A jade-white hand appeared in front of Jiang Yuxu. Bo Xin looked at him amusedly and said, "Let me help you carry them."
The bookcase would arrive later, but for now, the books could be placed in the corner of the living room, where there was a pile of newspapers bound with zip ties.
Workers came in batches. Jiang Yuxu stayed in Bo Xin's room. Unlike the dark, dim atmosphere of an adult man's room, her room was a bright yellow.
Because of the sunlight, it seemed to cast a golden glow of warmth.
He remembered what he had heard today, and his hand that was turning the page involuntarily paused.
Bo Xin touched his head. "I'll go check outside. When they're done, don't rush back to your room. Let me air it out first."
Jiang Yuxu couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
"...So where will I sleep tonight?"
Bo Xin had bought good quality items, and the oil applied to them was safe and harmless for children. "Of course, in your own room. It'll be fine in a few hours."
Jiang Yuxu's mood couldn't be described as good or bad. He just softly hummed in acknowledgment, as if accepting the arrangement.
The door was gently closed. Jiang Yuxu stood up from the chair, making a slight sound, but he didn't mind.
He had noticed it earlier—the color photo on the bedside table. The man and woman in it seemed not very close, even from their wedding day.
Their eyes lacked smiles or connection, as if they had been forced into this marriage.
But unlike the man's room, which had no trace of marriage at all, she had placed the wedding photo by her bedside.
Jiang Yuxu's expression turned unpleasant.
His fingers traced the frame, then his gaze focused on the man's features. Just as Bo Xiao had said, he could tell at a glance that he was this man's child.
Because their eyebrows and eyes were almost identical.
Including the unconsciously lifted outer corners of the eyes.
Jiang Yuxu put the photo back in its place. When he returned to his seat, she happened to open the door.
He inexplicably felt she wouldn't tell him about these things. His thoughts, which were good at extracting information, shifted from Bo Xiao to Ji Yanyi. He closed his book. "I'm a little hungry. How about I cook for us?"
Bo Xin wasn't hungry. "I already had a stuffed flatbread while treating the workers to dinner."
She took out some money from her pocket. "There's food outside. You can buy some to bring back."
"I still want noodles."
To be fair this morning, Bo Xin had made noodles again, a larger portion than last night. The leftovers were in the refrigerator, ready to be cooked for anyone who got hungry.
Now that Yuxu wanted to eat, she let him cook.
The counter wasn't low, but Jiang Yuxu used to feed pigs by standing on a small stool. This was much simpler, so he didn't find it difficult.
He had already eaten an egg this morning, but he cooked another one. To be safe, he added a few greens.
That way, the meal was balanced and looked more appealing.
He divided it into two bowls and placed them on opposite sides of the table. Ji Yanyi looked up in surprise, completely taken aback that the kid had knocked on his door, called him to the table, and handed him a bowl of steaming noodles he had cooked.
"Uh, do you not think it tastes good?"
Jiang Yuxu rarely explained himself. "Consider it a thank-you for the books you gave me earlier."
Ji Yanyi quickly shook his head. "My mom bought those."
Jiang Yuxu looked up, also responding. "And my mom rolled this dough."
That way, they were even.
Both had made shallow favors.
Jiang Yuxu ate slowly and methodically, while Ji Yanyi was twice as fast. By the time Jiang Yuxu finished his greens, Ji Yanyi had already wiped his mouth and was about to stand up.
Because he had something to ask, Jiang Yuxu rarely inquired about someone else's whereabouts.
"Where are you going?"
Ji Yanyi snapped back to attention. "Even though you cooked, I should wash the dishes, but I have a class. Sorry about this."
He vowed to make it up next time.
But that wasn't what Jiang Yuxu cared about. "...Isn't today a day off?"
Ji Yanyi wiped his mouth, glanced at the time, and felt he had no time to explain. He grabbed his already-packed backpack and ran out the door.
Crack.
Jiang Yuxu bit down on a piece of dried radish. He put down his chopsticks, clearly having lost his appetite.
But not wanting to waste food, he remained seated at the table.
Bo Xin came out and happened to see this. She couldn't hear clearly from the room, but she caught keywords like "thank-you gift," "wash dishes," and "day off."
She had a rough idea of what had been discussed.
"Yanyi has classes even on his days off. Today's class is piano."
If tutoring was already beyond the norm, then piano was completely out of his understanding. Jiang Yuxu looked up, his eyes full of curiosity. "What's that?"
"A musical instrument. It cultivates the mind and body."