The bed in the bedroom wasn’t very large, and it was a bit crowded for two grown men to lie on. They were almost pressed together.

Jiang Xunyu, a bit shy, buried himself under the covers. After a long day, he quickly settled into a steady breath.

Ji Yuzhou hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

Living in the military had made his sleep patterns irregular, and even when he slept, he would wake at the slightest sound or movement.

Despite the two blankets separating them, Ji Yuzhou could still clearly feel the warmth from Jiang Xunyu’s body. The soft breathing beside his ear, the blanket shifting gently, and Jiang Xunyu, in that moment, seemed to have shed the tough exterior, revealing a soft belly underneath.

Like a little kitten.

For the first time, Ji Yuzhou’s thoughts calmed down, and listening to the even breathing beside him, he finally fell asleep.

…..

Ji Yuzhou rarely slept so peacefully. It felt as if Jiang Xunyu had some kind of magic power, soothing the nerves that had always been on edge.

He hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time, and when he woke up, it was just before dawn.

Jiang Xunyu was still asleep. So Jin Yunzhou gently lifted the covers and quietly got out of bed.

It was rare for Jiang Xunyu to have time off from school, so Ji Yuzhou decided to let him sleep a little longer.

Downstairs, Li Hanqiu had already woken up and was feeding a cat in the small garden. The cat was small, just an ordinary tabby.

Ji Yuzhou walked closer. “I didn’t see this little one yesterday.”

Li Hanqiu, startled by the voice, patted her chest and took a breath before replying, “I remember you never liked animals when you were little, so I didn’t let it in the house yesterday.”

The kitten, still young, looked like it had just been weaned. It stumbled while walking and had a small appetite. After only a few bites, it stopped eating and instead circled Li Hanqiu’s legs.

Ji Yuzhou stood nearby, suddenly remembering something. “There’s another little stray cat in my garage. It’s black.”

Li Hanqiu widened her eyes and almost stepped on the kitten’s tail as it circled around her. “You even have cats now?!”

Her face was full of surprise, her jaw nearly dropping.

Ji Yuzhou felt a little helpless. Was he really that cold and aloof before?

He replied with a simple, “Yeah. Xunyu likes cats, so we left it in.”

Li Hanqiu clicked her tongue. “I knew it! If it were just you, you’d never let such an animal into the house.”

After a moment, Li Hanqiu looked at Ji Yuzhou thoughtfully. “It seems like ever since Xunyu came, you’ve changed a bit.”

The kitten, growing bolder, now played with its own tail between their legs, flipping over to expose its soft white belly.

Ji Yuzhou watched it with interest and asked, “How have I changed?”

Li Hanqiu replied earnestly, “You’ve become more humane.”

She squatted down and gently rubbed the kitten’s soft belly. “You’re very much like your father—secretive, tough, and merciless when it comes to doing things. It’s almost like you’re a machine with no feelings… Your father became softer only after he met me.”

Li Hanqiu sighed and continued, “I’ve always worried about when you’d meet the person who could soften your heart… I didn’t expect it to be a child.”

Same-sex marriage had long been legal, and Li Hanqiu didn’t mind whether Ji Yuzhou was with a man or a woman. With modern reproductive technology, even if the Ji family needed heirs, they could use artificial wombs. Besides, she didn’t care about such things as family legacy.

Ji Yuzhou smiled faintly, not particularly bothered. “You’re teasing me again.”

Li Hanqiu shook her head, no longer speaking, but her gaze was firm. She believed she hadn’t been mistaken.

…..

When Jiang Xunyu woke up, he was alone in bed.

The sun had come out, and the rare winter sunlight bathed the blanket, warming it. He groggily sat up, feeling like he had slept especially well.

Coming downstairs, he immediately saw Li Hanqiu sitting on the couch, watching TV. He walked over and greeted her politely, “Good morning, Aunt Li.”

“Good morning, Xunyu. Happy New Year!”

When Li Hanqiu mentioned the New Year, Jiang Xunyu suddenly remembered the red envelope from yesterday. He put his hands together in a respectful gesture, “Happy New Year to you.”

Li Hanqiu chuckled and pulled him over to sit beside her. “It’s fine. Our family doesn’t have that many formalities. We don’t do all those rituals.”

Jiang Xunyu withdrew his hands obediently and looked around. “Where’s Mr. Ji?”

“He’s in the garden, helping me water the plants.”

Jiang Xunyu immediately stood up. “I’ll go help.”

“No need.” Li Hanqiu pulled his arm and placed it on her lap. “He’ll be back soon. Breakfast is ready, we’ll eat when he returns.”

Jiang Xunyu, who usually disliked physical contact, surprisingly didn’t feel uncomfortable with Li Hanqiu’s touch, probably because she was Ji Yuzhou’s mother. He still felt a little shy and sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Li Hanqiu was very enthusiastic. “I heard there’s a fireworks show in a few days. Let Yuzhou take you to see it. The fireworks here are grand. I’m sure you’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble? Mr. Ji is really busy…”

Li Hanqiu laughed lightly. “What’s the trouble? He finally has some time off, and if he doesn’t take you out, when will he?”

Just as they were talking, Ji Yuzhou walked in.

To make watering the flowers easier, he had rolled up his pant legs and sleeves, with small specks of dirt inevitably dotting his clothes. The usually serious and commanding regimental General now looked much softer with this change in attire.

Li Hanqiu waved her hand, signaling him to come closer. “I was just telling Xunyu, in a few days there’s going to be a fireworks festival. You should take him to see it.”

Jiang Xunyu, sitting to the side, still appeared hesitant. “I-Is it far? Won’t it be too much trouble…”

Ji Yuzhou walked over to him. “Have you ever seen a fireworks festival?”

Jiang Xunyu shook his head honestly. “No.”

“Then it won’t be any trouble.”

Ji Yuzhou turned to look at Li Hanqiu. “Are you going too? Let’s go together.”

“I’m not going.” Li Hanqiu quickly shook her head. “I’ve seen it so many times already. You two can just go.”

She blinked, suddenly remembering something. “By the way, I heard Xunyu did quite well on his final exams this time?”

“Not bad, he’s made great progress.”

“Perfect, then you can take him to the festival as a reward!”

……

The atmosphere in the room was exceptionally harmonious, like a real family.

Something Jiang Xunyu never even dared to dream of before.