Chapter 56: A New Bond

[Qin Che, I’m home.]

Ji Xiao lay in bed. Seeing Chen Shuhui’s message, he gave him a call.

“Xiao Hui.”

Chen Shuhui answered, his voice clear: “I’ve arrived. Go to sleep early.”

“Mm,” Ji Xiao closed his eyes, “What time do you get off work tomorrow?”

“I’ll be on duty for two days,” Chen Shuhui’s voice carried an apologetic tone, “I’m on a two-days-on, three-days-off schedule now.”

“Then what about your friend’s child?”

“He knows how to use the microwave. There’s enough food in the fridge for two days…”

“He’s still young, and his parents just… it’s not good to leave him alone. Send him to me.”

Chen Shuhui sounded a bit dejected: “I know, but my work for now…”

“I understand,” Ji Xiao’s voice was deep, “so entrust him to me. When you have a break, you can move in too.”

Chen Shuhui thought for a moment: “Alright, then I’ll trouble you.”

Ji Xiao said helplessly, “What’s our relationship? Why be so polite with me?”

“Even if we’re lovers, it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Basic courtesy is still necessary.”

“Okay, then get some rest early. I’ll wait for you at the supermarket tomorrow morning.”

“Mm, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

The next day, the weather was bright and clear.

Ji Xiao had just reached the ground floor when he saw Chen Shuhui walking over holding a child’s hand.

“Xiao Hui.”

Chen Shuhui looked up and saw him, a faint smile appearing on his face: “Qin Che.”

Ji Xiao walked over: “Have you had breakfast? Let me take you both to eat.”

Chen Shuhui shook his head: “I’ll eat at the company. Xiao Fei, this is Uncle Qin. I told you about him last night. I have to go to work. You stay with Uncle Qin and listen to him, okay?”

Liang Fei kept his head down, silent.

Chen Shuhui looked up: “Sorry, he…”

“It’s fine,” Ji Xiao smiled, “I’ll send you to the company.”

“No need, the traffic will be bad. I’ll take the subway; it won’t be congested,” Chen Shuhui patted Liang Fei’s head and said to Ji Xiao, “I’ll leave Xiao Fei to you.”

Ji Xiao reached out and hugged him, whispering, “I don’t find it troublesome at all. Go ahead, don’t be late.”

“Mm.”

After Chen Shuhui left, Liang Fei still stood there, but he lifted his head, staring unblinkingly at Chen Shuhui’s back, as if he were about to be abandoned.

Ji Xiao walked up to him and crouched down: “You’re Liang Fei, right? I’m your Uncle Chen’s partner, Qin Che. I’m a bit hungry. Can Xiao Fei accompany me to get something to eat?”

Liang Fei still stared in the direction Chen Shuhui had left.

“He’ll be back in two days. Then I’ll take you to pick him up and bring him home, okay?”

Still no response.

Ji Xiao patted his head and then picked him up.

Sure enough, he didn’t resist.

Liang Fei had faced his parents’ death and attended their funeral. He knew they would never come back.

Chen Shuhui and Liang Fei’s father were childhood friends. Liang Fei had seen him many times. If it weren’t for a familiar face, he wouldn’t have been so obedient.

At this moment, his heart was full of fear.

He missed his mom and dad terribly, but he couldn’t cry.

He knew that many adults disliked crying and noisy children. If even Uncle Chen didn’t want him, then… then no one would.

Ji Xiao held him firmly in his arms, walked into a breakfast shop, sat him on his lap, and asked with a smile, “What does Xiao Fei want to eat?”

Liang Fei couldn’t help swallowing.

“Everything looks delicious. But if you don’t talk, does that mean there’s nothing you want? If so, let’s go see another place.”

“…Steamed dumplings.”

Liang Fei’s voice was very soft, but Ji Xiao still heard it.

However, he pretended not to hear: “What? You don’t want to eat? Then forget it. Let’s go back.”

Liang Fei: “……”

“But I am a little hungry. Xiao Fei really doesn’t want to eat? Forget it, I’ll sacrifice myself to keep you company. If you don’t eat, I won’t eat.”

“…I want steamed dumplings.”

“Pig trotters?” Ji Xiao pretended to understand, then waved his hand, “Boss, a plate of pig trotters here.”

