Chapter 21

Chapter 21

◎ Found the One I Want to Spend My Life With! ◎

In the book, "Meng Qi's" home was built in the southern suburbs, while Ren Suiyi's home was constructed in the eastern suburbs. It was farther out from the bustling city center, with more open terrain, making it even more secluded. From a distance, only the pinkish-white roof spires were faintly visible amidst the lush, dense forest, giving it the feel of a mysterious fairy-tale castle.

Up close, this feeling was especially pronounced.

Ren Suiyi's home was entirely in a Western classical architectural style. Meng Qi remembered that the author had written about the origin of this Western-style castle in the novel.

It was said that Ren Suiyi's great-grandfather had studied abroad, where he excelled in architectural design. His graduation project was even used by his mentor as a standout example in lectures. After returning to China, he negotiated with the Ren family and directly transformed the original Ren family compound into the style seen today, which became an instant success and rocketed him to fame. Later, more and more people sought him out to design homes or other items that could demonstrate taste and status, and the Ren family thus entered the real estate industry.

Perhaps because Jiang Baixi often drove to the Ren family home, his car was waved right through. He drove straight through the open iron gates and didn't stop until he reached the front of the castle.

What happened next was much like what Meng Qi had seen at the Meng family's old residence. First, a servant came to take over from Jiang Baixi and drove the car away. Then, other servants respectfully led him and Jiang Baixi toward the living room.

However, unlike the treatment at the Meng family's old residence, this time, before they even stepped into the living room, a kindly looking middle-aged woman came out to greet them.

Her waist-length black hair shimmered with a healthy glow; her natural cheeks had a healthy pink glow, suggesting a healthy, balanced lifestyle and an easygoing nature. A maroon-red dress accentuated her good figure, paired with black lambskin mid-heel sandals, creating an air of polished relaxation.

Although not as beautiful as Li Jintong at first glance, Ding Yi had a charm that made people like her instantly.

She first kissed them each on the cheek, then affectionately took Meng Qi's hand, her peach blossom eyes smiling as she said to him, "Let me see who this is? Oh, it's little Qiqi! Tell me, how long has it been since you've come to see Auntie Ding? Have you already forgotten me?"

Everyone kept saying he hadn't visited the Ren family in a long time, but how long was "a long time"? Meng Qi didn't know. What he did know was that from the moment he saw Ding Yi, he genuinely liked this woman who exuded a gentle aura.

If he had a mother, she would probably be like Ding Yi, right? Meng Qi couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy because Auntie said something? Look at that pout—you could hang an oil bottle from it, couldn't you?" Ding Yi pointed at the corner of Meng Qi's mouth with her index finger, pretending to be angry with a humph, but her eyes were still filled with a thick layer of amusement.

Regaining his composure, Meng Qi immediately saw that Ding Yi was joking with him. So, he quickly put on a smile and apologized to her, "I'm not unhappy. I was just so happy to see Auntie Ding that I was caught off guard."

Ding Yi pressed further, "Caught off guard? What were you thinking about just now? You looked so displeased."

Just as Meng Qi was about to explain that it was nothing, Jiang Baixi chimed in from the side, "Auntie Ding, he didn't want to come. I dragged him here, and he's been giving me the cold shoulder the whole way."

Ding Yi then tilted her head to look at Meng Qi and continued asking, "Are you still having a falling out with your Brother Yiyi?"

She even knew about his conflict with Ren Suiyi?! Meng Qi was startled for a moment but quickly calmed down, thinking it probably wasn't because of this incident—Ren Suiyi wouldn't tell his mother about such things.

Since it wasn't this time, it meant that Meng Qi had already had a falling out with Ren Suiyi before this. The one-sided conversation between the 'Meng Qi' from the book and Ren Suiyi had lasted nearly a month, meaning the book's 'Meng Qi' probably hadn't visited the Ren family for about a month.

That was quite a while, no wonder Ding Yi was pretending to be angry to scold him.

Meng Qi opened his mouth, wanting to explain on behalf of the book's 'Meng Qi,' but Jiang Baixi once again took over the conversation, "Auntie Ding, you have no idea—he even blocked Brother Sui. Impressive, right?"

