Chapter 9: Waiting for Him to Come Home

The unintentional revelation of the truth is often the most deadly.

In Jian Mingzhou’s mind, dozens of reasons flashed in an instant to explain why he was so well-versed in this matter.

Just as he was about to speak, the sound of wind chimes behind him interrupted him.

Dingling… He Yi’s attention shifted instantly, then his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, “Zhou Xuyang!”

Not enough time to explain—

The myriad words surging in his heart retreated like the tide. Jian Mingzhou grabbed He Yi’s hand, directly meeting his gaze, and spoke concisely and forcefully:

“I actually have a younger sister.”

“…”

He Yi paused, his mouth hanging open.

Zhou Xuyang walked towards them, and from a distance, he saw Jian Mingzhou grabbing He Yi’s hand. They seemed particularly close, and he instinctively glanced at Xie Jing. Another thought popped into his mind: Gie gie won’t mind, right?

“He Yi, Brother Mingzhou,” Zhou Xuyang called out.

Jian Mingzhou turned around and noticed that Xie Jing had unexpectedly come along. He was taken aback.

Xie Jing met his gaze. “Uncle.”

“Oh, Xiaojing.”

“Ah, I’ll go to settle the bill!” He Yi called out, but then he suddenly stopped, turned to Jian Mingzhou, and whispered in his ear, “No wonder you seemed so natural…”

“You should have told me earlier. From now on, we’re brothers in this alliance!”

After saying that, he ran to the cashier with his books.

Jian Mingzhou breathed a sigh of relief. Clarity is good…

He looked at Xie Jing again. “Why did Xiaojing come over too?”

Zhou Xuyang immediately added fuel to the fire. “Brother Mingzhou, Xie Jing came to find you!”

“?” Jian Mingzhou raised an eyebrow. “…Did you forget your keys?”

Zhou Xuyang: “…”

Xie Jing, with his hands in his pockets, said, “It’s on the way. We can go back together.” He paused. “Or, do you want to shop a bit more?”

Wait a minute.

How did it become “they” want to shop a bit more? Who are “they”? He Yi?

“I’m not shopping anymore. Let’s go home,” Jian Mingzhou said.

Xie Jing simply said, “Okay.”

Not long after, He Yi returned after settling the bill. He had two bags filled with more than ten books. He handed one bag directly to Zhou Xuyang.

Jian Mingzhou silently observed: Oh, oh, oh…

With bright eyes, Xie Jing cast a glance at him.

The three of them left the bookstore together and prepared to part ways at the entrance.

Waving his hand, He Yi said, “Brother Mingzhou, next time, introduce our sisters to each other!” After saying that, he left with Zhou Xuyang, who was still wearing a puzzled expression.

Jian Mingzhou: “…”

How does he still remember that?

Once the two were far away, Xie Jing looked at him. “Uncle, you have a younger sister too?”

Jian Mingzhou nodded solemnly. “…In theory, yes.”

“?”

—

The rainy season from a while ago had passed, and it had become hot again these days.

On one side of the editorial department, bathed in sunlight streaming through the glass windows, Jian Mingzhou looked wilted.

“Facing difficulties?” Xia Ye asked with concern.

Jian Mingzhou looked exhausted. “Can I borrow a…”

Xia Ye elegantly opened her wallet. “How much?”

“…My sister.”

“…” Xia Ye looked at him sternly. “Are you saying something perverted?”

Jian Mingzhou couldn’t explain and wearily waved his hand, temporarily putting aside this topic. “Forget it.”

Approaching the middle of the month, the pile of work increased again.

There were still a few lives waiting for him to rescue.

After completing a stack of work, Jian Mingzhou returned home later than usual. As soon as he entered, he saw Xie Jing packing a suitcase.

He paused. “Xiaojing?”

Xie Jing squatted in front of the suitcase, his long arms resting on his knees. This posture emphasized his long hands and legs, with distinct joints. He raised his head at the sound.

“Uncle, I’m going home for a bit tomorrow.”

Jian Mingzhou closed the door and assessed his expression, and it didn’t seem like an urgent matter. “What happened?”

“It’s getting hot. I’m going back to change a few sets of clothes.”

“Will you come back for dinner?”

Xie Jing looked at the suitcase as if contemplating, then said, “Not for now.”

…

The next day, Xie Jing left in the morning.

His home was in the neighboring city, and it took over two hours by car.

By the time he reached home, it was close to noon.

The taxi slowly stopped in an elegant villa area, and behind a well-trimmed lawn stood a three-story standalone villa.

Xie Jing got off the car with his luggage, and a maid greeted him.

“Young Master Jing is back!”

He nodded. “Where are my parents?”

“President Lin and President Xie went out for work and are not at home.”

Xie Jing, unsurprised, nodded and walked into the villa, heading to his own room to change his clothes.

After he finished packing and came downstairs, a sound of parking cars could be heard outside.

Soon, the gate opened, and a tall and outstanding beauty walked in. Wearing a suit and high heels, exuding a sharp and capable aura.

Xie Jing’s gaze swept over her, calling out, “Mom.”

Xie Xiyun was somewhat surprised but didn’t ask anything. She walked into the living room and said, “Let’s have dinner.”

