Chapter 117 Xia Zijie
Decades ago…
In an old house in Kyoto…
“How could I have a son as useless as you? Get out!”
A small figure was struck down the stairs by a cane, rolling all the way down. However, even in such a situation, the young Xia Zijie did not shed a single tear.
Facing his father’s ferocious appearance, young Xia Zijie could only cower and flee, not daring to resist.
This was because he was born here, his father was always the final say in the family, and most importantly…
He was an illegitimate child!
In any era, in any family, illegitimate children are always the most pitiful, yet also the most hated. They themselves have done nothing wrong, so why should all malice be directed at them?
His father disliked him, his younger sister always looked down on him, and his father’s wife wished he were dead.
Even his uncles and cousins were constantly wishing for his death, so that there would be no one to compete with them for the family business.
Perhaps his existence was a mistake.
After all, legally, he had the right of inheritance, and his father had to support him, which was why he suffered so much hardship.
No one helped him, no one relied on him, and no one was willing to stand up for him. Everyone avoided him, hurt him, and even other children of his age treated him like a plague, not daring to approach him.
Facing his father’s tyranny, Xia Zijie could only retreat silently, returning to that…
A storage room of less than 5 square meters…
Inside the storage room, old bedding was piled on top of some cardboard boxes, and beside them, neatly folded clothes lay quietly.
The young Xia Zijie curled up alone in the middle of the night in this piece of land that did not belong to him…
And the next morning, even before dawn, he had to get up early to prepare breakfast for the adults.
He was an illegitimate child, with no right to speak. His mother had long disappeared and had never taken care of him. All these hardships had to be borne by him alone.
And he endured such days for many years, repeating themselves, as if his life could only live in darkness forever.
In this so-called family, he was the servant of his father, younger sister, uncles, and cousins, a pet they could scold and beat at will.
Outside, he was a punching bag for his peers, someone they looked down upon and bullied.
However, even so, Xia Zijie never gave up struggling. He wanted to escape from here, so he was constantly looking for ways to escape the Xia family, both inside and outside.
Finally, he really found it!
At that time, his second uncle had a share in the Xia family’s group, but this second uncle was not an honest person.
In a sense, he could be considered a complete villain, relying on his status, family background, and the money he had.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him someone who bullied men and women. The people he harmed were also threatened and did not dare to call the police.
This gave Xia Zijie a great opportunity!
An opportunity to create chaos…
Xia Zijie did not rush, but waited patiently, until one day, he made all the evidence he had collected about his second uncle’s crimes public at a press conference.
The entire press conference instantly fell into chaos. After all, the press conference had also gathered many influential figures from Kyoto.
In such a scene, when some extremely dirty matters were publicly revealed, the chaos that would be created was self-evident…
Not only the press conference, but the entire Xia family was also in chaos. Some wanted to take the opportunity to send their second uncle to prison, reducing competition.
Some also tried to cover it up and salvage some of the Xia family’s reputation.
And this was exactly Xia Zijie’s opportunity!
Taking advantage of the chaos, Xia Zijie decisively escaped the sight of the person who had been watching him, and finally disappeared into the vast sea of people.
Along the way, he also took away some of the Xia family’s core plans, strategic plans, and some funds.
Perhaps his actions were also illegal, but how could the Xia family be clean?
Not to mention how long it would take for these guys to discover that he was the one who did it, even if they did, so what?
By the time they discovered it, Xia Zijie would have long escaped their sight and disappeared without a trace, making it impossible for them to find him.
Xia Zijie therefore came to a new city – Rongcheng!
Xia Zijie had heard that Rongcheng was a very inclusive city, which was why he came here.
Years of forbearance might have brought Xia Zijie many difficulties and despair, but it also gave him many abilities that his peers could not possess.
For example…
In his early days, this ability was only reflected in his consistently outstanding grades after enrolling in the new school, or his ability to use a small amount of money to earn a lot of cash to improve his quality of life.
But because he had been bullied in Kyoto for a long time…
After arriving in Rongcheng, Xia Zijie still found it difficult to integrate into the social circle. He didn’t understand many things, and his somewhat dull personality led many people to bully him.
Perhaps it was due to his past experiences that Xia Zijie still dared not resist.
