Chapter 29
Jin Xi and Bo Yan walked out of IKEA and ran into a family walking towards them, leaving Jin Xi montarily stunned.
It was her father, Jin Mao.
Jin Mao was in his mid to late forties now, with a sowhat portly figure not nearly as tall as Shen Shishan and nowhere near as burly either, as evidenced by the statures of both their children. Jin Xi had inherited her petite fra from her dad while Shen Ping Chuan was tall and robust.
Jin Mao ca from humble beginnings and had done tough labor jobs. In his youth he actually had decent physique and so muscles, full of vigor. But now that he was a businessman making good money, he had assud the airs of a boss and gotten fat. Once a person gets obese, even the most refined features lose their definition.
Naturally by Jin Mao's side was his current wife, the young mistress he had an affair with all those years ago when she was his assistant.
The assistant was much younger than Jin Xi's mom, alluring and beautiful, with the soft charm of a delicate woman. Jin Xi's mom from a scholarly family always carried herself with an air of sophistication, naturally lacking the allure of temptresses on the outside for a married man like Jin Mao.
The young mistress also had their six year old son in tow.
This picture perfect family running into them left Jin Xi at a loss. She had wanted to just lower her head and hurry past them if they didn't notice her, but Jin Mao saw her—
"Little Xi."
Jin Xi had no choice but to stiffly greet: "Dad."
She then turned to the young mistress and called: "Aunt Jiang."
"Sister Jin Xi!"
The little boy was adorably chubby. He let go of his mom's hand and grabbed Jin Xi's shirt hem.
Jin Xi rubbed his fat little head and smiled: "Little Bao, you've gotten chubbier again! You need to exercise more, understand?"
"I understand."
Aunt Jiang had a hypocritical smile: "You see, the little prince listens to no one in the family, but he promises as soon as Jin Xi says it."
Jin Mao took the opportunity to tell Jin Xi: "You should co ho more when you're free. Little Bao misses playing with you too. Spend more ti together to build your bond, he's your little brother after all."
Jin Xi nodded and flatly replied: "I'll co back for Little Bao's birthday."
After Jin Xi and Bo Yan left, Aunt Jiang said to Jin Mao: "I must say, Jin Xi's boyfriend is quite handso."
"Hmph, dating a boyfriend without even telling , this daughter is clearly distancing herself from ."
Aunt Jiang pushed Little Bao towards him. "But this is your real son!"
**
Jin Xi quickened her pace, hurriedly leaving Building A. The cold wind was biting. She pulled her coat collar tight.
Although Bo Yan didn't ask, he had also clearly witnessed the earlier situation.
Even though they were words to placate a child, Aunt Jiang had subtly singled out Jin Xi, planting the seed in the child's mind from young that "Sister is an outsider"...
Jin Xi was visibly unhappy.
"Senpai will buy you ice cream."
"Oh..."
Without waiting for Jin Xi's reply, Bo Yan took her hand and led her into the H?agen-Dazs shop right across.
He ordered a super large ice cream set, with scoops of blueberry, vanilla, matcha and chocolate, sprinkled with Oreos and chocolate chips. A circle of freshly baked crispy waffle cones with hot aroma surrounded them.
Seeing such a huge serving, Jin Xi exclaid: "Senpai! This must be so expensive!"
"Yup, super expensive."
"Then let's split it."
Bo Yan scooped so ice cream and sared it on her lips. "Split my a*s."
"Hey! I haven't taken photos yet, don't touch it!" Jin Xi used a napkin to wipe the cream off her lips and took out her phone to snap pictures of the ice cream from all angles, adding beautiful filters and fra stickers.
Bo Yan was a little helpless.
For girls like her, eating didn't seem to be the priority, taking pictures and editing them ca first.
"Can we eat now?"
"Wait."
"I wanna eat."
"Almost done."
"It's lting."
"Okay okay."
Jin Xi declared success: "You can eat now."
He picked up a spoon, scooped so chocolate and blueberry ice cream, and brought it to her lips: "Open up."
"I get the first bite!" Jin Xi looked up at him, black eyes brimming with laughter as she obediently opened her mouth.
But the spoon rely circled her lips before being fed into Bo Yan's own mouth instead.
She shoved him. "Tease."
Bo Yan laughed. "That's for focusing on pictures instead."
Jin Xi scooped a huge spoonful for herself. The cream lted on her tongue, the rich chocolate paired with the sour-sweet blueberry, so good without friends!
She smiled happily and pulled Bo Yan's sleeve. "Try this flavor with this one, so yummy! Have a taste, Senpai!"
Bo Yan also scooped a spoonful into his mouth.
