Bo Yuxu stood up without a word and left. Ji Yanyi froze at the table, letting out a confused 'Huh?' He leaned forward and saw a purple triangle—neat, with sharp corners. It was very much Yuxu's style. Ji Yanyi got off the bed to look at the picture hanging next to his own and gave himself a thumbs up. The next morning, he was the last to wake up, but breakfast still had steamed buns and eggs waiting for him. He took a big happy bite and vaguely heard his brother and father arguing at the door. Bo Yuxu's voice carried a reluctant annoyance. '...Take me out.' Ji Xingzhi crossed his legs and didn't even look up from his newspaper. 'Is that how you ask someone?' Bo Yuxu bristled at that, almost turning around to leave. 'If Mom hadn't said I need an adult to go out, would I even come to you?' Ji Xingzhi noticed something off. 'What's something you can't let your mom know?' Maybe buying extracurricular books or snacks? He dismissed the thought in under a second—that didn't seem like something Yuxu would do. Ji Xingzhi yawned, couldn't figure it out, and simply directed a questioning look at the boy. Actually, building secrets like this greatly improved the father-son relationship—it was even recorded in a book called "How to Raise Children Happily." He was still reading that misleading stuff... Ji Xingzhi looked up. Bo Yuxu paused, then turned to leave. 'I'll find someone else.' There were plenty of 'someone else's to choose from. Ji Xingzhi reached out with his long arm and pulled the boy back by the shoulder. 'Alright, I'll go with you.' Bo Yuxu challenged him. 'Didn't you say you wouldn't come unless I asked nicely?' Ji Xingzhi pulled the kid into a hug, completely shameless. 'Then I'll beg you. Big kid Yuxu, take me along. If I don't know what you're up to, I won't be able to sleep.' Big kid? Was he mocking him for acting like a grown-up? No wonder he was good buddies with Uncle He. Bo Yuxu struggled to stand up straight. His shirt had come untucked during the struggle, and he glared at Ji Xingzhi while tucking it back in. Ji Xingzhi helped smooth the boy's shoulder and suddenly thought of the overalls kids loved nowadays. Maybe he should buy a set for the children too. The two were the same age, so they could wear matching sibling outfits. He turned and called out, 'Yanyi, want to come along?' Of course Ji Yanyi wanted to go. His reasoning was simple: 'If you're all going, I'm going too.' Ji Xingzhi flexed his wrists and chose to hold one child in each hand. Yuxu was shorter, and since he was putting on airs, he didn't raise his hand too high, just hooked his finger subtly. Yanyi, frank and playful, grabbed his hand and started swinging it back and forth. Ji Xingzhi thought, hopefully this won't give him uneven shoulders later. His car had been totaled in the accident; insurance would cover it, but he didn't want to repair it. Buying a new one was out of the question with his current poverty. So he opted to take the bus for now. But this bus was packed. Ji Xingzhi shielded the two kids in front of him. The stench of sweat from the man next to him almost made him vomit. What a terrible experience. He patted his chest and decided that buying a car needed to happen sooner rather than later. When they arrived, Bo Yuxu finally revealed his purpose. Ji Yanyi was stunned. How did this turn into another competition? He had nothing—no money, no ideas. Bo Yuxu admitted, 'You can buy gold jewelry like me.' He'd thought all night. The best gift for Mom was gold jewelry. First, that red-gold bracelet from the other day left a deep impression on him. Second, he genuinely felt that her jade-white hands suited gold. Third, gold was said to hold its value well. He thought this economical and practical gift would make Mom think of him the instant she saw it. As for Yanyi, they could choose different styles. And Yanyi could have his own explanation—just say he liked shiny gold things, which would also leave an impression. Bo Yuxu grew more certain, while Ji Yanyi, clueless, looked at his brother with sparkling eyes. As for not having money—they'd get Dad to pay! The mall was crowded, but the gold shop was spacious, so the crowd thinned out. Wen Qiaozhe noticed them. He was about to greet them when he overheard their conversation. Was Yanyi really the older brother? He looked at Yanyi doubtfully and shifted the topic. 'It's rare to see you out with your dad.' Ji Yanyi saw Ji Xingzhi sitting down—his dad had the amazing ability to find a seat anywhere. He judged the distance and figured his dad couldn't hear. 'He just does whatever Mom tells him to.' Wen Qiaozhe immediately connected this to Ji Xingzhi's earlier misunderstanding of his family, and now he was making up for it by being a workhorse. Ji Yanyi had also told him that he was now second in the family hierarchy—in terms of status. Didn't he see that the two kids had nothing in their hands while their father was carrying big bags of clothes for them? 'So did your dad buy all that?' Ji Yanyi nodded innocently. Wen Qiaozhe: 'But didn't you say your dad has less pocket money than you?' Ji Yanyi nodded, of course. Mom gave him and Yuxu allowance, but not Dad, so naturally Dad had less. But it wasn't necessary to mention that Dad had his own money. Ji Xingzhi stepped forward, intending to greet his son's friend, only to overhear this. He raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and continued listening. As for the rest, Ji Yanyi claimed he was wealthy at home, often treating the family to meals. At home, he was Mom's most obedient soldier; the other two had to get his approval for everything. He had essentially made himself the second-in-command. Ji Xingzhi: '...' Even in dreams, he wouldn't brag like that. He'd never spent time with Yanyi's friends before and had no idea Yanyi could spin such tales outside. 