Ji Xu didn’t waste a minute getting back home.
However, upon arriving at the apartment, he found that the elevator was stuck and wouldn’t come down.
Seeing that the elevator was still stuck on the upper floors, Ji Xu didn’t think twice and ran up the stairs.
The building had sixteen floors. Ji Xu ran all the way to his door and, trembling, opened it without catching his breath.
He expected to see Cheng Yue frantically running around the house, but instead, when he came out of the foyer, he found Cheng Yue sitting calmly on the sofa, looking at him with a forced smile. “You’re back?”
Seeing Cheng Yue like this, Ji Xu’s calm breathing suddenly felt like a dam bursting. His breath came in rapid gasps as he bent over, leaning on his legs, sweat instantly pouring down his forehead.
Upon hearing the door open, Cheng Yue pretended to be sitting on the sofa, but when he saw Ji Xu clearly distressed, he jumped up and rushed towards him.
“Ji Xu! Ji Xu!” Cheng Yue’s eyes were filled with panic. He reached out, unsure of where to help, and just kept calling Ji Xu’s name anxiously.
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” Ji Xu, fearing Cheng Yue would panic, managed to suppress the sudden suffocation, straightened up, and looked at Cheng Yue, whose eyes were already red from worry, feeling his heart twist.
“Do you… need some water?” Cheng Yue cautiously wiped the sweat off Ji Xu’s forehead. Just as he pulled his hand back, Ji Xu suddenly pulled him into a strong hug.
Cheng Yue’s eyes widened in shock, but he stayed still, allowing Ji Xu to hold him.
The rapid breathing close to his ear made Cheng Yue instinctively wrap his arms around Ji Xu’s waist and pat his back slowly. “What’s wrong?”
Ji Xu finally caught his breath but wasn’t sure how to answer Cheng Yue’s question. He improvised, “There were some issues at work…”
Their chests pressed tightly together, and Cheng Yue could clearly feel Ji Xu’s anxious heartbeat.
Thinking Ji Xu was feeling unwell, Cheng Yue patted his back, saying, “It’s okay… if there are problems, there are problems. You don’t have to try so hard. I’ll take care of you in the future… You don’t have to work so hard now; I’ll work hard and grow up…”
Ji Xu was deeply touched by Cheng Yue’s words. The child knew exactly how to hit him in the heart. At that moment, Ji Xu wanted to hold him tighter and mess up his hair.
“Don’t worry.” Cheng Yue managed to say another sentence.
“I’m about to die from anxiety.” Ji Xu swore under his breath, pulling Cheng Yue out of his embrace and holding his face in his hands. “Hurry up and grow up.”
Ji Xu’s voice was so low that Cheng Yue couldn’t hear what he was saying clearly. As he tilted his head to ask, Ji Xu’s head slowly descended.
Cheng Yue’s eyes widened further as Ji Xu’s warm breath gently touched his face…
The soft, warm sensation on his forehead made Cheng Yue freeze.
He felt as if his whole body was filled with cement, except… except for the small area where Ji Xu had kissed his forehead.
Ji Xu lightly kissed Cheng Yue’s forehead, then slowly let go and spoke clearly, “I’ll wait for you to grow up.”
Cheng Yue’s heart nearly exploded. His whole body went limp, and he was so excited that he didn’t even react when Ji Xu helped him sit on the sofa.
It wasn’t until Ji Xu brought him a glass of water and fed him a few sips that Cheng Yue managed to come out of his excitement.
“Why are you sweating so much?” Ji Xu wiped his forehead and then reached under his t-shirt to feel his back. “You should take a shower soon. Even with the air conditioning on, you’re sweating so much.”
“Why is your neck red?” Cheng Yue cleared his throat and, seemingly casually, asked about the red mark on Ji Xu’s neck.
Ji Xu tilted his head to glance at him, finding Cheng Yue’s inquisitive but restrained expression amusing.
As Cheng Yue looked at Ji Xu’s neck, his irritation flared up again, and his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.
“Open your mouth,” Ji Xu said.
“…Huh?” Cheng Yue’s clenched fist relaxed unconsciously.
Before Cheng Yue could open his mouth, Ji Xu grasped his chin and opened it. With his other hand, he gently touched Cheng Yue’s canine teeth, marveling, “Why are your teeth so sharp?”
Cheng Yue, with his mouth slightly open and unable to move, mumbled, “Wh… what?”
“Look here.” Ji Xu tilted his head, pointing to his neck with his fingertip. “The person who bit me had a very sharp canine tooth on the left side. Doesn’t this bite mark look familiar to you?”
Cheng Yue was taken aback. He touched his own teeth and some images flashed through his mind, though not very clearly.
“Who has a canine tooth that only grows on one side?” Ji Xu smiled at him. “The person who bit me wouldn’t let go, like a dog.”
Cheng Yue’s memory suddenly recalled that night when he had bitten Ji Xu. He quickly remembered the foolish thing he had done because of the mark on Ji Xu’s neck, and his face flushed red.
But the heavy stone that had been hanging in his heart finally fell.
Cheng Yue sighed softly and discreetly wiped the sweat from his palms.
On Saturday and Sunday, Ji Xu brought all his work home and tried to stay close to Cheng Yue while working.
He also did his best to hold Cheng Yue while sleeping.
Just as Song Yi said, Cheng Yue’s condition seemed to improve significantly.
One day, on Sunday afternoon, after Ji Xu finished the last piece of paperwork regarding Cheng Yue’s parents’ company, Tan Minmin requested a meeting.
After much consideration, Ji Xu decided to bring Cheng Yue along.
He had discussed Cheng Yue’s parents with him the night before, and Ji Xu was surprised by Cheng Yue’s attitude and emotions about the matter.
