Chapter 15 (2 Updates + 3 Updates)

Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao stood facing each other at the doorway.

One bathed in the bright light of the hallway, the other shrouded in the dim darkness of the bedroom.

Under the glare of the lights, the little white rabbit perched on Zhi Li’s hat became particularly noticeable, especially with a few blades of grass still clinging to it.

Suspecting that staying in the shadows put him at a slight disadvantage, Jiang Yuexiao reached out and turned on the room’s light.

The sudden brightness made Zhi Li squint slightly. When she got a clear look at Jiang Yuexiao’s face, she couldn’t help but marvel inwardly again—her brother was so handsome, even more dazzling than the bright lights in the room.

When she first saw him after coming home, Zhi Li had already thought this unfamiliar older brother was very good-looking, but his expression had been too cold, making her too shy to talk to him. Now, however, she had mustered the courage!

Since her brother’s surname was Jiang, he must be as reserved and unsmiling as Grandma and Dad!

So, Zhi Li beamed and said, “Brother, you’re super good-looking! More than any other kid I’ve ever seen!”

Her sweet, soft voice was like honey, warm and sugary.

Jiang Yuexiao curled his lip.

This kid was undoubtedly Xu Qingying’s child—even the way she complimented people was the same. Though, he supposed it was the only truthful thing Xu Qingying had ever said, since he really was that good-looking.

Lightning, seeing that neither of his little masters was paying him any attention, wagged his tail restlessly and lifted his head high. “Woof! Woof!”

He was quite fair about it.

First, he barked at Jiang Yuexiao, then at Zhi Li.

Jiang Yuexiao looked down at him, his expression sour. “Stupid dog!”

“Lightning isn’t stupid,” Zhi Li, who considered herself a bit of a little fool too, decided to stand up for her furry friend. “He walks around puddles, and when the ball gets thrown too high, he calls for me or Wei Liang to fetch it for him. He’s really smart!”

Jiang Yuexiao scoffed.

Was that really smart? More like he was just a clean freak with a fear of heights.

“Woof!” Lightning, genuinely tired from playing, obediently trotted into the room and nuzzled Jiang Yuexiao’s pant leg with his head.

Jiang Yuexiao grumpily nudged him away with his foot, but Lightning just came right back to nuzzle again. Jiang Yuexiao nudged him once more, and Lightning persisted.

Watching her brother and Lightning play like this, Zhi Li blinked, her little nose tingling with emotion.

So her brother really liked playing with Lightning this much? Even so, he still let Lightning come play with Yi Hua and me—he really doesn’t dislike me at all!

At this moment, a large chunk of Xu Xia’s prophetic dream crumbled away in Zhi Li’s heart.

“…” Jiang Yuexiao stared at Lightning in exasperation before looking up again to find Zhi Li still standing there. His expression turned cool and aloof. “Do you have something else?”

Zhi Li nodded emphatically, holding out a delicate little box with both hands, her eyes curved into happy crescents. “I bought a gift for you at the mall today!”

Jiang Yuexiao didn’t even bother looking at the logo on the box. The moment he saw it, his mind flooded with the memory of accidentally overhearing Xu Qingying on the phone, scheming to get her hands on his family’s money.

“Did your mom give you the money for this?”

“No.” Zhi Li shook her head honestly. “Dad gave me a card—it works for lots of things!”

Dad?

Dad?!

Jiang Yuexiao’s eyes widened in shock as he glared at Zhi Li.

Not only did this little brat steal my stupid dog, but now she’s trying to steal my dad too?!

“He gave you a card? Why would he give you a card?”

“Why?” Zhi Li recalled the scene from this morning when she met her dad and explained in her soft voice, “Dad gave me a card and told me to call him Dad directly.”

Jiang Yuexiao: ?!!

Impossible! How could that big ice block possibly give you a card and ask you to call him Dad?! If he really did that, wouldn’t I have lost out big time all these years?!

No matter how much he screamed internally, Jiang Yuexiao’s face remained cold and indifferent. He was grown up now and absolutely couldn’t let others see through his thoughts.

“I’m going to sleep,” Jiang Yuexiao said coldly.

Despite his words, he still didn’t slam the door in Zhi Li’s face.

