Jiang Suizhi entertaining friends? Who has ever seen that?
At any rate, the Lin siblings had never witnessed it. This man could barely keep a straight face when being entertained by others, let alone play host himself.
It must be because of those two kids! Well, they’d be family soon anyway—no harm in fostering some goodwill now. Exactly!
And just like that, the siblings convinced themselves with sparkling logic.
Having seen their aunt ride a horse, the two children were no longer satisfied with being led around on ponies by staff. They wanted to gallop freely like her, shouting "giddy-up!"
"Brother, Le Qing must be tired after two rounds. Why don’t you take the kids? You’re skilled," Lin Shengxi quickly suggested, nudging the man beside him—only to have him dodge before her elbow even grazed his sleeve.
Jiang Suizhi glanced at the two children.
Four big, watery eyes stared back.
They looked even more like Jiang Yan—utterly trusting of familiar faces, without a shred of wariness. They’d get taken advantage of someday.
The little ones didn’t want to trouble their aunt, but they’d also seen Uncle Xie ride. He was awesome too!
Only a tiny bit less awesome than Auntie!
So they waited eagerly for an answer: "Uncle Xie~"
Jiang Suizhi: "..."
But then again… could he really deny them a ride?
Tempted, he was about to agree when he remembered his own shortcomings. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but if something happened while he was on horseback with two kids? Unthinkable.
"It’s dangerous," he refused firmly.
Lin Shengxi gave him a look. "You never cared about danger when galloping like a madman yourself. No one’s asking you to race with them."
Hopeless. Don’t blame me for not giving you chances!
"Fine." Lin Shengxi stood, dusting herself off before tilting her chin at the kids. "Come with me, Uncle will take you."
Jiang Suizhi: "No."
"Nothing’s ever good enough for you!" Lin Shengxi huffed, turning the children’s hopeful faces toward him. "How can you say no to them?"
He couldn’t.
But he could say no to Lin Shengxi.
"You’re not steady enough," Jiang Suizhi said lightly.
If he didn’t trust himself, why would he trust others? Ridiculous.
No sooner had he spoken than someone rose in his periphery.
"Come here." Le Qing beckoned the children. "Little Sister and Big Brother, rock-paper-scissors. Winner goes first, okay?"
Instantly, their excitement turned to concern. "Is Auntie tired?"
They wanted to play, but they also wanted her to rest.
"Not tired now." Le Qing took their small hands. "Auntie wants to play with you too."
She meant it.
[At least before leaving, I won’t let them down—or let myself regret anything.]
Little Le’an peered at her aunt’s eyes, confused. What did "leaving" mean? Leaving the park?
Well, An’an didn’t want regrets either!
"Brother first." She sat back down. "An’an is little, she can wait. Longlong yields the pear."
Lin Shengxi snorted. "More like dinosaur yields the pear."
"Uncle Lin never used a point-reading pen?" Little Sister Treasure looked genuinely pitying. "It teaches you!"
She loved learning!
Seeing Le Qing actually preparing to take the kids, Jiang Suizhi frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Just a few rounds." Back when filming horse-riding scenes, Le Qing had spent entire days in the saddle. If she could endure that, this was nothing.
Though her skin had grown more delicate after modeling, at worst it’d chafe a little—no big deal.
Her bag, earlier taken by staff, needed retrieving. "I’ll go get something first."
Inside were safety harnesses she’d packed for the kids.
Originally meant for carrying them if they got tired while walking, the harnesses would now serve a different purpose.
After much debate over "Longlong yielding the pear," Le Qing finally declared: "Rock-paper-scissors!"
The two immediately quieted, obediently playing with their tiny fingers.
Little Sister won. Le Qing mounted the horse first.
Lin Shengxi and Lin Jian took a step back. Jiang Suizhi, as if nothing had happened, calmly put his gloves back on and lifted Little Sister Treasure up.
No riding, but holding her? That he could manage.
Le Qing prompted: "Say thank you, Uncle."
