Red tiles, green trees, and a small Western-style house; the blue sea and sky blend into one serene scene.
Walking past the pebble path of Unit 22, passing a few lush phoenix trees, he took the elevator up to Room 304. The doorbell rang clearly, but after a long while, there was no response from behind the door.
Jiang Chi furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of worry flashing through his deep eyes. He pulled out his phone, his long fingers quickly tapping the screen. He sent a short message: “Are you home?”
One minute, two minutes, three minutes… time seemed to freeze. Half an hour quietly slipped away, yet there was still no reply.
The silent phone screen was like a stagnant pool, completely still, as if the other person had vanished into thin air—disappeared without a trace.
Jiang Chi’s brow creased a bit more. He stared at the tightly closed door, then glanced again at the silent phone. After waiting another fifteen minutes, until the sky was completely dark, he slung his bag over his shoulder and left.
Along the way, Jiang Chi repeatedly called Ji Qingchan on WeChat video, but all he got was the customer service’s standard automated message: “Hello, the user you are trying to reach is currently on another call. Please try again later.”
For some reason, an uneasiness rose in Jiang Chi’s heart, as if something had slipped through his fingers.
Back home, restless Jiang Chi happened to run into Chen Mengrou, who was busy tidying up the living room. One by one, she stuffed cosmetics and clothes into a suitcase, making the whole living room look a bit messy.
“Mom, where are you going?”
“I’m going to help Aunt Qingchuan take care of that Ji family kid. Didn’t Aunt Qingchuan come over before to help you as a strategist? This is just a matter of returning the favor—basic human decency.”
Suddenly, Chen Mengrou stopped what she was doing and quickly approached Jiang Chi, reaching out to gently pinch her eldest son’s face. Her brows knitted with concern as she asked, “A Chi, what’s wrong? You’ve been wearing a gloomy face. Are you unhappy?”
“No.” Jiang Chi shook his head.
Though he was indeed uneasy about Ji Qingchan’s silence, in front of his mother, he forced a sunny, cheerful smile. He lightly hugged Chen Mengrou and joked, “It’s just that I won’t be able to eat Mom’s cooking for a few days, that’s all.”
“You’re always thinking about food—just like that Ji family kid. You’re already grown up; you need to learn how to cook for yourself.” Chen Mengrou pinched his cheek again, scolding affectionately.
“When Chanchan gets pregnant and is in confinement, you’ll have to cook yourself. That’s an old tradition in the Jiang family.”
“Think about when I was pregnant with you—your dad held back his cleanliness obsession to make me nutritious meals. You’d better learn soon, or if something happens… cough cough…” She caught herself saying too much and stopped abruptly.
Pregnant? Confinement?
Hearing this, warmth surged in Jiang Chi’s heart. His clear blue eyes gradually regained their usual brightness.
That’s right. What his mother said was true. He was destined to become a qualified, reliable man, providing his girlfriend with a warm and solid harbor of support. How could he let such a trivial matter bring him down?
Qingchan didn’t reply; maybe her phone was stolen. Staying out late and not coming home might mean she was just out having fun. There was no way a fully grown adult could simply vanish.
As her boyfriend, he should fully trust her and not jump to baseless conclusions.
The essence of love is tolerance. Tolerance naturally means understanding that a partner has their own private space.
He couldn’t always be by Ji Qingchan’s side. She had her own personal space, social circle, friends, and work.
What he could do was support her, not arrogantly force his way into her life.
His Qingchan needed wings, freedom, privacy—not to be a caged canary put on display, with no secrets kept from him.
Tomorrow, his Qingchan would still be there, still waiting for him in that little alley.
“Mom, thank you. I understand now.” His gaze was firm as he nodded seriously.
He then gave Chen Mengrou a big, tight hug. Before she could fully react, he turned and headed back to his bedroom.
Chen Mengrou was left staring at her confident eldest son’s retreating back, scratching her head in confusion.
What’s gotten into my son?
Well, it’s probably not a bad thing.
*****
“Yum~ So delicious~”
“Mom, I want more.”
Recently, Ji Yueniang’s days on the sickbed had been nothing but blissful. Waited on hand and foot like a woman in confinement, she was pampered by the entire family.
“Eat, eat, all you do is eat.” Huang Qingchuan furrowed her brow, pretending to scold her second son sharply. Yet despite her words, she earnestly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and fed it steadily into Ji Yueniang’s mouth.
Ji Yueniang’s abdominal wound had been stitched up. Now all that was left was rest and recuperation.
The spacious VIP ward currently housed only Ji Yueniang and Huang Qingchuan. No, there was also Chen Mengrou—three in total.
Ji Hong and Ji Haotong had long since gone back to handle the backlog of work at the company.
But it had to be said, the VIP ward was truly luxurious. Aside from the hospital bed that made it clear this was a ward, the rest of the furnishings were like a fully equipped small villa.
The bedroom was bright and spacious, the living room warm and cozy. The TV screen was huge and crystal clear, and there was even a gas stove for cooking, fully meeting daily living needs.
“Aunt Chen.” Ji Yueniang suddenly noticed the beautiful woman fiddling with her phone on the sofa and smiled, calling out. Then he pointed to the lavish spread of dishes on the small dining table. “Come eat with us before the food gets cold.”
“Later, I’m looking at clothes.”
“What is Xiaorou looking at?” Huang Qingchuan’s curiosity was suddenly piqued, and she hurried over.
“Baby clothes.” Chen Mengrou didn’t look up as she replied.
“Your A Chi is moving fast, huh?” Huang Qingchuan sounded surprised.
“Thinking ahead.” Chen Mengrou finally looked up and rolled her eyes at her good friend. “Not to mention Chanchan is only sixteen this year—still so young. And A Chi is still a minor himself. I’m just preparing early.”
“Buying both boys’ and girls’ clothes. A Chi said they plan to get married after high school.”
A gentle smile appeared on Chen Mengrou’s face.
“Tell me beforehand, and I’ll have the factory make them custom. I love babies the most.” Huang Qingchuan said excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
There was no denying it—the maternal instinct was deeply engraved in a woman’s memory. Mentioning an unborn baby instantly captured the full attention of both women, and they eagerly began discussing baby stuff, completely forgetting the patient lying on the bed waiting to be fed.
Marry right after high school…
Ji Yueniang’s mouth twitched slightly.
Damn it! Jiang Chi, how dare you spread rumors about me!
When I’m healed, if I don’t make you cry your eyes out, I won’t be a Ji!