As the old saying goes, one shouldn't criticize a dead person no matter what. Life is the most noble thing.
Mu Jingzhe also felt regretful. After all, Chubby Boy was still young, and his life had just begun. That said, she couldn't shoulder all the blame just because she felt guilty and sorry for him.
How old was Shao Xi? He was only half of Chubby Boy's age. He was also very pitiful.
From the standpoint of a parent, how was this fair to Shao Xi, who might be traumatized by all of this?
"Little Xi, don't think too much. Don't think too much." At that moment, Mu Jingzhe only wanted to protect Shao Xi.
When Shao Xi finally calmed down, they heard someone shout that the child's mother had arrived.
Someone who knew Chubby Boy had gone to inform his mother.
Chubby Boy's mother ran a shop just across the street, so she wasn't far away. She rushed over in no time.
Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi met the chubby mother they had come across in the morning again. In contrast to her ferociousness in the morning, right now, the chubby mother's face was filled with panic and disbelief.
"It can't be my Chubby Boy. No, he just went to collect some folk songs. It's not him…"
She kept denying it until she saw the body and his familiar clothes. Her legs gave way, and she fell to her knees.
The person supporting her wasn't able to pull her up no matter how hard he tried.
"No, no… Mommy only chided you a little. How can you just leave me like that!" She lay on the ground, unable to stand up. Later on, she only managed to make her way over by crawling.
"Please, everyone, help me take a look. Help me save him…" She wailed, her voice shrill.
The surrounding onlookers couldn't bear to watch and turned their heads away. The two people standing beside Mu Jingzhe whispered.
"That's why she shouldn't have hit and scolded the child all the time. She even said that he'd be useless if he didn't win first place and he should just die."
Mu Jingzhe was appalled. She and Shao Xi had seen Chubby Boy get scolded, but they hadn't known that she used to say such awful things to him.
From their intermittent conversation, Mu Jingzhe had learned that Chubby Boy had been single-handedly raised by his mother. His father had passed away when he was very young.
He had been a writer and poet whose books had even been published. He used to be a famous scholar.
Chubby Boy had been talented from a young age. His mother had placed great importance on grooming him, but she had been too strict with him. No matter the competition he participated in, he had to win first place. Otherwise, he would be scolded or beaten up.
Chubby Boy had been forced into a corner, and everyone had tried to persuade the mother, but to no avail. His mother had always said that this was the only way to become successful.
In the end, Chubby Boy hadn't been able to take it anymore and had chosen to resolve this in the worst way possible, by killing himself, just as his mother had told him to.
As a mother, how could she accept that she had forced her own child to his death? In the end, she fainted from crying. The people around her helped call the police and take care of the funeral arrangements.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Xi's pale face and knew that she couldn't help, so she brought him away.
Mu Jingzhe, who was in a hurry to leave, didn't even look in the direction she was going. She was going in a completely different direction from the guesthouse. It was Ji Buwang who later led them back.
"Don't think too much." Ji Buwang comforted her. "We can only hope that something like this won't happen again in the future."
That chubby mother's educational methods weren't desirable, and neither was Chubby Boy's method. No matter what, one ought to cherish one's life.
Ji Buwang tried to comfort Shao Xi, but the latter didn't say a word. At his tender age, there was only so much he could endure.
Mu Jingzhe had originally planned on going back, but after what had happened, it was a little difficult for them to go back right away. She roused herself and said, "Give him some alone time and let him rest." She needed some time to calm down herself.
"Mm, I'll be next door. Call me if anything happens. Don't think too much."
Shao Xi lay on the bed obediently, but he didn't dare close his eyes. The moment he did, he felt as if he could see Chubby Boy crashing to the ground in front of him again.
Mu Jingzhe, who was experiencing the same thing, told Shao Xi, "When his work is published, let's buy a copy, alright? From now on, we'll burn paper money for him this time of the year. If there are any good pieces, we'll burn them for him too so he can read them over there."
Shao Xi finally responded. "Okay."
With Chubby Boy gone, the one in the most pain would definitely be the chubby mother he had left behind. She would probably feel guilty for the rest of her life. Mu Jingzhe's heart was heavy.
Unexpectedly, right after Mu Jingzhe expressed her sympathy, the chubby mother came to their door at night.
"Shao Xi, are you inside? Get the hell out here!"
Now that such a thing had happened, it was unavoidable that the organizer of the competition would step in. The chubby mother had accused them of being unfair, which had resulted in the death of her son, and later on, she'd somehow managed to get hold of Shao Xi's address.
