Chapter 62: A Milestone Arrives

Black Cat: “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

Ji Xiao: [What exactly have you been looking at all day?]

Black Cat slunk away guiltily.

Liang Fei saw Chen Shuhui facing the wall, and from time to time he even rubbed his waist, looking utterly wronged. He trudged over to Ji Xiao with an expression of endurance, bowed his head, and said, “Dad Che, I know I was wrong. Don’t punish Dad anymore.”

Ji Xiao snorted. “Where were you wrong?”

Liang Fei thought back and grew more aggrieved the more he pondered. “I shouldn’t have followed a stranger just like that. Even if a stranger carried me away, I should have called for help. I shouldn’t have been tempted by ten yuan. I should have torn it up and thrown it in his face the moment he stuffed it into my hand. I shouldn’t…”

Chen Shuhui, facing the wall: “…”

Ji Xiao looked at him with surprise.

[Stupid cat, help me test Liang Fei’s IQ.]

Black Cat: “Don’t bother testing. Qin Che caused a genius to be wasted.”

Ji Xiao: “…”

Black Cat: “To be precise, not a genius, but still not bad. Smarter than most people, with strong learning abilities. If not for the sudden loss of both parents and being suppressed by Qin Che, Chen Shuhui would have discovered this child’s intelligence very quickly.”

Ji Xiao looked thoughtfully at Liang Fei, who was still racking his brains trying to think if there was anything else he did wrong.

“Dad Che, I really know I was wrong. Don’t make Dad face the wall anymore.” Liang Fei looked at him pitifully.

Ji Xiao reluctantly said, “Fine. I’ll let it slide this time since it’s your first offense. If you do it again, I’ll have to take action. If the son is not taught, the father is at fault. If you make a mistake again, I’ll punish your father directly.”

Liang Fei’s eyes widened.

“Xiao Hui, that’s enough. You don’t need to face the wall anymore.”

Chen Shuhui glanced at him, turned around, and went back to the room.

Ji Xiao also got up, picked up Liang Fei, and headed to the bathroom to give him a bath.

As his back was gently scrubbed, Liang Fei remembered Chen Shuhui’s red eyes when he found him. Sincerely, he said, “I’m sorry, Dad. I won’t do this again.”

When alone with Ji Xiao or Chen Shuhui, he called them both “Dad.” Only when they were together did he worry about confusing them and called Ji Xiao “Dad Che.”

Ji Xiao continued washing him without expression.

Liang Fei clamped his legs together, a little shy. “Dad, you don’t need to wash here.”

“If you don’t wash, it’ll get dirty. Everything needs to be clean.”

“Then, then I’ll wash it myself…”

Helpless, Ji Xiao pried open his hand and scrubbed his little bird. “You haven’t even grown hair yet, and you already know to be shy.”

Once it was actually washed, Liang Fei stopped being shy. Looking serious, he said, “Dad, the teacher said that if adults do something wrong, we can point it out too. Is that true?”

“I did something wrong today, and I know I was wrong. But Dad, you were also in the wrong.” Liang Fei tried to reason with him.

“Oh?” Ji Xiao chuckled. “Where was I wrong?”

“One should bear the consequences of their own actions. That means you take responsibility for your own mistakes,” Liang Fei said seriously. “I did wrong, so you can punish me. But you shouldn’t punish Dad.”

“I wasn’t going to punish you at first? But you didn’t listen.”

“…Then you still can’t punish Dad.”

“You’ve studied the Three Character Classic, right? ‘If the child is not taught, it is the father’s fault.’ What does that mean?”

“…It’s just not right no matter what!”

Ji Xiao picked up the shower head, rinsed the foam off his body, and said coolly, “Don’t want your dad to suffer? Then just don’t give me the chance to punish him. Or are you saying you plan to make mistakes again?”

Liang Fei wiped the water off his face. “I’m still a child. If I do something wrong, you should teach me, not punish me.”

“Little brat, you still want to teach me?” Ji Xiao pulled off a towel, wrapped him up, and carried him to the guest bedroom. “If you want to protect your dad, then behave. If you keep babbling at me, I’ll go beat him up in a bit.”

Liang Fei: “You’re being unreasonable!”

Ji Xiao tossed him onto the bed. “I am being unreasonable. What can you do, since you’re still a child? If you want to protect your dad, wait until you grow up.”

Liang Fei angrily punched the pillow.

Closing the door to the guest bedroom, Ji Xiao didn’t immediately go back to his room.

He silently lit a cigarette, somewhat melancholy: [Cat, with Xiao Hui’s personality, he won’t hold a grudge against me, right?]

Black Cat: “Do you think I know him better than you?”

Ji Xiao: “Sigh.”

He smoked a cigarette.

He waited until the smell of smoke on him faded before returning to the room.

Chen Shuhui was sitting on the bed with his legs bent, playing on his phone, ignoring him.

Ji Xiao silently went to the bathroom to take a shower and wash up.

The toothpaste was brought by Chen Shuhui, with a hint of lime flavor.

He put on a soft bathrobe, his collar slightly open, and slowly walked toward Chen Shuhui. His voice was low and gentle: “Xiao Hui, making you face the wall earlier… it was a temporary measure. You understand, right?”

Chen Shuhui looked up, saw that his chin was still damp and his slightly open collar was directly facing him, then looked back down at his phone.

