Divorce? Why would we divorce? My wife and I have a great relationship."
Great? Wasn't it that both had cheated? The child from Ji Xingzhi's affair was standing right here. Unlike other soldiers who were honest and simple, Ji Xingzhi was slippery, always talking nonsense and impossible to pin down.
"But there's an extra child in your family."
Ji Xingzhi seemed to just realize what she meant. "Ah, yes. We always had two children. One was accidentally taken to the countryside by an outsider, and we just brought him back."
He was the child's father, Bo Xin was the mother. At the time of birth, only the two of them were present. No one could change that fact. Who else could know better than them? In summary, everything was just rumors.
But Wang Yanhong didn't believe a word. How could there be two children? If one had been lost at birth, how could the mother not know? With their abilities, wouldn't they have turned the world upside down? She asked bluntly.
"Because I don't want to keep bringing up things that hurt my wife." Ji Xingzhi dabbed at the corner of his eye theatrically, then shot her a dissatisfied look, his tone sharpening. "It's because of people like you that I'm afraid to reopen my wife's wounds."
As the saying goes, lies don't break people, but the truth does. Wang Yanhong's expression turned ugly instantly. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Ji Xingzhi thought he had made himself clear. If she couldn't grasp it, did he need to say something more unpleasant? Finally, he decided not to waste time—it really was getting late.
"Instead of meddling in others' affairs, why don't you take care of your husband's cheating first? And your son, I noticed he hasn't been behaving well lately."
Recently, the crackdown on gambling and prostitution in this area had been strict. If someone wanted to find a reason to lock him up for a few days, a ruined reputation would be the least of his problems. A stain on one's record was the real issue.
Ji Xingzhi used to be a major general with a red background and knew many people among the current officers, some of whom might be officials in the capital. Only a fool would pick a fight with someone like him.
Finally, Ji Xingzhi shot her a warning look before moving on with the child.
Jiang Yuxu found it intriguing. "You know about her family?"
Ji Xingzhi never forgot what he saw. He had glimpsed the jealous look in that woman's son's eyes. He had seen such looks many times growing up, but that son's was intense enough to instinctively irritate. Upright people had their ways; he had his. Having visited countless martyrs' families and rural areas, he knew what worked best for handling such situations.
"What? Starting to admire me?"
Jiang Yuxu snorted, his gaze coldly shifting away. "I'm thinking that if you had come back earlier and stood on Mom's side, this wouldn't have happened."
Ji Xingzhi rubbed his nose, having to admit Jiang Yuxu was right. And honestly, he had already learned his lesson.
Jiang Yuxu was tired of holding the flowers and shoved them at Ji Xingzhi, who paused for a moment but caught them steadily. It gave him the same awkward feeling as holding a baby back then.
They had spent too much time; by the time they arrived, the sun had set. Bo Xin and Ji Yanyi weren't about to wait at the door for them—this wasn't someone else's house. So they were already sitting in the courtyard, eating the season's first watermelon.
"But these early watermelons aren't good, Mom."
Bo Xin didn't look up. "Your grandparents know you love it and bought it especially for you. Don't be picky."
Ji Yanyi giggled. "That's why I'm only telling you, Mom."
Bo Xin was easily won over by this and commented affectionately, "Little sweet-talker."
At that moment, there was finally movement at the door. She handed the watermelon to Jiang Yuxu, then turned to Ji Xingzhi. "If you hadn't shown up, I'd have worried you were lying on the roadside."
The watermelon was on the table, and Ji Xingzhi helped himself without hesitation. "Did you think of looking for me?"
"Of course. Otherwise, it'd be a hassle for the kid to deal with you alone, wouldn't it?"
Why did she have to describe him like a piece of bulky trash?
Ji Xingzhi sat on the only remaining stone stool, crossing his legs and resting his head on one hand. The watermelon, not yet chilled, was just right.
Ji Yanyi glanced at his face for a moment, then forcibly looked away, fixing his eyes on the flowers on the table. "What's this?"
Jiang Yuxu explained, "A gift for Grandma and Grandpa."
Ji Yanyi sensed a world of difference. He had never known that visiting grandparents required a gift. As a child, wasn't he supposed to just enjoy what they gave and act cute? "Is there a share for me?"
Jiang Yuxu wondered how that would work—unwrap the paper and split it in half? "How would you want a share?"
Ji Yanyi pointed at himself, then at Jiang Yuxu. "Just put it under both our names. Say it's from both of us."
Jiang Yuxu: "..."
Truly a city kid, always knowing more. Or maybe it was his special skill—finding ways to act cute in every situation. He nodded in agreement, since the money hadn't come from him anyway.
Hu Fangyue and Bo Zheng had been eager to meet Jiang Yuxu for a long time; the longer they waited, the more they talked about him. Bo Xin wanted some fresh air, so she sat on a stone bench in the yard. She took Jiang Yuxu's hand and led him into the villa. Ji Yanyi didn't follow.