Chapter 121, How Sad
After the young man's footsteps disappeared in the corridor, Jiang Ran lowered his head and went back to reading.
What a strange man, what was his purpose in asking such a personal question?
Was he looking for an outlet for his sister's unfulfilled wish? Or was he caring about his brother, whom he had only seen a few times?
If it was the latter... Jiang Ran really hoped it was the latter. In this way, at least Si Xu would have a relative in this world who cared about him, even though the way this relative expressed his concern was awkward.
…
When Si Xu found the lounge, the girl was staring blankly at the book spread out on her lap. She didn't know what she was thinking about, but a soft smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
Si Xu walked up to her like a cat, took the book from her lap with one hand, and glanced at the cover: "The Natural Growth Patterns of Crops?"
"Right." Jiang Ran looked up at him. "The team leader found it for me and told me to take a good look at it when I have time."
Without any disdain, he asked her seriously: "Do you understand?"
Jiang Ran showed a smug expression. "Of course I can understand it. It's just some very simple stuff - like the knowledge of sunlight and water required by crops. In fact, it still requires practice to accumulate experience."
She answered seriously. After listening to her, Si Xu closed the book in his hand and touched the top of her head to show encouragement.
After reading for a long time, Jiang Ran felt a little tired. He rubbed his eyes, stood up, and muttered: "Are you done with your work? Can we go home now?"
The girl looked exhausted. Si Xu frowned and asked, "Is work tiring?"
"Not bad." Jiang Ran yawned and said, "It hasn't been very busy these past two days. I've just been following the team leader to do experiments and take notes, just like taking practical classes in school."
The girl put her backpack aside. Si Xu leaned over and put the book into the bag, then picked up the bag and hung it on his shoulder. He took the girl's hand and said softly, "Today, the cafeteria has your favorite braised fish. Let's go to the cafeteria for dinner tonight?"
Jiang Ran, who was still thinking about what to cook for dinner, immediately agreed when she heard about braised fish: "Great, great."
There was a chef in the cafeteria who was an expert at cooking fish. After Jiang Ran had eaten the steamed sea bass she made in the cafeteria once, he pestered her for two days to learn how to prepare the sauce.
There was food waiting in front, so Jiang Ran walked out with a much lighter step.
The girl took his arm and skipped forward, which made Si Xu inexplicably feel a sense of disharmony, as if... there was a deep generation gap between them - she was eight years old and he was eighty.
Thinking of what happened in the office just now, the young man suddenly became depressed. Jiang Ran didn't understand why, so she grabbed his sleeve and asked with concern: "Si Xu, what's wrong with you?"
The man looked at her with heavy eyes: "Jiang Ran, am I old?"
"Huh?" The topic changed so quickly that Jiang Ran didn't understand what he meant by the question.
The girl's reaction was slow, and Si Xu was shocked. He murmured: "I'm really old..."
Not knowing what was going on in his head, Jiang Ran could only comfort him: "How can he be old? My Professor Si is handsome and young, not old at all!"
Twenty-six is old, so how can those who are eighty-six or ninety-six live?
Si Xu shook his head, even more sad: "I'm not talking about age."
Not referring to age? What then? Jiang Ran blinked and asked tentatively: "Si Xu, who said you are old?"
"Chen Yao." Si Xu replied dryly, "She said there's a generation gap between us."
While at work today, Chen Yao took a break from her busy schedule to chat with Pei Xiao, and they talked and laughed the whole afternoon.
He listened for a while and didn't find anything funny in their conversation. He just found it boring.
He simply expressed his doubts, and Shen Yao glanced at him and said, "Seventh Brother, you don't understand the fun of us young people. There is a generation gap between us."
Chen Yao didn't care, but when he saw Jiang Ran jumping around, he suddenly remembered that Jiang Ran was several years younger than Chen Yao, and he immediately fell into deep sadness.
"Si Xu, you misunderstood Chen Yao's meaning." Jiang Ran, who was already adept at comforting his occasionally sad lover, lied seriously, "There is a generation gap between you and Chen Yao. It's not because of age, but because of IQ."
Even though the person involved wasn't around, Jiang Ran spoke without a trace of guilt, "You're too smart. She can't reach your level, so she feels there's a generation gap between you two. But I'm different. I can understand all your thoughts. There's no generation gap between us."
The girl spoke with such confidence that Si Xu was skeptical. "Really?" he insisted. "Will you feel bored when you're with me?"
Jiang Ran shook his head: "No, I like being with you the most - as long as I'm with you, I like to do anything."
With this answer, Si Xu was satisfied.
The man leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. The tips of her ears turned slightly red. He said seriously, "Jiang Ran, you must always be with me."
"Um!"
"If you run away, I..."
"I won't run away." Knowing that the man was about to make some threatening remarks, Jiang Ran interrupted him and raised her hand to swear, "I will always be by your side and won't go anywhere."
Si Xu was in a good mood, and as if to prove it, he said, "Then do you want to kiss me?"
Pfft, this guy's way of asking for kisses is getting weirder and weirder. Jiang Ran suppressed her laughter and hooked her arm around his neck: "Lower your head, dear."
He lowered his head obediently.
She raised her feet and kissed him on the lips.
…
Pei Xiao, who had just gone out and was about to go to the cafeteria with Shen Yao, saw two familiar figures from afar and subconsciously stopped.
"What's wrong?" At night, ordinary people's eyesight is not as good as that of people with special abilities. Chen Yao asked her friend in confusion, "Hurry up, if you go too late, there will be no food."
"Um..." Pei Xiao put his fist to his lips and coughed, saying awkwardly, "I think I left my pass in your office."
"Ah? You really are..." The two were college classmates. Chen Yao spoke casually, complained a few words, and resigned herself to going back to find a pass for him.
Pei Xiao took one last look at the figure in the distance and sighed softly.
It’s my brother.
His blood-related brother, his biological brother, Si Xu.
If he hadn't overheard the conversation between his mother and that guy, he would never have known why his mother insisted on following him to Xiling Base.
He was surprised by his mother's concern for Wan'er. After all, Wan'er was his father's illegitimate daughter with another woman. But because of his mother's insistence, he couldn't bear to refuse her and brought her with him.
As a result, his mother secretly went to meet the guy who indirectly killed Wan'er and told him that he was her child.
He is his mother's illegitimate son, and like Wan'er, he is also a blood relative of his.
It's ridiculous to think about it. His father and mother, who didn't love each other, were forced together by their family to get married and have children. To outsiders, they seemed happy.
What's the result?
They each have their own loves and have their own children with their lovers, but he is the only one who has become the product of a family marriage and a stumbling block that prevents them from achieving true happiness.
How sad.
(End of this chapter)
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