Extra 3.8

When Jiang Rou woke up in the morning, she discovered that Li Xiao had washed all the clothes the previous night and hung them in the bathroom.

They were now all dry.

After she got up, Li Xiao rose as well. While Jiang Rou was washing up, he went downstairs to buy breakfast. By the time he returned, Jiang Rou was still not finished and was applying makeup.

Seeing Li Xiao carrying a bag of breakfast, Jiang Rou let him eat first.

Xiao Feng on the bed rubbed her eyes in a daze and got up. When she saw her father, she smiled happily.

Realizing that she was not dreaming and that she was truly here to find her father, she beamed with joy.

After breakfast, the family of three went out to explore. They visited many places and took numerous photos.

Throughout the day, Xiao Feng’s face was always lit up with a smile.

She also told Jiang Rou, “Mommy, this is the happiest day of my life.”

At noon, Jiang Rou took her to KFC. Although Xiao Feng was full, she was reluctant to put down the chicken drumstick in her hand.

Seeing her greedy expression, Jiang Rou’s heart softened. “Let’s save it for later. Mommy will bring you here again in a few days.”

Xiao Feng put down the chicken drumstick reluctantly and whispered to her mother. “This is delicious.”

Jiang Rou patted Xiao Feng’s head and said, “Mom will cook something even better for you when we get home.”

Xiao Feng smiled and nodded vigorously.

After spending the day outdoors, Jiang Rou decided it was time to visit Li Xiao’s workplace.

Li Xiao hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed to take them there.

Li Xiao had founded an Internet company called XR.

He was a computer expert, a fact discovered by the police while tracking him. He had completely erased all traces of his online presence, making him virtually invisible both online and in real life. Later, the police classified him as a high-IQ criminal.

When Jiang Rou asked her Mentor about Li Xiao’s expertise, he explained that he had learned everything from the Internet.

Jiang Rou remembered that the bureau had been dealing with a foreign internet fraud case at the time. The specialists they had invited were delayed on the road and would not arrive in time, but the victim’s phone had already begun ringing. Ultimately, Jiang Rou’s Mentor decided to let Li Xiao handle the situation.

Jiang Rou happened to be present at that time. She watched from a nearby corner as Li Xiao, despite being handcuffed, operated the computer with remarkable calmness. He swiftly located the address of the phone call and secretly extracted information from the other party’s mobile phone. He completed the task quickly and efficiently before the call ended.

Even her mentor later regretted that someone with his abilities had chosen the wrong path.

However, her mentor eventually discovered the truth and was happier than anyone else.

—o—o—o—

Currently, Li Xiao’s company is still in the start-up phase, and conditions are modest. He has rented a relatively inexpensive house near the university. Apart from Li Xiao and Zhou Jian, the company consists of only four part-time computer science students.

Li Xiao is the boss, and Zhou Jian is the second-largest shareholder. Although Zhou Jian is not very familiar with computers, he has worked with Li Xiao in the south for several years. He is known for his persuasive skills and is adept at attracting talent and business.

The remaining college students are part-time employees working at the company.

Li Xiao had rented a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. When Jiang Rou and Xiao Feng arrived, the apartment was a mess. The living room had been converted into an office area, with several computers placed face to face. Wires were tangled on the floor, and clothes, shoes, and garbage were scattered everywhere.

Xiao Feng, following her father, subconsciously stepped back upon entering, showing a hint of disgust.

At that moment, only Zhou Jian and two college students were present. Li Xiao placed the KFC on the table, introduced them, and then led Jiang Rou to the bedroom.

Li Xiao and Zhou Jian shared a room, separated by two iron beds. The bed on the left belonged to Li Xiao. It was somewhat cleaner but still far from tidy. This was in stark contrast to his usual neatness at home. His clothes were haphazardly thrown on the bed, and shoes were scattered under it.

Li Xiao asked Jiang Rou if she was thirsty.

Jiang Rou, noticing that Xiao Feng had already eaten a lot, nodded in response.

Li Xiao went to get some water, and Jiang Rou took Xiao Feng into the room. Xiao Feng pinched her nose and whispered to Jiang Rou, “Mommy, it stinks.”

It was no surprise that it smelled. The shoes under the bed were so dirty they looked like they had never been washed.

