Ji Xingzhi's treatment was slow, with a long course. Bo Xin roughly estimated it would take half a year. If she were to administer acupuncture every day, wouldn't his body be full of holes? Once a week was already high tolerance for the body. After Bo Xin said this, Ji Xingzhi's silence was deafening. Ji Xingzhi tried to salvage it, "...A coma blurs memories." 'Hmph.' Bo Yuxu covered his mouth, the corners of his lips turning up. The unpleasant mood of the evening vanished in an instant.
In the evening, Ji Yanyi taught him. He said that when he first started, he could punch a forty-kilogram sandbag and lift a seven-pound dumbbell, but Bo Yuxu failed at both. Seeming to realize that his experience didn't apply to Bo Yuxu, Ji Yanyi reduced the weight, but Bo Yuxu still couldn't lift it. All evening, a kid of the same age watched. He had never been so embarrassed in his life, and his heart was full of frustration. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Ji Yanyi's big face suddenly loomed in front of him. Yanyi patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's already great that you can use this to strengthen your body." Bo Yuxu: "..." He was completely belittled. And all evening, Yanyi had a smile on his lips, and now too—his mood was written all over his face... Ji Yanyi sensed the gaze, guiltily forced his smile down, but his eyes still showed obvious joy. He seemed to have finally found something he was better at than Yuxu as an older brother. At least it proved that Mom's investment in his physical training wasn't wasted! Although he really wanted Yuxu to learn how to punish those annoying people, if Yuxu couldn't, he could still be the big brother protecting his little brother. Bo Yuxu stopped him sternly, "Stop thinking nonsense." Ji Yanyi guiltily covered his mouth—he hadn't said it out loud. "How did you know what I was thinking?" Bo Yuxu said coldly, "Whatever you're thinking, stop." Ji Yanyi pouted in grievance and made an urgent defense for himself, "What's wrong with just thinking? Thinking isn't against the law." For a moment, Bo Yuxu was almost convinced by that. Also, ever since Mom talked eloquently at the police station, Ji Yanyi had taken to using 'against the law' as a catchphrase. He was especially like a kid who had just learned something new and showed off everywhere. That's why Yanyi's mental age was so young. Bo Yuxu gave a cold snort, whether in agreement or not, he just walked away, leaving Ji Yanyi alone where he stood.
Ji Yanyi, on the other hand, took out something like a duty roster. He stretched it like a banner over his head, and on it were densely written names of two people, in a rotation system. So today was his turn. Bo Xin looked down at it. The handwriting was crooked, but the effort in recording was commendable. She didn't expect Yanyi to have started from the very first day. Was he afraid that after being in the countryside for so long, he would forget to show it? Although Yuxu's mood seemed really bad today, since the duty roster was brought out, Bo Xin could only nod and follow Ji Yanyi to his room.
Ji Xingzhi: "..." He leaned against the dining table with his arms crossed, the edge hitting right at his hip bone. Did these people still remember he was the family's patient? To fit the role, he had deliberately changed into a light-colored outfit, like a patient's gown, fitting his body. Yet, not even a word of concern? This was outrageous. Ji Xingzhi didn't spend his time at home doing nothing. He had someone install a telephone line in his room so he could handle matters from there. Now that he could move around, he wanted to arrange the branch office affairs. But he still remembered the doctor's orders—staying up late wasn't possible, but cooking for himself, healthy and delicious, was something he could do. So at noon, he once again cooked four dishes. Since he was now familiar with the locations of the utensils and seasonings, he did it more smoothly this time. As for the taste, as long as it was edible. He called out to the other three. Ji Yanyi was the first to poke his head out, but what he said was, "Dad, I plan to eat out today." Ji Xingzhi clicked his tongue lightly, "...What are you eating?" Ji Yanyi was very excited, "Fried chicken, fried chicken!" Something he couldn't get in the countryside, only in the city—Kentucky Fried Chicken. There weren't many stores nationwide, but there was one near their home. Because Mom said it wasn't very healthy, he rarely got to eat it. This time, he had begged for a long time to get her permission. Mainly, it was because being in the countryside for so long made him crave it; staying in the city, he didn't want it as much. So, with his wish fulfilled, he chuckled twice. At that moment, Bo Yuxu opened his door too. No one knew how long he had been listening inside. He pulled out a chair and commented, "Junk food." He remembered Grandma said that Yanyi loved to eat junk food heavy in oil and salt. He thought that was very accurate. After eating the sandwich Yuxu treated him to, he didn't know if it was spicy or salty, but he spent the whole day drinking water and going to the bathroom. So Mom, as a doctor, should think the same. Bo Yuxu pulled out the chair next to him, thinking confidently. Ji Yanyi climbed onto the chair he had pulled out and didn't care about junk food at all. As long as it tasted good. In contrast, the food Dad made didn't look appetizing. He declared for himself, "Mom likes junk food too! She said she'd go with me." Bo Yuxu suddenly turned his head, his eyes full of shock.
