Chapter 10 A Clear Foolishness in His Eyes
After saying goodbye to his good friend, Ji Zishen happily ran towards Ji Zhiqi, a scene of fatherly love and filial piety.
The children were innocent and didn't take it to heart, but they gained a basic understanding of Ji Zishen's family situation and relationships, and they didn't realize that it was a performance deliberately put on for them.
Once they were out of sight, Ji Zishen's smile vanished, and he distanced himself from Ji Zhiqi. "Dad, what were you doing just now?"
Ji Zhi Qiu didn't react for a moment and stared blankly at Ji Zi Shen.
Ji Zishen's eyes crinkled with laughter, his gaze clear and innocent, as if he were truly just a naive and ignorant child. "You looked like you were hitting yourself just now. Did I see that wrong?"
Ji Zhi Qiu: "..."
He coughed awkwardly and looked away.
My guilt had just reached its peak, and I forgot the occasion. I subconsciously slapped myself, thinking no one saw it, but Ji Zishen exposed me in public.
He gave a dry laugh, then quickly came up with a solution: "A mosquito just landed on my face, and I was swatting it."
Ji Zishen asked, "Was he killed?"
Ji Zhi Qiu forced a smile and said, "No, maybe I saw it wrong."
Ji Zishen stopped dwelling on the topic, and Ji Zhiqi finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Neither father nor son spoke as they walked along the secluded path, the setting sun casting long, straight shadows upon them.
Suddenly remembering something, Ji Zhi Qiu handed the paper bag he was holding in his other hand to Ji Zi Shen and said mysteriously, "Let's see what's inside?"
Ji Zishen wasn't interested. He glanced at Ji Zhiqi with a probing look, but he still pretended to widen his eyes in surprise: "Wow, it's..."
He took out a teddy bear doll and was speechless for a moment, his surprise genuine.
After a long while, he finally looked up at Ji Zhi Qiu with an ambiguous expression, his tone filled with disbelief, "This is for me?"
Ji Zhi Qiu smiled and nodded, "I bought it at the mall next door. I specifically picked the cutest one. Do you like it?"
Ji Zishen pursed his lips and gave a genuine smile. "I like it."
Infected by his emotions, Ji Zhi Qiu gently ruffled his hair.
Ji Zishen held the doll, his head slightly lowered. After sensing Ji Zhiqi's movements, from an angle where Ji Zishen couldn't see, the smile on his lips slowly faded, and his eyes revealed a gloom that didn't belong to a child of his age. They were dark and gloomy, without a trace of light.
Ji Zhi Qiu still had something to say, but his phone suddenly rang, distracting him. He gestured to Ji Zi Shen to "wait for him" and went to answer the phone.
As soon as Ji Zhi Qiu turned around, the child behind him raised his head without warning, his gaze fixed on his back.
How did this idiot know he liked dolls, and even bought them for him... What is his purpose?
There was no gratitude in Ji Zishen's eyes, only scrutiny and disgust.
Unfortunately, Ji Zhi Qiu didn't notice this scene. He only felt a chill down his back, as if something was about to poke a hole in it.
He hung up the pointless sales call, turned around to look at Ji Zishen, and saw Ji Zishen happily hugging a teddy bear, rubbing his face against it from time to time, his eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
Seeing such a beautiful scene, Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't help but smile.
Ji Zishen grew up in an orphanage and suffered mistreatment during his most love-starved years. He couldn't sleep at night and was extremely envious of his friends' teddy bears, but no one ever bought one for him. Ji Zishen's personality became twisted, and he decided to steal one but was caught red-handed and severely beaten.
This became a source of inner demons for Ji Zishen.
No matter how precocious he is, he is still just a child. Although the delayed compensation has lost the initial surprise, it is still a comfort, slowly filling the void in Ji Zishen's heart and preventing him from being trapped in a nightmare-like childhood forever.
Initially, he planned to deliver it directly when they met, but considering that Ji Zishen was no ordinary child, he was extremely precocious and shrewd, and he hated adults but couldn't wait to become one.