Zhi Li raised her small hand, “Goodnight, brother! Rest well!”

Jiang Yuexiao responded with a cold and indifferent hum. Just as he was about to close the door, he saw Zhi Li squat down again.

Zhi Li patted Lightning’s head, her voice gentle and soft, “Lightning, go to sleep early too. Tomorrow after my classes, I’ll play ball with you—or frisbee! All your toys are in the greenhouse.”

“Woof!”

Not only did Lightning bark in response, but he also placed his furry front paw on Zhi Li’s small hand.

Jiang Yuexiao watched the entire scene with cold detachment.

He suspected that if Zhi Li said a few more words, this silly dog would abandon him, its owner, and switch allegiance to Zhi Li.

“Brother, I’m heading back now. See you tomorrow morning!”

Jiang Yuexiao: Just leave already.

Jiang Yuexiao: Take that silly dog with you too.

Jiang Yuexiao roared a bunch of things in his heart, but not a single word escaped his lips as Zhi Li happily walked away. With a cool expression, he silently closed the door.

The door shut.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway completely faded.

Jiang Yuexiao looked down at Lightning, his voice icy, “Silly dog.”

Lightning tilted his head up, staring blankly at Jiang Yuexiao, “Woof?”

“You—” Jiang Yuexiao placed the gift box on the bookshelf, freeing his hands to vigorously ruffle Lightning’s fluffy fur, thoroughly messing it up. Only then did his frustration dissipate, leaving him refreshed as he dragged Lightning toward the bathroom. “Come on, bath time!”

Lightning let out an excited yelp and dashed to the bathroom, obediently sitting under his designated showerhead without needing any instructions, eagerly waiting for his little master to give him a nice, fragrant wash.

——

Zhi Li and Xu Qingying’s suite was on the third floor, with Jiang Yanheng living next door. Before returning to her room, Zhi Li glanced at the neighboring door and noticed the lights were still off.

“Mom, I’m back!”

The room’s decor had more additions compared to the previous night.

The wardrobe was now filled with children’s clothes and shoes of various styles, the small pillow had lace trim, and the carpet was scattered with over a dozen plush toys—little rabbits, hamsters, Shiba Inus, and even SpongeBob and Patrick, which Zhi Li especially loved.

When Zhi Li had come back earlier to fetch the gift, she had imagined sleeping with one plush toy in each arm tonight. But her mom said the plushies hadn’t been cleaned or disinfected yet, so Zhi Li could only reluctantly pass them by and run straight to find her mom.

Xu Qingying had just finished organizing the newly purchased items with the maid when she was suddenly enveloped in a hug by her little sweet pear.

She casually removed Zhi Li’s dirty bunny hat and asked, “Did you give the gift to Jiang Yue… to your brother?”

As she asked, Xu Qingying subtly studied Zhi Li’s expression. A few seconds later, reassured that she didn’t detect any sadness, her slightly anxious heart eased a little.

Today, Xu Qingying finally understood after seeing Jiang Yuexiao that his return in the storyline wasn’t a coincidence—he had rushed back upon hearing that the original host had brought her biological daughter to the Jiang family.

She wasn’t a pushover and naturally wasn’t afraid of Jiang Yuexiao pulling pranks or mocking her as described in the book, but she couldn’t help worrying that he might take his anger out on Zhi Li.

“I already gave the gift to big brother!” Zhi Li tightly wrapped her little arms around Xu Qingying, resting her chin on her, her round, grape-like dark eyes sparkling brightly. “Big brother is super, super, super nice!”

“Three ‘supers’? How nice is he?”

“Even though he doesn’t like playing fetch with Lightning, he enjoys playing other games with him! But he still left Lightning to play with me for so long.” Zhi Li said sweetly, “And when I was talking to him, he specially turned on the lights in the room so I could see him clearly.”

Xu Qingying, recalling Zhi Li’s previous logic that “spending money = liking = smiling,” was skeptical of her words. “Tell me, what does he like to play with Lightning?”

“Lightning rubs against his pants, and he pushes him away. Then Lightning rubs against his pants again, and he pushes him away again.” After saying this, Zhi Li even added an evaluation, “Big brother is super patient!”

