The moment the words slipped out, Jiang Chi immediately came to his senses.
A glance from Ding Qing revealed there was no Ji Qingchan—only Ji Yuenian.
Ji Yuenian, standing at 1.8 meters tall, was even slightly taller than him.
And yet, it had only been a week since they last met, but his hair had grown this long?
“Sorry, I misread it,” Jiang Chi shook his head and explained.
Inwardly, he thought he must have been too homesick, and his yearning for the person had distorted his vision—turning a boy into a girl.
Especially since the two shared no resemblance in looks or height whatsoever.
However, Jiang Chi didn’t notice how Ji Yuenian’s tense body suddenly relaxed.
Had he spoken just a second later, the welcome he would have received was likely a fist.
Damn it!
Ji Yuenian breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking to himself: Imagine seeing the girl you like being impersonated by a guy, constantly gaslighting you—if you slipped up, they’d come knocking with a knife!
Ji Yuenian hesitated, then turned sideways and said, “Come in.”
Since the other was the beloved son of his mother’s close friend, Ji Yuenian certainly wouldn’t keep him outside but instead invited him in, offering the hospitality of a host.
Jiang Chi nodded and stepped inside.
The two sat opposite each other in the living room.
Jiang Chi got straight to the point, stating that he knew Ji Yuenian was well-connected and well-informed at school and asked if he had any information about his girlfriend Ji Qingchan’s family address.
“Your girlfriend Ji Qingchan—”
Ji Yuenian’s lips twitched slightly. Had he admitted to that? Didn’t he just give Jiang Chi flowers? After gaslighting him a bit, Jiang Chi actually believed it? Just wait until he dumps him; then he’d see him crying and wailing.
“About Junior Sister Ji,” Ji Yuenian shrugged, “I only know she’s an orphan. Her parents are both dead. She has a part-time job outside school. As for her home address, I’m not sure. If you want, I can use my connections in the student council to help find out.”
“But Jiang Chi, you two lovebirds having a fight?”
Ji Yuenian’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if that pure and adorable ‘Ji Qingchan’ who hid a sly heart inside wasn’t him at all.
“No,” Jiang Chi shook his head. “It’s me—not good enough, didn’t meet her expectations.”
At this, Ji Yuenian’s eyes flickered, thinking to himself: How does that sound so much like a lovesick fool? Could it be that the pure little boy has been gaslit into love madness?
Getting no useful info here, Jiang Chi briefly thanked him and intended to leave.
But as he reached the door, it suddenly swung open, revealing a beautiful woman holding vegetables and meat.
“Yueyue, come help me carry this, it’s so heavy… Uh, isn’t that Xiaorou’s Jiang Chi?” Huang Qingchuan, holding her waist and panting, called out but froze when she saw Jiang Chi at the door.
“Aunt Huang,” Jiang Chi greeted politely with a nod.
“Mom, he’s here.” From behind came Ji Yuenian’s cheerful voice as he quickly stepped forward, grabbed the bundles of vegetables and meat, and walked into the kitchen.
Jiang Chi had planned to take this chance to leave but couldn’t resist Aunt Huang’s warmth and was forced to stay for lunch.
Perhaps having once acted as a strategist at Jiang Chi’s home, Huang Qingchuan knew his tastes well.
The lunch was exceptionally light—so light that even Ji Yuenian complained loudly, saying it had no flavor at all and demanded at least some spicy crayfish.
The consequence? Aunt Huang gave him a hard smack!
“Boiled broccoli, Mom, can you please not make this dish anymore?” Ji Yuenian grumbled at the table.
“Not asking for braised pork ribs or spicy fish, but at least stir-fry some spicy cabbage for me. This broccoli has no seasoning—I feel like throwing up just looking at it.”
“Broccoli is rich in vitamins, good for your brain. I heard it even prevents mental illnesses,” Huang Qingchuan answered with a smile, completely unfazed by her son’s complaints and deliberately picked some broccoli into Ji Yuenian’s bowl.
“No throwing it away, eat it, or you’ll have to order takeout from now on.”
Don’t want to eat broccoli…
The warm mother-son banter didn’t catch Jiang Chi’s attention.
Instead, his gaze fell on that plate of green boiled broccoli, and a sudden thought inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
Ji Qingchan?
Jiang Chi’s eyes shifted to Ji Yuenian’s face.
Compared to the healthy wheat-colored skin from not long ago, Ji Yuenian now seemed paler, but still not as fair and delicate as his own girlfriend.
His gaze traveled down his face—his cheeks looked fuller, his skin better, and he even had an Adam’s apple.
Though it seemed smaller than it had been a month or two ago.
Jiang Chi was puzzled.
No matter the looks, height, or weight, the two had no similarities at all.
Ji Yuenian. Ji Qingchan.
Why was he linking these two completely unrelated people in his mind?
“Mom, you eat some more too.” Out of courtesy, Ji Yuenian quickly picked some broccoli into Huang Qingchuan’s bowl, then reached up to smooth back his short hair.
It was this casual little gesture that made a certain young man hold his breath for a moment.
Why didn’t Ji Yuenian like broccoli?
Not just because it had no flavor or poor texture, but because his mother didn’t like broccoli either—something inherited deep in his bones.
Sure enough, Huang Qingchuan’s face darkened the moment she saw the broccoli and she ground her teeth.
“Yueyue, you!”
“Oh, Mom, broccoli is full of vitamins, good for your brain.”
“……”
Their warm interaction was once again ignored by Jiang Chi.
He picked up a piece of broccoli with his chopsticks, slowly put it in his mouth, and began chewing.
His thoughts, however, had unconsciously drifted back to that subtle gesture just now—the way Ji Yuenian smoothed his hair.
It was so alike. Too alike.
As if cast from the same mold.
The only difference being his own Qingchan smoothed long hair, while Ji Yuenian smoothed short hair.
Despite their vastly different looks, height, and weight, that single movement made their images overlap in Jiang Chi’s eyes.
But clearly, they were different…
Wait, the same mold?
At that moment, a lightning-fast thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Jiang Chi’s heart jumped, and a wildly bold and crazy hypothesis took shape.
His gaze fell on Huang Qingchuan, who was desperately picking broccoli for her eldest son, engaged in mutual torment.
After lunch, Jiang Chi didn’t immediately leave.
Instead, he eagerly helped clear the table, even casting a different kind of look at Ji Yuenian.
With Jiang Chi’s active involvement, Ji Yuenian naturally slipped onto the sofa, resuming his otaku lifestyle.
In the kitchen, Jiang Chi helped wash the dishes.
His former cleanliness obsession seemed to have vanished without a trace at this moment.
Huang Qingchuan didn’t seem surprised; it looked like she had already received some news from her close friend.
“Aunt Huang, what do you think of my girlfriend?” The boy asked while carefully scrubbing a bowl with a sponge.
His blue eyes sparkled like stars—casual, but with an unmistakable undertone of probing.
“Her musical talent is excellent,” Huang Qingchuan replied, washing dishes smoothly.
“I saw your last art performance. Her talent rivals mine back in the day.
If she’s willing, she can learn piano from me—I’ll teach her personally, hand in hand.
It’s a perfect chance to pass on my legacy.”
Hand-teaching Ji Qingchan—
Was that a clear hint or just a subtle suggestion?
No, maybe he was overthinking.
In the end, after leaving the Ji household, Jiang Chi went down the corridor and stairs, finally stepping out of the apartment building.
Only then did his slightly clenched left hand slowly open, revealing a lock of jet-black, beautiful hair inside.
Between deduction and speculation, Jiang Chi chose to believe in science.