Bo Xin was dressed simply and casually today. Since there was no electronic payment, she had to carry a wallet now. She habitually put it in a large capacity bag. Inside, she could also carry the kids' thermoses and some umbrellas. She waved her hand, "Yanyi, let's go." Ji Yanyi scurried to follow. Bo Yuxu looked over, and Bo Xin explained, "For people with weak stomachs, it really is junk food." So Yuxu should eat at home. It happened that the patient's meal Ji Xingzhi made suited his taste. Bo Xin then instructed Ji Xingzhi, "Take care of the kid at home." And with a click, she closed the door. Bo Yuxu looked at the four dishes. He didn't think he liked them much, especially since the person he was eating with was Ji Xingzhi. Bo Yuxu wondered, "Why are we always stuck together?" At the amusement park before, and at meals now. Ji Xingzhi actually thought about it seriously, "Because you don't like to tell the truth." Since it was his own kid, Ji Xingzhi didn't use the word 'pretend.' It would definitely make him bristle—absolutely. Bo Yuxu served himself a small bowl of rice and sat down, "Why don't you say it's because you're too much of a homebody?" That way, even if he couldn't eat fried chicken, he wouldn't have to stay with Ji Xingzhi. Ji Xingzhi clasped his hands together and mused, starting to wonder if everyone had forgotten he was a patient. "Because I'm weak, so I stay home." Bo Yuxu raised his head as if catching a flaw, "So that means, rather than Mom asking you to take care of me, it's me taking care of you." Ji Xingzhi accepted that role in less than a second. He leaned weakly and comfortably, as if not at the dining table. "Then go prepare the after-dinner fruit, since I need someone to take care of me." Bo Yuxu: "..." Had he just shot himself in the foot?
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Bo Yuxu chose to temporarily ignore Ji Xingzhi and went to open it. He initially thought it was Mom forgetting something, but if it were Mom, she would have spoken. He always remembered the rule not to open the door for strangers. At that moment, a chair moved. Ji Xingzhi stood up. He stood behind him, his tall figure bringing some sense of security. Bo Yuxu looked away. At least at times like this, he was reliable. Ji Xingzhi looked through the peephole, "Open the door. It's a kid." About the same age as Yuxu. Was he his classmate? Ji Xingzhi rubbed his chin. How regrettable—he apparently knew nothing about the kids' social circles. But when Bo Yuxu opened the door, he found he didn't know him either. "Hello, you are?" The kid scratched his head, thinking it was normal that no one recognized him after he changed into new clothes and new shoes and washed his hair. He himself had been dazed in front of the mirror for a long time. "I'm one of the kids rescued this time. That brother named Yanyi gave me an ice cream." At the time, it wasn't that he was greedy. It was that he was the last to be rescued, and since there were fewer people, they hadn't prepared one for him. So Brother Yanyi gave him his own ice cream so he could taste something so delicious. "I made a handmade craft and want to give it to him." Bo Yuxu took it and found it was a drawing. It depicted the moment on the bus when the two kids exchanged ice cream. Strange. Was Yanyi really that tall? Bo Yuxu had been sitting on Yanyi's inside, near the window. Close to the glass, and sensitive to glances, he had noticed first. The other kids all had one, except this one. But he hadn't given his away. Instead, it was Yanyi, who noticed later, who gave it to him. So he came to thank him? Bo Yuxu looked up. The kid asked, "Is Brother Yanyi here? I want to be friends with him." Bo Yuxu had to explain, "He went out today and isn't home. Also, he should be younger than you." Ji Yanyi grew too fast; such misunderstandings were normal. Bo Yuxu's own build was what a kid his age should be. That was his understanding. Since he couldn't see him, the kid left. So Bo Yuxu thought: he shared because he recognized it was right, but Yanyi shared in order to make friends? A kid wanting to be friends had come to the door—that was an experience he had never had. Mom had also said that kids his age should learn to share and gave him some pocket money for making friends. He still remembered. Ji Xingzhi wondered, "What are you thinking?" Bo Yuxu shared his thought, "I'm wondering if I'm too stingy." Ji Xingzhi heard the story. "What's there to be stingy about? Remember when I said the most likely way for you to become as rich as me was to inherit my inheritance? What were you thinking then?" Bo Yuxu had been shocked by the word 'inheritance' at the time, but later thought about it and ground his teeth in anger. How could anyone be so shamelessly confident as to think he could never surpass him? Bo Yuxu snorted, "I don't want your stuff. Just give it all to Yanyi." Because Yanyi would definitely lack money when he grows up. His earning ability didn't match his spending ability. Ji Xingzhi chuckled and gently shook a finger, "How can you think like that? Why wouldn't you take what's rightfully yours? With that sort of non-business mindset, how can I believe you'll surpass me?" Bo Yuxu was angry. If not for Ji Xingzhi, he would definitely take it! And he would never give in. So was he stingy? But Ji Xingzhi seemed the same. So if he was stingy, "It's all your fault." Blame him for passing on his stingy personality to him!