"Thank you, Uncle~"
She adjusted the harness securely around them both. When embraced, Little Sister Treasure was overjoyed.
Auntie was holding her!
Not like sleepy cuddles—this was a real hug! She could press close, wrapped in her aunt’s coat, all warm and cozy!
"Brother," Little Le’an peeked out from the embrace, "this time An’an won’t give you the pear!"
She wanted it all for herself!
"Hmph, I’ll get mine later!"
Now neither was playing modest.
Little Sister Treasure raised her arms gleefully: "Ride the horsie! Giddy-up!"
Le Qing chuckled, tucking her closer to avoid fabric scratches before fastening the waist straps. Only then did they set off.
With a child, galloping was out. But to keep it fun, she maintained a brisk yet safe pace.
For the kids, it was perfect. For Le Qing, the awkward speed and constant vigilance were exhausting. Two laps left her inner thighs sore.
By the time both children had ridden, she opted to sit whenever possible.
Now she really didn’t want to move.
A rare day off, and she’d overdone it.
Yet she wasn’t unhappy. Watching the kids scamper about excitedly filled her with contentment.
She’d always been easily satisfied.
At noon, with the hotel providing a full barbecue setup, their packed lunches became unnecessary.
Perhaps softened by the earlier "friendship" overtures, Le Qing spoke up more readily.
"Everything here seems perfect," she remarked. "With such crowds during Spring Festival, wouldn’t closing be a loss?"
The place hardly needed inspections.
Lin Shengxi coughed, glancing sideways. Her brother, engrossed in his phone, showed no reaction. "We planned to open today after checking. Your approval reassures me."
Truthfully, Jiang Suizhi had vetoed crowded venues—Lin Shengxi’s fame would’ve drawn attention, ruining the kids’ fun. Today’s private booking was his doing.
Feeling indebted for the luxury experience, Le Qing resolved to draft a detailed review. She even volunteered to man the grill.
Everything was prepped, but lighting the charcoal and cooking required hands-on work.
Kids couldn’t play with fire, but she had ample life skills for this.
There were two grills in total. As Le Qing was lighting the charcoal for one of them, someone appeared beside her—Jiang Suizhi, who was starting the fire for the other.
Le Qing couldn’t help but glance at his mask. "Mr. Xie, how are you going to eat without taking off your mask?"
Jiang Suizhi’s movements suddenly paused. "..."
Everything had happened too quickly. He’d grown so accustomed to wearing the mask that he’d even forgotten he was still maintaining his disguise at the moment.
But it only lasted a couple of seconds before he replied smoothly, "I’ve already eaten."
"But this is lunch?"
Besides, when out having fun, eating more or less shouldn’t be such a rigid thing.
"Mm." Jiang Suizhi’s tone was perfectly calm. "I usually skip lunch."
"..."
With his height, he really didn’t seem like someone who skipped meals. Was he watching his figure?
But Le Qing simply nodded and focused on her own task, not pressing further.
Once the fire was ready, Le Qing stayed put to grill the food for the two children first. Though she hadn’t deliberately restricted their diets, she still avoided anything too oily or spicy.
"Le Qing!" Lin Jian waved her over. "Come eat! Let Brother Xie handle the grilling!"
Not only was he not eating, but they were also making him do manual labor?
"We can do it together," she said. "I can grill and eat at the same time."
Taking advantage of the fact that Jiang Suizhi couldn’t easily drop his disguise yet, Lin Shengxi grew even bolder. He stood up, grabbed Le Qing’s sleeve, and pulled her back. "Since he’s not eating anyway, there’s no need for so many people to watch over it."
Le Qing stumbled a few steps from the sudden tug. The inner part of her thighs, which she’d been carefully protecting, rubbed uncomfortably, making her hiss softly. "I can walk on my own."
If this kept up, her gait would definitely look strange.
"Fine." Lin Shengxi motioned for her to sit. Noticing her glance toward Jiang Suizhi, he added, "Don’t worry, he won’t starve. His germaphobia is pretty severe—he won’t eat anything from outside. At its worst, he can’t even stand being touched."