“Pfft—”

Ji Xiao couldn’t help laughing out loud. Then he disguised it by clearing his throat with his fist.

“Boss, one basket of steamed dumplings, one basket of small buns, and two bowls of century egg and lean meat porridge. Thank you.”

Liang Fei struggled out of Ji Xiao’s arms, jumped off his lap, and silently climbed onto the opposite seat.

Ji Xiao reached out and poked his hand resting on the table.

Liang Fei immediately pulled his hand back and put it under the table.

Ji Xiao suppressed his laughter and whispered apologetically, “Is Xiao Fei angry? Just now, Uncle was wrong for not listening carefully. Don’t be angry, okay?”

Liang Fei lowered his head.

“Xiao Fei, forgive Uncle, okay?”

Liang Fei didn’t look up.

Uncle Chen said he must listen to Uncle Qin.

Uncle Qin didn’t hear clearly, so he couldn’t blame him.

Ji Xiao reached out his hand and smiled, “Shake?”

Liang Fei looked up at him, extended his small hand, and was grasped by Ji Xiao. Somehow, his eyes suddenly felt sore.

Ji Xiao saw tears fall, but his heart relaxed.

He stood up, reached across the table, lifted Liang Fei directly from the opposite chair into his arms, and soothed him gently: “Alright, don’t cry. It’s Uncle’s fault.”

Liang Fei buried his head in his chest, only shedding tears without making a sound.

Ji Xiao rubbed his head and sighed softly.

Why did Liang Fei end up like that in the original plot? First, because Chen Shuhui trusted Qin Che too much, believing he could really take good care of him. Second, because of Qin Che’s coldness and later oppression and beatings.

Having lost both parents, Liang Fei was filled with suppressed fear.

Living under someone else’s roof, he was even more frightened.

He had no more relatives left, only Uncle Chen as his close guardian.

He knew about Qin Che and Chen Shuhui’s relationship. They were like a mom and dad—the real couple. He was just an outsider.

When he first arrived at Qin Che’s house, he was cautious, afraid of making mistakes, not daring to speak out of turn. His gloomy expression was just to hide his inner confusion and fear.

When Qin Che hit him or scolded him, he didn’t fight back or cry out, afraid that Uncle Chen would find out and not want him.

Under such circumstances, Liang Fei developed psychological problems. When Liang Fei mentioned his parents, he finally couldn’t bear it and broke down, leading to the tragic car accident.

Ji Xiao gently lifted his head, grabbed a tissue to wipe his tears, and said softly, “Ah, when your Uncle Chen comes back, you can’t tell him I bullied you. He loves you so much. If he found out, he’d definitely not want me anymore.”

Liang Fei sniffled: “You didn’t bully me. Uncle Qin didn’t bully me.”

Ji Xiao gently tapped his nose: “Good boy.”

See? He’s talking now, isn’t he?

His expression has become livelier, hasn’t it?

If you really coax a child and break down his fears, can it really lead to an irreparable situation?

The boss soon brought their breakfast: “Enjoy your meal, you two.”

“Alright, let’s eat first. Uncle is really hungry.”

“…Mm.”

“Do you want Uncle to feed you?”

“No.”

After breakfast, Ji Xiao didn’t take Liang Fei straight home. Instead, he took him to a nearby mall.

“Xiao Fei, take a look. If there’s anything you want, Uncle will buy it for you.”

Liang Fei, still in Ji Xiao’s arms, shook his head quickly: “No.”

“That won’t do,” Ji Xiao frowned, “Your Uncle Chen entrusted you to me. If he found out I brought you home without buying you anything, he’d be angry. If he’s angry, he won’t want me anymore.”

“He won’t…”

“He will,” Ji Xiao looked down to meet his eyes and sighed heavily, “You probably don’t know this, but your Uncle Chen loves you very much. Even though I’m his partner, if I treat you badly, he’d definitely dump me and find someone else.”

Liang Fei: “……”

“If your Uncle Chen doesn’t want me, then no one will want me. I won’t be able to eat or sleep…”

“That won’t happen…”

Ji Xiao’s voice was low and gentle: “Xiao Fei, just help Uncle, okay? Uncle still wants to marry your Uncle Chen. I have to let him see how good I am to you.”