Xu Qingying: “……”

Was Jiang Yuexiao really playing with Lightning, or was he just annoyed by him?

At any rate, as long as Jiang Yuexiao didn’t bully Zhi Li, it was fine.

Zhi Li suddenly noticed a Height Chart on the bedroom wall, decorated with SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs.

Back then, her grandma would use a pencil to mark her height on the freshly whitewashed wall.

Zhi Li missed her grandma a little—no, she missed her a lot, a whole lot.

She wondered if her grandma remembered to rest on her journey and didn’t overwork herself.

Xu Qingying followed Zhi Li’s gaze to the Height Chart and chuckled softly. “Come here, sweetheart. Let me measure your height.”

Zhi Li looked up with a smile. “Okay! Mommy should measure yours too!”

“Me?” Xu Qingying gestured to the mark above Zhi Li’s head. “I’m 172 cm tall—two centimeters taller than this sticker.”

Zhi Li’s eyes widened in amazement. “Wow! Mommy is amazing!”

Seeing the genuine admiration in Zhi Li’s big eyes, Xu Qingying couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

Her height, surpassing 170 cm, was one of her proudest traits. After transmigrating, her appearance and height remained largely the same, which somewhat comforted her—as if she had crossed into a parallel version of herself.

“Here.” Xu Qingying placed a SpongeBob sticker the size of a soybean into Zhi Li’s soft little palm. “You’re 110.3 cm tall. Go ahead and stick this on.”

Zhi Li stretched her arm and carefully placed the sticker in the right spot.

After spending the entire afternoon at the mall and taking a bath at night, both of them were exhausted and drowsy, quickly falling asleep once in bed.

Zhi Li struggled to keep her eyes open as she leaned over to kiss Xu Qingying on the cheek, her tiny voice thick with sleepiness. “Goodnight, Mommy.”

Xu Qingying kissed her back on the cheek. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Still half-asleep, Zhi Li didn’t forget to remind her, “Mommy, remember to wear the Family Watch tomorrow.”

“……” Xu Qingying kissed her again. “Go to sleep.”

Soon, the sound of Zhi Li’s soft, steady breathing filled the room.

Lying in bed, Xu Qingying found herself wide awake. If Zhi Li noticed Jiang Yanheng wasn’t wearing the watch tomorrow, what excuse could she give?

Here, Song Yin, who had just returned home from school, also saw two boxes in her bedroom.  

One small box and one large box.  

Without even opening them, just by looking at the logos, Song Yin knew they contained a watch and a tea set, respectively.  

The butler first mentioned Jiang Yuexiao’s situation. “Madam, Yuexiao has returned. Something might have happened—he didn’t even eat dinner.”  

“Missing one meal won’t starve him to death.” Song Yin lit some incense. “Have him continue his lessons and take another assessment. Bring me the results afterward.”  

Her tone was indifferent. To an outsider, it might not have been obvious whether she felt any joy over her grandson returning home after half a month away.  

The butler had worked in the Jiang household for over thirty years and understood the family’s unique way of expressing emotions. If one had to describe it, the three generations of the Jiang family were like three trees planted at equal distances—neither interfering with each other yet trusting that each could grow independently.  

The role of the larger trees was to shield against fierce winds and storms, while minor breezes and drizzles were left to endure. Unless a branch grew too crooked and needed pruning, everyone generally minded their own business.  

Just like the assessment results.  

Whether it was tutoring at home or schoolwork, the madam wouldn’t say a word even if the young master scored abysmally.  

In fact, the madam had indeed seen the young master’s math test with a score in the thirties. It was hard to imagine that a grandson—or son—of hers, who had graduated from a top university, could become an academic underachiever by the third grade.  

Aside from the young master’s grades, the butler also felt that the family’s interactions lacked a certain warmth.  

If everyone had adapted, it would have been fine. But the young master clearly longed for his family’s attention—otherwise, he wouldn’t have rarely visited his mother abroad after she gave birth to his younger brother.  

This time, his trip abroad had been an attempt to force his father to divorce his new wife. However, once the master made a decision, not even the young master—or even the madam—could sway him.  