Ding Yi looked utterly astonished, as if he'd said something unbelievable. First, she stared at Meng Qi for a good ten seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, bending over with amusement. "Oh my, our little Qiqi is full of surprises! Tell Auntie, how did Suiyi offend you to make you so angry? Not only did you stop visiting Auntie, but you even blocked your Brother Yiyi."

Without waiting for Meng Qi to answer, Ding Yi then put on a gossipy look. "Does your Brother Yiyi know you blocked him?"

Meng Qi: ...

Is this really Ren Suiyi's biological mother? She's so eager for gossip about her own son...

Meng Qi didn't know how to answer Ding Yi, so he glanced in Jiang Baixi's direction, shooting him a look: *You keep talking—you're so good at it.*

Jiang Baixi first lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk, then rolled his eyes and turned his head away, refusing to look at Meng Qi.

At that moment, Ding Yi took both Meng Qi and Jiang Baixi by the hand and led them into the living room, defusing the tension between them. She then waved to summon a servant. "Go bring out the rare fruits that the eldest brother brought back yesterday for them to try."

The servant nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am," then headed in another direction. Meng Qi guessed it was probably toward the kitchen.

The next second, Jiang Baixi's surprised questioning voice reached Meng Qi's ears, instantly pulling back his attention. Jiang Baixi asked Ding Yi with excitement, "Brother Wu is back?"

Meng Qi knew who Jiang Baixi was referring to as "Brother Wu."

The novel had mentioned him—Ren Suiyi's biological older brother, the eldest young master of the Ren family, Ren Suiwu. He was seven years older than Ren Suiyi and, true to his name, joined the military after coming of age. Even by the time Meng Qi saw the book's 'Meng Qi' die, he hadn't seen him retire. It seemed he was destined for a career in politics or the military.

Although Meng Qi knew this character existed in the book, the author's descriptions of him were extremely sparse. He was only mentioned a few times, and always through other characters' words. Therefore, Meng Qi truly knew nothing about this person—not his temperament, nor what role he played in the entire book. If he had to guess, he was probably an insignificant extra.

Still, he was luckier than the book's 'Meng Qi.' At least he could live out his natural life. Thinking this, Meng Qi couldn't help but grumble inwardly, feeling quite envious of this character.

As Ding Yi pushed the tea prepared in advance by the servants toward Meng Qi and Jiang Baixi, she answered with a beaming smile, "Yes, your Brother Wu came back last night. He said he just finished a two-army military exercise and was exhausted. He went to sleep right after dinner last night and hasn't woken up yet."

"That's really tough..." Meng Qi couldn't help but sigh, though his tone was also filled with envy.

Meng Qi had wanted to be a soldier since he was a child, but because of his eye condition, he was inherently disqualified from military service. So, as he grew up, he always saw soldiers through rose-colored glasses—both admiring and envying them. He couldn't take his eyes off military uniforms or vehicles. Just moments ago, he had been thinking how great it would be if he had transmigrated into the role of Ren Suiwu. That would be a dream come true.

"It is quite tough, so I won't wake him up today to play with you two. But your Brother Wu will be home for a week this time. Come another day, and I'll have him spend a good half-day playing with you."

Jiang Baixi nodded emphatically. "Okay, Auntie Ding. I also want Brother Wu to see if my combat skills have improved."

What skills?!

Wasn't it jiu-jitsu? Since when do you know combat skills?!

Meng Qi looked at Jiang Baixi with a shocked expression, really wanting to ask him: *What else can you do? Why are you so skilled yet always getting beaten back by the book's 'Meng Qi'? Are you really not sandbagging...*

Who would have thought Jiang Baixi misinterpreted Meng Qi's shock as envy? So, he arrogantly returned Meng Qi's gaze and said to him, "Now you know to envy me? Where were you earlier? I told you to learn before, but you just pretended to be sick and slacked off... Look how chubby you've gotten!"

