She began to eat quietly, taking small bites.
Ji Xingzhi had no appetite. Holding the spoon, he couldn't bring it to his mouth for a long time. Was silence more oppressive than reproach?
He took a deep breath, slumping back in his chair like he was giving up.
He wanted to smoke more than once.
Finally, he ran his hand through his hair and tightened his grip on the spoon.
Let him think about how to say it.
"...Here's a passbook with fifty thousand yuan. The household has spent a lot recently, hasn't it?"
Yes, recalling Bo Xin's only phone call, what she wanted was probably money.
After all, they were a marriage-of-convenience couple; after so long, he knew her finances and spending habits very well. The five thousand he had sent earlier was probably almost gone by now.
Bo Xin took the money in her hand and silently praised Ji Xingzhi for being so cooperative.
"And from now on, every month?"
Ji Xingzhi made a quick decision: "Twenty thousand per month from now on."
More than she had expected. So when Bo Xin arrived, she had indeed thought, "Truly worthy of a rich man."
With the current national situation, he would probably become even richer in the future.
Ji Xingzhi's next topic took a sharp turn: "I'll be staying at home for a while."
Bo Xin's smile froze. Her ideal scenario was for Ji Xingzhi to go back to the company, send home twenty thousand each month, and then the three of them would live their wonderful life at home.
There should be no place for Ji Xingzhi in that picture.
Bo Xin pointed at his former room. "That room has been converted into the kids' room."
"I know."
Ji Xingzhi knew he was unwelcome, and also that this was a warning that he couldn't sleep in her room. "I can sleep on the couch."
Bo Xin smiled without speaking. No wonder he died early in the original story—with this kind of reckless behavior, how could he not die early?
Bo Xin knew why he wasn't in a hurry to go back.
To make up for his guilt.
But the living room sofa was cramped; a man nearly 1.9 meters tall would have to curl up. Moreover, every angle of the sofa seemed designed to aggravate his injuries.
Maybe out of humanitarian concern, maybe because she still needed him to earn money.
"You can sleep in my room."
Bo Xin didn't like faking or having her decisions questioned, so she changed the subject. "The kids will be out of school soon. Do you want to meet them immediately, or should I prepare them first?"
"I've already met Yuxu."
Bo Xin was a bit surprised, but it also explained why Ji Xingzhi was so quick to admit his mistakes.
Because he had always been stubborn; without seeing with his own eyes, no matter how convincing the story, he wouldn't believe a word.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. That child resists me."
Bo Xin thought that was normal; it would be abnormal if the child had no feelings. "So what do you decide?"
Ji Xingzhi finally scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He found lukewarm wasn't as good as hot, and it felt a bit greasy. "I'll just sit here. No need to prepare them."
Even though he made this decision, he couldn't help being nervous.
He coughed a couple of times and clasped his hands together.
When the sound of unlocking came, his expression changed.
Bo Xin stood up to open the door for them. They were still too short to unlock smoothly.
What greeted her were the same two as at lunch, keeping their distance.
And she had just mediated at noon.
Amazing. Kids could get into two arguments in one day.
"Come in and eat."
Jiang Yuxu had opened the door, so his line of sight reached the living room first. He exchanged a glance with the man, then acted as if he hadn't seen anything, changing his slippers.
Since childhood, his ability to ignore people had been practiced to perfection.
Even when Li Qiang'an was crying beside him, he could keep doing his own thing without blinking.
"Mom, I got second place, not first. Sorry."
Bo Xin didn't care about first or second right now. Had Yuxu just called her mom?
She couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips. Maybe Ji Xingzhi's return wasn't entirely without benefit—his terrible performance had finally broken through Yuxu's psychological defenses.
"Why apologize? You really should learn from Yanyi on this."
Yanyi had made so many mistakes without ever apologizing. Even now, he was immersed in the joy of having improved many ranks.