A mature and steady "adult" wouldn't like cute dolls. If he gave them to Ji Zishen in front of his friends, Ji Zishen would definitely feel embarrassed and wouldn't feel any surprise. He might even hold a grudge against him. That's why he waited until now.
Seeing Ji Zishen's delighted expression, Ji Zhiqi felt that everything she had done had not been in vain.
He got carried away with his pride and came over to try and take Ji Zishen's hand.
Ji Zishen's expression froze, and he almost couldn't continue acting, but looking at Ji Zhiqi's smiling face, he still stiffly reached out his hand and let him hold his hand.
The father and son walked back together, creating a heartwarming scene, but it was actually just Ji Zhi Qiu's wishful thinking.
Although he knew the background, he still underestimated Ji Zishen's cunning.
Ji Zishen hugged the teddy bear and subtly observed Ji Zhiqi along the way. He couldn't see through Ji Zhiqi's fake smile, but he guessed his true purpose.
After having his own son, this foolish man always thought of him as a burden and wanted to send him back to the orphanage.
The welfare home regularly sends people to visit and also investigates the opinions and views of those around them. Ji Zhi Qiu is trying to please him at the last minute, afraid that he might say something unpleasant in front of the welfare home staff.
He personally came to pick them up and even made them carry a doll the whole way; it was all an act for others, creating a false image of a loving father and filial son.
Ji Zishen made up his mind, slowly lowered his eyes, and revealed a mocking smile.
Although he looked down on this fool and never considered him his father, this was the best stepping stone for him. If he returned to the orphanage, he might not be able to find such an easy target again.
He had to stay in this house no matter what.
As if his expression could change, the deep look in his eyes faded, and when he looked up again, he revealed an innocent smile: "Is Sicheng back?"
Ji Zhi Qiu shook her head. "I guess it'll be next week."
Ji Zishen lowered his head again, the smile on his face vanishing instantly.
With Ji Sicheng away, and only these two idiots, one big and one small, at home, things will be much easier.
...
Ji Zhi Qiu returned home with her eldest son and found that the neighbor had already brought Ji Yan Yan back earlier.
Children have limited memories. Ji Zishen had only been gone for a week, but Ji Yanyan didn't recognize him at all. Seeing this somewhat unfamiliar older brother, she had long forgotten Ji Zhiqi's instructions and was about to throw a tantrum.
Seeing things were going badly, Ji Zhi Qiu grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and lifted him up.
Ji Yanyan's feet were off the ground as she struggled unwillingly, crying out, "Put me down, Daddy's so mean, so mean!"
The noise from the unruly child was extremely jarring. Ji Zishen stood there blankly, having long been accustomed to Ji Zhiqi's favoritism and unconditional indulgence.
Unexpectedly, Ji Zhi Qiu scolded Ji Yan Yan fiercely this time, but Ji Yan Yan stopped crying and just pouted and blew a bubble at Ji Zhi Qiu.
Ji Zishen stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe his eyes, keenly sensing that something had quietly changed during the week he was gone.
He frowned slightly, and before he could figure it out, Ji Zhi Qiu turned around without warning, smiled and waved to him, "Don't stand at the door, come sit on the sofa and rest for a while."
Ji Zishen changed his shoes and sat on the sofa with great restraint, as if he were just a guest in someone else's home.
Seeing this scene, Ji Zhi Qiu felt even more guilty, remembering his previous mistreatment. If things continued like this, he would probably wake up in the middle of the night and say, "He is guilty."
He gently touched Ji Zishen's face and said softly, "I made you a new quilt, it's warm from the sun. Go try it on and see if you like it. I'll wash some fruit for you."
Ji Zishen glanced at him, forced a naive smile, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Dad."
Ji Zhi Qiu rubbed his cheek again.
After Ji Zishen went into the bedroom, Ji Zhiqi went to the kitchen to wash fruit and cook. Ji Yanyan ran over like a little calf and bumped into his leg.
Ji Zhi Qiu: "..."
He almost stumbled and fell into the pool in front of him. He quickly held his hand to the counter and turned to glare at Ji Yanyan, "What did you eat? You have so much energy."