"It's all your fault. Get out here. I'm going to kill you today to get revenge for my son's life!"
It turned out that she was there to avenge Chubby Boy. Ignoring the owner's obstruction, she had brought a pair of scissors to the door and she was pounding on it.
The owner wanted to stop her, but the chubby mother held the scissors to her neck.
"If you continue to stop me, I'll die in front of you. If I can't even avenge my son, I don't want to live anymore. What's the point of me living?"
The owner was forced to retreat, and Mu Jingzhe, who was inside, frowned.
"Don't be afraid, it's fine." Mu Jingzhe comforted Shao Xi. She didn't understand what was going on in this person's mind. Why would she think of looking for Shao Xi?
However, the chubby mother had found an outlet to vent her anger. "Open the door, Shao Xi. Don't think that just because you're keeping quiet I won't know you're in there. You are the one who caused Chubby Boy's death, yet you still have the nerve to live!"
Ji Buwang came out to stop her. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? What does this have to do with Shao Xi!"
"How is it not related to him? If he hadn't gotten first place, my Chubby Boy wouldn't have died. Shao Xi even provoked him and scolded him. He's the one who forced my Chubby Boy to his death."
Shao Xi's face, which had finally eased up, turned pale. He was already blaming himself to begin with, so when he heard this, he was even more convinced that it was his fault.
Mu Jingzhe was furious. "Little Xi, stay there and don't move."
She gritted her teeth and opened the door. "Bah! You're accusing my Little Xi of causing your child's death? It was clearly you who caused the death of your son!"
Initially, Mu Jingzhe really didn't want to say this because it was too agitating for a mother to hear. However, this time, she was really furious.
She pitied this mother, but in the end, she wanted to pin the blame on Shao Xi. Those who didn't know better might think that it was true!
"Don't think that outsiders don't know. I've already heard about it. You're the one who kept scolding your son and forcing him to do this. You're the one who told him to die if he didn't get first place. You know very well why your son died.
"I used to pity you, but it turns out that you don't even know how to reflect. All you know is how to blame others. What kind of mother does this?!"
Mu Jingzhe gritted her teeth. "No wonder he wanted to leave. You were the one who forced him to do that. It's all because he had a mother like you!"
It hadn't been easy for the chubby mother to make up an excuse to absolve herself of the blame and find a scapegoat, but in the end, Mu Jingzhe ruthlessly exposed the truth. How could she take it?
"Shut up, shut up!" She shrieked and waved the scissors over. Her eyes were red and filled with hatred, as though she wanted to kill Mu Jingzhe.
Be careful." Ji Buwang immediately tried to stop her.
"It's fine." Mu Jingzhe's eyes turned cold. She blocked the door with the broom, seized the scissors, and pinned the chubby mother to the ground.
The chubby mother couldn't move. "Let go of me!"
"Are you awake now? If you're awake and you stop biting people, I'll let go of you!"
Seeing that the chubby mother couldn't calm down for a while, Mu Jingzhe asked Ji Buwang to call the police.
In the end, the chubby mother was taken away by the police. In her situation, Mu Jingzhe definitely could have pursued the matter.
However, when she thought of the cause of it, she decided to forget it in the end. She only hoped that the woman wouldn't cause them trouble again in the future.
Shao Xi had been looking pale all this while, so Mu Jingzhe comforted him. "It's not your fault. She just feels terrible, so she has to find an excuse. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to live with herself."
Mu Jingzhe thought that this matter was finally over, but she didn't expect that the trouble was far from over.
Not long after the chubby mother was taken away, there was another knock on the door. This time, it was the police. "Are you Mu Jingzhe?"
"That's me. Is there anything else?"
"He's Shao Xi, right? I might have to trouble you to come with us to cooperate with the investigation."
"Why do you need them to cooperate with the investigation?" Ji Buwang asked in dissatisfaction.
"You'll know when we get there."
When they arrived at the police station, they found out that the chubby mother had accused Shao Xi of pushing her son.
Although the police was skeptical, this wasn't something to joke about. After hearing such an important clue, they had come to inquire about it.
Mu Jingzhe was speechless when she heard the accusation. "When he fell down, we were right below and saw him fall with our own eyes. Shao Xi was also with us the entire time. How could he possibly have run up there and pushed someone?
"She's deliberately framing Shao Xi. She's taking her anger out on him!"
At the time, there had been many people at the scene, so there were many witnesses. Soon, the chubby mother's accusation was proven to be pure slander.