So it was germaphobia?
No wonder he wore gloves for everything, even using just his fingertips to hand over a band-aid.
But the germaphobes Le Qing had met before couldn’t tolerate mess or dirt. Mr. Xie didn’t seem like the type who couldn’t endure it—he usually appeared quite easygoing, even helping move things without hesitation.
Since the inner part of her thighs was a bit sore, and worried that continuing to aggravate it might interfere with work in the coming days, Le Qing spent the afternoon sitting whenever possible, letting Lin Shengxi take the kids to play.
Lin Jian snapped photos of everything with her camera, while Jiang Suizhi, who had initially followed them at a leisurely pace, eventually grew tired and settled down to watch.
Remembering that he’d grilled lunch for everyone without eating a bite himself, Le Qing pulled a small container from her bag and handed it to him.
Jiang Suizhi looked up in surprise.
"It’s just some fruit and snacks I originally packed for the kids, but they probably won’t get to them today," she explained. "Would you like some? Everything’s been washed at home, and the cookies are homemade, sealed for freshness."
She could guarantee it was much cleaner than anything from outside.
Jiang Suizhi’s eyelid twitched slightly. "Cookies?"
He’d had her cookies before—an indescribable taste, something even kids wouldn’t eat.
"The cookies…" Le Qing herself stuttered a bit, her ears turning pink as she recalled how the children had once given some to the "grumpy uncle" as thanks. "They’re a newer batch. I didn’t add too much to them this time, and I included sugar. I think they’re less bitter now."
Even the kids could eat them without flinching these days.
Feeling a bit like she was coaxing him, she quickly added, "There’s fruit in there too. You don’t have to eat the cookies."
When he still didn’t react, she hesitated and started to withdraw her hand. "It’s fine, I—"
After grilling, Jiang Suizhi’s gloves had disappeared. Under the sunlight, his fair fingers, tinged pink from the warmth, reached out and took the small container. "Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
But Mr. Xie only accepted the container without opening it. Le Qing figured he’d probably taken it just to be polite.
She’d done what she could. What he chose to do with it was up to him.
By evening, the two little ones were completely exhausted, their energy spent. Le Qing finally led the reluctant pair home.
"We have guests over for dinner tonight, so we’ll need to head back," Lin Jian explained. "We won’t be able to drive you home."
"I’ll take them back," Le Qing said, turning around. "I’ll have the dumplings delivered to you later."
Since they’d been out all day, she hadn’t brought the dumplings along, worried they might spoil. They were still in the fridge.
Lin Jian blinked, then burst into laughter. "Sure."
Who actually cared about a few dumplings? It had just been an excuse to visit the kids. She hadn’t expected Le Qing to take it so seriously.
"As for the rocking horse, put it on my brother’s tab," Lin Shengxi said, waving at the two little ones. "Since you live nearby, he’ll arrange for it to be delivered."
A rocking horse was a small favor Le Qing could accept. "Thank you."
The Lin siblings didn’t linger, not even exchanging many pleasantries with Mr. Xie before hurrying off in their car. In contrast, Mr. Xie, who had been trailing behind, now seemed oddly unhurried.
Le Qing tentatively suggested, "Shall we head back too?"
Jiang Suizhi, who had just placed the container in the passenger seat, froze for a second before giving a quiet "Mm."
Though he knew she’d only said it because they lived on the same floor, the truth was, no one had used the word "back" with him in a long time. It had even started to feel unfamiliar.
Come to think of it, moving there really hadn’t been a bad decision.
Le Qing drove ahead, while Jiang Suizhi’s car followed at a leisurely pace. After a while, his car disappeared from her rearview mirror.
Assuming he must have had something to attend to, she was surprised to find his car already parked in the underground garage when she arrived.
As she stepped out, the door of the neighboring car opened at the same time.
"You didn’t go up yet?" she asked in surprise.