"Delicious right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Blissfully happy."
Bo Yan also felt blissfully happy, clothes shopping with her, IKEA with her, sharing an ice cream with her.
These sweet sensations gathered in his heart, drop by drop...all happiness.
The two fought over the ice cream until it was completely devoured. Bo Yan realized for desserts with this girl, he could no longer order small sizes, had to get the largest size or there definitely wouldn't be enough to eat.
"Senpai, next ti we gotta order double ice cream."
"Sure."
Jin Xi licked her lips regretfully.
He suddenly said: "Don't move."
Jin Xi imdiately froze. Her dark eyes lowered to see his long, beautiful fingers land at the corner of her mouth, lightly dabbing once. A crumb of waffle cone leapt onto his fingertips.
Then, before Jin Xi's very eyes, he popped that piece of waffle cone into his own mouth!
Jin Xi: ...
Don't be like that. If you still want more I can order you another serving, Senpai.
The two shopped until nightfall before Bo Yan brought Jin Xi ho.
Jin Xi's condo community had strict security that didn't allow strangers to freely enter and exit.
At the iron gates, Bo Yan ruffled her hair and solemnly said: "Daughter, thank you for shopping with Daddy today."
"Who's your daughter." Jin Xi brushed his hand aside. "I still rember you teasing
in the fitting room."
"I didn't tease you."
Jin Xi lowered her voice. "You're...sotis really nice, sotis really annoying."
Recalling the fitting room incident, her face flushed slightly, looking especially alluring in the hazy moonlight.
Bo Yan licked his dry lips and called out: "I haven't kissed many girls before."
She raised her head, obsidian eyes gazing at him.
"I've never kissed a girl, not one."
A light breeze gently swept by. Jin Xi lowered her head, her ears starting to burn.
"Oh~"
Why explain.
Shen Ping Chuan, who had just gone downstairs to get a food delivery, happened to overhear Bo Yan's words. Seeing the shy reactions of these two, it seed like so sort of confession was taking place.
He walked over, grabbed Jin Xi and headed inside, waving Bo Yan away—
"Buddy, no date! We don't date!"
Jin Xi kept looking back at Bo Yan. He smiled at her.
She gazed up at the moon, so beautiful rising above the trees.
**
It was little brother Jin Xiao Bao's birthday on the twenty ninth.
The thirtieth was New Year's Eve. According to Jin Mao's wishes, it was best if Jin Xi also stayed over for New Year's Eve.
After all he was her real dad. The two Shen n had no blood relation to her whatsoever, what right did they have to keep her at the Shens' for New Year's.
Shen Shishan naturally disagreed. He had raised Jin Xi like his own daughter, he certainly wouldn't tolerate others snatching his daughter away.
For this matter, Shen Shishan personally called Jin Mao.
Jin Mao referred to Jin Xi as "that old Shen man's daughter" to her face, yet on the call he still respectfully addressed him: "Mr. Shen."
anwhile Shen Shishan's address for Jin Mao was "Old Jin".
The vast disparity in status between the two n could be glimpsed from these forms of address alone.
Jin Mao was a self-made boss who had struggled step by step to get where he was today. Although business had been good these years, his assets couldn't compare to the accumulation of generational wealth by the Shens. Simply put one was nouveau riche and the other true nobility.
The gap between Jin Mao and Shen Shishan's standing spanned class divides.
"Old Jin, Xi Xi has always spent New Year's with us. Our relatives don't visit often and want to see the child on New Year's Eve, so I don't agree to letting her go to your place."
Jin Mao patiently said: "Mr. Shen, Xi Xi has always been at your place previous years, but this year our elders miss the child. I'm also trying to fulfill the old folks' wishes, so let her co over this year."
"The elderly have your son accompanying them. Our ho only has Xi Xi to liven things up. To be honest, without her it just wouldn't feel like New Year's. That's settled then, this matter is decided."
"Aiyaya...Mr. Shen, why don't we discuss again and let Xi Xi co back on the first day of the lunar new year?"
"Are you discussing business with , old Jin? No way. Ah, Xi is our Shen family's child, already registered in our household, she must spend the new year with us Shens, that's it, just like this."
Jin Xi and Shen Ping Chuan, the brother and sister, crouched next to Shen Shishan, listening in on the phone call.
Shen Ping Chuan said in a low voice: "President Shen really lives up to his na, even family chats have an overwhelming aura of business negotiation."
Jin Xi nodded in agreent, her own dad didn't have Shen Shishan's imposing manner.
