Ji Yuenian, who had effortlessly carried the water bucket up to the eighth floor, was just about to dive into a game of PUBG when his phone buzzed annoyingly, as if deliberately interrupting his fun.
He glanced at the caller ID.
“Bro,” it read-Ji Haotong.
“Hey, bro, what’s up?”
“Come home this Friday,” came Ji Haotong’s deep, slightly magnetic voice from the other end.
At the word “home,” Ji Yuenian’s expression shifted slightly.
“Bro, did something happen at home? Did we go bankrupt?”
“What kind of question is that?”
On the other end, dark lines practically formed on Ji Haotong’s forehead.
If this weren’t his own younger brother, he’d suspect a rival had sent someone to curse him.
Rubbing his temples, he explained, “It’s just a regular family dinner. Mom and Dad want to see how you’re doing.”
“Ah… alright.” After a brief hesitation, Ji Yuenian agreed.
Hanging up, he lay on his bed, staring at his phone as thoughts swirled in his head.
His relationship with his family wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. It wasn’t due to some evil stepmother or ruthless father-it was just his personality.
His father, Ji Hong, was the chairman of Hongyuan Group, a master of the business world whose tactics and decisiveness struck fear into competitors.
Even standing still, his aura alone was suffocating, exuding an intimidating presence.
His brother, Ji Haotong, was the head of Hongyuan Group’s Apparel Design Department, groomed personally by their father as his successor-young, accomplished, and brilliant.
His mother, Huang Qingchuan, was a prodigy pianist whose trophies filled entire rooms.
Her family was also wealthy and influential.
This meant that in this household, everyone outshone Ji Yuenian, relegating him to the bottom of the family hierarchy.
Yet, Ji Yuenian had inherited his father’s domineering, unyielding personality.
Preferring to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big one, he had started boarding at school since middle school, ruling the roost there and basking in the flattery of his underlings calling him “Bro Ji.”
As for home, visiting once or twice during holidays or when he missed his parents was enough.
After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
But the world works in mysterious ways-like Murphy’s Law, the things you least want to happen tend to happen the fastest.
Friday arrived in no time.
That afternoon, he endured two more mind-numbing classes with the dreaded “Ruler Nun.”
Bored out of his mind, Ji Yuenian stealthily pulled out his phone, only for the nun to suddenly appear behind him, smacking her ruler on the ground before sentencing him to stand at the back of the classroom for two whole periods.
Finally, when class ended, he thought he was free-only to be punished with cleaning duty, specifically paired with Jiang Chi.
Ji Yuenian: “…”
He couldn’t help but reiterate his earlier sentiment: “Teacher Chen, you really know how to use one rich kid to keep another in check!”
Thud!
The heavy metal bucket hit the ground with a dull thud, water sloshing out and shattering into countless tiny, glistening droplets that sparkled under the sunlight.
Without hesitation, Ji Yuenian rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a tattered rag, and tossed it into the water.
Once soaked, he wrung it out forcefully.
Finished, he glanced at the blue-eyed boy standing motionless nearby and frowned.
“What are you waiting for? Get to work!”
“The sooner we finish, the sooner I can go home and game. I still have dailies to grind today.”
With that, he turned around and began wiping the dust-covered classroom windows with a rag.
As for the blue-eyed boy…
Jiang Chi stared at the slightly impure water in the metal bucket, his brows furrowing slightly.
The thought of having to get close to this made his eyes flicker with resistance, and his stomach churned violently, almost turning upside down.
After taking several deep breaths to steady himself, Jiang Chi pulled out a pair of waterproof gloves from his bag, put them on carefully, and then donned a waterproof mask.
After meticulously checking every detail to ensure nothing was amiss, he slowly approached the bucket, crouched down, and gazed at the slightly impure water.
His face, hidden behind the mask, showed a mix of solemnity and conflict, his lips trembling faintly beneath the covering.
After a long pause, he finally lowered the rag into the water with extreme caution, soaking it lightly.
The clear water reflected a pair of faintly resistant yet determined light blue eyes, a sight that would break anyone’s heart.
On the other side, seeing Jiang Chi take so long to act, Ji Yuenian curled his lips in disdain.
Taking forever just to wipe a window-what a spoiled brat! Just watching him makes my fists clench!
As the sun dipped westward and time slipped by, Ji Yuenian stretched after finishing three of the four windows.
Glancing at the time, he realized it was getting late.
“There are four windows in total. I’ve done three, so the last one and the blackboard are yours! I’m outta here!”
With a laugh, he tossed the rag aside and vanished in an instant.
Seeing this, Jiang Chi said nothing but quickened his movements.
After finishing the window, he picked up the bucket at his feet and splashed the entire contents onto the blackboard.
As the water cascaded down, he grabbed the eraser and scrubbed vigorously.
* * *
By now, the sky had dimmed slightly, the half-sun cut off by the mountain ridge.
Ji Yuenian dashed through the half-light with his small bag slung over his shoulder.
The streetlights shone brilliantly at this hour, and his footsteps echoed crisply through the hallway.
Hands behind his head, Ji Yuenian strode toward his front door, a defiant grin on his face.
“Mom, Dad, bro-your boy’s back!!”