Extra 3.10

Jiang Rou had applied to a university near Li Xiao’s company. She received her acceptance letter in mid-July but did not set out immediately. Instead, she tidied up the house, packing up everything she might need and preparing to mail it over.

Before leaving, she made a trip to Jin Dayou’s house. Since Li Xiao could not come back for the summer, he entrusted Jin Dayou with handling Fu Xiaoyue ‘s high school arrangements. Jin Dayou, having attended the same high school, had connections with the teachers and spent a bit more money to ensure Fu Xiaoyue was admitted.

Jiang Rou thought it would be a pity to leave the newly renovated house empty and wondered if Fu Xiaoyue would be willing to move in. If she did, she could ask Aunt Wang next door to help take care of her.

However, Fu Xiaoyue declined. She preferred the Jin family and Grandma Jin over the unfamiliar Aunt Wang and the Li family.

Jiang Rou did not press the matter further. She left Fu Xiaoyue a sum of money and a note with Li Xiao’s phone number and their address in City S, telling her to call if she needed anything or could come to visit them.

Fu Xiaoyue took the money and the note, looking at them with a hint of emotion.

She had always known that no one would treat her well without reason, and sometimes even family couldn’t manage that.

During her time in Juvenile detention, she had imagined her life after she got out many times.

She knew no one cared about her out there, so she had planned to get as far away as possible and work in a place where no one knew her.

She had never expected to be released early, nor did she anticipate being told by the staff that her family was coming to pick her up.

At that time, she had feared her adoptive parents might be selling her for money again and was prepared for a dire outcome.

Seeing Jiang Rou and Li Xiao was a surprise.

When Jiang Rou mentioned she was her third sister, Fu Xiaoyue’s first reaction was one of disbelief. She felt it was absurd that, despite her situation, she still had a sister who was willing to care for her.

She wished they had come sooner—she had questioned how come they only came now?

However, as she spent more time with them, she came to understand that they owed her nothing.

Their willingness to help was proof of their kindness.

She resolved to study hard, aim for university, and repay their help in the future.

Yet, she found it difficult to treat Jiang Rou as a family member or rely on her.

—o—o—o—

Jiang Rou left in mid-July. Before she departed, she gave the leftover seasonings, flour, and rice to Aunt Wang and Grandma Jin next door.

Xiao Feng was sentimental and did not hold grudges. That year, she made two good friends at kindergarten and, before leaving, she especially went to give her beloved little toys to her friends.

The toys had been brought back by Li Xiao during the New Year. They were two very beautiful dolls that she had taken great care of and usually did not want to play with herself.

The packaged items had been sent ahead, and when leaving, Jiang Rou only dragged one suitcase.

This time, they did not take a long-distance bus. Although convenient, the bus was tiring after traveling for ten hours, which was even more exhausting for children.

Jiang Rou first rode a car to the city, then transferred to a train to S City.

There was a direct train, around ten o’clock in the morning, and they arrived in the afternoon around two or three.

Knowing that they were coming, Li Xiao waited directly at the train station.

He drove a small car to pick them up and then took them to the house he had bought.

Li Xiao had mentioned this house to her on the phone. The money had been earned through stock trading, which was quick to make but also risky. In his previous life, he had used this method to support himself, having some knowledge but not being too greedy.

This time was no different. Once he had made enough money, he stopped and bought a house and a car.

The house had been purchased last year and had been renovated and empty for half a year. It was just right to move into now.

It was on the third floor, but there was no elevator. The main purpose of buying this house was to relocate the household registration, making it convenient for the child to attend school in the future.

Li Xiao first took the mother and daughter out for a meal. After eating, he took them to their new house, handed the keys and the phone to Jiang Rou, and then hurriedly left, telling her to call him if she needed anything.

Li Xiao had placed all the items Jiang Rou sent in the living room but had not unpacked them. However, the house was very clean. Jiang Rou turned on the TV in the living room, let Xiao Feng watch it, and then tidied up the house.

By the time she finished, it was nearly five o’clock. Seeing that there was still sunlight outside, Jiang Rou took the child out to buy groceries. Li Xiao had already equipped the kitchen with utensils, and seasoning, and had even bought a refrigerator.

On the way, Jiang Rou saw a nearby supermarket from the car, so after leaving the neighborhood, she went straight to the supermarket with the child. They browsed around, buying slippers, towels, toothbrushes, and some vegetables.

