Chapter 21 The Second Son Returns
Chapter Twenty
As night deepened, the study was dimly lit, with only the desk lamp on.
Lu Yunian took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes to rest, and the light shone on his profile, highlighting the sharp lines of his jaw and the shadow cast by his high nose. The faint weariness between his brows and eyes made his aura sink down.
He was a true workaholic, often working until midnight. No one around him suspected anything, but only Lu Yu Nian knew that he was using his busy work to distract himself and escape the person who had been on his mind all along.
But he still failed.
At the time, the sudden appearance of the strange old man dispelled his doubts, but when he calmed down and thought about it carefully, the child's eyebrows and eyes were almost identical to Ji Zhi Qiu's. There couldn't be such a coincidence in the world, so there was only one possibility left.
Only he was trapped in the past four years. Ji Zhi Qiu had long forgotten that he had gotten married, had children, and had a happy family.
Lu Yunian walked to the window, and under the cover of night, he looked down at the lonely maple tree, his expression somewhat lost in thought.
Since that's the case, it's not appropriate for him to bother them any further.
...
Ji Zhi Qiu, who was capable of giving birth herself, suddenly felt an itch in her nose and couldn't help but sneeze.
Who's talking about him behind his back?
He didn't take it to heart and took the two children out like shepherds herding lambs.
Ji Yanyan was unusually excited, jumping and chattering all the way. Ji Zhi Qiu's head was spinning. In a daze, she thought she was walking a beagle: "Stop barking like that, be quiet."
Ji Yanyan didn't understand and blinked, "Dad, are we going to play 'Swoosh'?"
"..." Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't help but flick him on the forehead. "I've said it so many times, your second brother is coming back, let's go to the bookstore to buy him a gift."
Ji Yanyan was still unwilling to give up, "Does the bookstore have any 'SouSou'?"
Ji Zhi Qiu said expressionlessly, "There's no whooshing sound in the bookstore, but there's a buzzing sound."
What is "buzzing"?
"Let me translate for you, 'Buzzing' means that if Yan Yan doesn't study, she'll become stupid!"
Ji Yanyan's mouth slowly widened and her eyes widened, her worldview shattered at such a young age: "Who is Wengweng? How does he know me?"
“Whoosh is…” Ji Zhi Qiu made up without any guilt, “It’s the God of Books. He can know everything in the world by reading ten thousand books, so of course he knows you. He also knows what bad things you’ve done in private.”
Ji Yanyan was taken aback. After a few seconds of silence, her eyes darted around. "So, does he know that Dad hasn't been to school in a long time?"
"..." This brat is pretty quick-witted.
"How could that be? Actually, I was reading secretly. Reading books in the open doesn't have the same enjoyment."
Ji Yanyan finally realized what was happening, her cheeks puffed out: "Dad, you're lying, there's no such thing as a buzzing sound in the world, right?"
"some."
"No."
"Yes, it's guaranteed."
Ji Zi, standing to the side, took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, and silently distanced herself.
Being silly is contagious; I really don't want to go out with them.
But the moment he moved, Ji Zhi Qiu caught him out of the corner of her eye and reached out her hand to him. Ji Zi Shen had no choice but to obediently take her hand.
The three men, father and sons, bickered and argued until they finally arrived at the bookstore.
Ji Zhi Qiu issued a task: "Each of us must carefully select a gift for Si Cheng."
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Yanyan was about to rush out, but Ji Zhiqi grabbed him by the back of the neck in time. "Yanyan, repeat what I just said."
Ji Yanyan was forced to stop. "We need to buy a gift for our brother."
Ji Zhi Qiu smiled and said, "Does Yan Yan know the meaning of the gift?"
This was a bit too advanced for a three-year-old. Ji Yanyan tilted her head and mumbled something, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"This is a gift for Sicheng. Choose something he likes, not something you like. Don't bring back a stack of storybooks."
Ji Yanyan had learned her lesson and grabbed Ji Zishen's arm, saying, "I'll pick some with my brother."
Ji Zhi Qiu had complete faith in Ji Zi Shen, so he let the two brothers act on their own.
