"He probably will," Ye Jingzhe murmured, the words escaping him.
Si Mingjing looked down, curiously asking the child, "What will?"
Ye Jingzhe, however, did not respond. He adopted a reticent deanor, unwilling to let others pry into his thoughts.
Si Lisao had taught him that to beco a formidable person, one must first learn to hide one’s emotions. Otherwise, if people could easily see through him, he wouldn’t be able to command respect or effectively manage situations.
Si Mingjing reached out, ruffling his hair with a tender gesture. "How did you and Little Shurong beco such good pals? Your personalities are completely opposite."
Ye Jingzhe remained silent.
Mo Yinhe said, "Maybe it’s because their characters complent each other. One loves to be boisterous, the other loves quietude. Such contrasting personalities either clash like fire and water, or they cherish each other dearly."
Si Mingjing pondered for a mont and found this convincing. With Little Shurong’s temperant, if he were to et soone with a similar personality, they likely wouldn’t get along.
"Will he return to the Mu Continent?" Ye Jingzhe asked, his small brows furrowed. He missed the rambunctious Gu Shurong; life without him was dull and monotonous.
Si Mingjing lifted Ye Jingzhe into her arms. "Do you want him to co back?"
Ye Jingzhe’s little ears instantly reddened. Feeling embarrassed, he kept a straight face. "Auntie, I can walk by myself."
"You’re only five years old. Aren’t you tired after walking so much? Let Auntie carry you for a while. What’s there to be shy about?"
Si Mingjing held Ye Jingzhe in her embrace, noticing how his body was stiff and tense, clearly uncomfortable.
She smiled, pinching his nose. "Don’t be nervous. Or would you rather Uncle carry you?"
Si Mingjing passed Ye Jingzhe to Mo Yinhe. He effortlessly held the child with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Si Mingjing, shielding her carefully from the bustling crowd on the pedestrian street. He exuded the imposing air of a patriarch, keeping his wife and child thoroughly protected.
In Mo Yinhe’s arms, Ye Jingzhe felt this scene was very beautiful.
He used to envy his classmates whose fathers would carry them with one hand while embracing their mothers with the other. Though envious, Ye Jingzhe never deigned to show it.
Now he too experienced that feeling. Although the couple before him were not his parents, he felt this birthday was free of burdens and guilt. It was relaxed, and he cherished it all the more, wishing this pedestrian street could continue endlessly, with no end.
This feeling was so different from celebrating birthdays with his grandmother and aunt. Having birthdays with them brought guilt; he feared they would be reminded of his deceased father and feel sorrowful.
Ye Jingzhe was a considerate child, especially adept at understanding others’ feelings.
Thus, he did not celebrate his birthdays.
If his grandmother and aunt insisted on celebrating, he would put on a sullen face and feign annoyance.
"Jingzhe, would you like so cotton candy?"
Si Mingjing spotted a cotton candy stall on the roadside. Xiaobai particularly enjoyed it and would always pester her to buy so when they went shopping.
But Ye Jingzhe rely glanced at it with disdain, his youthful voice cold and aloof. "No! Childish!"
"It’s normal for kids to be a bit childish. Let Auntie buy you one."
At the cotton candy stall, several children stood pointing at the different shapes of cotton candy, tugging on their parents’ sleeves, eager to buy one.
Si Mingjing then asked Ye Jingzhe, "Do you like the rabbit, the tiger, or the little kitty shape?"
Ye Jingzhe didn’t like any of them; they were too childish and didn’t suit his temperant.
Mo Yinhe then said, "Get him a little kitty one."
Si Mingjing paid with a facial scan and asked the vendor to make a little kitty cotton candy. When it was ready, she handed it to Ye Jingzhe. "Take it. Have a taste."
Ye Jingzhe refused to take it, so Si Mingjing brought the cotton candy to his lips. "Co on, take a bite."
Ye Jingzhe was exasperated. Enduring the sensation of the sticky cotton candy brushing against his face, he took a reluctant bite. His dark eyes unexpectedly brightened for a mont, but he quickly concealed it.
Si Mingjing, with her keen observation, noticed. "Here, take it. It’s already bought, and it would truly be childish to let your Uncle and Auntie eat it."