She carried a full bag of groceries.

In the evening, Jiang Rou cooked two dishes and a soup. Li Xiao called to let her know that she should start eating first as he would be home late.

He did come home quite late, around eight-thirty in the evening. Jiang Rou was sitting on the sofa with Xiao Feng, watching TV.

When she saw him return, she got up and asked if he had eaten. She had saved some food for him.

Li Xiao was momentarily surprised, thinking she might have taken the child out for dinner. “I’ll have something then. I had some drinks with people tonight and didn’t eat much.”

Jiang Rou went to the kitchen to serve him the food.

Seeing this, Li Xiao followed her into the kitchen. It was a small space, and it felt a bit cramped with two people in it.

He stood at the door, watching Jiang Rou. In the light, Jiang Rou turned her head slightly and smiled at him—her eyes sparkling.

Li Xiao’s heart softened, and he walked over to take the dishes from her hands.

Jiang Rou then went back to get him some rice.

During the meal, Xiao Feng and Jiang Rou sat on either side of him. Xiao Feng leaned on the table, smiling at her father, seemingly very happy.

Jiang Rou supported her head with her left hand, occasionally serving him soup and meat.

By the end, Li Xiao had finished all the food.

When he was alone, it didn’t feel quite the same, but with Jiang Rou and the child around, Li Xiao realized that family gatherings were what made the home lively—even if no words were spoken.

These moments really filled his heart.

—o—o—o—

At night, Xiao Feng slept alone. Li Xiao had prepared a special room for her. His taste wasn’t great, and the room was painted entirely in pink, with a large princess bed, and a pink desk and wardrobe.

Jiang Rou was nearly blinded by the brightness when she saw it in the afternoon.

Xiao Feng, however, loved it and jumped onto the bed, saying she liked it very much.

Jiang Rou could only comment, “Like father, like daughter.”

—o—o—o—

After watching two episodes of a TV series, Xiao Feng was a bit scared to sleep alone, but by the time Jiang Rou emerged from the bathroom, she had obediently gone to her room and lay down.

When Jiang Rou went to check on her, Xiao Feng sweetly said, “Goodnight, Mommy.”

She even patted her little belly, trying to soothe herself to sleep.

Jiang Rou found it amusing and went over to tuck Xiao Feng in, telling her a fairy tale she hadn’t heard before.

After the child was asleep, Jiang Rou returned to their room and asked Li Xiao what he had said. Li Xiao did not respond.

In reality, he hadn’t said much. He had just told the child that she was growing up and it wasn’t appropriate to sleep in the same bed as her father anymore. He had explained that it was not just her father, but also inappropriate if any boy outside were to touch or be too close to her, as they might be bad people.

Although Xiao Feng was young, she understood the reasoning.

In Li Xiao’s previous life, he hadn’t paid attention and hadn’t taught the child these things, which had caused her a lot of suffering. Even now, thinking back on it made him grit his teeth in anger.

Jiang Rou might not know, but in his previous life, he had left Xiao Feng with Lin Meiru for a while. He had thought Lin Meiru was her biological grandmother and would at least ensure she was fed and not mistreated.

However, it turned out to be a case of a sheep entering a tiger’s den. That family took his money but treated his child poorly—Xiao Feng was frequently hungry and beaten, and He Tieshan had even secretly “bullied” her.

He wasn’t sure if Lin Meiru knew about this, but this time, severing ties with her was already the greatest leniency he could offer.

However, he would not let He Tieshan and his son go unpunished.

He didn’t want to discuss this with Jiang Rou further, fearing it might upset her, and simply said, “Let’s go to sleep.”

Jiang Rou lay down on the bed, turned off the light, and the room fell into darkness. Li Xiao changed the subject: “The house is a bit small. I couldn’t buy a bigger one because I didn’t tell Zhou Jian that the money was from stock trading. I was afraid he might not understand and try to trade stocks himself. I only said that we needed to buy a house for the child’s schooling and paid the down payment for this one.”

When Zhou Jian saw Li Xiao buying a house, he also used his money to buy a two-bedroom apartment. The housing prices weren’t as high as in the future; though he couldn’t afford a luxury home, he could still manage a regular one.

