Chapter 58 - 57: Little Dummy (First Update)

Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Little Dummy (First Update)

The scene seemed to freeze for a moment. Xiao Yi was never quite adept at interacting with this son of his. Fortunately, the child was always very well-behaved. More accurately, he was far more sensitive and delicate than most children, often keeping all his emotions hidden deep within his heart, not showing them.

Xianyun and Dongli often sighed, saying that their little lord was too well-behaved, to the point where he didn’t seem like a normal child.

In other families with a bit of wealth or power, who wouldn’t treat their child like a revered ancestor? As a result, the children raised in such environments weren’t necessarily all debauched, but most were quite arrogant. Making them suffer any grievance was impossible, and anything slightly not up to their standards would create chaos in the household.

Yet their little lord, no matter how heartbroken or aggrieved he felt inside, never wanted to say it. When he faced them, he always smiled so obediently and charmingly.

The most heartbreaking thing was that this tiny little child had already learned to read people’s expressions. If there was anything off about their expressions, he’d curl up like a frightened little hedgehog, appearing even more well-behaved as if fearing they might abandon him.

Faced with such a child, as if made of glass, the group of grown men felt quite at a loss, exhausted, utterly unsure of how to treat him. They could only curse the heartless and cruel woman in their hearts while treating the little lord like a fragile treasure.

No matter what they did, the little lord never seemed able to open up to them, which is why, when Xianyun heard their little lord mention he missed his mom a bit, he was so shocked.

He had been sneaking out repeatedly, something he had never done before.

Xiao Yi had arranged for a hidden guard beside Xiao Huai’an, so he knew exactly where the little one had been sneaking off to.

He also knew that the woman absurdly didn’t recognize her own son, but she seemed to be kind to him.

His feelings were incredibly complex, yet, for reasons unknown even to himself, he didn’t expose the little one but allowed him to sneak out time and again to find that woman.

Perhaps it was because the hidden guard had reported to him, saying, "When he’s with Miss Xu, the little lord seems very happy and is always smiling."

However, such antics couldn’t go on forever. With his understanding of the woman now, it was only a matter of time before she recognized who Chang Xiao was.

Therefore, today, at the woman’s request, he found a few trustworthy government officials to help her out of a situation. Unable to explain why, he also followed along.

For the first time, Xiao Yi couldn’t figure out the reason or purpose for something he did, moving forward purely driven by emotions.

Maybe he just wanted to get involved before things got out of control, so even if the outcome was bad, with him around, Chang Xiao wouldn’t get too hurt.

Or perhaps he believed Xu Jing now wouldn’t hurt Chang Xiao. He just wanted to confirm it himself.

However, the development of events was completely beyond his expectations.

He hadn’t expected his appearance to cause Chang Xiao to break down like this.

Feeling the small body clinging tightly to him, shaking with sobs, Xiao Yi’s brow furrowed, and his throat suddenly grew tight.

Since the child came to his side, he’d never seen him cry.

Although Xianyun said that Chang Xiao would occasionally cry in his sleep, Xiao Yi had never witnessed it himself.

Nor did he expect that one day, the child would cry in his arms as if his small world had collapsed.

Xu Jing looked at the child in front of her, her heart aching with tenderness.

She momentarily ignored the shock of suddenly realizing this child was her son, took a deep breath, and walked forward, squatting beside the tiny figure, softly saying, "Why did Chang Xiao lie to me? Is it because you’re worried I’d dislike you after knowing who you are?"

The woman’s voice seemed to have a magical power. The small body in Xiao Yi’s arms shivered abruptly, as if frozen, stopping its cries altogether.

Still, he kept his head firmly buried in Xiao Yi’s robes, unwilling to lift it.

Looking at the little ostrich, Xu Jing helplessly smiled, her voice growing gentler. "Silly little one, didn’t I say it before? No matter what, I will always care for you. Could it be that Chang Xiao thinks I’m lying? If that’s the case, I’d be really upset..."

Hearing the sudden dimming in her tone, Xiao Huai’an panicked. He quickly lifted his head, not caring about his tear-streaked face, and vigorously shook his little head. "I didn’t!"

Xiao Yi was taken aback, his gaze unintentionally shifting to the woman squatting on the ground. Her eyes, unobscured by the veil, curved gently, holding a smile softer and purer than moonlight, filled with genuine tenderness.

It seemed like his heartbeat skipped a beat, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

Xu Jing, amused by the little one who so easily took the bait, still spoke with a hint of disappointment, "Really, Chang Xiao? I thought you never believed me."

"I... I..."

The little one truly seemed flustered, and his little hands finally released Xiao Yi’s poor, crumpled robes, the ten tiny fingers twining together somewhat helplessly, yet he insisted, "I really didn’t, I know... you wouldn’t lie..."

Xu Jing raised an eyebrow, suddenly putting on a serious face, "So, does Chang Xiao still think I don’t care for you?"

Xiao Huai’an blinked, confused and anxious, his big eyes looking at Xu Jing.

It seemed to say, he wanted to believe her.

But after regaining his identity as Xiao Huai’an, he wasn’t quite daring to.

A slight pang touched Xu Jing’s heart, but she couldn’t bear to press the little one further, deliberately sighing, changing the subject, "Then Chang Xiao must not believe me when I say I want to invite you home for dinner tonight."

Xiao Huai’an hurriedly said, "I... I believe it!"

After a pause, he suddenly moved a small step toward Xiao Yi, reaching out his little hand to clutch Xiao Yi’s sleeve, sniffling softly, "Then, can dad come too?"

Not only Xu Jing but also Xiao Yi was taken aback, unable to react for a moment.

Xu Jing hadn’t even fully processed her relationship with this little one yet, let alone her relationship with the man.

Nonetheless, looking at the little child before her, eyes reddened from crying, gazing at her expectantly yet nervously, she bit her lip, retrieved a handkerchief from her waist, and gently wiped the child’s tears and snot, saying, "If... your father is willing, then of course he can."

A certain man had intentionally avoided her, clearly unwilling.

She had already left a poor impression on the little one; better let the man be the bad guy.

But unexpectedly, the man beside her fell silent for a moment and then said, "Alright."

Xu Jing immediately looked up, bewilderment clear on her face as she stared at him.

The man pressed his lips, speaking lowly, "I just happen to have some matters related to the case I wish to discuss with you. Moreover, Chang Xiao seems to very much want me to go."

The meaning was quite clear: he was willing to go, partly for business and partly for the child.

Xu Jing wasn’t adept at handling overly complex relationships. Her relationship with Chang Xiao was already complicated enough, and she really didn’t want to drag Xiao Yi into it.

Hearing Xiao Yi say this, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, her relationship with the man now was purely professional, with nothing between them but a child...

Recognizing this point, the pressure in her heart lessened.

She stood up and said indifferently, "Alright then, let’s go. My humble abode is quite simple, and I hope Vice Minister Xiao won’t mind."

Xiao Yi glanced at her deeply, not speaking.

Just then, Xu Jing felt her dress being gently tugged. Looking down, she saw the little child raising his small head at her, with an expectant face, saying, "Mom, could you... could you hold me?"