In the evening, Bo Xin went to Bo Yuxu's room. She inexplicably felt like a feudal emperor. What was called 'evenly distributed favor'? This was it. She sighed and turned on the small dim lamp by Bo Yuxu's bedside. Since she came home, Yuxu hadn't left his room. That was very unusual—a situation that had never happened before. Was he angry? Over what? It couldn't be about going to eat fried chicken without him, but then, he really didn't like those things. Bo Xin asked, "What's wrong?" Bo Yuxu lifted the covers to make it easier for Bo Xin to get in, but he shook his head, "Nothing." Bo Xin: "..." So he just wanted her in bed. She had thought this gesture meant he was opening up for a heart-to-heart talk. She was overthinking. Bo Xin chose to be direct, "Did Ji Xingzhi make you angry?" "No... Well, yes, it is him." Bo Xin didn't know the specifics, but asking Ji Xingzhi would be useless. He would definitely put his hands in his pockets and confidently indicate two things: 'I don't know' and 'It's not my fault.' Although he beat around the bush, it always came down to that. Bo Yuxu said, "He passed his stinginess on to me." Bo Xin rubbed her temples. Well, that was true. After hearing Bo Yuxu's account, she thought he handled it fine. Bo Xin said, "Yanyi has eaten a lot of ice cream; missing one doesn't matter much. But you haven't eaten many, so of course you treasure them more." Bo Yuxu asked, "If I've eaten a lot in the future and still don't want to share?" Bo Xin smiled calmly, "Then blame him. Blame him for being so stingy and passing that personality on to you." Bo Yuxu's lips curled up. He lay back in bed, moving further in. Because she had been out all day, Bo Xin fell asleep faster than Bo Yuxu. Bo Yuxu stared at the ceiling, holding the edge of the covers. The hesitation faded, and what now lingered deep in his heart was his desire to earn a lot of money. The more, the better—enough to surpass Ji Xingzhi.
Soon, it was time for piano lessons. Piano lessons were expensive. If he could save that money... because he had learned that there was a piano bought for Yanyi in another house. But since it was rarely used and took up too much space, it had been moved away. If he learned, and then taught Yanyi...? No, there was no way Mom wouldn't find out about the saved money. Bo Yuxu dropped the idea. After finishing a piece, he noticed that the person who had come looking for Yanyi last time was now Yanyi's friend. Somehow, he followed them. Wen Qiaozhe made a strange 'hm?' sound. Wen Qiaozhe felt he had never had any interaction with Bo Yuxu. The only time was when his genius reputation spread in the tutoring class. More and more people knew his name. Then, during a certain class, he suddenly entered and announced he had changed his last name, asking everyone to call him 'Bo Yuxu.' They had only met that once. So why now...? Wen Qiaozhe tilted his head and asked Ji Yanyi, "What's with your brother? Is he clingy?" Ji Yanyi's eyes widened. He didn't understand how just a few words from his friend could make his heart soar. "This... that..." Ji Yanyi waved at Wen Qiaozhe, "I'll go ask my brother." Wen Qiaozhe: "..." So he didn't really understand his own brother well either. That was quite different from how Yanyi usually described him. Ji Yanyi quickly ran to Bo Yuxu and then stopped short, "Why are you following us?" Bo Yuxu shook his head, "Is this the only place you two can walk?" Ji Yanyi widened his eyes and thought carefully. "I get it. You want to play with us, right?" Bo Yuxu didn't want to do something so childish, but the desire to join in was real. He went along half-heartedly, walking and stopping until he stood together with the two. Bo Yuxu looked up at Wen Qiaozhe, "Actually, I wanted to ask: do you think my recent reputation is enough for me to teach outside?" Bo Yuxu had heard that Wen Qiaozhe's piano level was well known in the tutoring class. Outside, he had competitions and achievements too. "Why? You want to make money?" It was obvious. Bo Yuxu wasn't surprised Wen Qiaozhe could tell. But Wen Qiaozhe's disapproving expression made Bo Yuxu's heart sink. Wen Qiaozhe was direct, "You want to earn money by teaching?" Bo Yuxu asked, "What's wrong with that?" Wen Qiaozhe explained, "Isn't it obvious that competing earns more?"