Ye Jingzhe found a perfect excuse for himself. He grabbed the cotton candy stick firmly and said, "Fine. We can’t waste food."
His small voice sounded as if he were reluctantly obliging.
Si Mingjing had already figured out Ye Jingzhe’s ’mouth says no, heart says yes’ personality. She just smiled without saying anything and exchanged a knowing look with Mo Yinhe. Both of them started laughing.
The evening light fell on Si Mingjing’s smile, lending a drunken shimr to the starlight in her eyes, a fleeting mont of beauty that captivated Mo Yinhe.
He said, "Mingjing, you’re really beautiful."
Si Mingjing rolled her eyes. Why did he suddenly bring that up?
Seeing her roll her eyes with such spirit, Mo Yinhe couldn’t help but laugh. "It seems this kid takes after you." They both have that ’mouth says no, heart says yes’ way about them, he thought.
Si Mingjing paused, understanding the implication behind Mo Yinhe’s words. She didn’t argue but replied, "Of course I’m beautiful. Otherwise, how could I keep you thinking about ?"
The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked, taking Ye Jingzhe along for a stroll down the entire pedestrian street.
When they reached the end of the pedestrian street and were about to exit the waterproof barrier, Mo Yinhe called Fengjue to bring the submarine over.
They boarded the submarine and took Ye Jingzhe ho.
When they arrived at the Hua Family estate, Old Madam Hua ca out in person to greet them.
"Miss Si, you’re very thoughtful."
"Old Madam, I’ve grown very fond of this child."
Si Mingjing handed over the birthday gift she had prepared for Ye Jingzhe. "Auntie spent the whole afternoon picking this out. Even if you don’t like it, you can’t throw it away, okay?"
Ye Jingzhe took the shopping bag. Standing beside Old Madam Hua, he pressed his thin lips together and said, "I like it."
He didn’t yet know what gift was inside the bag. Would he really like it if he knew?
Si Mingjing smiled. She was looking forward to the mont the child would open the gift box, though sadly, she wouldn’t be there to see it.
After returning the child to the Hua Family, Si Mingjing bid farewell to Old Madam Hua.
"Where to?" Mo Yinhe asked her, then glanced at the ti. "It’s only half past eight. Want to watch a movie?"
"Are there any good movies showing?"
Mo Yinhe wasn’t sure. He opened a mobile app and let her choose.
Si Mingjing picked one with the highest rating, and they went to the cinema to spend the rest of their evening.
After Si Mingjing and Mo Yinhe left, Ye Jingzhe, the Little Bingshan, returned to his bedroom.
Having taken a bath, Hua Jinse heard her nephew was back and went to see the child.
Today was Jingzhe’s birthday. As his aunt, she hadn’t prepared a gift for him, nor had she arranged a birthday banquet. Instead, an outsider had taken him out to eat. Hua Jinse felt this was her negligence, and a wave of guilt washed over her.
However, she had originally thought her little nephew utterly despised celebrating his birthday...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Hua Jinse knocked twice on the door. It wasn’t locked and creaked open a crack.
Hua Jinse pushed the door open and walked in, calling out to her nephew, "Jingzhe."
Ye Jingzhe was sitting on the bed, staring at a brightly colored, cheerful-looking hoodie lying on the blanket. Its most conspicuous feature was the hood, adorned with two bunny ears.
"Did Miss Si give this to you?"
Ye Jingzhe frowned slightly and nodded.
Hua Jinse sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled. "Miss Si put a lot of thought into this. You should treasure it. The clothes you usually wear are too drab. This outfit Miss Si picked makes you look more like a child. You could try it on."
"I don’t like it." The Little Bingshan, true to his nature of denying what he secretly wanted, stared at the adorable bunny ears, his frown deepening. He stated flatly, "That’s sothing Gu Shurong would like."
Hua Jinse deliberately asked, "Then shall I return it to Miss Si?"
Ye Jingzhe hugged the hoodie and headed towards the dressing room, saying, "Fortunately, my dressing room is large."
Even if I don’t like it, it won’t be a problem to store it in the dressing room, he thought.
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