After they parted, Ji Yanyan still remembered Ji Zhiqi's words, but her feet moved on their own and she ran to the children's area in a few steps.
He tilted his head back, his eyes shining as he looked at the whole row of fairy tale books, and pulled one out.
He really liked the frog on the cover; he held it up and rubbed his face against it, practically drooling.
“I want…” he said three words, then suddenly stopped, his little face scrunched up with distress.
It seems that Sicheng doesn't like this kind of book; only he likes it.
Ji Zishen was silent for two seconds before walking to his side. "It's okay, I'll buy it for you."
Ji Yanyan's eyes lit up immediately, but then she remembered something and frowned slightly: "But Dad..."
Ji Zishen remained expressionless, but his words carried an air of dominance: "It's alright, I have money."
Long Aotian found it hard to resist such an aura. Ji Yanyan stared blankly for a few seconds before her eyes lit up unusually. She stuck out her buttocks, and an invisible tail behind her spun wildly. She leaned forward, her face almost touching Ji Zishen's body. "Brother, teach me. I want to do that too."
Ji Zishen glanced at him and said coldly, "There's nothing I can do, you can't learn it."
Ji Yanyan bit her lip, looking unconvinced.
“Dad said it himself, this money belongs to me, and I can decide what to buy. You don’t have that right.” Ji Zishen’s tail unconsciously twitched up.
Ji Yanyan blinked, her lips pouting even higher, "Daddy's being unfair! Why won't Daddy give it to me!"
Ji Zishen was stunned when he heard this.
Ji Yanyan was previously pampered like a little emperor. The reason he experienced this difference in treatment was because Ji Zhi Qiu treated everyone equally.
He had sensed Ji Zhi Qiu's changes before, but never before had he had such a clear understanding of them.
He didn't want to leave this family before because he thought Ji Zhi Qiu was a stupid person who could be easily manipulated and used, but now there are some reasons that he doesn't dare to think about or admit.
Ji Zishen was silent for two seconds, then said seriously, "Thank you for not mentioning me before. This is my way of thanking you and making amends. Could you please not mention this to Dad again in the future?"
Ji Yanyan let out a drawn-out "Ah," and a big question mark appeared above her head.
Ji Zishen's expression was somewhat unnatural, and he stammered, "It was because of what I said to you before that you went out to find your stepfather, but you didn't mention me when your father asked you why."
Ji Yanyan rested her chin on her hand and thought seriously for a while, then chuckled foolishly, "I forgot."
Ji Zishen: "..." No wonder they are father and son, they really look alike.
He sighed, feeling that if they continued talking, he would go crazy, so he abruptly ended the conversation, saying, "Anyway, as long as you keep the secret, I'll buy you this book."
Ji Yanyan immediately hugged the book and jumped up happily, "Thank you, brother!"
"You haven't agreed to me yet."
"I ate so much sugar that my mouth was sealed shut."
Ji Zishen couldn't understand these strange words at all, so he said, "I'll take it as you agreeing. Let's go pick out a gift for Sicheng."
Ji Yanyan followed behind like a little tail, very excited. She would blink her watery eyes and stare at the books around her for a long time with curiosity.
Ji Zishen glanced at it and said with little interest, "He doesn't like this kind of thing."
Which one does Brother Sicheng like?
Ji Zishen tried to use language he could understand, "It's the kind of thing that you think looks really boring, has an ugly cover, and is so thick that you can't carry it."
Ji Yanyan's little face scrunched up. "How strange, why does Brother Sicheng like this kind of gift?"
The sense of superiority of a person is greatly amplified when they are compared to others. Ji Zishen affectionately patted his little head, "Because you are an idiot."
Ji Yanyan was fuming.
With his brother's help, he finally picked out a gift, and the three of them met at the cashier.
Ji Zhi Qiu had initially given up hope for her mentally challenged son, but when she saw the books in the shopping cart, her eyes widened slightly. "How did Yan Yan know that her brother likes to read these kinds of books?"
After he finished speaking, he saw that Ji Zishen, who was standing aside with his achievements hidden, suddenly understood. He gently stroked his two sons' hair and felt inexplicably gratified: "Alright, let's go pay the bill."