Song Yin’s gaze returned to the gift boxes. “Did Xu Qingying buy these?”  

“They’re gifts from Zhi Li. She thought of everyone.” The butler smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with fine lines. “Little Zhi Li is so thoughtful. After just a few meetings, she could tell that Madam enjoys tea—and this brand is exactly to Madam’s taste.”  

Song Yin looked at the butler and understood. “You got one too?”  

Having spent so many years with Song Yin, the butler could tell she wasn’t upset and replied with a chuckle, “If I can’t get a kiss, at least I can get a gift, right?”  

“How was the livestream?”  

“It went smoothly. Some netizens kept saying the master’s card had no money, but they were all stunned when little Zhi Li swiped it. And also—” The butler chattered excitedly before suddenly catching himself and hastily backtracking. “Madam, I only watched the livestream during my lunch break.”  

Song Yin wasn’t actually scolding him and said calmly, “Put the things away. You should rest early too.”  

The butler stepped forward, placing the watch in the wardrobe and taking the tea set to the tearoom.  

Before bed, Song Yin routinely replied to a few students’ messages on her phone and forwarded an academic article to her social feed. Just as she was about to turn it off, she came across a screenshot one of her students had posted.  

[Ahhhh! Just saw a gif of this adorable little kid—she’s too cute! My future daughter-in-law has a face now! [image.gif]]

Song Yin paused slightly as she turned off her phone.

It was a GIF of Zhi Li. Wearing a little rabbit hat, Zhi Li sat in a brightly lit shop with a row of watches displayed in front of her. Holding a bank card in her small hand, she confidently extended it forward.

A large word popped up.

“Swiped!”

Just before the clip ended, the frame froze on Zhi Li’s smiling face as she circled the watches with both hands and beamed at the camera.

Her soft black hair framed her snow-white cheeks, her eyes curved into crescents, and a small dimple appeared at the corner of her lips. Her smile was even brighter than when she had formed a heart in the garden that afternoon.

Song Yin fell silent.

According to their family’s usual parenting style, adults shouldn’t interfere as long as the child didn’t cross any lines. But with Xu Qingying’s ever-changing temperament, could Zhi Li really grow up without being influenced negatively?

Perhaps because she had just seen the GIF last night, or maybe because the watch’s design complemented her outfit, Song Yin—after finishing her morning workout—chose the newly arrived watch from last night while selecting clothes and accessories in the walk-in closet.

——

That morning, with Xu Qingying’s help, Zhi Li also put on the children’s watch they had bought the day before.

From the moment she wore it, Zhi Li couldn’t get enough of it. She kept lifting her wrist to glance at it every few seconds and even leaned down to look at the watch on Xu Qingying’s wrist, exclaiming happily, “Mommy, when people see our family watches, they’ll know we’re a family!”

Xu Qingying wasn’t sure whether Song Yin and Jiang Yanheng would wear theirs. Given their aloof personalities, it was unlikely they’d think, “Since this is the child’s heartfelt wish, I should wear it so she can see.”

With that in mind, Xu Qingying decided to divert Zhi Li’s attention from the watches. She led her to the full-length mirror and pointed at their reflections, smiling as she asked, “People can tell we’re family just by looking at our clothes.”

Zhi Li followed Xu Qingying’s finger and looked up at the mirror, her eyes widening slightly.

In the mirror, she saw herself with a high ponytail, wearing a pink-striped short-sleeved shirt and white overall shorts. Beside her, Xu Qingying also had a high ponytail, dressed in a pink short-sleeved shirt and white pencil pants.

“Our clothes are both pink and white!”

“These are called matching family outfits.”

Zhi Li’s attention was successfully diverted, her mind now filled with the phrase “matching family outfits.” Her thoughts even wandered further: Since Grandma is Daddy’s mommy, do they wear matching outfits too? And what about Daddy and Brother? Do they also wear matching outfits?

Thus, as Xu Qingying led her to the dining room, Zhi Li’s little head was entirely occupied with thoughts of matching family outfits.

The Jiang family dining room was unusually full that morning.

Song Yin sat at the head of the table, with Jiang Yanheng and Jiang Yuexiao on the right, while Xu Qingying and Zhi Li took their seats on the left.

