While Ye Qingxu was frantically buying snacks, Ye Lian flipped through the documents in front of him and fell into deep thought.
The last time he met Ye Qingxu at Jiang Xiaoyu’s house, he instinctively felt that these two had some kind of connection, so he had quietly taken hair samples from both of them and sent them off for DNA comparison. Looking at the results showing a cumulative paternity index greater than 10,000 and a parent-child probability approaching 99.99% infinitely, he thought to himself, as expected—Ye Qingxu and Jiang Xiaoyu shared a father-son relationship.
The world was vast, and perhaps there really were two strangers who looked alike somewhere out there, but he was suspicious by nature and never believed in coincidences.
What truly made him ponder wasn’t the confirmation of their relationship, but why Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t by Ye Qingxu’s side and had instead been raised harshly by the Li Family Couple. He was good at reading people, and Ye Qingxu wasn’t the type to abandon his child.
“Judging by Ye Qingxu’s demeanor, he doesn’t seem to suspect at all that this kid who looks eighty percent like him could have any relation to himself. Is he just that carefree, or deliberately ignoring it?”
How could he know that back then, when Ye Qingxu saw the lifeless female infant, he had already convinced himself his child had died young? How could he reopen that wound and compare the young man to his long-deceased child? To wonder if he might be my son?
This was also the reason Ye Qingxu would regret endlessly in the days to come. Despite having no intention of socializing beyond work, why had he wanted to get close to Jiang Xiaoyu? Despite being able to delegate the measurements to an assistant, why had he made excuses to come over and do it personally multiple times? That irrepressible closeness surging from their blood ties—it was a father’s instinct to love his son.
Yet he had deliberately ignored it all.
“Young master, here’s the other one.” Wang Chengzhi spoke up, interrupting Ye Lian’s thoughts. He said somewhat hesitantly, “It’s… Madam’s and Ji Wangan’s.” He was inwardly shocked, wondering why Ye Lian would do a DNA test on those two. He didn’t know the results, but since Ye Lian had taken this step, he already had his guesses.
Ye Lian took the documents, opened them, and carefully examined the key points of the report—from STR loci mismatches to a paternity index of zero, and cumulative paternity index near zero to a parent-child probability of zero.
His slender fingers tapped on the table, the sound not loud but like it was drumming right on Wang Chengzhi’s heart.
Wang Chengzhi nervously adjusted his glasses and asked in a low voice, “Young master… do you need me to investigate…”
As if knowing what he was about to say, Ye Lian raised his hand to cut him off. “No need. Since she wants to hide it, she must have her reasons. Let her handle it herself.”
—
When Ye Qingxu returned to the courtyard carrying bags of snacks, Jiang Xiaoyu was feeding the cats and dogs. He scooped the prepared food into each of their fluffy little bowls lined up in a row, while instructing a gluttonous cat, “Don’t steal the dogs’ food! They need to eat lots of veggies—your stomach can’t digest that.”
He wouldn’t bother with special instructions if it was just a little nibble here and there; it was just that this little guy was such a glutton.
“Are you talking to them?” Ye Qingxu asked softly. “You must be hungry too, right? I didn’t know what you’d like, so I bought a bunch. See what you want to eat—if you don’t like it, I’ll go buy more.” Recalling the cake Ye Lian had brought last time, he quickly added, “Want some cake? I’ll go get some.” With that, he set down the snacks and turned as if about to head out to buy cake.
Jiang Xiaoyu hurriedly stopped him. “No need, there’s already too much—we can’t finish it all.” He found it a bit odd; Ye Qingxu’s attitude wasn’t just cautious but carried a faint, almost imperceptible fawning, which was just too strange.
“Eat together?” He unpacked the snacks, thinking to himself how this guy had bought way too much—enough to last him until the day after tomorrow.
“Sure, sure.” Ye Qingxu smiled on his face, then turned to grab bowls and chopsticks for Jiang Xiaoyu.
The meal left Jiang Xiaoyu terribly uncomfortable because Ye Qingxu was staring so obviously at the way he ate. Whenever his chopsticks hovered over a dish, Ye Qingxu would scrutinize that dish closely, as if committing it to memory.
Feeling a bit awkward, Jiang Xiaoyu scratched his head. “Mr. Ye, aren’t you eating?” You’re just watching me eat…
“Eating, eating!” Ye Qingxu came back to himself, lowered his head, shoveled a bite of rice, and stopped looking.