Ji Yanyan puffed out his cheeks and tried to bump into Ji Zhi Qiu again, but Ji Zhi Qiu, who was prepared, easily controlled him and pushed the little calf away with just one finger.
"If you keep doing this, I'm going to headbutt you tonight and make you roll around in bed."
Ji Yanyan always lost miserably when playing games with Ji Zhi Qiu, and upon hearing this, she immediately protested, "Be gentle, I'm a baby!"
Ji Zhi Qiu raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Have you forgotten? I'm a baby too."
Ji Yanyan couldn't out-argue Ji Zhi Qiu's clever tongue and was completely speechless, but she was still unconvinced. She made eight micro-expressions in a second, and her mouth was raised high.
Ji Zhi Qiu was charmed by his cuteness and reached out to pinch his mouth. "Are you a little duck? Quack for me."
"I am not a little duck."
"You are the little duck."
"I'm not!"
"You are it!"
Ji Zhi Qiu was practically a little toy to himself. With just a few words, he tricked Ji Yan Yan into squealing twice. His hands didn't stop either; he was trying to make rabbit-shaped apples for the two children.
The kitchen was noisy, and Ji Zhiqi didn't notice that the bedroom door behind him was open a crack. Ji Zishen looked at him deeply through the crack and then sneaked out without disturbing anyone.
He wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood with a sullen face. When he saw his neighbor, an elderly woman, returning from grocery shopping, his eyes lit up with a different kind of light, and he instantly transformed into a wronged little child.
He hunched his shoulders, kept his head down, and occasionally wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, biting his lower lip hard, but the suppressed sobs still drifted into the ears of the old lady next door.
The neighbor, an elderly woman who was always kind and loved children very much, immediately looked over upon hearing the noise, her expression full of worry: "Child, are you alright?"
Ji Zishen looked like a frightened little rabbit, raising his head in alarm and revealing a pair of red eyes that were already swollen from crying.
The elderly neighbor recognized him and exclaimed, "Aren't you the eldest son from next door? What are you doing here all alone? Where's your father? What happened?"
When Ji Zishen realized he had been recognized, he bit his lip helplessly, roughly wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand, and forced a smile. "Grandma, Dad... it was my own choice. I wanted to buy cotton candy for my little brother."
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener, and the elderly neighbor frowned deeply.
Children are the most innocent and naive. Even if they pretend to be strong, they will always accidentally reveal their true emotions.
Coupled with Ji Zishen's trembling, pitiful appearance, which seemed to have been wronged, the neighbor lady, under deliberate guidance, made some connections.
The kind smile on her face could no longer be maintained. She beckoned to Ji Zishen, "Come to Grandma."
Ji Zishen pursed his lips before cautiously walking over.
The neighbor lady felt sorry for him and took out a bag of milk from her bag. "This milk is chocolate flavored. My grandson loves it. You should try some too."
Ji Zishen glanced at him, put his hands behind his back, and shook his head repeatedly, which made the neighbor lady feel even more sorry for him, and she forcibly stuffed the chocolate milk into his hand.
Ji Zishen then hesitantly bit open the packaging, took small sips, and his eyes lit up, clearly indicating that he had never tasted anything good before.
The elderly neighbor witnessed this and pieced together the truth of the matter.
When the people across the street first moved in, she was surprised that Ji Zhi Qiu, at such a young age, actually had three children.
Without needing to inquire, as the two families spent more time together, she inevitably learned that of the three children, only the youngest son was her biological son.
At that moment, her heart sank. She felt that given the composition of this family, there might be a child who would suffer. From their daily interactions, she could see that Ji Zhi Qiu doted on his biological son, spoiling him rotten. Even she couldn't stand it anymore. His two older sons, on the other hand, were very obedient.
But what child is born sensible and obedient? They are probably forced to be well-behaved in order to stay in this family!
It's bad enough that he doesn't receive a father's love, but he's also being forced to take care of his younger brother at such a young age. He's just a child himself!
When the elderly neighbor was at her most agitated, Ji Zishen suddenly stood up and hurriedly walked back.
"Hey, don't be in such a hurry, where are you going?" the neighbor asked anxiously.