“Xiao Hui…”

Ji Xiao took off his shoes, got on the bed, leaned beside him, and tugged at him.

Chen Shuhui was replying to a colleague’s message without lifting his head. “Don’t bother me.”

Ji Xiao lowered his head and buried it in his shoulder and neck. “Are you mad? Should I go face the wall too?”

Chen Shuhui put down his phone and said calmly, “I love you. Should I hit you or whip you?”

Ji Xiao: “…”

He turned his head slightly and licked his neck.

“I’m not mad, go to sleep!”

If he really blamed him, he wouldn’t have cooperated earlier.

He was just teasing, but he didn’t expect him to actually resort to this.

Ji Xiao clung to him again. “I’ll let you hit me or scold me however you want. In front of Xiao Fei, you gave me face. In bed, my face is yours to trample.”

Chen Shuhui pushed his head away and laughed. “Who wants to trample your face?”

Ji Xiao covered him, lowered his head, and lightly bit his Adam’s apple. “You scolded me quite a bit today, didn’t you?”

Chen Shuhui’s body trembled slightly. He wrapped his arms around his head and pressed it down tightly, whispering, “Stop messing around. How many times has it been today? Aren’t you afraid of wearing yourself out?”

Ji Xiao: “…” Then why did you hold me so tightly? Why did you stand up?

But he knew they had indeed done it too many times today. He held his waist with both hands and slowly slid down: “I won’t do it. I’ll just serve you.”

Chen Shuhui realized something. “You…”

Tender.

Stimulating.

He instinctively reached out a trembling hand, fumbled on the bedside table for a moment, and with a click, turned off the light.

……

Two days later, Ji Xiao and Chen Shuhui sent Liang Fei to school, then sent Chen Shuhui to the high-speed rail station.

Ji Xiao followed him to the dormitory.

Three other people were in the dormitory, including Fu Ying.

The moment Fu Ying saw Ji Xiao, his lower body ached and his face darkened. “You beat me up once, and that wasn’t enough? You want to come for another round?”

That was his first thought.

Chen Shuhui looked sideways in surprise. “You hit him?”

Ji Xiao rolled up his sleeves and stared coldly at Fu Ying. “I think you’ve forgotten what I said that day.”

Fu Ying’s face didn’t change.

He wanted to act tough.

But this person was too eerie.

He had clearly barged into his room and beaten him half to death, but when he checked the surveillance, no one had entered his room. When he went to the hospital, they said he had no problems. It was as if all his pain was fake.

He almost suspected he was having hallucinations.

In the end, he was a bit afraid.

Fu Ying gritted his teeth and walked out of the dormitory. “I’ll apply for a transfer.”

The other two colleagues exchanged glances, smiled and greeted them, then followed.

“After I brought you home, when you were taking a nap.”

“…Don’t do that again.”

Although very touched, if something had happened, it would have been bad.

Ji Xiao hummed in agreement. “If he dares to harass you again, tell me.”

“And then you’ll go beat him up again?”

“…”

After that, Fu Ying indeed applied to be transferred away from Chen Shuhui’s team.

As the years passed, Chen Shuhui’s seniority and work ability were recognized, and he was promoted twice.

He no longer had to work as hard as before, riding the trains.

And Ji Xiao’s supermarket was still that supermarket, neither expanded nor used for other businesses. He just kept the store and lived an ordinary life.

One day.

When Chen Shuhui came home early from work, Ji Xiao was busy in the kitchen.

Both of their faces had acquired some traces of the years, but their foundation was there. Even if they were uncles, they were still handsome uncles.

Chen Shuhui loosened his collar. “What’s the rush? Isn’t Xiao Fei going out with his friends? He won’t be back for dinner until evening, right?”

“I’ll prep the ingredients in advance and cook them when the time comes,” Ji Xiao raised an eyebrow. “After all, he won’t get many more chances to eat my cooking from now on.”

Chen Shuhui said helplessly, “Are you that eager to have him move out?”

Ji Xiao finished cutting the last dish, placed it on a plate, carefully washed his hands, took off his apron, walked to the door, and naturally took Chen Shuhui’s hand, leading him to the living room.

“He turns eighteen today. He’s disturbed us for nearly ten years. It’s time for him to live independently and give us back our quiet time together.”

“Ten years already…”

Chen Shuhui’s expression softened. He followed his lead and sat down, then saw the property deed on the table. He opened it and took a look.

“Why did you take out my property deed?”

“Didn’t we agree to transfer your apartment to Xiao Fei when he comes of age?” Ji Xiao pondered for a moment. “Or should I transfer mine to him, and we can go live at your place?”

Chen Shuhui felt a little melancholy about the child who had been by their side for ten years beginning to be let go.

Ji Xiao leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. His voice was more mature and charming than before. “The child will eventually fly away when he grows up. Anyway, he’s going to university soon. Don’t overthink it, okay?”

“Okay.”

In the evening, Liang Fei came back with his friends.

Chen Shuhui took the necessary documents and led Liang Fei out the door.

Ji Xiao was left to entertain his friends.

Until he held the property deed bearing his own name, Liang Fei was still a bit dazed. “Dad, why did you think of transferring the house to me?”

Liang Fei blushed. “That’s still far off. I’m only eighteen. How did we get to marriage?”

“Let’s go back. Your Dad Che should have dinner ready.”

“Okay!”

After the boisterous dinner, the friends left, leaving the family of three to start a warm and loving… as if!

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