Chapter 028
Dudu, innocent and unfiltered, spoke whatever came to mind. In fact, during their earlier moment alone together, he had already noticed the bandage on Ji Tingqian’s lip corner; he genuinely wished to ease Ji Tingqian’s pain.
Not content with the little one’s words, the elder joined in the teasing as well. Ming Huai blinked his eyes, feigning pure innocence as he looked at Ji Tingqian, and asked in a pretentious tone, “Uncle Ji, shall I blow on it for you? Blowing makes the pain go away.”
“Uncle Ji”… Ji Tingqian’s expression immediately turned somewhat awkward. Saying that blowing alleviates pain is merely a trick to coax children; it was acceptable coming from Dudu, but when Ming Huai said it too, there lingered an indescribable, ambiguous implication within those words.
He felt as though he, too, was being treated like a child.
Thinking of this, Ji Tingqian felt increasingly awkward. As if that weren’t enough, he glanced over at Ming Huai again, only to find the teasing glint in the other man’s eyes unmistakably clear. He watched Ming Huai’s beautifully colored lips part and close as he teased lightly, “Uncle Ji, do you really not want a little ‘hoo-hoo’?”
No “hoo-hoo,” but it was still utterly life-threatening.
Ji Tingqian had no idea what was wrong with him; in front of Ming Huai, he seemed to lose all self-control. Just one teasing glance, one sentence laden with hidden meaning from the other man, and Ji Tingqian felt a surge of scorching heat rampaging through his entire body.
Seeing Ji Tingqian’s expression shift unpredictably, his ears flushing an unnatural shade of red, Ming Huai decided to stop teasing him before going too far. He turned to fetch the first-aid kit, then firmly pressed Ji Tingqian down onto the sofa. He intended to apply the ointment, but Ji Tingqian kept dodging and evading, while Dudu propped up his little chin, watching the two adults with rapt attention.
After being rejected yet again, Ming Huai slammed the bottle of red flower oil onto the table with a heavy thud. Frowning, he said, “Ji Tingqian, how long do you think it will take to heal if you don’t apply this medicine? Do you plan on walking around with that bruise for the paparazzi to capture?”
“It’s just a minor injury; it’ll be fine in a couple of days,” Ji Tingqian replied, still wearing an expression of resistance.
“Minor injury?” Ming Huai laughed helplessly, wishing he could shove a mirror right in front of Ji Tingqian’s face so he could see for himself just how massive this so-called “tiny” bruise really was. What Ming Huai had said earlier wasn’t an exaggeration either; did Ji Tingqian realize what level of celebrity he was? Forget about sporting a wound like this—even if he were merely photographed wearing sunglasses on his face, it would instantly become a trending topic.
“Are you going to apply the medicine or not?!”
Ming Huai glared at Ji Tingqian, his words laced with threat. It wasn’t that Ming Huai was particularly close to Ji Tingqian now, daring to show such attitude; rather, he knew exactly what he was doing and felt confident—certain that Ji Tingqian would eventually give in.
Sure enough, after two seconds, Ji Tingqian averted his gaze, his emotions unusually visible. “The smell of Honghua Oil is too strong.”
So that was what bothered him… Ming Huai felt slightly helpless.
There was no help for it; they had to find a way to fade the bruise quickly. Not only did it pain Ji Tingqian, but seeing it made Ming Huai’s heart feel heavy and constricted. Ever since those events unfolded, Ming Huai could not bear to see even a single wound on Ji Tingqian’s body.
So, Ming Huai went to the kitchen and found some tea seed oil. It was gentle and virtually odorless, though a bit greasy. While its efficacy didn’t match that of red flower oil, it was better than nothing.
At this point, Ji Tingqian had nothing more to say and could only let Ming Huai have her way.
Ming Huai held Ji Tingqian’s chin steady with one hand while using the other to carefully apply the tea seed oil to the bruise. Looking at the mark, her heart ached, and her brows knit together involuntarily. Just how much force had it taken to cause such an injury?
Ji Tingqian had no idea what Ming Huai was thinking. The distance between them was less than ten centimeters; Ming Huai’s soft breath brushed against his face. From his angle, he could even see Ming Huai’s thick, long eyelashes clearly. As Ming Huai’s eyelids fluttered lightly, they resembled a butterfly poised to take flight.
He wanted to kiss them, to make them tremble even more…
Suddenly, Ji Tingqian was startled. How could he have such a thought?!
“Don’t move!” Ming Huai complained in a low voice. “You’re going to make me smear it.”
After that, Ji Tingqian found himself unable to meet Ming Huai’s gaze with complete ease, though Ming Huai noticed nothing amiss.