Ji Zhi Qiu placed the book on the checkout counter and noticed the children's book at the bottom of the shopping cart. "Didn't I say..."
Ji Yanyan interrupted him, her little expression smug and fearless, saying, "Brother, buy it for me."
Ji Zishen nodded.
Ji Zhi Qiu had always been aware of the true nature of his relationship with his eldest son. The fact that Ji Zi Shen would take the initiative to care for his younger brother suggested that there were probably some shady deals going on behind the scenes.
But he had already promised Ji Zishen that he had a secret treasury and that he had no right to interfere.
Ji Zhi Qiu placed the fairy tale book at the front and turned to the cashier, saying, "Let's pay separately."
The cashier listened in a daze, looking at the father and son with a strange relationship, and first helped the small-statured Ji Zishen pay the bill.
Although Ji Zishen is young, he is meticulous in his work and has no problems communicating; he is as mature as an adult.
The cashier was somewhat surprised, thinking that her parents had taught her very well. She already had a preconceived notion about Ji Zhi Qiu, and when she saw the books in the shopping cart, her admiration almost overflowed: "Wow, you're amazing! You can understand these books."
Looking at the cover full of strange symbols, Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly recalled the terrifying years when mathematics dominated him, and his smile became very forced.
The cashier said sincerely, "You have to take care of two children and still find time to study. It must be really tough."
Ji Zhiqi forced a smile and said, "You're never too old to learn."
Inspired, the cashier earnestly inquired, "What is this theorem called?"
Ji Zhi Qiu looked in the direction she pointed and was instantly dumbfounded.
Inventing some mind-boggling theorems is already quite an achievement, so why give them such obscure names? He probably doesn't know them either.
The cashier cast a questioning look at me.
Ji Zhi Qiu smiled.
The cashier looked puzzled.
Ji Zhi Qiu smiled.
Excuse me, the lights here are too bright, I've suddenly gone deaf.
Once all the books were packed into the bag, he practically fled with his two little ones by the hand.
Fortunately, he was quick. Just as he reached the door, Ji Yanyan, who had been rolling her eyes the whole time, finally realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Auntie, Dad can't read!"
Fortunately, the distance was far enough that the cashier didn't hear it.
Ji Zhi Qiu looked at his eldest son and snorted coldly, "What a disloyal son."
After buying the gifts, they took a car home and prepared dinner in advance, wanting to give their second son, who hadn't been home for a long time, a proper welcome.
Of his three good sons, only his youngest son was his biological son; his eldest son was adopted and had previously lived a life of hardship and dependence on others; and his second son was also a child with a tragic fate.
The parents suffered an accident and spent half a month in the hospital before passing away, leaving their son, who was not yet six years old, to face this cruel world alone.
My mother has many relatives, while my father only has Ji Zhi Qiu, a distant relative.
Ji Zhi Qiu eventually became the guardian and received a large sum of compensation, but her mother's relatives were still relentless and would occasionally find opportunities to take Ji Si Cheng away.
This family is awful. They favor sons over daughters. They almost cut off all ties while the person was alive, but became very close to them after they passed away. They don't even care about their daughter who grew up with them, let alone this adopted grandson.
He used to be clueless, thinking that Ji Zishen was a burden who had taken away his own son, and he cooperated with those awful relatives to let them take Ji Sicheng away.
Fortunately, Ji Sicheng was very clever and had planned everything in advance. He was unyielding to both soft and hard tactics, which is how he managed to keep the compensation money left to him by his parents.
This time, the awful relatives took Ji Sicheng away for a month and tried to brainwash him day and night, but they still couldn't soften Ji Sicheng's attitude in the slightest. Finally, they couldn't stand it anymore and revealed their true colors, sending the child back.
The meeting is about to take place, and to be honest, Ji Zhi Qiu is a little nervous.
He was already overwhelmed by the precocious Ji Zishen alone; if another child prodigy came along, he could already foresee the chaotic scene that would ensue.
Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't help but sigh. Suddenly, he felt his legs go weak. He opened his eyes and saw Ji Yan Yan looking up at him with her cute face and big, watery eyes. "Yan Yan, blow on it for Daddy. If you're unhappy, it will fly away."
Ji Zhi Qiu was incredibly soft-hearted and pinched his cheek.
Forgot about this unruly child who's sometimes good and sometimes bad; triple the burden, he's truly a poor, miserable father.
But instead of getting caught up in negative emotions, he became inexplicably excited and even started a live stream.
The villainous family has finally reunited, a scene comparable to the gathering of the seven major sects at Bright Peak. How could we not record it?
"Hello everyone, my second son will be back soon."
The fans who were about to greet the speaker were stunned by the amount of information conveyed in just a dozen or so words.
[Second son?!]
When did you get a second son? Did you originally have three sons?
[You wicked orange-headed devil, confess! How many sons do you actually have?!]
Ji Zhi Qiu paused for a few seconds, then tried to bluff his way out: "Yi, did I forget to tell everyone before?"
The screen was filled with accusations, feeling that Ji Zhi Qiu didn't treat them like family and had even forgotten to mention something important.
Ji Zhi Qiu could only awkwardly smile and wait until everyone had vented their emotions before saying, "One reason for the live stream is to make money, there's nothing I can't say. The other reason is that I want to record my family's daily life. After all, children grow up very quickly, and in the blink of an eye they're all grown up. I also want to leave something for them."
He was so moved that he looked expectantly at the doorway, as if this wasn't a gathering of villains, but a heartwarming scene of father and son reuniting.
A knock came at the door. Ji Zishen glanced at Ji Zhiqi with mixed feelings before opening the door.
A little boy with rosy lips and white teeth walked in. He was very cute, and his first impression was no different from other children his age.
But when he looked at her a second time, Ji Zhi Qiu was stunned.
Ji Sicheng carried a backpack on his back that was bigger than his upper body. It was bulging and probably full of books. Despite his young age, he wasn't wearing glasses, but he was wearing a plaid shirt, which perfectly fit the stereotype of an IT guy.
He remained calm and unresponsive to his surroundings, seemingly only interested in intellectual pursuits.
Ji Zhi Qiu wanted to greet him warmly, but the words suddenly wouldn't come out. He felt that doing so would be childish.
"Sicheng, welcome back." Ji Zhiqi gave a dry laugh and pushed the stack of books behind him forward. "These are gifts we bought for you."
Ji Sicheng had no interest in stupid people whose thinking and intelligence couldn't keep up with his, but when he saw the book, his expression paused, his eyes inexplicably lit up, and he walked straight over.
The fans in the live stream were also taken aback by this scene.
The second son has such a strong presence.
[Suddenly reminded of my supervisor. After reading my paper, he stared at me with that same look, asking if I was even human, since I couldn't speak a single human word. *crying emoji*]
[The evil orange-headed guy's genes mutated; how could he give birth to such a child?]
Ji Zhi Qiu's feelings were somewhat complicated. She was just thinking about how to communicate with her son in a way that conveyed the aura of a genius when her attention was interrupted.
"Dad, where did my brother go before?"
Ji Zhi Qiu looked at Ji Yan Yan's innocent face, wanting to say something but holding back.
Children can't understand the complexities of the adult world; they're just curious. But if he reveals the real reason, it will hurt Ji Sicheng.
"My brother went out to play." Ji Zhi Qiu found an answer that Ji Yan Yan could understand, but she didn't expect that she would make things worse.
Ji Yanyan stood there, stunned, feeling as if the whole world had abandoned him.
His older brother has school to take him out to play, and his second older brother has also been out playing for a long time. Only he and his father are at home, so they can't go out to play every day!
He was heartbroken and upset. Why could his two older brothers play this game, but he couldn't?!
Her eyes gradually turned red from the heat, and her eyes filled with tears. Ji Yanyan pouted, tilted her head back, and started wailing at the top of her lungs: "Ahhhhh, Daddy's so mean! You let my two older brothers play, but you won't let me!"
Children's voices are naturally high-pitched, and Ji Zhi Qiu, being so close, felt a dull ache in her eardrums.
