So his face turned sullen. Ji Yanyi sat down awkwardly again.
Bo Xin thought it wasn't without chance. "You can aim for first place next time. For that kind of progress, the teacher will reward it too."
Jiang Yuxu instinctively said, "I don't care."
A "Pfft"—short and sharp, as if mocking Yuxu's insincerity.
On the quiet dining table, this sound was particularly striking.
All three looked at Ji Xingzhi.
Jiang Yuxu's eyes were like knives; his cheeks twitched with anger. Sure enough, from the start, he had thought this man was really annoying.
He jumped off his chair. "I'm going to my room."
Bo Xin rested her chin on her hand, also amazed. How could someone, without saying anything, infuriate people with just a sound?
He hadn't even really spoken; he just made a noise.
Ji Xingzhi hesitated, clearly aware he was wrong. "...I was just trying to pick a piece of meat out of my teeth."
If Bo Xin remembered correctly, he hadn't eaten any meat during the whole meal.
But even if he tried to cover up now, it was too late. The door closing sound was especially crisp. Clearly, just as he could see through Yuxu's insincerity, Yuxu could see through his lie at a glance.
But none of that concerned Bo Xin. She would have to be crazy to mend the father-son relationship and form a united front.
It was best for her that they were at odds.
Bo Xin gently wiped her mouth, took Yanyi's hand, and said, "Let's go rest in the room."
She had run to school several times today, collected rent, and then had to deal with the sudden arrival of this man. She was really exhausted.
Ji Yanyi obediently took her hand, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Would Mom sleep with him from now on?
But then he thought it was impossible, because his younger brother was already angry.
So he had to cherish tonight even more.
"Mom, do I get a reward for improving?"
Bo Xin sighed at Yanyi's greed, but having suddenly gained such a large sum of money, indulging the child a little wouldn't hurt.
She rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with a good idea.
So she passed the headache to Yanyi, giving him the choice.
"If there's something you like, you can suggest it."
The two entered the room, and the lock clicked shut.
Ji Xingzhi sat alone at the table. In the blink of an eye, the four-seater dining table was left with only him, the leftover food making it seem even more desolate.
"Tsk."
He hadn't expected that revealing a little of his true nature would make the child so angry. Pretending to be gentle out of guilt was really hard.
He cleared the table and went into that room.
Warm tones, with little emotional touches in the decor.
Fresh flowers on the table brought a touch of fragrance indoors.
Unexpectedly, the room he had once found so hard to enter was now being occupied in this way.
Author's note:
None.