They had a habit of not talking during meals.

Towards the end of the meal, Xie Xiyun wiped her mouth and finally said, “Why are you back?”

“To get some clothes.”

“How’s the training camp?”

“It’s fine.”

“I heard you’re staying at your cousin’s friend’s place…”

Xie Jing’s movements paused for a moment, but the next second, Xie Xiyun’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. She answered and spoke a few words, then quickly hung up, standing up.

“I have something to do; I’ll go to the company.”

Xie Jing nonchalantly responded with an “Hmm.”

Xie Xiyun looked at him, wanting to say something, but stopped. Xie Jing raised his head and smiled indifferently. “You go ahead and busy yourself; we can chat next time.”

“… Then, I’ll call you if there’s something.”

Xie Xiyun left a sentence and hurriedly went out.

The tableware clinked lightly on the table, and Xie Jing put down his chopsticks, calmly stood up, and returned to the living room. The spacious house became quiet and empty again.

He sat on the lazy sofa near the window, looking at the sparkling pool outside.

Today, he took leave from the training camp and didn’t have to rush back.

He idled by the window like this for the whole afternoon. It wasn’t until the maid came to ask about dinner that Xie Jing realized it was already four o’clock.

“Young Master Xiao, according to the nutritional meal plan, can we have Newell Mouje’s potato stew with Angus beef for dinner tonight?”

“…”

Xie Jing felt a headache coming on. “Is there anything else?”

The maid, with a respectful demeanor, said, “Then, how about changing it to Bonot’s potato stew with Cheyenne Nina beef?”

Xie Jing twitched at the corner of his forehead. Isn’t that still potato stew with beef!

The maid, with the same expression as always, waited in front of him. Xie Jing felt a hint of exhaustion and looked at the bright sunlight outside the window. Suddenly, he felt like going out for a run.

Buzz… His phone vibrated at this moment.

He took it out and saw a WeChat message from Jian Mingzhou.

【Mingzhou】: Xiao Jing, will you come back for dinner tonight? -^0^-

The tense line in his mind loosened a bit. He tapped the screen with his slender fingers: What’s for dinner, Uncle?

【Mingzhou】: Toasted bread, tomato-wrapped cabbage sashimi, fried chicken nuggets, potato fries, red bean milk.

Xie Jing, “…”

【Jing】: Isn’t that just a hamburger combo? ^_^

The message was sent, and there was a deafening silence on the other end.

The quiet villa, in front of the French windows, was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into a suppressed and amused laughter.

Immediately, a tall figure stood up from the sofa.

While Xie Jing was replying to the message, he said to the maid beside him, “No need to prepare dinner.”

The WeChat message went through —

【Jing】: Uncle, get me one too.

–

When Xie Jing returned in the evening, it was already past six.

Outside, the sky had darkened, and the living room emitted a bright light. Jian Mingzhou was sitting on the sofa, writing something.

He heard the movement, turned his head, and saw Xie Jing walking in with a suitcase.

In the faint light, Xie Jing looked a bit quieter than usual, but his mood didn’t seem bad.

“Yesterday, when you said you wouldn’t come back, I thought you probably wouldn’t come home for dinner.”

“Did I cause you trouble?” Xie Jing dragged the suitcase in.

“No.” Jian Mingzhou tapped the keyboard with his fingertips, and there was a genuine gentleness in his eyes. “I was quite happy when you said you’d come back to eat together.”

Xie Jing stopped and looked at him. Scenes from the day at home flashed in his mind for a moment.

After a moment, he softly said, “Hmm.”

Jian Mingzhou finished typing the last word and said gently, “In that case, we can buy many second items at half price.”

“…” Xie Jing.

It was quiet on the sofa for a long time.

Jian Mingzhou turned his head. Xie Jing stared at him for two seconds and finally moved his lips. “I’ll take a bath first.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

Xie Jing put down his suitcase and went to tidy up for a shower.

Jian Mingzhou sat on the sofa, still working. He had been coordinating with the exhibition organizer all day and had to revise the project plan.

Now he was helping a struggling manga artist brainstorm ideas.

The overworked brain was slightly throbbing.

Jian Mingzhou took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.

The sound of dripping water came from the bathroom behind him, bringing a wave of drowsiness. He couldn’t resist the fatigue, temporarily closed the computer, leaned back on the sofa, and closed his eyes —

Just for a short while, until Xie Jing finished showering and called him.

…

When the bathroom door opened, the living room was quiet.

The warm steam filled the air as Xie Jing changed into a black T-shirt, a half-wet towel draped over his shoulders.

A furry head appeared above the back of the sofa, facing away.

Xie Jing held the towel and called, “Uncle?”

There was no response nearby, so he walked over and, bypassing the sofa, sat next to the person. As he lowered his gaze, he saw that Jian Mingzhou had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

His long eyelashes rested on his eyelids, his nose reflected a warm light, and his shoulders gently rose and fell with each breath.

Xie Jing propped himself up with one hand at his side, and the sofa sank a bit.

Just as he was about to lean over to wake him up, the person next to him leaned lightly along the sofa—thud—and nestled into his shoulder.

Without any warning.

Xie Jing’s breath suddenly caught, and the towel slipped from his shoulder.