When the investigation was over, Mu Jingzhe was about to leave with Shao Xi, but the chubby mother refused to give up.
"What are you doing? Why are you letting the culprit leave? Hurry up and arrest him. Give him the death sentence! My son was killed by him. How can you let him go!
"Did you collude with her? Did she bribe you? Listen to me, if you dare let them go today, I'll sue you for collusion and inaction!"
The police felt helpless after meeting such a lunatic. They explained a few times, but she wouldn't hear any of it.
"I said he killed him, and that is it. I saw it with my own eyes. He's my son's murderer. If you don't lock him up, they'll escape tonight. If you people can't find him after he flees, let's see who's going to take responsibility!"
Mu Jingzhe looked at her and knew that she had gone completely crazy. Her stubbornness was beyond redemption.
"Let's go." Mu Jingzhe wrapped her arms around Shao Xi's shoulders and got ready to leave. Unexpectedly, she heard something and sensed that something was amiss a second later.
She turned around and saw that the chubby mother had freed herself from the police officer's hold on her and pounced on Shao Xi with red eyes.
"I'll kill you!" Mu Jingzhe's expression changed as she swiftly grabbed Shao Xi.
The chubby mother missed. When she turned around, she was stopped by Ji Buwang.
Ji Buwang hadn't expected her to attack Shao Xi mercilessly. The chubby mother screamed repeatedly.
The few policemen around were also furious. They went forward and grabbed the chubby mother again. This time, they didn't show any mercy to her out of compassion.
"Stop it. Don't think that we'll keep tolerating you just because you're the victim's mother."
"Let go of me! Get out of the way! If you don't do anything, I'll do it myself. I want to kill him. I want him to pay with his life!"
A deranged expression appeared on the chubby mother's face. She glared at Shao Xi with red eyes filled with killing intent, like a demon from hell.
Shao Xi's face turned pale, and his body trembled.
Mu Jingzhe hugged Shao Xi and said, "Don't look, Little Xi. Don't look at her. She's already gone crazy."
She was very pitiful now that her son had died, but she shouldn't have blamed Shao Xi for it.
The evil and despicable side of human nature had been thoroughly revealed in front of Shao Xi in just one day. Mu Jingzhe covered Shao Xi's ears to prevent him from hearing all this. She looked at the chubby mother, who was still screaming, and then at the policemen beside her.
"I want to file a police report!"
The police officer beside her was stunned. "What? You… want to file a police report?"
"What? I can't file a police report just because she's pitiful? She slandered us first and now she's attacking and threatening us. Everything happened right under your noses. Aren't you going to do something about this?"
"We will. We didn't say we wouldn't do anything. It's just—"
"It's just what? She's already crazy, so she can do anything. If you still don't do anything about it, will you wait for another victim to appear? When that time comes, who will pay for it with their life?"
The chubby mother's crazy actions and her attack on Shao Xi had completely angered Mu Jingzhe.
Pity wasn't a medallion for death exemption. Right now, she only wanted to protect Shao Xi.
No one could refute Mu Jingzhe's words. Everyone had seen many people go crazy because of accidents or other reasons. This mother was indeed capable of doing anything.
In order to ensure Shao Xi's safety and make the chubby mother calm down completely, the police decided to keep an eye on her. This was also for her own good.
Amidst the chubby mother's indignant screams, Mu Jingzhe left the police station with Shao Xi and Ji Buwang.
"She's already gone crazy. Little Xi, don't listen to her."
"Yes, Little Xi. She's just spouting nonsense. She's in hell herself, so she wants to drag you to hell too. If you listen to her, you'll be playing right into her hands. Pay no heed to what she says." Ji Buwang also tried to advise Shao Xi.
This reasoning was reasonable, but to Shao Xi, this was still too heavy a burden. Fortunately, Mu Jingzhe was beside him.
Shao Xi held Mu Jingzhe's hand and, feeling the warmth of her body, he nodded.
He couldn't let his mother worry either. He didn't want her eyes to be filled with worry.
Although Shao Xi tried his best to be calm, it was impossible for him to sleep well after going through so much.
Mu Jingzhe didn't turn off the light and stayed with Shao Xi. Only after midnight did Shao Xi fall asleep.
However, after he fell asleep, he had a nightmare, and so did Mu Jingzhe. She had a nightmare too.
Before dawn, Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Xi's open eyes and sighed.
These five children's fates were really bumpy. To think they would even encounter such a thing at a competition. It was as if the heavens were deliberately testing them to make things difficult for them.
Mu Jingzhe said a lot to comfort Shao Xi, and in the end, she brought up the topic of the meaning of writing.