'Since you're so rich, when it's time to pay, don't come whining to me like a little kitten.' Ji Yanyi whirled around, startled. Ji Xingzhi knew Yanyi well—his allowance was always the first to be spent. Besides, if his younger brother was buying a gift for Mom with his own money, how could the older brother fall behind? Ji Xingzhi patted Ji Yanyi's head. 'So when we check out, you'll pay by yourself.' Ji Yanyi's eyes widened. He actually counted the money in his pocket, then looked at the gold jewelry he'd picked. Gold was so expensive—there was no way he could afford it. Was his dad really going to make a kid pay? He looked at Ji Xingzhi, who usually couldn't resist Yanyi's watery eyes. But no can do—Yuxu was paying for his own. He couldn't make an exception for Yanyi now. Ji Xingzhi patted his head. 'Consider this the price of your boasting.' Ji Yanyi: '...' He knew he was exaggerating, but wasn't it technically true? The problem was that when he told Qiaozhe, Dad hadn't gone to the countryside yet. Who knew that after coming back, Dad would suddenly have such high status? Was that fair? He turned to Bo Yuxu. '...Can you lend me some money?' Bo Yuxu had never spent his allowance—even in the countryside. Saving had given him a decent amount, and he thought he was rich. But after hearing what Wen Qiaozhe said, he realized that money was no longer enough. Saving allowance could only buy snacks and small items. Once he saved enough for something big, he'd be back to being broke. Bo Yuxu quickly realized this and did some mental math. After buying his own gift, he found he had just enough to cover the one Ji Yanyi had picked. So he lent it to Yanyi without hesitation. Ji Yanyi hugged the gift box to his chest, signed the receipt, and immediately said to Bo Yuxu, 'I'll pay you back soon.' Bo Yuxu's eyes darkened, and he looked at Yanyi with a hint of amusement. He had accidentally overheard some of that conversation too. So, 'Remember to include interest.' Ji Yanyi swallowed nervously. He hadn't expected that being broke would lead to debt. Wen Qiaozhe: '...' So being second-in-command at home was completely made up by this kid. Being the lowest in the family hierarchy—that was the cold, hard truth. — The next day, Bo Xin went to the elementary school again. It was now officially named Red Star Charity Elementary School. She went for a checkup. Normally, this kind of task should be left to others—the Wen family could easily find a doctor. But she still came. Maybe it was because of the gift from the child; she felt a new connection to this place. It was actually quite interesting. She smoothed a strand of hair that had fallen loose and used a stethoscope to listen to a child's heartbeat. The children, who had been trafficked for a week or even months, had eaten poorly and were weak. Now they were much better. Bo Xin recorded everything and then looked at He Yewan. 'If I handle all the checkups for this period, will the Wen family pay me a salary?' He Yewan nodded firmly. 'Of course.' In fact, he basically had full control over the school's funding from the Wen family. They let him do whatever he wanted. He Yewan knew this trust was largely thanks to Bo Xin. Bo Xin shook her head. 'Just kidding. Give me a little red flower instead—I need that more.' He Yewan was taken aback, then smiled in understanding. A commotion came from outside. Bo Xin and He Yewan looked over and saw that a bunch of kids had started playing games during the break. It seemed to be a game of 'drop the handkerchief,' where the slow runner never gets a head start. The child who had given her the paper flower was already the catcher many times. He was drenched in sweat, and even scraped his knee when he lunged forward. Bo Xin immediately grabbed her medical kit and went out to disinfect his wound. Among these children, this one had the weakest constitution. The child whispered his thanks. 'Thank you.' Bo Xin said, 'If you don't want to play, you can refuse.' He really didn't want to play, but to fit in, he did things he didn't want to do. 'I heard kids these days play these games after class.' Bo Xin applied a bit more pressure. 'Do whatever other kids do?' The child's heart clenched, afraid she might dislike him. 'I won't do that again.' Bo Xin: '...' Wasn't that still trying to please others? She applied the ointment, and hearing him wince in pain, she slowed down. She finished bandaging him. The child said, 'Thank you. When I grow up, I'll definitely repay you.' If Bo Xin remembered correctly, this was the second child who said they'd repay her when they grew up. What was with these kids, all so mature? In her own time, when she treated kids, they'd just cry for their mothers. But this also showed that these children were severely deprived of love. 'You know, people who want to repay me line up from the east side of town to the west.' The child was taken aback. 'Does that mean you don't want me to repay you?' Bo Xin: 'It means if you want to repay me, you have to work hard, or you won't even make the list.' The child smiled shyly. Somehow, hearing Bo Xin's words always made him feel relaxed. He wanted to smile and make another promise. But Bo Xin asked first, 'What's your name?' Bo Xin didn't know his name? Well, with so many people wanting to repay her from east to west, it made sense she wouldn't remember him. The child easily convinced himself. 'I only remember my name is An Ran. I don't remember my surname.' Bo Xin paused. The name felt oddly familiar. But familiarity didn't mean much—people often felt a face or personality seemed familiar without knowing where they'd seen it before. It was just an impression.