Jiang Rou approached Li Xiao’s bed, feeling uncomfortable. She bent down and began to neatly fold the clothes that were scattered across it.

When Li Xiao came back, he saw his daughter bustling about. She was very thoughtful, matching her mother’s example by picking up her father’s shoes from under the bed and neatly placing them together.

Seeing this, he was momentarily speechless. For the first time, he experienced the feeling of being cared for by others.

Jiang Rou stood up and put the folded clothes into the cabinet next to her. When she turned around and saw him, noticing his strange expression, she smiled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Li Xiao shook his head and remained silent.

After spending some time there, Li Xiao and Jiang Rou left together.

As they exited the room, they noticed two young boys outside, sitting upright and focused on their computers. As soon as Li Xiao and Jiang Rou left, several people started chatting noisily and surrounded Zhou Jian. “Brother Zhou, isn’t Brother Li’s wife incredibly beautiful?”

“When did he get married? That must have been quite a while ago. I thought he was only a few years older than me.”

“His daughter is lovely too, but she’s still too young.”

“Get lost.”

Li Xiao took Jiang Rou to book a hotel nearby. While booking, he opted for a standard room.

Jiang Rou gave him a puzzled look, but Li Xiao didn’t offer any explanation.

Later that night, Jiang Rou discovered why. Li Xiao waited until their daughter had fallen asleep before moving her to the bed next to Jiang Rou’s.

“…”

Jiang Rou shyly pulled the quilt up to cover half her face and asked, “What are you doing?”

Li Xiao glanced at her before lying down beside her.

Blushing, Jiang Rou eventually couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

When Li Xiao heard this, he not only maintained eye contact but also hesitated for a moment before reaching out to embrace Jiang Rou.

Both of them froze.

Jiang Rou’s heart raced; she held her breath, unsure of what to do. Finally, blushing, she cautiously extended her arms to hug him back.

Noticing her movements, Li Xiao tightened his hold on her hand.

Neither of them spoke, but Jiang Rou broke the silence first, she whispered: “Can you be gentler?”

She could hardly breathe.

Li Xiao responded with a soft hum, loosening his grip slightly—though it remained a bit firm.

Jiang Rou waited in silence until she heard a voice from above her head, saying, “Go to sleep.”

“…”

She realized she had been holding her breath for a long time.

—o—o—o—

Jiang Rou had a wonderful time during their stay. On the morning of their departure, Li Xiao saw them off. They left early, arriving at the bus station while it was still dark outside.

Although their visit was brief, they returned with many belongings packed into a suitcase. Li Xiao placed the suitcase under the bus while Jiang Rou and Xiao Feng waited nearby.

As they were about to board the bus, Jiang Rou suddenly turned around, stood on tiptoe, and quickly kissed him on the lips.

Li Xiao stood there in a daze.

By the time he recovered, Jiang Rou had already run into the bus. He took a few steps back, watching as Jiang Rou and the child settled by the window, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Xiao Feng continued to wave her hands and called out, “Daddy, make sure you eat well!”

Li Xiao’s eyes softened as he said, “Call me when you get home. I’ll be back for the Chinese New Year.”

Jiang Rou smiled, her eyes curving with delight.

They had really enjoyed their trip to S City.

—o—o—o—

After returning home, Xiao Feng stared at the calendar every day, eagerly waiting for her father’s return for the Chinese New Year.

As the end of the year approached, Li Xiao became very busy. He had originally planned to return in early January, but a large order came through, delaying his return by a few days.

Jiang Rou decided to start preparing for the New Year on her own. Wang Minjun, the daughter of Aunt Wang from next door, came back as soon as her holiday began. Wang Minjun was a quiet person. Aunt Wang mentioned that her daughter had been very cheerful in the past, but since her father passed away, she rarely smiled.

Despite his own difficulties, Wang Minjun was a kind person. She brought gifts for Jiang Rou upon her return and, knowing she was preparing for the college entrance examination, helped her borrow books from her high school teacher.

—o—o—o—

On the twenty-eighth day of the lunar new year, Li Xiao finally came back. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and a scruffy beard, showing signs of neglect.

He had a restful sleep at home and the next day accompanied Jiang Rou to buy groceries.

They started by walking around the street, where Jiang Rou bought a coat and a pair of shoes for Li Xiao, and hats for herself and Xiao Feng. They then proceeded to the vegetable market.