"Things like this happen in the world. That's why you need someone to write about them to warn the world, right? So you're not wrong, Little Xi."
Shao Xi's eyes lit up. He had genuinely found a reason to write. "That's right. Why didn't I think of that? Can I write more in the future so that parents and students can read about this and not do anything foolish?"
"Yes, that's right." Mu Jingzhe immediately nodded in support. It was good that he had found an aim.
Just now, she had been afraid that Shao Xi would be traumatized and afraid of writing due to this incident.
"Got it. I'll write more in the future."
"Alright, I support you!" Mu Jingzhe clenched her fists.
Mu Jingzhe hadn't expected that Shao Xi's future would take a turn at this point.
Shao Xi had many marvelous ideas, but his experiences in his previous life had made him full of criticism and rejection for this society and world.
The protagonists in his works were very charismatic, but they had both a kind side and an evil side. There were characters in his novels who were entirely good.
Because of this, although he became world-famous and many people knew him, his reputation was a mix of praise and criticism, and there were plenty of controversies about his work.
Moreover, he did things based on his mood, which was similar to his work. Many people said that there was something wrong with his character.
This was also why a lot of people said that although his work was very widespread, it wasn't considered a masterpiece. But now, Shao Xi's path had taken another turn because of Mu Jingzhe.
In his previous life, Shao Xi hadn't submitted his work to take part in competitions at this point. His essays had also been criticized by Zhang Fei and deemed worthless by the latter. They had been in despair in their previous lifetime by now.
This time, he had submitted his work and written quite a lot. Furthermore, because of this matter, he had a new goal.
This change was undoubtedly good for his future.
However, the current Shao Xi, who had a goal, was still troubled by the competition.
Although the original reason for the competition was good and the goal was just as good, the competition had become a fuse in the end.
Shao Xi hesitated for a moment before telling Mu Jingzhe, "Mom, are competitions bad? Should I not compete in the future?"
Mu Jingzhe said helplessly, "There's nothing wrong with competitions per se. Many people gain confidence by taking part in competitions, as they give them a chance to prove themselves. This is a good thing, but some people don't fare well in competitions."
Although she said that, Mu Jingzhe didn't force Shao Xi. "If you really think it's bad, then you shall not compete for the next year, alright?"
Shao Xi immediately nodded. "Alright."
After packing up, Mu Jingzhe took Shao Xi out and saw Ji Buwang at the door.
Judging by Ji Buwang's bloodshot eyes, he probably hadn't slept well either. "You're up too? Why didn't you knock?"
Ji Buwang smiled. "I was just about to knock."
Actually, Ji Buwang had been at the door the entire night, guarding them.
He wanted to be able to hear them if they called for him. Also, he feared that the chubby mother would show up again.
He thought that by keeping watch, he would be able to stop her immediately. Fortunately, nothing had happened.
Ji Buwang didn't say much. Instead, he said, "Wash up first. I'll go buy breakfast."
After breakfast, Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe's expression. "Do you want to go out for a walk and play in the park today?"
He wanted them to relax and get rid of any bad luck. "I heard that there's an amusement park in the park now. There is also a carousel."
A carousel? Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Xi. "Do you want to go?"
Shao Xi wasn't really in the mood, but he knew that he couldn't stay like this, so he nodded. "Alright."
They went in the morning, so there weren't many people, but there were quite a few. After all, it was cooler in the mornings during the summer.
After they walked for a while, their moods brightened up considerably. There weren't many facilities in the amusement park. When Mu Jingzhe saw the slide, she quickly asked Shao Xi to play.
Shao Xi looked and shook his head awkwardly. "I think I'll pass."
The children playing on the slide were all younger than him, and there were also many girls. He didn't want to go.
They didn't play on the slide, and after that, they reached the seesaw. There was no cushion on the seesaw, but it was still very popular. Two or three children sat together to play, and some adults played with them.
Mu Jingzhe's butt hurt when she saw that, but when she saw that there seemed to be interest in the depths of Shao Xi's eyes and the people on the seesaw had just left, she asked testingly, "Little Xi, do you want to play?"
Shao Xi: "If you play with me, I'll play."
However, Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi didn't weigh the same, so Ji Buwang thought of a solution. "You guys sit on one side. I'll sit on the other side."
Fine.
Although the seesaw was simple, it was actually quite fun. It was just that all that jolting was really painful.
Finally, they reached the most important highlight of the new amusement park that had just been constructed this year—the carousel.