"Someone’s delivering the rocking horse soon," Jiang Suizhi explained softly. "I thought I’d wait."
She hadn’t expected him to arrange things so quickly. Le Qing smiled. "What a shame. The kids are already asleep—they probably won’t get to play with it today."
Following her movement as she opened the back door, Jiang Suizhi saw the two little ones dozing in their car seats, their tiny bellies rising and falling steadily. Le Qing gently lifted one of them and whispered, "Mr. Xie, could you please keep an eye on the older one for a moment? I’ll come back to carry him up."
"I’ll help you carry him."
"But you…"
Hadn’t he said his germaphobia was severe?
Though he had helped carry a child once before.
"It’s not that extreme." Jiang Suizhi was already walking to the other side, effortlessly picking up the older child with practiced ease.
Seeing this, Le Qing didn’t argue further. Instead, she carried the younger one to the elevator first, planning to return for the rest of their things later.
As she carried the child upstairs, Jiang Suizhi stayed half a step behind her, watching as she entered the passcode while holding the child. He also noticed the slight awkwardness in her gait.
Once both children were tucked into bed, Le Qing quietly closed the door. "Thank you. I still need to go back for our things, so you…"
Should he head back first?
Jiang Suizhi glanced at the time. "The workers should be bringing the car up soon."
"Then I..."
"I'll get it for you," Jiang Suizhi said. "You stay here."
This way, Le Qing would have time to arrange the placement of the items, and she wouldn’t have to worry about leaving Jiang Suizhi alone here. Plus, her leg could rest a bit.
Le Qing unconsciously let out a relieved sigh and handed him the car keys. "Thanks for your help."
After he left, Le Qing sat on the sofa and sent Lin Jian and the others a quick message to let them know she was fine. Then she suddenly noticed a red notification dot on a friend’s updated post—and the profile picture stood out immediately.
Was "Brother Jiang" selling stuff again?
Curious to see if there was anything worth grabbing, she tapped on it, and her eyes widened slightly.
It wasn’t medicine for sale this time—it was a free first-aid kit.
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: Customer appreciation freebie! Includes daily-use medications for adults and kids, delivered to your door.
Le Qing didn’t think her condition was serious enough to need ointment, but the kit would definitely come in handy, filling in some gaps in her home medicine supply.
Meanwhile, Jiang Suizhi, now in the garage, had retrieved Le Qing’s bag but didn’t head back upstairs immediately. Instead, he sat in his car, waiting for the workers delivering the vehicle.
His phone buzzed twice. When he checked the message, his eyebrows lifted slightly.
Some people were easier to catch than fish.
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: Special handling for meds—same-day delivery.
Le Qing: No rush, thanks so much for your trouble!
After arranging the delivery, Jiang Suizhi noticed something on the passenger seat. A faint smile crossed his lips as he picked up the small bento box.
It was meant for kids, so the box had cute cartoon prints. Small, but charming.
With a soft click, he opened it. The fresh scent of fruit wafted out—not stuffy at all, meaning she must have packed it carefully.
Jiang Suizhi pulled down his mask, picked up a piece, and took a bite. It did ease the discomfort of his empty stomach a little.
Maybe I should start thinking more seriously about meals, he mused.
His gaze landed on the neatly sealed pack of cookies beside it. Remembering Le Qing’s claim that she’d improved the recipe, he hesitated for a few seconds before carefully tearing it open.
No weird smell. The shapes were cute—little bears.
He took a bite.
Jiang Suizhi’s expression froze. His chewing slowed… and then, with great difficulty, he swallowed.
Whatever.
If I’m this hungry, I can’t afford to be picky.
He took a second bite.
Unable to resist, he pulled out his phone, ready to look up cookie recipes just to see how hard they could possibly be to mess up.
But when he caught sight of his own reflection in the dark screen, his fingers stilled. His eyes held a trace of something even he couldn’t explain—utter bewilderment.
These cookies are terrible.
So why are you smiling like that?
