Chapter 98: Ji Buwang’s Secret
Shao Xi had many marvelous ideas, but his experiences in his previous life had made him full of criticism and rejection for this society and world.
The protagonists in his works were very charismatic, but they had both a kind side and an evil side. There were characters in his novels who were entirely good.
Because of this, although he became world-famous and many people knew him, his reputation was a mix of praise and criticism, and there were plenty of controversies about his work.
Moreover, he did things based on his mood, which was similar to his work. Many people said that there was something wrong with his character.
This was also why a lot of people said that although his work was very widespread, it wasn’t considered a masterpiece. But now, Shao Xi’s path had taken another turn because of Mu Jingzhe.
In his previous life, Shao Xi hadn’t submitted his work to take part in competitions at this point. His essays had also been criticized by Zhang Fei and deemed worthless by the latter. They had been in despair in their previous lifetime by now.
This time, he had submitted his work and written quite a lot. Furthermore, because of this matter, he had a new goal.
This change was undoubtedly good for his future.
However, the current Shao Xi, who had a goal, was still troubled by the competition.
Although the original reason for the competition was good and the goal was just as good, the competition had become a fuse in the end.
Shao Xi hesitated for a moment before telling Mu Jingzhe, “Mom, are competitions bad? Should I not compete in the future?”
Mu Jingzhe said helplessly, “There’s nothing wrong with competitions per se. Many people gain confidence by taking part in competitions, as they give them a chance to prove themselves. This is a good thing, but some people don’t fare well in competitions.”
Although she said that, Mu Jingzhe didn’t force Shao Xi. “If you really think it’s bad, then you shall not compete for the next year, alright?”
Shao Xi immediately nodded. “Alright.”
After packing up, Mu Jingzhe took Shao Xi out and saw Ji Buwang at the door.
Judging by Ji Buwang’s bloodshot eyes, he probably hadn’t slept well either. “You’re up too? Why didn’t you knock?”
Ji Buwang smiled. “I was just about to knock.”
Actually, Ji Buwang had been at the door the entire night, guarding them.
He wanted to be able to hear them if they called for him. Also, he feared that the chubby mother would show up again.
He thought that by keeping watch, he would be able to stop her immediately. Fortunately, nothing had happened.
Ji Buwang didn’t say much. Instead, he said, “Wash up first. I’ll go buy breakfast.”
After breakfast, Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe’s expression. “Do you want to go out for a walk and play in the park today?”
He wanted them to relax and get rid of any bad luck. “I heard that there’s an amusement park in the park now. There is also a carousel.”
A carousel? Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Xi. “Do you want to go?”
Shao Xi wasn’t really in the mood, but he knew that he couldn’t stay like this, so he nodded. “Alright.”
They went in the morning, so there weren’t many people, but there were quite a few. After all, it was cooler in the mornings during the summer.
After they walked for a while, their moods brightened up considerably. There weren’t many facilities in the amusement park. When Mu Jingzhe saw the slide, she quickly asked Shao Xi to play.
Shao Xi looked and shook his head awkwardly. “I think I’ll pass.”
The children playing on the slide were all younger than him, and there were also many girls. He didn’t want to go.
They didn’t play on the slide, and after that, they reached the seesaw. There was no cushion on the seesaw, but it was still very popular. Two or three children sat together to play, and some adults played with them.
Mu Jingzhe’s butt hurt when she saw that, but when she saw that there seemed to be interest in the depths of Shao Xi’s eyes and the people on the seesaw had just left, she asked testingly, “Little Xi, do you want to play?”
Shao Xi: “If you play with me, I’ll play.”
However, Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi didn’t weigh the same, so Ji Buwang thought of a solution. “You guys sit on one side. I’ll sit on the other side.”
Fine.
Although the seesaw was simple, it was actually quite fun. It was just that all that jolting was really painful.
Finally, they reached the most important highlight of the new amusement park that had just been constructed this year—the carousel.
In the morning, there was already a queue. Many adults were sitting together with children in their arms. It was very lively.
“Little Xi, go ride the carousel too. Let’s bring Little Bei and the rest next time so that all five of you can ride the carousel. You can try it first today.”
In the end, Shao Xi was still a child. He had loosened up a bit after playing on the seesaw, so he nodded. “Mommy, are you coming too?”
“You can go ahead without me.” Most of the adults who rode the carousel with their children were those with extremely young children. Shao Xi was old enough.
“Alright.” Shao Xi nodded.
Next to them was a child who had just ridden the carousel and was pestering her mother to let her ride it again. She burst into tears when she saw how generous Mu Jingzhe was and threatened her mother, saying that if she refused to let her ride it again, she would become Mu Jingzhe’s child.
Mu Jingzhe: “…”
Seeing the parent’s angry and amused gaze, Mu Jingzhe smiled awkwardly, indicating that this wasn’t her fault.
Mu Jingzhe glanced at the little girl a few more times but didn’t see Shao Xi’s vigilant gaze.
Shao Xi was really afraid that someone would come to snatch Mu Jingzhe again. Thus, when Mu Jingzhe wasn’t paying attention, he glared at the little girl.
The little girl was stunned by his stare and didn’t dare say anything in the end. She was afraid that if she continued, that older brother would hit her.
She understood the look in that older brother’s eyes. She also hated it when others came to snatch her mother away.
Amid this commotion, the haze in his heart dissipated.
When Shao Xi got on the carousel, Mu Jingzhe saw that although his face was tense, his eyes were shining. Judging from his expression, Mu Jingzhe knew that he liked it and heaved a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Ji Buwang.” While all these things had happened, he had been by their side.
“Little Xi and I are much better now. You don’t have to accompany me this afternoon. You should go home.”
Ji Buwang shook his head. “I’m not specifically not going home because I’m watching over you guys. I just don’t really want to go back.”
Mu Jingzhe gave him a questioning look.
Ji Buwang: “Jingzhe, I actually have a secret that I might never be able to tell my loved ones. Can I tell you?”
Mu Jingzhe was conflicted. “Is it a big secret?”
According to her experience, when it came to secrets, the less one knew, the better off one was, especially when it came to the secrets of the rich.
Ji Buwang watched her expression, reading all her emotions. He then laughed. “Don’t be afraid. It’s not a big secret. It’s just… something that bothers me. It’s not really a big secret.”
Mu Jingzhe adjusted her expression. “Alright, go ahead.”
Adults would always feel a lot of pain and pressure in their hearts. However, oftentimes, when there was something they couldn’t speak about to their friends or colleagues or anyone they knew, they would yearn to have someone to confide in.
She had been through this before, so she decided to just act as his garbage disposal today.
Ji Buwang had been accompanying them for the past two days, so she had to give him some positive energy.
Ji Buwang wanted to speak but didn’t seem to know how to say it. “How should I put it? I think we have to start from my birth. My family background is quite good.”
“Yes, yes, I can tell.” How could he have so many musical instruments at home or developed such a disposition with a poor background?
“In the eyes of ordinary people, the members of rich families tend to compete against each other, but our family is actually fine. Our relatives are quite close too.
“Unfortunately, time is really a cruel thing, especially during the four years I was unconscious.”
Mu Jingzhe’s attention was piqued. She swallowed and asked carefully, “Have you been stripped of your power?”
Had everything changed after he’d woken up four years later? Was everything no longer his?
“Yes and no, but that’s not what I’m talking about.” Ji Buwang’s words were shocking. “I’ve actually always retained awareness in the past four years.”