The woman wore a smooth fur coat, her makeup delicate and dignified. Her crimson lips formed a stark contrast with the pure, flawless snow falling around her.

Ji Yuzhou stepped out of the car and walked toward her with Jiang Xunyu.

Jiang Xunyu’s heart climbed into his throat with each step.

“Mom, long time no see,” Ji Yuzhou greeted.

Jiang Xunyu’s guess was right—this was Ji Yuzhou’s mother.

Such an elegant and noble woman made Jiang Xunyu feel unworthy. He lowered his head so much that he seemed afraid she might notice something unpleasant about him and grow disgusted.

Unexpectedly, her first words left him stunned.

With a gentle smile, she walked forward and reached out to take the items Jiang Xunyu was carrying. “Is this Xiao Xunyu? What a good boy!”

Jiang Xunyu froze, standing there dumbly, unsure how to respond. The woman smiled at Ji Yuzhou, playfully teasing, “Did you say something bad about me before you came? Why is he so scared to even look at me?”

Ji Yuzhou felt helpless. “Mom, how could I? I barely have time to praise you.”

He turned to Jiang Xunyu and introduced her. “This is my mom. You can just call her Aunt Li.”

Her name was Li Hanqiu, and she had shared a deep bond with Ji Yuzhou’s father. The Ji family had protected her well, so the outside world only knew of her existence but had never seen her face or learned her name.

“Hello, Xunyu,” Li Hanqiu greeted warmly, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into a smile. “Yuzhou has mentioned you to me more than once, saying how likable you are.”

Jiang Xunyu’s stiff posture softened bit by bit. In a low voice, he said, “Hello, Aunt Li.”

Li Hanqiu smiled and patted his head gently through his hat. “Good boy. It’s cold outside. Let’s go in.”

….

Like the exterior, the house’s interior had a very traditional design. The spiral staircase was made of solid wood, and a large fireplace on the wall emitted a warm, orange glow.

Each door was adorned with Spring Festival couplets and the Chinese character for “blessing.” Compared to the icy world outside, the house felt warm and cozy, full of life.

After Ji Yuzhou’s father passed away, Li Hanqiu had lived here alone. She was naturally quiet, and there were no servants in the house except for a housekeeping robot Ji Yuzhou sent to clean regularly. All the flowers and plants in the yard were tended by her personally.

Ji Yuzhou had suggested bringing her to live in the city, but she was tired of its noise and scheming. She preferred the serenity of tending to her garden here.

Left with no choice, Ji Yuzhou visited her as often as possible.

Once inside, Li Hanqiu added more coal to the fireplace and poured hot tea for both of them.

Snow danced outside in the freezing air, while inside the house, warmth and comfort spread, gradually dispersing the chill from their bodies.  

Ji Yuzhou took off his coat and casually hung it to one side. Jiang Xunyu also felt a bit warm, but he still kept his hat tightly on his head. Sweat beads dripped down his nose. Li Hanqiu sat across from him, asking with concern, “Xunyu, are you hot? Do you want to take your hat off?”

“No, no need.”

Jiang Xunyu quickly refused without thinking. He always remembered that his eye color was different from others, and he feared that Li Hanqiu might be scared if she saw them.

Li Hanqiu was especially warm-hearted. “If you’re hot, just take it off. The house is warm, you should be careful not to get heat rash from being too stuffy.”

Ji Yuzhou nodded. “If you’re hot, you can take it off.”

“But…” Jiang Xunyu glanced at Ji Yuzhou instinctively, his blue eyes trembling with unease under the brim of his wide hat.  

“It’s okay,” Ji Yuzhou encouraged him gently.  

After Ji Yuzhou decided to keep Jiang Xunyu by his side, he had explained the boy’s situation to Li Hanqiu.  

Li Hanqiu, naturally kind-hearted and fond of children, still remembered how a blue-eyed stranger had once saved her son’s life. Learning that this child was connected to that person and hearing what Jiang Xunyu had been through, her heart melted. She even regretted that the Ji family hadn’t found him sooner.  

Faced with their kindness, Jiang Xunyu couldn’t refuse. Hesitating for a long time, he carefully grasped the edges of his hat with both hands, lifting it slightly.  

His movements were tentative, ready to pull it back down immediately if Li Hanqiu showed even the slightest discomfort.  

Li Hanqiu’s gentle gaze remained on Jiang Xunyu, her face still soft with a smile. When her dark eyes, so similar to Ji Yuzhou’s, met Jiang Xunyu’s striking blue ones, there wasn’t the slightest trace of disdain or fear.  

It was just normalcy.  

And this was what Jiang Xunyu longed for most.  

He didn’t need grand praise or deliberate compliments. He just wanted to be treated like an ordinary person.  

Gradually, he removed his hat completely and shrugged off his coat as well.  

Li Hanqiu stood to help hang up his coat, but Ji Yuzhou intervened. “Mom, let him do it himself.”  

Snapping out of his daze, Jiang Xunyu quickly said, “I can do it myself.”  

He stood, hung his coat beside Ji Yuzhou’s, and returned to his seat, though his gaze remained shy and hesitant.  

Li Hanqiu smiled, turning to Ji Yuzhou. “Have you been too strict with Xunyu? He seems afraid to even speak.”  

Ji Yuzhou sipped his tea with a touch of helplessness. “The kid is just a little shy.”  

As the two chatted casually, Jiang Xunyu bit his lip hard, finally unable to hold back.  

He raised his eyes to look at Li Hanqiu, still smiling, and asked seriously, “Aren’t you… afraid of me?”  

Li Hanqiu blinked, surprised. “Afraid? Afraid of what?”  

Jiang Xunyu pursed his lips, his fingers curling instinctively, nails digging into his palms.  

“My… my eyes are blue. Some people say eyes like mine are unlucky and bring bad luck…”  

Li Hanqiu froze momentarily.  

Ji Yuzhou had specifically discussed this with her before, asking her not to mention Jiang Xunyu’s blue eyes in front of him. The boy was sensitive and insecure, deeply fearful of judgment.  

Li Hanqiu, like Ji Yuzhou, had seen too much to believe in such baseless rumors. She never thought people with unique eyes were any different.  

But Jiang Xunyu’s timid demeanor made her heart ache.  

Most would have hidden such rumors, never letting the child hear of them. Yet here was this boy, brave enough to bring it up himself.  

Ji Yuzhou was naturally reserved, and Li Hanqiu had once wondered how he could agree to keep this half-grown child with no blood relation by his side.

Now she understood. Such a pure, thoughtful boy, always considering others, must have been exactly what Ji Yuzhou, who had grown up surrounded by lies and deceit, longed for most.  

After a brief pause, Li Hanqiu chuckled softly. “Is that really a saying? Well, I’ve never seen those with black eyes being particularly lucky, either.”  

Her casual remark dissolved the last of Jiang Xunyu’s unease.