Chapter 682 - 684: Something’s Off About Ji Ziyan
Bai Ruozhu took Dengdeng into her arms from him and let him finish his food which was still hot. Zeqing was enthusiastically tucking into his meal, which made Dengdeng curious. He also stretched out his little hand wanting some.
"Darling, you’re too young for it now. Food with oil and salt doesn’t taste good to you. At least before you’re one, you can’t eat anything salty," Bai Ruozhu gently explained to her son on the side.
After slurping up a mouthful of noodles, Jiang Yichun laughed, "You really have patience with the baby. But with me, you’re always snapping."
Bai Ruozhu shot him a glare, thinking to herself, it’s all because you’ve been keeping things from me. It serves you right!
As he continued eating, Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment before saying, "I’ve invested all the silver you left for me to manage. I’ve made a fair bit of money from it. Do you need any? Do you want me to get you your share of the earnings?"
Jiang Yichun’s face stiffened momentarily at her words but quickly forced a smile, saying, "What do I need money for? I’ve got everything I need."
Don’t you have to pay back the money you borrowed from Xu Huilin? That was what Bai Ruozhu almost blurted out, but she decided against speaking up. It’s not right to eavesdrop on others after all.
Returning to their room that night, Jiang Yichun wore a mischievous grin and suggested, "Your noodles were so delicious; I may have eaten a little too much. How about we get some activity in?"
Bai Ruozhu immediately understood what he was implying. She was definitely getting a bad influence from him!
"No, I can’t. I’m on my period," she whispered.
"What? I thought you wouldn’t get your period while you breastfeed?" Jiang Yichun wore an expression of disappointment on his face.
"That’s what I’ve heard too. But it goes to show that such claims can’t be trusted!" Bai Ruozhu grumbled, "I can’t, I’m feeling uncomfortable. I’ll go sleep now, you put our son to bed."
Having given birth and breastfeeding, this was Bai Ruozhu’s first period and she didn’t feel too well.
At her words, Jiang Yichun stopped his playful jesting. Lying next to her with Dengdeng in his arms, he softly offered, "Would you like me to massage your stomach?"
Bai Ruozhu grunted an incoherent response, and his large hand soon found its place on her lower belly. His hand was warm, gently massaging her stomach, giving her a warm and comfortable sensation.
He suddenly asked, "What did you just now mean with ’can’t be trusted’?"
Bai Ruozhu was at a loss for words and after a moment’s thought, she responded, "It’s an expression used where I come from. It’s about using research to gain deeper understanding. For instance, in our place, we have vehicles that don’t require horses but operate on kerosene and can go very fast."
Bai Ruozhu wasn’t sure if Jiang Yichun understood her explanation.
Jiang Yichun’s eyes lit up with curiosity and he asked, "Would the kerosene set the vehicle on fire?"
"Kerosene is a fuel that powers the vehicle," explained Bai Ruozhu. Finding it too difficult to explain in detail, she quickly changed the topic and asked, "Why don’t we make a simple toy set for Dengdeng?"
"What kind of toy is it? As long as our son likes it, I’d be happy to make it," Jiang Yichun nodded enthusiastically. He reached out to touch Dengdeng’s foot and gave it a gentle kiss.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but chuckle, "It’s called building blocks. They’re not difficult to make. Just carve pieces of wood into different shapes so that children can build houses with them. It helps develop intelligence. It’d be even better to paint them with beautiful colors, just be careful not to use paint that peels off easily. Children like to put things in their mouth and that’s not healthy."
"What kind of shapes are they? Could you draw them out for me tomorrow? I’ll make a set for our son," Jiang Yichun suggested earnestly.
Bai Ruozhu laughed. She was happy for their son. Her own father never made her building blocks when she was young. His gambling addiction eventually led to him physically abusing her and her mother.
After a while, Dengdeng fell asleep. Bai Ruozhu was also drowsy, poised to fall asleep any moment. Just as she was about to nod off, Jiang Yichun stopped massaging her stomach and quietly got out of bed. She found this strange, but was too exhausted to get up and investigate. She decided to wait for him to come back and ask him about it later.
Just as she was about to fall asleep while waiting for him, Jiang Yichun came back. He seemed slightly damp, his hair a little wet and his face unusually clean. Through half-closed eyes, Bai Ruozhu observed him and couldn’t help but start giggling. Had he taken a cold shower? Men usually do that when they need to cool their desires, right?
Jiang Yichun shot her a glare, "Stop laughing and go to sleep! If you keep laughing, I’ll tickle you till you stop!"
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t stop laughing, "I’m on my period, you know. So you can’t do anything."
"That’s only if you behave, otherwise I still have other ways," Jiang Yichun joked, his gaze ticking to the generous curves of her chest...
Bai Ruozhu quickly covered her chest with her hands, closing her eyes and mouth—she was not going to provoke him anymore.
He got in bed chuckling but gave her some space. He waited for a good while for his body to warm up, only then did he move closer and wrap his arms around her waist.
Though Bai Ruozhu was already half-asleep, she knew that he was worried his cold body would chill her. She felt so touched that she smiled, even in her sleep.
Early the next morning, Jiang Yichun left in haste for an assignment from the Office of Communications. Bai Ruozhu went to chat with her mother before deciding to take Xiaosi to go and see Ji Ziyan. Considering Xiaosi’s special circumstances, Bai Ruozhu hoped a familiar teacher could help him adapt to life at the private school.
Also, since Ji Ziyan was Xie Dun’s friend, she could trust his character. Since she’d brought up the matter earlier with him, Bai Ruozhu thought it was the best day to arrange a visit and finalize matters since the opening of school was approaching fast.
As Bai Ruozhu took Xiaosi and not Dengdeng out with her, Dengdeng was left upset, hollering a few times. However, with his attention quickly switched to food, Bai Zhuozhu managed to lead Xiaosi away successfully.The two of them got into a horse carriage and gave Ji Ziyan’s address to Wa San. Wu San, who was very familiar with Beiyu City, was able to locate Ji Ziyan’s residence quickly.
"Miss, the carriage can’t get through here. I’ll wait for you at the entrance, alright?" Wa San stopped the carriage and asked.
Bai Ruozhu got off the carriage with Xiaosi, "Okay, we might take some time."
"Alright."
Bai Ruozhu held Xiaosi’s hand, gently reminding him, "When we see Mr. Ziyan, you must be polite and greet him, okay?"
Xiaosi nodded, "Sis, I got it." After a moment, he furrowed his brows, "Is the teacher very stern?"
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, "No, he isn’t. I’ve met him before. He used to study with Mr. Dun and is a really nice person. You’ll like him."
Relieved, Xiaosi let out a long breath and his small body visibly relaxed.
The two of them quickly reached the entrance of Ji Ziyan’s home. After knockıng on the door, Ji Ziyan came to open it, "Miss Bai, you’ve come. And this must be Bai Zeqing, your brother?"
Xiaosi politely greeted Ji Ziyan, "Bai Zeqing greets Mr. Ji."
Ji Ziyan nodded, "A child that knows manners. Come in and let’s talk."
Bai Ruozhu and Xiaosi entered the yard. However, she felt something off about Ji Ziyan. It was as if...