He was afraid…
Afraid that if he resisted, it might lead to even more intense retaliation.
After all, he was alone and helpless everywhere he went…
…
He was always very insecure on campus. He envied those who could stand on stage with confidence and glamour, feeling sincere envy in his heart.
They were so radiant, they must have many followers…
He was like a transparent person, silently enduring the bullying of some people, and nothing else. He just lived a simple and ordinary life all by himself…
On the vibrant campus, he always envied those classmates who were in pairs and had their own partners.
He used to wonder if he would have a good wife, but reality had given him a heavy slap.
When he finally mustered up the courage to try to integrate with his classmates, he found that they were not willing to pay him any attention at all.
Although the girls spoke to him politely and did not openly look down on him, Xia Zijie, who had experienced so much malice, could see the mockery and contempt in the depths of their eyes.
It was as if he was a clown, a performer, only fit to be watched as if he, Xia Zijie, was not a complete person, but a plaything…
…
It was another late night…
With no friends, Xia Zijie could only keep company with books all day long. After all, friendship was difficult to obtain, but knowledge was something he could get by just looking at it.
This was the only sense of satisfaction he could obtain in his life…
As Xia Zijie slowly walked along the familiar path home…
The streetlights began to flicker, and several figures emerged from the darkness. These people were all too familiar to Xia Zijie.
They were precisely the bastards who usually bullied him!
“What do you want to do?” Even though he was very scared in his heart, Xia Zijie still forced himself to look into their eyes, as if this could alleviate some of his fear.
“Heh…” The leader sneered, “Of course… to ask for some protection fees. How long has it been since you paid? Hmm?”
“No… didn’t I just pay a few days ago? Why are you here again?”
“Haha, didn’t I come to find you after I spent it all? You say so, right?”
Xia Zijie clenched his fists. He really wanted to punch the bastard in front of him, but the fear in his heart made it difficult for him to raise his hand to resist.
And now…
Except for his real estate, all his cash flow had been invested and could not be moved temporarily.
In other words, he… had no money right now!
“I have no money, you guys look for someone else…”
“What?!! No money, heh, you say you have none, and you have none?”
The leader clearly didn’t believe it. He took two steps forward, grabbed Xia Zijie by the collar, and the others began to search him.
Even his phone was opened and searched, and indeed, no money that could be taken out was found.
“Damn it, you poor ghost, you deserve to be a bastard with no father or mother!”
At this moment, punch after punch, mixed with his curses, landed on Xia Zijie.
Helpless, he could only curl himself into a ball to protect himself.
“What are you doing?!”
A shout came from outside the alley.
Xia Zijie and the others also looked in the direction of the sound. Because it was late at night and the streetlights were flickering, it was difficult to see the person’s face.
“What kid are you, get lost if you don’t want to get beaten!”
“You’re bullying people and you think you’re right?”
The man who arrived was clearly enraged by these scum openly robbing people.
He had received favors and knew the principle that the wise lead the way. He extremely disliked bullying the weak.
Coincidentally, he was passing by this place today, so it was natural for him to draw his sword to help the weak, even if it was someone he didn’t know.
“Don’t talk nonsense, if you don’t leave, I’ll take you too!”
“Heh…” The boy didn’t talk nonsense. He threw his schoolbag aside, picked up a wooden stick, and looked at the group in front of him, “Then… shall we spar?”
The few people exchanged glances, none of them taking the pretty boy in front of them seriously.
“Heh, you brat are looking for death!”
…
“Sir… Sir, stop hitting us, we were wrong, we’ll leave now…”
“Heh, just like that?”
Watching their defeated figures flee, the boy awkwardly covered his still bleeding arm, then looked at Xia Zijie who was still lying on the ground.
Seeing his disheveled appearance, the boy felt some sympathy and a little pity for him. He then slowly bent down and extended his hand to Xia Zijie.
“Are you okay? Don’t be afraid, I’ve driven those people away. With me here, you’re safe.”
Perhaps, from the boy’s perspective, he was just simply helping a classmate in need by driving away those who were bullying him, and this classmate would at most treat him to a meal and consider it over.