With a house, Zhou Jian also started dating a girlfriend, though Li Xiao hadn’t met her, only hearing from Zhou Jian that she was very nice.

“Once we earn more, we can move to a better house.”

In truth, he didn’t mind where he lived. He had even slept in a park before. He just didn’t want Jiang Rou and their child to feel uncomfortable.

Jiang Rou turned over and hugged the man beside her. “There’s no need. This house is just fine.”

It was indeed quite good. A larger house would be troublesome to clean.

Of course, at that time, she had not yet imagined that she would one day be wealthy enough to hire a nanny.

Li Xiao wrapped his arm around her waist and said nothing, but his breathing gradually became unsteady, and the heat from his hand grew warmer and warmer…

—o—o—o—

After tossing and turning most of the night, Jiang Rou woke up the next morning; it was already past nine-thirty.

Xiao Feng was in the living room, watching TV while doing the homework Jiang Rou had given to her.

Seeing her mother awake, the girl obediently looked up and said, “Mommy, Daddy bought breakfast. It’s in the kitchen.”

It seemed Li Xiao was afraid their daughter would forget to remind Jiang Rou, so he had also left a note on the dining table for her to remember to eat breakfast.

Jiang Rou massaged her sore waist and went to the kitchen.

—o—o—o—

A few days later, Li Xiao came back and told her that they were going out for dinner with Zhou Jian and his girlfriend the next day.

Only then did Jiang Rou realize that Zhou Jian was in a relationship, and she couldn’t help but feel curious, asking about the situation.

Li Xiao, seeming to think of something, gently furrowed his brow. “I haven’t really paid much attention, but it seems she’s a local, and her family’s conditions are quite good. However, it appears that her parents did not approve of their relationship.”

In fact, he also felt it was not a good match. Having been through much himself, he knew well that a union between two people from different family backgrounds required a lot of adjustments. Even between him and Jiang Rou, there were many differing habits, but he loved Jiang Rou, so he was willing to change.

But he understood Zhou Jian’s temperament—he was impulsive and easily lost interest. At first, he might restrain himself because of his affection, but over time, he would probably become too lazy to accommodate, leaving nothing but arguments.

After saying this, he added, “It’s just a casual meal. We don’t need to say too much.”

Hearing this, Jiang Rou immediately understood that he didn’t have much hope for Zhou Jian and his girlfriend.

—o—o—o—

On Saturday afternoon, Jiang Rou left the house with the child and headed to the restaurant address that Li Xiao had sent her.

The place was chosen by Zhou Jian’s girlfriend—a high-end Western restaurant on the fifteenth floor of a mall, with a view of the scenery outside from the window seats.

Jiang Rou was glad that she had taken the time to dress up herself and Xiao Feng before going out; otherwise, she would have felt embarrassed to come in.

When she arrived, Li Xiao and Zhou Jian were already there, but Zhou Jian’s girlfriend had not yet arrived. Zhou Jian smiled a little awkwardly, “Xiao Tian just got off work, she’ll be here soon.”

Jiang Rou had heard from Li Xiao that his girlfriend was a nurse and was usually quite busy, so she nodded in understanding.

Li Xiao and Zhou Jian seemed to have come directly, without much tidying up. Li Xiao was still wearing the black shirt and gray-white trousers he had put on when he left in the morning, his sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong, muscular forearms.

Over the past few days, Jiang Rou had added a few new outfits to his wardrobe. She had even matched them, placing each set together to make it easier for him to pick something to wear.

Li Xiao had a handsome face and a good physique, so even when he didn’t make much effort with his appearance, it was hard for people to take their eyes off him.

Jiang Rou still remembered the first time she saw him, sitting quietly and coldly in the interrogation room. Although he looked very down and out, she was struck by his appearance.

At that time, she had thought to herself, “He must have been quite handsome when he was younger.”

Of course, Jiang Rou couldn’t tell Li Xiao these thoughts now, fearing he would misunderstand and think she had a crush on him from early on.

Thus, Zhou Jian, who had also not put much effort into his appearance, looked much less attractive sitting next to Li Xiao.

Actually, Zhou Jian wasn’t ugly, but he wasn’t handsome either; he was just average-looking. His skin was dark, he had single eyelids and a long face. There was nothing particularly wrong with his features, but they weren’t striking either—a very ordinary appearance.

