Ji Xingzhi finally opened his eyes. "Not going in together?"
"My younger brother never goes back on his word."
Ji Xingzhi hesitated—that wasn't what he meant. He was wondering if Yanyi might feel neglected in a setting where the grandparents were eagerly awaiting the new grandson. He remembered his own first-time fatherhood headaches: the child was unexpected, the marriage was, too. Holding that soft, easily hurt bundle, he hadn't known where to put his hands. When the little one grabbed his finger, his mindset shifted. Back then, he thought it was the bond of blood between father and son; now it seemed he was simply captivated by cuteness. Later, as the child grew and became tougher, his patience was gradually worn down by schoolwork. Only when those big, dark eyes stared at him did he soften his attitude. Although Bo Xin didn't let him interfere too much, he was indeed busy and paid little attention to the child. That was why he felt guilty toward Yanyi and arranged that inheritance plan.
"...So, how does it feel to be an older brother?"
"More mature, of course." Ji Yanyi rested his chin on his hands. "The veteran grandson should make way for the new one."
Ji Xingzhi: "..."
Wait, why did that sound so familiar? Had he said something similar? He almost laughed, reaching out to touch the child, but was avoided.
"I'm still mad at you!" Ji Yanyi put his hands on his hips, just now remembering.
—
Bo Xin led Jiang Yuxu inside. Bo Zheng and Hu Fangyue saw the child coming from the second floor and took out what they had prepared. They remembered Xinxin saying the child liked durian, reading, calligraphy, and listening to the radio. So they prepared all those things. If they could, they would have prepared gifts for the past eight years, but that would be too much. The deeply rooted idea of not wasting still influenced them.
Jiang Yuxu was stunned. Before him were not only fresh durian but also countless candies—he couldn't finish them even in a month. For calligraphy, there was a stack of practice books that would last half a year. So this was the heavy love of grandparents?
Jiang Yuxu pressed his lips together and handed over what he was holding. "This is a gift from my younger brother Yanyi and me."
How could Yanyi care about gifts? The two elderly found it hard to believe. They exchanged glances, saying little.
Then, Bo Zheng's look at Jiang Yuxu became even more complicated. He had been arrogant and fearless in his youth, only becoming cautious after experiencing changing times. A boy like Jiang Yuxu indirectly proved what kind of life he had led in the countryside. Fortunately, the child hadn't been led astray; he was not only respectful to elders but also protective of Yanyi, his foolish little brother. That was what you called him, right? They remembered Yanyi also called Jiang Yuxu "younger brother"! Wasn't their brotherhood a bit confused? Bo Zheng couldn't help but look at his daughter, who gave him a "don't mention it" look. The two children were close in age; however they wanted to think about it was fine. They couldn't have them fighting over a title. Bo Xin shook her head, telling them to act as if they didn't know.
Bo Zheng had to use vague words. "Well, you brothers have a pretty good relationship."
"Mm, younger brother is very good."
Anyone hearing this might think he was talking about a baby, not a child his own age. But describing Yanyi, it seemed Jiang Yuxu wasn't wrong.
Hu Fangyue felt relieved, picked up the flowers first, and said, "I see some can still be saved if potted. I'll go to the yard and find a pot to rescue them."
Hu Fangyue was an expert in this; she even had a dedicated garden. Each day, someone delivered flowers to her daughter.
Bo Xin stood up. "Mom, I'll go with you."
Under the sunset, they could see the two still in the yard. Ji Yanyi was pacing back and forth with his hands on his hips, refusing to approach the stone table. While wandering, he pulled weeds in the garden. But since he couldn't tell them apart, he accidentally uprooted a seedling. The tag on it suggested something was wrong. He quickly replanted it, pretending nothing happened—whether it lived or died was up to fate. Then, he found something new and touched a stone landscape feature, leaving a red mark on his finger.
Red paint? The smell was off; could it be red pigment? "Did Grandpa design this little trick to imitate martial arts novels?" He remembered scenes from TV dramas: masked men in black would come down, accidentally expose themselves, and while hiding, get their arms cut. He had watched a lot and knew it well.
As he pondered, Ji Xingzhi had already stood behind him. When he noticed, a cold aura enveloped him. Ji Xingzhi bent down, just enough to tower over him.
