Ye Changbao had been obese since childhood, and what he hated most was classmates talking about his weight. Although he had taught a few of them a lesson, and they no longer said it out loud, those subtle glances still fell on him like poisonous needles, stinging painfully.
"You little monkey, you asking for death?"
Kids fighting was as common as adults cursing in the street, especially when they were lining up to get stuff. The name Ye Changbao seemed to be the source of trouble. Everyone in the village knew how unreasonable this kid could be. Those who didn't want trouble stepped back, and in an instant, an empty circle formed around them. Bo Yuxu lightly kicked him.
He lowered his brows and said with disdain, "You and Li Qiang'an are exactly the same."
Ye Changbao used to think of a nasty trick when he couldn't beat someone: he would throw his weight onto them, sitting on them like a mountain, immovable. With his weight, he could look down at the person struggling beneath him, unable to break free. Now he fell straight down, losing the upper hand. Because there was no cushion, his arms and knees were scraped raw. It really hurt. He cried loudly, big teardrops falling instantly.
Ye Laoqi quickly helped his precious son up. "What's wrong with you kids? No parents to discipline you?"
Bo Yuxu glanced at Ye Laoqi and said with even more disdain, "Even the parent is the same." When two kids fought, if his own son had the advantage, he said nothing; the moment his son suffered, he started crying foul. Bo Yuxu used to inadvertently reveal the scars on his arm, saying nothing but looking aggrieved. Passersby who understood reason would naturally take his side. But now his skin was fair, and his arms had grown some flesh. Without the tool of public opinion, it was a sweet trouble.
Bo Yuxu smiled lightly, then lowered his eyes to think of a countermeasure.
At that moment, a crisp and clean cry startled Bo Yuxu, because the timbre was all too familiar. He turned abruptly and sure enough, saw Ji Yanyi crying even harder than Ye Changbao. This was a good opportunity, because Bo Yuxu would never cry like that in public, but Yanyi always did so without restraint. He stood beside Yanyi. "Isn't it because the two of you bullied my Yanyi?"
Ye Laoqi hadn't been paying attention to the kids' movements and didn't know whether his own Changbao had said anything nasty. But what had he done? He first took an accusatory tone. "You kids, how dare you talk to an adult like that? No respect for the elderly and no love for the young."
Bo Yuxu lifted his eyelids. "We're younger than you, but I don't see any love from you old folks for us."
Ye Laoqi had a son late in life; indeed, he was not young. He walked slowly, arrived late, and didn't want to wait, so he always pretended to accidentally squeeze forward. Gradually, he overtook several people, almost pushing to the front of them. Bo Yuxu argued, "If it gets to your turn, and the toys are taken by the two of you, Yanyi and I will have nothing." His words made sense and were logical. Importantly, along the way, Ye Laoqi had indeed jumped ahead of many people. As soon as he finished, naturally some kids sided with him. A little boy walked up to him and handed him a candy, his eyes shining with admiration. "Big brother, you're so amazing."
Bo Yuxu didn't take the candy. In the silence, he looked away, then somewhat awkwardly looked back. He nodded slightly. "Thank you." The child's mother looked at the two kids interacting with amusement and then quickly led her child away. Bo Yuxu breathed a sigh of relief, but when he looked at Ji Yanyi, he sighed helplessly again.
"The anger's out, so why are you still crying?" Could it be that without his noticing, Ye Changbao really did bully Yanyi? Bo Yuxu narrowed his eyes slightly. Ye Changbao seemed more subdued now, but he wouldn't let him get away with it. He patted Yanyi's back. "What's wrong?" Yanyi wouldn't say anything, so how could he figure it out?
Ji Yanyi, eyes blurry with tears, his eyeballs red from crying, looked truly pitiful. "Back then, were you bullied just like that by that kid Li Qiang'an?"
Bo Yuxu was stunned. He hadn't expected Ji Yanyi to be both dense and perceptive. He only mentioned the name, and Yanyi remembered and caught on. "It's all right now, isn't it?"
Ji Yanyi clenched his fist. "When I see that kid, I will definitely give him a good beating to get back at you for it." Though he said it was to get back at Yuxu, it was originally Yuxu who suffered for him. Ji Yanyi wiped his tears with his sleeve. He used to think that life in the countryside wasn't so bad, that he could go to school after being swapped back. But now, seeing that older brother, he understood that not everyone could go to school. It had been the same for Yuxu back then.