Today, he wore a deep purple shirt, a color that did not suit him well, making him look even darker. He had a slim build, and because he was tall, he slouched slightly, his head leaning forward, giving him an unflattering posture.

Sitting next to Li Xiao, the contrast was really obvious.

Jiang Rou didn’t say much, obediently taking a seat opposite Li Xiao. When Li Xiao saw her coming over, he pushed the dessert on the table toward her. “I ordered this for you and the child. Have a bite first.”

Jiang Rou didn’t hold back; she took a small spoon and fed the child, alternating bites between them, even feeding Li Xiao a couple of times.

Li Xiao didn’t particularly like sweets, but when Jiang Rou fed him, he ate them.

After waiting for about half an hour, Zhou Jian’s girlfriend finally arrived.

Seeing her from a distance, Zhou Jian smiled broadly and said, “Here she comes.”

Jiang Rou instinctively turned her head and, upon seeing the person, finally understood why Li Xiao did not think highly of the couple. Zhou Jian’s girlfriend was quite pretty—a tall and slender young woman with delicate features, dressed fashionably.

She pushed the restaurant door open and scanned the room. Finally, her gaze landed on them. Jiang Rou wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she sensed that the woman seemed to pause for a moment and then subtly lowered her eyebrows, revealing a hint of displeasure in her eyes.

The woman slowed her pace as she walked toward them. Zhou Jian, however, appeared quite happy. He stood up eagerly and pulled out a chair for her, introducing everyone.

“This is the brother I’ve mentioned to you, Li Xiao. This is his wife and child, Jiang Rou and Xiao Feng. And this is my girlfriend, Shi Tian.”

Jiang Rou smiled and greeted her. Shi Tian smiled back politely, though she didn’t seem particularly pleased.

When the waiter brought the dishes, she suddenly turned to Zhou Jian and asked, “Why are you wearing a purple shirt today?”

Zhou Jian didn’t quite understand what she meant and instinctively glanced down at his shirt. “What’s wrong with it? Does it look bad? I chose this shirt specifically for lunch today.”

A trace of disdain flashed in Shi Tian’s eyes, and she said bluntly, “It looks bad; it makes you look dark and old.”

Zhou Jian’s smile froze on his face, but he quickly recovered and said in a flattering tone, “Then I won’t wear it again in the future.”

Shi Tian lowered her head and replied with a simple “hmm” before picking up her knife and fork to start eating.

During the meal, Shi Tian grew increasingly displeased. It was a Western restaurant, so they were using knives and forks. It would have been one thing if others at the table didn’t know how to use them, but she noticed that among everyone present, Zhou Jian was the only one who didn’t. Not only did he hold the utensils the wrong way, but his movements were also clumsy. As he cut the steak, the knife scraped against the plate, making a grating sound that caught the attention of people at the nearby table.

Shi Tian felt embarrassed and couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you supposed to be a big boss? Haven’t you ever had Western food before?”

Zhou Jian looked a bit embarrassed and replied, “What big boss? I’m just following my brother’s lead and making a little money.”

Shi Tian glanced at Li Xiao, who was seated next to Zhou Jian, then back at Zhou Jian, and suddenly felt a pang of regret. She didn’t think she was any worse than Jiang Rou, who sat beside her, but their men were worlds apart.

She had never thought Zhou Jian was that bad, but now, seeing him in a Western restaurant, he looked like a country bumpkin who had never been out in the world. Didn’t he say that he and his brother came from the same place? How come his brother wasn’t as embarrassing as he was?

No wonder her mother had suggested they meet at a Western restaurant. At this moment, Shi Tian just wanted to leave.

The meal was awkward and tense. At first, Shi Tian spoke a few words, but soon, only Jiang Rou and Zhou Jian were talking, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.

After they finished eating, Jiang Rou and Li Xiao left.

Once they stepped outside, Jiang Rou let out a deep sigh and whispered, “His girlfriend seems to be a bit disdainful of him.”

Li Xiao, not wanting to meddle in such matters, replied, “One is willing to hit, the other is willing to take a hit. Let them be.”

He knew in his heart that not everyone would be as foolish as Jiang Rou, who, even knowing what kind of person he was in his past life, still chose to be with him.

—o—o—o—

Lucia: Yeah~ Justice for Wang Yan!