"Yes, I just painted it."
Ji Yanyi pouted and decided not to avoid him. It was because of him that he'd made the mistake of pulling the wrong seedling. "You can't call the shots in this yard."
Ji Xingzhi found these kids nowadays spoke with such biting words. But out of courtesy, he wouldn't boss around in his in-laws' home. "I accidentally fell and scraped against this stone, getting hurt."
"You fell?!" Ji Yanyi whirled around, worry in his eyes. He grabbed his clothes and hopped, anxious. "Let me see quickly!"
Ji Xingzhi clicked his tongue. The kids at home were all so informal. But he had to admit, he was quite tolerant of this informality—even a little happy. Sure enough, Yanyi, who always forgot things, was the one he was familiar with.
Ji Xingzhi finally managed to touch the child. "Finally stopped acting aloof." This showed that the child still had him in his heart. He showed a genuine smile, carefree in the sunlight.
Bo Xin and Hu Fangyue stood at the corner, taking in the whole scene.
"This isn't as simple as you made it sound, is it?"
Bo Xin had indeed omitted some details, as long as the logic held. Now exposed by her mother, she turned around. "...Well, as long as you can handle it yourselves."
Hu Fangyue gave in to her daughter's slightly pleading look. After all, things had already developed to this point; nothing could change it now. "And your son-in-law's health? That was a near-fatal car accident." Hu Fangyue liked reading financial newspapers, but she also had other papers piled up. Searching back three months, she found the day's central report about the accident. There were no black-and-white pictures, only text. Just imagining it was terrifying, realizing the danger at that time.
"He can be cured."
Hu Fangyue relaxed, then her expression changed as she cautiously asked again, "Really?"
"Mom, you have to trust my medical skills." When Bo Xin applied medicine to him, she had secretly taken his pulse. His poor condition was only because he had overexerted himself; his vitality was damaged. It would just require slow recuperation, combined with acupuncture. They had to believe in the old techniques passed down. If they relied on Western medicine, he probably wouldn't have many years left.
It was already late, so they decided to sleep in the villa.
The villa was too large, but they didn't hire live-in servants—only a cleaner who came by the hour. Their children lived nearby, and rooms were left for them. Bo Xin's room was chosen by herself; on good weather days, she could go up to the attic to watch the night sky. The two kids slept in Bo Xiao's room, and she slept in her own.
"There's a small bed in the attic above."
Ji Xingzhi sat on the sofa, nodding softly. After all the day's exertion, he looked a bit wilted. The bandage on his arm had been removed. Ji Yanyi wanted to see, and Ji Xingzhi thought that after stopping the bleeding, letting it breathe would help it heal faster. So now he wore a shirt with one sleeve cut off. When the wound was bandaged, his attention wasn't on it, but now Bo Xin found it hard to look. "Pretty trendy."
Ji Xingzhi took a deep breath and stood up. "Cutting off both sleeves would be even more trendy."
Bo Xin imagined that picture and found it even harder to look at.
Though called an attic, it was actually a small second floor. The bed up there wasn't small at all, but the ceiling height was unfriendly to Ji Xingzhi. He simply lay down, his legs dangling off the edge. Was he stepping on Bo Xin's head now? He swayed his leather shoes for a moment, then gave up the thought. The floor was too thin; he'd probably have Bo Xin coming up to deal with him.
Drowsy, his consciousness began to blur.
When he woke up, he saw Bo Xin standing at the corner, pulling a silver needle from a cloth bag, glinting in the night. Ji Xingzhi sat up abruptly, sure he hadn't made a sound. "What's wrong?"
Bo Xin thought for a moment. "Do you remember asking me, 'Aren't you a doctor?' My answer was yes."
Ji Xingzhi remembered he had only retorted out of resentment, without any other intent. "Even if you're angry and want revenge, you can't do it with acupuncture. That needle is so long!"
Bo Xin sat beside his bed, showing rare patience, and carefully explained his condition and how acupuncture to the head could relieve headaches and dizziness.
Ji Xingzhi felt he wasn't fully awake yet. He thought he needed to clarify. "I know acupuncture, but no matter what kind, I can't let a needle that long go into my head."
Bo Xin thought about the kids and decided to persuade him again. "Aren't you afraid of death?"