Chapter 103: Injured
Mi Xue had only seen Ji Bai’an a few times when she was very young. After he had gone abroad, she had not seen him at all and was still very reserved with him.
It was precisely because of Ji Bai’an’s presence that there was a comparison, and it was obvious that the little girl was more familiar with Bai Luochuan and was better with him.
Ji Bai’an didn’t mind and generously gave Mi Xue a gift. He not only stayed for dinner but also waited for the cake after the meal.
The little girl, wearing a birthday hat, seriously closed her eyes to make a wish. The lights in the room were turned off, leaving only the flickering, faint light of the candles, which cast a warm golden glow on the faces of the people around them, all with kind smiles.
Ji Bai’an looked at Mi Yang, who was accompanying the little girl on the opposite side. After looking for a while, he also started to smile.
Bai Luochuan saw it in his eyes but only frowned, as there were many people around.
After the candles were blown out, everyone shared the cake. Ji Bai’an also got a piece and ate it with relish, his eyes narrowed.
Cheng Qing went to the kitchen to cut some fruit for the little guests. Mi Zehai happened to have some company matters to discuss with Bai Luochuan, and the two of them sat on the sofa and discussed in a low voice. On the contrary, Mi Yang and Ji Bai’an were left to accompany the little girl.
Mi Xue had been secretly looking at the new guest. When Mi Yang had her greet this good-looking little big brother, she had only said “hello” and had hidden behind Mi Yang like a little rabbit, warily sizing up the new guest.
Ji Bai’an, on the other hand, had a very good impression of her. He probably remembered his own interactions with Mi Yang as a child when he saw her hiding. He smiled and said, “Xiaoxue, right? Brother has looked at your book. You like the constellations on it, right? I see you’ve even made a mark.”
Mi Xue nodded.
Ji Bai’an casually flipped through it and sat there, seriously discussing the constellations with the little girl. He knew no less than the child and looked very interested in whatever he said. Hearing Mi Xue talk about Libra, he immediately agreed, “Yes, I also like this one.”
Mi Xue said happily, “What’s brother’s constellation?”
Ji Bai’an said with a grin, “Gemini. It’s the most compatible with Libra.”
Bai Luochuan, who was sitting on the sofa and talking to Mi Zehai, looked up, his brow slightly furrowed, and his gaze soon fell on Ji Bai’an.
Ji Bai’an chatted with the little girl about the constellations for a while, then went to talk to Mi Yang, and even wanted to read Mi Yang’s palm, saying enthusiastically, “Hold out your hand. Let me have a look for you?”
Mi Yang didn’t hold out his hand and smiled. “You even study this abroad?”
Ji Bai’an said, “It’s a kind of fatalism. It’s still quite worth studying, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m just bored. There are only so many things I can do, so I just try everything for fun.”
He was about to grab Mi Yang’s hand, but just as he touched it, his wrist was held. Bai Luochuan walked over and said to him, “I think it’s about time. Your little aunt will be calling everywhere to find you in a bit. I’ll take you home.”
Ji Bai’an said, “No need, I…”
Bai Luochuan pulled him up. “I’ll take you.”
Ji Bai’an then stood up gracefully and smiled. “Alright then. It’s about time to go.” He was being held by his cousin’s wrist but still politely said goodbye to the hosts, saying enthusiastically, “Thank you, Auntie Cheng and Uncle Mi, for your hospitality. I’m very full, and the cake was also very delicious. You must let Mi Yang and Xiaoxue come to my house to play another day.”
Bai Luochuan stood at the door. “Auntie Cheng, I’ll be leaving now.”
Cheng Qing saw them to the door. Bai Luochuan walked in front, and Ji Bai’an took his windbreaker and scarf and followed him out.
Bai Luochuan didn’t let him go back by himself and actually had him get in his car to take him back.
Just as he got in the car, Bai Luochuan frowned. “You wait in the car for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
Ji Bai’an didn’t know what he was going to do. He watched as he got out of the car and went back to the corridor. Just as he got there, he ran into someone who was chasing after him. Mi Yang had come down in a hurry, still wearing slippers, and was holding a thick knitted scarf. He said to him, “I was just talking about it, and then I forgot when I was about to leave. Here, a love-brand scarf my mom knitted. I’ve been wearing it for two days. You should wear it too.”