Ji Yanyi put his arm around Yuxu's shoulder and gave him a gentle hug. "Now you don't have to be afraid anymore."
Bo Yuxu froze stiff, unable to pull away. Although he wanted to comfort Yanyi, wasn't he too close? But the kid was crying so sadly, he couldn't bring himself to do the unclassy thing of pushing him away. Slowly, he raised his hand, trying to imitate an adult and pat the kid's back. "Now, Mom and I—big brother—will be by your side."
Ji Yanyi felt he was really considerate, because Yuxu hated Dad, so he thoughtfully omitted the word 'Dad'. But obviously, Yuxu still wasn't very happy. Bo Yuxu forcefully pushed his face away, looking at him with a hint of speechlessness. Had he said something wrong? Couldn't he even offer comfort?
Ji Yanyi kept tugging at him along the way, but got no response. So the two walked in silence, moving forward silently, claiming their toys silently. The nearby parents were dumbfounded. Hadn't they been acting like close brothers just now? And now they were mad? Was the allure of the toys really that strong?
——
Bo Xin, wearing medical scrubs, was accompanied by Ji Xingzhi, who wore the same outfit and carried a medical kit. Since the child knew them, leaving it to them would minimize wariness. As for He Yewan, the Ye family knew him and were very guarded against him.
"You have a postpartum condition from not recuperating properly after childbirth. Drink this medicine, and afterwards use the dregs to prepare more."
Old Mrs. Liu was very surprised. "You even have it packaged?"
Bo Xin said with a bright smile, in a familiar tone, "I've been to many free clinics, so I have a general idea of what ailments most of you have." Old Mrs. Liu looked down. She hadn't believed in this young woman's medical skills before—her hair was black and she looked young, while the doctors in the clinics all had white hair and experience. People said those were the truly skilled doctors. "Can it really get better if I take it?"
"That depends on whether you still work yourself so hard while taking it." This medicine was for regulation. If the person didn't care for their body and still overworked, the effects would cancel out and naturally it wouldn't work. Old Mrs. Liu felt a bit reassured. In the past, life was hard and she had no choice. Now the children were grown and life was much better. It was time for her to enjoy some comfort. She accepted the medicine pack, feeling confident. She couldn't believe she had gotten such good fortune.
Bo Xin walked around freely, treating whoever she met. Anyone whose walking posture or sitting posture was slightly off, she could roughly diagnose. After examining several people in her white coat, she was quite imposing. But for sneaking the child back, the more nervous they were, the easier it was to attract attention. So they had to do their own work properly.
Ji Xingzhi: "Speaking of which, I've never done any undercover work like this." Was he talking about his time in the military? Bo Xin still didn't know why he retired—whether it was simply not enough money, or he saw the future trend? She put away her medical kit. "So? How does it feel?"
Ji Xingzhi cupped his chin, recalling the journey. He wasn't a doctor but had been asked many questions. He was evasive, countless times steering the topic back to the real doctor. This feeling was probably... "Thrilling." In other words, he found it extremely interesting.
Bo Xin thought it was already good psychological quality that she wasn't nervous doing something she wasn't good at, but unexpectedly this guy was even more hardcore. What the hell was thrilling? "Your commanding officer must regret not sending you undercover." Ji Xingzhi shrugged noncommittally.
The two were about to reach Ye Laoqi's house. Smoke was rising vigorously from the chimney, indicating someone was cooking at home. Ye Laoqi's family of four: the wife went to get the rice and flour, Ye Laoqi took the kids to get toys. So the only one left was Ye Jinyi. Bo Xin walked straight into the unlocked door and met Ye Jinyi's eyes as he carried a dish.
"I've come to get you. This is me keeping my promise."
Ye Jinyi swallowed, suddenly understanding why everyone was absent today. "I didn't expect it to be so fast." He had only come to see him yesterday, and today he could arrange to take him away? It felt too unreal.
Bo Xin had her own explanation. She smiled and changed his clothes for him. "Maybe because I'm a rather impatient person." Since she had decided to do it, it had to be done as quickly as possible, ideally taking him away that same day. The car was parked in the original spot, easy to park and to leave the village. Ye Laoqi's house was the last stop on their schedule.