But before Jiang Xiaoyu could relax, as soon as he lifted his chopsticks, that gaze locked on again… Jiang Xiaoyu gripped his chopsticks in mild distress, wondering if he’d eaten too much? Does he think my eating manners are bad?
Perhaps noticing that Jiang Xiaoyu hadn’t touched his food in a while due to the pressure he was causing, Ye Qingxu finally stood up with a gentle smile. “I’m full. Eat slowly—I’ll go help feed the cats for you.”
Once he left, Jiang Xiaoyu scratched his neck in confusion, then lowered his head and sped up his eating.
Ye Qingxu didn’t seem like someone who would do housework at all—his features refined and mild, exuding the elegant air of a scholar. Anyone would think he was better suited holding a pen and paper to sketch designs than carrying a food basin to serve meals.
“Mr. Ye, let me do it.” Jiang Xiaoyu wolfed down a few bites and chased after him, taking over the task from Ye Qingxu’s hands. “They’ve already eaten once—just add a bit more for the ones with big appetites.”
Ye Qingxu watched from the side, unwilling to step away even a bit.
Having someone who didn’t seem much older than him gaze at him with such elder-like affection made Jiang Xiaoyu very unaccustomed. He quickly tidied up the fluffy ones’ food without looking up. “Mr. Ye, you go wash up first. I left clothes for you at the bathroom door.” The guy had been busy for so long, still wearing the shirt dirtied before dinner.
Ye Qingxu snapped out of it like from a dream. “Okay… okay.”
His steps were a bit unsteady, but he seemed in a great mood. Jiang Xiaoyu muttered oddly to himself but didn’t dwell on it, turning back to clean the cats’ and dogs’ bowls.
Entering the bathroom, Ye Qingxu found that the kid had thoughtfully placed a pair of shower slippers by the door. He took off his shoes and went in. The bathroom was small with few items; he couldn’t even find body wash or facial cleanser—just a bottle of shampoo, bar soap, and toothpaste.
He recalled what Jiang Xiaoyu had said during the prep: “Anything works. You decide—cheap stuff is fine.” Not a word about money, but every phrase screamed penny-pinching. Had he been living so tough?
Ye Qingxu’s heart ached terribly. Thinking it was water dripping, he touched his face and realized he had already broken down crying.
Though cooler after the start of autumn, it was still August—moving around a bit left him sweaty. After tidying the last spot, Jiang Xiaoyu straightened up with a breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to a clingy cat rubbing against him, “I’m dirty.”
The kitten wouldn’t give up and still wanted to rub, mewling in a whiny voice, “Kitty will lick the boss clean.”
Jiang Xiaoyu crouched down with a laugh, petting it a couple times. Just as he pinched a paw, a voice came from the doorway: “Already eaten?”
He looked up to see Ye Lian standing there, holding an exquisite cake box.
Moonlight gently bathed Ye Lian, outlining his tall and handsome silhouette. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with cuffs casually rolled to the elbows, revealing toned forearms, paired with perfectly tailored trousers that accentuated his long, straight legs.
“Brought you some cake.” He lifted the cake box in his hand but didn’t enter the courtyard, instead leaning idly against the doorframe, as if waiting for someone to approach him of their own accord.
Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears flushed red like bugs crawling there. He stood up awkwardly, taking small steps over, clenched his fingers, then reached for the cake box.
As their fingers brushed, Ye Lian gently caught Jiang Xiaoyu’s fingertip, his warm palm enveloping the other’s slightly cool hand back. Jiang Xiaoyu’s heart jolted; like an electric shock, he tried to pull away, but Ye Lian held him fast.
“Don’t move—you’ll drop the cake and then no eating.”
Jiang Xiaoyu steadied his mind but not the blood rushing to his cheeks. “What are you doing?”
Ye Lian chuckled lightly and countered, “Where’s Officer Jiang? What did you do today? You seem to be in a pretty good mood.”
Jiang Xiaoyu wiggled his fingers in Ye Lian’s palm, not daring to look up as he mumbled with his head down, “I rescued a dog today…”
Ye Lian laughed in disbelief. This little guy’s happiness was over saving a dog? How adorably silly. He’d thought the little miser had picked up some money.
“Where’s that dog? Let uncle see—what kind of pup could put Officer Jiang in such a good mood?”
At that, Jiang Xiaoyu remembered the dog was still touch-and-go at the hospital. The romantic mood dissipated; he pulled his hand back, lips pursed. “Still at the hospital. Don’t know if it’ll make it.”