But this scene was completely different in Xia Zijie’s eyes…
In Xia Zijie’s eyes, at this moment, the boy in front of him was condescending, extending a helping hand to him. His back was bathed in the sudden bright lights, making him seem so sacred.
Moreover…
After so many years, this was the first time someone was willing to defend him, willing to protect him…
The words “With me here, you’re safe”
Further dispelled the despair in Xia Zijie’s heart.
Looking at the hand extended to him by the person in front of him, he was momentarily unsure how to respond. For so many years, no one had ever extended such a helping hand to him. He imitated what he had seen before and clumsily grasped the hand that was supporting him.
His movements were so light that he was afraid of hurting the other person by accident. And the boy in front of him clearly didn’t have that much patience. He grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
“It’s not safe for you to go home alone. Where do you live, I’ll take you…”
…
Since then, Xia Zijie had found his whereabouts at school. He was not in the same academy, so it was no wonder he hadn’t seen him before.
Xia Zijie had been following him frequently since he found his whereabouts. The other party had never disliked Xia Zijie. At least for a long time, Xia Zijie had been inseparable from him.
It was as if, from that moment on, Xia Zijie’s heart was only filled with this perfect figure…
For him, the former Ji Yunqi was not an ordinary friend, nor a simple act of help, but… the hand of salvation that dragged him out of darkness and the abyss.
She was Xia Zijie’s own god, his salvation…
However, life would not always be peaceful…
Until a girl named Ye Yun Chu appeared next to the boy, seeing how affectionate he was with that surname Ye, his heart ached.
He gradually disliked that girl, as if someone had taken away the most important person in his heart.
He began to try to persuade the boy to leave her, and even asked her out alone, but what he got in return was the other party’s vigilance, thinking that he wanted to snatch his girlfriend.
At this moment, Xia Zijie realized that his behavior was very inappropriate and would cause him inconvenience. Therefore, he no longer appeared in front of the boy.
Instead, he quietly watched him from the side. As long as he was well, it was enough…
After all, he had gained a lot from just staying by his side during this time.
For example, he taught him confidence!
And some other friends, like a kid named Jiang Youwei, was quite interesting and had a good relationship with him, of course, this was only because of his relationship.
He knew very well that without him, he would still be the same as before, perhaps never knowing what confidence was in his life.
He was destined to live like a rat in the gutter his entire life…
“Alright, alright, he’s a normal person, don’t think too much, he just genuinely likes you, nothing else~”
Facing Jiang Youwei’s comfort, Xia Zijie did not take it to heart. He just smiled gently, but the emotion in his eyes could not be hidden…
“I know, you don’t have to comfort me like this. I just want him to be well.”
“You fellow!” Jiang Youwei didn’t know what to say. This was Rongcheng, and it was indeed very inclusive, but brother, this… was a bit too blatant, wasn’t it?
However, as long as Xia Zijie didn’t do anything bad, he wouldn’t say anything else. Anyway, he wasn’t targeted.
He was also very curious. In his opinion, Xia Zijie’s feelings for his childhood friend were completely inexplicable. He wanted to see how long this kid could last.
It was probably just a temporary感动. With his childhood friend ignoring him like this, the kid himself probably wouldn’t last long.
However, Jiang Youwei back then would never have imagined that this seemingly ordinary boy before him, this somewhat distorted affection, would be maintained by him for decades…
He could even recognize her, who had long since changed her appearance, in the vast sea of people without even needing to communicate…
…
Ji Yunqi pursed her slightly dry lips and looked sideways at Xia Zijie, who was leaning motionlessly on the chair…
Back then, she had just done it on a whim, merely as helping a classmate and doing a good deed. She had never thought of anything else.
At that time, she really thought that Xia Zijie would at most treat her to a meal and be done with it.
But how could she have imagined that after just this one act, this guy would actually be attracted to her!
This was something Ji Yunqi could not understand at all. It wasn’t like, bro, do you have to be like this? I only saved you once, not like we’re best buddies, why are you so eccentric?
“Regarding the matters between the Xia family and the Gu family, you don’t have to worry. I’ll arrange it. With me here, you are safe.”
Such familiar words. Ji Yunqi couldn’t imagine how Xia Zijie had gotten through so many years, constantly thinking of her, never changing.