In the morning, there was already a queue. Many adults were sitting together with children in their arms. It was very lively.
"Little Xi, go ride the carousel too. Let's bring Little Bei and the rest next time so that all five of you can ride the carousel. You can try it first today."
In the end, Shao Xi was still a child. He had loosened up a bit after playing on the seesaw, so he nodded. "Mommy, are you coming too?"
"You can go ahead without me." Most of the adults who rode the carousel with their children were those with extremely young children. Shao Xi was old enough.
"Alright." Shao Xi nodded.
Next to them was a child who had just ridden the carousel and was pestering her mother to let her ride it again. She burst into tears when she saw how generous Mu Jingzhe was and threatened her mother, saying that if she refused to let her ride it again, she would become Mu Jingzhe's child.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Seeing the parent's angry and amused gaze, Mu Jingzhe smiled awkwardly, indicating that this wasn't her fault.
Mu Jingzhe glanced at the little girl a few more times but didn't see Shao Xi's vigilant gaze.
Shao Xi was really afraid that someone would come to snatch Mu Jingzhe again. Thus, when Mu Jingzhe wasn't paying attention, he glared at the little girl.
The little girl was stunned by his stare and didn't dare say anything in the end. She was afraid that if she continued, that older brother would hit her.
She understood the look in that older brother's eyes. She also hated it when others came to snatch her mother away.
Amid this commotion, the haze in his heart dissipated.
When Shao Xi got on the carousel, Mu Jingzhe saw that although his face was tense, his eyes were shining. Judging from his expression, Mu Jingzhe knew that he liked it and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Ji Buwang." While all these things had happened, he had been by their side.
"Little Xi and I are much better now. You don't have to accompany me this afternoon. You should go home."
Ji Buwang shook his head. "I'm not specifically not going home because I'm watching over you guys. I just don't really want to go back."
Mu Jingzhe gave him a questioning look.
Ji Buwang: "Jingzhe, I actually have a secret that I might never be able to tell my loved ones. Can I tell you?"
Mu Jingzhe was conflicted. "Is it a big secret?"
According to her experience, when it came to secrets, the less one knew, the better off one was, especially when it came to the secrets of the rich.
Ji Buwang watched her expression, reading all her emotions. He then laughed. "Don't be afraid. It's not a big secret. It's just… something that bothers me. It's not really a big secret."
Mu Jingzhe adjusted her expression. "Alright, go ahead."
Adults would always feel a lot of pain and pressure in their hearts. However, oftentimes, when there was something they couldn't speak about to their friends or colleagues or anyone they knew, they would yearn to have someone to confide in.
She had been through this before, so she decided to just act as his garbage disposal today.
Ji Buwang had been accompanying them for the past two days, so she had to give him some positive energy.
Ji Buwang wanted to speak but didn't seem to know how to say it. "How should I put it? I think we have to start from my birth. My family background is quite good."
"Yes, yes, I can tell." How could he have so many musical instruments at home or developed such a disposition with a poor background?
"In the eyes of ordinary people, the members of rich families tend to compete against each other, but our family is actually fine. Our relatives are quite close too.
"Unfortunately, time is really a cruel thing, especially during the four years I was unconscious."
Mu Jingzhe's attention was piqued. She swallowed and asked carefully, "Have you been stripped of your power?"
Had everything changed after he'd woken up four years later? Was everything no longer his?
"Yes and no, but that's not what I'm talking about." Ji Buwang's words were shocking. "I've actually always retained awareness in the past four years."
You had awareness during those four years? Weren't you unconscious?"
"My body was in a coma, but I've actually always had awareness."
This was the real reason why Ji Buwang had been here and hadn't returned to his position. He had actually known about the news of his older brother's passing long ago.
Those were his moments of greatest despair. He had clearly been awake, but he had been forcefully trapped in his body.
He had always had awareness but had been unable to move. He had been incomparably clear-headed while appearing to be in a state of ignorance. In the four years he had been unconscious, he had experienced and seen many things.
At first, everyone had been heartbroken and had often come to visit him. Gradually, because he had little hope of waking up, fewer and fewer people had come. Everything around him had kept changing, and only Grandpa had been constantly there.
He'd watched coldly from the sidelines, feeling the changes in everyone while listening. He had felt that everything was the same, but people had changed, and the world was cold.
Actually, compared to other people, his situation was much better. There were no arguments over the medical fees, nor were there any shocking schemes against him. However, due to this accident, the successor naturally had to change.
Everything was logical and reasonable, but when he faced the truth that was revealed in front of him, he still felt disappointed, frustrated, and desperate.