Ji Zishen forced a strong expression, "Thank you, Grandma. The chocolate milk is delicious. I want my little brother to try some, and he's waiting for the cotton candy. He'll be very upset if he doesn't get any, and so will Dad..."
He seemed to have thought of something frightening, and an uncontrollable chill ran down his spine.
The elderly neighbor woman, who had initially retained a shred of reason, completely lost it upon witnessing this scene.
She's a person with a conscience; how could she tolerate such a thing happening? She has to meddle in this today.
The elderly neighbor came over and took Ji Zishen's hand. "Don't be afraid, Grandma will go back with you."
Ji Zishen looked bewildered, but nodded his chin and, out of the neighbor's sight, revealed a smug smile.
Ji Zhi Qiu wanted to put on an act to gain a good reputation, so he'll make sure Ji Zhi Qiu's efforts are in vain!
The elderly neighbor angrily led Ji Zishen back home and banged heavily on the door.
Voices could be heard from inside, but they were not clearly heard through the heavy door. After a few seconds, the door opened, and Ji Zhi Qiu was met with the angry look of her neighbor: "Why are you here?"
The elderly neighbor, already prejudiced and blinded by anger, was about to unleash a torrent of abuse when a childish voice interrupted him.
Ji Yanyan came out from the inner room. "Dad, my brother isn't in his room."
Ji Zhi Qiu was most concerned about the children, so she immediately turned her head and said, "How could that be? Isn't your brother resting inside?"
"He's really not here, can I have the little rabbit apple all to myself?"
"No, we have to wait for him." Ji Zhi Qiu gave the neighbor an apologetic look, then turned around anxiously to look for him, when suddenly she saw a corner of clothing behind the neighbor.
The elderly neighbor was also confused and stepped aside, saying, "Didn't you force the child to go out to buy cotton candy for his younger brother?"
Ji Zhi Qiu exclaimed in disbelief, looking at Ji Zi Shen outside the door, "When did you go out? Why didn't you tell me?"
He realized what he meant after he finished speaking: "What cotton candy? You bought it for your little brother? But Yan Yan can't eat candy!"
The neighbor, an elderly woman, had her anger extinguished by the misunderstanding and asked in bewilderment, "What exactly happened? How could you, as the father, not know your child was missing? What were you doing?"
“Zishen went to the experimental base for military training for a week. I was worried he was too tired, so I told him to go back to his room and rest first. I’ve been busy in the kitchen. After I finish cutting the apple, I’ll have Yanyan go and call him…”
Ji Zhi Qiu stared blankly at Ji Zi Shen, "Why are you outside? When did you go out? What cotton candy did you buy?"
The neighbor lady's gaze moved between the two rooms, one large and one small, and finally landed on Ji Zhi Qiu. Ji Zhi Qiu's hands were still wet, dripping water, as if she was in a hurry to open the door and had forgotten to wipe her hands.
His expression was extremely confused, and his eyes revealed a clear naivety, as if he were one of the most innocent and harmless people in the world, with no ill intentions whatsoever.
She realized she had misunderstood. She guessed that Ji Zishen had taken the initiative to come out and buy cotton candy for his younger brother, but had accidentally gotten lost and was afraid of being scolded by Ji Zhiqi, which was why he cried.
Ji Zhi Qiu is so young, yet she has to take care of three children. She was overwhelmed and made this mistake. It's really not easy for her.
The neighbor lady felt a little guilty thinking about her misunderstanding of Ji Zhi Qiu earlier. She patted Ji Zhi Qiu's shoulder with heartache and said, "The three children are still young. It's not easy for you to take care of them all by yourself. If you have any problems, just tell me. I'll definitely help you."
After saying that, she turned her head again, her expression loving but her tone stern: "Zishen, you must tell your father before you go out. Running away on your own can easily lead to trouble and will make your father worry, do you hear me?"
Ji Zishen never expected that everything he had painstakingly built up would be so easily undone by Ji Zhiqi in a single encounter. He gritted his teeth and forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace. "I... I know I was wrong. I will definitely listen to Dad from now on."
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