On the way, they encountered Zhou Jian, who was also out buying vegetables. Li Xiao mentioned that his mother was not in good health and rarely went out. Zhou Jian was unsure of what to buy but decided to follow Li Xiao and the others to the vegetable market.

When they arrived at the market, Jiang Rou bought some fresh vegetables and then led Li Xiao to the fish stall. The fish needed to be fresh, as Jiang Rou had not purchased any in the past few days.

Several fish stalls were crowded with people. The fresh grass carp and crucian carp were nearly sold out. After examining the stalls, Jiang Rou guided them to a stall at the back, where she frequently bought fish. On the way, she explained, “The couple running this stall are from the village nearouts. Their family manages a fishery. They are very honest, and the fish they sell is excellent.”

At the stall, Jiang Rou purchased two fresh sea bass. These sea bass were a bit more expensive, and only a few large ones were left.

As they were leaving, a voice called out from behind, “Wang Yan——”

Zhou Jian, who had been following, instinctively looked back and saw the couple at the stall skillfully preparing fish and handling transactions.

The couple seemed to have a good relationship, smiling at each other.

For some reason, this scene made Zhou Jian feel a bit uncomfortable, and he frowned.

Li Xiao called to him, “What’s the matter? Your sister-in-law asked if you’re coming home for dinner during the New Year.”

Zhou Jian snapped out of his thoughts and replied a bit belatedly, “Okay,” and then added politely, “Thank you for the trouble.”

Li Xiao gathered the bags from Jiang Rou and said to him, “Make sure to buy more meat; he likes to eat meat.”

Jiang Rou laughed and said, “Are you kidding? As if you don’t like it?”

Li Xiao also smiled, his lips curving slightly as he looked at her with warmth in his eyes.

Zhou Jian, who was walking behind them, felt a pang of envy as he observed the affectionate interaction between the two.

—o—o—o—

On New Year’s Eve, they gathered for the New Year’s Eve dinner. In addition to Zhou Jian and his son, Aunt Wang and her daughter from next door joined them, making the table bustling with people.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and it was, without a doubt, the most lively New Year’s Eve dinner they had ever experienced.

Later that night, after Xiao Feng had fallen asleep, Li Xiao quietly moved her to the room next to theirs.

When he returned, he held Jiang Rou in his arms. Jiang Rou, smiling secretly, took the initiative. She skillfully wrapped her arms around his waist and tilted her face up to kiss him.

Her hands wandered beneath his clothes, touching him lightly.

Li Xiao felt a bit uncomfortable but leaned down to kiss her on the lips.

He wasn’t sure how long they kissed, but after they broke apart, he breathed heavily and said, “We’ll get the certificate again after the New Year.”

Jiang Rou was breathing harder than he was.

She immediately responded, “No.”

Li Xiao looked at her, puzzled.

Jiang Rou spoke confidently, “In the future, when you have the money, you’ll need to buy a ring and propose to me. We’ll have a wedding first, and only then will I get the marriage certificate with you. We are in love now—do you understand what love is? If you treat me poorly, I could always leave you.”

She wasn’t naive. How could someone get a marriage certificate right after starting a relationship?

Li Xiao smiled and said, “Okay.”

Noticing her defiant look as if daring him to challenge her, he couldn’t help but lower his head and kiss her lips lightly once more.

He found that he enjoyed hearing whatever she had to say, no matter what it was.

Jiang Rou, suddenly feeling shy, buried her face in his neck and laughed. Then, she mischievously whispered in his ear: “But we can do something to strengthen our relationship…”

At her words, Li Xiao’s arm around her tightened instinctively.

Jiang Rou laughed again; her amusement clear.

Hearing her laughter, Li Xiao was unsure if she was teasing him or if he had misunderstood her.

Alongside a sense of helplessness, he felt an indescribable sweetness. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Although he had his own youth, it had been consumed with concerns about basic necessities and about his existence.

Before he could even fully grasp his situation, he unexpectedly became a father and had to shoulder the responsibilities of supporting his family.

Looking back, he sometimes felt regretful, as though his life had always been marked by obstructions.

—o—o—o— Lucia: Well I’m happy for Wang Yan. Wang Yan deserves better tbh.