Meng Qi was left with a head full of question marks after Jiang Baixi's barrage of words. He looked down at his flat stomach and well-proportioned legs, then pinched his muscular arms, thinking: *Where am I chubby? This is all muscle, not fat!*

"Alright, alright, don't say that about Qiqi. He's not chubby at all. Auntie Ding likes him just the way he is," Ding Yi gently patted Meng Qi's hand, tactfully comforting him. "Isn't this good? Any thinner would be unattractive. Auntie doesn't like skin-and-bones types. None of you are allowed to torture yourselves into that state."

Jiang Baixi wanted to point out Meng Qi's chubby cheeks to Ding Yi, but in the end, he could only sigh helplessly. Perhaps elders all like their descendants plump and fair...

After catching up with Ding Yi for a while, Jiang Baixi clearly grew restless. He had brought Meng Qi here for a purpose, but Meng Qi was acting like a mute gourd, not steering the conversation toward Ren Suiyi at all. This drove Jiang Baixi crazy. He repeatedly signaled Meng Qi with his eyes to speak up, and when that didn't work, he finally resorted to kicking Meng Qi under the table.

Having found the long-yearned-for maternal love in Ding Yi, Meng Qi really didn't want to bring up a disappointing topic at this moment. But Jiang Baixi, like he had ants in his pants, was irritating him too. In the end, he had to follow Jiang Baixi's request and ask Ding Yi, "Auntie Ding, this morning I heard from my mom that Ren... that Brother Yiyi went abroad. Which country did he go to? Is it far?"

Ding Yi's gaze swept over Jiang Baixi before settling on Meng Qi. "Didn't you block your Brother Yiyi? Why do you still care where he is?"

Meng Qi was left speechless by the question. Scratching his head, he forced an explanation. "After all... he's my Brother Yiyi. Being angry with him doesn't mean I don't care about him."

"Hmm, I like hearing that. You three grew up together. No matter what, you must always help and support each other," Ding Yi peeled a fresh mangosteen and gave half each to Meng Qi and Jiang Baixi, then continued. "It's not that Auntie doesn't want to tell you, but I really made a promise with your Brother Yiyi not to tell anyone. So, Auntie can't help either. Maybe you can try asking him yourselves. If he wants to tell you, he will. If not, there's nothing to be done."

Meng Qi shot Jiang Baixi a look: *See? It's useless.*

Jiang Baixi returned a look: *Try again!*

Meng Qi: ...

"Auntie Ding, really, you can't even tell me?" Meng Qi asked, cringing inwardly as he wheedled.

"Yes, I can't tell. Your Brother Yiyi specifically said you, of all people, must not be told."

Meng Qi shrugged at Jiang Baixi: *Hey, look—so much for my special status.*

Jiang Baixi was almost fuming at Meng Qi.

Ding Yi wanted Meng Qi and Jiang Baixi to stay for dinner, but Meng Qi had his evening class on his mind and declined, saying he needed to return to school. He explained the reason to Ding Yi, who thought that was a great idea, adding, "While you're young, you should learn as much as possible. The more skills you master, the better you can pick the ones that are both right for you and that you love."

Meng Qi really took this to heart and nodded repeatedly.

Afterward, Ding Yi packed up every last bit of tasty food from the Ren household that would travel well, giving a share to both Meng Qi and Jiang Baixi.

On the way back, Meng Qi, laden with treats, was so happy he almost burst into song. He genuinely adored Ren Suiyi's mother and even fantasized that if Ren Suiyi really never returned after going abroad, he would take his place and treat Ding Yi as his own mother, providing for her in her old age and seeing her through to the end.

Jiang Baixi, who was driving, had been in low spirits ever since Meng Qi failed to get Ren Suiyi's address. He remained sullen all the way until he dropped Meng Qi off at school.

After getting out of the car, Meng Qi wanted to wave goodbye, but Jiang Baixi couldn't be bothered with him, stepping on the gas and driving off, leaving Meng Qi standing in a cloud of exhaust.

Still, this outcome wasn't bad—if you ignore me, I'll ignore you too. Meng Qi was more than happy with that turn of events.

"Author's Note"

Happy weekend. Leave a mark.

Revised on July 4, 2024.

The day of revision is another weekend—what a coincidence.

Revised on March 15, 2026.