At noon, Aunt Chen prepared cream of mushroom soup, pickled fish with sauerkraut, boiled beef slices, eggplant in garlic sauce, stir-fried celtuce shreds, and a spicy chicken casserole. Each dish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, enough to make anyone’s mouth water at first glance.
Ji Tingqian was surprised; it seemed too much of a coincidence that the dishes on the table perfectly matched his tastes, even though he had never mentioned his preferences to Ming Huai beforehand. As this thought crossed his mind, he glanced at Ming Huai with confusion, while yesterday’s words from Ji Lizhuo suddenly flashed through his memory.
Ming Huai likes him…
Even after a day had passed and his mind was no longer so muddled, Ji Tingqian still found that statement impossible to believe. What reason could Ming Huai possibly have to fall for him? Before that one night, the two of them had absolutely no connection whatsoever.
Over on the other side, Ming Huai was tying a small apron around Dudu, completely unaware of Ji Tingqian’s probing gaze.
Initially, Ji Tingqian had planned to stay at Ming Huai’s place only for lunch and leave by three or four in the afternoon. However, Dudu couldn’t bear to let him go, his face brimming with suppressed grievance that made it impossible for Ji Tingqian to depart. Added to that, Ming Huai knew exactly how to wear someone down with soft persistence, resulting in one delay after another; leaving by three or four in the afternoon was simply out of the question.
The toy Ji Tingqian had brought for Dudu was a newly released LEGO building set—a choice he had made only after consulting Ming Huai beforehand. As expected, Dudu loved it immensely; come afternoon, instead of taking his nap, he immediately set about unwrapping the gift.
The adults who usually keep Dudu company are just these few; he has never before had the experience of playing with his father alongside other uncles. Thus, he was utterly exhilarated, and both Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian were more than happy to indulge his energetic antics.
Taking advantage of the moment Dudu kept Ji Tingqian occupied, Ming Huai quietly opened his phone and posted a Weibo update. The gist was that guests had come to their home today, and the child was having a wonderful time playing with them. The accompanying photo showed the backs of two figures—one tall, one small—building with blocks. The image was somewhat blurry and color-adjusted, revealing truly nothing more than two silhouettes.
Call it selfishness on his part, or call it a declaration of ownership; regardless, that secret joy was undeniably real.
Summer weather is fickle. Just as Ji Tingqian stayed for dinner and the dishes were being served, a torrential rain began to pour outside, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder.
“Oh my, how did this rain start pouring down so suddenly? The weather forecast yesterday said it would only be a light drizzle,” Aunt Chen remarked, gazing out the window.
Ming Huai dismissed it lightly with a smile. “Just wait and see; this rain will surely ease up soon.”
Ji Tingqian thought the same.
But everyone was mistaken. Far from letting up, the rain intensified, growing heavier by the minute. Through the thick curtain of downpour, even objects slightly farther away became invisible; visibility had dropped to an unusually low level.
Ming Huai watched the relentless downpour outside, his heart heavy with unease, his entire being consumed by anxiety. The thought of Ji Tingqian driving away alone later made him even more restless. Only because Ji Tingqian hadn’t yet mentioned leaving was Ming Huai able to barely keep his emotions in check.
Ji Tingqian intended to wait until the rain eased before departing, so he remained unhurried. While waiting with nothing else to do, he joined Dudu in playing some simple games on the tablet. For the first time, he realized he might actually possess remarkable patience when it came to children.
Yet an hour passed, and the clock hands pointed to nine o’clock. Outside, the rain showed no sign of letting up. The sky hung dark and oppressive, the sound of rain mingling with thunder, making the world beyond feel like a ravenous beast ready to devour everything in its path.
Ji Tingqian figured the rain wouldn’t lessen anytime soon; waiting any longer would make him late. Glancing at his phone, he decided it was time to leave. He rose to say his goodbyes, only to find Ming Huai suddenly standing as well, speaking even before he could utter a word.
“Are you heading back now?” Ming Huai asked calmly, yet something about his demeanor seemed off.
“Yes, it’s already late, and the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up,” Ji Tingqian replied.
Ming Huai’s gaze locked firmly onto Ji Tingqian, his eyes filled with an inexplicable stubbornness, while his voice carried a hint of hoarseness. “The rain… it’s too heavy. Don’t leave. Stay here tonight.”
“No…”
Ji Tingqian had only uttered a single syllable before Ming Huai cut him off, his voice trembling with agitation and urgency. “It’s pouring rain outside; you can’t see a thing. The roads are flooded and slick—it’s too dangerous to drive. Don’t go. There’s a room here for you.”
His voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. “It’s perilous. Driving in weather like this is far too risky.”