Therefore, after waking up, he hadn't contacted anyone or let Uncle Li tell anyone about his condition.
It wasn't that he hated them. He just needed some time.
His secret about retaining awareness all this while had been destined not to be shared with anyone, including his grandfather.
He had originally planned on not saying anything for the rest of his life, but at that moment, Ji Buwang wanted to tell Mu Jingzhe about it.
Mu Jingzhe sighed in her heart when she heard that. To be honest, she felt quite upset when she heard it. Just thinking about Ji Buwang's accident made her go crazy, yet he'd still managed to pull through.
"It's good that you didn't say anything, but if you feel aggrieved, you can say so," she finally said dryly.
"I feel much better after telling you." Ji Buwang smiled. "How is it? Do you feel better after hearing my sad story?"
"Mm?"
"I heard that if you don't know how to comfort someone when they're sad, you can compete with them over who's been more miserable. It works better than any words of comfort."
Ji Buwang sighed. "I really don't know how to comfort you, so I'll just compete with you in terms of misery. Did it help you at all?"
Mu Jingzhe laughed. "It worked. Thank you. To think you're competing with me to see who's more miserable."
Ji Buwang smiled. "To show my good intentions, I'll treat you and Shao Xi to a movie."
"I should be the one thanking you for your good intentions. Since that should be me, how can I let you treat us to a movie?"
"You can treat me then," Ji Buwang immediately added.
"Sure." Mu Jingzhe agreed readily. After she agreed, something suddenly occurred to her.
It seemed that in this day and age, a man and a woman who weren't related to each other only watched movies together on blind dates or if they were dating, right?
To avoid thinking too much, Mu Jingzhe asked hesitantly, "Is it appropriate for us to go to a movie together? Would it be bad if your family saw us?"
Last time, their housekeeper, Uncle Li, had stared at her strangely. Mu Jingzhe was really afraid that the Ji Family would misunderstand their relationship and then pay her to leave Ji Buwang.
Ah, if that happened, she would really take that money.
Stop! Mu Jingzhe snapped out of her thoughts and heard Ji Buwang say, "It's fine if they see us."
"That's true. We'll just be watching a movie."
"Not really." Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe and paused for a moment before saying, "At least, I will not. I do want to pursue you. Can't you tell?"
For this reason, he had specifically asked around if there had been any changes in the way a man pursued a woman in the past four years.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but let out a cry. "Are you joking?" This time, she didn't want to fall prey to wishful thinking again. In the end, he had confessed?
"No." Ji Buwang straightened his face. "I'm serious, Mu Jingzhe. I do have designs on you. I want to pursue you."
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
This was her first confession since her arrival. At this very special moment, the confession had even come from a high-quality man like Ji Buwang.
She should have been thrilled, but she was only dazed. How had they reached the topic of him having designs on her?
Wasn't this jumping the gun a little? How had they gotten to this topic?
Ji Buwang could roughly guess what she was thinking based on her expression. "You don't have to be afraid, nor do you have to think too much. I'm sincere. If you ask, I'll tell you my thoughts honestly.
"Since you know now, I hope you can look at me more often in the future to see if I'm someone worth entrusting your happiness with."
Ji Buwang had already made his intentions clear. Mu Jingzhe probably thought that he'd only chosen her because he could see her.
He couldn't deny this. The reason he was thinking of marrying her was indeed because he could see Mu Jingzhe.
He hadn't planned on getting married originally because he didn't want to be unable to see his other half's face and find her or have his child be like this too.
What was the simplest, most normal thing to an ordinary person was a luxury to him. However, now that he had Mu Jingzhe, who he could see clearly, he wasn't afraid anymore.
Mu Jingzhe was special to him, but it was also because this person was Mu Jingzhe that he had such thoughts.
"After all this time together, I think we get along well. I'm always looking forward to seeing you, and it's not just because I want to see your face… So please, do consider it seriously."
Mu Jingzhe was embarrassed. "Thank you for your honesty, but… I have no plans to get married for the time being. I just want to raise the children for now."
"I can raise them with you." Ji Buwang didn't think that this was a problem.
"Raise them with me?" Mu Jingzhe was surprised.
"Yes, you don't need to worry about that. I won't interfere too much. I'll just share some of your burden. If you need my help, I can help too." Ji Buwang nodded.
A dubious look appeared on Mu Jingzhe's face. Could a rich family be like this? Or was it because they were rich that they didn't mind spending a bit of money to raise a few children?