“Then… then I want…”

Liang Fei looked around and whispered,

“I want a toy car…”

“Okay!”

Not just a toy car.

Ji Xiao put him down, held his hand, and walked around the mall. He bought everything Liang Fei’s eyes lingered on.

After returning home, Ji Xiao put all the purchased items in the second bedroom and told him, “Uncle specially prepared this room for you. From now on, it’s your room. Do you like it?”

The light in Liang Fei’s eyes dimmed again. He whispered, “I like it.”

Ji Xiao noticed, crouched down, and asked, “Really? If there’s anything you don’t like, Uncle can change it for you.”

“I like everything. No dislikes.”

“Is that so? Do you dislike the color of this bedsheet? Or the curtains? Do you want to put up posters on the wall? What kind? How about I get you some big bad wolf posters?”

“?”

“I heard a lot of kids like big bad wolves these days. Let’s cover the wall with wolves. You can even howl at them.”

“???”

Ji Xiao stroked his chin: “Or, do you like snakes? I can get you a snake as a pet? Like the main character in that movie who has a pet snake.”

Liang Fei’s eyes widened: “I don’t want that.”

“Don’t want what? The big bad wolf or the snake?”

“Neither.”

“But the wall is empty. It doesn’t look like a kid’s room.”

Liang Fei clenched his little fist: “I want Spider-Man.”

“What? Piglet-Man? Sure, I’ll…”

“It’s Spider!”

“Okay, okay,”

Seeing he was about to rile up the child, Ji Xiao smiled and patted his head.

“Spider, it’s Spider.”

Liang Fei: “……” This uncle is not what I expected. He’s so dumb.

Black Cat was also shocked: “Host… this character setting is quite a turnaround.”

Ji Xiao: [Then you come and coax the child?]

Black Cat: “No, no, no.”

Two days later.

At C City High-Speed Rail Station.

Chen Shuhui walked out of the station with a few colleagues, chatting and laughing while dragging their suitcases. Dressed in his train attendant uniform, his figure appeared even taller and slender, a perfectly appropriate smile on his face, making him quite eye-catching.

Ji Xiao whispered, “Quick, call him. Your Uncle Chen is so busy talking to others that he didn’t notice us. Remember what I taught you?”

“Dad!”

Chen Shuhui kept talking with his colleagues.

Ji Xiao sighed and carried Liang Fei toward Chen Shuhui.

“Dad!”

This time, Chen Shuhui heard him. He stopped and looked at the big and small figures approaching, somewhat dazed.

His colleagues also paused, a bit surprised.

“Oh, Shuhui, you’re married?”

“Your son is this big already.”

“So cute.”

Chen Shuhui: “…” He looked at Ji Xiao with confusion.

He had already completed the adoption procedures. Legally, Liang Fei was indeed his son.

But he never expected Liang Fei to change his address so soon and call him “Dad.”

Liang Fei seemed a bit shy. After Chen Shuhui noticed them, he stopped calling and clung tightly to Ji Xiao’s neck.

Chen Shuhui blinked.

In two days, Qin Che had completely coaxed and won over Liang Fei?

“Little friend, what’s your name? I’m your dad’s colleague. Call me uncle, and I’ll buy you candy.”

The person next to Chen Shuhui leaned in with a grin, as if coaxing a child.

Liang Fei looked at Chen Shuhui.

Chen Shuhui nodded.

Only then did Liang Fei softly say, “Uncle.”

He laughed heartily, reached out to put his arm around Chen Shuhui’s shoulder, as if pulling him into an embrace, and said cheerfully, “My name is Fu Ying. I’m not just your dad’s colleague; I’m also his good friend. Xiao Fei, you…”

Ji Xiao’s gaze darkened. He set Liang Fei down.

With a seemingly gentle but actually forceful motion, he pushed Fu Ying aside, then patted Chen Shuhui’s shoulder.

“Xiao Fei, tell this Uncle Fu what the relationship is between me and your dad.”

Perhaps even Chen Shuhui himself hadn’t noticed Fu Ying’s feelings for him.

But Ji Xiao saw it at a glance—Fu Ying liked Chen Shuhui.

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