Soon, they arrived at the place. Bo Xin put clean clothes and a hat on the child. The hat perfectly covered the upper half of his face, revealing a delicate jawline. Although the timing wasn't right, she wanted to raise an eyebrow, thinking that this really was a chiseled jaw. But it also showed the child had excellent bone structure. "You'll need to nourish your body well from now on, okay?"
Ye Jinyi couldn't fully relax yet because he didn't know where he would go. In the past, he had been hit on the head for resisting, and since then he remembered very little. Only with some stimulation could he recall a bit. For example, when Ye Laoqi was going to name him, he remembered his name was Jinyi. Since they had nothing better and thought the name nice, they gradually used it. Also, what else? Ye Jinyi frowned. About his family. "I... should have a younger brother."
Bo Xin felt this matched more and more, but unless the probability was 100%, she couldn't say such irresponsible words. "Later, we'll look through missing persons records to find someone who matches you." Ye Jinyi was a bit disappointed, probably because he couldn't see his family right away. He tried to recall information about his original family.
Bo Xin ran her fingernail through her hair. "Since stimulation helps, you can first see which type your brother is." One was lively and brainless, the other clever and gloomy. "Are they your two children?" Ye Jinyi noticed her slightly pained expression. Bo Xin nodded without hiding. "Yes. After they heard about your situation, they were very worried about you." The children wanting to spend time with Ye Jinyi was one point; also, from her angle, she could see Ye Jinyi's fingers relax. Probably adult figures made the child feel pressured; his breathing had slowed. But now, mentioning children, mentioning playmates, his expression visibly relaxed. Bringing the kids really was the right choice.
Bo Xin drank some water and also gave some to Ye Jinyi, whose lips were chapped. She also examined other injuries on his body as best she could. When they arrived at the place, Bo Xin first left Ye Jinyi alone in the car. For a child without a sense of security, putting him in his own safe space was the most reassuring. Ji Yanyi went to find him first. Ye Jinyi felt a weight suddenly press down on the seat beside him. As if trying to find memories, he stared at the person for a long time, so long that Ji Yanyi thought he had something on his face. "Is it a fly?" It was early spring, and flies were appearing again. They were the thing he hated most, always flying into his mosquito net and buzzing so loud that even he couldn't sleep.
Ye Jinyi shook his head. "...No." Normally, it shouldn't be a fly. If a fly landed on a person, you'd feel it, right? But this strange conversation did relax him a bit. Should he indeed be amazed that this was that lady's child? "It's just that I think you look a bit like my younger brother." The way he pounced over was especially similar, full of closeness, no sense of distance. But he and the brother in his memory were originally siblings, naturally close. And with this kid? He was just born with that ease and a lack of sensitivity.
Sure enough, Ji Yanyi completely missed the word 'originally'. He only excitedly recalled. "Really? So you're also a big brother!" Then he thought of something. "Can you tell why my brother is sulking?" Ye Jinyi looked outside. Was that figure this kid's younger brother? The two looked about the same age, completely different in appearance, and even personalities were worlds apart. What a strange pair of brothers, Ye Jinyi thought. He fixed his gaze a few times, focusing on the other's expression. Compared to the kid in front of him, that one was more like his brother. "He's the type to sulk a lot, and when he's angry, he won't say it, making you guess."
Ji Yanyi felt like he had found a kindred spirit. He grabbed Ye Jinyi's hand and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes. You're absolutely right." Then he asked with anticipation, "So can you tell why he's angry?" Ye Jinyi: "Sorry, that you'll have to figure out yourself. Others can't help." Ji Yanyi: "..." Seeing his enthusiasm suddenly cool, Ye Jinyi felt a bit like laughing, probably because he found some joy in teasing kids. Maybe it was an experience he'd had before. But he was still in the kid's mom's car, so he had to be respectful. He held back his laughter, gripping his wrist harder. At that moment, he followed Ji Yanyi out of the car, met Bo Yuxu's eyes, and gave a slight nod as a greeting. But this kid named Bo Yuxu looked at Ji Yanyi beside him and then looked away again. Ye Jinyi felt he should remind Ji Yanyi. "This kid is mad at you."