Zhi Li arrived just as Jiang Yuexiao had settled in moments earlier.

Jiang Yanheng glanced at Jiang Yuexiao, who sat there with a cold expression, and remarked, “Back?” His tone was flat and icy, carrying a hint of ambiguity.

Jiang Yuexiao responded with a curt “Hmm.”

At that moment, Song Yin also spoke up, “Next time you leave home, remember to inform the butler beforehand. Don’t act impulsively.”

Jiang Yuexiao: “…”

I just got back, and you’re already planning for me to leave again!

Frustrated, Jiang Yuexiao resolved to turn the speakers up to maximum volume at his birthday party that week.

Jiang Yuexiao never had the habit of hosting birthday parties until he turned five. It was only after seeing a classmate’s parents throw them a birthday party at kindergarten that the idea of having his own took root.  

Neither Song Yin nor Jiang Yanheng restrained him in this regard. Year after year, they let Jiang Yuexiao plan his birthday parties entirely on his own—where to hold them, whom to invite—without interference. It was both a test of his capabilities and a sign of their trust in him.  

Zhi Li sat in her seat, her dark eyes darting around curiously. She had just been about to check whether Grandma, Dad, and Brother were wearing Matching Family Outfits when the arrival of breakfast interrupted her train of thought.  

So fragrant!  

So lavish!  

At the same time, the gazes of the three Jiang family members simultaneously landed on the breakfast spread before Zhi Li and Xu Qingying.  

The Jiang family’s breakfasts had always been simple. Jiang Yanheng usually had a cup of freshly brewed coffee with a croissant, fried bacon, and a fried egg. Song Yin and Jiang Yuexiao preferred soup or congee, paired with steamed dumplings, buns, corn, or other staples.  

But today—  

They realized for the first time that breakfast could be so varied.  

Before Zhi Li and Xu Qingying lay pancakes, tacos, jianbing (savory crepes), grilled cold noodles, grilled sweet potato skins, takoyaki (octopus balls), and sweet plum-flavored sweet potato fries. Perhaps considering these less healthy, each of them was also served a bowl of vegetable congee.  

It was also at this moment that Jiang Yanheng noticed the watch on Xu Qingying’s wrist across the table.  

The night before, he had seen the watch box in the bedroom. The moment he recognized the logo, he knew exactly where the seven-figure expense notification on his phone that afternoon had gone.  

When selecting a watch that morning, Jiang Yanheng had felt that this particular piece was slightly different from the others—after all, it was the first watch bought with a card he had personally handed over, only to have the expense charged back to him.  

As someone who habitually calculated profits in business, Jiang Yanheng had barely hesitated before putting it on.  

Song Yin ate calmly, Jiang Yanheng idly observed the watch.  

Only Jiang Yuexiao was focused on the breakfast in front of Zhi Li and Xu Qingying. He turned to the butler and asked, “Auntie Butler, did the family hire a new chef?” The tablet menu definitely didn’t include street snacks like jianbing, grilled cold noodles, grilled sweet potato skins, or takoyaki.  

If these were allowed openly at home, why had he bothered sneaking takeout orders late at night, terrified of being caught by Grandma and Dad?  

The butler stepped forward. “It’s the same chefs as before. Yesterday after lunch, Madam and Zhi Li asked if they could make some street snacks. After checking, I discovered that all the chefs we’ve hired happen to be highly skilled in making them. If Madam and Zhi Li hadn’t said they couldn’t finish more this morning, the chefs could’ve prepared even more varieties.”  

Zhi Li swallowed a bite of takoyaki and gave the butler a thumbs-up. “Auntie Butler, these octopus balls are so delicious! The octopus inside is so tender! They’re the second-best takoyaki I’ve ever had!”  

Seeing how much Zhi Li liked them, Xu Qingying placed another takoyaki on her plate. “Only second-best? Where’s the first-best one?”  

“The first-best was one Grandma brought back for me!” Zhi Li, raised with good table manners by her grandmother, always finished chewing before speaking. “I only had it once. Grandma said eating too much wasn’t healthy and promised to buy me more the next month.”  

Her voice softened as she spoke.  

