0118: I Like Daughters

Just a moment... Ji Yun’s shy expression made his breath quicken, and he reached out to place his hand on her stomach.

As soon as his hand touched her clothes, her whole body trembled. It wasn’t until his hand was fully pressed against her that she calmed down somewhat.

Xu Lin could feel the softness beneath his palm. Ji Yun’s waist was slender and she wasn’t plump, yet the sensation was surprisingly tender—truly remarkable.

“Ticklish?” Xu Lin teased, deliberately scratching her gently.

“Stop! I won’t let you touch anymore!”

“When you’re pregnant someday, when I stroke your belly like this, I’ll be able to feel our daughter kicking.”

“Why say daughter? Do you want a girl?”

A vision of the future floated through Ji Yun’s mind: after she was pregnant, Xu Lin would take care of her with such tenderness, preparing delicious meals... Holding her hand as they strolled together, resting on a bench under the sunset, sharing stories of the past and dreams of the future.

Then a sudden image flashed—many figures standing not far away, all with big bellies, calling out Xu Lin’s name.

Startled from her daydream, she felt the warmth of his large hand on her belly and took a deep breath.

“I don’t want to marry you, you playboy.”

“So what if I am? You’re calling me a playboy now?”

“What about Sister Chu?”

“That counts, but only you two.”

“Hmph! Scoundrel. I won’t give you a daughter!”

“What are you two doing? Come eat!”

Chu Qingchan called out, and Ji Yun hastily pushed his hand away, feeling a bit nervous, realizing she had just crossed a boundary between them.

But since Sister Chu had just embraced Xu Lin, her own touch wasn’t much of a special contact.

“I’m coming!”

Xu Lin replied, then turned on the faucet to wash his hands—or rather, to rinse them.

After a couple of rinses, he was about to dry his hands when Ji Yun grabbed his wrist.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wash your hands properly. Is that how you wash your hands?”

“Guys all do it like this.”

“That won’t clean them. Let me show you.”

She pulled his hand to the sink, wet it thoroughly, applied some soap, and then washed carefully—from the backs of his hands to the palms, between fingers, under the nails, and finally his wrists.

Xu Lin watched Ji Yun’s serious expression soften, and his own gaze grew tender.

“I feel like I don’t deserve you. Your gentleness makes me ache and dislike myself even more.”

“You should dislike yourself, but... Xu Lin, I don’t want to force you to change. This is fine as it is—this is good.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Just promise me you’ll wash your hands properly from now on.”

“Got it.”

They exchanged a glance. Xu Lin wanted to hug his little sweetheart again, but Ji Yun pushed him aside.

“Your hands are wet. Use my yellow duck towel.”

“Alright. By the way, it feels like you and Sister Chu are practically living together.”

“Sister Chu is just lonely, so I keep her company and chat.”

“As long as it doesn’t disturb your studies.”

“Sister Chu is much more well-behaved than you…”

Ji Yun said this, but then sighed, recalling the scene from a few days ago in the shower with Chu Qingchan, and muttered a complaint.

“You two really are like a married couple…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

They finished washing and sat back around the table to eat. Before long, their plates were empty.

“I didn’t prepare too much for breakfast.”

“Yeah, eating too much isn’t good. As long as it’s nutritious enough. Xu Lin, you can make breakfast? My husband hasn’t cooked for me once in all these years.”

Ji Yun’s mother complained, and Ji Yun quickly chimed in.

“Xu Lin can even cook dishes. They’re delicious, almost restaurant quality.”

“Oh.”

Ji’s mother gave a knowing sound, and Ji Yun quickly lowered her head, embarrassed that her little show-off was noticed.

Chu Qingchan smiled at the mother-daughter interaction, then felt a pang of loneliness thinking of his own situation.

“Chu, next time take me home to meet your mother, okay?”

“Meet which mother?” Chu Qingchan joked.

“Your mother, of course.”

“We’ll see. But you should have already met Chu Fengyi’s birth mother, Cecilia Valtieri—the Saintess.”

“The Saintess… the famous beauty who played Joan of Arc?”

Xu Lin had seen the film, the most famous one featuring Joan of Arc as the protagonist. More than Joan herself, it was her portrayal as the saint that people remembered.

Many textbooks even used her photos. She truly embodied Joan, not just through acting, but with a face and aura that acting alone couldn’t replicate.