Bai Luochuan stood there and let him put it on for him. He was a little tall, and Mi Yang had to stand on his tiptoes to get it right. When he was on his tiptoes, the two of them were very close, and Bai Luochuan could even see his long eyelashes when he lowered his eyes slightly. A single flutter seemed to make his own heart tremble, and it was ticklish. The warmth of the scarf also seemed to have seeped into his heart.
Bai Luochuan stood there and said, “The things written in that magazine are all to coax children. They’re not necessarily accurate.”
Mi Yang was taken aback for a moment before he realized what he was talking about. “You still believe in constellations? I don’t believe in that.”
Bai Luochuan was still a little unhappy and asked him, “Then what do you believe in?”
Mi Yang smiled. “I believe in you. Whatever you say, I’ll believe it.”
A single sentence had turned the young master from cloudy to sunny, and he was happy again.
Ji Bai’an sat in the car and looked out. His cousin had a very technical way of blocking him. It took him a long time to see that the person who had chased after him was Mi Yang. He was about to get out of the car to say a few more words when he saw his black-faced cousin get back in the car, and Mi Yang had also left.
Ji Bai’an looked at the new scarf he was wearing, his eyes circling it a couple of times. Before he could speak, he was rejected by Bai Luochuan, “Don’t even think about it. Impossible.”
Ji Bai’an chuckled. “I haven’t even said what I want!”
Bai Luochuan yawned. When it was just the two of them, he no longer pretended to be an outstanding student and raised his eyebrows. “You can’t have anything. Hurry up and go back to your house. What are you running around for?”
Ji Bai’an was not convinced. “I’m here to find Mi Yang. Hey, brother, Mi Yang can’t just have you as his only friend, right?”
Bai Luochuan said, “He has a lot of friends.”
“Then that’s it. One more me won’t hurt. What are you afraid of, brother? It’s not like I’m going to eat him.” Ji Bai’an stretched lazily and smiled. “I just think he’s very interesting, especially when he’s with you. Haven’t you noticed? Little Good Boy is younger than you, but he’s always giving in to you. Sometimes I feel like he’s like an elder…”
Bai Luochuan said with a cold face, “You should call him by his name properly.”
Ji Bai’an squinted at him and smiled. “I can’t even call him that once?”
Bai Luochuan said, “No.”
Ji Bai’an muttered something about being petty but still said gracefully, “Then I’ll just call him Mi Yang.”
Bai Luochuan frowned and held it in.
Ji Bai’an sat there and was still chatting with him. He had probably been cooped up abroad for a long time and could talk about any topic for a few sentences. Bai Luochuan closed his eyes and half-heartedly talked with him for a bit. They had always been like this since they were young, and Ji Bai’an was used to it. He was quite content to be able to come back early this time and run into them. In previous years, his cousin and Mi Yang would have gone back to Shanhai Town by now. There was also an old Mr. Bai there, and they had to go back to the old residence for the festival every year.
Ji Bai’an asked, “Brother, when are you going back this year? You’re not going back to your hometown for the New Year?”
Bai Luochuan said, “After the New Year, around the fifth day.”
Ji Bai’an asked again, “Is Mi Yang going with you?”
Bai Luochuan said, “Yes, together.”
Ji Bai’an couldn’t very well chase him to Shanhai Town. He also had a lot of things to do at home. At most, he could take some time out to play in Shanghai. Hearing this, he said, “Then I’ll come and find him again tomorrow…”
Bai Luochuan said, “He’s not free tomorrow. He’s going to look at the blueprints with me.”
Ji Bai’an said, “Then the day after tomorrow.”
Bai Luochuan said, “Not the day after tomorrow either. He’s going to pick out some tree saplings. He’s found a few nice osmanthus trees and is planning to take them to Shanhai Town to plant. The old residence is being rebuilt, and there are a lot of things to do.”
Ji Bai’an was so angry he laughed. “Then I’ll wait for him for a week. He can’t be busy all this time, right?”
Bai Luochuan sat there and thought for a moment, then said slowly, “You’re right. In another week, a classmate in his class is having a birthday, and they’ve already made plans two months in advance.”
Ji Bai’an: “…”
Ji Bai’an didn’t believe it, but he had come several times and had not been able to catch him. Sometimes, when he ran into Mi Yang at the pharmacy, he would also be politely refused, “My mom is sick. I have to cover her shift.”
