Ji Zhaoxi happily darted around the room—tonight, she could sleep with her mom. Her room had been decorated so beautifully.
Zhou Chiye watched her bustling about and couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to sprinkle water on the floor, Ji Fangyun suddenly called out to her, "Xixi, come in here for a moment."
Ji Zhaoxi looked over to see Ji Fangyun smiling gently at her, as if she had something to say.
Ji Zhaoxi froze for a second, then followed her. For some reason, her heart was pounding unusually fast.
Ji Huaichuan was sitting on his little stool, eating something. He spoke between bites: "Mom, what do you want to tell us? So mysterious."
Ji Fangyun sat on the bed, eyes lowered, staring at the concrete floor.
"Your mom went to work in another city a while back, and I actually ended up liking it there. Now that there's a new boss, it's not as exhausting, and the people in my dorm have been really kind to me."
Ji Huaichuan paused and nodded.
"That's great, isn't it?"
Ji Fangyun suddenly didn't know how to continue. She gazed at the pitch-black window and went on: "I'm giving you two the fifty thousand—so you'll have money for high school and college without needing to work part-time for tuition."
"If you have a break, come back and stay here. At least we have a place."
"The other day, your aunt kept asking me to move to the city, saying the whole family could be together. You were there watching, but I didn't agree back then."
Ji Fangyun's eyes turned red: "If you want to blame someone, blame me. It's all my fault for giving you a bad father, and now I'm leaving you."
But this was what she wanted. She could bear the consequences.
She didn't want to go on like before—working, taking care of the kids, working again, day after day.
Ji Fangyun was, after all, a selfish person.
The room was silent for a long moment. Ji Huaichuan wiped his mouth and forced a smile: "Mom, I thought it was something serious. That's all? Go ahead, do what makes you happy. Isn't that what you've always taught us?"
Ji Fangyun stared at them in shock, her eyes instantly welling up. She fought back tears: "Will you still recognize me as your mother?"
Ji Huaichuan exaggeratedly replied, "How could that be? Just because you want to go out and have a life, we'd stop acknowledging you? Are we that heartless?"
He tidied the things in front of him, avoiding Ji Fangyun's gaze, his voice full of forced cheerfulness: "Mom, you'll have to video call us often from now on. We never know when you're busy or not."
Ji Zhaoxi smiled at Ji Fangyun. "Mom, be sure to post lots of updates on your moments. I'll be the first to like them."
Ji Fangyun's tears suddenly spilled over, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Ji Zhaoxi, her own eyes red, wiped her mother's tears.
The village gradually quieted down, with the occasional sound of someone scolding a child, but soon even that faded, leaving only the croaking of frogs in the fields.
The evening breeze was a bit chilly. Ji Fangyun stood by the car, her eyes red, and forcing a smile to Ji Zhaoxi: "Take good care of yourself at school."
Ji Zhaoxi smiled as she wiped Ji Fangyun's tears: "I know, Mom! You're so grown up and still crying!"
Ji Fangyun was both annoyed and amused; she flicked Ji Zhaoxi's forehead. "Silly girl."
Ji Zhaoxi pouted and covered her forehead: "That hurts!"
The driver was a bit curious—now that only Ji Fangyun was left as the adult, wasn't she going with them? He had assumed she would follow them upstairs.
The car window slowly rolled up. Ji Zhaoxi leaned against it, reluctant, waving goodbye to Ji Fangyun.
In the front seat, Ji Huaichuan sat silently with his head down, saying nothing.
Zhou Chiye watched Ji Zhaoxi beside him with concern. She was leaning against the window, her eyes unbearably red, lost in thought.
The scenery outside scrolled by—familiar neighbors, familiar fields, then the village entrance where the old folks liked to sit…
Ji Zhaoxi lowered her head, her vision blurring. Tears fell in heavy drops, and she tried desperately to hold back her sobs.
A sharp ache swelled in her chest. Her shoulders trembled as the tears came faster and faster.
How awful of her. Her mother was going after a new life—she should be happy. What was there to cry about?
Did she really want her mom to stay cooped up in that tiny room with her, watching over them every day, just to be happy?
Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to lose her composure, the car's partition suddenly rose.
Zhou Chiye carefully pulled Ji Zhaoxi into his arms. He gently wiped her tears, clumsily comforting her: "Whenever you want to see Auntie, I'll take you there anytime."
Ji Zhaoxi sobbed uncontrollably against him, her tears soaking into his clothes. Zhou Chiye felt his own heart ache, tight and raw.
He was panicking, desperate to comfort her but at a loss. He tried sending her money, but this time it didn't work—Ji Zhaoxi didn't even look at it, and the tears wouldn't stop.
"How about you bite my hand?"
"Let me be your follower!"
"Don't you like money anymore…"
Just as Zhou Chiye was floundering, Ji Zhaoxi bit down hard on his hand. Feeling the sting, Zhou Chiye finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as she could let it out, he’d be fine. He just didn't want her to bottle it up inside.
He gently stroked her hair and whispered, "It's okay. It's not like the old days. It's just a plane ride away."
Exhausted from crying, Ji Zhaoxi clung tightly to his shirt, still hiccupping.
Zhou Chiye tried to remember how his family used to comfort the younger kids.
"Want to go to that restaurant we went to last time?"
He remembered her eyes lighting up then—she must have really liked it.
Ji Zhaoxi wiped her tears and leaned against him in silence. Zhou Chiye noticed, grabbed a tissue, and carefully dabbed at her face.
He patted her back gently and said softly, "How about the racetrack? It'll be a good way to blow off steam. You can see if you like any of the cars—I'll buy one for you…"
Ji Zhaoxi listened until she drifted off to sleep, lying defenseless in his arms, her grip on his shirt loosening.
Zhou Chiye listened to her breathing, then gently pulled out a wet wipe and pressed it against the tear streaks on her face, one area at a time, with meticulous care.
The road ahead was still rough, and the car rocked along until Zhou Chiye, holding Ji Zhaoxi tightly, soon fell asleep too.
At last, after what felt like ages, the road smoothed out, and the driver picked up speed.
In her sleep, Ji Zhaoxi murmured something softly. Zhou Chiye groggily opened his eyes and leaned closer: "What?"
He hadn't caught what she said.
When he saw the scenery outside the window, his mind cleared. He looked at the sleeping Ji Zhaoxi and couldn't resist kissing her forehead.
He wished he could hold her like this forever—then he could give back the bear.
