Xu Zhengxi still remembers what Xu Zhe looked like when she first met him.
Her small face was washed clean, but the slightly waxy complexion remained.
Grandpa Xu said the child was pitiful and had suffered a lot in the welfare home. He said that once the child entered the Xu family, he would definitely make sure the child would enjoy a better life.
Then, she excitedly pulled Xu Zhengxi aside and started naming the child.
"How is Xu Jixiang? May he have good fortune and all his wishes fulfilled."
"......"
"Or 'Ji Fu'? It sounds better than 'Ji Xiang'."
"You think 'Ji Fu' sounds better than 'Ji Xiang'?" Xu Zhengxi pinched his brow. "Grandpa, I'm truly impressed."
"Isn't 'Jifu' a good name?!" Old Master Xu was troubled.
"That's called, 'Noble Manifestation'? It reflects a noble and auspicious nature, which also suits this child's destiny."
Xu Zhengxi: "..." He was truly speechless. Each one sounded worse than the last, not even as auspicious as Jixiang!
"Let's call him Xu Zhe, the Zhe from the two 'Ji' characters." He glanced at the child sitting on the sofa, thin and timid.
Xu Zhengxi originally didn't want to get involved in her grandfather's superstitious affairs, but seeing how pitiful the child was, she couldn't bear to watch her grandfather give her a common name.
Grandpa Xu pondered the name a few times, then burst into laughter and clapped his hands loudly: "Excellent! Zhengxi is the best choice!"
"Little girl, your name is Xu Zhe. From now on, I am your grandfather." Old Master Xu said, waving his hand to let the little girl come over.
The little girl was obedient and walked to Grandpa Xu's side.
"This is your brother." Old Master Xu pulled her closer to Xu Zhengxi.
Her doe-like almond-shaped eyes glanced at Xu Zhengxi before quickly looking away.
"Xu Zhe." Xu Zhengxi called out to her first. The little girl was too well-behaved and too shy, which made him soften his attitude.
Xu Zhe turned his gaze away, then his eyes flickered back.
"elder brother."
Her adorable, childlike voice inexplicably instilled in Xu Zhengxi a sense of responsibility, making him want to protect this little sister who was as fragile as a kitten.
The boy's lips curled into a slight smile as he extended a benevolent gesture to the little girl, hoping to ease her anxiety. He also noticed two children's faces partially visible near the pillar by the hall's entrance.
Xu Jinheng and Xu Jinhan are illegitimate children who entered the family on the same day as Xu Zhe.
After choosing a name and recognizing the person, Old Master Xu called over Butler Zhou and instructed him to transfer Xu Zhe's household registration to the servants' household registration book. Then, he told Butler Zhou to take the person away.
"Grandpa, why don't you transfer Xu Zhe's household registration to the Xu family?" Xu Zhengxi didn't understand. Since she was adopted, why put her on the servants' household registration book?
Grandpa Xu picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"The Xu family is large and powerful, so it's not good to add people casually, lest it cause any property disputes in the future."
Xu Zhengxi listened to his grandfather's considerations and felt that he was being overly cautious. Besides, if they adopted the child, he would be entitled to a share of the Xu family's property in the future.
He wanted to say a few words in Xu Zhe's defense, but then he noticed that the two faces that had been hiding by the hall door were gone.
After thinking about it for a moment and realizing something was wrong, Xu Zhengxi said goodbye to his grandfather and walked towards the corridor outside the hall.
Before even seeing them, Xu Zhengxi heard the girl's shrill shouts. He quickened his pace, turned a corner, and saw the two illegitimate children and Xu Zhe sitting on the ground.
"A stinking beggar with no parents!"
"Instead of staying at the welfare home, you come to our house to beg for food!"
"Poor and stingy!"
"Disgusting!"
"shameless!"
Xu Jinhan stood with her hands on her hips, cursing at Xu Zhe, whom she had pushed to the ground.
The child had a limited vocabulary, yet she still managed to utter the most offensive words she knew.
This was her first day moving to her father's house with her mother and brother. Her grandfather avoided them, and her older brother gave them no friendly treatment whatsoever.
The beggar from the orphanage was surrounded by her grandfather and older brother, who put a lot of effort into giving her a name!
So as soon as Xu Jinhan saw her alone, she rushed over to teach this stinky beggar a lesson!
Xu Zhengxi strode forward, shoving aside the two illegitimate children, and knelt down in front of Xu Zhe, reaching out to help her up.
Upon seeing her elder brother, Xu Jinhan immediately shut her mouth and dared not utter a sound. Xu Jinheng was also extremely nervous. His elder brother was tall, cold, and imposing without even being angry. Let alone provoking him, they usually tread carefully even when breathing in his presence.
"Xiao Zhe, does it hurt?" Xu Zhengxi tugged at her arm and looked down at her calf. Luckily, it wasn't injured.
Xu Zhe said weakly, "It doesn't hurt."
The broad back paused for a moment, then he slowly stood up.
Xu Zhengxi stood beside Xu Zhe; the little child's head only reached his waist. He placed one hand on her shoulder and gently patted it twice.
"Push back whoever pushed you."
Xu Zhe's eyes widened immediately. Push it back? She couldn't help but look at Xu Jinhan, that aggressive girl who was glaring at her fiercely.
Xu Zhe lowered her head, her fingers curling up as she dug into her palm. Push it back? She didn't dare.
"What's wrong?" Xu Zhengxi looked down and saw that the child beside him dared not take a step forward, but instead dug hard at his own hands. His heart felt like it had been hit by something, both dull and painful.
He bent slightly, reached out and took Xu Zhe's small hand, separated her fingertips from her palm, and gently blew on the bloodstains on her small palm.
"When others hurt you, all you should do is fight back, not hurt yourself." His tone was gentle, but his words were full of power.
"Do you understand?"
Xu Zhe didn't quite understand, but he still obediently nodded.
Xu Zhengxi looked into her eyes: "This time, your brother is here, so I'll help you fight back. Next time, remember to push it back yourself, okay?"
Xu Zhe nodded obediently.
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