Cheng Qing had a cold, and these past few days, Mi Yang had been bringing his homework to the pharmacy to do. He had no time to go out.
This was not a lie. Ji Bai’an sat there and talked to him, “Are you always this busy?”
Mi Yang smiled and nodded. “Pretty much.”
Ji Bai’an asked again, “Then you don’t seem to carry your phone often, do you? Every time I call you, you hang up, and you never reply to my texts.”
Mi Yang was baffled. He blinked his eyes and looked at him for a while, then said in a daze, “Ah, yes.”
Ji Bai’an was still not convinced. He took out his phone and personally checked the phone number with Mi Yang. “Is this yours? My brother said this is yours.”
Mi Yang looked down. The string of numbers was all too familiar. Except for the last digit, the rest was the same as his. Whose could it be but the young master Bai’s?
But even so, he could only hide it to the end and nodded seriously. “Yes, it’s mine.”
Ji Bai’an chuckled. “That’s good. I thought my brother was lying to me again before.”
The young master Ji was a restless person. He wanted to take Mi Yang out to play, but he couldn’t stand being in one place for too long. After waiting for a while, he got up and left with a bit of regret. As he sat in the car, he thought that maybe his cousin was right. Mi Yang was really very busy this winter vacation.
It wasn’t just Mi Yang who was busy. Bai Luochuan was also spinning in circles.
The Bai family’s old residence in Shanhai Town was in the final stages of decoration. It had taken a year or two to slowly polish it. Moving it intact was much more difficult than rebuilding it. About half of the old house had been abandoned. The few small buildings that had been built with good wood were still preserved. After being re-polished and maintained, they were moved over, and after their brilliance was restored, they had a unique ancient charm. Old Bai was very happy to see it and specially hired someone to tend to the flowers and plants. Even the pond in the courtyard was taken care of, and lotus seeds were buried in it.
Bai Luochuan had said that he would take Mi Yang to see the osmanthus trees, and it was not a lie. Old Bai did want a few of these trees. He took Mi Yang to find some, wanting to take them back to please the old man.
During the day, he was busy going to the company with Mi Zehai, and sometimes he would even go to the site. It was only in the mid-afternoon that he could take some time out to take Mi Yang to the flower market. Sometimes, when it was late, he would also go to the night market. Although it was tiring, the young master Bai felt very fulfilled.
He was young and didn’t feel tired. A good night’s sleep was enough. Mi Zehai, a middle-aged man, was a little tired.
Cheng Qing had had a cold for a few days, and her son had gone to the pharmacy to help. Mi Zehai had been running between the company and the hospital to take care of his wife. There were many people with colds during the Spring Festival, and sometimes Cheng Qing only had an IV chair. Mi Zehai hadn’t rested well for several days, and he had to catch up with his work at the company, so he could only take some time out at night to look at the blueprints and documents. After staying up for a long time, he would inevitably be sleepy during the day. In a daze, he accidentally fell at a shopping mall that was not yet fully renovated. If it weren’t for Bai Luochuan, who was quick to protect him, he would have probably rolled down two flights of stairs and broken his head.
Mi Zehai was unharmed, but Bai Luochuan had suffered some minor injuries.
He was fine, just his leg was injured and needed to rest.
Mi Zehai was very guilty about this. Bai Luochuan, on the other hand, thought it was what he should have done. It was only natural for him to protect Mi Yang’s family, especially an elder who had watched him grow up for over a decade.
Mi Yang stopped his work at the pharmacy and went to take care of the young master Bai, making soup and congee, and some light and refreshing side dishes for him to eat. Bai Luochuan’s complexion improved even more while he was recuperating in the hospital. He had also finished all the homework he had left, and when he was bored, he would spin his pen and give each other problems to test each other. Among the few problems the young master Bai had given, he had actually hit a big college entrance exam question. Mi Yang watched as he made up the question and solved it himself, and he felt that this person’s arrogance was well-founded.
But doing problems was just an excuse. As long as Mi Yang could come and be with him every day, Bai Luochuan thought it was pretty good.
His leg injury was not serious, but he couldn’t walk for a while, so he could only be an idle person in the hospital. Mi Zehai felt guilty in his heart. When Bai Luochuan mentioned that he wanted Mi Yang to come and see him, he immediately agreed and had Mi Yang send over some bone broth every day.