Ji Buwang observed her expression. "You don't have to be nervous or feel pressured. You can interact with me however you want in the future. You've just left a good impression on me."
Ji Buwang emphasized his next words. "Don't hide from me because of this, Mu Jingzhe. Just consider it taking pity on me. Don't hide from me, understand? No matter what, show me your face."
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
What was this? Why would she show him her face no matter what?
Mu Jingzhe felt conflicted. As she was at a loss for words, she heard Shao Xi's unhappy voice. "What are you looking at?"
"Little Xi, you're back." Mu Jingzhe snapped out of her reverie.
"Mm, what were you talking about? You were talking really attentively." Shao Xi's face was full of suspicion. At first, his mother had waved at him like the other mothers.
He had initially been very happy, but soon, although he had no idea what Teacher Ji had told Mu Jingzhe, he had managed to attract her attention completely. She had stopped looking at him. Shao Xi had called her twice but hadn't been able to attract her attention again.
Mu Jingzhe had carried him up to the carousel and helped him sit down. When it was over, he'd waited for a long time but Mu Jingzhe hadn't come. He'd had to get down by himself.
Shao Xi even suspected that they wouldn't have known if he had run away. Shao Xi was a little angry as he gazed at the two of them probingly.
Mu Jingzhe and Ji Buwang: "…"
Surely they couldn't tell Little Xi that he had just confessed his interest in her!
Mu Jingzhe quickly said, "We weren't talking about anything. Was it fun? Do you want to play again?"
"No." Go play again and give him another chance to be alone with Mommy? Shao Xi wasn't stupid.
After glancing at Ji Buwang vigilantly, Shao Xi squeezed himself between the two of them and took Mu Jingzhe's hand, pointing at the lake in front of them.
"Mommy, let's go row a boat."
Although Brother had said that he shouldn't stop his mother from getting married and having children, and he didn't intend to stop her from doing so either, he really couldn't bear for his mother to get married and have children so soon.
Their happy times together had been too short. So short that he would occasionally wake up at night and think it was a dream.
He wouldn't force anything else. He just wanted this dream to go on a bit longer for him to truly feel this happiness. After he truly felt it, even if his mother got married and stopped loving them so much later, he would be able to remember this blissful feeling and memories.
Shao Xi held Mu Jingzhe's hand tightly and suggested rowing the boat together, actively creating blissful memories.
No matter how much time passed, he could always remember this day, when he and his mother had rowed a boat in the park.
It was rare for Shao Xi to propose doing something, so how could Mu Jingzhe not agree? "Alright, let's row the boat."
Ji Buwang watched as Shao Xi pulled Mu Jingzhe away, then rubbed his nose and followed them.
Although he couldn't see Shao Xi's expression, he could sense the little boy's hostility toward him.
Well, among the five children, except for Xiao Wu, who was very compatible with him, the other four were a little hostile to him and treated him as the bad guy who was trying to steal their mommy.
Although… the kids' intuition was indeed pretty accurate. He did seem guilty of doing that now.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't let go of the five children. If he really wanted to have a good ending with her, he couldn't ignore the children.
He was actually rather fond of these five kids, so after he'd realized he had feelings for her, he had considered this problem. Previously, he had even asked other parents what it was like raising children.
Although he'd received different answers, some saying it was easy and some saying it was hard, he didn't plan on giving up just like that.
The problem was the children's attitude toward him. Apart from Xiao Wu, how could he make the others accept him as their stepfather?
On the first day that he made his intentions clear, Ji Buwang inexplicably felt that it would be a long journey. After all, they were five children, and five smart children at that. They seemed to be even harder to deal with than five brothers-in-law.
Shao Xi pulled Mu Jingzhe toward the boats.
A park was only complete with a lake. Although the lake wasn't big, despite its small size, it had everything.
Unlike modern tourist boats, such as the yellow duck tour boats that could be pedaled, this was a kind of boat that required rowing.
After observing for a moment, Mu Jingzhe found the cleanest and newest boat.
"Boss, how much to rent the boat?"
The boss, who had been hiding in the shade, slowly sat up and answered hoarsely.
He was wearing a tank top and shorts and he had a fan in his hand. When he looked up, all that could be seen of him was a full beard and a big straw hat, making it impossible to see his face.
Mu Jingzhe took a casual glance and retracted her gaze. "Let's rent it for an hour first."
Mu Jingzhe was about to pay when Ji Buwang beat her to it. "I happen to have some change here."
He smiled and looked at the boss. "Boss, take the money."