“Yes, that was before she married my father, and her last film. She only acted in nine films total.”

“Is your dream of becoming an actor related to her?”

Hearing this, Xu Lin began to suspect her acting might be connected to this ‘mother.’

“To some extent, yes. Also connected to my own mother.”

Not wanting to press further as she fell silent, Xu Lin quietly continued eating.

A few minutes later, everyone finished breakfast. Ji Yun cleared the table, and Xu Lin followed her toward the kitchen.

“I can handle it.”

“I want to help! I didn’t do anything earlier, just ate.” Chu Qingchan stood up. Ji Yun and Xu Lin raised their arms.

“No, no. We wouldn’t dare let you touch the dishes.”

“…”

After washing the dishes, the two went to change clothes. Xu Lin also had to change into his school uniform. Together with Ji Yun’s mother, they left room 602.

“Xu Lin, where do you live?”

“Building 17. If you want to visit, I can prepare.”

“Wait a little while,” she smiled, and Xu Lin understood the meaning: their families wouldn’t meet just yet.

“Go home and rest. The trip must have been tiring. Have a good chat with your uncle.”

“Got it. You’re a good kid. I was just being impulsive today.”

“It’s okay. I’ll leave now.”

“Alright.”

As he walked to the elevator, it opened just in time. Xu Lin smiled at the figure and the breakfast in hand.

“Uncle, is auntie back?”

“Good morning, Xiao Xu.”

He nodded, glanced at his fiancée not far away, took a deep breath, and walked over.

Before leaving, he patted Xu Lin on the shoulder and quietly said thanks. Xu Lin smiled—keeping good relations with his future in-laws was important.

He stepped into the elevator and overheard the older man teasing his wife.

“Why are you back so early? Didn’t you buy breakfast?”

“I ate. Xiao Xu made it. Some people, after nearly twenty years of marriage, never cook a meal.”

“Cough cough! Come inside first. We’ll talk inside if something’s wrong.”

Half an hour later, Xu Lin waited downstairs for the two young ladies to come down, feeling anxious—the time was already six o’clock.

Given their usual pace, he and Ji Yun would be late again.

Fortunately, they came down soon. Ji Yun was in her school uniform; Chu Qingchan wore a plain tracksuit and a hat, no mask.

“Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”

“Wearing a mask would draw more attention. Besides, I put on makeup.”

“I have to say, hardly anyone deliberately makes themselves up so badly as you do…”

“Senior Bai.”

Before he finished, Ji Yun slapped the name onto his face sharply.

“She’s a special case. Let’s go, come on, don’t dawdle, or we’ll be late.”

“Alright, alright. Do you really think I’m frail? I did spar with Chu Fengyi once, even if it was over ten years ago.”

A few minutes later, the three had just left the neighborhood, and Chu Qingchan was already jogging with a walk-step pattern.

“Um… I need to rest.”

“Chu, why don’t you take the bus back?”

Xu Lin suggested, but Chu Qingchan stood up abruptly and silently kept running.

“Stop teasing Sister Chu.”

“I’m training her. If she can’t even jog slowly, she won’t manage anything else. But Class Monitor Ji, your fitness is really impressive.”

“I do work out regularly. Let’s keep up.”

“No need. I’ll count to three and she’ll stop for us. One…”

Before he finished “two,” Chu Qingchan had already stopped, looking pitifully at them.

It took the three forty-five minutes to reach the school—a surprisingly short distance—and Xu Lin and Ji Yun admitted they were late.

“Tomorrow I won’t let you be late.”

“Sister Chu, it’s okay. You should go back and rest.”

“Phew… alright.”

They headed toward the school gate, glanced back, and just then a bus arrived. Chu Qingchan boarded it.

At the gate, they registered their names and classes, then jogged toward the teaching building.

There were almost no other students around. Running side by side, they exchanged glances and smiled.

“Class Monitor Ji, is this your first time being late?”

“Yeah. All your fault!”

“My fault? Then blame Chu Qingchan.”

“No, blame you!”

They reached the corridor, growing more nervous. Xu Lin vaguely recalled the last time he came with her—she worried about what other students might say.

Should he go in first? Or she?

But now, she seemed completely unbothered.

“The weather’s nice today,” Xu Lin said to himself.

“Yeah… nice weather.”

Ji Yun turned to look at him; the morning light bathed her smiling face, outshining the silver osmanthus blossoms blooming outside the window.