Ye Lian followed behind him and comforted, “Then let’s go check on it together later?”
Before Jiang Xiaoyu could respond, Ye Qingxu emerged from his bath, holding the dirty clothes. “Let me wash these for you.”
Jiang Xiaoyu blinked in surprise. “No need, I’ll just toss them in the washer.” He took the clothes from Ye Qingxu. “I’ll wash Mr. Ye’s too—they should dry soon.”
Ye Qingxu didn’t refuse, smiling as he watched him head inside. Turning to face Ye Lian, his smile faded a bit. “Mr. Ye, coming to see Little Yu so late?”
Little Yu?
Ye Lian raised a brow. Just the other day he was calling him Mr. Jiang or Officer Jiang—now it was this intimate? His eyes narrowed slightly, a plan forming instantly. With some room for maneuver, he asked, “Mr. Ye already knows?”
Ye Qingxu was startled inside but feigned calm. “What do you mean by that, Mr. Ye?”
One Ye Lian, one Ye Qingxu. The two went back and forth chatting for a few sentences, all just beating around the bush like playing Tai Chi. But no matter how outstanding Ye Qingxu was, he was still just an ordinary person without that many schemes. After a few words, he realized Ye Lian knew about his relationship with Jiang Xiaoyu. With a hoarse voice, he asked, “How did you know?”
Ye Lian glanced at the room, confirming Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t there, and said softly, “I saw you and Little Yu look so alike that I grew suspicious. I took some of your hair strands on my own and did a DNA comparison. I hope Mr. Ye can forgive me.”
Ye Qingxu said with red eyes, “Everyone says we look alike, but I was so muddle-headed, blinded by lard, and delayed discovering it for so long.”
Ye Lian didn’t know the details, but since this man was Jiang Xiaoyu’s father, he decided to show some respect. He comforted, “It’s not too late to discover it now.”
As the two talked, Jiang Xiaoyu poked his head out from behind and asked, “Are you coming in? There are mosquitoes outside.”
Ye Lian chuckled lightly and walked in first. “Mr. Ye, come in too. Let’s have some cake together.”
The same room, the same three people. But compared to last time, the atmosphere this time was clearly much warmer.
Ye Qingxu naturally said nothing about it. Right now, he wished he could sprout eight eyes like a spider to keep staring at Jiang Xiaoyu. Even Ye Lian had a gentle expression as he watched Jiang Xiaoyu. “Is it good?”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded, feeling both awkward and uncomfortable. Although it was a rented house, this was clearly his home, yet he felt like there was no hole to crawl into.
Ye Lian curved his eyes. “Then Uncle will buy you some next time.”
Ye Qingxu was completely focused on watching Jiang Xiaoyu eat, with none of the vigilance he’d shown upon first seeing Ye Lian. Hearing this, he softly chimed in, “Uncle will buy you some too. Do you like Chinese-style or Western-style? I see you eat a lot over at Reid Europe, so Uncle will go look for something tasty tomorrow.”
In the span of one evening, Jiang Xiaoyu inexplicably gained another uncle. He scratched at his slippers with his toes, so embarrassed he had an impulse to turn back into his cat form and burrow into the bedding. He pushed the cake forward. “No need… Mr. Ye, you eat some too.”
Ye Qingxu nodded hurriedly, saying “Okay, okay,” but after scooping a spoonful into his mouth, he looked up to stare at Jiang Xiaoyu again.
Seeing the little cat teetering on the edge of fur-exploding and fleeing, Ye Lian pulled back his chair and stood. “It’s getting late. I saw Mr. Ye drove here—could you give me a ride?”
Ye Qingxu knew he couldn’t linger. He still didn’t know Jiang Xiaoyu’s past experiences, and if he rashly acknowledged their relationship now, who knew what reaction the kid would have.
He forced a smile and said calmly, “Then I’ll take my leave as well.”
Jiang Xiaoyu breathed a quiet sigh of relief and followed behind the two. “Then drive safe.”
After leaving the courtyard, the two walked along the road, the atmosphere falling silent for a moment.
Ye Lian said, “If Mr. Ye doesn’t mind, I have some info on Little Yu here.”
“Why does Mr. Ye have Little Yu’s information? And why investigate Jiang Xiaoyu?”
Ye Lian caught Ye Qingxu’s probing gaze and said flatly, “The matter between Little Yu and me is our business. I’m only asking if you need it.”
Ye Qingxu pressed his lips together, his gaze deep. “Please give it to me, Mr. Ye.”