The boss, who had been staring at Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi, snapped out of his thoughts. He cast a glance at Ji Buwang and took the money.
For some reason, Ji Buwang felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced at the boss suspiciously but couldn't tell if something was wrong.
"Let's go, Jingzhe, Shao Xi."
"Let's go." Mu Jingzhe pulled Shao Xi. Shao Xi frowned and glanced at the boss, then let out an 'eh'.
For some reason, Shao Xi felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he looked at the boss, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
Just as he was about to think about it carefully, his attention was regretfully diverted by Mu Jingzhe.
Shao Xi turned around and left. The boss, who had originally lowered his head, suddenly looked up and stared at Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi.
He had noticed Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi the moment they had arrived. It was impossible for him not to notice them, as Shao Xi was his son.
Even though Shao Xi had grown up and changed a lot, he was still his son. He could therefore recognize him at a glance.
Although he had a full beard and long hair, his expression and eyes revealed a hint of familiarity.
If Shao Xi would just take a few more looks and imagine this man without his sideburns and beard, he would definitely be able to recognize this person as the heartless father who had abandoned them, Shao Qihai.
Shao Qihai was currently hiding in secret and hadn't expected to run into them.
At first, he'd only heard Mu Jingzhe's familiar voice and felt that he recognized it, but he hadn't dared confirm that it was Mu Jingzhe.
Because Mu Jingzhe's clothes were too different compared to the past, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she had completely turned into a different person.
However, later on, Ji Buwang had called her name, and Shao Xi was also there. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to. This completely different, dazzling, and unfamiliar woman was Mu Jingzhe, his wife.
However, this married couple didn't recognize each other when they met. More importantly, he saw Ji Buwang following them around.
Shao Qihai looked at Ji Buwang, who was taking care of Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi, and frowned. So… Jiang Feng might be right.
Mu Jingzhe seemed to be quite popular now, and it was very likely that she would remarry.
Shao Qihai couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. To Mu Jingzhe, Shao Qihai had already been dead when she'd transmigrated there. As soon as she'd arrived, she had been a single person, free to fall in love or get married. It all depended on whether she wanted to or not.
But to Shao Qihai, regardless of whether they were close or not, he and Mu Jingzhe were married. In his heart, Mu Jingzhe was his wife. It was impossible for him to not care.
In order to avoid his family being implicated and ensure their safety, he had faked his death. It was normal for Mu Jingzhe to remarry or befriend someone new. Shao Qihai knew that she wasn't at fault.
However, even though he knew it, he still felt terrible when he really saw it. Furthermore, that person was Ji Buwang.
Logically speaking, Ji Buwang and Shao Qihai were people from two completely different worlds that shouldn't have had any interactions.
However, the two of them had crossed paths before. Not only did they know each other, but they were also old rivals.
Ji Buwang used to be a marksman. Even though he had only learned for a short time and was only an amateur, he had been born to do this.
With his talent, he had managed to defeat a group of professional men at the outdoor shooting range.
The professional men were Shao Qihai's comrades. They'd thought that they were professional, but in the end, they had been taught a harsh lesson by pretty Ji Buwang.
After this matter had spread to the troops, the higher-ups had gotten very angry and even increased the intensity of their training, telling them to buck up and be more professional. They also hadn't forgotten to ask Shao Qihai to 'take revenge'.
Since it wasn't suitable to have a formal competition, the higher-ups had asked Shao Qihai to spar with Ji Buwang at the outdoor shooting range to knock him down a notch.
In the end, he hadn't succeeded. Although Shao Qihai hadn't lost, he hadn't won either.
The two of them had been evenly matched and tied. After that incident, Shao Qihai had deeply remembered Ji Buwang, his competitor, and even agreed to compete again.
Alas, they hadn't gotten a chance to compete again subsequently. He had retired from the army due to an injury, and Ji Buwang had also gotten into an accident that had caused him to become a vegetable.
When he'd heard that, he had felt as regretful as everyone else. After all, they were rare competitors who had appreciated each other.
Unexpectedly, they'd bumped into each other today. Ji Buwang, who was supposed to be in a vegetative state, was following Mu Jingzhe around and fawning over her.
No matter what, Mu Jingzhe was still his wife… At this thought, Shao Qihai suddenly froze. He remembered that he was supposed to be dead, so this relationship seemed to be temporarily invalid.
But Ji Buwang had always been arrogant, so why was he treating Mu Jingzhe differently?
As Shao Qihai listened to the laughter on the boat, he felt conflicted. He stared at the boat that was slowly rowing away.