The final negotiation resulted in Jin Xi going to celebrate her younger brother Jin Xiao Bao's birthday on the 29th. She would stay overnight at the Jins' that day, and early on the 30th Jin Mao would drive the child back to the Shens.
Before leaving, Shen Ping Chuan packed spare clothes and a thermos in Jin Xi's schoolbag, and exhorted her, "Don't suffer losses, bring out that sharp tongue and fists like when dealing with . Scold if you should scold, swing your fists if you should swing fists, don't beco timid like a mouse and let others push you around as soon as you get there."
Jin Xi was a bit of a spitfire, and only dared to take a swing at Shen Ping Chuan. With others, she didn't have the guts.
"Actually my dad is pretty good to
too."
Shen Ping Chuan snorted: "He's only good to you now that you're a bit older. Did he pay any attention to you when you were little?"
Jin Xi was silent.
Shen Shishan drove her over. Shen Ping Chuan went along too. The two n were both worried, and Jin Xi repeatedly assured them she wouldn't suffer losses.
The Jins' mansion was located in a luxury villa complex on the riverside, renovated extravagantly and magnificently. The furnishings were all quality solid wood, tasteful, with the ostentatious air characteristic of the newly rich. In contrast, the Shens' ho was much more low key. Since there were few family mbers, they lived in a garden townhouse apartnt complex, and couldn't compare to the Jins' ostentatious mansion in terms of grandeur. However, to Jin Xi it felt much more warm and cozy.
Jin Mao and Auntie Jiang brought Jin Xi into the house. The birthday boy Jin Xiao Bao rushed out holding a Transforrs model: "Sister Jin Xi is here! Xiao Bao is super happy today!"
Auntie Jiang patted Jin Xiao Bao's back: "Xiao Bao, show your sister to a seat, she's a guest, you need to act like the host."
"Sister, sit!" Jin Xiao Bao brought over a small stool for Jin Xi.
"Thank you, Xiao Bao."
Jin Xi looked around the huge mansion. The decor was basically unchanged from her childhood mories.
Just that over ti, the owners of the ho had changed, and she had beco a guest.
Jin Xi gave her gift to Jin Xiao Bao. Auntie Jiang politely thanked her, and had the servant take the gift away.
Jin Xiao Bao took Jin Xi's hand: "Sister, I have a VR ga room! Dad specially built it for . I'll take you to see!"
Jin Xi followed Jin Xiao Bao upstairs. Jin Mao called for them to stop: "It's ti to eat, what are you looking at the ga room for."
"Oh, just let the kids play around. Don't fuss," said Auntie Jiang with a smile. "Xi Xi rarely cos back. Let the children play to their hearts' content today."
Jin Xiao Bao led Jin Xi upstairs.
The VR ga room was very spacious, with full body motion simulator ga consoles, all top of the line gaming devices.
Jin Xi's attention wasn't on the ga consoles. She looked around the ga room - this was the bedroom she had lived in as a child. Now it had been renovated into Jin Xiao Bao's ga room.
Jin Xiao Bao pulled Jin Xi's hand, wanting to play gas together.
Her father Jin Mao felt guilty, and snatched Jin Xiao Bao out of the ga room, bluntly saying: "What gas, it's ti to eat."
Seeing Jin Xi looking glum, Auntie Jiang ca over to explain: "Xi Xi, don't mind. Your dad figured since you don't live here anymore, it was a waste for the room to be empty, so he renovated it into Xiao Bao's ga room."
On the surface, this was ant to comfort her, but really, every sentence was barbed, ant to make clear to her that she no longer had any place in this household.
Jin Xi's expression remained unhappy all day. Even when she smiled, it seed forced.
Jin Mao had heard from Shen Shishan that she was usually a happy kid at the Shens'. How co as soon as she returned ho, she beca constrained and silent?
After the birthday dinner, the grandparents gave red packets to send off the little birthday boy.
"Wishing our Xiao Bao good health and happiness as he grows up."
Jin Mao noticed that after the elders had given out red packets, they were only for Xiao Bao, and none for Jin Xi. Thinking they had forgotten, he smilingly reminded: "Mom and dad, what about Xi Xi's red packet?"
The elders gently coughed and didn't reply.
According to the elders, only the boys in the family got red packets, girls didn't get them.
Auntie Jiang had a smile on her face. Jin Mao was clearly a little embarrassed.
After the al, he secretly pulled Jin Xi out to the balcony and gave her a fat red packet, telling her to quickly hide it and not let the grandparents or Auntie Jiang see.
The packet was thick, and Jin Xi could guess that the amount was not small.
But she had been spoiled by the Shens while growing up. The Shens followed the principle of "poorly raising sons and richly raising daughters
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