He had expected Cheng Yue to be angry, upset, or distressed…
But none of that happened. Cheng Yue remained very calm about the situation. After Ji Xu finished explaining, Cheng Yue was just silent for a while.
So, before heading out, Ji Xu specifically asked for Cheng Yue’s opinion.
Cheng Yue frowned and thought for a while. He didn’t want to see Tan Minmin, but he also didn’t want to be separated from Ji Xu for too long.
In the end, he agreed to go with Ji Xu.
Tan Minmin had arranged to meet in a tea house. Ji Xu and Cheng Yue, guided by a waiter, went up to a private room on the second floor.
As soon as the door opened, Tan Minmin stood up from her seat.
Cheng Yue glanced at Tan Minmin and almost didn’t recognize her.
Tan Minmin looked unwell, with severe dark circles under her eyes. Despite this, she forced a smile when she saw them.
“What would you like to drink?” Tan Minmin asked.
“No need,” Ji Xu looked at his watch, “You mentioned there were issues; you can ask now. I have another appointment in ten minutes.”
Tan Minmin glanced at Cheng Yue, who was sitting with his head down playing with his phone. She began discussing various court matters and the handling of her subsequent actions with Ji Xu.
They quickly finished their discussion. Tan Minmin rubbed her hands together, then hesitated before speaking to Cheng Yue, “Can I talk to Ah Yue alone? I have some things I want to say to him.”
Ji Xu squinted at her, “Say it now.”
Cheng Yue shifted his gaze from his phone to Tan Minmin, forcing himself to meet her eyes.
Tan Minmin stared at him for several seconds before she slowly began to speak.
“I’m sorry. I’m very sorry about your mother’s situation. I never imagined it would come to this. I just… I just wanted to get more money. I had such a good relationship with your mother, but things turned out differently from what I intended. I… I’m really sorry.”
Tan Minmin’s complexion worsened as she spoke, and she looked at Cheng Yue with pleading eyes, “I was momentarily blinded by greed. I truly regret it.”
Ji Xu, sitting beside her, wore a sarcastic smile as he listened to her.
Cheng Yue, on the other hand, remained expressionless, even calm.
Tan Minmin’s eyes grew red as she continued, “Every day since your mother’s accident, I’ve been regretting it. I really didn’t want things to end up like this. Can you forgive Auntie? Auntie really regrets it. You…”
“I won’t forgive you,” Cheng Yue interrupted Tan Minmin’s pleading.
“Ah Yue…” Tan Minmin broke down in tears, “I really regret it.”
Cheng Yue watched her cry with a frown. He handed her a tissue and spoke in a flat tone, “You don’t really feel sorry for me or regret what you did. You’re just trying to comfort yourself by pretending to be remorseful.”
“I don’t want to make you feel better, and I don’t want to forgive you.”
After hearing his words, Tan Minmin’s intermittent crying stopped. She looked at Cheng Yue with disbelief.
Ji Xu was also somewhat surprised, observing Cheng Yue’s cold expression, which made him seem truly grown-up.
But the cost of this growth seemed too heavy.
“Let’s go,” Cheng Yue said, not wanting to watch her cry any longer. He stood up.
Ji Xu also stood up, pat Cheng Yue’s back twice, then turned to Tan Minmin and said, “Miss Tan, I hope you take care of yourself, at least until the court date.”
When they left the tea house, Cheng Yue couldn’t help but sigh.
Ji Xu, seeing the sweat on his forehead, took out a handkerchief and wiped it for him. “You were so bold just now, but now you’re looking like this.”
Cheng Yue pouted, “It’s not the same. She just wanted to see me struggle and then forgive her, so she could feel better about herself. How could I do something so disgusting?”
“Good, here’s a reward for you.” Ji Xu smiled and flicked Cheng Yue’s forehead, “Say it.”
“I want ice cream,” Cheng Yue said, pointing to a store nearby with a booming business. “Five flavors.”
Ji Xu didn’t say anything, just looked at him.
Feeling a bit guilty, Cheng Yue bent one of his fingers down.
Ji Xu still didn’t speak.
“Ah!” Cheng Yue, like he was cutting something from himself, bent down two more fingers. “Two flavors! Just two!”
“Let’s go,” Ji Xu said, putting his arm around Cheng Yue’s shoulder and leading him to the store.
The ice cream shop was small, but the line was exceptionally long. Ji Xu, seeing the crowd, had Cheng Yue wait outside while he went to stand in line.
A pair of young lovers, just getting their ice cream, caught Ji Xu’s attention.
The boy held an ice cream cone near the girl’s mouth, grinning mischievously, “Call me.”
The girl, initially reluctant, stared at him but didn’t say anything.
The boy pressed the ice cream against her lips and quickly pulled it away, saying, “Hurry up, call me and I’ll let you have it.”
The girl licked her lips, her face turning red, and whispered, “Hubby~”
Ji Xu raised an eyebrow after watching this. When he finished lining up and got two ice creams, he walked back to Cheng Yue.
Cheng Yue’s eyes lit up when he saw the two ice creams. He approached Ji Xu eagerly.
“Call me,” Ji Xu mimicked the boy’s tone.
“Ji Xu?” Cheng Yue, after calling out, suddenly realized this wasn’t the right approach.
He swallowed and, glancing at the two ice creams in Ji Xu’s hands, quickly changed his tune, “Uncle!”
Ji Xu: “…”
Cheng Yue looked at his expression and hesitated, “Big Uncle?”
Ji Xu: “…”
Cheng Yue: “…Second Uncle?”
“Shut up.” Ji Xu, looking displeased, shoved one of the ice creams into Cheng Yue’s mouth.
Author’s Note:
Cheng Yue: Didn’t see that coming, did you? (Proudly puffing out chest.)
Ji Xu: Smile gradually freezing and turning increasingly twisted.