He squatted down, trying to coax the little boy, "Big brother's activity is organized by the school. When you go to school, you can experience it too. Second brother's play is different from what you imagine. Look, his schoolbag is full of books. Do you want to play like that too?"
Ji Yanyan kept waving his little hands to keep Ji Zhi Qiu away. After being comforted, he became even more energetic, as if he was sure that Ji Zhi Qiu would coax him.
Ji Sicheng and Ji Zishen were also affected. Ji Sicheng looked at this familiar scene, but his expression did not change at all.
He had long been used to Ji Zhi Qiu's favoritism. Ji Zhi Qiu would not discipline Ji Yan Yan when he threw a tantrum, but would only continue to indulge him, and might even make him apologize in the end.
Noticing the fleeting emotion in Ji Sicheng's eyes, Ji Zishen remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "He's different now."
In this house, the only person he could barely communicate with was Ji Zishen. Ji Sicheng looked at him with puzzlement, asking with his eyes.
Ji Zishen hesitated for a moment, then simply said, "See for yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Zhi Qiu seemed to respond by sighing, closing his eyes, and sitting cross-legged on the ground without any burden.
"Waaaaah, I want to go out and have fun too! Why do I have to take care of three kids?! I want freedom, I want to go out and have fun, I want to be away from home every day!!"
Ji Zhi Qiu slapped her thigh, too lazy to even squeeze out tears, her fake crying devoid of any soul. She even imitated Ji Yan Yan, flailing her arms and kicking her legs haphazardly, looking like a magnified version of a brat.
He was much bigger than Ji Yanyan, and his wild thrashing was quite frightening. Ji Yanyan had long forgotten to cry and took several steps back to avoid being affected.
Children often act recklessly because they feel invincible, but when adults use the same methods on them, they feel they have lost their support and become much more obedient.
Ji Yanyan blinked, her face still wet with tears, but she showed no sign of crying.
That's right, Dad hasn't gone out to play either. He has to wash his face, cook for him, and put him to bed.
Ji Yanyan was convinced by this logic. She looked at her father, who was flailing around, with a complicated expression. She rubbed her aching ears and tried to take a step forward: "Dad, don't cry, my ears hurt."
Ji Zhi Qiu pouted, mimicking his previous sullen manner, "Why can't I cry? You haven't apologized to me yet!"
Ji Yanyan imitated her father, holding a tissue and standing on tiptoe to try to wipe the tears off his face, but her little hand suddenly stopped. "Daddy, why aren't you crying?"
Ji Zhi Qiu: "..." Uh.
He made no attempt to hide it, dipping his finger in water and wiping it on his face. "Isn't this it? How come you didn't see it earlier?"
Although Ji Yanyan was only three years old, she was not so easily fooled: "Daddy, Diudiu."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Ji Zhi Qiu's face as she tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Anyway, I didn't go out to play. I'm sad."
Ji Yanyan could only try her best to comfort him, "Dad, don't be sad. Yanyan will play with you, okay?"
The two people standing to the side witnessed everything. Ji Zishen turned to look at his younger brother and said, "Now you understand, right?"
Ji Zhi Qiu has changed. She is no longer as biased as before, indulging her own son without any regard for others.
Ji Sicheng seemed to have the same thought as him, nodding very slowly, his lips trembling slightly.
Ji Zishen understood his shock; after all, he had only become convinced of Ji Zhiqi's change after repeated confirmation: "You..."
He had barely uttered a word when Ji Sicheng suddenly turned around, his expression one of utter shock, but his voice was incredibly forceful: "Has he gone mad? Should he be sent to a mental hospital?"
Ji Zishen: "..."
Viewers in the live stream: "..."
[Such filial piety! It's truly heartbreaking.]
[One's acting all tough, the other wants to send him to a mental hospital. I just want to know, will he still be able to stream after receiving treatment? (doge emoji)]
Kid, let me tell you, the adult world is just this crazy.
If it were me, I'd act even more enthusiastically than him, and howl even louder.
[As expected of the evil orange-headed family, I can already imagine the chaotic daily life that's about to unfold.]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com