Ji Yanyi immediately laughed twice, spreading his arms wide. "Thank you so much for telling me such an important piece of news." Ye Jinyi laughed out loud, unable to hold it in this time.
——
Bo Xin ate a bit and then lay down. Recently, she had been living with Ji Xingzhi, including last night. Wasn't his pillow too hard? She thought so and asked. Ji Xingzhi sometimes admired her ability to grasp the key points. This seemed to be the first time they had slept in the same room since the children came back. Yesterday, she was focused on the child's matter, mentally tense. But now, she should relax. Ji Xingzhi unconsciously squeezed the pillow, finding it really hard. And he hadn't noticed last night. He narrowed his eyes, decisively tossed the pillow aside, and pretended nothing happened. "Aren't you going to get up and eat? Didn't you say eating is the best way to restore your body?" That was what she had said today while consulting an overworked person. Ji Xingzhi remembered. Bo Xin looked at him with amusement. "I said sleeping is first, eating second." Should he really get his head checked now? She gave him a questioning look. "By the way, now you should believe in my medical skills a bit, right?"
Ji Xingzhi had been watching all along, but as for believing, "At least until you cure that kid. Didn't you say curing him would prove yourself?" "Then when I cure him, will you trust me completely?" Ji Xingzhi thought he wasn't so forgetful as to be tricked into changing his memory. What he meant was, "I'll consider it." Bo Xin thought, so it's still useless. 'Consider' just means he can refuse later. She stood up and walked out the door. Ji Xingzhi asked from the chair, "What's wrong? Not sleeping?" Bo Xin shook her head. "Going to see that child who's willing to trust me."
As soon as she stepped out, from a distance she could hear Ye Jinyi's laughter, which was rare—because around her, the kid still looked bitter and resentful. Drawing closer, she found him teasing Yanyi. The sight made Bo Xin momentarily dazed, because it was so familiar. But she also noticed a question: why did everyone love to tease Yanyi? She shook her head, cupping her chin.
She smelled the aroma of food, remembering her original plan to take a nap and then eat upon waking. Since she was afraid they couldn't bring the child back, she hadn't dared to cook. Only after arriving did she start. Now was the perfect time to nourish Ye Jinyi's body. This place had small houses and a fish pond. The fish were freshly caught. Bo Xin's first reaction upon seeing the fish was to feed them something. She had been living in the city too long, too elegantly. At that moment, Bo Yuxu came to find her.
Bo Xin said with a hint of amusement, "Sulking again?" Bo Yuxu pursed his lips, his eyes fixed on the fish. "Don't mention his name in front of me." Bo Xin laughed. "I didn't mention anyone." She had only said 'sulking', and the kid immediately thought of Yanyi. What could she do? She had noticed the conflict between the two as soon as she returned. On inquiring with the staff, she learned it was about a toy. She smiled and said nothing. She might believe other reasons, but that these two kids would fall out over a toy? They had plenty of toys at home that no one played with.
Bo Xin felt she had it hard: just finished dealing with a trafficking case, now she had to mediate the conflict between her two children. But this time, Yuxu seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and his words were candid. "He says he's the older brother, and you agree too?" So the 'who is the older brother' problem had finally come to her. Bo Xin cupped her chin. Though she had expected this day, when it actually came, she couldn't help but get a headache. She thought seriously for a moment. "Yanyi as the older brother, though not outstanding, is still passable." For example, he treated his younger brother to meals, took care of Yuxu, and tried hard to shoulder the responsibility of an older brother. Though he couldn't change his clingy nature, he had his own principles.
Bo Yuxu: "So you also think he should be the older brother?"
Bo Xin hesitated. She found that her tastes were stranger than others: she liked seeing the cheerful Yanyi acting spoiled and soft, and the awkward Yuxu blushing and bristling. Wanting both reactions wasn't greedy, was it? She started to reflect, but in less than a second, she convinced herself again. As for this question... Bo Xin gently shook her head. "I don't think Yanyi should be the older brother; rather, I think Yuxu, you should receive more love." In the past eight years, Yanyi had enjoyed a lot, developing such a cheerful personality that cared about nothing. That personality actually came from their support. Now, with the parents' love being divided, having one more person to love Yuxu was the most fitting approach.
Author's note: None.