CTS 66

Of course Shen Mo knew.

His face grew a little warm, and he found himself unable to respond.

Ji Mingxuan gave a soft laugh, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

Shen Mo stood by the door for a while before crawling back into bed wrapped in the blanket. He had barely slept the night before, so this nap was deep and dreamless. When he finally woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

He remembered Ji Mingxuan’s request, so he took out the paint he had used the night before and carefully drew a matching ring on his left hand. Even though it was just to pass the “inspection,” he still put in the effort. When he finished, he held up his hand to the sunlight and looked at the painted ring, grinning foolishly to himself.

Not long after, Ji Mingxuan came knocking. He had changed into a fresh outfit and drove Shen Mo to a restaurant outside for lunch.

Shen Mo looked around for Ji Ning but didn’t see him, so he asked, “Where’s Xiao Ning?”

“Being looked after by the nanny,” Ji Mingxuan replied. “It’s rare for us to have a meal alone.”

As he spoke, he grabbed Shen Mo’s left hand, turning it over to examine it carefully. Once he confirmed the ring matched his own, he held onto Shen Mo’s hand and started walking forward.

“Mr. Ji,” Shen Mo said a little awkwardly, “we’re outside.”

Ji Mingxuan only tightened his grip. “So what? No one here knows us.”

His demeanor was relaxed and confident as he held Shen Mo’s hand all the way out of the hotel and drove them to a restaurant with a distinct local charm. The restaurant was built beside the water and decorated with greenery. A clear green pond sat next to their table, and the whole place had a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.

Ji Mingxuan took the lead in ordering a few local specialty dishes. While they ate, he chatted casually with Shen Mo. Neither of them was very talkative, so their conversation remained light, mostly about what they had each been up to since they last parted.

Ji Mingxuan’s life sounded fairly dull. Apart from work, most of his time and energy had gone into raising Ji Ning. Shen Mo finally understood how hard it was for a man to raise a child on his own. The love he had for Ji Ning was undeniable.

As for Shen Mo, there wasn’t much to talk about either. He had simply opened an art studio and was living a quiet life.

“You even hired someone to help?” Ji Mingxuan caught the detail instantly. “A man or a woman?”

“A woman,” Shen Mo answered truthfully.

Ji Mingxuan made a thoughtful sound.

Shen Mo quickly added, “She has a boyfriend. They’re already talking about marriage.”

Ji Mingxuan still said, “Hmm.”

His expression brightened. He picked up a few pieces of meat and placed them into Shen Mo’s bowl. “You seem to have lost some weight.”

Shen Mo didn’t feel like he had lost weight, but since Mr. Ji said so, he ended up eating more than usual. After lunch, feeling full to the point of bursting, Ji Mingxuan dragged him out for a walk on the beach.

Shen Mo had long since grown tired of the seaside scenery and had no interest in taking it in again. He simply followed Ji Mingxuan quietly. When they got tired from walking, they sat down wherever they happened to be. There was no destination.

A gentle sea breeze blew through. Shen Mo felt like this kind of moment was both fleeting and endless.

Fleeting, because in a blink, night had already fallen.

Endless, because it felt like he could live the rest of his life like this.

They didn’t head back until after watching the sunset by the sea. By the time they returned to the hotel, night had already fallen, so they had dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Shen Mo had been wondering why the paint on Ji Mingxuan’s hand hadn’t worn off. Later, when he happened to watch him wash his hands, he finally understood. Ji Mingxuan was being extremely careful, turning the tap to a gentle trickle and deliberately avoiding that small spot on his skin.

Shen Mo was both touched and a little embarrassed. For once, he took the initiative and forced Ji Mingxuan to wash the ring mark off.

Mr. Ji was not pleased. He kept a dark face the entire evening.

Shen Mo didn’t have time to coax him, because Ji Ning had latched onto him and insisted on a bedtime story.

Ji Ning only saw them just before going to bed, and although he was excited for a while, Ji Mingxuan soon dragged him off to sleep. He lay in bed looking pitiful, asking to hear the story about the big bad wolf and the little white bunny.

Shen Mo sat at the bedside and told him the story.

When he finished, Ji Ning blinked and pouted. “That’s not how Daddy told it.”

“How did your daddy tell it?”

“Daddy said the big bad wolf and the little white bunny stayed together forever.”

Shen Mo felt a sudden tug in his heart. He turned to look for Ji Mingxuan, only to find that while he had been telling the story, Ji Mingxuan had already fallen asleep, resting beside the bed.

Ji Ning immediately pounced over. “Daddy—”

Shen Mo quickly scooped him back up and hushed him. “Shh, let Daddy sleep well.”

After everything since last night, he really had earned some rest.

Shen Mo tucked Ji Ning back under the covers and gently coaxed him to sleep. Then he went to the next room to grab a blanket and carefully laid it over Ji Mingxuan.

Ji Mingxuan remained fast asleep.

Under the warm, dim light, Shen Mo noticed how long his eyelashes were, casting soft shadows on his face.

He found himself staring, his thoughts starting to wander.

Both Ji Mingxuan and Ji Ning were sound asleep, and the room was quiet with no one else around. Shen Mo suddenly recalled a moment from years ago, a day when he had dozed off on the sofa from exhaustion while Ji Mingxuan kept pacing past him again and again.

Shen Mo’s heart began to pound. A little nervous, he braced his hands on the edge of the bed and slowly leaned in closer. His lips brushed against Ji Mingxuan’s cheek, planting a gentle kiss.

Just like he had done all those years ago.