This made Ji Yunqi feel a little guilty. This made her seem like… something else…
The same was true for Luo Yao. Although Luo Yao was a bit more reserved, on the eve of her son’s wedding, if she hadn’t stopped her, it was hard to say what that woman would have done to her…
Ji Yunqi sometimes wondered, what charm did she have that attracted both Xia Zijie and Luo Yao?
She also had her own wife by her side. It turned out she was surrounded!
It was understandable that her wife loved her, after all, they were an old couple. But Luo Yao and Xia Zijie… Ji Yunqi found it really hard to understand.
Moreover, both of them seemed to be gay. One was gay now, and the other was gay from the beginning…
…
“Do you… still like me now?”
Ji Yunqi, for some reason, asked such a question that would make her lose face.
Xia Zijie’s face still carried a faint smile: “Yes, I’ve always liked you. No matter what you look like, no matter when, it’s always the same…”
“I…”
Ji Yunqi did not expect Xia Zijie to be so direct. She actually… just asked casually.
“As you can see, I’m already married. We have a son, and you’re still alone. You should… look forward…”
Ji Yunqi tried to persuade Xia Zijie. She didn’t think she had that much charm to attract such an excellent person like Xia Zijie.
And he was gay and liked her…
The key point was that she was already married and had children. Now she even had a second child…
“You don’t have to worry about me, I know what I’m doing.”
“This…”
Xia Zijie was so resistant to both soft and hard tactics. Ji Yunqi had no choice. As the words fell, there was a moment of silence…
Ji Yunqi also started thinking about her wife…
She had been out for a while. She didn’t know how her wife was doing. However, the old man should have an idea by now. She thought her wife should be fine.
Now, as soon as this matter was over, they could be a complete family. Nothing could separate them anymore.
Perhaps, life and days would also get better day by day…
It really lived up to that saying.
Who would have thought that just a few months ago, the couple were both like they had a terminal illness and were on the verge of death, but a few months later, they had returned to their youth and were rejuvenated.
This is what is called…
Perhaps like a new chapter…
As her thoughts deepened, Ji Yunqi, due to her pregnancy, unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.
Listening to the steady breathing of the person beside her, Xia Zijie turned his head to look at Ji Yunqi.
He saw the girl curled up on the chair, legs crossed, her delicate little face clean and pure, making one want to cherish her.
At this moment, the person she loved was right before her eyes, and Xia Zijie was extremely excited…
He raised his hand to brush away the strands of hair from Ji Yunqi’s face and quietly looked at the girl in front of him.
“How long has it been since I last looked at you properly?”
Xia Zijie knew that Ji Yunqi was pregnant and it was normal for her to feel tired. He didn’t say anything, but quietly picked up the little one who was curled up on the chair and held her in his arms.
Then, he slowly walked towards the room…
Xia Zijie did not make any unnecessary movements. He gently placed Ji Yunqi, who had already changed into her pajamas, on the bed he had prepared in the room.
Then, he pulled the quilt and gently covered her, ensuring that no cold air could get in.
After doing all this, Xia Zijie stood quietly by the head of the bed, quietly watching the sleeping beauty on the bed…
No matter what time it was, his gaze had never changed. It was like this before, it was like this now, and it would be the same in the future…
“If only you were mine…”
Xia Zijie was only willing to think about such things. He would not do anything that Ji Yunqi disliked or hated. He loved this person, not her body.
His love would only be to protect her with all his might, not to restrict her or lock her by his side…
If that would make the person he liked disgusted, then his actions would have gone against his intentions.
Xia Zijie reached out and gently stroked Ji Yunqi’s face. He knew that it would not be long before Ji Yunqi would no longer stay by his side.
And he could only use this method to shorten the distance between them as much as possible, just to be able to look at her a few more times.
Perhaps there would be opportunities in the future, but it would never be this close again. It was difficult for him to bear the loneliness he had endured for decades. He did not want to see the person he liked so close yet be powerless.
But Xia Zijie had no other way. He could only silently be a guardian, quietly watching her live a happy life…
“You are my salvation, my light, I will always protect you…”
Finally, Xia Zijie looked at Ji Yunqi’s peaceful sleeping eyes and slowly leaned down.
He placed a kiss on her forehead…
Then, he gently closed the door for her…
…