Before that next month arrived, Grandma had passed away, and she had been taken to her uncle’s house—never tasting the first-best takoyaki again.

Seeing Zhi Li like this, Xu Qingying suddenly felt a bit worried about how Zhi Li would react when she learned the truth.

Suppressing her emotions, she comforted, “When there’s a chance, Mom will have someone buy you the best takoyaki. For now, let’s eat the second-best ones, okay?”

With her mother by her side, Zhi Li’s mood shifted quickly. She nodded vigorously, “Okay!”

While Zhi Li and Xu Qingying were enjoying their food, others weren’t finding their meals as tasty—specifically, Jiang Yuexiao.

Watching Zhi Li alternate between takoyaki and grilled cold noodles, he suddenly found the steamed bun in his mouth flavorless.

He wanted to eat them too.

But his grandmother and his father, with their personalities, would definitely not agree.

Right! Why aren’t they teaching Zhi Li a lesson? Eating so many snacks early in the morning is so unhealthy!

Jiang Yuexiao felt he couldn’t keep watching anymore, or else he’d only get hungrier. He had to look away and find something else to focus on, but this shift in attention led to an unexpected discovery.

Why—

Was his grandmother and father wearing watches of a similar style on their wrists?

Why—

Were Zhi Li and Xu Qingying also wearing watches of a similar style on their wrists??

Why—

Did all four of them seem to be wearing watches that looked strikingly similar???

Jiang Yuexiao silently lowered his head, glancing left and right. Great. Only his wrist was bare, with nothing on it.

Had it only been half a month since he left home, and already his grandmother and father had teamed up with outsiders to exclude him? Everyone had a watch except him?

At this moment, Jiang Yuexiao recalled his life abroad. Ever since his mother had a second son, he, the eldest, had been pushed aside, with everything prioritized for the younger one.

Even though his mother was still in that household, he felt like an outsider—unable to join their conversations, unfamiliar with the things they liked.

Jiang Yuexiao used to think that even though his grandmother and father were stern and distant, at least he could still engage in their discussions. After all, he was their only direct blood relative. But then his father remarried.

This outsider was clearly after their family’s money and even brought along a little brat to steal his dog.

The more Jiang Yuexiao thought about it, the more suffocated and frustrated he felt, to the point where he couldn’t even eat anymore.

He set down his chopsticks and stood up, his voice cold and detached. “I’m done eating.” If this was an atmosphere he alone couldn’t be part of, then so be it!

At that moment, Zhi Li noticed with surprise that Jiang Yuexiao wasn’t wearing a watch. It suddenly dawned on her—she had been so preoccupied with it last night but had completely forgotten about it this morning while eating. She quickly turned to check Song Yin and Jiang Yanheng’s wrists.

They were both wearing long-sleeved shirts, but after a few attempts, Zhi Li finally spotted the watches they had bought yesterday on their wrists.

The salesperson had said these watches were called family watches—a family should be neat and complete. It was one thing if Grandma wasn’t here, but if her brother didn’t wear his watch, how would others know they were a family?

Thinking this, Zhi Li asked, “Brother, why aren’t you wearing your watch?”

Jiang Yuexiao was almost hurt by the question.

He stared at Zhi Li in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend how a little kid under five could stab him right in the heart like this.

“I—” Jiang Yuexiao struggled to steady his voice, determined not to let anyone hear the sound of his heart shattering into pieces. “I don’t have a watch.”

Hearing this, Zhi Li thought he had forgotten and quickly put down her chopsticks, gesturing with both hands in the air. “I gave it to you last night! A big blue box, this big!”

Jiang Yuexiao’s face remained calm, but his mind was in chaos.

The gift box the little brat gave me last night had a watch inside? The same kind as theirs? Wait—where did I even put that box last night???

He racked his brain desperately, and after a few seconds, he barely managed to recall that before taking Lightning for a bath, he had placed the gift box on the bookshelf—and had never checked what was inside.

Zhi Li was still staring at him eagerly. “Do you remember now?”

“Oh, the watch is in the bedroom.” Jiang Yuexiao froze at the table for a few seconds before calmly returning to his seat, maintaining his cool expression. “I’m not full yet, I’ll eat a bit more.”